Somehow i am managing to keep my excitement under control for this one.

Still really, really need to start winning, and really nothing but three points will do. Expect us to win, espically if we can play like we did in patches last night.

As for the team think criag and probably samual have done enough to get back in the 1st XI, i will go for

Main

Irvine Mccaff Anderson Morgan
Millar Craig Hardie Swankie
Savo Samual

Assuming sheerin is injuried.

Subs Mclean, Holmes, Jackson, Mccoy, defender X

No offence, but your positioning of Craig and exclusion of McKoy after both players performances last night is just stupid. Leaving Jackson out is almost as bad.

After a dissapointing start for both sides the season will start here for one of them.

I approach this one with optimism as we were the only team to beat St Johnstone at McDirmad Park last season and we have a decent record there.

Bit early to be droaning on about formations and the like but I will say,if McGregors fit please drop Kettlewell.

Swap Millar and Craig and you have yourself a deal. What's the point in playing Jackson? Other than memories of his goalscoring of last season what exactly is he going to bring? Savo is definately the from striker and Samuel looked more dangerous last night by far. He set up the goal and managed to turn and face the defence and try and take them on winning a few corners.

The thought of Liam Craig playing right midfield is borderline offensive!

Imagine them swapping sides evry now and again, it will be genius.

I sometimes wonder where you get these ideas from. Craig is a left footed player - so lets play him on the left side of midfield, please. The point in playing Jackson is that he was much improved last night. His performance last night merited another start, IMO.

I agree, i thought he looked a lot more confident than he has of late and was unlucky not to get a goal near the end

In my head Craig and Swankie playing on opposite wings and changing about is a fucking wonderful idea. In real life it would be shit but i am not willing to sacrafice my idea.

Seriously though i would stick with Samuel up front. Jackson's performance obviously was an improvement on what we have seen of him in the other games he has played but Samuel set one up and was running at their defenders nearly every time he got the ball. I like the fact that he is willing to run at the defence and especailly at home i think he will be a useful player.

I think we're slowly getting there but last night was just one game and we still lost. Attitude was much better and the team had a far better shape. If the same is true on Saturday then we'll have a more than good chance of winning the game, although we usually struggle against Clyde. I'm certainly not concerned that they beat us at McDiarmid last season as it was far from a full strength Saints side and we contrived to miss two PKs!

Injuries will definitely play a part in McInnes' selection but assuming there is nothing new between now and Saturday, we shouldn't be too bad. Defence picks itself (i.e. we play the four fit guys!) and I'd stick with McKoy and Hardie in the centre of the park, even it means we lack a bit of pace there. Millar on the right and Craig in on the left. Samuel has probably done enough to merit a start in attack and then it's one of Milne, Jackson and Holmes for me. Whoever it is, I'd like to see the two strikers play a bit closer together than they did last night.

Clyde have burst our bubble many times before though so McInnes needs to ensure the players display the same sort of attitude as was apparent last night.

St Johnstone win.
They will be too strong for us and will dominate in the middle of the park like every other team does against us, and will run out comfortable winners.

Could be a contrast of styles though. MacLennan is a tricky player and if you get some pace in the middle, it might cause McKoy and Hardie problems. They certainly won't be outdone on the strength front. If Clarke can take a chance our defence, although much improved, will still make the odd mistake as well. I'm just glad Kevin Bradley isn't playing. He always looked like Maradona when we played Clyde!

We have to win in the league sometime and with a bit of luck, that could have been versus Dundee, Livingston (or the cup game last night). If we get a break (two missed penalties would do!), then we can win on Saturday. I'd reckon we'll go with a 352 as that usually causes St Johnstone some problems. James is injured? I've been dreading our team facing him at corners all summer.

Goalkeeper
Gibson Brown Higgins
Ohnesorge McLennan Wilson Kettlewell Waddell
Clarke Gemmill

I realise I said on the Accies thread that I'd bring in Trouten for McLennan but I'm uncertain of that now. The goalkeeping situation is not something I want to predict!

I think we'll draw 1-1. We're not bad at the back (if we cut out some terrible goalkeeping errors) and we generally always score at least once.

Totaly agree Still early days though

Looks like I'll be watching this from hospitality on Saturday!

Unfortunately I reckon what's going to happen on the park will spoil my day!
We badly need physical presence in midfield and until we find it, I can't see where a win is coming from.

We're due a bad result at Perth so this will probably be it!

Does Ohnesorge's Red Card on Tuesday not Suspend him on Saturday?

I'm actually looknig forward to this one. I reckon if we get a Goal within the first 20mins we may run out comfortable winners.

Ok, fair enough. Perhaps put craig on the left, swankie on the right and millar in the middle then. Would prefer to have more of a ball player in the middle given we are at home. Having two battlers in the middle worked (ish) the other night but would like to have a bit more flair in there given that clyde prob wont come at us as much as livi.

As for jackson, agreed he looked better the other night. But still dont think he ever looked like scoring. Savo gives us the same effort up front in terms of running, and he has looked more likely to score. I would be interested to ask why jackson should be ahead of savo based on this seasons performances?

The biggest problem of our midfield this season has been no strength. We've been completely overrun by teams in the middle. McKoy and Hardie alongside one another immediately cut that out. It also allows Hardie to get forward a bit more. It's all very well and good wanting to see some "ball players" in the midfield but what is the use of them if they don't ever get the ball to play with?

As for Jackson. Thats a question you should've asked before kick off on Tuesday. He showed on Tuesday enough to earn a start on Saturday.

