Killie at Home

Consolidation

A midweek game, the fourth in less than a fortnight, the previous three seeing us lose badly and foul weather to boot. Lots of decent reasons to avoid McDiarmid Park on a Wednesday night; especially when the opposition is an organised team capable of winning on the road.

Sadly, too many fans fell foul of that mindset and in doing so missed a super victory which consolidated our place in the top six. With the chasing pack all dropping points; it was a great night for the Perth Saints. Two nil flattered us though and Steve Lomas rightly alluded to the great work of Peter Enckleman. Better than that, he had a sly pop at the “fans” who turned on him.

Just to clarify, he hasn’t won me over, I think he’s good but I think he’s far from the best in the league. Last night, and at Tynecastle and at Parkhead; he was virtually flawless. Having watched the replay, I still don’t know if he touched the shot onto the post, but if he didn’t, it’s fair to say he had it covered. He certainly gets my man of the match vote.

Other notable players were mostly in defensive areas which speaks volumes for how much of a threat Killie are these days. Anderson put in one of his best shifts at McDiarmid (and there’s been plenty sterling showings) whilst his partner, Cracks, again looked good. Jody didn’t tweet about him, so the forum pundits probably haven’t given him any praise. Funny how certain people change their minds on players, especially when they only watch the first half of games.

Object of many a 101 Saint rant, Dave Mackay, was excellent. Brilliant crosses, always a threat at set pieces, yet he strolled though his defensive duties. Interesting that his crossing his improved since mid-November. He perhaps takes a fraction longer to decide to cross, but the shape and direction of his crosses make him a lethal weapon. His cross balls are unrecognisable compared to the dross he used to steer goalwards at thigh height.

Cal Davidson cruised through the game at left back. Even when young Kennedy came on late in the game, he  coped well until his withdrawal. Replacement, Alan Maybury did a grand job in the hardest circumstances when he came on. Facing a pacy winger with nothing to lose is hard enough for any fullback, never mind one who has just entered the lions den. He is grossly undervalued by our fans but his appearances don’t go under the gaffer’s radar.

Midfield was a curious set-up. Midgie who had a salt and pepper first half, really looked dangerous in the second before pulling off with a hamstring injury to his right leg. He was running well, found his touch and showed bravery with his off the ball running. Lomas rightly mentioned his lion hearted approach to the game. With Wullie Gibson surely banished to England and Cads still at Arbroath, it’ll be interesting to see who plays wide right at Inverness. Both Scotty and Ricky should be banging at the gaffer’s door. If Cal misses out, Maybury will be left back and that means it’s between Moon and Finners to start on the right. Neither are natural right midfielders and Finners won’t last 90 minutes....

Murray Davidson showed glimpses of the talent we know he has, but too often – as at East End Park – he wasn’t involved in much. Granted he did good work off the ball, but in some ways that’s Jody’s job. We can’t have two defensive bods in centre midfield when our wide players are Midgie and Liam. Morris played okay, but I remain convinced that Mooner is a better option.

Him and Muzz offer a better partnership, Muzz doing the dirty work and Moon adding sparkles and a cherry. Lomas echoed my thoughts on Mooner, when he stated that the wee man has goals in him. Only by playing him regularly, in an attacking role will we see that. He also publicly called on Mooner to make more noise on the pitch and that’s something that’s undoubtedly required in the modern game.

On Morris, he too often puts us in jeopardy these days. Three or four times, he looked to referee Brines to help him out after losing possession, yet only one occasion was a clear cut foul. He needs to cut that out of his game. By all means show-boat at four nil, not at one nil, thank you.

Liam Craig worked his socks off and both goals came from his crosses. I suspect a mistake in the build up to the first meant that he played a different ball to what was planned, but it was a lovely cross on each occasion. Why Jody takes some corner kicks remains a mystery to me. Perhaps I should ask on Twitter; hmm, I’ll not bother. I actually heard that some people can tell lies or be two-faced on Twitter.

Up top, Haber and Sandaza

Haber was another target of the St Johnstone boo boys. In that dark day at Tannadice, when our caretaker boss showed the world his short-comings, he was getting pelters from terrace and t’internet. All the experts castigated him as lazy and not good enough. I still recall a classic outburst from one of the forums dumbest contributors who stood and yelled that Marcus wasn’t “good enough” for Saints. It would be vaguely comical if it weren’t true.

