Scottish Premier League round-up - Telegraph Looking back at games against Hibs, Dundee United and Dundee, we had excellent opportunities to take the lead but didn't, be it through bad finishing, good goalkeeping or decisions against us. But we know home results have not been good enough and we have got to look to change that. It's not as black and white as getting the first goal but it would certainly help, there is no doubt about that. I think we had 72 per cent possession against Dundee and chances and they break down the park and score and all of a sudden the crowd get a bit tense, the players get slightly anxious so it would be nice to go ahead in games at home. That wouldn't mean to say we would down tools and think it was all over because that wouldn't be the case, the games are that tight. Between us and Hearts three or four weeks ago, it was a 25-yard screamer that split the teams, there was nothing between the sides. So it would be nice to nick a 1-0 when it was a tight game. McCall has begun to look towards next season in terms of his squad, "starting with the younger ones" but admits he does not yet know what budget will be available. Chris Humphrey is one player who is out of contract in the summer but the 25-year-old Jamaica winger would be keen to extend his stay in Lanarkshire. "If they want to sit down and talk to me, I would be happy to do that," said the former Shrewsbury Town player. But I haven't heard anything yet. I love the club. It's my fourth season here, I have kids and we are settled, so I would be quite happy to talk. Hearts left-back Danny Grainger hopes his team-mates can foster a feel-good factor at Tynecastle as the capital club fight for their existence. Grainger scored the only goal in last week's 1-0 Clydesdale Bank Premier League win over St Mirren in a match Hearts had suggested could be the last in their 138-year history. That was before a deadline was extended over a winding-up order issued over a tax demand for £450,000, one of numerous financial concerns at Tynecastle, where a share issue scheme has been launched to raise much-needed funds and initially well-received. Grainger said: "There's nothing we can do. We've just got to get on with it. We can't affect what's happening out with the football. We've just got to get on with our business. We know we've got to do our business on the pitch and we go out every week trying to do that. If we keep working the way we do on the training pitch and on the pitch on a Saturday we know we'll get a lot more positive results. Grainger was one of a host of first-team players and staff who deferred their November wages, which were due on Nov 16, to ease the club's predicament. Hibs v Aberdeen Hibernian defender Paul Hanlon aims to continue their trend of responding swiftly to defeat when they face Aberdeen. Hibs have won five and drawn two of their seven home matches this term and, following a 3-1 loss at Dundee last weekend, are determined to keep the unbeaten streak going at Easter Road against a side one place and three points below them. The most recent loss prior to the Dens Park defeat, at Ross County, was followed by a 4-0 win at Motherwell and Hanlon is seeking a similar result. "We were majorly disappointed after the game at Dundee," the defender said. We just need to pick ourselves up like we have done throughout the season. When we've had bad results we've bounced back right away. Hopefully we'll do that again this weekend. Hibs entered last weekend on top of the SPL but Hanlon is adamant complacency was not a factor at Dundee. The defeat against the bottom side came before a crucial run of fixtures with Hibs playing at St Johnstone in midweek before the Edinburgh derby in the William Scottish Cup fourth round. "We weren't getting carried away with the position we were in," added Hanlon, who was part of the team beaten 5-1 by Hearts in the Scottish Cup final in May. We know how tight the league is and we know if we're not on our game every week then there's a chance you're going to get beaten, that's what happened at Dundee. Hopefully we can put it right. It's a massive week for us, three big games, but we're not looking any further forward than Aberdeen just now. Hanlon has been without regular central defensive partner James McPake of late due to the club captain's back injury. The 22-year-old stand-in skipper is happy with the additional responsibility and is looking to ensure Hibs do not notice McPake's absence, if the defender fails to recover in time for this match. "It's a bit of an adjustment moving to the right side of defence," said Hanlon, who has been in the back four alongside Ryan McGivern. James has helped a lot since he came in. He's a good leader and gives me tips. Hopefully I can put a good performance at the weekend and show we don't need him in the team every week. Aberdeen striker Rory Fallon believes they can challenge Celtic for the title and victory at Hibernian can be achieved by stopping Leigh Griffiths. Griffiths is the top scorer in the SPL this term with 13 and Fallon