‘Improving’ Saints target upset over Gers for first win

ST JOHNSTONE: Boss Wright can see light after rocky start to the campaign

Tommy Wright has called on his players to give him a 90-minute performance against Rangers to secure their first league win of the season.

The general form curve for Saints is an upward one after a rocky start to their Premiership campaign.

Steven Gerrard’s side are next up on Sunday and Wright knows the bar has to be set high if they are to cause a McDiarmid Park upset.

“We are still not happy with just having three points from the first five games,” said the Saints’ boss.

“We are desperate to get a win on the board. “But given how the season started, with so many injuries and the poor form we were in, then I think everyone can see things starting to come together.

“The second-half performance against Livingston was the start of it, then we should have won at Easter Road, we lost to Kilmarnock and then at Aberdeen I thought we deserved more than a point.

“So the signs are there that performancewise things are improving, but we need to put a 90-minute performance in now.”

A more appealing run of fixtures is on the horizon for Saints after this weekend.

“I don’t think anyone has had a tougher start than us,” said Wright. “Once we play Rangers on Sunday that’s five of last season’s top six in the first six matches.

“So it has been difficult. We had to be patient to get the players we wanted in and thankfully we got them.”

“We want more points, of course we do, but I think we have the squad now to go on from here and pick up wins.

“Rangers will be tough because financially they are in a different league to us. But we have to be confident on the back of the performance against Aberdeen.

“We have to start games better. We have lost the first goal far too often this season.

“We have the players to make it difficult for teams when we go a goal up, but we haven’t done that yet and have been chasing. Last season we couldn’t come back when we went a goal down but thankfully this year we’ve got ourselves back into games. I just don’t want us getting into that position though.”

Liam Craig will miss out with a groin problem which will probably sideline him for another two or three weeks, Wright reported.

Recent signing Jason Holt can’t play against his parent club.

“Callum Booth got a full 90 minutes in the reserve game with Dundee,” the Perth boss added.

“He has kept himself in very good shape and he will be in the squad for Sunday.

“I don’t think it makes much difference Rangers playing a European tie before facing us.

“They are well used to the routine from last season and they have a big enough squad to handle all these games.

“At this early stage of the season players are fresh and can cope with three games in a week.”