A Learning Curve for Lomas

Having dominated Motherwell using a 4-4-1-1 formation, Steve Lomas tried the same stunt against Hearts and almost came a cropper. The tactic wasn’t necessarily wrong, but trusting David Robertson was. Lee Croft had a much better game but still let us (specifically Cup Tie Mackay) down. We looked in bother at half time but Lomas is a man of conviction, passion and integrity; he transformed the game with a great subbie and we were unlucky to be held to a replay. Here are my thoughts on the day out.

With Elliot, Templeton and Skacel in the starting eleven, Hearts were always going to prove a real handful to contain. I can certainly understand the temptation to go defensive but we are a team that works best when we attack. We should play to our strengths; playing high up, moving the ball smartly yet simply whilst defending with courage, vigour and experience. Fran had no support from Robertson and neither did the midfield gain from his inclusion. Quite what he brings to the team is beyond me. I do understand why Lomas likes him; he has a great touch, fantastic awareness and, for a lightweight, he gets involved in some meaty tackles. Sadly there is much more to being a good footballer.

Something is badly missing from Robbo’s game. I can’t put my finger on it. I’ve previously referred to him as enigmatic. I suspect he’s maybe not bright enough to understand his role; perhaps lacking the discipline required to play a certain position. Whatever his problem, he is no good in games and he costs us dear. I very much doubt that he’s ever played in winning 45 minutes for Saints. It’s time to pull the plug on his time at Saints. He’s let Lomas down too often.

I slated Croft for his performances against Hibs and Motherwell; he was a bit better against Hearts. Nevertheless, he still doesn’t offer us enough and I can only imagine the frustration that Midgie is feeling. The wee weegie has been an exquisite acquisition and was very close to agreeing terms with us on two year deal; that’s gotta be in the balance whilst a lesser player keeps him on the sidelines.

That said Croft created a few chances with some lovely weighted balls, he is s excellent at putting the right amount of speed on a ball. He also spots runs and runners with great skill. However, as in previous games, he wasted a good chance in front of goal and his hunger for the game seems to have been left in Derby. Lomas spoke well on the BBC about how players like Sheridan need to work every single day, without ceasing, to make it to the top of their game. There is no better example of a player slipping down the ladder than Lee Croft. His skill is far beyond our league, yet he seems to be unwanted by better clubs and that must be because of his attitude. I sincerely Lomas can work on him, I have my doubts though.

It was down Croft’s side that Hearts made their goal. The fullback was given the freedom of Gorgie and had time to play a strong pass to Mr Templeton. The winger ran at Cup Tie and turned him well, hit a shot which Enckleman saw very late and ran off to celebrate an easy goal. The goal was slightly lucky in the sense that we all thought Mackay had done enough to force him round the outside, then when he came inside, you’d expect McCracken to help out, but the ball appeared to sneak under his boot and if anything his presence only impaired Enckleman’s line of sight. As at Fir Park, it was a real sickener and we didn’t really recover from it despite Anderson and Morris doing a great job of rallying the troops.

Enckleman had a fine afternoon, plucking crosses and communicating far better with his defence. His kicking was generally of a high standard despite being asked to kick to Craig rather than Mackay. I don’t think was anything to do with Hearts full-backs, rather Crofty can’t be trusted to cover for Cup Tie. Liam did okay, but ultimately he’s not as good at heading as Dave Mackay and we were weaker as a result.

Perhaps a testament to the way Saint played in the second period is that Enckleman only had one real stop to make. I’m pretty sure Jamie MacDonald wished he was playing for us in the second half; he might have similar thoughts on payday.

Of course for a goalkeeper to have such a quiet afternoon, the back four have to play well and they all did just that. Anderson and McCracken are a super pairing and I’m delighted that Lomas has resisted the temptation to recall the blunder that can be Frazer Wright. The former Killie man was exceptional against Celtic and has played reasonably well at other venues, but as a rule he drops three or four clangers in every game. McCracken has brought great composure to the team and it’s clear that he and Anderson hit it off. When Wright and Ando play there’s always a niggle, always an argument; there’s almost a telepathic silence when Cracks and Ando are paired up.

What’s beyond doubt is that if Ando moves to the championship, not Bristol City for obvious reasons, he’ll immediately be in the Scotland squad. He’s better than anything we have at the moment and it’s a real hurt that he’s not been included to date. Maybe he’ll be involved in Wales; maybe we need a real manager in charge of the Scottish national team.

