Dundee United’s plight shows the scale of St Johnstone’s achievement

St Johnstone keeper Alan Mannus believes the plight of today’s opponents Dundee United puts into context another successful season for the Perth side.

Saints will seal a fifth successive top six place in the Premiership with a win in the Tayside derby, and they probably won’t even need that.

But the Northern Ireland international pointed out that being comfortably safe from the drop – unlike United – is an achievement in itself.

“At the start of the season our aim is always to avoid being involved in the relegation battle,” Mannus said.

“Even though we’ve been in the top six the last few years, that hasn’t changed.

“People think ‘you’re just saying that’, but it’s true.

“Just look at this season and Dundee United.

“And there was Hibs a couple of years ago as well. You can’t take anything for granted.

“If you go on a bad run you can get caught up in it. It happens.

“I’m glad we’ve avoided it. The run that we went on at the start of the season was the big reason for that. The boys who got us the goals have played a big part in putting us in the position we’re in just now.

“If we can get top six again it will be another brilliant achievement for a club the size of ours.”