Double Winning St Johnstone FC Thread

[RandomGuy.]

St Mirren (H)

Aberdeen (H)

Rangers (A)

Livingston (A)

Kilmarnock (A)

Celtic (H)

Hamilton (A)

Hibernian (H)

Ross County (H)

Motherwell (A)

 

Thats our run up to the split. To me we need to be on, or near, 30pts by that point.

St Mirren, Hamilton, County all must wins, then Killie/Motherwell as ones that can go either way. Rest you just take what you can from. 

Challenge is set...

[PauloPerth]

6 minutes ago, Bose said:

I have to say I’m happier tonight than I’ve been.  We looked like we could score and can’t say I’ve thought that about every game.  First goal was slack and we have to cut these out. 

That's how I feel. Really disappointed not to win as points are crucial, but we looked like a real attacking threat tonight, when I've been wondering lately where our goals would come from.  Also thought our defence looked fairly comfortable after Utd had gone ahead onwards.

Kerr at the back, Rooney to RWB and McCann back into centre mid alongside Liam or Murray with Spoony supporting Guy and Kane looks like our best starting line up for Saturday.

Gives you May, MOH, Conway and Hendry to come off the bench.

[RandomGuy.]

We've shown we can score again, which is vital. We also survived United wee onslaught after the equaliser.

A lot more positive than after the last few games.

Cannot afford to not win on Saturday though, doesnt matter how it comes we need the 3pts.

[The Marly]

It's hard as Kane was prolific as a poacher in the lower tiers, then TW seemed determined to play him beside a poacher.
Maybe this what Kane will be like now he's free of those shackles? He's missed chances this season, but absolutely deserves a new contract.

Kane has been missing chances for years.

[RandomGuy.]

1 minute ago, The Marly said:

Kane has been missing chances for years.

Strikers do that.

[The Marly]

Strikers do that.

Whatever. He's not worth a new contract.

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, The Marly said:

Whatever. He's not worth a new contract.

He'll get one, and if you remove penalties I think he's our top scorer this season.

He's been better this season than I can ever remember, is getting far better positions, and is beginning to score regularly. He deserves a new contract IMO. He'll be on a third of the wage May is, yet in terms of goals is taking up all the slack.

[Mr Positive, sometimes.]

Kane is often described as a player who's at his best as a lone striker doing a lot of the less glamorous stuff. 

Based on tonight's performance is his best role as that lone front man? Tonight's performance would suggest not!

Melamed dropping into those spaces on the half turn allowed Kane to stretch the defence in the channels.

We were positive & showed plenty quality at times as well as also showing that real fighting spirit in terms of not just folding when going behind, not shirking responsibility in possession of I'll just play it safe and knock it square. Dare I say even a wee bit exciting to watch at times which this season we haven't often been. Looked much better with the 2 strikers with 2 holding as well. Ali sitting a wee bit narrow and not venturing far as well also helped the shape. 

Not perfect of course, defensively at times looking suspect and of course the finishing but if we're taking that match in isolation I can't be unhappy with what I saw at all.

 

Edited January 12, 2021 by Mr Positive, sometimes.

[nelsjfc]

I was impressed with Melamed's all round game. For someone for whom there were doubts about lasting 90 minutes, he really battled well tonight as well as showing flashes of the quality that was talked about when he arrived.

Could do with Kerr back too. I like Rooney but I'm not convinced by him in a back three. Tanser much better option than Booth as a wing back too

[Radford]

Melamed like a new signing. I suppose the time for recriminations about why it's taken so long to give him a chance will come down the line but the manager can't ignore him if replicates that sort of performance.

[Kyle]

It seems the 5-3-2/5-2-3 is here to stay. I think our best 11 in that shape is probably:

Clark/Parish

Kerr Gordon McCart 

Rooney McCann Davidson/Craig Tanser

Spoony 

Kane Melamed/May

I think we need to give that front 3 a proper run and we also need to give Rooney a chance in his (more) natural position. The back 3 picks itself right now and Booth is victim of the shape right now. He’s a left back  who should only be used as centre back in an emergency and wing back if Tanser isn’t available.

I’ll be disappointed if we see much more of Bryson because he’s clearly not up to it now and MOH has to really earn back his place in the side. Conway is ahead of him for me as the alternative to Wotherspoon as things stand.

Hendry is our 4th choice striker now sadly. The spark he had last season just doesn’t seem to be there any more. Even when he’s played in the more conventional 3-5-2 he’s looked a shadow of the player we had last season. I’m not writing him off but the other 3 are a level above him right now. 

Kane should be partnered with one of the other two. He’s definitely a success story for Davidson/Maclean in their first season at the club and he compliments the other options, he’s a bit different to what we have. I think there’s an argument that he’s been one of our most effective players over the course of the season. 

if we do sign Naismith it’ll be interesting to see if the manager pin points him as a primarily a wing back option (which would probably indicate that Tanser is likely to be on his way) or one of the wide options in the 5-2-3. He can probably do either. 

 

 

[Radford]

I think when you look at 3-5-2 (which TW found success with latterly) there isn't really a strong case for a back four system. 

One of the main problems highlighted with the 5-2-3 was the overcrowding out wide but there is a reason that teams have used 3-5-2 for years, whereas CD has invented this new formation. We can play through the middle and when the ball does go out wide, there is space for the wing backs to operate and also more space for the centre backs if the do advance. 

Having a back four system in your locker isn't a bad thing (Booth was really struggling tonight and I reckon TW might have changed things after about 20 mins) but what we saw tonight suits us well and it should tidy up the habit of losing the types of goals we conceded to County and St Mirren. 

