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Double Winning St Johnstone FC Thread


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If and this is a humungous if!

We don't get relegated, are safe from the play offs with time to spare and by then Kane and Melamed have 5/6 goals each whilst playing with each other, what do we do with Stevie May? He's on a fair whack by all accounts, we're not getting an output from him (same as O'Halloran) and he'd be a very, very expensive third choice. He's regressing back to the start of last seasons form, you can see the brain is there and the ability for the most part; however, there's a lack of pace, lack of dribbling, lack of open play goals from him. I love the guy, but it's just not happening again for him and we cannot afford another season of non-scoring strikers. I was critical of Kane, still am for some of his deficiencies, but right now he's playing himself into a new contract and is finally looking a better all round player this season.

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It’s funny to think that even just 2-3 weeks ago if someone had mentioned Kane starting the semi final ahead of May there would have been uproar. Now it’s a must.

I don’t think any of our strikers are consistent enough to be the stand out starter. Within a month Kane might have regressed and May found form again.

I think May has value and will still contribute, but unfortunately he hasn’t really justified the big wages we’ve paid him for a couple of seasons. 
I think we make him an offer more in line with the squad average and it’s upto him from there.

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I agree with Paulo's post above.

I doubt there's going to be a big queue for him, certainly not on the money he is on just now. When he signed with us he signed a 2 year deal with a 1 year option so it could be that he's guaranteed the same terms again if we (or he) takes that up. It's still not clear how these options work or if there is any actual benefit to them.

Given what Davidson's already said about next season's budget, the likes of May, O'Halloran and probably M.Davidson will have to accept reduced terms if they want to to stay with us. All 3 will be on big wages and their role in the team doesn't justify top earner status right now.

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I'm still of the opinion we jettison O'Halloran now, he's not worth the wage and frankly his best days are gone. Davidson isn't going anywhere and I'm sure he'd accept reduced terms, especially since he's due a testimonial I believe?

 

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18 minutes ago, glenrothes 1884 saint said:

Jackson Irvine was free for 7 months,he’d have been ideal for us

Coming off a long term contract at a Championship club, no way we could have afforded him! Maybe latterly towards the end of the 7 months, but central midfield wasn't somewhere we needed an extra player for.  

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Goalkeepers

1. Zander Clark  -2022

12. Elliot Parish – 2021

 

Defenders

19. Shaun Rooney– 2022

??. James Brown – 2021 – on loan from Millwall

6. Liam Gordon - 2022

5. Jason Kerr – 2022

4. Jamie McCart - 2022

3. Scott Tanser  – 2021

24. Callum Booth  – 2021

 

 

Midfielders

10. David Wotherspoon - 2021

8. Murray Davidson - 2021

26. Liam Craig – 2021

18. Ali McCann – 2023

13. Craig Bryson - 2021

7. Craig Conway - 2021

 

Forwards

9. Chris Kane -  2021

11. Michael O'Halloran – 2021

14. Stevie May  – 2021 + 1

22. Callum Hendry - 2022 

17. Guy Melamed - 2021

I've not been keeping track of this particularly well what with one thing and another, so I think this is the current shape of the squad. Still a tonne out of contract.

On the basis of what we've seen so far this season, I would;

 

Keep - Wotherspoon, Tanser

Keep on reduced terms - Davidson, May

Release - Parish, Bryson, O'Halloran, Conway

Undecided - Booth, Craig, Melamed, Kane

First two are obvious - Wotherspoon is probably our player of the year so far and Tanser fits the managers preferred shape and is a good player.

I think Davidson and May still have something to offer but probably not on the terms they're currently on. If they're both free transfers, I doubt they'd receive offers on the level they currently have and we can't be too sentimental during a pandemic. If they're willing to accept the market rate for what they now contribute then keep, if not, release.

Parish hasn't been terrible for us when he's been afforded a chance but he's not been able to dislodge a below average goalkeeper. I think we need someone who can at least threaten to do that.

