St Johnstone striker Brian Graham may not be making any headlines for his goal-scoring at the moment.
Michael O’Halloran and James McFadden have been hogging those.
But Graham’s work-rate hasn’t gone unnoticed in the McDiarmid Park dressing room, with Steven Anderson praising the Perth frontman for providing the first line of Saints’ defence.
“Our defending starts at the front,” the centre-back pointed out.
“We’re back to being solid again, the confidence is there again, and we’re looking to build on that.
“We’re better defensively as a team, not just the back four and the goalie.
“It’s what we’ve built our team on over the years. Even as far back as under Owen Coyle.
“Brian Graham puts himself about and gets us up the park.
“He’s got a really high work-rate. He just need a goal just now. I know he’s scored a few already but at the moment he’s being unlucky.
“Brian’s hit the post and the bar in the last couple of games, and maybe other players could have set him up more as well.
“He’s a striker and he wants to score goals. He’s as moaney as me, to be fair. He could be my number two!”
On the subject of moaning, Anderson admitted that quibbling with Saturday’s man of the match Alan Mannus about punching a St Mirren free-kick rather than catching it might have been a tad harsh.
“It was the heat of the moment,” he said. “That’s football and that’s me always wanting better!
“Alan made some great saves to keep us in front.”
Anderson knows Saints are lucky to have Mannus, a keeper he rates up there with the best of them in the Premiership.
“Everybody takes him for granted,” he commented.
“We all know how good he is, and that’s basically why I moan at him. Because he’s that good.
“He’s only 32, I think, so he’s still got plenty of years ahead of him and I think he can play at a higher level.
“Because he’s such a good keeper you expect clubs to be interested in him, but I’m just delighted he’s still here.
“I think he’s happy at the club. He plays every week and he gets into the Northern Ireland squad.
“There are a lot of good keepers in this league, but Alan is one of the best.”