[RandomGuy.]

13 minutes ago, Kyle said:

if we do sign Naismith it’ll be interesting to see if the manager pin points him as a primarily a wing back option (which would probably indicate that Tanser is likely to be on his way) or one of the wide options in the 5-2-3. He can probably do either. 

He's listed as playing as a CAM this season for Wigan too, for what that's worth. His versatility is a huge selling point, and if he's quality to go with that then its perfect.

I've sort of been holding out hope MOH could make that wing back spot his own, as I still feel we need a wing back who can beat men, but I think his time at the club is now up tbh. Still obviously to see what Brown can do, and Rooney is able to do so but his actual final ball is questionable at best. 

If Naismith could come in and almost play as a left winger in that LWB spot, with Craig shuttling across to cover when needed, I think we could look really balanced and dangerous. I just can't figure out the middle of the park though. We need Craig, McCann and Davidson all in there for varying different reasons. Wotherspoon should obviously be starting regardless of what shape we go with.

[RandomGuy.]

Hamilton play Dundee United, County play Aberdeen, and Motherwell play Rangers this weekend.

We play St Mirren.

A win could realistically put us 5 clear of the bottom three, and only potentially needing 10 points from 14 games to guarantee safety (32 lowest 11th placed total in last 5 seasons).

[PauloPerth]

For Saturday I'd go:

 

                       Clark

          Kerr Gordon McCart

Rooney McCann  Craig Tanser

              Wotherspoon

            Kane Melamed

 

although you could argue we need Davidson's aerial power in there for defending set pieces,  We're allowed 5 subs, lets not f**k about waiting until the 85th minute to change things if it's not happening for us. MOH for Rooney and different forwards all  options from the bench.

Be nice if Kane and Guy can continue tonight's form, I think it's rare we've had consecutive good performances from our front players this season.

[PauloPerth]

Some difference in our goalscoring records this season:

Scored 4 in 11 home matches

Scored 17 in 12 away matches 

[tree house tam]

7 hours ago, PauloPerth said:

For Saturday I'd go:

 

                       Clark

          Kerr Gordon McCart

Rooney McCann  Craig Tanser

              Wotherspoon

            Kane Melamed

 

although you could argue we need Davidson's aerial power in there for defending set pieces,  We're allowed 5 subs, lets not f**k about waiting until the 85th minute to change things if it's not happening for us. MOH for Rooney and different forwards all  options from the bench.

Be nice if Kane and Guy can continue tonight's form, I think it's rare we've had consecutive good performances from our front players this season.

That's the way I'd play it as well. Only doubts are if Kerr is fit and the Davidson/Craig option.

[Nelly78]

10 hours ago, Kyle said:

Hendry is our 4th choice striker now sadly. The spark he had last season just doesn’t seem to be there any more. Even when he’s played in the more conventional 3-5-2 he’s looked a shadow of the player we had last season. I’m not writing him off but the other 3 are a level above him right now. 
 

I was speaking to an ex-Saints player last week who said that Callum Hendry is, by some distance, the most frustrating player he's played with in his career. Said he has all the attributes to be a really good striker but, despite all the coaching, just doesn't seem to know when/how to use them, usually makes the wrong decision, tries too much on his own, gets frustrated etc. 

His view was the next year or so is massive for Hendry. Unless he gets his finger out and works it out for himself, he'll blow the opportunity of a really good career. 

[Bose]

12 hours ago, PauloPerth said:

Some difference in our goalscoring records this season:

Scored 4 in 11 home matches

Scored 17 in 12 away matches 

I think last night saw why. United tried to win the game, I’m not sure that was their priority at McDiarmid.  As we all know our philosophy of getting the ball wide and crossing into the box hasn’t really worked against packed defences, certainly not with the players that were playing. Last night we saw much more variety too. 

[Widge]

3 minutes ago, Bose said:

I think last night saw why. United tried to win the game, I’m not sure that was their priority at McDiarmid.  As we all know our philosophy of getting the ball wide and crossing into the box hasn’t really worked against packed defences, certainly not with the players that were playing. Last night we saw much more variety too. 

Did they? For the most part I thought they sat back and were perfectly happy to play on the break in exactly the same manner as they did when playing away from home. I don't think the goals and result had anything to do with United's play to be honest, I think it was more a case of actually using controlled possession quickly and effectively for once. It showed, as we repeatedly won the ball high up the pitch and indeed scored as a result of it. We also missed several chances from doing likewise, Melamed and most notably Tanser. Both should arguably have scored and we also forced Seigrest into at least 2 good saves and the defenders made a few good blocks. 

For me, the biggest positive in last night was that we seemed to have an attacking game plan, which wasn't just hit and hope. It revolved around getting the ball wide, but also isolating the covering centreback giving Spoony or the strikers a chance to run at them, or commit them outside the box. It also helped that is one of the strikers got dragged wide, we at least had another on the penalty spot and usually someone to pick up the loose ball on the edge, so many times this season a ball is cleared and we've nobody to recycle and keep the attack going. We'll get more energy and drive from McCann rather than Davidson and I think if you include his ability to win the ball high up the pitch, we could in theory take advantage of defensive mistakes even more than last night.

It's all swings and roundabouts thought. Had Tanser been on the pitch longer than 10 mintues and was match fit, he might have hit the target with his chance. Had Melamed had more game time his snapshot might have found the corner or his run might have taken him past Reynolds.