U19 Scottish Cup, 3rd Round - Dunfermline Away

The day the ba’ burst

Alec Cleland has been in an unenviable position of late. Following the departure of former management duo, Derek McInnes and Tony Docherty, the youth coach was asked to look after the first team. Although Steve Lomas has brought Tommy Wright on board as his assistant, Alec has been working closely with the first team as he helps our new management team settle in to their roles.

Today, Alec took charge of our Under 19 players for a Scottish Cup third round tie away to Dunfermline Athletic. Saints went into the game with no striker in the starting XI. Keeper, Ally Worby returned to the goals, meaning the unfortunate Craig Reid dropped to the bench. Under 19 Scotland star, Liam Caddis, slotted in at right back whilst ever ebullient holding midfielder, Ryan Hutchison was played as a striker. Bustling midfielder, Scotty Gray, and top goal scorer, Ricky McIntosh, took turns at supporting the Geordie.

On the left flank Aiden Hendry played in an unaccustomed midfield role, with local lad, Andrew Steeves at full back; tricky winger, Craig Thomson played in front of Liam Caddis. Melrose born Kieran Stewart was the holding midfielder in front of the regular centre half partnership of Gareth Rodger and Skipper, Chris Moffat.

The pitch was a little slow, but other than that, conditions were almost ideal for the time of year. The pitch was in good condition and there was no wind to speak of. The game was prefaced with a respectful two minute silence in memory of fallen, former and active troops.

From the kick off, Saints were the brighter team and despite only having one player up front, we broke quickly and effectively. Ricky McIntosh was a constant threat, as we used Hendry to make decoy runs into the box, freeing up Ricky down the left flank. In the middle of the park, wee Scotty Gray was determined as always, fighting well despite his lack of height. A disappointing feature of Scotty’s play, especially when playing in the middle of the park, is his determination to beat all before him. He fell foul of this attribute a few times against the Pars, though in his defence, he rarely had a forward option. That said, when travelling forward, and with a pursuer at his heels, he didn’t really have the luxury of stopping to spray a pass out wide.

Former Celtic player, Ryan Hutchison, had a difficult shift up front on his own. Few things fell for him and when they did, he was invariably off-balance or out wide. He won plenty of headers and gave his all, but he really was like a fish out of water and I felt very sorry for him today. It was a big ask. If I had any control over affairs, I’d have played Scotty up front and left Hutchy in midfield.

The game should have changed when the Pars went down to ten men. Following a booking for high feet, against Ricky McIntosh, Millen was sent off for an innocuous foul. The referee had a howler of a first half, following the letter of the law in every single occasion. His second half performance was far better as he used common sense and his mouth to control the game. Better a strong word than a whistle and card.

Incredibly, the Under 19s made exactly the same mistake as the first team did against the Dons in our opening match. When we got the man advantage, we continued to try and force our way through the middle of the park. It is basic, basic football to switch the play and stretch the opposition. We signally failed to do so and, quite frankly; it’s incredible that Alec didn’t demand it. There is no excuse as the ordering off happened in the first half and that means he had 15 minutes at half time to change things.

We did eventually get joy by playing things through the middle. Hutchy setting Ricky free and the league’s top scorer made no mistake from 14 yards, lifting over the Dunfermline keeper. Despite the Pars keeper making some good stops in the first half, the lead was only just deserved, especially given the injustice of the sending off.

From that point on, the game turned against us. The Pars rallied and demonstrated a team spirit, the likes of which I’ve scarcely seen. They’re first goal should have been defended better. A ball down by the tunnel corner was poorly defended by Cads, the cross wasn’t dealt with properly; partly because players were out of position and partly because the Pars wanted it more. Cleland was seething with Liam, but as with Hutchy, he’s not and never will be a full back.

He didn’t do himself any favours today, but players need to be played in their natural position to flourish. Football is no different to any other job of work, we all perform to our best when we’re in our natural environment.

The Pars second goal was hardly a thing of beauty. Their energetic attacker was one on one with Chris Moffat, another Saints player (possibly Rodger) was also in the vicinity. The skipper should have fouled his man, but chose not to, the rest is history. The goal came with just minutes left on the clock and their “pile-up” celebration, whilst unpleasant from a Saints view, was a neutral’s dream. The referee’s injustice was undone by grit and perseverance.

Saints pressed hard from the kick off and had a couple of half chances. Steevsie let fly from 35 yards, we had the ball drop inches past the post, skiffing the net as it did so and we had two half chances from snapshots, just inside the area. Alas, it wasn’t to be and we endured another cup disappointment.

I’ve rightly praised Alec for his management philosophy this year, but today he got a few things wrong. Key amongst them was not forcing the players to stretch the game in the second half. That was ultimately what cost us the result.

The boys need to learn from the bitterness of defeat and kick on when the league starts again. They’re good enough, Alec’s good enough; they just need a wee bit of luck. I wish them all well.

