Round-up April 2011

Recent Event

Aplogies to my foreign friend for the lack of recent match reports. I’ve been otherwise engaged and frankly I’ve lost a great deal of enthusiasm.

Del’s recent behaviour has severely impaired my enjoyment of Saints games and I feel more helpless now than ever. My club is walking wounded, an easy target for the parasites of the SPL and the blames is entirely Derek McInnes’.

His crazy build-up to the SFA Cup Semi-Final was just a taster of the nonsense to come. Playing without a left midfielder at Tannadice put Danny Grainger in all sorts of trouble and ultimately saw Steven Anderson ordered off. Naturally, McInnes failed to apologise, instead blaming Anderson for being rash...

Although unlucky to be sent to the stand, when his beloved Michael Duberry acted like a fud, he missed the chance to stay involved by going to the wrong part of the stand. Had he a brain in his head, he’s have sat with yours truly on the touchline. Not as if he doesn’t know the lay out at Tannadice, is it?

Of course rather than be brave and play three at the back, he decided to remove Peaso and the game was lost. Sammy was instructed to conserve energy and hit on the break but he’s only been bothered on two occasions – both heavy defeats for Saints. I slated his signing, I called for him to be released from his contract after the Dens episode yet only after Hampden did Del admit I was right. What an arrogant man.

Jailbird Jordan Robertson was permitted onto the Tanndice pitch to remind Dundee United fans why Peter Houston released him after two weeks on trial with our rivals. The horrible, nyaff carries himself in a threatening yet lazy manner at all times. Deadly in a car, he’s anything but on the pitch. Not once has he looked like being able to score a goal. He has no right to get games ahead of Stevie May, but our idiotic leader picks the criminal over the good football player in most situations.

The Celtic game was typical Del, he picked completely the wrong team. Invincible’s strike rate tells it’s own story, partnered with Robertson things couldn’t have been any worse. In midfield, the maligned Jamie Adams turned in another fine performance and was rewarded by being dumped for both the cup tie and the ICT game. Magic stuff, Del.

Kevin Moon, so poor against Rangers, really showed what a player he is against the Arabs. Despite rarely having the option of a forward pass, his attacking play was a joy to behold. In the cup game, he again excelled but was badly let down by Morris (badly injured), Invincible (downright poor) and Del’s outrageous decision to play one up front. Anyone who doesn’t see what he brings to the team requires permanent hospitalisation for brain malfunction.

Speaking of which, there are still many who don’t get the fuss about Stevie May. The wee man with the great hair is a goal away from being our second highest goal scorer and, since January, has single-handedly created more chances than all our other strikers put together. McInnes doesn’t understand why he’s good hence he’s missed out on many starts this season. Perhaps the change of manager will see him blossom onto the international stage...

Speaking of which, Murray Davidson is finally showing an improved level of performance. A woeful season in midfield is starting to turn, albeit his form is being starkly juxtaposed against an off-song midfield. Nevertheless, he is far short of the standard I wish to see at McDiarmid and I re-iterate that we shoul be actively whoring him around the English clubs, including his beloved Rangers. One bad injury and his value could be gone overnight. We must strike while the iron is hot.

Our midfield is missing a left winger and little else, Moon and Adams will provide the spine with Midge and Craig the wide boys. Reynolds is the right sided winger and, with Cads will allow Midgie to move infield should we suffer injuries. Anderson can also play centre midfield if need be. Of course Morris remains under contract for next year.....

At the back, things are decidedly unclear. First up we need a decent goalkeeper. Enckleman is clearly not the answer. Like Smithy, the forumers quickly fell in love and will soon quickly go OTT in their criticism of him..... Smithy is a competent reserve but his wages are on the high side. If we can get a decent keeper and release Enckleman without financial penalty, I’d be inclined to promote Zander or Duffy.

Maybury would be retained if I had any say in the matter, but sadly Del gets to make these decisions. He’s played very well recently and thoroughly deserves his shirt. Cup Tie is contracted and remains a fine centre half. Anderson and Gartland are also contracted. Anderson remains Del’s scapegoat whilst Gartland simply hasn’t had a decent chance. At left back, we now know it’s Bob Harris in and Danny Grainger out. That will hurt us tremendously. Harris is a very average player and Grainger a very fine one. The bile and filth dished out towards him is embarrassing. How many even noticed Humphreys at Hampden?? Yes his desire to win gets the better of him sometimes, but he’s a very good player. There is a good reason for his wage packet being one of the heaviest and it’s that issue which has forced Del to downgrade to Bob Harris.

Up top is chaos, utter chaos. Our ideal pairing of Parkin and May is temporarily broken – due to Del’s inability and Parkin’s bone. Once normal service is resumed, things will look better. Why Morton bound Andy Jackson was allowed a start against ICT is quite beyond me....

Overall, things couldn’t be much worse. Our manager has upset the players, the players have upset the fans and the fans want the savour of our club replaced with a charismatic philanthropist!

Worth noting that after 40 games, Del says he’s still learning about our players – presumably this includes the out of contract ones. As such, our U19s some of whom are contracted for next year but too old for U19 games – can’t get a look in. It’s a desperate situation, especially given that a win on Friday confirms us in 6^th place in the U19 league.

Guys like Vinnie and Reynolds will be competing for places next year so should get plenty time now, along with Mayzo. Cads has been binned following Del’s decision to blame the Well defeat on the wee man and that is horrific – it was Del that played him in the wrong position.

Poor stuff from Del. The

Round-up April 2011

Recent Event

Aplogies to my foreign friend for the lack of recent match reports. I’ve been otherwise engaged and frankly I’ve lost a great deal of enthusiasm.

