On the evidence of their last five games, St Johnstone bear little resemblance to the team that lifted the Scottish Cup just a few months ago and has competed in Europe for three successive seasons.
But Perth captain Dave Mackay insists that in Saints’ case, appearances can be deceptive.
“You don’t just become a terrible team overnight,” the defender pointed out.
“Although at times it has looked like that on the park!
“We’ve not put a 90 minutes together, even in the European games. I don’t think we’ve played anywhere near what we produced at times last season.
“If we’d been playing well and still losing games then it would be different, but we’ve not played yet this season. Too many of us have been off form at the wrong time.
“You can get away with one or two lads not being at it, but we’ve had a lot more than that. We’re missing big players through injury but we can’t mope around because of that. You just have to get on with it.
“Nobody is pointing the finger at each other in the dressing-room, we’re in this together as a team and we’ve all been making mistakes.
“But by sticking together we’ll get through this rough patch. I’m confident we’re good enough to get ourselves out of this.”
One of the reasons MacKay is confident of a turn-around in fortunes is the fact that the recent defeats have been self-inflicted.
And if that theory is taken to its logical conclusion, pointing the gun away from their own feet will see results improve.
“We are doing silly things and getting punished for most of them,” the experienecd defender said. We’ve played a big role in the goals that have been scored against us, creating our own problems.
“It isn’t like us because we’ve always been a solid team and won matches on the back of that. We can play, but it has always been about having that base to build on.
“We know we’ve not played anywhere near we can play. The games we’ve lost are just by the odd goal but we know we’ve got to buck up our ideas.
“We are conceding silly goals, we’re making too many mistakes and gifting too many chances to the opposition.”
Mackay knows that it isn’t just at the back where thinsg have been going wrong.
“We’re not creating enough chances and taking them,” the former Livingston and Dundee man noted. It’s a simple game, really, – score your goals and keep them out at the other end.
“That’s what we need to do, get back to basics and do the simple things well. We have to be brave on the ball, help your team-mates.
“We are working on that in training and it has been fine, it has been on a Saturday we’ve not managed to do as well as we should be. It’s not that long ago everything was going along fine, so you don’t become a bad side overnight.
“I’m confident it will turn, all it takes is a wee break, a 1-0 victory or something and we’ll be off and running again. We’re not the worst team in the league, that’s for sure, and we’ve not played anywhere near what we’re capable of.
“If we’d been playing well and still losing games it’s different, but we’re not.”
Mackay added: “We have lost three home games that, with all due respect, we shouldn’t be losing.
“The teams who have beat us are all good sides, but the St Johnstone of the last few years wouldn’t be losing those matches. Certainly not all three of them anyway!”
The period from Saturday to the following Friday has a season-defining look about it for Saints.
First up are Partick Thistle in the league, then Rangers away in a League Cup quarter-final, followed by a Friday night clash at McDiarmid with fellow Premiership strugglers Motherwell.
“Things can turn quickly,” Mackay said. “We have three games in six days and if we can get a good week there then it will turn around.
“We have had terrible starts to the season before so we know what it takes to turn it around. All we need is something to go right for us.”