Worby

Caddis-Moffat-Rodger-Steeves

Kieran

Thomson-Gray-McIntosh-Hendry

Hutch

SPL 13 St Mirren @ Home

Boss’s Loss

The only silver lining to the seemingly interminable appointment of Steve Lomas, is that even the thickest of St Johnstone fans understand why I was against Jody getting the gig. It is no surprise that we comprehensively failed to perform under his “guidance” and, in the long run, it’s a relief that we didn’t fluke results against two of the worst teams in the league.

Dundee United are a team in disarray, with some reprehensible folk in charge of reprehensible players. St Mirren are a team of average neds, punching above their weight thanks to a siege mentality. Between them, they have limited us to one measly point and hee haw in the way of decent scoring chances.

The removal of Derek McInnes did nothing to clear the McDiarmid naughty step, so Messrs Adams, Garts and Cracks missed out completely. Thankfully, Steve Lomas has brought them all back into the fold and in doing so, it could be said that he stuck two fingers up at Del! The big kraut is certain to be his own man and that’s a huge relief.

On paper, you’d struggle to find too many faults with Morris’ selection, but anyone who witnessed the dirge could see from the opening minutes that we were in big trouble. I’m assured it’s coincidence that Chrissy Miller has had his worst two Saints performances during Jody’s reign, I’m not convinced. The club captain seems to be taking liberties with our club and I don’t like that. Surely his team mates have noticed the way he operates.

Chris Miller hasn’t had a good season, I have said plenty about him having a season like Liam had last time, but he was chronic on Saturday. He wasn’t helped by the debacle which developed inside him, but still....

His position doesn’t require much thought, especially when paired with Dave Mackay. Three of four times, when running without the ball, he pulled up beside an opposition player. He hardly ever took a marker out the game. He’s normally an intelligent player, but he looked thick as mince on Saturday. When he had the ball, he was timid, lacking in confidence and nervous when selecting his final ball. A friend, or indeed a captain, would have had a word, put an arm round him. Jody did neither. Nor for that matter did Dave Mackay. McCracken would have, but he was in the stand because Del doesn’t like him....

Players need a leader, a figurehead and a psychologist. The importance of having a good captain cannot be overlooked. The U19s are transformed this year and the emergence of Moffat is undoubtedly helping. Despite being a nipper, he knows when to chastise and when to praise. Jody could learn a lot from him.

Midgie was very often caught in the middle of the park, frustrating the tits off Liam and Callum who, particularly in the first half, looked to play the big switch only to find nobody on the right wing. Part of the reason why he came in, is that Mooner and Morris were following each other around the park.

The bollocks that I read on fans forums never fails to stagger me, and the latest forum myth is that Mooner and Morris can’t play together – perhaps they’re too small!! It’s utter drivel to suggest that. They are both talented players and they can both; score, tackle, run, dribble, harry, chase, mark and tackle. Jody is more comfortable in tight possession; Mooner is more attack minded and has greater accuracy in front of goal. There is no earthly reason why they can’t work together; they simply need to operate independently. Moon needs to work the space behind the front two; Morris needs to squeeze the midfield. Lomas will sort that out soon enough.

The criticism of Moon is quite unreal. There were only two good bits of passing the whole game and both from Moon. The first was a reverse pass, releasing Davison (iirc) down the left flank; the second was an exquisitely tapped ball through for Liam. The guys that should have been subbed were Morris, for tracking Moon and Midgie for being naff.

The introduction of Muzz did very little, despite his extravagant efforts. If he does go to Bristol, it’ll be intriguing to see how Saints fans sum up his career. It’s not unusual for Saints players, usually when they leave, to share some thoughts via social media sites. Recently, I have been chastised by one of our current stars for slating Muzz. I make no apologies; I see nothing in him that Adams ain’t got; difference being that Jamie can score. He must have the best scoring record of any midfielder at this club if you measure goals per minute. Let’s hope Lomas likes the cut of his jib.

On the left wing, Liam did his normal shift. Quite why scouts overlook him is beyond me. He is always in or around the box when balls are breaking free, he always runs his heart out, he rarely gets booked these days, his passing is grand, his timing is braw, his tackling is generally successful and he has a great intelligence about his play. He, more than anyone in our squad, strikes up a partnership without delay. I hope he stays around for a very long time, because decent left sided players are like hens teeth.

Behind him, Callum Davidson again showed signs of aging. The grizzly defender simply doesn’t have the pace, he once enjoyed and it’s a really hurting his game. His touch remains good, his vision is intact and his tackling is arguably better than any other left back in the league, but more and more he’s getting involved in physical battles due to a lack of pace. He simply doesn’t have the height and weight to win out in these one on ones and it’s clear that Lomas will need to start looking for a replacement. I suspect there’s regret on both sides with Danny....