Del’s recent behaviour has severely impaired my enjoyment of Saints games and I feel more helpless now than ever. My club is walking wounded, an easy target for the parasites of the SPL and the blames is entirely Derek McInnes’.

His crazy build-up to the SFA Cup Semi-Final was just a taster of the nonsense to come. Playing without a left midfielder at Tannadice put Danny Grainger in all sorts of trouble and ultimately saw Steven Anderson ordered off. Naturally, McInnes failed to apologise, instead blaming Anderson for being rash...

Although unlucky to be sent to the stand, when his beloved Michael Duberry acted like a fud, he missed the chance to stay involved by going to the wrong part of the stand. Had he a brain in his head, he’s have sat with yours truly on the touchline. Not as if he doesn’t know the lay out at Tannadice, is it?

Of course rather than be brave and play three at the back, he decided to remove Peaso and the game was lost. Sammy was instructed to conserve energy and hit on the break but he’s only been bothered on two occasions – both heavy defeats for Saints. I slated his signing, I called for him to be released from his contract after the Dens episode yet only after Hampden did Del admit I was right. What an arrogant man.

Jailbird Jordan Robertson was permitted onto the Tanndice pitch to remind Dundee United fans why Peter Houston released him after two weeks on trial with our rivals. The horrible, nyaff carries himself in a threatening yet lazy manner at all times. Deadly in a car, he’s anything but on the pitch. Not once has he looked like being able to score a goal. He has no right to get games ahead of Stevie May, but our idiotic leader picks the criminal over the good football player in most situations.

The Celtic game was typical Del, he picked completely the wrong team. Invincible’s strike rate tells it’s own story, partnered with Robertson things couldn’t have been any worse. In midfield, the maligned Jamie Adams turned in another fine performance and was rewarded by being dumped for both the cup tie and the ICT game. Magic stuff, Del.

Kevin Moon, so poor against Rangers, really showed what a player he is against the Arabs. Despite rarely having the option of a forward pass, his attacking play was a joy to behold. In the cup game, he again excelled but was badly let down by Morris (badly injured), Invincible (downright poor) and Del’s outrageous decision to play one up front. Anyone who doesn’t see what he brings to the team requires permanent hospitalisation for brain malfunction.

Speaking of which, there are still many who don’t get the fuss about Stevie May. The wee man with the great hair is a goal away from being our second highest goal scorer and, since January, has single-handedly created more chances than all our other strikers put together. McInnes doesn’t understand why he’s good hence he’s missed out on many starts this season. Perhaps the change of manager will see him blossom onto the international stage...

Speaking of which, Murray Davidson is finally showing an improved level of performance. A woeful season in midfield is starting to turn, albeit his form is being starkly juxtaposed against an off-song midfield. Nevertheless, he is far short of the standard I wish to see at McDiarmid and I re-iterate that we shoul be actively whoring him around the English clubs, including his beloved Rangers. One bad injury and his value could be gone overnight. We must strike while the iron is hot.

Our midfield is missing a left winger and little else, Moon and Adams will provide the spine with Midge and Craig the wide boys. Reynolds is the right sided winger and, with Cads will allow Midgie to move infield should we suffer injuries. Anderson can also play centre midfield if need be. Of course Morris remains under contract for next year.....

At the back, things are decidedly unclear. First up we need a decent goalkeeper. Enckleman is clearly not the answer. Like Smithy, the forumers quickly fell in love and will soon quickly go OTT in their criticism of him..... Smithy is a competent reserve but his wages are on the high side. If we can get a decent keeper and release Enckleman without financial penalty, I’d be inclined to promote Zander or Duffy.

Maybury would be retained if I had any say in the matter, but sadly Del gets to make these decisions. He’s played very well recently and thoroughly deserves his shirt. Cup Tie is contracted and remains a fine centre half. Anderson and Gartland are also contracted. Anderson remains Del’s scapegoat whilst Gartland simply hasn’t had a decent chance. At left back, we now know it’s Bob Harris in and Danny Grainger out. That will hurt us tremendously. Harris is a very average player and Grainger a very fine one. The bile and filth dished out towards him is embarrassing. How many even noticed Humphreys at Hampden?? Yes his desire to win gets the better of him sometimes, but he’s a very good player. There is a good reason for his wage packet being one of the heaviest and it’s that issue which has forced Del to downgrade to Bob Harris.

Up top is chaos, utter chaos. Our ideal pairing of Parkin and May is temporarily broken – due to Del’s inability and Parkin’s bone. Once normal service is resumed, things will look better. Why Morton bound Andy Jackson was allowed a start against ICT is quite beyond me....

Overall, things couldn’t be much worse. Our manager has upset the players, the players have upset the fans and the fans want the savour of our club replaced with a charismatic philanthropist!

Worth noting that after 40 games, Del says he’s still learning about our players – presumably this includes the out of contract ones. As such, our U19s some of whom are contracted for next year but too old for U19 games – can’t get a look in. It’s a desperate situation, especially given that a win on Friday confirms us in 6^th place in the U19 league.

Guys like Vinnie and Reynolds will be competing for places next year so should get plenty time now, along with Mayzo. Cads has been binned following Del’s decision to blame the Well defeat on the wee man and that is horrific – it was Del that played him in the wrong position.

Poor stuff from Del. The

Kilmarnock Home 02.04.2011

End of Season Dross Started?

A lethargic and apathetic crowd of just over 3000 witnessed two teams going through the motions on a still poor surface surrounded by an inconsistent wind. If this how things are gonna be, we’d best get the Season Ticket renewals out, quick smart.

Having arrived very late, I have no idea how much buzz and vibe went into the warm-up but it’s fair to say that the boys came flying out the traps when Mr Finnie blew his whistle to signal the start of the battle.