Bryson is well short of the required standard. Wouldn't be shocked if he retires in the summer to be honest, his injury record since returning to Scotand has been bad and I think it has taken its toll on him. 

O'Halloran is expensive and the moments of magic and genuine influence in games have diminished. I don't think he understands what he's being asked to do by Davidson and I think we need more from someone occupying his role in the squad.

Conway has been ok but 36 year old wingers are rare for a reason. I don't think he's earned a new contract yet but he's probably the one on the 'punt' list that could change my mind.

Booth, Craig and Kane have only just signed extensions to their current deals, hence why I have them as undecided. I think all 3 will stay and will probably deserve to stay. I worry that Booth doesn't fit the shape we play (I don't think he's been particularly effective on the left of a back 3 or as a wing back), Craig's legs will be another year older and there's always the concern that Kane will regress again but I doubt we'll get better for the roles they fulfill in the squad.

Melamed is a dark horse. I'm really annoyed we've had him sitting on the bench since October when you see just how influencial he's been over the last week. Given the pandemic and the fact he's not seen his family much since moving over, he may wish to return home. If he carries on in the same vein as we've seen in the last couple games, I hope not. Still an enigma but the signs are good. Ultimately I think he'll go at the end of the season, there's probably a very small landing zone, where he's been good but not a stand out, where he stays with us.

 

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May just needs a goal, he's dropping deep because he's wanting involved, seems to happen a lot with strikers who are frustrated. 

New deal on lower terms makes sense.

MOH is done, I doubt he'd accept the type of offer he deserves.

I think some folk know I think Davidson is well past his best, but he would get a new deal aswell IMO. Sort of a "specialist" CM and experience is vital.

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2 hours ago, mizfit said:

I’d punt O’Halloran and Davidson

Murray will get a new deal.

We don't want wholesale change in midfield in one preseason. 

Bryson surely the most likely candidate to move on. 

If we did receive a good offer for McCann after allowing Muzz and Liam to move on also we'd potentially then be required to find 4 central midfielders. We struggle in a given window to find 1, never mind 4 of one position.

 

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9 minutes ago, Mr Positive, sometimes. said:

Murray will get a new deal.

We don't want wholesale change in midfield in one preseason. 

Bryson surely the most likely candidate to move on. 

If we did receive a good offer for McCann after allowing Muzz and Liam to move on also we'd potentially then be required to find 4 central midfielders. We struggle in a given window to find 1, never mind 4 of one position.

This, I've been mewling about it for ages. Massive red flag waving at us.

Ideally we sell McCann this summer for 7 figures, keep Craig and Davidson, Cammy Ballantyne is introduced to the squad and we sign 2 players 24-29 who can be a starters.

Means the next Summer you can move on Craig/Davidson and ideally have 3 CMs you can trust.

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It’s funny to think that even just 2-3 weeks ago if someone had mentioned Kane starting the semi final ahead of May there would have been uproar. Now it’s a must.
I don’t think any of our strikers are consistent enough to be the stand out starter. Within a month Kane might have regressed and May found form again.
I think May has value and will still contribute, but unfortunately he hasn’t really justified the big wages we’ve paid him for a couple of seasons. 
I think we make him an offer more in line with the squad average and it’s upto him from there.
Can only agree with all of this. I've been a huge critic of Kane, but right now he's better than May. Problem is he's easily capable of regressing to a point where he's the worst option again. Much as I love Stevie May, he's not worth his current wage or a place in the team.

If we stay up then we need to look for a much better striker next season.
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2 hours ago, Widge said:

Coming off a long term contract at a Championship club, no way we could have afforded him! Maybe latterly towards the end of the 7 months, but central midfield wasn't somewhere we needed an extra player for.  

That’s what I meant,some wage is better than nothing,i’d like to think we were  at least aware,we got Mikey,Matty andDrey from a decent level 

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