Double Winning St Johnstone FC Thread

[Widge]

4 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

If we're talking about a Mehdi Abeid type loan, then I'm all in for that.

Right you, get searching the Leicester under 23 squad!

[RandomGuy.]

10 minutes ago, Widge said:

Right you, get searching the Leicester under 23 squad!

Sorry I've spent my whole time searching League Two because Dundee United staff told me I would be "wasting time" looking above that for Saints targets...

I'll get on it tonight, can genuinely search by performance in the u23 PL

Edited January 7, 2021 by RandomGuy.

[Center half]

19 minutes ago, Kyle said:

In terms of new loan signings, they need be McNamara standard and not Olaofe. We need to improve on the first 11 or we're in real bother. County and Motherwell will try and spend their way out of bother as they always do so we need proper reinforcement.

I honestly think that McNamara was sent up here as he was lower in the pecking order than James Brown who we now have! i think it is testament to Danny that he buckled down and worked hard and produced some decent form for to be called back early and basically swapped out with Brown!. you would only wish some of our own guys did the same!     

[PauloPerth]

I think there's being idealistic on the squad and then there's the reality.

We've generally struggled at recruitment over the last few years, a lot of our success has come from tried and trusted faces.  Our squad is already pretty much at the minimum in terms of numbers.  

I can understand not committing on a lot of players for next season until our future is assured but if Conway, Bryson, Melamed, Brown will not be here then that leaves us with about 16 first team players for next season.  You're hoping a couple of youngsters will step up, but we need ones who will make an impact in games and not just play the season on the bench.

As mentioned, Craig and Davidson are getting on, and you've got to be ready for McCann being sold in any of the upcoming transfer windows.

The big issue for me is the limited options for the manager. There's no competition for players not performing, particularly in the attacking third.

I would be worried about having a big clearout and needing to bring in half a squad in the summer; I wouldn't be in such a rush to release Kane, MOH, Conway etc unless the manager has a load of players who have said they are interested in coming here.

Need to invest in 1 or 2 good quality attacking players this month. In terms of boosting our options, but also to give the place a lift and provide a gentle kick up the backside to the current squad.  If it means going over budget this year then so be it.

[Radford]

I agree with a lot of the @PauloPerth post above. If we only keep 3/13 out of contract players, we are in big trouble IMO. I kind of ignored it in my summary but there is probably a maximum number of signings you want to be making in the summer, certainly of players you expect to play significant minutes.

With the resources available to any St Johnstone manager, the hit rate in any window certainly isn't going to be 100% and the more players you need, the worse the outcome IMO. 

Kane is the biggest dilemma and I likened it to 2011. Will he ever get the sort of goal return we are looking for? It'd be a tough and brave decision to let him go but then it was the same with McInnes and his decision to chop MacDonald and Samuel but that paid off.

[The Saintee]

All Kane guarantees is fitness and energy. His goal return is dreadful. It's goals that will save us from relegation/playoffs. 

 

 

[Kyle]

I'd probably err on the side of caution with Kane and keep him as a 3rd/4th choice but 2 league goals in 18 months is a horrific record - he can have no complaints if he's let go. I'd wait until the season is over to start talks with him though, if Hendry doesn't improve we don't want to be lumbered with 2 strikers who never score and who never really look like scoring either in the squad for next season, especially with things being as difficult and tight as they will inevitably be next year.

I don't agree about MOH and Conway though. MOH will be one of our highest paid players and he's become pretty unreliable at best and a liability at worst. He's just so brain dead, doesn't fit the shape and as Radford said above, you don't really get the match winning moments from him in the way we used to. Conway is surely a stop gap signing. He'll be 36 this season and hasn't exactly set the heather alight since signing - I'd be quite disappointed if we just sign him again without having a look at what else is out there.

I have no idea why we make such a meal of signings. We're a bigger club than the likes of Hamilton and Livingston and they just get on with it, go out and sign players and achieve their goals. We seem to pontificate constantly in the media about how hard it is to get anyone in. It's not that difficult - we're a top flight club with a good reputation for treating people well. I appreciate a lot of effort will go into getting signings in but we've not got it as bad as we're meant to believe, surely.

 

 

[Radford]

If he can swap Melamed for someone else then that's one deal but I think managers need to be accountable at times and boards shouldn't just relent at all times. In a harsh climate, the club allowed Davidson to bring in a striker at the end of the window and it has been CD's decision not to use him. I think it's perfectly fair that he's told no new striker unless one leaves. 

The one area where he does need backed is another attacking midfield option, whatever formation he's going wifh. The ideal is someone in the mould of the players we've enjoyed in recent years that can play behind a striker, at the top of a diamond and is comfortable in wide areas. That means there is a role for them in any formation and gives us a bit of flexibility. 

I'm trying to bite my tongue about the goalkeeper for now so will reassess that at the end of the month. 

[RandomGuy.]

I wasn't advocating only re-signing 3 players, fwiw, just saying that if someone with no connection to the club or cares about the size of squad came on, I only reckon those 3 would be offered something straight away.

I'd be wanting Tanser, Gordon, Craig, Davidson, Conway, Wotherspoon and May offered deals, at varying levels.

[Radford]

1 minute ago, Kyle said:

I'd probably err on the side of caution with Kane and keep him as a 3rd/4th choice... 

I don't think managers treat him like that though. He gives you so much in terms of defending from the front, taking the knocks and getting you up the park that they pick him. 

If Saints give him a new deal, I think CD will carry on picking him. In the nicest possible way, he's like a bad habit that you can't drop unless you take a clean break. 