The fullbacks both played well too. Callum played the captain sensible role, rarely bursting forward, but using very well weighted passes to open up the Hearts right side. He and Ando are generally on the same wavelength and he’s always a safe pair of feet when a tight ball needs to be played. He’s clever enough to know that where a ball is too risky to be played, there are large areas of structures in which to play the ball. These areas are often referred to as the stands.

It was into such an area that Dave Mackay planted a ball at the end of the first half. Whether any of the officials noticed, I can’t be sure; what I can be sure of is that Dave Mackay was red-carded without just cause. The first booking was allegedly for dissent. Hard to be a silent dissenter, eh Craig? The second booking was for clearing a ball despite a Hearts player trying to cheat by using his wrist to move the ball away from Mackay. I don’t the laws of the game particularly well, but I’m struggling to know which of them Dave broke when trying to clear the ball. Still, McInnes tells us that Thompson is a good referee and always explains himself, that’s fine then. Must just be me that thinks he’s an incompetent dickhead. I’ve certainly no proof of any St Johnstone staff implying that Thompson is hopeless...

Let’s make no bones about the fact that Scottish football is in a terrible state. Our players aren’t doing well abroad, our clubs are almost all out of financial control, our facilities are tragic – so much so that Steve Lomas can’t find anywhere for us to train – and our referees are worse than those in Malta and Israel. To paraphrase Renton, “It’s an unpleasant state of affairs”

Another man that didn’t last the 90 was Murray Davidson. The tenacious midfielder has had a season of variegated performances but his commitment was inspiring on Sunday. Every time he skelped Ian Black, my face smiled and my heart winked with impudent pleasure. He’s struggling to make the replay now, but hopefully that means the Moon will come out to play.

The other midfield battler was Liam Craig and he did well enough. Unusually, he wasn’t particularly threatening, though Callum’s conservative approach probably didn’t offer much encouragement. He gave us maximum effort and commitment; he also got stuck in when dirty tackles needed to be made. He’s a top bloke and a top player. Compton’s inclusion should not mean Liam misses out. That said, we have an abundance of skill in midfield at the moment.

The same can be said of our striking options. I was very critical of Lomas’ substitution at half time. Firstly, I am yet to be convinced that Cillian Sheridan wants to be a good footballer. Some of his play is quite horrendous and the effort he puts is more varied that his pal’s Tweets. On top of that, Croft deserved a chance to prove him and the team badly missed Chrissy Millar. I make no apology for saying that Lomas got the sub wrong and, if truth be told, I still think he got it wrong. Nevertheless, it’s fractional decision and ultimately he got a replay by winning the second half. I couldn’t ask for any more from him.

What’s more is that Cillian Sheridan put in a truly great shift. He still had a few “feck me” moments, but mostly he was good. Far beyond that, he actually worked hard and almost gave the impression of a man that has suddenly realised the Celtic dream is over. I suspect that Lomas, far more than Del, has made him realise how lucky he is to remain at St Johnstone. We may dream of playing football abroad, but Sheridan is desperate to secure his release from Sofia; the club, not a burd.

If he plays like he can, week in and week out, he’ll make a decent career in the game. If he plays as he did against Rangers at McDiarmid, he’ll struggle to get a game in the SFL1. Lomas was cautious not to praise him in his BBC interview, concentrating instead on the need for him to work hard and continue to work hard. The recent performances of Marcus Haber have undoubtedly put Cillian on the back foot, like a courageous boxer on the ropes, the fashion icon of Holy Trinity Brompton came out fighting.

Both Sheridan and Sandaza had wonderful performances, albeit both missed gilt-edged chances. It’s beyond comical that some of the Saints fans thought Fran was poor. One such observer chastised Fran for being below par then admitted he didn’t know Fran played that pass for Cillian. There is no hope, it’s really depressing.

I thought we saw arguably saw Fran at his best against the Watery Farts. He hasn’t really shone against good defenders but he worked wonders the Hearts rear-guard and I am delighted, though not surprised that he has remained a Saints player.

For what it’s worth, I don’t expect us to win the replay. We’ve got three huge games in 8 days. Two league wins will probably clinch the top six position we so richly deserve and I’d gladly accept the maximum league points and forego the cup. Although all three games are winnable, I just feel that we might have a blip. Indeed losing to Hearts might just ensure that any arrogance is kept in check and focus every player on the task in hand.

I have no doubt that Lomas made mistakes, but more importantly I am convinced that he remains the best manager in the SPL. His ability to openly admit his mistakes is refreshing and it will please the players no end. A far cry from our last cup game against St Mirren, also destroyed by a referee, Craig Thompson I believe.

Let’s dig deep, stand strong and support our Hearts Heroes. Together, we will march with pride and will conquer the psychological barrier of the top six.