Been browsing through the squads and Saints seem to have the strongest of anyone in the league though the defence could do with a little tweaking. I'm not too sure about your keepers either. Midfield and attacking though, looking strong indeed.

What would you say your strongest 11 is?

I think it's a really hard question to answer. McInnes has been stressing the point about having 20 players who should all expect to play and that is very much the case, there are very few players you can't make a first team case for.

Main's injury has obviously changed things but I would have had him down to be first choice and Irvine will right back. Depth is fine in the centre of the defence but it's hard to seperate the four options. Left back hasn't been signed yet I suspect.

Morris will surely play in the midfield and then I'd guess two from Miller, Hardie and Craig, although if Moon continues to progress like he has been doing, it'll be hard to leave him out. Sheerin's been an ever present for four seasons, so hard to believe he might be sixth choice.

Again, I can't pick between the strikers, who all bring something to the side.

Of course, this could actually work against us if McInnes can't establish his first choice side pretty quickly as consistency is key to doing well in the early part of the season.

do you think mcinnes will play 3 at the back and 5 in the middle? that would leave a gap for sheeren to play at sweeper, ( i think he would be fantastic there)

As Radford says, this could actually be our achilles this season. You could ask 20 Saintess and get 20 different teams with different formations. Interesting times ahead for Del methinks. I think it's a real plus for us that we're not still building our squad (apart from a Left Back) for this season.

Not sure what others think but I'd be surprised if he went to three at the back, although we could probably manage it if the new left back is in the mould of Stanic. McCaffrey is meant to be a ball-playing centre back so I'd think he'd play in the sweeper role. I quite like Sheerin in the position just in front of the defence, collecting the ball and spraying passes. Nearest you'll get to a quarterback in (our) football. He'll probably still feature a fair bit next season, even though it's maybe hard to see how at the moment. It was probably with that in mind that McInnes offered him the role of coaching the U17s.

Thinking about our best side a bit more, it's still hard with the three forwards as McInnes used two sort of systems last season, one with MacDonald wide left and one with Milne playing in the hole behind two more central players. If Holmes is any good, he'll probably feature most weeks but there can be a good case made for any of the forwards.

Personally, I think a sweeper would be a waste of time in this division. I think you've got to get the ball moving forward into the front areas a bit quicker than a sweeper would do. When you're playing with a sweeper, you would be tempted to pass it around the back. I think McInnes will want the ball forward quicker than that.

sheerin is too good a player to be left out, he is another who could still cut the mustard in the spl

Maybe a few years ago BG but Sheerin's slower than a weekend in jail now.....still a demon with the PK's though!

i'd take him at firhill in a heart beat. let him play in beside rowson and harkins, or at the back.

Was it him that balooned one over the bar against us at Mcdees when we beat you 2-1?

At this moment , not having actualy seen them play this season it,s a very difficult question to answer but in the spirit of pre-season excitement...How about this ( if everyone is fully fit)











OMG!!!!!!! this is fucking impossible. .No starting place for Sheerin,Savo,McDonald,Weatherston,Moon.Swankie,Ando and McCaffery.And only four of them could make the bench.That cannae be right.McInnes has some huge decisions to make and some people are going to be very disappointed.Better him than me....

oh feck i'm worried now. that is a good side. the two centres are dodgy tho, mccaffery is far better that either of those two. miller is a good player (ex morton?)

Yep, he'll be a massive loss for us.

By the way, it's spelt Millar, though considering we had him 5 and a half years and some of our fans still couldn't spell it properly, I think we can let everyone off with spelling it wrong.

As many have said this is a hard task. i still feel a 4-4-2 diamond is the best formation but that is my opinion, as i feel hardie backs up the strikers enough to warnt leaving out a striker. The main worry i have with the team is the defence is still too weak and lacks any real backup but i assume McInnes will bring in a loan player near the transfer deadline to cover.



Subs: Main, James, Moon, Samuel, Milne

I admit it is hard and you look at the team and go darn in cant get Sheerin, Peaso etc in the team and it is frustrating but a good kind. the one thing that worries me with such a strong squad will the team gel? i mean if McInnes introduces squad rotations it might be hard for a set team to gel? i doubt he will do that but it is just a thought.