So time to discuss the interesting characters that call themselves Saints fans. But we need to start from a known point. I was no fan of McInnes the football manager. Indeed, it’s safe to say I found his style of football to be boring and ineffective. But he’s away.

Last season we went into games against equal opposition and lost them because of Del, I am willing to accept that he underperformed in every season he managed my club. What I am not willing to accept is that people stopped going because of him. I did admit that in different circumstances, I would have walked away from Hampden when we played Rangers in the league cup semi. He really hurt me that night. That said, I tried to get to as many games as possible.

I keep hearing that money is driving folk away and I accept it to a point. The point being how much folk spent at Tynecastle and surrounding areas. Odd how money turns up when drink is involved. Real fans, fans who understand what supporting a small club is all about, they know that this is a vintage year in our history. In years to come, folk will ask about the famous side of 2011/12. We’ll reminisce of Fran, Encks, Haber, Ando, Cal and Jody. It’s soul-destroying that most of the folk reminiscing will be internet fans. Self-proclaimed experts of all matters fiscal and football.  I think of the famous war poster where the child asks his father, “What did you do in the war?” We should have a similar one on wap. “What was it like being at games under Steve Lomas?”

If sitting in the top six, going undefeated in Glasgow and playing great football isn’t worth twenty one of your pounds, I struggle to see how you class yourself as a fan of our great club.  The game against Killie was a brilliant encounter; great strikes, great saves, great playmaking, great players. I didn’t see anyone looking glum and we even had an effort at making some noise in the East Stand.

The club cannot cut the price, it’s financial madness to reduce our income streams at a time when we’re fighting for fourth place. The internet warriors can point fingers at the club, but there’s little more our club can do. They’ve almost given away tickets for the Ormond Stand yet the uptake was utterly pathetic. It’s clearly established that even a gate price of five pounds wouldn’t attract Perth punters.

Remember when Season Ticket holders got to bring a friend for free? We could hardly give our tickets away. Our game is talked down too much. Each and every one of us that supports Saints must treat this season as a war. We must work to enlist foot soldiers; men and women brave enough to stand up and support, sing and shout at our troops. Folks who will be proud to walk into their work or educational establishment and tell their peers what a great day they had supporting their local team.

Each Saints fan owes it to the club to win one new fan between now and the end of the season. Let’s get our friends to share our passion, spread the word and fan the flames. We have to great Steve’s in charge, let’s back them to the hilt!

FeSteve Cheer

Saints fans who survived the McInnes era will look back fondly at the Boxing Day Fixture in 2009. We went to Fir Park, despite tricky road surfaces and watched in delight as Peter MacDonald bagged his final Saints hat trick to send us home in sheer delight. That game was full of mixed emotions for your author as wee Mooner was hung out to dry by our inept manager and folks took great delight in praising Del for correcting his own error. Nevertheless, the day is etched in my mind as one life’s great days.

Heading to East End Park, I was full of dread and pessimism. The three home defeats came as little surprise; each game had some very obvious difficulties. On top of that, we hadn’t really played all the badly. Enckleman cost 4 of the five goals we lost to Well and Dons; as that’s not his usual form, I wasn’t overly concerned. We also know that our gaffer is a cut above most of his rivals. Nevertheless, perhaps depressed by working from eight till twelve, perhaps scunnered by Dunfermline as a town, perhaps irked by the behaviour of our “support”; I really feared that circumstances, or Craig Thomson, would cost us the game. When it came to the crunch, Chris Smith and Jason Thomson gave us an easy two nil lead and our three best attacking players combined to ice the cake at the death.

Lomas rightly stated that we weren’t at our best. He correctly mentioned the three home games where we arguably played better stuff, yet took no points. His outlook is refreshing; his demeanour is mood-reflective. He loves his life and loves his football; his infectious enthusiasm rubs off on everyone in a very Coyle-esque way. No wonder the lads enjoy training under him. Be interesting to see how his Christmas routine works. I happen to think we might just reap the rewards. Killie ought to be jaded when they pull into McDiarmid, I doubt we will be.

