David Gray's press conference Q&A ahead of St Mirren test

“Yeah, I've got zero social media. I've got no interest in that. My full focus is on preparing the boys as best I can. It's probably been... I wouldn't say an easier week, but when you look at the last game and how it went, there are frustrations from the ending. But there are so many positives, because I do believe the players deserved to get the three points on the day.

"I think everybody could see that. That was the message coming back in on the Monday. That, and making sure that we stick together.  We know it can change. It's very fine margins at the moment, and that has been the focus, and I've felt that with the players. It's been a positive week on that front."

Joe Newell says that the players owe you more than what you're getting at the moment. Do you agree with that? 

“No, I think they’re all doing what they have to. Nobody makes mistakes on purpose. We've been unfortunate with some decision-making, and individual errors at times have cost us. We know that. 

“But it's not a time for feeling sorry for anyone or feeling that everyone collectively needs to do more, because our results tell us that performances have been good at times, but I get judged on results.

“So we've got a responsibility. Yes, it's my responsibility to put the team together, to pick the team, to try to get the best out of them and as individuals, it's about accountability, and that's every single person involved to try and do the best they can whilst they're on the pitch. And if you're not on the pitch, staying together and driving the boys on. 

Whether you're a player or you're a manager, you've got to cope with negativity. How do you cope with that? 

“I think it's about staying positive and just being honest. It can be difficult, but I think you need to stay true to yourself and believe in what you're doing.

“If I wasn't seeing any improvement or not seeing things to be positive about, I’d be worried. But I've said it many times now, I’m not shying away from where we need to improve. With the chances we're creating, we're not scoring enough goals, but if we weren't getting the chances and I was looking at it saying, "I'm not sure how this turns' then I think I would be in a much worse situation. 

“I've not got that at all. And probably the biggest thing for me and the pleasing aspect of it is how close the group is still. I see it every day in training, how desperate they are to turn this around. Joe is talking about stepping up, everybody's feeling it, everyone's hurting the same and everyone's desperate to try and get that right. 

“I think if you look at the last three results, especially the last one, it feels like a defeat, but we’ve not lost a game. I feel the players deserved to go and get that win.  If we can end this little period with three points, it's something to then go and build on again and it can quickly change from there. It doesn't solve the problem, but it makes that feel-good factor come back and it's something to build on and hopefully, we can then go and gain some momentum because that's the big thing. You get momentum, you get a run of games going. 

“I think the flip side to that is if you go and get three points, then you've got an international break when you'd rather go and play again. I think the players would rather that - but it still gives an opportunity for us to keep working on the areas we can.

What can you, as a coach, try to do to address the late goals that have been conceded? 

“The facts are there; we've conceded too many goals late on in games. I don't think the players deserved to lose a goal at the end of the last game.

"Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not justifying my centre forward pulling someone's jersey in the box at all, but I stick by what I said after the game. I feel the players deserved to get the three points and a clean sheet and then that would quickly change the narrative. 

“I think I could look for a number of excuses in all the goals we've lost, especially later on in games and I've talked about individual errors, yellow cards, all that. When you are down there and the luck's potentially going against you and you're not getting the rub of the green, you need to be even better in these moments. You need to learn from them every single time and I think we have done that across the piece. 

Is it down to a mental strength that they need to have in these final moments? 

"I think it goes right through the whole team because even if you think about the chances we're missing earlier on in games as well, then you need to look at the opposition. While the game stays 1-0, teams are going to throw everything at it later on in games, force us to defend in areas in which they maybe hadn't already done.

"But as a collective, if you have an opportunity earlier on in games to go and put the game to bed, that's just every bit as important as a defender getting put under the gun in the last five minutes of games."

How have things changed since the 3-0 loss to St Mirren on the opening day of the season?

“It's a very different squad now. It's in a very different place. We recruited quite a few players quite late on, quite a few players weren't fit and ready to play when they first came in. I'd probably say we're getting towards that period now where the group's been together for a while.

"Martin Boyle and Joe Newell missing out with injury for a period was probably one we didn't expect, but we always knew there was going to be a little bit of inconsistency with team selection. We knew players were coming in.

"When you look at the game in isolation, we conceded one goal straight after half-time when I thought we dominated the first half but didn't take our chances. And then a poor mistake led to the second goal and off the back of that we wound up 3-0 down. 

"But there were many lessons to take from that. I think they're a very different side now as well, as they will be because they've played another 10 or 12 games, and it'll be a difficult one."

How's the team looking?

“It will be a similar squad to what it was previously. Dwight Gayle’s getting closer; Chris Cadden too, they've both been back training this week. We'll just see how they're going. We're assessing Lewis Miller as well, as he came off on the 60-minute mark against Dundee United, so we'll just see how he is.”

How likely is it that Dwight Gayle starts? 

“I can't tell you that one, unfortunately. I'm not naming my team at the moment. Is he available for selection? I think he's come through training again today and he'll be part of the squad.

“We've not made any decision on that yet just purely because of the nature of where the group's at at the moment. 

You mentioned how much your team's changed. What about St Mirren?

“They've had their challenges as well. They've changed shape a few times. But one thing is they're always very organised. [Stephen Robinson] has done a really good job there.

"They obviously had the excitement of playing in Europe for the first time in a while and did really well, so they've had that positive. I think they would say at times maybe not as positive as they would like because of what they did last season.

“But at the same time, I fully expect a really tough test. They're a really well-organised side and a strong, physical team."

Are things heading in the right direction?

“Yeah, I think that's the message. One thing we don't do is just hope that it's going to change. I can't just show the positive stuff and say it will turn. We are doing a lot of things right. You still need to show the areas why we're letting ourselves down and what can we do to improve that.

“The slight issue is probably it being different players if it's an individual thing.  For example, you look at Nectar Triantis getting booked five minutes into a derby but he stays on the pitch and does really well in the second half. He's learned his lesson on that front. I'm sure he'll make mistakes again in his career; that's what happens. But that's the message.

“It's not as if the same thing consistently happens. The only thing that's consistently happening at the moment that we can't shy away from is we're conceding goals later on in games. 

“So how can we rectify that? The decision-making and being more clinical in the final third will certainly help that. We need to look at where we are in games and where we can be better. That's what gives me the belief and confidence to know that it's going to turn.

Do you remind the players that one win or two wins can potentially take you up to sixth? 

“I think that's kind of been the message in the last wee while. You see the league, how tight it is and how quickly the narrative can change. You just said that with two wins where could we find ourselves? We need to take the three points. I felt we did enough to get that against Dundee United.

“We're not going to dwell on that. We'll look to the opportunity that we have where we could be looking at being undefeated in the last three or four games which is a positive. But we need to take the three points. That's the first thing we need to get. We know we need the results. We need them quickly."

You mentioned Lewis Miller and assessing him. He was named in the Australian squad as well, is it a case of managing him carefully?

“He trained on Friday morning. We'll just see how he is after that and then we'll see if he's available for Saturday, because he's still feeling it to an extent.

"But I think it's been an ongoing issue with Lewis that he's had for a wee while that he's been managing and credit to him, he's been putting himself through the pain barrier to try and help the team."