Frazer Wright, a man so bad at Tannadice I compared him to Kevin Rutkiewicz, put in a decent 45 minutes against Lennon’s louts. It’s quite remarkable how an experienced professional can allow such a variation in form from one week to the next. It’s also hard to work out when he’s injured! At Tannadice, I lost count of how many times he was limping or holding his leg; I was convinced we wouldn’t see him in the second half. Against St Mirren he did much the same, but was subbed at half time with a dead leg. I wonder if he’s been carrying since the week earlier.

Mackay moved over to centre half to cover his withdrawal and was excellent again. It was the clearest indication yet that he’s no right back. Like Ando, he doesn’t have the build to be a centre half, but he has the brain, timing and touch. They are great professionals and shining examples to young Moffat and Rodger.

Indeed, Anderson, has bloomed since Bristol so kindly removed the Del factor. Now that Lomas is in charge, you will see another step up from Ando. He’ll enjoy his work much more and that will shine through in his performances. I am so excited about this new era.

One of Del’s better signings is wee Maybs and he got the second half as a replacement for Frazer Wright. A bit like last year, Maybury hasn’t been a regular pick but has still clocked up the games. I wonder if he will nudge Callum out the team, now that we are under new management. The shift he put in against St Mirren certainly showed that he’s a decent player and his fitness seems to be high.

In the sticks, Enckleman again looked impressive. He had a stupid amount of pass backs to deal with and his kicking was good all day. When the pitch got slick, he correctly turned the ball to the full backs and encouraged us to start over. It’ll be interesting to see how he gets on with Tommy Wright.

Up top, Sheridan had one of his usual games so there’s nowt to write about. Fran worked hard and tried some adventurous stuff, but there was absolutely no sign of any partnership between him and Sheridan. Did I mention forum myths? Fran and Sheridan working well together is another one. Sheridan’s movement, both on and off the ball didn’t help matters. His pace didn’t seem to be present; maybe our kitman screwed up and left it on the bus!

So, it’s Aberdeen now. A look at the league table shows that things are nip and tuck from us down. A win would be a massive psychological bonus as it would give a double digit gap to the relegation spot and would give thirty years olds the chance to reminisce of Sandy Clark’s first season in charge. More importantly, it would give some of us reason to cheer the departure of DMcI.

SPL 11 - United Away

Emotional Flacidity

On the way to the ground we encountered two inebriated gentlemen. One was our very own celebrity jakey, Nathan Bartlett, the other was a Dundonian who clearly went for seconds when wit and humour were being handed out. He demonstrated a remarkable level of intelligence by repeatedly slurring “what’s it like to win f*ck all?” I assume from his question that he hasn’t followed Dundee United for long; otherwise he’d know the answer to his own question.

The game came amidst a backdrop of managerial upheaval. We were fortunate enough to get a serious amount of cash for Messrs McInnes and Docherty, so went into the game with Jody in charge of the team, backed up by Alec Cleland on the touchline. The Arabs have still not been able to replace Houston with Michael O’Neill and one wonders whether their crippling finances will eventually kill off the move for O’Neill. I certainly hope so, the longer Houston erodes Dundee United the happier I will be.

Much has been written about the lack of morals in Dundee. A place of inappropriate sexual encounters, alleged drug use, incorrect financial dealings and attempted sexual assault – and that’s just Tannadice!

The ground itself is like a Dundee girl. Looks quite nice from the outside and from a distance, but once you’re inside it’s a rabbit run. A dark and crumbling structure, much like the clubs business model. Much like Peter Houston’s reputation, also.

The Saints took the field using a familiar 4-4-2 and with 10 of the 11 players being correct choices. How Frazer Wright continues to fool our coaches and fans is quite beyond me. He is Kevin Rutkiewicz without the burds and the guitar. He was excellent at Parkhead but he’s been poor almost everywhere else. On Saturday, his points should be given to Ando. I’ve never seen two centre halves play so differently. Wright spent the whole game losing headers, giving away cheap fouls and causing bedlam in both penalty boxes.

Anderson, simply strolled through the game. Unshackled by the constant, childish and stinging criticism of Derek; he’s never had a better game for Saints. In the first half, Jon Daly did nothing. He won two headers against Ando and one of them he could only steer out for a Saints throw. The big skipper trudged off a broken man at half time.

In the second half, Houston swapped Valhalla and Daly and it caused chaos in our backline. Actually it didn’t, Frazer Wright’s presence caused chaos in the back line. He doesn’t get his positioning right, he doesn’t know when to foul and when to release, he didn’t win headers and he often doesn’t seem to know who he’s marking. The frustrating thing is he was awesome at Parkhead.

My opinion is in the minority, even his team mates defend him, but I can only write what I see. I will stick up for him in one aspect. He got pelters for his near own-goal, but it wasn’t the easiest of clearances. What was far worse was the resulting corner when he appeared to pick up the wrong player. Cleland and wee Tommy C had to scour the notes to see who should have picked up at the corner and that smacks of poor planning. Jody should have had it all in hand. Maybe that’s why he turned down the job....on the same day we approached Sligo Rovers!

