Livingston defender Jack Fitzwater feels demanding more from each other has helped the team raise their levels.
Following the shock resignation of manager Gary Holt, Livi have beaten Ayr 4-0 in the Betfred Cup and recorded their first Scottish Premiership win in two months, a 2-0 victory over Dundee United.
Caretaker manager David Martindale has put himself in the frame for the job but Fitzwater believes the players have also taken more responsibility on their own shoulders.
“I feel we have gone up a level in the last couple of weeks, definitely in training as well, which has helped me develop massively,” the 23-year-old said ahead of Saturday’s trip to face St Johnstone.
“After the game against St Mirren, we all had a conversation where all the boys were saying we can up our levels.
“I think that conversation has transferred on to the training pitch, which has allowed us to pick up points in the games.
“We have upped our levels on and off the pitch, whether that’s giving praise or telling people to fix up a little bit.
“Just that mentality and the way we go about things has picked up over the last two weeks.
“I’m not saying it was bad before but we have tried to get to the next step now and always improve. If we can get those demands from each other, I think we will fly up the league.
“It wasn’t a flick of the switch, we always had that intensity and there’s no bad eggs at the club, we just all had that realisation that we wanted to improve and do well for Livingston.
“If we put demands on each other that were even harder than before then that’s only going to help us improve.”
Last Saturday was Fitzwater’s first league appearance since August after his summer move from West Brom was quickly followed by a hamstring injury.
But the former Forest Green and Walsall loan player believes he is now adapting to the demands of Scottish football.
“The first five games, I don’t know if it was because it was just after lockdown, but the intensity and sharpness, I think it’s a lot quicker game than England,” he said. “I had to adapt to that, which I think I am starting to do now.”
