Quotes from the Manager’s RedTV Interview he did earlier today with Dave Macdermid

New Deal for Youngsters

“We’re always pleased when we manage to get our younger players extended and we obviously think a lot of Bruce and Dean. Both are different types of players and both having a real feeling for the club and are happy being here and desperate to play an even bigger role in the future for the first team.

“We believe both players are capable of that and they’ve been with us for a while now. It’s great the young lads see that opportunity to be here longer. It takes a bit of pressure off then and if it’s in Bruce’s case where he was coming out of contract. Dean, we wanted to recognise the good work he’s doing. With any youngster at different ages they mature differently and it’s down to the individual, but both lads have got a good temperament for the game and hopefully we’ll see a lot more of them in the future.

“It’s great news. When we’ve been at our best over the last few years it’s making sure we do renegotiate with our own players and players that have done well. In the case of younger players especially I think it’s always important they get that confidence from us that we see their future here. Hopefully we can have some more news regarding Shinnie and one or two others who are out of contract next season. This work’s always ongoing and hopefully we can add to that over the forthcoming weeks.

Scotland

“I spoke with Graeme yesterday and he told me he wasn’t going to be playing against Albania last night, but for me sometimes you’ve got to go through the whole process, get your minutes, keep clocking up that experience and keep being in the eye of the manager through his training.

“Graeme’s a very good trainer as we all know so it’s just about making those impressions when he gets the chance. In time hopefully all those minutes and all those impressions he makes on the manager, he will maybe get those starts. That’s the end game for him, but great for him to be involved in both games for experience and mixing with the country’s best players as well.

“Graeme for me should be right at the heart of that anyway so I’m delighted he managed to get on the pitch, obviously it’s a disappointing result (Belgium on Friday), but we got a very good result last night and we’re always pleased when the national team gets the result. I thought it was a very strong performance and hopefully Graeme’s got a part to play and I’ve no doubt he will have. Hopefully we’ve got others that can force their way in as well.”

Injury Update

“McKenna will be back in full training today which was always the intention and it’s brilliant news for us. He’s such an important player for us as we all know so it’s great to have him back. Frank Ross got sent back from the U21’s (Scotland) with a back complaint with a bit of spasm so we’re trying to get to the bottom of that in the next day or two. Hopefully he’ll be ok for the weekend. Young Lewis Ferguson is still away and will be involved tonight against Holland and Niall came though his game ok. Hopefully he comes back tomorrow with a clean bill of health.

“On the other side of it, we’ve got a couple of injuries still to contend with with Tommie Hoban will go in for surgery next week for his shoulder. Scott Wright and Mark Reynolds are still out along with Greg Tansey.

“James Wilson is the one we’re hoping we can get back for the weekend. He’s doing work with the physio again and it’s about that process of making sure that before he comes back into full training that the hamstring is as it should be. We’re keen to get him with us as quickly as possible, but mindful we want to make sure the injury is cleared up because what we don’t want is that to break down again.”

Michael Devlin Appeal

“It really angers me and saddens me really that we can’t come to, what I feel was the only verdict.

“Referees makes mistakes and we’ve been victims in the last couple of games of referees mistakes and we accept that, but when there’s an appeal process there you would expect that then to get to the right result and right outcome.

“In the last four or five of these appeal processes with different clubs there just doesn’t seem to be that common sense conclusion. I think it goes right across the board. As manager I have a vested interest in Mikey’s case, but I think supporters, journalists and people in the game, everyone had the same opinion and we’re all baffled by these decisions.

“It’s nothing about bias. Every club gets punished or maybe gets a wee bit of leeway at some point, but for me it’s the incompetence of these panels and it really puts into question when you come up with the outcomes that’s been made in the last wee while. Especially the Devlin one for us because that’s obviously our concern. These appeal processes are almost like a VAR after the event, so we can get to the right conclusion because we all accept referees make mistakes, but I just can’t for the life of me understand why Michael being fouled in the first place and then Shay getting around and covering would have been the case.
“I just felt it was an opportunity missed to make the right decision, but that’s been pretty standard the last while. It just means people lose confidence in the whole process and it will make you think twice about appealing again in the future because it’s so disappointing we haven’t got Mikey available. We get punished because he was sent off after four minutes. We get punished for the Kilmarnock game and we’re now getting punished for the St Johnstone game for something I think should have been dealt with in the right manner.”

St Johnstone

“We’ve had some decent results of late (against St Johnstone) but Tommy’s signed a few new players and are maybe a wee bit different in their approach.

“I’ve seen St Johnstone one or two times this season and there’s still a familiarity there, although there’s a few new signings and it will be a difficult game. We go down there normally with good numbers and certainly a lot of expectation. Hopefully we get back to winning ways. It’s an important period coming up in both the league and cup ahead of the next international break. We want to come through this next set of games satisfied with our work and hopefully that starts on Saturday at three o’clock.”