Andy Considine has called for St Johnstone to get back to basics and believes they can achieve a top-six finish.
But the experienced operator is aware that the Perth side has “thrown away points” already this season and that needs to stop.
Saints suffered their third straight defeat on Sunday – a 3-2 loss in the capital to Hearts – to remain 10th in the early standings.
“It’s a sore one to take after putting so much into it,” said Considine, who netted Saints’ second of the afternoon. “It’s been the story of our season.
“If you take out the Premier Sports Cup, we have put a lot into the league and we are coming off exhausted but it is the basics we aren’t doing.
“It’s little moments in the game when we are on top. Hearts have a good team but all three goals were basic bits of defending that we struggled with.
“All in all I thought we put in a solid performance, but we need to start to pick up points. We have a great group of boys and we work hard and things will turn and we have to keep going.
“We have had spells in games where we play good football and create chances but we have to, as a team, do the basics right.”
Considine continued: “It is basic individual errors. Yes we have had a lot of boys coming in but we have gelled as a team.
“We are carrying out what the manager asks of us to produce in games but it comes down to fine moments that are knocking us back.
“Once we stop that and get back to basics we can build a platform and go on to get good results.
“At 2-2 I thought we would get something. It was end to end at that stage. They had chances and so did we but I thought we had a chance but it didn’t go our way. On another day it might.
“We need to be more clinical going forward and I think it will come. Things will pick up, we have a good group and we are still positive.
“It is early in the season and we know what jobs lie ahead.”
Considine has seen enough from his team-mates to think that a top-six finish is possible as Saints look towards a run of winnable matches.
St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Ross County and then Dundee United are next up.
“We have a good group and a lot has been said about the age of some of the boys who have come in,” Considine said.
“We have a great balance of experience and young boys and I think we will do well this year.
“Our next two are St Mirren and Kilmarnock, two tough games but two teams we will fight with for the majority of the season.
“I feel we can be a top six team, 100 per cent, even fourth or fifth.
“I think the boys in the dressing room are more than capable of it.
“We are only five games in but we have thrown away points at times. We need to do better and we want to be in the top half.”