Garts and Cracks have clearly demonstrated a much higher level of skill than Mr Wright. They should be in the team ahead of him. Jamie Adams also needs to be in the match day squad but he’s still being punished for Del’s failure against St Mirren. Hopefully the new appointment will remove such injustices.

I love our official website, it really reflects the way the club is run which in turn reflects the folk that run the club. The end of the match report simply says, “Finally, a nod of acknowledgement to Steven Anderson who was outstanding in central defence today.” A perfect summation of a heroic performance, if he was a Dundee United player he’d have been capped several times already.

Behind these two, Peter Enckleman had very little work to do. A couple of sprints from the line to intercept through balls, a stop on the angle from Valhalla and a few cross balls. United’s best chances came from a Kenneth freekick which beat the keeper but not the cross bar, and a Willy Flood panic shot. His kicking was first class and he got every cross ball decision right. It seems hard to offer praise based on such a small contribution, but it’s not his fault that Anderson was in such imperious form.

Completing the defence were regular full backs, Cup Tie and Callum Davidson. Mackay was over-committed for parts of the first half and very often he spoiled our attacks as he wasn’t in the right place to allow us to start again when an attack ran out of room. In the second half he was much more disciplined and made another good few blocks.

Callum Davidson put in his standard shift. Occasionally caught on the wrong foot he made very few errors and rarely wastes a ball. His off the ball positioning is top notch and his discipline and emotional control are second to none. You had to either laugh or cry at the end of the match when Alec was telling Callum to see the game out and keep possession, Wullie Gibson decided to take a quick free kick and over hit it by about ten feet! Callum is one of the men that could drive Saints to the top half of the SPL and I fervently hope he gets the job. I’m not gonna speculate further as I understand a decision was made on Friday with ball starting to roll on Monday.

In midfield, our acting manager started very brightly but faded very quickly. His first ten minutes were something truly special and when he lost control in the tunnel corner, his backheel was insouciance of the highest order. He still seems unable to link with Moon, which surprises me given their playing styles, but the pair looked much better than in previous games this season. He’s been whoring himself around every media outlet known to man, but I think he blotted his copybook on Saturday. We started the game with a tempo and shape which should have won the game fairly comfortably, he let the players drop their work rate and lose their shape. Perhaps he could have seen more from the dugout but he’s clearly not ready to stop playing; he’s only 32 after all. Funnily enough, that was written before his Twitter update!

Partner in crime, Kevin Moon, was simply excellent. It’s such a joy to have someone with his vision, touch, control and passing ability. Rumours constantly link him with a move away but I don’t believe we’ve lost him yet. On the evidence of Saturday’s showing, you can see why other clubs are after our wee star. I think he only lost possession on three occasions and probably received the ball more than any other player in our team. He was let down by poor movement from both his midfield colleagues and the front pair; but he still dazzled and sparkled. Mr Houston’s loss, was undoubtedly our gain.

On the right side, Midgie had an odd game. He linked well with Dave Mackay but not with anyone else! I slated his link-up with Haber last week, with the caveat that Marcus is very lazy. On Saturday he again seemed off the boil. I think he’s gonna have a season like Liam had last year; by that I mean he’ll get stuck in a rut of playing okay, but not to his best. A few moves have broken down at his feet recently and that’s not like him. The good thing about him (and Liam last year) is that he’ll works his nuts off to ensure he gives his all. They are great boys and we’re lucky to have them.

Liam, himself, had a tough game against Watson. He seemed to lose confidence as the game wore on and it wasn’t a big surprise to see Wullie Gibson enter the fray. It wouldn’t have been the subbie I’d have made, but I can understand it. Thing is, he’s always in the box when scrappy balls break loose and you simply can’t bet against him scoring. I’d have left him on and brought Caddis on for Midgie.

The top two played very well and criticism of them is unwarranted. Read my comments on him following his debut and you’ll see that he’s been lazy since the day he arrived. He’s actually far too much of a poser and not enough of a worker. That needs to be beaten out of him or he’ll end up like Collin Samuel. He’s good enough for higher leagues in England but without effort he won’t score enough SPL goals.

Sandaza’s cheating apparently only commenced on Saturday.... we’ll according to WeArePerth. I’ve written much about his attitude to cheating and I’m not surprised to read him defend his actions. He’s a cracking player and made some great runs on Saturday, but his cheating is a spoiler for me. I actually think that Tannadice is the first time he’s only dived once. The referee was right on the spot, right to book him and right to only give Watson a yellow. All in all, it was a refreshingly good performance from an SPL referee. I’ve lost all hope in them as a group, but he was proof that some good ones are floating around.

Overall, I’d have taken a point before the game. It was a poor match in terms of neither keeper being stretched. The plus points were another clean sheet and a much improved Saints support – proving that gate price has no direct link to attendance figures. Bring on the Midden....

SPL 10 ICT @ Home

An Overshadowed Victory

Not often that an SPL win is a side show, but it was on Saturday.

