It isn’t just the new faces who have transformed the McDiarmid Park mood to make pre and post mid-season break a “night and day” contrast, according to St Johnstone captain Liam Gordon.
The return of a familiar one is also at the heart of a recent revival that is showing signs of turning into a Perth bounce-back of real heft.
When Saints were enduring a double digit losing run and Callum Hendry was playing his football in the Championship with Kilmarnock, he might have seemed an unlikely figurehead for an early 2022 change of fortunes.
But, after returning from his Rugby Park loan spell, he has started all three league games, scoring in one and playing well in the other two.
And, in the absence of Theo Bair, Nadir Ciftci and Chris Kane in Paisley, Hendry will be a leader from the front against St Mirren as well.
One of our best players
“Callum’s impact shows what the guy is made of,” said Gordon. “He has come back from his loan and been one of our best players.
“He missed out on the two cup wins last season, went out on a couple of loans and has still come back hungry and wanting to help the club.
“That speaks volumes about the type of character he is.
📹| Alternate Angle
Here is the behind the goal shot of @Callum_Hendry putting us ahead last night! #SJFC #UpLikeASalmon pic.twitter.com/XShQanagJH
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) February 2, 2022
“As a team-mate, it’s great to see and as a friend I’m delighted for him.
“Now he just has to perform consistently at that level.
“If he keeps doing that he could be a massive player for us.”
Hendry’s goals were one of the key reasons Saints weren’t dragged into a relegation battle in Tommy Wright’s last season in charge.
He now finds himself in the ‘main man’ role once more.
“Callum was hugely important for us before Covid,” said Gordon.
1 year ago today, a late @Callum_Hendry goal gave Saints a 1-0 win over Livingston to make it 7 games unbeaten. It would turn out to be the final game of the 2019/20 season and the last visit to McDiarmid for the majority of fans. pic.twitter.com/S82xCS73ew
— St Johnstone Fans (@StJohnstoneFans) March 7, 2021
“He saved us with his goals. At one stage I think he was second only to Odsonne Edouard in terms of goals per minutes on the pitch.
“That shows the ability he has and the levels he can perform at.
“Callum has to keep this form going and keep putting the ball into the back of the net.
“Even in the 0-0 with Dundee United you saw the work rate he put in. It was tremendous.”
Night and day
Three games unbeaten, off the bottom of the table and happy with the players he has got around him – Gordon believes the Perth foundations are now strong.
“It’s night and day around the place in terms of the feeling before and after the break,” said the centre-back.
“That’s obviously been helped by the additions the manager has brought in.
“It’s given the dressing room a massive lift and the last couple of results have also helped.
“You can see the performances have got the fight and character St Johnstone have been known for over many years now.
“We have also been playing some nice stuff and creating chances.
“We still have a lot to do this season and need to do our talking on the pitch.
“The transitional period from where we were last year was always going to be difficult.
“But as a squad everyone is in it together and striving to get where we want to be.
“It is the closest we have been to being the St Johnstone side of last season.
“I’m delighted that we’ve got options in every position.
“That’s a good place for a squad to be in.”
A bridgeable gap
Saints have seven points to claw back on the team above them in the league but it’s far from a case of play-offs at best as far as Gordon is concerned.
“We feel the gap is bridgeable,” he said.
“We have to treat every match as a cup final. We were quite good at them last year so we know what it takes.
“There are a lot of games to be played and we are coming up against teams above us.
“We believe in ourselves and that we can get ourselves out of this position.
“It is going to be a long, hard road but it’s one we can complete.”
