| And he believes the fact Arabs don’t just sing when they are winning has been a significant factor in the rise up to the top six of the SPL this season.
“Since I came here, I have certainly had no complaints about the fans and the level of support they have given has been terrific,” he said.
“This season, they have had some good results and performances to shout about, but I think a key period came in November and December when we had some dodgy results.
“They stuck with us then and I think that was a big thing. When fans get on players’ backs it can have an adverse effect, but, when they go out knowing they’ll have the supporters behind them, it’s a big help.”
Craig also recognises that over the season his players have given the people in the stands reason to cheer them.
“It has to be a two-way thing and, to be fair to the players, they have always given the supporters something.
“The punters are not stupid — they know when players are trying and when they aren’t. The one thing they know about this team is that, whatever the result, they will always give 100% and they’ve responded to that.”
Looking back at that sticky patch just before Christmas, Craig believes that, had he the strength in depth then that he has now, results would have been better.
Yesterday, he watched his reserves blast six past Falkirk and was pleased with the performances of those who took part.
“The squad is strong just now and that’s illustrated by the fact that, earlier in the season, we had Johnny Russell on the bench for the first team and now he is only making sub for the reserves.
“That’s not a reflection on how we view him, because we rate him highly. It shows we’ve got a good depth to the squad.
“We did not have that in November and December — if we had, I suspect we might have had third place in the bag by now.”
Willo Flood was back training today and is expected to be fit for Saturday’s trip to Aberdeen. |
