Stable and St Johnstone were words as interlinked as the Perth club’s blue and white colours.
Until an uncharacteristic season that teetered on the brink of calamity, that is.
A couple of successive transfer windows that saw player incomings hit double digits provided a mirror to what had gone wrong at McDiarmid Park.
But head of football operations believes a one-signing January has shown that the process of restoring calm and control to Saints is well underway.
And the summer window will reinforce it.
“We’ve spoken about one or two things we’d like to do but this is a good time to hang fire and take stock,” said MacPherson, who took up his new role in November.
“We’ll see how things develop in the next few weeks.
“We’ve got 15 or 16 players still under contract for another year.
“It’s healthy. There won’t be major surgery.
“As soon as you start to get close to double figures in terms of recruitment, that’s when problems come.
“Four, five and six is more like the right number, which in itself is a sign that we’re on the right tracks.
“We should be even more stable coming out of that window.”
January reflections
Reflecting on January’s work and the picture it paints, MacPherson added: “I’ve had one transfer window. Stable was the best way to describe it.
“The squad is healthy, it’s strong in terms of personnel and numbers.
“There was no panic from anyone within the club. There was support there.
“There was the option to do business if needed but I spent numerous afternoons with Callum (Davidson).
“The impressive thing was how comfortable he was with the squad. That gave reassurance to myself and the chairman that he was happy to go with what we had.
“It’s fantastic for a club to hear that and most importantly the players. Zak (Rudden) was one he’d spoken about previously but lost out on him the previous January.
“He was one of the first names Callum mentioned and asked about his availability.
“Then you do your digging and find out if it’s possible.
“Sometimes if you’re involved in transfer windows a panic comes in.
“That’s normally the overriding thing in January, panic signings. Callum should be given a lot of credit how he conducted himself and how calm he was.
“We were sitting waiting on deadline day and if something happened in our squad we’d be ready to react to it but it didn’t materialise with Alex Mitchell.
“We weren’t just going to bring someone in for the sake of it. Callum was very methodical in that process from the very start. He showed trust and faith in the group.
“Because of all the upheaval and the changes, it’s about trying to bring that stability back.
“Yes, the club’s up for sale. That might put a different outlook on it. But I think anybody coming into the club should be looking at it and thinking, ‘that’s working, the philosophy, that remit works.’”
Davidson perfect fit
Prior to his McDiarmid appointment, MacPherson didn’t have a personal connection with Davidson beyond a handshake and a hello.
Working alongside the double-winning head coach has shown why he’s the perfect fit for St Johnstone.
“On a day to day basis on the coaching side I don’t get involved in it, being a manager is not something I miss,” said the former St Mirren boss.
“They’re over there getting on with their training and I’m here with the support side of it.
“But I’ve been nothing but impressed with how he conducts himself more than anything. The business side takes care of it.
“He knows exactly what he wants and what he needs.
“There’s a humility there in how he goes about stuff. He’s just a good guy, a humble individual.
“The first thing I identified with the group downstairs was the work ethic.
“Callum is obviously the leader, but then you’ve got the coaches Steven MacLean, Liam Craig, Alex Cleland and Elliott Parish.
“Their work ethic is obvious.
“You need to understand what a club of this size requires. Callum’s the DNA of this club in terms of coming through the academy, first team, earning the big move and now manager.
“He understands every department in it and knows what’s required. So it’s a fit that matches.
“The contrasting seasons of winning competitions but then the battle he was put into the year after – he’s come through both.”
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