I'll leave this headache to McInnes. What I will say is that I suspect - unless the new guys have an outstanding pre-season - that McInnes will be inclined to go with the same sort of side that he settled with towards the end of last season. I certainly don't see any reason not to play Milne, MacDonald and Jackson upfront to begin with. Colin Samuels reputation goes before him, but it shouldn't be the reason he misplaces one of the strikers that did so well last year. He's a big(ish) name, but he'll need to prove he's good enough to budge them.

I think we saw last season that McInnes isnt afraid to change his tactics to suit the players he has. If we dont get a left back (I dont think he'll sign someone just for the sake of it Connolly style) then he could play 3 central defenders with a defensive midfield in front.

To answer the question I dont know. The only players guaranteed a place are Irvine & Morris IMO

All these superstars at Perth and not one mention o' GAVIN WANKIE the Ryan Giggs of Tayside ...........one of you lot had better trot along to Smokieville and stop him throwing the toys oot

Afternoon Slavery. .I bet there's one or two who might get left out of our team that you and your coagie buds would love to have in your side..

If you pop up to the Kingsway in about 45 minutes ,I,ll give you a wave as we pass through Jutesville on the way to see the supersaintees at Montrose.We,d better beat them eh, or we'll get the piss ripped out of us by you and your pals.... .Light blue Ford Focus .See ya in a bit...

Or perhaps we'll just laugh at you for driving a Ford Focus.

I will be outside The Cutty Sark with my stinger..do drop in for a beer the locals don't bite.............................................unless you ask them to

We might get a clue this afternoon at Montrose of how we are going to line up this season, a good solid win today is needed i think

It,s okay I,ve just had a tetanus jag for my holidays so I should be safe .....

I agree with the defence statment, although K James is good for headers, my heart jums when he needs to make a tackle as he aint that kinda of player. I'd maybe swap him for bamba, we have kevin R in defence, and for corners we can use holmes and hardie to help with high balls.

Bamba would strenghten our defence by a mass amount, think thats my only concern of the team this year!

what other saints fans would have bamba in the squad?

Stop in on the way back and we could cheer you up with tales from a true football city........PS how did your lads do against the MIGHTY MO

I have heard that the locals at Campsie Linn can be a bit rabid......especially that bampot M HODGE from the local Stanley hamlet enjoy yer holibags

Saw a couple of guys outside tha Cutty Sark, both loked like jakies so I,ll take it neither of them were you. .Shit weather, shit game,same old Saintees.. but hopefully in 3 weeks time we will be up to pace.Swankie was excellent today and I,m not just saying that to try and wind you up.

Campsie Linn now the site of some very nice riverside houses, they're more likely to release the hounds than have a gang of tinks set about you.

I have seen more than enough of the Swankster...........roll on the real games

I'd go, on the basis that everyones fit:

------------------------Main
Irvine----James-------------Rutikwicz----Player X*
-----------------------Morris
-------------Hardie-----------Craig
Samuel--------------------------------Swankie
----------------------Jackson

That would leave out:

-----------------------McLean
--------Anderson---McCaffery---PlayerX2**
-------------------------Moon
--------------Millar--------------Sheerin
Weatherson-------------------------------Peaso
------------------Holmes-------Milne

When you look at it like that, the squads excellent. I think that if the 2nd team I've listed there were a different team, they'd be in with nearly as good a chance as winning the league as the 1st team. Im speaking theoretically ofcourse and I do realise that more than 11 players will be used this season.

*Whoever we happen to sign
**The young guy who played on the left at the end of last season. His name escapes me.

I hope that McInnes knows what he is doing because reading this it sounds like a total shambles i.e too many players/formations/permutations etc etc.....

When you look at it like that it does look pretty impressive.

I would think defensively would be the area you could be most vulnerable.

Some very good players going forward. Swankie aside

There is no doubt that St Johnstone have the strongest squad in the division, but I reckon Dundee may still have the stronger of the two clubs' starting XIs. Clearly if Dundee are to sustain another promotion challenge, we will need to have a bit of good luck with injuries/suspensions - something that went against us last season.

That is a very strong side. I'd imagine that would finish about 3rd/4th. Quite depressing really.

Steven Kerr or even Steven Doris who's now back from Montrose

Yeah i think its Kerr he is on about. I can still see Sheerin slotting in there for a period.