believes the on-loan Wolves striker's goals are the main reason for Hibs' lofty position. "I think they're doing well, but when they came here I thought they struggled," he said of Aberdeen's 2-1 win at Pittodrie in September. I feel their strikers are dragging their team along. Griffiths, if we stop him, they won't score. He's the one getting all the goals. I believe that we're a better team than them. Obviously we'll have to prove that on the day. Victory at Easter Road, where Hibs are unbeaten this term, would take the Dons to second in the SPL, separated from their hosts by goal difference, but Fallon's sights are set even higher as his side aim to respond from the 2-0 loss to leaders Celtic. "Some people are happy for Celtic to go off and win it, but I'm one of those guys that believes we can win it," the New Zealand forward said. If people believe Celtic are going to win it, they're going to win it. If we don't believe we can do well and push up higher, then what's the point of even playing? I really don't see the point in people just giving Celtic the title already. That's not how I work. I work through belief and having faith. Celtic have probably got the biggest squad, but we've got the strongest squad after them. Kilmarnock v St Johnstone Kilmarnock midfielder Danny Racchi hopes to complete his return from patient to playmaker against St Johnstone at Rugby Park. The 25-year-old former York City player has been out since early October recovering from a knee injury which eventually required an operation. After a couple of setbacks during his seven weeks' rehabilitation period under Killie physios, Alex MacQueen and Ross Goodwin, the Englishman is ready for action. "The last game I played was Aberdeen at home, so this will be my seventh week," he said. I tore my cartilage in my knee. I actually did it against Hearts but I trained and played the following week. I got an operation five weeks ago and my knee is feeling good. It hasn't been easy. After the operation I couldn't really do anything for four or five days. But I have been doing rehab every day and the physios, Alex and Rosco (Goodwin) have been absolutely brilliant. They have had to put up with me moaning at times, but they have been brilliant and that is why I got back so quickly. I am a horrible patient, not the greatest. I was asking every day if I could step it up a little bit more and they were saying that I wasn't ready. A couple of times I went out running as part of my assessment and broke down, there was a bit of pain and the knee swelled up again so I have had to take a couple of steps back. But I'm back training and got 60 minutes in a reserve game against St Mirren and now I have to work hard to get my shirt back. Hopefully, I will be in contention to make the bench or whatever the gaffer needs me for. The boys have done well but I am working towards getting myself back in the team. St Johnstone manager Steve Lomas insists performances and points are more important than placings. Saints, like Killie, could move into third place with a victory but the Perth side have not won a game since they beat Kenny Shiels' side at McDiarmid Park in October. Since then Lomas' men have drawn three and lost two, including being knocked out of the Scottish Communities League Cup by Celtic and a home SPL draw against Ross County last week. Former Manchester City and West Ham midfielder Lomas is looking to get back to winning ways, regardless of where it might leave them in the table in the short-term. He said: "We had the chance to go third against Ross County but it is not about the table at this stage. It is about keeping performances up, getting as many points on the board as we can and when the league splits we will see where we are then. We played well against Kilmarnock last time but we have played as well in other games. And as well as we played, Killie could have maybe nicked a point at the end. So it is going to be a tough game. I watched Kilmarnock against Dundee United last Friday and they were superb in the first half so we will have to put on a performance. You can't put in a duff performance and take the points. They have good attacking players and a good double act in Cillian Sheridan and Paul Heffernan. Cillian was excellent when he was here and I knew he would be a success at Killie and Paul is a superb player and finisher. They have the makings of a good partnership. They will test you and we need to be on our mettle. Lomas is glad to have Patrick Cregg back in contention after the midfielder was sidelined for a month with a hamstring injury. He said: "It is very important to have a fully-fit squad because we have five games in 11 days around the Christmas period." Ross County v Dundee United Former manager Neale Cooper has returned to Ross County as assistant to Derek Adams. The former Aberdeen and Rangers player spent six years at the helm of the Highland club between 1996 and 2002. He was most recently in charge at Hartlepool United, where he had a couple of spells as manager. Adams was pleased to see