ST Johnstone manager Tommy Wright ensured complacency will be absent when FC Luzern come calling.
Wright has held up Saints’ Europa League second qualifying round opponents as the best side they have faced in continental competition in recent years.
That pushed them ahead of Turkish side Eskisehirspor, Norwegians Rosenborg and FC Minsk of Belarus.
It is a clever tactic that will surely mean no one inside McDiarmid Park on Thursday night will take success for granted, despite Saints having a vital away goal from the 1-1 draw at the Swissporarena.
“The game is still finely balanced and as anyone who was at the game last week will know, Luzern are a real threat in front of goal,” said Wright.
“Indeed, they are the best team we have played in Europe. Their performance was the best any team has played against us in the last two seasons.
“We had seen them in two friendly matches but they stepped it up and were an even better side than we thought they were.
“The tie is far from over. It’s very evenly balanced going into Thursday’s game, I would say.”
Maybe so, but Wright also added that the hosts will be welcoming back someone who can cause an at times shaky Luzern defence problems.
“We will have Stevie May back, the team will be a bit more balanced, and since we are at home we’ll be on the front foot more,” he said.
“Stevie will get us up the pitch more, that’s for sure, and with them having two new centre-halfs he could give them plenty to think about.”
Meanwhile, Wright was keen to stress that although the club will have a representative at the Spartak Trnava v Zestafoni game on Thursday that doesn’t mean eyes have wandered towards a third qualifying round clash against the Slovaks or Georgians, who are locked at 0-0 from the first leg.
“We have had to look at it logistically and will be sending someone to watch the game,” said Wright.
“But that’s not us thinking we’re going to go through, Indeed, Luzern will be doing the same. It is just that there is no turnover time for this round it’s straight into it for whoever goes through.
“That’s the nature of the competition at this stage, so although your instinct isn’t to look ahead, as a club you’ve got to because it comes around so quickly.
“Luzern are in the same boat. They will be looking at both clubs and wondering how they will get there.
“But we know how easily you can go out of this competition. We saw it against Minsk when we were favourites to win.
“So all we are focused on is the 90 minutes on Thursday night.”