Steven Anderson: I don't deserve special praise from Saints boss
St Johnstone skipper Steven Anderson feels boss Tommy Wright is wrong to pick him out for special praise.
Wright claims his central defender has been back to his best in recent weeks after an early season dip.
But Anderson shrugged off his manager's pat on the back and insisted he was merely part of the collective effort which helped his side record back-to-back clean sheets against Inverness and Aberdeen.
He said: "No, I think it's the team which is back to its best, to be honest. We're starting to make it harder for the other teams.
"It's down to the team as a whole, not just the back four or individuals.
"It's not too bad when the manager picks you out for praise but we've had two clean sheets in a row and that's not just down to us in the back four.
"It's about the whole team working hard. If the guys in front of us work hard and stop teams playing higher up the pitch then it makes the defenders' jobs a bit easier."
The low point for the Perth outfit came at home to Ross County last month where they lost 4-2 - with all four of the Staggies' goals coming from headers.
But since then, Wright has ordered his men to refocus on the basics of defending and that has paid dividends after they shut out both Caley Thistle and the Dons on the way to a four-point haul.
Now Anderson believes a repeat will be needed as they host Motherwell in Saturday's Ladbrokes Premiership clash.
He said: "We had to get our act together after the Ross County game because we were conceding soft goals.
"Again, that wasn't just down to the back four but we were conceding from set-plays, which is usually our strong point and that is what was so frustrating.
"We need to be focused again this weekend against Motherwell. Scott McDonald is a very good player up top, while Louis Moult is a right good player who scores goals."
Louis Moult admits Motherwell might have to come up with something different, having only won one of their least eight meetings.
The former Wrexham striker said: "They are a tricky side to play against. I think every time I have played against them we have gone one up and lost 2-1. I can't remember any other score against them.
"They have such a strong mentality as a group, big and physical. They have a way of playing and they stick to it and it works for them.
"We have got to go there and maybe approach a little bit differently how we approach other games, to try and catch them out in a sense."
Motherwell have not taken any points this season against the top five teams in the Ladbrokes Premiership and Moult admits they need to start doing so.
"We need to put points on the board now," he said. "It was this time last season when we put a run together and went five or six unbeaten. We have got to look at doing that again."
Moult endured frustration on Tuesday when the Pittodrie floodlights failed moments into their game with Aberdeen but the development could allow Stephen McManus, Chris Cadden and Scott McDonald to overcome knocks.
"Obviously travelling all the way up there, sitting on a bus for three hours and then getting six minutes into the game and getting called off is frustrating, but it's one of those things," he said. "We have to get on with it and look forward to Saturday's game.
"I know a few of the lads were feeling the effects of two games in a week so a few of the lads were quite pleased it got called off to be honest."
Source: PAR
