Saints Star Keen To Rub Salt In Aberdeen's Wounds
St Johnstone midfielder Liam Craig knows Aberdeen will be hurting after defeats to Hibernian and Inverness on the road.
And now the former Falkirk and Hibs player is hoping the Perth club can upset the table-topping Dons on home turf.
Saints head to the Granite City bolstered by victories over Rangers in the Scottish League Cup and then Dundee United in the Tayside derby, despite losing keeper Alan Mannus to a red card.
But Craig insists the Ladbrokes Premiership leaders, under former Perth management duo Derek McInnes and Tony Docherty, are dangerous foes on the back of their consecutive defeats.
He said: "They have got off to an incredible start. To be top of the league with just one defeat after nine games is superb.
"They have lost to Hibs in the League Cup and at Inverness last weekend.
"Working under Derek and 'Doc' I know they won't fancy suffering three defeats in a row so we can expect it to be tough, especially up at Pittodrie. They will have their boys right at it.
"Aberdeen will have a big backing and want to get back to winning ways. But we are coming off the back of two really good wins so it is a game we are looking forward to.''
Craig cautioned that Saints cannot afford to let their standards slip.
He said: "If we are going to get anything from this game we know we will have to be at our best, and produce a performance like the last two.
"To go to Rangers and win as convincingly as we did was really encouraging and we followed it up against United in difficult circumstances, going down to 10 men early in the contest.
"We have a lot to look forward to, including the League Cup quarter final at Morton. But right now it is all about Aberdeen.
"We have a great group of players and we work hard for each other.
"Simon Lappin came on and scored the winner in the derby, which shows the strength in depth we have in the squad.
"And it we are going to be successful it will again take a squad effort.''