I thought St Johnstone boss Steven MacLean’s message to his players after the defeat at Stenhousemuir was a stark warning of the commitment he expects.
After including those unavailable through injury in his post-match comments he then said: “They don’t want to be injured, I know that, and they’re working hard to get back.
“But sometimes you have to push yourself and as a player you don’t play when you’re 100% too often.
“You just have to get through it at times.”
It was a brutal appraisal of the reality of professional football.
I don’t think he was suggesting his sick list men were malingering but he was pointing out a harsh truth, that in a tough game you have to be tough.
We’ve all worked with folk who are off at the first sign of a sniffle.
Football’s no different.
Players have varying levels of fortitude but in the Saints gaffer’s first major job he needs men with only the highest possible levels of resilience if he and they are to succeed.
Every club has players who will linger on the treatment table longer than the manager would like and while injuries have to be treated with respect, any gaffer worth his salt soon separates the real sufferers from the shirkers.
Fans expect full-time teams to beat part-timers.
Those sides that do, get little praise because it’s assumed they should. Those that don’t get slaughtered because it’s expected that they should have.
So Dundee did the business against Bonnyrigg and get only nods of recognition for a solid professional job, while St Johnstone and Dundee United get hammered for losing to Stenhousemuir and Spartans.
Tony Docherty can be well satisfied with a potential banana skin avoided but before the league season even starts Steven MacLean and Jim Goodwin are getting it in the neck after defeats to clubs miles below their status.
Dundee completely dominated their match despite the narrow scoreline and the support is in good heart, with Docherty’s squad-building winning approval from fans.
Some Arabs though are seriously questioning owner Mark Ogren’s commitment and wondering if he’s lost interest in his United venture.
Those doubters are also querying whether Goodwin can transform their fortunes and whether his squad has the quality needed to escape the Championship.
When expectation meets reality in football it’s usually a painful experience, and for Saints and United those League Cup losses have already bruised their hopes.
Fans pay good money to follow their teams and their frustrations are understandable, but they can also be self defeating.
Hurling bitter vitriol as happened to United players at Spartans can backfire.
Confidence is already fragile and destructive comment in person or on social media doesn’t improve matters.
Louis Moult’s signing has been well received.
The experienced striker has had a tough time injury-wise and says he sees social media and is aware of what’s said.
He says he can handle it but not every player can, and there’s a fine line between objective criticism which most players can take and the sort of wild-eyed abuse which can shatter confidence completely
