Andy Webster says he feels that the team's form will turn around as they continue to work hard on the training field. The captain has been helping out Allan McManus with first team duties while the club continues its search for a new manager and believes the time put in at Ralston will make a difference before long. He said:
"On Saturday the boys worked hard and things transpired during the game of football that weren't good, like the ball bouncing off your knee and going in. We know that with the hard work we are putting in on the training pitch that, come a Saturday, people will generally appreciate as long as the boys are giving their all, they will take anything that comes their way.
"I can definitely say that on Saturday the players gave their all and on a different day we could've got a point or maybe three. If we continue to work as hard as we are doing I'm sure things will turn around sooner rather than later."
Webster admitted that being involved in the coaching side of things, as well as still being a player, hasn't been easy.
"It's been full on," he said. "I left a picture in the house for the kids to remember what their dad looks like! The hard bit for me is the balance between the coaching side of it and being involved in terms of analysing us as a group of players, analysing the opposition and being able to put a team together that we feel is best suited for the players that we've got, but it's been great.
"As disappointing as it is, the manager losing his job and what not, we want to galvanise the boys and try to lift their spirits a bit because we know we are going through a difficult spell. But it's about trying to keep it as positive as we possibly can and getting the right results."
The captain believes it's important to try and focus on the positives and that's what he's trying to do.
"We did video analysis of Saturday's game on Monday and there were loads of positive things to take from that. It's just trying to re-emphasise that to the lads and going forward we do realise that we're a good group of player and the fundamentals of being a footballer are making sure we work.
"We just need to persevere, that's ultimately it. We need to make sure that we give ourselves the best opportunities during a game of football to win them. We've got more than enough to match anybody but obviously we're not managing to do that at the moment. Hopefully we can turn a corner, get a positive result and the boys will be off and running."
There was good news in the St Mirren camp this week after the news that loanee Ryan Hardie has been called up to the Scotland U21 squad for the upcoming games against Iceland and FYR Macedonia in the European Championship Qualifiers.
Hardie, who scored St Mirren's third in the narrow defeat to Dunfermline last Saturday, has scored three goals for the Saints and Webster said:
"I mentioned it to him and he thought I was winding him up. He's done really well and his goal on Saturday was an unbelievable strike. For any striker they that confidence and scoring goals will breed that for them. He's done really well and it's great for him to get that recognition that he's done really well."
