Alston plays down Wright United link

ST JOHNSTONE: No panic at McDiarmid over interest in Saints boss

There is no panic at McDiarmid Park that St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright is about to be lured across Tayside to Dundee United, according to Blair Alston.

With the Tangerines’ hunt to replace Ray McKinnon dragging into a third week, Wright’s name has cropped up again for a switch to Tannadice, two years after he was a target to succeed Jackie McNamara.

Alston sees in Wright, however, a man who is still enjoying his work in Perth.

“The manager will do what he wants to do but ultimately we think he’ll be here,” he said.

“He has been the driving force of this club in the last few years. He’s been a massive influence on everyone.

“He’s been great for me, he’s a very good manager and he’s working hard to turn things around.”

Scott Fraser insists the United players are determined to maintain the high standard set over the last two matches when they finally get a new manager.

The hunt to find Ray McKinnon’s successor has dragged into a third week, although victories over Dumbarton and St Mirren under caretaker gaffer Laurie Ellis have bought the board time.

Throughout the upheaval, the heat has been on the Tangerines’ squad to prove they are better than the poor form they showed too often during McKinnon’s reign.

They have had to cope with any guilt felt for their role in his departure while also trying to keep the club in touch at the top of the league.

Under those circumstances, they have coped extremely well and done Ellis proud.

The next time United play – against Northern Irish side Crusaders at Tannadice in the Irn Bru Cup this weekend – they will surely have a new gaffer in the dugout and Fraser stressed that they will have to keep the performance level high.

He said: “It has only taken us a couple of wins to get back level at the top, which is where we feel we belong, so now it’s up to us to maintain the level of performance we have shown in the last couple of weeks to make sure we stay there.

“Anyone who has been at our last two games will have seen the workrate of the boys and we have to keep that going.”

Scott Fraser: workrate must be kept up.