St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson is calling on the home support to help inspire his players to a crucial and much-needed victory on Wednesday night.
The Perth side, on a run of 10 consecutive defeats, have the opportunity to climb off the foot of the table if they get the better of second-from-bottom Dundee at McDiarmid Park.
Saints head into the crunch clash on the back of a hugely disappointing Scottish Cup fourth round loss against League Two Kelty Hearts.
Many fans voiced their anger at full-time when management and players needed to walk through the away end to reach the changing room.
“I wasn’t surprised at the reaction on Saturday if I’m honest,” Davidson admitted. “I’ve been there as a player many times before.
“The set-up wasn’t ideal – players having to walk through supporters. I’m just glad nothing serious happened.
“Emotions were all high. I was very frustrated and annoyed. The players were highly charged and the supporters were highly charged.
“In all the time I’ve been here, as long as the supporters know you’re trying your hardest and giving everything you’ve got, they’ll always back you.
“We’ve got to give them something as well. We’ve got to give them a tempo and energy. They stuck behind us on Saturday and it’s important they do that again on Wednesday. I’m sure they will.
“They can definitely help us get a victory. As disappointing as Saturday was, it’s now about what we do moving forward. That’s the mindset I’ve taken.”
Davidson held a clear-the-air meeting with his players on Monday morning and all eyes are on scrapping to climb the table.
He said: “I basically said to them ‘if you’re not ready to fight and scrap and do everything possible to survive then don’t bother staying here’.
“I don’t accept that and I don’t accept the result on Saturday.
“Ultimately we’re in it together. I’m here ready to fight along with my staff and the supporters.
“I thought they backed us really well on Saturday, albeit they were frustrated at the end. But we need to give them something to cheer.
“I told the players we can only look forward, there’s no point in looking at what’s happened, it’s irrelevant.
“We have to have that mindset that we’re going to win games, we’re going to stick together and fight.
“At certain times we’re going to get criticised and we have to take it, that’s football. We’re there to be shot at and we have to take it on the chin.
“If you don’t want to accept that, don’t play football. There are good times and bad times but we have to be together."
Striker Callum Hendry has been recalled from his Kilmarnock loan, while midfielder Cammy MacPherson has now joined on a permanent basis from St Mirren.
On Hendry, Davidson said: “Callum has been playing games at the top of the Championship and it would be daft of me not to bring him back.
“The reason he went out was to play games and now he can come back and prove what he can do – show in the Premiership what he can do.
“Callum’s an intelligent player and he can go on a little purple patch. I need somebody to do that for me to give us the opportunity to win games.”
New defender John Mahon, signed on a two-and-a-half year deal from Sligo Rovers, has settled well.
Davidson, still on the hunt for an attacking signing, noted: “He looks strong and really aggressive – I knew that’s what I would be getting.
“He’s got older school qualities – competing for every ball and putting his body on the line.
“It was a hard training session on purpose – really for John so we could see where he was. We had a good 10 v 10 game. Like the rest of the boys who have come in, the quicker I can get him up to speed the better.”
On the injury front, Michael O’Halloran misses Wednesday’s game with Dundee due to a hamstring injury.
