Dour defender Steven Anderson surveyed his boss’s comments about him being a miserable so-and-so during the week and didn’t bat an eyelid.
For the Saints centre-half knew Tommy Wright was speaking the truth and took it as a compliment when it comes to his on the field exploits that is.
Ando has been taking stick from his team-mates all week after Wright highlighted his tendency to moan a lot during games, but the 27-year-old, who has been part of a back line yet to concede in the league this season, isn’t about to change now.
“I am miserable, there’s no point in trying to claim otherwise,” he commented.
“The lads gave me plenty of stick for what the gaffer said but they knew that was the case anyway. He only said what everyone thinks anyway, so it’s no bother to me.
“If it gives them something to have a bit of banter about that’s fine by me. I actually like being miserable. All I want to do is defend and win.
“I hate losing, doesn’t matter if it’s in training or in a game. Once I come into my work every day I don’t want to lose.
“I’m not like that away from football, I’d say I’m a happy person I’m sure the lads would tell you that. But when it comes to football I just can’t stand losing, it drives me crazy.
“It goes back years, I learned from the likes of Kevin James, Jim Weir, Alan McManus and guys like that.”
Anderson added: “I just love football and love winning so the moaning isn’t going to stop.
“I’ve definitely got worse as I’ve got older. But I think it’s a good thing if I’m moaning at people to do their jobs and keep on their case.
“As a centre-half the whole game is in front of you so you can see where things are going wrong. It’s part of your job to look and tell people where they should be doing better.
“The lads know just to take it with a pinch of salt.”
While Anderson has been taking flak from his team-mates for being like Victor Meldrew, the defender revealed that his skipper has been giving him stick for a different reason.
“Dave Mackay says that if I scored every header I got I’d be top scorer in the league,” he explained.
“I’ve missed a lot of headers, that’s true.
“It is annoying, I know I should be scoring them because I get into the positions. But the way I see it is if we keep a clean sheet at the back I’ve done my bit, anything else is a bonus.”
Anderson came through the youth system at Dundee United and he will return to Tannadice today hoping to help Saints continue their unbeaten start to the season.
He will be reunited with former team-mate Mark Wilson, who has returned to United for a second spell, and Anderson reckons he will prove to be a great asset to the Tangerines.
He recalled: “I played with Mark in the youths at United, but he was a year older and was pushed into the first team.
“You could tell from a very young age how good he was going to be. He’s had a lot of problems with injuries but he’s fit again and he’s a great signing for them.”
Anderson also revealed he is delighted to see Saints striker Stevie May being offered a new contract to stay at Perth.
“If Stevie keeps working away and scoring goals someone will come in for him, everyone knows that,” he continued.
“He’s doing great and from a selfish point of view we want to get to the end of the month and he’s still here. We’d all love to see him progress and play at the highest level he can.
“But he’s young, he’s still learning his trade and for me he’ll end up much higher than League One.”
But while Anderson is happy to extol the virtues of a Saints striker, keeping the ball out at the other end will be his priority today.
And he is all too aware of United’s biggest threat.
“David Goodwillie is up there with the best guys I’ve played against,” he said.
“He’s a top striker and has been unlucky that things didn’t work out for him at Blackburn. When he was alongside Jon Daly the pair of them were so difficult to play against.
“Goodwillie is someone I really rate and I’m sure that like all strikers when he gets one he’ll go on a run. It’s our job this weekend to make sure that run doesn’t start now.”
Alan Mannus and David Robertson are Saints’ only absentees through injury, with former United keeper Stevie Banks poised to deputise for Mannus once again.