Davies determined to shut out everything except a County win
Captain insists Partick game will be ignored as survival depends on defeating Saints
Ross County captain Andrew Davies aims to block out all thoughts of Partick Thistle’s result and ensure they do their job in Perth.
County will be relegated if they fail to beat St Johnstone but victory could put them in the play-offs – if Thistle fail to win at Dundee.
The visiting fans will be keeping their eyes and ears out for news from Dens Park but Davies says the players cannot afford any distractions.
The defender said: “I won’t be bothered about any other result, just about trying to get a result for the club, for the fans, for the people who work around the club, and give everything I have possibly got to try to make sure we stay in this league.
“Either way, nothing changes, you have got to win the game. You can’t focus on what other people are doing because if we don’t win the game then nothing changes anyway.
“Just win the game and fingers crossed when we come off we get some good news.
“If we don’t, we will reflect on the season. I feel there’s a lot to be said and that will be said. But it’s not the right time at the minute. Just try and win the game, and then we go from there.”
Davies has been frustrated by events this season but he is determined to get another chance to save his club’s Ladbrokes Premiership status.
“It doesn’t look good, we are bottom of the table and we are there for a reason,” the former Middlesbrough and Bradford player said.
“But we have to just try to change that on Saturday. It’s a massive game for everyone. We have to win the game and hope other results go our way.”
Davies insists there is plenty of fight left in the team.
“I think we have fought this year, and it will be no different on Saturday,” he said. “We have fought but you can’t perform really well one week and not for the next three or four games.
“But let’s hope everyone turns up on Saturday.” St Johnstone’s Zander Clark has credited outgoing goalkeeper Alan Mannus with having a huge impact on his career.
Mannus is set to depart this summer and will make his last appearance today after seven years at the club.
His exit from Mcdiarmid Park will leave the No 1 spot vacant, a position Clark, pictured, is expected to fill having impressed at times in his 19 appearances this term, but the 25-year-old admits he will miss his experienced team-mate.
“Al has been terrific with me ever since he came to the club,” Clark said. “I’ve been fortunate enough in my time here that I have worked with some great goalkeepers, but more so with Alan.
“He came in at that stage of my career where starting to venture into playing first-team football was more of a possibility, and he has helped me massively.
“You feel every day you are learning something new and I can’t speak highly enough of how much he has done for me and I think you look back over the years, it speaks highly of what he has done and achieved at the club.
“It will be a massive loss, but next season if I am No 1 – and that might not be the case – I need to try to take on that role to be that person that they [younger players] can speak to whenever they need.”
Mannus is not the only experienced player on his way out at saints, with steven ma clean and Chris Millar also leaving this summer, the trio boasting well over 600 league appearances between them.
The summer of upheaval comes after a disappointing campaign which leaves them outside the top six for the first time in seven years, and their absences will be harshly felt by Clark.
He said: “It’s going to be a different changing room next season. Al, Midgey [Millar] and Macca have been around for a few years and they are the life and soul of the changing room.
“They are characters and the experienced ones who are there to help the younger ones coming through. It will be a strange scenario when you come in in the mornings. We are greeted by the usual insults you get from Macca and Midge!
“There will still be experienced heads in the changing room that will be able to keep that mentality going which I think is important for the younger ones stepping up into the first team.”