The game at East End Park started in tricky conditions, when all four corner flags are blowing in different directions, you don’t wanna be a goalkeeper... Added to the mix Dunfermline is yet another club in crisis. Their own fans are putting the club in jeopardy by refusing to conform to the no-standing regulations. They have shut arguably their best stand and the roof has been stripped from part of the away stand. The Main Stand compares with McDiarmid’s for atmosphere, whilst the Norrie McCathie stand was both empty and quiet. The attendance was at the same level of Falkirk V Ross County and whilst that was a real table topping clash, I doubt many Staggies travelled down. Saints took around 1200 to Dunfermline and the atmosphere in our end was rather good. Some wee dicks decided to let of a flare, and for that the club could be in bother. Sadly, it’s part and parcel of having a large travelling support. Also part and parcel of letting adolescents in for a pound – well eventually letting them in; after a farcical queue, so reminiscent of Dundee during the trough of their financial troubles.

If you ignore the complete lack of defence, Dunfermline aren’t a bad team. Barrowman, Cardle, Kirk and Graham are all decent enough players and with Hardie pulling string in a deep centre midfield role, they created some decent moves. Their defence is hopeless though, and unless they sign two centre halves, they’re likely to fall into the SFL1 at the expense of Inverness who seem certain to hold onto their superstars through the January window. It seems that John Yorkston has finally realised that the club must run within a certain budget, shame it’s taken him so long to realise such a fairly obvious fact of life.

Saints have essentially been run in such a fashion since GSB took over the reins of our great club. His prudence has allowed us to attract players from badly run clubs such as Gretna, Livingston and Dundee. With Lomas in charge, players know that they’ll be treated with respect and dignity. It’s good to see that Lomas has kept some of Del’s training methods as well as bringing in his own ideas. Things have never been so good, in so many ways.

Lomas has to be on his guard though. We have some transition ahead of us and he’ll have to work some magic to ensure we don’t slip too far back. Peter Enckleman is likely to move on in the summer and whilst I have never been fully convinced by him, his record is as good as it gets for a club of our size. Ando has been offered a new contract and it’s vital that we persuade him to sign it quickly; without him, we’re in real bother. Callum Davidson won’t last forever and we know that he’s not exactly bullet proof. The search for his replacement must start now. Sandaza, well we all know what he’s like. Personally, I’d be signing Haber up quick smart. We know he’s one of the best one on one finishers in the league. His jumping ability is probably the best in the league and when he turns on the speed, he’s got most defenders beaten. Yes, he’s a lazy prick, but there are signs that Steve is getting that side of his game sorted. Every time he plays, he chases more and more “lost causes”...

In terms of departures, I’m sad to say that Graham Gartland’s tenure as a Saints player is at an end and that’s a great shame. The popular Irishman came here with huge expectation and a great reputation. Other than a howler at Ibrox, for which he held up his hands, he has been excellent for us. He’s been a great help to the young boys, talking them through bounce games and working on their mindset. He’s a man of real dignity and stamp; I hope his next club provide him with a springboard to unlock his full potential. Wullie Gibson will be the other departure, and he’ll be no loss. Why we signed him, I’ll never know.  I do wonder if Sam Parkin will be another departure. I hope not, but it’s hard to see him getting a game ahead of Haber, Sandaza and Sheridan. A player of his calibre is not gonna be happy to settle for being fourth choice striker.

The game itself was poor fare in the most part. We didn’t get going until the first goal and then half time came. Haber worked well to create the second goal, but their normal keeper would have held Haber’s shot. A proper defender would have mopped up the spillage. Although we got to three nil, it simply wasn’t feasible to blood Ricky or Scotty. Muzz had been struggling for most of the second half whilst both Jody and Sandaza needed subbed given the heavy schedule coming up.

Mooner replaced Jody, but didn’t perform much better than the skipper. It was one of Mooner’s worst ever subbie displays. He is often guilty of being a step ahead of his team mates, but on Saturday he simply wasn’t great. He tried too hard to impress, undoubtedly upset by the way Jody waltzed back into the team despite his long term absence.

Maybury replaced Muzz in a move which saw Millar move inside with Mooner. Muzz had a very quiet game and it’s interesting to see that whoever plays with Morris in centre midfield seems to struggle. Midgie had a much better game. There were still times when he seemed to lack the necessary self-belief, but his closing down and tenacity were all there in abundance. It amuses me that fans get on his back so much; remember that Swanks, Morais, Cleve, JMW, Nova and now Gibson have all failed to win his starting jersey. When he plays well, Saints play well and that’s the highest accolade.

Maybury again proved his worth and versatility when he came on to run the right wing. He is in many ways the ultimate professional. Well worth a new contract offer.