It’s been known for a while that Del is keen to leave the club. Dundee United, Watford West Bromwich Albion and Brentford have all been tempting in recent years. In the international break, Del made it clear that he would like to take on the role of Bristol City manager. He duly went down for a chat and returned north without the job. The rumours suggested he hadn’t a chance and I posted accordingly. Then on Friday night, the Delophiles had their world turned upside down.

With commercial manager, Paul Smith, on holiday; the club bizarrely announced that permission had been granted for Derek to be “interviewed” for the vacant manager’s job. Quite why this was announced on the eve of a vital home game remains to be seen. It could have been a marketing tool, perhaps we’ll never know.

What we do know is that on Saturday night a very good fee was quickly arranged between the two clubs and Del travelled to the club for an interview. By Sunday morning it seemed that the only unresolved issue was Derek’s wages.

Monday and Tuesday saw some drama as it became clear that two key characters were split between the two candidates. Thankfully for us, the chairman wants Del and Chairmen tend to get their own way. Del will probably be unveiled later this week at Bristol City’s ground. If he isn’t, he might find that training is a bit awkward on Thursday morning. If only I could be there....

The great news is that we can now bring in a manager that doesn’t have Del’s fascination with the opposition. We can employ a manager that plays to our strengths, using sensible shapes, proper tactics and treats all players with respect and decency.

In many ways, it’s a real shame that things didn’t work out for Derek at Saints. Of course, he can boast the SFL1 title on his CV, but the accounts show the truth of that victory. In the SPL, he’s underperformed his players. Folk assure me that he learns from his mistakes but you only need to look at games against Aberdeen, Dunfermline and St Mirren (H) to see how inept he is, tactically. He won’t be missed.

Of course the speculation is all about his replacement with Jim Jeffries and Jody Morris the two names that crop up regularly. I’m not getting involved in speculation, but I will state my case for Jimmy Calderwood – excellent track record and currently unemployed. Of course he won’t get the gig, but he should. Of those that might get it, Callum Davidson would be my pick.

Turning to the game, there’s little to write about really. Inverness were very poor and we cruised, actually we crawled, to the easiest SPL win since we thrashed Hibs midweek. The gulf in class was significant; the gulf in effort was enormous. If that was typical of how Inverness play, they’ll be relegated and Dunfermline will be safe. What a thought...

The game marked the return of Murray Davidson who, in another Del debacle, replaced Kevin Moon in central midfield.

The game also saw, Cillian Sheridan pick up a hamstring strain. It’s likely that he’ll miss a couple of weeks with such an injury but Marcus Haber is a better player so nowt to fret over. Marcus impressed with his jumping and running, he disappointed with his lazy attitude – especially when applying pressure to centre halves and the goalkeeper. He needs to learn to make his own luck.

In terms of Del’s selection, Maybury and Cracks were notable absentees, Vinnie was our only defender on the bench. He reverted to Ando and Wright at centre half and Wright was bombscare stuff for large parts of the game. Callum really does have to cover his team mate far too often.

As for Inverness, they must be seen as favourites for the drop. They just didn’t seem to care at any point in the match. Any talent they possess was remarkably well hidden.

Due to external pressures, and the fact that the game was dire, the report is all but non-existant. I’ll do my media rating system this week and probably next week too. Here goes:

Enckleman – Did nothing wrong, but wasn’t worked hard at all. Only one real stop and I’m not convinced it was going in. Can’t be faulted.

Mackay – Easy afternoon. Afforded the time and space to travel all game long. Professional performance with only a few slack balls.

Anderson – Utterly dominant.

Wright – Worst performer on the pitch. Several “oh feck” moments. Davidson and Anderson had to dig him out a few holes.

C. Davidson – Struggled to get a shot away that he would have buried 10 years ago. Other than that, he was the model professional and should be our new manager. He should bring Nuts with him.

Midgie – Another curiously off-form performance. Too often showing too much caution. Didn’t link well with Haber, though perhaps that’s only natural

Moon – We’re gonna struggle to keep him. Lights up the field every week. Majestic stuff.

Morris  - Good showing under no pressure

Craig – Attitude has improved yet again, this season. Key player and proved his worth with a mighty shift.

Sheridan – Jekyll and Hyde, yet again.

Sandaza – First goal was a thing of pure skill, put in modest effort throughout

Haber – Such a brilliant player, excellent use of pace, jumping and heading but oh so lazy. Made it hard for Midgie to play him in.

Gibson – Why did we sign him?

M. Davidson – We know now that he wasn’t ready to return. Showed he’s lost none of his bravery and commitment. Fitting that he played in what looks like Del’s last match in charge.

Del – Decent shape, reasonable selection (shoulda been anyone bar Wright). Hard to find fault despite the weak opposition.

SPL 9 - Killie Away

Scrappy’ll Do!