We'll agree to disagree about jackson, i think savo deserves to be in the team. Jackson has had one good, not outstanding, performance this season and is still yet to score, wheras savo was one of the few players to come out with any credit from the dunf and partick games. And he has scored!

As for the midfield, i dont think the midfield your suggesting is that bad, i am not going to be too gutted if its mckoy instead of swankie. Just think we be better with millar or craig looking forward. But then again, its about opinions and i can see where you are coming from.

A red card for two yellows only applies in the competition it's gained in; he'll miss the first league cup game next season.

We get at least one good result in Perth every season, hopefully we can do it this weekend to kick-start our season. If McGregor is fit, I'd put him in for Kettlewell in David W's lineup.

does he not miss the scottish cup game?

Kev, it may have been disappointing for you and your fellow Clyde fans, but I think the majority of posters on this board expected the Bully Wee to be shit this season.

Two points out of twelve isn't too bad for a team like Clyde.

I seem to be on exactly the same wavelength as you this week

I'd start with

Main
Irvine Ando Caff Morgan
Millar Hardie McKoy Craig
Samuel Jacko

Savo's got to start like. He has been the best striker so far this season plus the fact that he never came on against Livi so he will be fresh.

both Jacko and Samuel done enough the other night to stay in the team, I don't think Savo's been any better so far this season than Samuel was midweek and I wouldn't drop Jacko, all he needs is a goal and that'll be him

I was in the select few that was saying the exact same thing about Jacko the season before last when people were doubting if he'd make it and he proved me right last season.

So Many strikers so little space to play them. That's why Weatherston has gone even though he was a player with great potential. Personally I want Sammy and Savo to start on Saturday. If Jacko starts I won't exactly be disappointed. Let's just hope whoever starts scores!

Jacko is a real confidence player so it works both ways, drop him and he'll get worse, persist with him and when he gets one, the ball starts rolling and he gets better and better

Yeah, like the previous 7 years and look where we are

But then again do we start him in hope that he gets that goal and his confidence comes back, or go with savo whos scored already this season and comfortably been our best striker? We really need the win, and id like to go for the two most dangerous looking strikers so far this season

courier n mcmenamin play 4 us n there not 4 sale bit early 4 a relegation battle buts thats the way its lookin 4 u 2 on sat might even make the 2000 mark crowdwise canna wait 2 hear saints have been humped again
mckinnes must stay

Shit and (joint) 9th?

Shouldn't laugh but...

I wasn't at Livi so i'm going to pretend it didn't happen. I Do, however, have a bad feeling about what may unfold.

This is compounded by the fact that i will be attending a Hawaiian party in Cumbernauld and will no doubt have the piss ripped out me while wearing a dodgy shirt and flip flops by a jag who hasn't had the chance to do since last weekends debacle.

Happy days.

Function hall or house party?

House then club no doubt. Depends how miserable a mood i'm in.

Basement? Pity I'm flying out to Turkey at 3 am on Sunday morning or I'd have been there! Give me a holler if you need to borrow some flip flops. They're all I wear about the flat. Well, them and some pants.

Basement dancefloor will be getting torn up with some funky grooves from yours truly i would imagine.

Your pants? I thought you preferred to prance about in your most recent victims?

Hmmm, I bet you'd fit me like a flesh tuxedo.

Behave.

Why not? It was amusing.

Why have you never said Hello in Basement Niz?

I think this is a scripted Saints win myself. They're looking for their first win and after some desperately poor results too. They're at home, we're a bit disjointed at the moment with injuries et al... you get the picture.

I'm not crystal on how I would line up myself. Waddell and Ohnesorge offer next to nothing going forward as wing backs (352) albeit they don't let a lot by them. It's a tight spot we're in. Any conceivable midfield duo (442) would undoubtedly struggle Vs. Hardie, Millar and co. so getting three to swarm in there would compensate. That extra man would detract from our ability to advance with the ball as a unit though.

I suppose if we slid Trouten in and played him through the middle alongside Wilson and MacLennan/Kettlewell, in the 352, he could possibly provide us with that missing guile? I wouldn't bet on it considering his form in the league thus far, but he does have the ability within him. Whether or not he can put it on show is another question - what happens if he takes another migraine? All things considered though I would probably go for that arrangement. Same starting XI as lined up Vs. Hamilton with Trouten in for Kettlewell. More likely that Brown will chop MacLennan mind.

Blind optimism is all that keeps me sane during the football season.

And at 4.50 on Saturday the 13th it will be at the very least 5 points from 18

We did beat Livingston of the first day, SP.

I'm happy enough with the options available to us this weekend despite missing James, Morris, Moon, Rutkiewicz and possibly Sheerin and Holmes but the key is going to be the attitude. If it's the same as on Tuesday, I'm confident we can win the match. We've seen what happens if mentally we're not right though and it isn't pretty.

I think it's encouraging that so many of the fans now seem to be naming the same sort of starting XI, hopefully it shows we're getting closer to knowing our best side. If Anderson and McCaffrey play like they did on Tuesday every week, then they can become the first choice centre back pairing as well.

holmes took a head injury but i cant see him possibly being injured as he finished the first half against livi

and as for Mckoy i was amazed at how composed he was (he was great)

although i fear that weatherston was sacrificed needlessly to make space for him in our limited 22 man squad which del wants, alright he wasnt the most conistent but........

but back to saturday should be a comfortable win going on the assumption we can only improve

Funnily enough, I can think of a Saints fan who looks like Maradona.

Present day Maradona

And yet mainstand suggested that was a makeshift defence, despite me arguing that it could conceivably be your first-choice back four for the remainder of the season.

I knew that.

My apologies.

Huttons out, bollocks