The final subbie was Carl Finnigan and he again looked lively. I really want him to score soon as I get the feeling that the floodgates might just open when he does. He offers us total commitment; I wish I could pull up some of the fans comments when Del signed him.

Of the starting eleven, all played well but none were much above average. Our centre halves probably deserve the most praise for dealing with tricky conditions and making their job look far easier than it actually was. The front guys did okay, but they’ll have to link better to harm Killie on Wednesday.

I’ll do my tabloid round up of the starting eleven for no other reason than they offer no talking points:

Enckleman – One moment of madness when he came for a ball on our left that he simply had no chance of getting. Other than that he was mostly in control. His tip over from Cardle was a belt and braces gesture and he shouldn’t be faulted for being cautious.

Mackay – Didn’t attract any attention. Fine game

McCracken – Lauded my many following a tweet from Jody Morris. Played no better than normal. Vastly underrated.

Anderson – Bossed the defence in his usual unflappable manner. Fans wanted him to go on more mazy runs, but his passing was top drawer again.

C. Davidson – Didn’t get forward enough but cruised through the game.

Millar – Full on effort and commitment. Great play to win the corner that gave our first. No time to star when moved to centre midfield

Morris – Couple of special touches but a fundamental lack of drive going forward. I’m sure Lomas will work on restoring this part of his game.

M. Davidson – Very quiet game. Him and Hardie cancelled each other out.

Craig – Took ages to get going, but was terrific when he did. Reacted brilliantly to Fran’s pass, which must have been unexpected.

Haber – Strong running and much better link play with Midgie and Morris. Bad touch in the box cost us shortly after he created the second.

Sandaza – Great spirit and great play. Brave for the second.

So, we move onto Killie at home on Wednesday, 28 December at McDiarmid. This game will offer half-season ticket holders to use their book for the first time. It’s also the only home game of the festive period. With a night time appointment, and Saints having a great record under the new floodlights (when Sky don’t appear), we should expect a turnout nearing 3500 fans. Let’s hope the noise generated on the steep slopes of Tynecastle and East End Park is replicated in the McDiarmid shallows.

Lomas is a great lad, but to use of his predecessor’s favourite clichés, we all need to put our shoulder to the wheel. This is a collective effort, the top six will not happen without the support of the home support. We have lost seven league games, but we have lost six times at McDiarmid to SPL opposition; five in the league, one in the cup.

With Mooner signing on again, we can be confident that Lomas knows a player when he sees one. The players need noise, need encouragement; that doesn’t make them needy, it makes them normal humans. Back them and they will respond; they’ve proven it on our last three road trips. Don’t question them, just support them. They under Lomas will deliver us the top six we all long for. Get yer mates along, send them this link, post it on yer social network things and let’s show Steve Brown that his job is easier than he fears:

http://www.perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk/newsitemsdetail.php?param=1820

Well and Dons at Hame

Reality Check

Saturday saw the start of the biggest week of our SPL campaign. Three games, all of them hard, all of them at home and arguably the squad is at its most depleted. Steve Lomas has had an outstanding start to his managerial career but a first defeat had to come somewhere. It’s a shame it had to come at home, but being blunt, the fans on the day got what they deserved.

We took over 1000 fans to Tynecastle, brilliant in comparison to Hibs bringing 700 to Perth and Motherwell bringing less than 500. We made a tremendous noise at Tynecastle. We supported the team as though we actually cared. We did nothing of the sort against Motherwell.

Steve Lomas said that our attitude was wrong from the start, he was talking of the players but he might as well have been speaking about the fans. It’s really sad that our fans only make a noise when they are inebriated and away from Perth. We should be proud of our wee club; we are David in a Goliath league. Saturday gave us a massive chance to lay the first brick in our push for top six. The conditions were poor and the players should have been able to rely on us for support, encouragement and wholehearted backing.

Earlier in the year, we left Fir Park with a three nil scoreline which flattered us. Since then, they’ve scarcely lost a game. On Saturday, each of their three goals had elements of luck; but frankly they fully merited the win. The first goal was a muddle; the second goal saw Enckleman beaten by a shot he’d often save and the third deflected past the helpless keeper.

The passing from both sides was of a great standard; but Motherwell used the ball better. They rarely needed a first touch and that buys enormous amounts of time. The ball did the hard work for Stuart McCall’s men. Times without number they got into a two on three and made neat little triangles to get out of bother; often setting up counter attacks in the process.