On a dreich day, at a sodden venue, Saints did just enough to ensure a victory against a mediocre Kilmarnock side, struggling without their big stars of last season. Conditions were nasty underfoot and the pitch took a fair bit of abuse throughout the 90 minutes. Adding to the hassle, the road down wasn’t great, with at least one Saints player have a moment on the dual carriageway. Acht well, who cares? We won and we’re going into the international break with a decent points haul and with big players nearing a return to full fitness. Life is pretty sweet for Saints fans right now.

With the young lads playing Celtic at Lennoxtown in a 1300 kick off, it was an early start for your author. As I travelled through the rains, I did wonder if either game would get going, but I’m pleased to say that both were completed, despite the inclement weather. The pitch at Lennoxtown, undoubtedly put Rugby Park to shame. In the end, our kids were turned over 3-1 but the first half showing was a highly pleasing affair for those with Saints at heart. Alec is doing a grand job and his tactics, shape and instructions were all good. Bright signs in tough economic times.

Heading into Rugby Park, late and rattled, it was little surprise to hear Callum Davidson listed as a starter. What was odd, was the lack of Cracks. At the time, it seemed natural that he had been posted missing due to injury, but Del implied that he had simply been dropped. Now, nobody can work the media as well as Derek; and it may be that he’s keen to disguise the severity of Cracks injury, if not, he made a huge mistake.

I have absolutely no problem with playing a back four of Maybury-Mackay-Anderson-Davidson; it’s one of the strongest permutations we have. What I have a problem with, is Vinnie being on the bench ahead of Cracks. We needed experience yesterday.

 
Vinnie is a young lad with plenty of potential. When he has a good game, it’s a blinder. But he has almost no first team experience at this level and should we have needed to replace a centre-half, on that pitch, with heavy rain, it simply wouldn’t have been wise to bring Mark on. If Cracks wasn’t fit enough for the bench, Del should have swallowed his pride and put Jamie Adams in.

In the event, the back four all managed the full game, but it was another big gamble on a day when it wasn’t necessary to do so. Actually, whilst we’re on the subject of Cracks, did anyone else notice the pert bum on the kiosk lassie?

Aside from defensive cover, Del got the right side of midfield badly wrong. He hasn’t given any reasonable explanation for dropping Chris Millar, but drop him he did. Into his place came the infuriating and enigmatic, David Robertson. I used stronger terminology during the game and perhaps I was harsh, but boy is he a frustrating player! He’s certainly not a wide player. The game passed him by and we really looked forlorn whenever the ball came to him. Jody doesn’t seem to trust him and too often that forced the ball to the left when the right was a better option.

He spent most of the game chasing a runner who’d been given a massive head start and he ended the game being replaced by Wullie Gibson. I guess that says it all. I remain convinced that he is a talented football player, his goal record tells us that he knows how to position himself when in the middle of the park, but he simply won’t get that role at Saints. I praised his capture, I defended his performances, but I’m out of patience with him now. Hands up, I was wrong. David Robertson is not a good signing.

Two other guys on the receiving end of my flak this year are Peter Enckleman and Cillian Sheridan, both of who are starting to show better. Peter didn’t have a great game against Hibs, I still think he should have got something on the Sproule shot; although he was blunder free which is probably the first time since St Mirren away. At Killie, in awful conditions for a keeper, he was top drawer.

He’s a pretty complex individual and one wonders if the arrival of Mannus has spurred him to raise his game. If not, perhaps the pleasure of retaining his jersey against the competition of Mannus has boosted his famously low confidence. Either way, he commands his box much better this season, he’s a little more vocal and he’s pulling off some really good saves. His kicking is much better too; confident, aggressive and accurate.

When the weather was at its worst he correctly elected to roll the ball to the full backs and when under stress he cleared the balls long. He knows when to rush and when to be patient; that’s always been a strong suit, hasn’t it Anthony? There is no doubt about it; he deserves to be number one at present. If, as I suspect, Mannus is the better keeper, he’ll have to wait on a run of poor games from Enckleman. That game should buy him a few breaks.

Now for the contentious bit! Sheridan played well against Hibs, genuinely did what he should. However, against Killie, we saw both sides of Mr Sheridan. In the first half, he was really good. Yes, I know he had some really clumsy touches and broke down at least two good attacks, but the pitch was tricky and nobody went 45 minutes without a mis-placed pass. However, in the second half he just went through the motions. He scarcely looked interested in the game and certainly didn’t attain the required levels of effort. Yet, when an over-hit pass was sent in his general direction, he suddenly showed the pace we all know he has and finished in real style. This after being offside on at least FIVE occasions in the second half through sheer stupidity.

Remember, this is the player that destroyed Bamba for pace on a Wednesday, yet couldn’t keep up with him the very next Saturday. He obviously has mental issues which affect his performance, if Del can press the right buttons; we’ll enjoy having Sheridan here, if he doesn’t these 135 minutes will be a flash in the pan. I’m genuinely intrigued to see how this pans out; the player must know he’s running out of chances, yet he still swaggers around with the insouciance of Swankie. He’s not that good and never will be. Hats off to him for the goal, but in my mind, he hasn’t done enough to warrant his protected start. Interesting to hear him making noises about playing for Sofia....