Maybe for a game or two at a time but I don't think we'll see Sheerin for any more than 12/15 games this season. I think he might be the one who really misses out this season.

I'm absolutely convinced that McInnes would have no problem playing him there regularily if he can't get the quality in that he wants. The wizard played a few games there last season and looked comfortable, his passing is too important to be sitting on the bench.

I know what you mean though, he is not getting any younger.

Thats scary....I,ve seen seasons where our first team was not as good as your 2nd eleven.What ever happens McInnes is going to have problems keeping them all happy..What a great problem to have....

Ruti, James and Hardie are notoriously nijury prone though so there will be definite changes IMO. The good thing is we have ample cover in most positions.

I see you've done the age old thing of not spelling his name right, don't worry some Morton fans still hadn't learned it after 5 years so a few months is fine, thought i'd give you the heads up though so you can try and iradicate this problem before it gets too serious.

wish i'd read the whole thread now. Great minds

I'd agree with Sam and say that the new guys will have to earn their place in the starting 11, my starting 11 would be:

McLean (only because Main's out)

Irvine Rutkiewicz James LB

Hardie Morris Craig

Milne Jackson McDonald

The only guys in there I'm not sure about are the Centre Halves - I reckon the two Kevs are maybe too similar in that they're talkers & motivators and Del will want to play one of them with either the last ditch ball winner type Ando or the cultured defender type of McCaffrey. Definitely depth there but as others have pointed out might be the weakest part of the team, Ando's always prone to the odd bombscare moment, I'm wary of how James will cope with the ball on the deck and McCaffreys a bit of an unkown quantity at this stage.

As well as Peaso has done on the left of the three he might suffer for the fact that Swankie is more natural there, and if Milne goes through a barren spell in front of goal as he did last year after his double at Cappielow he'll not keep his place for long with Samuel and Holmes on the bench. Poor Davie Weatherston will hardly get a look in if we're playing 4-3-3 and remain injury free.

For me that midfield 3 picks itself, I wouldn't be surprised if the front 3 were completely different on opening day but I would be if those 3 guys didn't start. As much as I love Sheerin can't see him featuring too much in there, especially if Moon continues to improve.

How many times throughout the season will all 20 players be fit and free of suspension?

The cup runs we have had the past 2 seasons have shown that it is vital to have a squad like McInnes has built where quality players can come in at any time.

I think the starting 11 will also depend on who we are playing. There might be times where its better to have 3 pacey players up top and other times where we might need to use Holmes.

Im not so sure that people like Hardie, Morris, Mccaffery etc will be able to play every game so it can only be a good thing that there is a lot of competition.

Im thinking


------------------------Main
Irvine----McCaffrey---------Rutikwicz----Craig
-----------------------Morris
------Hardie-----------Millar-------------
-------------------------------------------Swankie
-------------Holmes---------Jackson

That leaves out a 2nd team that could also be up the top aswell

No doubt St.Johnstone has a very strong squad but that second team would be fighting relegation.

I Dont think we really need to worry to much about additions to the squad
No sure on holmes yet (Not seen him)
But i think that the likes of Moon and doris will be given the same chance Jacko got last year

But to mount a serious title Push this season we need to boost the teams morale
Then theres the worrying problem of colin Cameron and "12 clubs in 4 years" Antoine-Currier

And McMenamin remember him and Gilhaney and Deasley and Davidson and Freddie hes usually good for a goal against the Sainteez plus another striker shhhh no names no packdrill

No doubting st johnstone,s squad although I dont think they are to strong defensively and like last season could lose a lot of goals.There are a couple of midfielders in there that I would like at dens and they seem well equipped up front but I feel there goals will come from the strikers that were there last season.

Every pre-season saint-eeeeeeeeeeeees always have the best sqaud, and at the end of the season the saint-eeeeees are always no-where to be seen.

For the record your midfield this year is very impressive, up there with ours last season. However none of your strikers would get a start at Dens, and apart from Rutkiewicz your defence is very very poor.

To be fair we were not "no-where to be seen" when we were a couple minutes of the season from winning the league. By that arguement you were "nowhere to be seen" last season.

And your right, jackson etc would get nowhere near your team........