Steve Lomas is determined St Johnstone will enter Europe next season under their own steam and not thanks to favours from elsewhere.
Hearts’ stunning Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Celtic on Sunday has set up the possibility of every top-six side apart from administration-hit Rangers, gaining a Euro place.
For that scenario to occur, the Jambos would have to triumph in the final against Edinburgh rivals Hibs.
However, Saints boss Lomas wants his side to qualify thanks to their own efforts a desire fuelled by what he believes is an unjust set of post-split SPL fixtures.
The Perth outfit face Dundee United at home this weekend and then have three successive away games before their final match of the season at McDiarmid Park against Rangers.
St Johnstone will also have played one home game fewer than the rest of the league by the time the campaign concludes and Lomas believes the club are being hard done by.
He said: ”We want to get into Europe under our own right. It has been a good season but it would be a great one if we could qualify for Europe. I think the boys have their eye on the prize and we want to get there on our own merits.
”We feel we have received the short end of the stick after the split. To have three away games on the bounce, I just find that totally bizarre. And to play them in only nine days, well I am completely perplexed by that.
”I would like to think it is unintentional.”
He added: ”You would have thought that the side getting hampered doesn’t get double hampered, so to speak. Maybe it is unintentional but some of the things that have been happening have really opened my eyes up to where some people see St Johnstone at.
”So I would love us to get European football in our own right because I think hurdles have been put up against us.
”Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of the split and I understand there has to be a loser but I don’t see how you go from a home game to three away ones on the bounce. I do believe there is a smack of: ‘Oh, it is only little St Johnstone’.
Lomas and his squad jetted off last week to recharge their batteries for the campaign run-in with a short break in Marbella. He now hopes to see the benefit on Saturday.
He said: ”It was good for the boys to rest up and get a bit of sun on their backs. We probably would have given them a few days off anyway but it was nice to keep them together, play a bit of golf and have a laugh.
”But it is now back to business and it only becomes a good trip if we beat Dundee United.”