Cooper back at the Dingwall outfit as part of a restructuring of the backroom team. He told the club's website: "We've got an extremely small staff here at Ross County and it is vital that we have a structure in place and have the right people in place to take the players, team and indeed the club forward. Neale is someone that I've known for a number of years and having had him join us for a couple of days of training it was obvious his qualities complemented what we already had in place here, so I'm delighted that he's agreed to join us. The visit of the Tayside club is the first of two back-to-back home fixtures for County, with St Mirren making the trip north midweek, and Adams is keen to make home advantage count. He said: "We've been on our travels for eight out of 14 games in the SPL and we've got two home games now. Dundee United are a very good side. I watched them against Kilmarnock and they have excellent attacking players. We're in for an exciting match. The players here enjoy playing in the big occasions and we've done exceptionally well against Aberdeen and Hibs in the recent home games. United are a team who can cause any team problems on their day. They did well against Celtic recently as well. We're just looking to put the onus on Dundee United and hopefully we can come away with a win. Dundee United manager Peter Houston hopes his side do not leave it late again as they attempt to return to winning ways. The Tannadice men have been relying on second-half fightbacks recently, including their 3-3 draw with Kilmarnock last Friday when captain Jon Daly headed home a last-gasp equaliser. Their slow starts have been a source of concern to Houston, who instead wants to see them take charge from the start and give themselves some much-needed breathing space during games. He said: "It's something we need to change and we've spoken about it this week. It makes it hard for everyone, not just the strikers, if we have to continually come from behind and try to take points. I would much rather see them take the lead and be able to relax a bit than giving ourselves a mountain to climb with a poor first-half performance. I've got a great bunch of lads who always give their best so hopefully we can get on the front foot against County and stay there. That's our aim and I think we have the players to do so. When we get our noses in front we can show what a good team we can be. St Mirren v Dundee Striker Lewis Guy claims the possibility of St Mirren facing a relegation battle come the end of the season has not even been discussed in the dressing room. The Paisley club have suffered defeat in their last six Clydesdale Bank Premier League games, leaving them just a single point above bottom side Dundee. Guy insists it is far too early for Saints to push the panic button over their current league position. He said: "We are only in November so there is a long way to go and hopefully we can get out of this position -starting on Saturday. There is no worry. It's not even been mentioned in the changing room. We know we've got good players, a good manager and good coaching staff and it's a good club with good fans. We know we will get out of it, it's just one of those things at the moment where we can't seem to get a win. The former MK Dons forward - who joined the Buddies in the summer after signing a pre-contract agreement earlier in the year - is back in contention this weekend after recovering from a hamstring injury. And Guy is keen to use the match as a springboard for his own season after conceding he has not been on top form recently. He said: "I started off well and couldn't have asked for a better start, to be honest. But I've had a bit of a dip in form. I'm the first to admit it. Hopefully, if selected, or when I next get a chance, I can get my own season going again. Dundee manager Barry Smith has urged his side not to fall below their recent high standards. The Dark Blues have picked up considerably in recent weeks and are on a three-match unbeaten league run which has seen them move to within a point of second-bottom Saints. And Smith insists it is up to them to carry on the good work which will see them leapfrog Danny Lennon's men with a win in Paisley. He said: "We've been getting the right sort of results recently which has obviously been pleasing. The lads have deserved it for all their efforts but it's only a start as far as we're concerned. The important thing now is to make sure we keep it going. I'll be asking them for more of the same against St Mirren and in the weeks to come. When you set a standard you like to try and maintain, which is our aim. It won't be easy as St Mirren are still a good side but we'll focus on ourselves and see where it takes us. Dundee are still without injured skipper Stephen O'Donnell (hamstring), Carl Finnegan (knee), Jamie McLuskey (Achilles), Brian Easton (hamstring), Mark Kerr (knee), and Davide Grassi (knee). Forward Mark Stewart has stepped up his comeback from a knee operation earlier this season but is still some way away from playing.