If he could score more goals, he's the easiest new contract you award though. It doesn't even need to be a regular return, it just means taking big chances like he's had the past two games. He should have won us both those matches.

[Mr Positive, sometimes.]

Personally, I don't "dislike" Kane as a footballer. He's just so infuriating. 

Like you've all said he does his good pieces of work even when not scoring where he at least helps the team get up the pitch like many of you have said defending from the front, winning the ball back higher up the park, fighting for a loose ball or winning a free kick to get us up the field a bit. 

The infuriating part for me is often he does all that hard work, battles hard to win possession then manages to somehow make an arse of it by gifting away possession by either a poorly executed pass or making the clearly wrong decision on who to pass to.

Then there's the obvious in the issue around scoring as well. He clearly reasonably capable of scoring, we've seen him have patches in front of goal where he's done "well". 8-10 goals a season is a reasonable return for a Saints striker but it seems to be he just something I've believed for a long time regarding Kane is that simply doesn't believe in himself enough when it comes to the scoring chances and therefore misses most of the chances where he has the time to think. If he somehow could just find that extra self confidence, maybe someone could work with him mentally and help him find that little bit of extra self belief. 

Although at the moment there's more than just him struggling with with self belief in the final third...

Edited January 7, 2021 by Mr Positive, sometimes.

[The Marly]

Personally, I don't "dislike" Kane as a footballer. He's just so infuriating. 
Like you've all said he does his good pieces of work even when not scoring where he at least helps the team get up the pitch like many of you have said defending from the front, winning the ball back higher up the park, fighting for a loose ball or winning a free kick to get us up the field a bit. 
The infuriating part for me is often he does all that hard work, battles hard to win possession then manages to somehow make an arse of it by gifting away possession by either a poorly executed pass or making the clearly wrong decision on who to pass to.
Then there's the obvious in the issue around scoring as well. He clearly reasonably capable of scoring, we've seen him have patches in front of goal where he's done "well". 8-10 goals a season is a reasonable return for a Saints striker but it seems to be he just something I've believed for a long time regarding Kane is that simply doesn't believe in himself enough when it comes to the scoring chances and therefore misses most of the chances where he has the time to think. If he somehow could just find that extra self confidence, maybe someone could work with him mentally and help him find that little bit of extra self belief. 
Although at the moment there's more than just him struggling with with self belief in the final third...

It's not just his finishing though. As you say, his ability to play a pass is poor, his decision making is poor. Chris Kane has earned good money from the club for a number of years for very little return. He's not good enough, end of story.

[tree house tam]

1 hour ago, The Marly said:

1 hour ago, Mr Positive, sometimes. said:

Personally, I don't "dislike" Kane as a footballer. He's just so infuriating. 
Like you've all said he does his good pieces of work even when not scoring where he at least helps the team get up the pitch like many of you have said defending from the front, winning the ball back higher up the park, fighting for a loose ball or winning a free kick to get us up the field a bit. 
The infuriating part for me is often he does all that hard work, battles hard to win possession then manages to somehow make an arse of it by gifting away possession by either a poorly executed pass or making the clearly wrong decision on who to pass to.
Then there's the obvious in the issue around scoring as well. He clearly reasonably capable of scoring, we've seen him have patches in front of goal where he's done "well". 8-10 goals a season is a reasonable return for a Saints striker but it seems to be he just something I've believed for a long time regarding Kane is that simply doesn't believe in himself enough when it comes to the scoring chances and therefore misses most of the chances where he has the time to think. If he somehow could just find that extra self confidence, maybe someone could work with him mentally and help him find that little bit of extra self belief. 
Although at the moment there's more than just him struggling with with self belief in the final third...

It's not just his finishing though. As you say, his ability to play a pass is poor, his decision making is poor. Chris Kane has earned good money from the club for a number of years for very little return. He's not good enough, end of story.

He runs about though.

 

Very very aimlessly and when it suits him, get him to f**k.

[perthsaint1977]

Another positive covid test I'm heading. No names

[The Saintee]

It's the final game of the season. We must win to avoid the relegation playoff spot. It's deep into injury time and it's 0-0. 

A long hopeful ball is punted into the box and the defender gets a head on it but it's a poor header that sends the ball spinning up into the air and down towards the St Johnstone attacker just inside the penalty box level with the D. 

He has time but only for a first time shot. If he takes a touch the defence will recover and clear it safely. Then it's game over. We draw and we go down.

The attacker is Chris Kane.

Does he score?

[Widge]

1 minute ago, The Saintee said:

It's the final game of the season. We must win to avoid the relegation playoff spot. It's deep into injury time and it's 0-0. 

A long hopeful ball is punted into the box and the defender gets a head on it but it's a poor header that sends the ball spinning up into the air and down towards the St Johnstone attacker just inside the penalty box level with the D. 

He has time but only for a first time shot. If he takes a touch the defence will recover and clear it safely. Then it's game over. We draw and we go down.

The attacker is Chris Kane.

Does he score?

Nobody in our squad would score that!! 

[Mr Positive, sometimes.]

 

Mind when Saints games were exciting?

[The Saintee]

20 minutes ago, Widge said:

Nobody in our squad would score that!! 

Liam Craig would!

[RandomGuy.]

22 minutes ago, Widge said:

Nobody in our squad would score that!! 

Aye this.

Kane would swipe fresh air, pirouette, then crumple on the ground holding his ankle staring at the ref. Hendry would try and control it, take a shite touch and go knee high into the nearest defender. Melamed would misjudge the flight of the ball and be stood 10 yards away from where it lands, while May would be 5 yards behind the boy who played the pass.

[Costanza]

Another player tested positive for Covid, just confirmed on Twitter there