St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright expecting tough game at Aberdeen

Saints beat Inverness 3-0 last week to cement their fifth-place position following four games without a win and Wright believes they need to reach those same standards at Pittodrie if they are to take anything from the game.

Published 9th Dec 2016

Tommy Wright will not rely on Lady Luck smiling on his St Johnstone side when they travel to Aberdeen on Saturday. The Dons bounced back from defeats to Celtic in the Betfred Cup final and Rangers in the Premiership with a 5-1 thrashing of Kilmarnock on Tuesday night and sit third in the table.

Saints beat Inverness 3-0 at McDiarmid Park last week to cement their fifth-place position following four games without a win and Wright believes they need to reach those same standards at Pittodrie if they are to take anything from the game.

The Northern Irishman said: "We are always confident because we always believe we can win every game we play and that's what we go out to do.

"But we know it's a tough game. The two teams have played each other quite a lot in cups and in the top six so I think there is a mutual respect between the two teams.

"They know they have to play well to beat us and we know we have to play well to beat them.

"When you play the better sides if you are not up to scratch and are below par, you can't possibly win the game.

"You can't go up there and expect luck to help you through the game, you have to make sure that you perform.

"It is always good to play the four biggest clubs. The players love the challenge and in the past we have coped quite well with it.

"We have a decent record up at Aberdeen in recent years but again, that counts for nothing.

"We have to perform and be ready to perform at a level which was more like us last week."