Stirling Albion has to be St Johnstone’s line in the sand, according to striker Stevie May.
An all-in McDiarmid Park meeting of players and management followed the humiliating 4-0 loss to the League One part-timers – Saints’ third defeat of a torrid Viaplay Cup group campaign.
And then Perth boss Steven MacLean got his senior pros together to further pick apart where things have gone wrong in July and the areas that need to improve.
Three-time cup winner, May, was part of both debriefs and he’s confident that MacLean will get the collective response he’s hoping for.
“What can you say,” said last season’s top scorer.
“It’s so clear that it’s not good enough – in general, not just today.
“It’s about us sorting ourselves out and wiping the slate clean before Hearts on Saturday.
“Stirling are a good side but they’re in League One and we should be able to put out a team that wins comfortably.
“There are no excuses.”
St Johnstone players and staff had their say
On the meetings that ensued from the four-goal defeat, May added: “The manager said his piece.
“He gave it 15 minutes after the game so that all the injured ones could come down.
“Everyone was in on it. These sort of meetings happen from time to time in football.
“And then he said he wanted the senior ones in for a meeting.
“It was opened up. A few people said what they had to say and the manager asked a few of us what we thought.
“It was important for the manager to let everyone know what he was thinking.
“Now we need to regroup.
“It’s on to league business and it has to be much better.
“It was good to have this sort of meeting before we start the week leading up to our first league game.
“Within ourselves we know it’s not good enough.
“We’re not trying to lose games and play poorly but things have to improve.
“There are still a lot of the players here who finished last season really well and picked up points.
“We need to build ourselves up again and be ready to go next Saturday.”
Ben McCrystal
The weekend – like Stenhousemuir away – was a chastening experience for young players afforded an opportunity though a combination of squad-trimming and a long injury list.
“You can look at it both ways,” said May. “They’re getting a great chance to be involved in first team football.
“It’s not easy and it’s not always pretty.
“You want to come in and win games but that hasn’t happened.
“Ben (McCrystal), especially, in the middle of the park came on and did really well. Fair play to him – that was one of the few positives.”
