Jack Baldwin reckons a strong festive period can propel Ross County for the second half of the Premiership season.
The Staggies return from the five-week winter break today, when St Johnstone make the trip to Victoria Park.
It is the first of four fixtures the Dingwall men will play during the upcoming fortnight.
Malky Mackay’s men are aiming to kick on, after climbing out of the relegation zone with back-to-back victories over St Mirren and Hibernian prior to the World Cup shutdown.
Team captain Baldwin was part of a Staggies side which went on to record a top-six finish last year, after turning around a season in which they failed to win any of their opening 10 matches.
Defender Baldwin sees the forthcoming fixtures as key to his side’s hopes of making another charge after the turn of the year.
Baldwin said: “We are always drawing comparisons to last year, but I think the winter time and January was the period when we really kicked on.
“We put some results together, and built that momentum.
“Hopefully it will be the same again this year. If we keep building and keep demanding more of each other throughout the weeks, it all just falls into place.
“You get so many fixtures within a short space of time. If you can string together a couple of wins, before you know it the table looks completely different.
“Whenever there is a congested period of fixtures you always want to do well.
“It’s a vital part of the season.”
County eager to impose their own style against St Johnstone
Saints are also returning in good form, having strung together a five-match unbeaten run prior to the break.
Baldwin is focused on implementing the Staggies’ own style on the match.
He added: “The way the manager works, we always watch video clips of the opposition.
“We have already played them this year, so we know what they are about.
“You do want to know what the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses are, but the main thing is we focus on ourselves.
“As the manager says, we should have an idea of what they are about, but we don’t want to focus on that too much because on the day we want to implement our own style on games.
“I think we were doing that much more before the break. We were trying to look after the ball a lot better, and build in a more patient manner.
“Nothing will change against St Johnstone, it will be much more of the same.”
Baldwin ready for action
Baldwin sat out the final three matches prior to the break, after suffering a knee injury in the early stages of County’s 3-2 victory over St Mirren on November 5.
Former Sunderland defender Baldwin insists he is ready for action, having used the shutdown to his advantage.
The 29-year-old added: “I’m fine now. I had a little flare up just before the break, but it settled down within a few weeks.
“The break has obviously helped. I have done a bit of gym and strengthening work, but it’s absolutely fine now touchwood.
“I’m good to go – if called upon.”
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