Saints boss not distracted by Rangers links

Tommy Wright’s short-term and long-term attention is on St Johnstone, writes Eric Nicolson.

And the only reason he will be thinking about Rangers at the moment is because they are the next team the Perth men will be playing.

The Saints boss hasn’t changed his stance on speculation that he is a candidate for the vacant manager’s job at Ibrox.

Wright insisted it hasn’t been a distraction for him and he doesn’t expect it to be for his players.

The planning for tomorrow night’s match and the rest of this season, and building for the next campaign, are the Northern Irishman’s focus.

“This has all been speculation and I have said before that it shows how good a job we must be doing if I am being linked with a club the size of Rangers,” he said, “but my focus and commitment is totally to St Johnstone.

“I signed Brian Easton on a new deal on Friday and I am meeting a player to try and get him on a pre-contract. I am planning for St Johnstone and the future. I still have a lot of unfinished business here.”

“I am trying to improve the squad and I am planning for next season. I am working closely with the chairman on that.

“The speculation doesn’t come into my thinking or that of my players. They would never use that as an excuse for why we didn’t play well. And we are all focused on doing the job we have to do.”

There is plenty of uncertainty concerning Rangers just now, though.

Wright said: “You could say Rangers players might look a bit distracted but a professional player isn’t going into games thinking about the managerial situation.

“Maybe at home the crowd can get a bit impatient if they don’t get that first goal. That can have an effect on players. But the supporters were behind them at Inverness, certainly until the stage I left.

“They had chances in the game. The difference was that Inverness took their chances and Rangers didn’t.

“Rangers will get chances against us and we have to hope they don’t click and start finding the back of the net.

“We do expect to be on the back foot a little bit more against the bigger teams away from home but we thrive on that challenge. Our performances at Ibrox, particularly on the counter attack, have been really good and we have passed the ball well.

“Truth be told, these probably are easier games for players to get up for because maybe the fear of losing is greater going to these grounds and the players get an adrenaline rush to go out and perform.”

Manager Tommy Wright says his players love a challenge.