The injury situation at McDiarmid was telling; Sam Parkin is miles away from being match fit yet was on the bench and appeared from it. Sam, to his eternal credit, played very well despite an unfortunate lack of bounce games. He remains a great player and thoroughly deserves some recognition for our supporters.

In midfield, Lomas was between a rock and a hard place as he had to choose between Wullie Gibson and David Robertson. In choosing Robertson, Midgie was allowed to keep his regular wide right berth. Robertson slotting in alongside a rejuvenated Murray Davidson. Muzz has had a stop-start season and that’s a shame given how brightly he shone at Pittodrie. He showed flashes of real brilliance against Motherwell and he’ll be a key player against Motherwell, especially if Mooner doesn’t make it.

His touch was back and his runs into the box were well timed. His finishing remains dire, though in fairness he is missing by less than he used to.... Lomas has been vocal in suggesting that if Muzz can add goals to his game, he’ll be a star in England. I don’t doubt that for a moment, but I do fear that he’ll never add that part of the game to his armoury. Jamie Adams would have been the ideal replacement for Mooner but the tough nut remains sidelined.

It’s hard to see anything other than the same starting line up against the Dons, the one possible change being Fran Sandaza replacing Finnigan. It was great to hear Steve Lomas talking about investigating the medical set-up at McDiarmid. He obviously has a vested interest in ensuring our players are in top tip condition. Our board are sensible enough to realise that injured players have no value, so we can be assured that Lomas will get support from Wee Broonie and his neeburs. He also spoke of not rushing players back and admitted, very candidly, that Sheridan was a case in point. These are changed days. Power to Frankie....

Following the game both Lomas and Wright attended a meet the manager night and both spoke candidly, with humour and humility. We are very lucky to have these boys here; they will do well for Saints. No doubts about it.

And so to the Dons game.

In horrendous conditions, Steven McLean rightly declared that the game should go ahead. On a personal level I wish it had been cancelled, I’m struggling with manful and I hate the TV deal. Another cancelled SKY game would have been awesome. Bottom line is that there was no reason for the game to be called off. I like Scottish fitba and I like these types of games. A bit of wind and rain makes a challenge for players and livens a dull game. We didn’t complain when we beat Hibs in similar conditions.

Turning to the team selection, Stevie tried a different tack and played Maybury at right back with Mackay in right midfield. It worked well too. Midgie has been drastically off-form, Wullie Gibson is in dish and Robbo has yet to play well for us.

Maybury put in a super performance, really composed and assured. Mackay supported well and got forward as often as possible. Compare him to Liam and there was little difference. His crossing is much better and he linked up well with both Haber and Maybury.

It was the right decision and if proof were needed that Lomas got it right, Wullie Gibson came on to replace Maybury and we lost some performance. The criticism of Lomas was bang out of order. Look at the bench, it was bare bones. The only possible mistake was starting Parkin, but the giant Englishman looked great against Motherwell and Finnigan hasn’t really done enough. Higgins is injured, May is on loan, Fran is injured, Reynolds is on loan, Kano is injured.....

Of course the head-bangers on the internet now want Enckleman dropped. It’s getting to the stage that they should probably be locked up. Peter Enckleman hadn’t cost us a point this season until three days ago. We probably would have lost to Motherwell even with Mannus in goal. Tonight was grim from the big man, but as I said after the Hearts game, he has earned the right to have a couple of poor games.  Throwing Mannus in against Celtic would probably be a mistake, unless the coaches feel Enckleman has taken a blow mentally.

It’s really quite sickening to see the way that he’s being treated. I am ashamed to be associated with such life-forms.

Incidentally, they are rounding on their own hero, Murray Davidson tonight. Muzz was terrific and helped to keep the score respectable. Yes he missed an absolute sitter, but we all know he can’t finish. He tackled hard, fought hard and passed well. I have no complaints and I’m sure Lomas was quite happy with young Murray.

Being blunt, I don’t know if we had a failure tonight. Enckleman had a mare, but the first is excusable. The second one was a gamble; he was caught in two minds and fecked up. Like a true professional he held his hands up and he’ll be really hurting tonight. I’ve no problem in admitting that I wasn’t impressed with him last year (and I was livid with him against Aberdeen in the season opener) but he’s done little wrong since then. I hope his detractors, who didn’t even bother going, feel utterly horrendous about their comments.

