St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson has revealed that his team’s first half horror show against Livingston has changed his January transfer plans.
The Perth boss was shocked by the goals Saints conceded last weekend and it has increased the prospect of bringing players in and moving some out in the last couple of weeks of the mid-season window.
Asked if his thinking has altered on the back of the fifth, and worst, defeat of a recent losing run, Davidson admitted: “It has a little bit.
“I think I was probably satisfied (before).
“We brought in 12 to 14 players in the summer. When you keep having a revolving door and make changes it’s difficult to get settled.
“I was pretty settled with the squad and probably had too many players.
“But now maybe it’s looking again in depth. Hopefully we’ll get one or two in and one or two will go out.”
There may even be a signing before Saturday’s Scottish Cup clash with Rangers.
“Possibly,” said Davidson. “We’re working hard on it. January is difficult.
“A lot of the time, you get good players who aren’t fit enough, guys who haven’t played games.
“Unless you’re spending a lot of money, you’re not going to get guys who have played 20 games.
“We’ll maybe bring in one or two to keep things fresh, keep people on their toes and get them challenging for positions.”
Options to change
A large squad might not necessarily have been a benefit in recent weeks but it does now allow Davidson the scope to shake things up for the visit of Rangers.
“If you’d asked me three or four weeks ago, I was really happy with where we were,” he said.
“I was pretty flat after the game on Saturday. I didn’t expect it.
“It was my selection, although I felt a few players let me down.
“Football changes very quickly.
“We’ve had some tough games but the home ones have been the most disappointing.
“As a group of players we have to be better defensively.
“We are having a little blip and once we get through the tough run we’ve got coming up I do believe we’ve got games where we can win.
“The way they pick themselves up is to play with energy, play with passion, have a go. That’s the way as a player, you always pick yourself up.
“Sometimes you get criticised in football, and sometimes rightly so. So, for me, it’s about their attitude. I want to see an attitude and desire to win tackles, win headers, not to let the ball in our box and then, at the other side, go and be ruthless in the final third.
“That’s what I’m looking for.
“I’ve got changes I can make, whereas last year I probably didn’t have that. It’s up to up each individual, if they want a starting place, to go and prove it.”
Pitch ‘isn’t the best’
Saints have the memories of beating Rangers recently in their favour – and a heavy McDiarmid Park playing surface might not hurt their cause either.
“They’re welcome to St Johnstone’s pitch, which isn’t the best,” said Davidson.
Let's hope Adam Montgomery is good out of bunkers…. pic.twitter.com/RmklwgLHvh
— Eric Nicolson (@C_ENicolson) January 14, 2023
“I’m not sure what it will be like after this weather. Hopefully, it’ll be a proper cup tie.
“It’s sometimes good to have a wee break from the league. When we won the double, the cup games were regular throughout the season.
“It might give the players a different mindset and thought process. It’ll be up to them to go about their business and do it right.
“I’m looking for energy, passion and desire to go and do things right.”
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