Source: FOOTYMAD
Concentration The Name Of The Game: Lennon
The Buddies must have more self beleif says Danny Lennon Danny Lennon is looking for his St Mirren players to show more concentration levels and greater courage on the ball as they begin 2011 with the visit of Kilmarnock. Saints have shown gradual improvement over recent weeks and Lennon's options could be boosted further for today's game by the return of Lee Mair and Hugh Murray from injury. But Lennon is always looking for more as he reflects on the first half of his debut campaign in the top flight. The former Blue Brazil manager, who radically changed the Buddies squad, including bringing four players from Central Park, is looking for his side to ensure sloppy goals do not cost them dear this year. He said: "The job has been everything I thought and more. Initially when you come in it's very, very exciting and you look forward to each game, and that's still the case. But you quickly get back down to how challenging it is. It's a very, very difficult job. It's one that I relish. I'm still bright as a button in the morning coming into the place. My enthusiasm is a big driving point for us here. There is a lot of good quality within the SPL and when you compare it to where I've come from, Cowdenbeath, mistakes you make, giving free-kicks away, there is that bit of quality that hurts you at this level. Concentration levels have got to be to the highest standard for clubs like ourselves. If you look back at the stats on the amount of games we have lost by the odd goal and the manner we have lost them, the concentration factor has basically been our Achilles heel. But that's something we will strive to work on." Saints frustrated the high-flying Hearts for more than an hour in their most recent game, but they could not stop David Templeton as he broke away for the opening goal and Kevin Kyle added a late second. Lennon felt his players kept their shape well but wants more confidence from them in possession. He said: "I thought in the Hearts game the other night we feared them a bit when we did get the ball. Maybe that's just credit to Hearts in the way they went about their business and grafted off the ball and forced us to make errors. If we can be as organised as we are, then we've got the other side of the game to go when we do have the ball. If we can do that we will not be far away." Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)This is Scottish-Fitba.Net