His strike partner, Francisco Sandaza, is about as marmite as a player can be. His behaviour on the pitch is reprehensible. Any Saints fan that wants O’Connor banned for his cunning stunt, should be vocal in condemning Senor Sandaza for his outrageous dive against Killie. We’ve seen him cheating on several occasions to date, but jumping to the ground in order to have a man sent off is despicable behaviour. I have stood in the stand and brandished a red card as Medhi Taouil for bringing the sport into disrepute, I feel liking doing the same with our goal scoring Spaniard.

He played very well on Saturday, his link play was excellent, his running was good, he moved into great areas and carried the ball well; most importantly, he scored a lovely goal. Yet despite it all, I left the park feeling aggrieved by the manner in which he played the game. What a shame that such a prodigious talent has been devalued by such a poor attitude towards the game and his employers. In line with my fair and balanced reporting, it’s only right that I praise Derek McInnes for his handling of the front man.

I’m not gonna waste time with player ratings, because the game was played with a strong element of farce to it given the underfoot conditions. The one other guy that does need to be focused on is Ian Brines. Kilmarnock’s goal came from a corner kick award which seemed to be a throw-in. Because the BBC simply don’t care about reporting the match in an accurate fashion (Al Lamont actually slagged off Enckleman for spilling one cross, he also wrongly said that Enckleman hadn’t covered the shot which rattled the crossbar) the action replay is chopped short, so I can’t be sure. What we can be sure of, is that Ian Brines is a poor referee. From the time I left the house at 1130, it was obvious that referees would have to show leniency with sliding tackles, Brines decided against such action and booked Anderson for a nothing foul in the middle of nowhere. Almost immediately, and wrongly, he then booked a Kilmarnock player for a nothing foul. I know that physics is a boring subject, but the laws of motion are crucial to being a decent referee. On at least two occasions, he blocked Frank from coming on, despite clear head knocks; Jody ended up with glue on his bonce.

I know the job’s hard, such as Sandaza and O’Connor make it harder still, but we pay top rate money for mediocre officials. He didn’t spoil the game, the weather did that; he has spoiled games previously and will wreck a few more before he’s put out to the garden. Whilst we must suffer the TV cameras, we should use their evidence to control referees wages. Perhaps they should be paid according to performance....

Anyhow, that’s yer lot from the first team until 15 October. There is a Sunday game, and we can’t blame TV for it being a Sunday, when Saints U19s meet Spartans in the Scottish Youth Cup at McDiarmid. The game is on Sunday, 9 October and kicks off at 1300. Fans will be accommodated in the Main Stand and I’d encourage as many as possible to go and watch Alec Cleland’s troops in action. They are playing great football and Alec is working well with the boys. Many of them will be getting their first taste of playing in the main stadium and it would be nice to get a decent crowd. Being a good old fashioned hypocrite, I’m working that day at Knockhill so you’ll have to rely on the official site for a wee match report.

 

Adieu the noo

SPL 8 - Hibs Away

Defeated and Cheated

Our strong record against Hibs came to a frustrating halt at Easter Road in midweek. The game was sealed by a blatant dive by Mr G O’Connor Esquire; who converted the subsequent spot kick awarded by the incompetent referee.

The fury displayed by our club captain, Jody Morris, was a perfect cameo of my feelings towards Grade One referees. These men earn more in a year than many senior professional players earn in two or three seasons. It’s disgusting that can under-perform to such a level and survive in position. The game is all but dead and the men in black are amongst those to inflict fatal wounds on our national game.

The SPL are the main villains of the crime and it’s entirely their fault that this fixture was played mid-week at 1945. Hibs, another club with no money in the bank, decided to raise funds by playing a friendly instead of playing us. The SPL encouraged this outrageous behaviour in order to appease two Glasgow clubs who have a broadly bigoted fan-base and who allow inflammatory tunes to be heard within their dilapidated stadia. The can do as they please because the SPL are the puppets of the Old Firm.

Derek McInnes rightly stated, “We’ve sold our soul to the television” and he is spot on. When Setanta went down the swanny, we had a golden opportunity to show foresight and turn our backs on TV. We could have played the games at sensible times and ensure that Season Ticket holders were looked after. Regrettably, those in charge are mostly failed businessmen and they followed the quick-buck, knowing that many clubs faced immediate extinction without the telly money. The net result is that clubs such as Kilmarnock, Hearts and Dundee United continue to cheat their way through the league campaign.  Such clubs, fraudulently claim glory, when in fact they are bankrupt in all but name.

Such is the level of poverty in these hideous clubs, Hibernian FC ran out of adult tickets on Wednesday night. I have no reason to disbelieve them. Rumours that the club were fiddling HMRC are quite unfounded. Surely a successful club like Hibs won’t be short of cash; after all, they just opened a lovely new stand to accommodate all their loyal fans. Anyway, Hibs would surely not be stupid enough to fiddle HMRC in such a public way.

