The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Lack of clean sheets still a concern for Anderson
Defensive stalwart admits he would happily settle for ‘boring 1-0s’
St Johnstone are currently the second highest scorers in the Premiership behind leaders Celtic but dogged defender Steven Anderson insists he will not be happy until his side have also tightened up considerably at the back.
Saints’ longest-serving player had a miserable start to the season after having his eye socket fractured in the Europa League game against Alashkert in July.
He required surgery on the injury, having already gone under the knife in the summer to cure an ankle problem.
Now though, he is back to full fitness and played throughout St Johnstone’s last three victories but he will not be happy until the team have more clean sheets to their name as well as wins.
Anderson said: “It is great to get back playing. I have come through three away games in a week against Inverness, Morton and Hamilton.
“I have had a couple of routine cleanup ops on my ankle and that has been fine, even playing on astro. “I have got to be happy with that. “It was great getting that first clean sheet of the season up in Inverness and making it into another semi-final with the League Cup win at Morton.
“We know our job defensively. So it was annoying to lose two late goals to Hamilton.
“Maybe we took our foot off the gas because we were four up. But we have to keep more clean sheets as a team.
“The fans are lapping up the goals we are scoring but as a defender I am more concerned about stopping them.
“It is great to be part of a team getting goals but my job is all about clean sheets.
“We are maybe a bit more expansive with the players we have here now. On form we can be unstoppable but I am always happy to come away with a boring 1-0 win.”
Saints have won six out of their last seven games, sit fourth in the Premiership
On form we can be unstoppable but I am always happy to come away with a boring 1-0 win.
STEVEN ANDERSON
table and are in the semi-finals of the League Cup.
However, Anderson insists nobody at the club will be resting on their laurels any time soon.
He added: “Our only defeat in October was against Partick at home. They scored two screamers and we were unlucky not to take a point.
“But we want to keep this run going with another win against Kilmarnock.
“It is all about being consistent in this league because it is all so tight.
“We aren’t expected to win the league but we always want to improve year on year. We are up to fourth place now but it means nothing at this stage of the season.
“How many times have you seen us down in seventh or eighth place and we come strong in the final quarter to make the top six? So it is too early to be patting ourselves on the back. There’s a break coming up but we want to win every game. That is the attitude here.”