When a keeper wears number 53, it’s fair to expect some joy from him and Anssi Jaakkola certainly looked willing to give Saints three points with amusing indecision, poor handling and dodgy kicking. This fella took Enckleman’s place in the national team just a few months ago. Sadly, he sneaked off the field having won a point for his employer.

Aside from the keeper, Medhi “cheat” Taouil (groin) and Manuel Pascali (suspended) Killie were posted missing for the Ayrshire lads. Sadly, Taouil made the bench and was allowed on the pitch to continue his immoral antics. Until such as Medhi are imprisoned, or have their registrations withdrawn, the game will continue to bleed to death as direct result of fraud and deceit on the pitch. He is filth.

Speaking of which, Jordan “jailbird” Robertson, inexplicably signed for the semi-final game against Motherwell, was benched and appeared for Saints midway through the second half, Peaso MacDonald making way for him. Having failed to see either of his bounce games, I could only go on the word of others, now having seen him first hand, I am able to confirm that his signing is another McInnes mistake.

Yesterday, marked the first time in my life that I’ve ever hoped a Saints player would be sent off. Referees in Scotland are hopeless. The level we’ve sunk to, was crystallised at Hibs when we had the foreign referees take charge, following Celtic’s pre-meditated attack on their integrity. That day, we saw that countries with no football heritage or culture are able to produce referees who were far superior to any of Grade 1 officials.

There are many reasons for the drop in refereeing standards but that’s a story for another time. What is important is that the referees are not deliberately making mistakes and they are not, despite the best insinuations of Celtic minded knuckle draggers, corrupt. They are also, by dint of their role, deserving of respect. Jordan Robertson’s aggressive, threatening and intimidatory outburst is not acceptable at any level of football.

The hypocritical, clueless and blinkered fans of St Johnstone are busy making excuses for his behaviour, but there is none. Put simply, if we witnessed a rival player behave like that, we have been furious if he stayed on the pitch. We should never allow loyalty to cause us to lose our morals and principles. If referees allow players to treat them like that, the game will descend into a battle of hard men and the last morsel of sporting integrity and fair play will be covered in the rubble that remains.

Argue not about whether Finnie had the right to stop the game and award the foul, ask what are the consequences of turning blind eye to a notorious, life-taking thug? Bear in mind, he’s earning (relatively) large sums of money and should be setting an example to aspiring players in the crowd and local community. As we saw with his first touch, he’s not much of a player either.

The sooner Big Sam Parkin is back the better. How he managed to score six goals with such rank service is beyond me. Hopefully, the drought makes our mis-guided manager recognise the importance of Big Sam. He treated him appallingly at Tynecastle; he should now be man enough to apologise in the same manner he humiliated those two boys – publicly.

Of course, Jailbird’s outburst came amidst a penalty shout for handball. The players all reacted with instant passion and that is often a good indicator that a crime has been committed. I don’t doubt that the ball struck the hand of a Killie player, but I wonder aloud if there was any intent.

On the subject of penalty shouts, Jaakkola arguably should have seen red for impeding Peaso, thereby preventing a goal scoring opportunity. Trouble is, Peaso is well known for diving and his pantomime tumble was embarrassing to witness. The images prove that the keeper and Peaso had tangled and, intentionally or not, we should have had a penalty. Peaso has cried wolf too many times and boy is he being punished this season. Be in no doubt, referees have dossiers and certain players names are noted as divers – Peaso will be on most folks list. Do you blame the referee for getting it wrong, I don’t?

Aside from his tendency to cheat, Peaso has much to admire. His determination and resolute character are traits that serve him well in bad times, as is his self-belief. He must have wondered if it was all gonna be worthwhile when he lingered to meet Murray Davidson’s superb right to left cross ball, only for his effort to rebound off the Kilmarnock cross bar. If he had times his jump correctly we might have been celebrating a goal, but ifs and buts don’t.

His strike partner, Collin Samuel, put in his usual performance. There is no doubt that a brilliant footballer exists within the bulk of Collin Samuel’s body, sadly it only ever hints at putting in an appearance. One great game at Parkhead and a very good showing when we lost that game at Firhill are the only real highlights of his Saints career. United fans might struggle to name two good games he had for them.... It’s been argued that he can’t play with a team mate, but he can link with Peaso and Mayzo. Just not very often. We’ve invested heavily in Sammy, and he offers great versatility, but unless he’s prepared to accept a serious drop in wages, it’s time to cut our losses and wave goodbye.

Ever since Sammy Parkin’s collision, I’ve argued that I want to see Avy Novikovas (a man whose name caused our amateur stadium announcer some considerable difficulties on Saturday) start alongside Stevie May. I make no promises that it would bear fruit, but it’s blindingly obvious that our lack of pace is allowing opposition defenders too much time. Nova has decent pace and in every game that he’s started (bar Hamilton), Mayzo has had at least two decent chances. It’s no coincidence, that without his inexplicable timing, movement and penalty box trickery we’ve looked a lot less threatening without wee Mayzo. I understand that his attitude is a cause for concern, but he’s no worse now than he was in October/November and he’s a better player. We’ve got the Arabs next week and they have no centre halves, it’s gotta be the time for tricks and pace.

Del frustration with his strikers was partially disguised with clever words, but was tangible in the tone and audible sighing in the Official Site Interview. The midfield have been criticised by some quarters, and there is some merit in the criticism. Saturday’s game saw a perfect juxtaposition of the problem faced by the midfield. On the right, Danny Invincible (possibly under instruction) meandered into any free space he could find. While that sounds fair enough, it meant that often Alan Maybury didn’t know where to play they ball. As I’ve mentioned before, Invincible needs a big area to turn and can be easily dispossessed. I suspect the Killie boys may have noticed that, too. Interesting that Muzz and Millar provided the two best crosses from the right hand side.

