Manager Simo Valakari says St Johnstone need to be prepared to deal with a Livingston side who use football's "dark arts" to try to win.

The teams meet in West Lothian on Monday night in the last quarter-final in this year's Scottish Cup.

Valakari insists they need to be ready for everything, and anything, when they step out at the Home of the Set Fare Arena.

"I really like these dark arts that they are doing, they do everything to win the game," said Valakari.

"They put water on one half of the field, they use everything that you can to give yourselves a little advantage and that is how it should be and I like it and we need to prepare ourselves to face every challenge that comes our way."

St Johnstone are bottom of the Premiership, but their form has picked up of late.

They have only lost two of their past eight games in all competitions, a run which began with them knocking Motherwell out of the Scottish Cup in January, a game Valakari admits was a catalyst for an upturn in fortunes.

"Yes you are right, we were in a very bad position and we needed something to give us this inner belief, even more, 'we can play, we can get the results', but at the same time we went for that match with a nothing to lose attitude.

"It was fresh, a cup competition, no pressure of the Premiership.

"The same when we played Hamilton, 'what an opportunity for the quarter-finals, lets go and play', and now it is important to keep the same mindset that we go for this match.

"It is a massive opportunity to get to the semi-final so just go with this positive mindset and let's see where it takes us."

Valakri has endured some tough times since he took charge in October last year.

Despite outwardly oozing positivity, have there been any moments where he has experienced any self doubt?

"Yeah, yeah, yeah and I have said it many times, when you don't get results of course everyone starts doubting the things that we are doing," he said.

"The positivity has never gone anywhere because what is the point if we inside start to be negative?

"Have I been frustrated? Yes I have been very frustrated but the confidence, the belief, the positivity - it is still there. We have not always got the results we have been wanting, that is the nature of the league."

The Finnish manager stressed the need to enjoy your work, even when results are not going your way and he firmly believes St Johnstone have improved under his watch.

"You can see a clear identity in how we want to play but some moments we have maybe added another layer, we have a more pragmatic way to go maybe a little bit longer passes as well," he added.

"So that is how I see football, how it should be - it is a process, you start somewhere, you add layers and then it will take you somewhere, but it doesn't affect positivity, because I have spent my life in football and football is fun, you need to enjoy coming to your work.

"Yes, the pressure is always there but you need to enjoy coming to work, to enjoy playing with your friends, you need to enjoy to make the best out of your career and that is why I think it is much more fun to be positive than crying all the time."

As the top-flight side, St Johnstone will start the game as slight favourites but will need to tread very carefully against a Livingston team that are third in the Championship and who are undefeated in their past 11 games in all competitions.

Livi have also already claimed a Premiership cup scalp in the form of Ross County.

"That is a good example, we see how good Ross County have been but they went with a game plan, Livingston, they executed it very well, they took their chances, they defended," added Valakari.

"They are a very good strong team with a clear identity how they want to play.

"I know they want to put us under pressure, they want to play, they want to come and press us high, they want us to commit ourselves to some stupid mistakes and then they have experience and quality in their side to know how to play these games.

"But we are a good team, in good form as well.

"We have some young players in our team but they have been talking with the older players as well.

"Not many times in your career comes this possibility that you can go and play a semi-final at Hampden, which is a big occasion so that it why it is important we are on our front foot.

"We go with a positive attitude and at the same time we are not playing the occasion."