Double Winning St Johnstone FC Thread

[RandomGuy.]

2 minutes ago, Honest Saints Fan said:

We are horrendous. It's got to be the weakest midfield I've ever witnessed at Saints. 

Was thinking that tonight.

Must win match and we end it with a CM of Butterfield, Crawford and Gilmour

[Saint Stevo]

We were decent for the first 35mins or so. Losing the soft pen hurt us no doubt. From that we never recovered, which is really disappointing. 2nd half was more of the long punt and chase. When we tried to play thru midfield in 1st half we looked much better.

Hallberg was a big miss in the midfield.

I think that if we can make it into the playoff spot that we have enough to stay up. Not sure what I'm basing that on exactly, maybe blind faith!!!

[PauloPerth]

Agree with the sentiment, thats a massive regression to what we were a few weeks and months ago.

Dreadful mistake for their goal when we were playing well and on top, but we are so mentally weak it’s frightening.

Professional sportsmen ffs and they absolutely capitulated.  Embarrassing second half. Players unable to control the ball or play a basic pass, defenders misjudging everything.

The problem is the narrative will be all about the ref and will ignore the issues.

Its been like this all season, ever since lask at home.  A decision goes against us, and yes we’ve had more than our share of howlers, and we act like greeting bairns feeling sorry for ourselves and fall to bits.

Toughen the f**k up and get on with it.

[RandomGuy.]

Feels like stick or twist time in regards to Davidson now too. Don't think we have another longish break between games until game 29/30?

If they wanted to change then now would be the time to do it I guess.

[Saint Stevo]

We're sticking with Davidson. I don't think there are any questions over that. Wouldn't surprise me if he has been told he is the man to bring us back up if we go down.

[shibbydoo]

1 minute ago, Saint Stevo said:

We're sticking with Davidson. I don't think there are any questions over that. Wouldn't surprise me if he has been told he is the man to bring us back up if we go down.

Frightening

[The Saintee]

I can't see him being sacked. Not after spending the money they have. Only for another manager to come in and  possibly not rate them? 

[mizfit]

I can't see him being sacked. Not after spending the money they have. Only for another manager to come in and  possibly not rate them? 

This. If you were sacking him it was after Kelty.

He ether resigns when we go down, or he’s sacked just after.

[Bigmouth Strikes Again]

Thank you.

[Fife Saint]

This. If you were sacking him it was after Kelty.

He ether resigns when we go down, or he’s sacked just after.

Correct answer, we ride or die with Davidson and right now it's looking terminal.

It's been a dogfight since Xmas and anyone kidding themselves on about 10th needs to realise that including the manager.

We don't even deserve a break the way we were tonight. I'm almost certain Hallberg is the only hope for things turning around.

[Saint Huck]

4 hours ago, Saint Stevo said:

We're sticking with Davidson. I don't think there are any questions over that. Wouldn't surprise me if he has been told he is the man to bring us back up if we go down.

Very disappointing performance tonight - but not unexpected with Davidson at the helm.  Why would anyone think he has what it takes to get us back up after this disaster of a season?

[PauloPerth]

7 hours ago, HibsFan said:

I will not have celebrated a relegation this heartily since Falkirk’s.

One of the small, but not insignificant, consolations of our impending doom is the number of fans of unsuccessful diddy clubs that we have rattled and leave in our wake…

 

Still hurting ??

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

[mizfit]

I think we’ve successfully pissed off every team in the top flight, maybe it’s time to piss off the championship.

[Valentino Bolognese]

10 minutes ago, mizfit said:

I think we’ve successfully pissed off every team in the top flight, maybe it’s time to piss off the championship.

Nobody is more pissed off than our own fans TBH. 

Well done to the travelling support last night. That was a nightmare journey, crashes on the way down, traffic, weather etc. Was nearly midnight before I got home. Bit Ironic that we're starting to see better crowds just was we're going down. 

Not seen any highlights and it's pretty-small time to complain about refereeing, but it's beyond doubt that it's had undue influence on our season. Demonstrably wrong decisions against us have impacted both results and, I think, team morale. Feel sorry for McCart last night as that's the second time he's been on the end of a stupid one but it all adds to the feeling of doom hanging on this team's shoulders.

Also have a bit of sympathy for Callum (not much, but some). I'm not sure he got too much wrong last night. Personally, probably would have had Butterfield on for MacPherson and the Crawford experiment has gone on far too long but he did take risks and try to dig us out, even it was all a bit desperate.. Of the new guys Sang was surprisingly poor IMO. Can't really judge Bair as he looked like what he was, a guy chucked in to a desperate game without any competitive time with the team. 

Absolutely dead to this now, completely resigned to the inevitability going down. 

[Jamie_B]

There have certainly been outside factors - bad refereeing decisions that have changed games, long term injuries to key players - that have shafted us. But that doesn’t absolve the management from their responsibility. They have recruited most of that starting XI last night (I think six of the starters were CD signings) and set the tactics. Dundee have brought in Rudden. St Mirren have brought in Jones. Livingston kept Alan Forrest at the player’s choice. The first two have hit the ground running while Forrest continues to shine. We have given long term contracts to the truly dreadful Crawford, the very lightweight McPherson, and punts like Bair and Vertainen.