On the left, recently retained Liam put in a fine shift. Too many times he didn’t get suitable support and often struggled to get a cross into the box with any pace or swerve. He always works hard and is always in the box looking to feed off scraps. Saturday was no different and it’s a massive piece in the jigsaw, knowing that he’ll be here next season. A great laddie and a fine footballer who’s progressed well under Del.

In centre midfield, Murray Davidson had one or two good moments on the ball, but overall he was poor again. A rusty Mooner, who got a token appearance at the death, showed how much we’ve missed the mercurial number 14 shirt. When contracts are being handed he must be top of the list. He’s a precious gem and our prized asset, be in no doubt that he’s already good enough for Scotland.

It’s hard to tell if the watching scouts will have been impressed by Muzz or not, one thing’s for sure – Eremenko again proved that he’s totally over-rated. I’ve never got the clamour about him and while he again showed decent touches, that’s all he showed. He’s not fit to grace the same park as wee Mooner.

Midgie Millar was another unsung hero who put in a decent shift. His re-alignment to centre midfield has not been a smooth process but he always shows enough bravery to take the ball for a wee adventure. His passing was fine and anyone that tells you otherwise simply doesn’t understand the state of the pitch our boys are being forced to play on. I hope we’ve given a large backhander to the SPL scheduling team to ensure that we get two home games immediately after the split and play the last three away. We need all the time possible to fix the pitch issues and get a couple of bounce games on it in July so the lads get a feel for it. Midgie likes to get the ball down and his game will improve massively if we can get the pitch in better nick.

In defence, Michael Duberry made a low profile return to the team in place of the injured Steven Anderson. The news on Anderson is worryingly muted and I certainly hope the rumours of his season being over are unfounded. Gartland gets a scan on Monday and hopefully he’ll get good news. We need cover as Duberry is far from fit and Frank is no miracle worker.

The big stopper put in a fine shift; albeit he missed our best chance of the match when he lifted a shot inches over the bar from somewhere near the penalty spot. He seemed much more vocal than normal, though that was exacerbated by the silence in the stands. It certainly seems that absence made his heart grow fonder – I’ve always doubted his sincerity but his commitment was very impressive against Killie.

Always impressive is Dave Mackay, though to be honest he had little to impress against. His freekick early in the first half was a decent effort and generally he marshalled the troops well enough in the absence of Anderson. It just seemed like a game where he never had any critical involvement. Whilst I don’t always appreciate his cavalier style of play at right back, this was a game that was crying out for his rampaging runs forward. Actually, if only we had Gary Irvine....

On the other side, Danny Grainger continues to be a target for the uneducated fans. My stomach churns at the thought of losing him in the summer. If we make the final, his retention will surely be guaranteed and the importance of such a move cannot be over-emphasised. Times without number the Kilmarnock boys tried to pull him out wide so that William Gros (who doesn’t look as gros in the flesh as he does here http://www.kilmarnockfc.co.uk/articles/william-gros-kilmarnock_85937_54756) could split Grainger and Mackay. Danny was wise to it and ended up exploiting their poor positioning.

Behind them, Enckleman had a pleasant afternoon in the sun. He made one mistake when he saved a “shot” that was heading wide, parrying it into play, but our boys were quick to get the ball cleared to safety. Other than that, he had to jump up and catch a ball under fair pressure. The rest of the time was his to contemplate life and the universe beyond.

All told, it was a scrappy game; the highlights made the game look far better than it actually was. Killie didn’t earn their point, but our failure to create one gilt edged chance means that we simply can’t bemoan the result. Tuesday will be tough going, let’s hope he sees it as a game for gambling and brings in Nova and Mayzo. It’s worth the risk....

Kilmarnock Home 02.04.2011

End of Season Dross Started?

A lethargic and apathetic crowd of just over 3000 witnessed two teams going through the motions on a still poor surface surrounded by an inconsistent wind. If this how things are gonna be, we’d best get the Season Ticket renewals out, quick smart.

Having arrived very late, I have no idea how much buzz and vibe went into the warm-up but it’s fair to say that the boys came flying out the traps when Mr Finnie blew his whistle to signal the start of the battle.

When a keeper wears number 53, it’s fair to expect some joy from him and Anssi Jaakkola certainly looked willing to give Saints three points with amusing indecision, poor handling and dodgy kicking. This fella took Enckleman’s place in the national team just a few months ago. Sadly, he sneaked off the field having won a point for his employer.

Aside from the keeper, Medhi “cheat” Taouil (groin) and Manuel Pascali (suspended) Killie were posted missing for the Ayrshire lads. Sadly, Taouil made the bench and was allowed on the pitch to continue his immoral antics. Until such as Medhi are imprisoned, or have their registrations withdrawn, the game will continue to bleed to death as direct result of fraud and deceit on the pitch. He is filth.

Speaking of which, Jordan “jailbird” Robertson, inexplicably signed for the semi-final game against Motherwell, was benched and appeared for Saints midway through the second half, Peaso MacDonald making way for him. Having failed to see either of his bounce games, I could only go on the word of others, now having seen him first hand, I am able to confirm that his signing is another McInnes mistake.

Yesterday, marked the first time in my life that I’ve ever hoped a Saints player would be sent off. Referees in Scotland are hopeless. The level we’ve sunk to, was crystallised at Hibs when we had the foreign referees take charge, following Celtic’s pre-meditated attack on their integrity. That day, we saw that countries with no football heritage or culture are able to produce referees who were far superior to any of Grade 1 officials.

