DEPARTING St Johnstone goalkeeper Alan Mannus believes the disappointment of the Perth club not finishing in the top six could spur them to regain their customary spot in the top half of the Premiership next season, writes Duncan Hare.
Northern Ireland international Mannus, 35, is returning home after seven seasons at the club – all of which have seen St Johnstone finishing in the upper half of the table.
With the last time the Saints having concluded the season outwith the upper echelons of the Scottish top flight being 2010/11 – where, just as in this campaign, St Johnstone finished eighth – Mannus hopes it’s a case of “one step back to push two steps forward next year”.
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Mannus added: “There’s a sense of disappointment with the season in the sense we didn’t get top six but we tried to set out to avoid the relegation fight and we have done that and the club are here for another year. That’s the most important thing.
“We know it could have been better but it also could have been worse.”
Mannus, in goal when St Johnstone won the Scottish Cup for the first time in their history by beating Dundee United 2-0 in 2014, was given a standing ovation by the Saints faithful at full-time on Saturday at McDiarmid Park along with fellow cup final starters and club departees Steven MacLean and Chris Millar.
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