The triple sub last night was desperation and not a well thought through plan B. The lack of fight and reaction when we go behind is frightening. The succession planning last summer - when it was clear we would inevitably lose the likes of Kerr and McCann by, at the latest, the January window, was ridiculous.

Would we be in this situation if Rooney/Bryson/Wotherspoon had stayed fit? Quite possibly not. But that’s why you have a squad. We have zero width in the midfield and very little real quality in the team. There is little sense of direction, particularly when we go behind. If we go down - which looks increasingly likely - the blame is entirely on the manager.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Jamie_Beatson

[Widge]

The small glimmer of hope is, if we somehow manage to limp our way to 11th, the Championship is an unbelievably bad standard. Even the Dundee team of last season would have won the league at a canter! 
 

As for the game last night, as others have said, the first 35 minutes were actually pretty good from us. Tight at the back, playing some decent stuff and forcing saves from an opposition goalie. Then the referee intervenes wrongly and we fall apart. That’s not just on the management team, that’s on the players. However, I said it to someone that as a fan when you’re on the end of these ridiculous decisions week in week out, it’s so, so frustrating and most of us lose our heads. It’s only natural for the guys on the pitch to feel it even more, they must think the whole world is out to get them. Yes they’re sportsmen, but they’re also human, so I understand why it affects them in the way it does. I wish it didn’t, but ultimately we’re still all in this mess together and need to collectively try and get out of it. Recent weeks have been better, there has been fight and spirit in the team. Let’s not kid ourselves though, given where we are and the way the seasons gone, I ain’t expecting a good performance every game, so last night is going to happen again, the crucial bit is making sure we also have Livi performances to back them up. 
 

I still think we’ll finish 11th, after that I guess it’s a bit of a lottery, but who knows. At least it’s something different this season! 

[THE FAT MAN]

For the life of Me will never understand the need to change a team unbeaten in 3 games so much

Hallberg out was the only replacement necessary, perhaps one more to freshen things up

BUT 5 ?Come on!!

[The Marly]

11 hours ago, PauloPerth said:

Agree with the sentiment, thats a massive regression to what we were a few weeks and months ago.

Dreadful mistake for their goal when we were playing well and on top, but we are so mentally weak it’s frightening.

Professional sportsmen ffs and they absolutely capitulated.  Embarrassing second half. Players unable to control the ball or play a basic pass, defenders misjudging everything.

The problem is the narrative will be all about the ref and will ignore the issues.

Its been like this all season, ever since lask at home.  A decision goes against us, and yes we’ve had more than our share of howlers, and we act like greeting bairns feeling sorry for ourselves and fall to bits.

Toughen the f**k up and get on with it.

Exactly.  Compare this team with the one that had Mannus unjustly sent off against United. No feeling sorry for themselves.  Sleeves rolled up, took the injustice out on their opponents and delivered a massive GIRFUY to the ref and McNamara. 

[Ric]

49 minutes ago, Widge said:

..the Championship is an unbelievably bad standard.

I mean without wishing to sound too harsh, but you were an "unbelievably bad standard" for most of last night's game. Granted we were equally as bad in the first half.

[Valentino Bolognese]

37 minutes ago, Jamie_Beatson said:

There have certainly been outside factors - bad refereeing decisions that have changed games, long term injuries to key players - that have shafted us. But that doesn’t absolve the management from their responsibility. They have recruited most of that starting XI last night (I think six of the starters were CD signings) and set the tactics. Dundee have brought in Rudden. St Mirren have brought in Jones. Livingston kept Alan Forrest at the player’s choice. The first two have hit the ground running while Forrest continues to shine. We have given long term contracts to the truly dreadful Crawford, the very lightweight McPherson, and punts like Bair and Vertainen.

The triple sub last night was desperation and not a well thought through plan B. The lack of fight and reaction when we go behind is frightening. The succession planning last summer - when it was clear we would inevitably lose the likes of Kerr and McCann by, at the latest, the January window, was ridiculous.

Would we be in this situation if Rooney/Bryson/Wotherspoon had stayed fit? Quite possibly not. But that’s why you have a squad. We have zero width in the midfield and very little real quality in the team. There is little sense of direction, particularly when we go behind. If we go down - which looks increasingly likely - the blame is entirely on the manager.

I think what we've seen this year is a real test of a rookie manager. Last year was all tailwinds - he inherited a good, settled squad, had no significant injury concerns, no crowd pressure and being honest no real expectation on him other than to stay up. Even then it wasn't a great start.

This year he's had huge headwinds - many of them his, or the club's, own making, some not - plus the pressure of crowds and a cup double season. 

This season could be the making of him, he'll learn a lot from the mistakes and he can push on (whatever division we're in). Alternatively we're seeing the 'real Callum' and he's not the right man for this job at this time. 

I'd honestly give him until Christmas, (unless we start with a total disaster) as I doubt we'll learn much more between now and the end of the season.