Maybury was great, McCracken was fine too. I don’t get the criticism of him for not playing offside at the first goal. In conditions like that, I want him back to clear up any spills. His passing was great and he works really well with Anderson. I’m glad Del signed him.

Callum Davidson didn’t do much wrong. I see his crosses getting slated, and he certainly hit some stinkers, but many were ideal for the conditions. We just couldn’t win headers in the box. Very unusual for Haber to be so quiet in the air. Says a lot about how well Aberdeen defended. Bit like Motherwell last season....

Liam Craig made one error of judgement in the final third and other than that he worked hard and won enough to hold his head high. His corners were really good given the circumstances.

Midgie came onto a fine game. He improved every minute and was totally committed to the cause. His passing was fine, his tackling was brave and his vision is always great. He knows when to press and when to hold. He’s a good lad.

Muzz – we’ve talked about and Cup Tie has also been mentioned. That leaves the front two. I always say that two great strikers don’t make a great strike force and there were signs of that tonight. They linked up very well initially; Haber usually ahead of Parkin. As the game wore on, and frustration crept in, they often played too close to each other. Haber is a curious wee bunny. He is skilled beyond belief but really needs to apply himself in games that aren’t to his liking. Lomas could be seen, giving him a rocket – rightly so!

I said to one the fringe players that we might have nothing to show from our three home games; I’m thinking I was right. Two freak games, is what we have just witnessed. There is no need to panic, no need to turn on our players and coaches, no need to consider bottom six.

You’ll notice that I haven’t mentioned Mr Anderson yet. There is no need. He strolled tonight and showed what I’ve known all along.

We are in this together. Together, we’ll get top six!

Capital Punishment

Since the arrival of Steve Lomas, life has been a dream for Saints fans. There is little doubt that Derek McInnes left a strong group of players for Lomas and Wright to work with, but the transformation in our play has been incredible.

I always argued that Saints fans wouldn’t realise how bad McInnes was until he left, but I must admit I’m stunned that Stevie has transformed us in such a short period of time. I think it’s vital that we stand back and take stock of the real situation, for his protection as much as anything.

Fans can bury their heads in the sand if they wish, but the stark transformation in Haber and Anderson is an obvious endorsement of Lomas treating the players with the utmost respect. It worries me slightly that I haven’t yet heard a bad word against Lomas, but then I’m reminded that few folk ever spoke ill of Walter Smith. I also need to remember that Lomas is flattered by following someone like Del.

He clearly has a great eye for talent; Scotty Gray was training with the seniors and listed as a subby at Tynecastle. It’s nice to have a manager who sees what I see in players. He has also been quick to attack Haber for being apathetic and whereas Del never improved Haber’s work-rate, Lomas seems to be making progress in that respect.

He’ll have the majority of fans on his side after the meet the manager event at the old Saints club. He has an easy going manner and speaks in a manner that evokes great memories of Owen Coyle’s great speeches. He uses passionate language and indulges in platitudes that somehow don’t sound trite. Like our majority shareholder, he is great for a quote when he knows he’s “off-record”.

The fitness coach he brought in seemed to have the lads buzzing, but even before that the players were in buoyant mood; laughing and joking with each other. The whole place has taken a shot in the arm. Even in the ticket office, things were more upbeat; perhaps due to the presence of Roddy “The Legend” Grant. I hasten to add it certainly had nothing to do with Mrs Malcolm being on holiday...

So what has Lomas done to transform things? Put simply, he treats every player with respect and encourages them to give their best in every session, bounce match and competitive game. From the moment Del departed, Anderson became an even better player. It is incredible to think that folk wanted him out the door. He has been instrumental in our results at Tannadice, Ibrox, Tynecastle and in the win over Hibs. Were it not for Ando, we’d have been skelped by Daniel O’Lennon’s Paisley pricks.

It seems astounding that the broken guy wandering the stands at Parkhead is the same proud tiger that protects Enckleman throughout the country. What a difference a gaffer makes. Talk of a Scotland call-up is daft, because he plays for a diddy club. If McCoist has any money, he’ll come in for Ando and Haber in January. If Lomas has any sense, he’ll plead with Wee Broonie to make money available and offer an extended deal to Ando, a deal which could see him get a richly deserved testimonial. We can save on some wages by binning Willie Gibson and Cillian Sheridan in the New Year.