One financial irregularity that does need to be investigated is the charge of the catering kiosks in Easter Road. It might not be criminal activity but it is immoral and I’m sure Hibs wouldn’t care to be seen as other than a family club.

Their immorality was a talking point on the radio station as John “proud o’ ma bhoysh” Hughes explained that he had taken some money to keep quiet about his dismissal. Sadly, the BBC failed to address the immorality of O’Connor when he cheated to win the game. Liam McLeod actually had the stupidity to use the word “felled” in his commentary. We don’t expect much of the BBC broadcasters, but you might feel aggrieved that they don’t understand the meaning of certain words. For information, @liammcleod79, the definition of felled is, “to cause to fall by striking; cut or knock down”. What a tube, a spineless tube too. These sorts have no dignity, no morals and no place in the commentary team of a national broadcaster.

I won’t wait on an apology, but David McCracken deserves several; firstly from the SPL for allowing an incompetent referee to take charge of the game, one from the incompetent referee for being fooled by a man of O’Connor’s capacity, one from O’Connor for behaving like Fran Sandaza and one from Liam McLeod for using the word felled. Wonder how many he got?

If it sounds like I’m hung-up on this penalty incident, it’s because I am. I am utterly convinced it cost us three points. Here’s my take on the game.

Saints entered the field of play with Jody Morris restored to midfield at the expense of Willie Gibson. The team was otherwise unchanged from Sunday’s encounter with Hearts. The skipper’s inclusion meant that Midgie was wide right, Craig wide left and Mooner was the captain’s foil in the middle.

The backline was the focus of fans ire, post match, Dave Mackay getting accused of turning in a sub-standard performance by many internet experts. As someone that is far from impressed by Dave Mackay’s ability to play full-back, you might think I’d be pleased by the criticism, but I was not. The fact is, Dave Mackay played as well as he normally does, his performance did not fluctuate. He was up against a better winger than normal and Midgie was less supportive than he would be in an Old Firm game – that’s all. Anyway, with Callum Davidson injured, we need Maybury at left back meaning that we have no real cover at right back. Shame we released Irvine, really.

His lack of pace isn’t a big problem this year because he’s being more careful with his journeys up field. In addition to that, Midgie is more aware of the need to fall in behind than in previous seasons. His lack of crossing skill wasn’t a problem when he crossed for Fran, because Liam finished it anyway. In my eyes, he is a far better right back this season that when he arrived. I’d still have Irvine in the team ahead of him, because Irvine was a special talent, but Mackay is not the weak link he used to be. The finger pointing is crass, as ever.

His opposite number, Alan Maybury, had an easy night because he was up against Leigh Griffiths. It really is priceless to think that Saints fans wanted him. Funnier still is listening to fans of Derek McInnes slag of the fans that wanted Griffiths; after all McInnes doesn’t rate him, does he? Maybury had so much free time that he was able to come into the middle and help out the recovering Cracks and the god that is Steven Anderson. He put in a couple of nice tackles and if he’s dropped for the game against Killie, it will be beyond harsh.

I mentioned that Cracks is far from fit, but he still put in a fine shift. He was caught too high up the pitch when the second goal was created, leaving Anderson with two players to contend with. Other than that, he didn’t do much wrong and he must have struggled with himself not to plant a bunch of fives on the Leith Diver. He was withdrawn ten minutes from time and I assume this was to protect him and allow him to play against Killie if needed. That said, it looks a given that Davidson will be brought back into the fold to the Ayrshire trip.

Ando partnered Cracks and on paper you’d not believe such a strong backline could lose three goals. Ando has shown immense professionalism in recent times and has steadfastly refused to let McInnes affect his performances. He was terrific on Wednesday and certainly shouldn’t have been on the losing side. Their first goal was a slick passing thing of beauty until it bobbled at the feet of Sproule. No defender could have coped with the passing movement of the Hibs attackers and Ando did exactly the right thing to get on the line and try to help Enckleman. Unfortunately, Sproule’s shot between the keeper and skelped the back of the net with aplomb.

For the second, Cracks was caught high up the field and Ando was left with two men. O’Connor had momentum and jinked past Anderson who was caught in two minds. From then it was easy for the big front man. The third was a blatant piece of cheating to win a penalty. Put simply, there was nothing Anderson could do to prevent this defeat. He should play against Killie, but after that Del could well squeeze him back out of the team.

In midfield, Midgie again looked out of sorts. The recent injury and a new arrival are probably all playing a part in his blunted form. That said, he’s the only real candidate for the right midfield berth and remains worthy of his starting jersey. You always know that you’ll get maximum effort for the duration of the game with Midgie and even when he was put to full back, following Cracks withdrawal, he just worked away quietly without complaint. He has the right attitude, the right idea – he’s a credit to the club and an example to our youngsters. Cads should learn from Chris Millar’s approach and application. Talent is not enough.

Speaking of talent, