St Johnstone assistant Callum Davidson is convinced the absence of boss Tommy Wright will not adversely affect the team in Saturday’s all-important home game with Hibs because the manager has already played his part from his hopsital bed.
Saints know that a win this weekend will all but secure them a top-six finish, but they will have to do it without the input of Wright who is recuperating following a “routine” keyhole gall bladder operation.
The 50-year-old will undoubtedly be missed in the home dugout, but Davidson insists the players will need little motivation for a game that could set them up nicely for the season’s run-in.
Having said that, the Saints No 2 revealed Wright will still be picking the team from his hospital bed ahead of this weekend’s fixture.
“Of course he is, yes,” Davidson told Courier Sport. “We’ve been in regular contact this week and we discuss it from Saturday forward, so we’ve been in regular discussions about what we’re doing and what we’re thinking. That won’t change.
“We spoke on Wednesday night and have a fair idea of what the team is just now, but we’ll have a think about it and pick it on Friday.”
“I don’t think he’ll be at the game on Saturday I think he’s already said he won’t come to the game but it’s more doctor’s orders than anything else!
“I think he’s feeling a bit sorry for himself, but he’s going to leave it up to me and Alec Cleland during the game. We do it anyway we batter off the team during the week and come to the same decisions most of the time.
“We’ve watched the video against Hibs and we’ve figured out what we think the gameplan will be to get a result. But it is the biggest game of our season and if we beat them then we’re all but in the top six.
“Teams below might be able to get in mathematically but if we win it puts Hibs out of the equation. Hibs are a big team, so if we can get into the top six again it would be a massive achievement for the club.
“Tommy has always spoken about it and it’s our goal this season it would be huge for a club like St Johnstone. But again, it will be a tough game for us.”
Saints currently occupy sixth spot and are four points ahead of Hibs, who have played a game more than the Perth outfit.
That means that victory for Saints would most likely cement a top-six place, albeit the likes of seventh-placed Partick could arithmetically still catch them.
Davidson obviously has designs on being a manager in his own right one day, but did not expect to be thrust into the spotlight so soon. However, he feels he has the attributes to cope.
He added: “I’ve never been a caretaker manager before although I had 15 minutes when Tommy got sent to the stand at Tannadice last week!
“Probably the fact that I’ve taken the under-20s this year has given me a massive insight into preparing the team.
“I’ll tell the players what I want of them, what I expect, and wee bits and bobs tactics-wise.
“I have lost it a couple of times with the under-20s, which is unlike me because I’m a pretty calm guy. But I do enjoy that side of it.
“I probably didn’t to start with, talking in front of them, but now it’s fine. You get on with it because if you are talking about something you know you are OK.
“It’s when you talk about something you don’t know, that’s when you struggle.”
Defender Frazer Wright will be added to the squad after coming through training this week.