Kyle Cameron has heard all the talk that a loan player shouldn’t be the captain of St Johnstone.
And he also knows that a lack of leaders is an accusation that has been aimed in the Perth side’s direction on the back of four defeats in a row and a succession of set-piece goals being conceded.
Sportscene pundit, Stephen McGinn, made both points when analysing Saints’ recent defeat to Hibs that turned out to be Craig Levein’s last game in charge.
Cameron, who arrived in the summer on a season-long loan from Notts County, has the passion and drive to help turn things around at McDiarmid Park and get the critics off the team’s back.
“It’s unusual, I know it is,” said the 27-year-old in relation to the captain’s armband being worn by a player who isn’t a permanent signing.
“The manager made that decision. I’ve been a captain in the past.
“When a team is struggling, saying they have no leaders is something people cast up quickly.
“It’s an easy thing to say.
“It’ll be getting said about every team who isn’t winning games at the moment.
“The first thing people say is: ‘Where are the leaders?’
“But it’s not about one person. It’s about being strong as a group.
“As a captain you try to encourage people, get people around each other and go into games with belief in ourselves.
“We’ve had two or three bad results and when that happens, especially in games where you feel you should have got something, it’s easy to feel the world’s against you.
“But you can’t have a victim mentality, make excuses and blame other things.
“We have to take the responsibility ourselves.
“It’s not just about having a captain doing that. You need to have four or five in the team.
“If a manager gives me that responsibility I’m happy to take it, but we have other players as well who can drive things.
“We have a good group of senior players and it’s down to us, the senior group, to make sure the right things are happening.”
Big chances and errors
Not conceding from set-plays is fundamental to the St Johnstone bounce-back, according to Cameron.
“We’ve been letting ourselves down with key moments in games,” he said.
“We haven’t capitalised on big chances and we’ve conceded too many from set-pieces.
“We need to be harder to beat because in football you get a reputation and when that happens it’s hard to shake it off.
“People will be looking at the goals we’ve lost and no doubt the reputation we’re getting is that if teams get set-pieces against us they’ll score.
“People pick up on that and it’s something they’ll try to play on – we know that.
“I felt we defended set-plays much better against Hibs but one lapse of concentration saw us concede again.
“Until we show we’ve made changes and prove we’re more resilient, we won’t shake that off.
“It’s something we have to get rid of quickly.
“It’s about having that will to be first to the ball.
“We have a good squad – the lads who were here last season feel we’re much stronger this time round.
“But we have to have that resilience and show we’re better.”
Apologies
As always when a manager is sacked, guilt and regret are two prominent dressing room emotions.
“I spoke to him on Wednesday,” said Cameron. “I wanted to thank him for bringing me here and to apologise for myself, and on behalf of the lads, for not doing enough to keep him in his job.
“We have to take responsibility for it.
“It has been tough but it’s up to us as players to be professional and put things right on the pitch.
“The second half at Hibs was the worst 45 minutes we have played all season. We were sloppy and made lots of wrong decisions.
“We have to get a reaction to it now and correct the errors we made.
“Training has been good and we’re determined to put things right.”
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