Steve Lomas has appealed to St Johnstone fans not to jeer Richie Brittain at the weekend, because he still believes the mixed-up midfielder will be a Perth player next season.
On Sunday Saints welcome the Staggies, who will be led out by their captain Brittain.
The 29-year-old signed a pre-contract agreement with Saints in January but earlier this week informed his prospective employers that he has had a change of heart and now wants to remain in the Highlands for personal reasons.
However, manager Lomas and his chairman Steve Brown are in no mood to rip up their agreement and expect the player to honour it.
The Perth boss admitted he hasn’t communicated directly with Brittain, but that conversation will take place soon.
“I haven’t spoken to Richie personally,” Lomas pointed out. Everything regarding his pre-contract was done through his agent, and I haven’t spoken to him this week.
“Out of respect to Ross County I made a conscious decision that I’d let the club deal with his pre-contract.
“I’ve got a lot of time for Roy MacGregor and I didn’t feel it was right because he was at another club, and Ross County are a rival.”
“I wouldn’t have been happy if Pat Fenlon had been constantly phoning Liam (Craig),” added Lomas.
“Myself and St Johnstone have behaved impeccably in a slightly awkward situation that’s inevitable with pre-contracts. The club have made a two-year commitment to him, six months before his contract ends.
“We fully expect Richie to be here next season. If Richie was to break his leg before the end of the season I don’t think Ross County would give him anything and we would certainly have honoured our two-year contract.
“We had an opportunity to get Liam tied up. Ross County had the opportunity to do that with Richie. Once a player gets into the last year of his deal you’re open to that scenario.
“I had another couple of players I could have signed in January, but I didn’t because we got Richie.”
He added: “I really wanted Richie and he was desperate to come, even to the point that we tried to get him here in January. But we were quoted a figure we couldn’t get to.
“It’s a bizarre situation. I keep hearing about him not wanting to be here. Obviously somewhere down the line we’ll have to chat but we’ve got a contract and a commitment.”
Lomas certainly doesn’t want fans to turn on Brittain when the teams meet on Sunday.
“I’m still hopeful he’ll be here,” he said. “When Richie’s here next season our fans will see he’s a quality player, he’ll enjoy playing and I don’t think Sunday will be a problem.
“If people were thinking about booing him, I’d say don’t do it.”