The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Summer dealings ‘pretty good’ – but striker still required
ST JOHNSTONE: Wright satisfied with summer squad reshaping
Partick Thistle’s two striker summer signings, Conor Sammon and Miles Storey, were both linked with St Johnstone.
But Perth boss Tommy Wright insisted he is happy with the transfer business his own club have concluded ahead of the Jags’ visit to McDiarmid Park tomorrow.
“Every manager will think they have done well with their transfer business but only time will tell,” said Wright.
“Their two additions up top certainly make them stronger on paper but players have to do well and go out and perform. How quickly players settle into a new club is also a factor but Sammon and Storey know the league so that limits the risk factor.” Boss content with transfer business
“They are two good acquisitions for Partick,” said Wright.
“Sammon played left the other night and while he probably prefers to play through the middle he is adaptable. The new men will give them a bit more flexibility and a bit of power and pace up front.
“But we are happy with what we have done so far. Our business has been pretty good but we do need a striker in.
“With Kane going out and the emergence of Hendry we aren’t weaker in terms of quality but we are one down.
“It’s no secret we have been looking for a striker for a while now but he has to be one who will come in and make a difference, not just be a squad player.”
Wright added: “We have missed out on one or two who I feel would have done a job. But if I don’t get anyone who I feel can make the squad better I will go with what I have got.
“As a manager I have got the two players I wanted over the summer and the last one will be the hardest to get.
“Everyone wants a striker and we are all probably looking at the same ones. We have to make sure we get the right one in.”
Partick Thistle are the only Scottish team to have beaten Saints so far this season but Wright doesn’t believe there is any deep mystery regarding their Betfred Cup exit to the Firhill side.
“This time it is quite simple,” he pointed out.
“We have to defend better and take our chances. We have to be better at both ends of the pitch than we were in the cup game.
“We certainly defended much better against Motherwell and when the chances came we were clinical. We have to take those positives into this match.
“But it’s not about us looking for revenge. If you need that to motivate you it doesn’t help. The motivation is to win three points.
“There’s a feelgood factor here but we try not to get a carried way to much with ups and downs. The extremes prompted by wins and losses are for the supporters to live with, not players.
“We know it’s a long season. This has only been a good start but we want to build on it. We know the likelihood is that we won’t be top of the league at the end of the season so we just have to enjoy this week and try to get a win which takes us closer to 10 points and our initial target.”
Blair Alston is a doubt for the match, with Wright saying: “Blair has a thigh niggle. He picked up a dead leg a couple of weeks ago but it seems to have flared up a bit. If there is any doubt about him we won’t risk him but hopefully he will be OK.”