Highlands & Islands

Image source, BBC Sport

That's eight without a win for Ross County.

What's going wrong, and what did you make of the defeat to St Johnstone?

Let us know.

Ross County manager Malky Mackay: "I don't think we deserved to win today. It was a reasonably scrappy a game. It took a really good goal to win it.

"We huffed and puffed without having that little bit of care and attention on the ball. I think that's what was missing.

"We've come back off a run of playing well and getting results, certainly in terms of that little bit of inventiveness. It's an unusual performance from our team today.

"We've been on the road a lot. It'll be good to get back to a bit of normality. At the same time, we need to come down here and give a good account of ourselves.

"Over the piece, we've played better than we did last year. I think we've got a better squad. I think if we tidy things up we would have had four of five more points.

"It's always going to be tight. I've got a good group here. At the same time, we've got to kick on and pick up some wins."

Image source, SNS

It was slim pickings, but at least Yan Dhanda looked at times like spurring his side forward.

He can't be the only spark in his County team as Malky Mackay searches for answers.

Image source, SNS

Kheredine Idessane, BBC Sport Scotland at McDiarmid Park

A couple of weeks ago, St Johnstone were still waiting for their first Premiership win of the season, a run which cost Steven MacLean his job.

In the three matches since, they've taken seven points from nine and pushed themselves two places up the table.

The quality moments were very few and far between in this one but all came from the home side. Far from a classic, but Saints well worth their three points in the end.

For County, they'll just be glad to see the back of a run of five fixtures which has seen them play four away from home and one at home to Celtic.

They got draws at Dundee, Motherwell and Hibs but couldn't hold on here and will have to pose more of a threat in and around goal than they did here in Perth.

For Ross County, there are two switches from the XI that had to take on Celtic with 10 men in a 3-0 defeat.

The suspended James Brown drops out alongside George Harmon as defensive duo Ben Purrington and Will Nightingale come in.

• Follow our live coverage

Image source, SNS

St Johnstone: Mitov, Brown, McGowan, Gordon, Considine, Robinson, Phillips, Smith, Carey, Kane, Clark.

Substitutes: Richards, Gallacher, May, MacPherson, Kucheriavyi, Jephcott, Olufunwa, Sprangler, Turner-Cooke.

Ross County: Laidlaw, Randall, Purrington, Baldwin, Nightingale, Leak, Allardice, Loturi, Dhanda, Murray, White.

Substitutes: Munro, Turner, Sheaf, Harmon, High, Samuel, Reid.

St Johnstone striker Dara Costelloe serves the second of a two-game ban. There are no fresh injuries and Sam McLelland, Drey Wright (knee) and Ali Crawford (calf) are battling back from their respective injuries.

Ross County defender James Brown is suspended after being sent off against Celtic. The Staggies are still without Josh Reid (toe), Ross Callachan and Ben Paton (both knee).

Image source, SNS

Malky Mackay insists lengthy spells of added time is having a negative physical impact on players, and the Ross County manager believes the process needs to be looked at.

“It is physical pressure more than anything," he said. "I think it’s a by-product of VAR and something that I don’t think has been thought through.

“You look at the amount of games we’ve got, the schedules we’ve got, especially at the top end and European end and international footballers involved in that as well, the amount of games they are playing.

“I genuinely don’t think that whether it’s IFAB (International Football Association Board) or whether it is more localised and it is Scotland we’re talking about, I’m not sure that we actually thought the whole process through.

"We are talking about a lot of minutes they’ve been added to games and the impact that’s having physically on players who are already probably playing at a faster pace than they ever have with the way that modern sports science has gone.

“Players have to be fit and strong to be playing at the top end, with the robust and frenetic nature of our league and now you are adding upwards of 10 minutes on.

“I remember we were 12 minutes at the end of the season in the second half at Motherwell which is quite phenomenal considering it’s 45 minutes.

“Seven on Saturday in the second half (against Celtic), so it something that’s going to have to be addressed.”

Image source, SNS

• St Johnstone have won just once in their last eight league meetings with Ross County (D3 L4), a 2-1 victory in December 2022.

• Ross County have lost just one of their last seven league visits to St Johnstone (W3 D3), going down 1-0 in March 2021.

• St Johnstone have scored four goals in their last two league games, more than their first nine of the season prior to this (3).

• Ross County have drawn their last three away matches in the Scottish Premiership; the last time they drew four on the trot on the road in the top flight was between December 2014 and January 2015.

• No side has faced more shots (179) or more shots on target (69) than Ross County in the Premiership this season.

Ross County go away to St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, with Malky Mackay's side looking to bounce back from their 3-0 defeat against Celtic.

Put yourself in the manager's shoes and choose your County XI here.