I’m not going into details of either game as there is little point. The Hibs game was a shambles because of the elements. The swirling wind and heavy rain made passing (at any height) difficult to complete. Several folk stood out in the two games, but none more so than Peter Enckleman. The Finn, who had a dreadful start to the league campaign at Aberdeen, has looked like a top class keeper since the game at Fir Park. The save from Griffiths (?) was top drawer and it was cruel beyond a word that, despite getting a paw to Sanitary Towell’s shot, none of the defenders were able to get back and clear the ball.

His performance, in the worst possible conditions for a keeper, was near flawless. At Tynecastle he made several smart stops, many of them coming through a ruck of players. He thoroughly deserves to be praised. I’ve been critical of him in previous reports, but I am always delighted when a series of strong displays forces me to re-evaluate my thoughts on a player. Enckleman, for me, has now earned a buffer, whereby if he has some shabby performances, he should retain the shirt. I really wish he’d come right over to the Roseburn at the end of the game, he thoroughly deserved his moment in the sun.

Following my twitter post about Murray Davidson having the heart of a lion, Paul Smith and Stevie Lomas alluded to his mental strength in the official interview. He clearly pulled his hamstring with about 20 minutes remaining. Our brilliant physio spotted it and went to Tommy Wright who made an immediate enquiry. It came as surprise, though it shouldn’t have, when Muzz signalled that he wanted the subby delayed. Having already lost Frazer Wright, who was woeful in the first half against Hibs, but fine thereafter, we didn’t have the luxury of making subbies and Finners was clearly on his knees.

Muzz’s finishing might be on par with mine, but his bravery and commitment are to be admired and respected. I’d still have big Jamie in the squad ahead of him, but as at Aberdeen, I left the ground full of praise for Murray Davidson. What remains to be seen is how we cope if Muzz and Morris both miss out against Motherwell. I strongly suspect we’ll do rather well, Adams and Moon certainly dominated at Fir Park and that result wasn’t too shabby. As I said, for all his faults, Del has left a top six side. Don’t remember many Saints fans acknowledging that before we headed to Pittodrie.

As Lomas said, “You’d go to war with them!” His turn of phrase will persuade players to this club. That’s a talent that will stand him in good stead as almost every SPL club plunges the knife deep into the wage budget.

Couple of other points from these last two games, Callum Davidson is really getting to grips with football again. I must admit that his form disappointed me in the first quarter; I also forgot how short he is! Against Rangers, Hibs and Hearts he played some terrific football. Helped by Liam being in the best form of his Saints career, he has looked at least as good as Danny Grainger.

He might lack Danny’s long throw and excellent set-piece delivery, but his long range passing is out of this world. He hit one cross-field pass, midway through the second half yesterday, which Ginola would have been proud of. I guess it shows that we you don’t use it, you lose it. He essentially didn’t play between February and August and it takes time to recover form, confidence and touch.

The other that’s notable under Lomas is the solidarity amongst the squad. I remember questioning Del’s signings in terms of the “togetherness” of the squad. The Dundee United draw at home was a case in point; even though we should have went for the jugular in the second half, we still should have been able to see out the win from 3-2. You get the impression that had Lomas and Wright been in charge, we would have!

There has been a terrific calmness in the defence in our last three games. No panic stations, just organisation and coolness. Our defence just seem to be under less pressure and make better decisions as a result. Of course, the excellent form of Peter Enckleman is an added bonus and certainly adds to their confidence.

We have great strength in depth. May, Gartland, Adams, Parkin, Maybury, Higgins and Mannus have hardly featured this season and they are all excellent players. We have the squad to make top six, that’s beyond doubt. Frankly, less than top six will be a disappointment, assuming Sandaza stays fit and plays nicely. Europe would be great, but it would need some luck. The under 19s are now free until February so I expect Mayzo, Rikki and Scotty to perhaps go out on loan. Makes sense, even if we don’t money it keeps the boys sharp and broadens their experience.

What is undeniable is that Stevie Lomas has got off to a flyer. He’ll have some bad times and he’ll get things wrong soon enough; that’s only natural, he’s a rookie after all. If all we stick together, we’ll jump the hurdles and in unity we’ll keep the blue flag flying high!

One final, encouraging thought. Hibs brought around 700 to Perth; we took almost 150% of that figure to Tynecastle. The Lomas effect is happening before our very eyes; join the blue army for the ride of a lifetime!