Paul McGinn believes a player in the mould of manager Jim Goodwin is what St Mirren are missing right now.
The Buddies have lost four Ladbrokes Premiership matches by a single goal this season and the defender says they need to start being more "cynical" if they are to garner more points.
Goodwin was a combative and streetwise midfielder in his playing days and McGinn thinks they need to start showing some of that fighting spirit, starting with the visit of Hamilton on Saturday.
He said: "We need to be more ruthless. If the manager had been playing last weekend against Ross County then there was no way we'd have conceded a goal in the last minute in the manner that we did.
"The move would have been stopped back on the halfway line.
"When you're a minute away from taking a draw away from home then maybe someone has to just take the booking to stop that cross coming in and you escape with a point.
"We just need to be a bit more cynical in our play at times."
One of St Mirren's most tenacious performers is McGinn's brother, Stephen.
The club captain missed the start of the league season through injury and has failed to find a place in the matchday squad since returning to fitness.
Paul admits his elder sibling has had to be patient, saying: "It's been hard for him, especially when he didn't get a full pre-season. The whole thing just becomes quite stop-start.
"Stephen just needs to bide his time as football changes so quickly. Last year Ryan Flynn wasn't featuring at first and then got in the team and became a major part in us staying up.
"So Stephen just has to bide his time. Hopefully by Christmas he'll have forgotten all about this stop-start beginning to his season."