There are many reasons for the drop in refereeing standards but that’s a story for another time. What is important is that the referees are not deliberately making mistakes and they are not, despite the best insinuations of Celtic minded knuckle draggers, corrupt. They are also, by dint of their role, deserving of respect. Jordan Robertson’s aggressive, threatening and intimidatory outburst is not acceptable at any level of football.

The hypocritical, clueless and blinkered fans of St Johnstone are busy making excuses for his behaviour, but there is none. Put simply, if we witnessed a rival player behave like that, we have been furious if he stayed on the pitch. We should never allow loyalty to cause us to lose our morals and principles. If referees allow players to treat them like that, the game will descend into a battle of hard men and the last morsel of sporting integrity and fair play will be covered in the rubble that remains.

Argue not about whether Finnie had the right to stop the game and award the foul, ask what are the consequences of turning blind eye to a notorious, life-taking thug? Bear in mind, he’s earning (relatively) large sums of money and should be setting an example to aspiring players in the crowd and local community. As we saw with his first touch, he’s not much of a player either.

The sooner Big Sam Parkin is back the better. How he managed to score six goals with such rank service is beyond me. Hopefully, the drought makes our mis-guided manager recognise the importance of Big Sam. He treated him appallingly at Tynecastle; he should now be man enough to apologise in the same manner he humiliated those two boys – publicly.

Of course, Jailbird’s outburst came amidst a penalty shout for handball. The players all reacted with instant passion and that is often a good indicator that a crime has been committed. I don’t doubt that the ball struck the hand of a Killie player, but I wonder aloud if there was any intent.

On the subject of penalty shouts, Jaakkola arguably should have seen red for impeding Peaso, thereby preventing a goal scoring opportunity. Trouble is, Peaso is well known for diving and his pantomime tumble was embarrassing to witness. The images prove that the keeper and Peaso had tangled and, intentionally or not, we should have had a penalty. Peaso has cried wolf too many times and boy is he being punished this season. Be in no doubt, referees have dossiers and certain players names are noted as divers – Peaso will be on most folks list. Do you blame the referee for getting it wrong, I don’t?

Aside from his tendency to cheat, Peaso has much to admire. His determination and resolute character are traits that serve him well in bad times, as is his self-belief. He must have wondered if it was all gonna be worthwhile when he lingered to meet Murray Davidson’s superb right to left cross ball, only for his effort to rebound off the Kilmarnock cross bar. If he had times his jump correctly we might have been celebrating a goal, but ifs and buts don’t.

His strike partner, Collin Samuel, put in his usual performance. There is no doubt that a brilliant footballer exists within the bulk of Collin Samuel’s body, sadly it only ever hints at putting in an appearance. One great game at Parkhead and a very good showing when we lost that game at Firhill are the only real highlights of his Saints career. United fans might struggle to name two good games he had for them.... It’s been argued that he can’t play with a team mate, but he can link with Peaso and Mayzo. Just not very often. We’ve invested heavily in Sammy, and he offers great versatility, but unless he’s prepared to accept a serious drop in wages, it’s time to cut our losses and wave goodbye.

Ever since Sammy Parkin’s collision, I’ve argued that I want to see Avy Novikovas (a man whose name caused our amateur stadium announcer some considerable difficulties on Saturday) start alongside Stevie May. I make no promises that it would bear fruit, but it’s blindingly obvious that our lack of pace is allowing opposition defenders too much time. Nova has decent pace and in every game that he’s started (bar Hamilton), Mayzo has had at least two decent chances. It’s no coincidence, that without his inexplicable timing, movement and penalty box trickery we’ve looked a lot less threatening without wee Mayzo. I understand that his attitude is a cause for concern, but he’s no worse now than he was in October/November and he’s a better player. We’ve got the Arabs next week and they have no centre halves, it’s gotta be the time for tricks and pace.

Del frustration with his strikers was partially disguised with clever words, but was tangible in the tone and audible sighing in the Official Site Interview. The midfield have been criticised by some quarters, and there is some merit in the criticism. Saturday’s game saw a perfect juxtaposition of the problem faced by the midfield. On the right, Danny Invincible (possibly under instruction) meandered into any free space he could find. While that sounds fair enough, it meant that often Alan Maybury didn’t know where to play they ball. As I’ve mentioned before, Invincible needs a big area to turn and can be easily dispossessed. I suspect the Killie boys may have noticed that, too. Interesting that Muzz and Millar provided the two best crosses from the right hand side.

On the left, recently retained Liam put in a fine shift. Too many times he didn’t get suitable support and often struggled to get a cross into the box with any pace or swerve. He always works hard and is always in the box looking to feed off scraps. Saturday was no different and it’s a massive piece in the jigsaw, knowing that he’ll be here next season. A great laddie and a fine footballer who’s progressed well under Del.

In centre midfield, Murray Davidson had one or two good moments on the ball, but overall he was poor again. A rusty Mooner, who got a token appearance at the death, showed how much we’ve missed the mercurial number 14 shirt. When contracts are being handed he must be top of the list. He’s a precious gem and our prized asset, be in no doubt that he’s already good enough for Scotland.

It’s hard to tell if the watching scouts will have been impressed by Muzz or not, one thing’s for sure – Eremenko again proved that he’s totally over-rated. I’ve never got the clamour about him and while he again showed decent touches, that’s all he showed. He’s not fit to grace the same park as wee Mooner.

