St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright has got his sights set on the top six of the Premiership, but he isn’t taking the Perth club’s rise up the table for granted.
Saints jumped over Partick Thistle into eighth at the weekend, and are now just three points off sixth.
And the form chart of the last few weeks not to mention their pedigree over the previous three seasons would suggest they could soon be in the top half of the table.
“We’re looking up the way,” Wright admitted. “We have come through a bad spell but are only four points off where we were this time last season, and the same number of points off the top of the table. It’s been a good start to this section of games eight points out of 12 and seven out of nine.
“We’re three points off Kilmarnock and Dundee, who people rightly so are saying have had very good seasons so far.
“We’ve had a sticky spell, like we always do at some point in the season, but we’re heading in the right direction.
“Each season over the last three we’ve had horrid runs. We know how important it is to stay together and have faith that it will turn.
“But we won’t get carried away if we go on an unbeaten run, because there’s still a lot of work to be done, and this league is so tight.”
Two of Wright’s forwards scored against Ross County on Saturday James McFadden and Michael O’Halloran and Wright was happy to see the frustration in Brian Graham that he didn’t make it three.
The Dundee United loan striker let O’Halloran know that he was better placed for a second half header that the former Boltan man hit the post with.
And he had also been waiting with his arms out for a pass when O’Halloran scored Saints’ second.
“Brian wasn’t happy with Michael,” Wright recalled. “And he was even annoyed when he scored his goal!
“Brian had made plenty of runs to get into position and you could see his frustration. But I love that in strikers, that’s what goalscorers are like they want to score all the goals.
“Michael and Brian have been doing really well for us, I’ve been happy with the pair of them. Michael has shown a lot of resilience to come through our bad spell, he’s stayed positive.
“We’re getting him on the ball higher up the pitch, he’s got pace and two good feet so he’s a big asset to us. He’s still young in terms of the amount of football he’s played, he’s not had all that much in his career so far.
“But I can see him improving all the time.”
McFadden’s contribution on Saturday also drew praise from his manager.
He pointed out: “Faddy was excellent at the weekend. He’s a quality player and that’s what we brought him here to do.
“He was involved in a lot of our play and you could see his class on the ball.
“He’s the type of player who finds space and brings other people into play. I’m delighted with him.”