Paul Paton already had a high opinion of St Johnstone from the outside looking in.
But now that he is a Perth player, the former Dundee United captain’s admiration for “street-wise” Saints has risen to another level.
Paton has been involved in football long enough to know that the way his team adapted to a mid-game formation change in midweek and turned the tide against Rangers was not the norm.
“There are a lot of experienced boys in this team and we managed to coach ourselves out there to an extent,” he said.
“There are some players who might have been fazed by it.
“The manager has been bold and changed it. We were more comfortable matching them up (with a 3-5-2). Before that Rangers had been a bit like the Red Arrows coming at us.
“After that, though, we were fairly comfortable in the game.”
Paton added: “I rated St Johnstone highly because we never seemed to manage to beat them at United.
“I’ve always known they were a good side.
“I maybe wasn’t aware how good they are away from home because you don’t really concentrate on another team’s performances.
“The fact that they have consistently been a top six club was a massive draw for me.
“There are a lot of talented players.
“The older players are really good. There are not many clubs when the boys will take it upon themselves to make a switch in formation work like the other night.
“What we’ve got is a really good, experienced and street-wise squad. You need experience to be able to coach yourself on the pitch.”
Saints make the cross-Tayside trip to Dens Park today hoping to extend their unbeaten run from five to six.
And the comeback draw against Rangers has topped up their confidence levels going into the derby against Dundee.
“It was a good result and keeps our momentum going,” Paton said.
“It’s a really positive camp at the minute. To draw with Rangers twice shows what a good side we are.
“It was good to halt their winning run. After the first 20 or 30 minutes we dealt well with their attacking football.”
With all of his midfielders fit and in form, manager Tommy Wright doesn’t have it easy for his team selection.
The Rangers game was Paton’s first start in a while but he had no complaints at having to bide his time.
He said: “I was in the team and doing well enough but I picked up an injury in training on the Friday before a game.
“That meant I had to miss a couple of matches.
“The only reason I got injured was because I was making tackles that maybe some other boys wouldn’t be making.
“That’s just the way I train. I probably shouldn’t have made the tackle because it hurt my ankle.
“I dropped out and the boys did well.
“You have to expect that you’ll be on the bench when you come back in those circumstances. I had no problem with that.
“I know where I stand with the manager. If I’m playing well I’ll be in the team – the same as it is for everyone.
“I was happy with my performance against Rangers having not played 90 minutes for about a month.
“Adrenaline saw me through and we had the bit between our teeth to get the point.”