Midgie Millar was another unsung hero who put in a decent shift. His re-alignment to centre midfield has not been a smooth process but he always shows enough bravery to take the ball for a wee adventure. His passing was fine and anyone that tells you otherwise simply doesn’t understand the state of the pitch our boys are being forced to play on. I hope we’ve given a large backhander to the SPL scheduling team to ensure that we get two home games immediately after the split and play the last three away. We need all the time possible to fix the pitch issues and get a couple of bounce games on it in July so the lads get a feel for it. Midgie likes to get the ball down and his game will improve massively if we can get the pitch in better nick.

In defence, Michael Duberry made a low profile return to the team in place of the injured Steven Anderson. The news on Anderson is worryingly muted and I certainly hope the rumours of his season being over are unfounded. Gartland gets a scan on Monday and hopefully he’ll get good news. We need cover as Duberry is far from fit and Frank is no miracle worker.

The big stopper put in a fine shift; albeit he missed our best chance of the match when he lifted a shot inches over the bar from somewhere near the penalty spot. He seemed much more vocal than normal, though that was exacerbated by the silence in the stands. It certainly seems that absence made his heart grow fonder – I’ve always doubted his sincerity but his commitment was very impressive against Killie.

Always impressive is Dave Mackay, though to be honest he had little to impress against. His freekick early in the first half was a decent effort and generally he marshalled the troops well enough in the absence of Anderson. It just seemed like a game where he never had any critical involvement. Whilst I don’t always appreciate his cavalier style of play at right back, this was a game that was crying out for his rampaging runs forward. Actually, if only we had Gary Irvine....

On the other side, Danny Grainger continues to be a target for the uneducated fans. My stomach churns at the thought of losing him in the summer. If we make the final, his retention will surely be guaranteed and the importance of such a move cannot be over-emphasised. Times without number the Kilmarnock boys tried to pull him out wide so that William Gros (who doesn’t look as gros in the flesh as he does here http://www.kilmarnockfc.co.uk/articles/william-gros-kilmarnock_85937_54756) could split Grainger and Mackay. Danny was wise to it and ended up exploiting their poor positioning.

Behind them, Enckleman had a pleasant afternoon in the sun. He made one mistake when he saved a “shot” that was heading wide, parrying it into play, but our boys were quick to get the ball cleared to safety. Other than that, he had to jump up and catch a ball under fair pressure. The rest of the time was his to contemplate life and the universe beyond.

All told, it was a scrappy game; the highlights made the game look far better than it actually was. Killie didn’t earn their point, but our failure to create one gilt edged chance means that we simply can’t bemoan the result. Tuesday will be tough going, let’s hope he sees it as a game for gambling and brings in Nova and Mayzo. It’s worth the risk....

Brechin Cup Game Replay at Home 22 March 2011

The Night Everything Changed

Victory over Jim Weir’s Brechin side saw St Johnstone qualify for their fifth, major cup semi-final since 2007. For a club with only 2100 season ticket holders, one which flirted with relegation to the second division just a few years ago, it’s a remarkable feat. Those old enough to remember the pre-Geoff era could not have dreamed of such success. The man who made me a St Johnstone fan, would have shed a tear of pride. Thing is, the overall reaction was one of express disappointment.

Readers will recall my fury and contempt for the dick heads that booed my team from Glebe Park at the end of each half. My mood has further darkened since and I now wonder aloud if St Johnstone should become the first fanless club. After all, the majority of the audience clearly don’t have the best interests of the club as their priority or reason of attendance. It seems folk think that the club exists merely for the enjoyment of a couple of hundred grumpy faced twats that turn up whenever takes their fancy.

Those that bothered to attend the match at Glebe Park saw a wonderful contest, played on a ghastly surface. The game was end to end, packed with errors and truly riveting for both fan and neutral alike. The same could not be said of Tuesday’s encounter – well perhaps the part about the playing surface...

St Johnstone played a typical McInnes 4-4-2. The shape of the team was better than we endured at Hamilton but still looked a bit messy at times. Enckleman, who on occasion looks unbeatable, had a very quiet night – despite the clamour from Saints fans who want us to sign Rory McAlister. Mind you, Saints fans wanted us to sign Richard Offiong, probably would have signed Tom Elliot after his goal for us and even defended the signing of Nick McKoy despite the East Fife debacle....

Those at Hamilton would have witnessed an unsavoury incident at Hamilton between the management duo and our goalkeeper. For the rest of the game, despite the involvement of Gordon Marshall, his head seemed down, his mojo lost. His only save on Tuesday, hopefully restored his confidence. I am certain that McInnes’ unprompted and overt praise, was issued as a peace offering to our complex shot stopper. Let’s hope it works. Del makes very hard work of signing a worthwhile goalkeeper. Please note that I’m far from convinced by Enckleman, I just don’t fancy our chances of signing anyone better in the near future.

In front of him, Dave Mackay again partnered Steven Anderson in centre defence. The paring worked well all game long. Gerry McLaughlin, who looked half decent at Glebe Park, was properly shown up at McDiarmid, particularly when he twice allowed Sammy to score that goal. I’ll stick to Ando and Dave thanks very much. With Levein stupidly calling up Murray Davidson into the Scotland squad, it’s a travesty that Anderson remains on the sidelines. Gartland and Duberry have played Champions League, yet neither Anderson nor Mackay have ever been at a club to allow them such an honour. Mackay’s lack of pace has arguably prevented him from hitting greater heights. There is no reason for Levein over-looking Anderson. The McInnes fuelled fallacy that Duberry made Anderson look good has been proven wrong and he ought to dominate the Player of the Year Awards. More on that later....

Surrounding the centre-backs, Alan Maybury worked away well on the right flank. In the first half he linked up well with Danny Invincible, but in the second Invincible turned Houdini and Maybury had a tougher shift. I suspect that he’ll he be lucky to get two more games before Duberry is pressed back into service and that’s a shame for a man who, Fir Park aside has done little wrong. I hope he gets another SPL club and is afforded the chance to prove his worth.

