St Johnstone captain Liam Gordon will be happy to see some New Year reinforcements arrive at McDiarmid Park.
And the Saints centre-back believes that the combination of those new recruits and improved form of players the manager wants to keep in Perth will be a recipe for second half of the season success.
Boss Callum Davidson has made it clear he’ll be a busy man in the January transfer market, with Gordon saying: “That’s out with my control.
“I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.
“Certainly, it would benefit the squad as a whole to have some fresh faces in – competition for us all.
“If that’s what happens, we’ll welcome it.
“I still absolutely back us as a group – players and manager – to get us out of the situation we’re in. We’re up for the fight.”
It was still far from perfect but Gordon believes the second half display against Celtic on Boxing Day was of a standard the new-look squad can build on when they resume their relegation battle after the mid-season break.
“It was far better,” he said. “We’re happier with that but disappointed in the result obviously.
“There were still areas that need to improve but I thought Chris Kane made a massive difference coming back in.
“It was great to have that focal point up front.
“When you have someone like him putting in the hard work, it’s great for the defence.
🗣 "A proper No 9's header!"
A lovely ball into the box from Viv Solomon-Otabor and Chris Kane is there to head past #CelticFC goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas.
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Football
📲 Live blog 👉 https://t.co/sf1HH1lIHd pic.twitter.com/D5P08bl4pM— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 26, 2021
“The first half wasn’t good enough, as has been said many times this season.
“We’ll now use the break as a time to step away, reflect on what has been a disappointing first half of the season and regroup.
“Then we’ll come back refreshed and eager to get ourselves up the table.”
Skipper Gordon is a vocal presence on the pitch and in the dressing room but he won’t be alone in making sure January is much better than November and December.
“It’s not just as a captain,” he said. “That’s my role as a player and a team-mate.
“We’ve got numerous people in the dressing room who can have that effect as well.
“It doesn’t just come from me and it can’t just come from me. It has to come from everyone.
“If we start getting everyone singing from the same hymn sheet then I think we’ll be fine.
“We’re bottom of the table and the club hasn’t faced this level of disappointment in a long time, especially coming off the back of last season.
“This has happened in ridiculously quick time. There’s no lying about that.
“It will certainly test the character of the squad.”
Streaky Saints
As a fan before he was a player, Gordon knows that St Johnstone are a club of Premiership extremes – a trend he hopes will continue, with the pendulum swinging in the opposite direction from where it is currently stuck.
“Historically we’ve had phases – good and bad,” he said.
“It happened last year and in previous seasons.
“We need to turn this bad streak into another good streak and put our talking on to the pitch.
“Going into the games last season we’ve believed we were going to win and we need that back.
“We went on an amazing run last season and I know we can do it again.
“Working hard and doing the basics well will get us back to that. I do believe we’re not far away.”
