Whether it’s ugly or pretty, St Johnstone care only about winning.
For the last few years in Tayside derbies the Perth men have become accustomed to being portrayed as the piano pushers to Dundee’s United’s piano players.
That may change as Mixu Paatelainen seeks to toughen up the Premiership’s bottom team.
But even if the local rivalry becomes a different sort of contest, Steven MacLean believes Saints will adapt as required.
“It never bothered if people thought we were a team of water carriers,” he said.
“We know that we’ve got good players who can win matches but also the guys who can dig in if it goes the other way.
“There are a lot of ways to win football matches.
“You hear people going on about philosophies and all that stuff, but it’s all about getting three points on a Saturday.
“That’s the only philosophy.
“You hear people preaching about how they play this way or that way.
“That’s fine, but it’s about three points on a Saturday.
“You get the same amount of points for winning 5-0 as you do 1-0.
“If you can do it playing nice football, then all the better.
“But you play every game on its merits, if you need a bit of dig then go and dig it.
“We have players who can do both things and I think that’s one of our strengths as a squad. We have a mixture.
“Last season we kept clean sheets but didn’t score many goals, but this year we’ve scored a lot and have come from behind a few times.
“We’ve scored four or five in some matches and then ground out a 1-0 up at Inverness in one of the worst games ever played.
“So we’ve proved we can recognise what the game is.”
The Saints players don’t do any deep-thinking about their team’s DNA. They’re content to know that they’ve earned the respect of their top flight opponents.
“It has been a funny one because as players you don’t look into it,” he explained.
“We certainly don’t think about it. But what I do know is that teams don’t like playing against us, I’ve heard that from guys who are with other teams.
“I don’t know what it is, we just work hard and get on with it.
“In most of the games against United they would always be favourites but this weekend people will be expecting us to win.
“We’re fourth and they’re bottom of the league, but the lads here won’t think about that.
“If we go there and play the way we can then we can win the game.
“In the past everyone thought that if Dundee United played well against us they’d win, but now it’s maybe swung the other way.
“Of course we have to be happy with that because it shows we’re doing something right, but it’s not something the boys get into their heads.”
Chris Millar is set to return for Saints, while Graham Cummins, Liam Craig and Simon Lappin are all out.
MacLean has every faith in Chris Kane, should the young striker be chosen to partner him in the absence of Cummins.
He said: “Graham will be a loss because he’s done really well since he joined.
“But Kano is more than capable of coming in if he gets the nod from the manager. There was a game last year at Tannadice where he did well against United, I think.
“He got off the mark in the league with his goal against Kilmarnock so his confidence will be high.
“He’s a hard worker, he can finish and he’s got pace.”