His opposite number may also be concerned at where his future lies. One of our biggest earners and a man who’s capture was vocally championed by your author, Danny is likely to be offered a contract on reduced money. He seems to enjoy life in Tayside, but I wonder if Del’s imminent departure might sway him into looking elsewhere. Personally, I hope he stays. When he links with Liam, they are a brilliant double act. His corners and throw-ins are great and, as ever with Saints fans, we won’t fully appreciate how good he is until he’s gone. If you trawl through SPL left backs, you’ll struggle to find many better than Granny Danger. He’s defended my judgement of players most admirably!!

The afore mentioned Liam Craig had a less influential game than at Glebe Park, but still seems to be hitting form at what Del termed the “business end” of the season. A winning goal at Hampden is a dream for many young lads, it is within Liam’s grasp. Perhaps such a scenario will be a double edged sword for Saints. On the one hand, a Craig classic will make him ever more attractive to other clubs, on t’other, it might draw the Borders laddie even closer to his current club and prove to be the catalyst for extending his deal by another 3 years.

One who won’t be here in three years time is Murray Davidson. Irrespective of his love of the Glasgow Rangers, he will surely move to England in summertime. Any money received for him should cancel out the loss anticipated by the club. Of course, there is a distinct possibility that the deal will wait until mid July or early August meaning that the money won’t be accounted for in the Annual Accounts for 2010/11. I suspect it would suit the club if that were the case.

His fee is likely to be around £350,000 plus add-ons. That makes his signing a pretty good bit of business, despite many average performances for us. I remember thinking that he would really come good this season, yet for all but 15 minutes of the season, he’s been as average as last season. Tuesday was much of the same, though it was interesting that the Brechin hard men targeted him for the heavy hits and off the ball niggles. If only Jamie had been fit....

Murray’s partner in crime was Chrissy “badge kisser” Millar. They might be left and right footed in their religious upbringings, but they do have a reasonable understanding on the pitch. I always insist that when Midgie plays well, the team also plays well. Last Tuesday was far from his greatest performance but he was professional and determined throughout the 90. His energy levels are something truly special and I am very grateful to Del for bringing him to the club. For a man who is primarily a central midfielder, I really can’t wait to see him back on the right of midfield.

Up until Hamilton, Danny Invincible has looked a decent player – very much sticking the fingers up to his critics. Hamilton saw him put in a woeful performance, meandering all over the pitch like Paddington in the train station and against Brechin he went from fine to poor to “whaur’s he been for the last 25 minutes?” Admittedly, much of the play came down our left, but he must have went 20-25 minutes with no real involvement in the game.

Stevie Reynolds played wide right for a spell on Thursday and really showed how it should be done. Always looking to take his man on, get on the box or provide a telling cross. His performance further cemented my claim that he should have been given the chance to prove his worth. Pre-season friendlies will be too little and too late.

It will be interesting to see how Invincible, and Del, responds to these last two showings. I suspect that the current injuries will see him continue to play against Killie and Rangers, after that Mooner might well be back in contention for a start.

Up top it was Sammy and Peaso yet again. Peaso had a poor game and Sammy was in true cameo performance. Uncommitted, half asleep yet still able to score and look good on TV! The wee magician is easily the most frustrating player at the club. His fans promised us that a good run of game would see him become a prolific starter, I simply can’t see it. He’s got talent in abundance but he’s simply not reliable enough to play for a club like Saints. He spends too much time on his bum or his heels.

As for Peaso, I continue to rate him highly. I wish he’d get a run with Mayzo because the boys look good together and link well. We know he has goals in him, he’s demonstrated a knack of scoring and you don’t forget how to score. I cannot recall him looking fitter and he remains hungry and willing to succeed. Don’t bet against a Hampden goal for Peaso Mac.

We brought on one of the young lads near the end. Don’t know much about him, heard that his old man wisnae a bad player. I like to make bold predictions so I’ll put my wonderful reputation on the line and state that he’s our best player and the best Scottish midfielder in the SPL. Let’s hope he doesn’t have reason to visit Frank Kenny’s room.

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Two key issues deserve mention here.

Firstly the Player of The Year Awards at The Lovat. The club have faced incessant bitching and moaning about this event for no good reason. If folk can’t afford £50 for a good night out that’s a shame, but it doesn’t make the event poor value for money and doesn’t make the club elitist. The last few player of the year functions have been embarrassingly amateur affairs and players and fans deserve a decent event. The night itself sounds grand is very well priced. I know it’ll be a far cry from a recent event in the Dunkeld Road club where ignorant punters held telephone calls during our manager’s talk when he was already competing against a TV left on by either ineptitude or ignorance.

Amazing how some groups think that a table of 8 is too many whilst others think it’s too small. I guess that means the club have got it spot, on as usual. The lunch with Jody and Del went down very well and with a guy like Paul Smith at the heart of the club, it’s no real surprise.

As for the last home game of the year, I’m sure that certain players will be around long after the game.

The second issue concerns whether or not a Season Ticket is value for money.

I can’t be bothered to find the post, but I remember issuing a stark warning when we were promoted to the SPL. The horrendous decision of SPL member clubs, including St Johnstone, to permit TV coverage of our league games has destroyed the integrity of the Scottish game. When Setanta when flushing down the lavvy pan, we should have seized the day and told the broadcasters where to go. Unfortunately, the whores of clubs will do anything for a shilling and we duly dropped our drawers and invited all and sundry to rape and pillage our game and our dignity.

We are now faced with the grotesque prospect of 1800 kick offs for games against the Old Scum. They should be able to attend, most of their fans are out of bed by 1500 and Tuesday is often GIRO day. But our own fans, many of whom travel from afar, will struggle to be in place for the game. Many others simply won’t make it. As mentioned in the match report, these folks are selfish enough that they are considering giving up their season tickets as a result of this decision.

Now, putting to one side the stupidity of the clubs to allow TV, Saints have no input in this decision. They are seething at this decision.  This decision, which affects the biggest travelling support of the year to date, is going to hurt our club in worst place – the pocket. We’ll lose out on gate receipts, we’ll lose massively on corporate hospitality and intangibly we’ll lose on the goodwill of loyal season ticket holders. We lost 300 last year for no reason at all and this season, again for no reason that St Johnstone can control we look set to drop even lower.

We’re living in golden times, we should be encouraging folks to turn out in great numbers and support our local team. Instead, it seems were hellbent on driving them away in droves. Time to get real, enjoy the good times and support our club. It starts with thee and me; its starts when the renewal forms hit our door mats in May. Remember though, an operating loss of £350K plus a new pitch all need paid for irrespective of the sale of Muzz and Del.

Hamilton Away 19 March

Nothing to Write Home About

An overwhelming sense of mediocrity lingers over New Douglas Park at the best of times; on Saturday, it appeared to filter into the players and fans.

I’ve never attended a “competitive match” played in such silence. You could not only hear the crap shouted by McInnes, you could hear big Pete’s under the breath mutterings too!

The optimists tell me we had some shots on goal, the highlights tell me that we simply over-hit a couple of passes.

There really is very little to say about the game. We started is hugely cavalier fashion, devoid of shape but full of intent. This lasted for a good ten minutes before the full backs, pulled back and all forward momentum was lost.

Every attack seemed to break down due to the lack of forward options. Not one of the front men ever looked like troubling the experienced back line of Hamilton Accies. Unfortunately, they opened us up with ease.

I no longer try to work out what McInnes thinks, but to re-jig a successful defence is clear the work of a mad-man. Listing only 6 fit subs, one of whom was that Cleveland Taylor, was also an odd choice. Suffice to say that Danny Invincible, operating without Cup Tie behind him, had his worst game for us since signing.

Many folks have (deliberately) mis-interpreted my comments on Danny and the bear clarification here. He isn’t the worst player at the club, Cleveland Taylor scoops that accolade with both left hands, he’s simply not a player capable of enhancing our squad. Reynolds was stupidly banished from the squad so that he could play against Rangers U19s; he’d have played better than Invincible and he carries a goal threat. Of course to take the place of Invincible, he’d first have to find out where Danny was supposed to be playing. In the first half it was either right of a midfield four or right of a front three....

Let’s also clarify that he wasn’t the only one who wandered around the park like a jakey in stilettos. I’d challenge anyone to confirm that Liam was meant to be playing left midfield’ sometimes it looked like Danny G was playing there....

There were simply no plus points for Saints. Most players were poor, the team was wrong, the subbies were wrong, the management duo lost face following a hissy-fit towards Peter Enckleman and we even made Tom Elliot look like a football player.

Mensing’s red card probably summed up the game. Never a red card, yet that’s the sort of officials we have in the game. As I said; mediocre all round.

Ponder anew; McInnes claims that he is pushing for the top six, at 0-0 he withdrew Craig and put on Gartland.... He’s obsessively negative and has cost us thousands in prize money  - how I’d love to send him to Coventry.

Hamilton Away 19 March

Nothing to Write Home About

An overwhelming sense of mediocrity lingers over New Douglas Park at the best of times; on Saturday, it appeared to filter into the players and fans.

I’ve never attended a “competitive match” played in such silence. You could not only hear the crap shouted by McInnes, you could hear big Pete’s under the breath mutterings too!

The optimists tell me we had some shots on goal, the highlights tell me that we simply over-hit a couple of passes.

There really is very little to say about the game. We started is hugely cavalier fashion, devoid of shape but full of intent. This lasted for a good ten minutes before the full backs, pulled back and all forward momentum was lost.

Every attack seemed to break down due to the lack of forward options. Not one of the front men ever looked like troubling the experienced back line of Hamilton Accies. Unfortunately, they opened us up with ease.

I no longer try to work out what McInnes thinks, but to re-jig a successful defence is clear the work of a mad-man. Listing only 6 fit subs, one of whom was that Cleveland Taylor, was also an odd choice. Suffice to say that Danny Invincible, operating without Cup Tie behind him, had his worst game for us since signing.

Many folks have (deliberately) mis-interpreted my comments on Danny and the bear clarification here. He isn’t the worst player at the club, Cleveland Taylor scoops that accolade with both left hands, he’s simply not a player capable of enhancing our squad. Reynolds was stupidly banished from the squad so that he could play against Rangers U19s; he’d have played better than Invincible and he carries a goal threat. Of course to take the place of Invincible, he’d first have to find out where Danny was supposed to be playing. In the first half it was either right of a midfield four or right of a front three....

Let’s also clarify that he wasn’t the only one who wandered around the park like a jakey in stilettos. I’d challenge anyone to confirm that Liam was meant to be playing left midfield’ sometimes it looked like Danny G was playing there....

There were simply no plus points for Saints. Most players were poor, the team was wrong, the subbies were wrong, the management duo lost face following a hissy-fit towards Peter Enckleman and we even made Tom Elliot look like a football player.

Mensing’s red card probably summed up the game. Never a red card, yet that’s the sort of officials we have in the game. As I said; mediocre all round.

Ponder anew; McInnes claims that he is pushing for the top six, at 0-0 he withdrew Craig and put on Gartland.... He’s obsessively negative and has cost us thousands in prize money  - how I’d love to send him to Coventry.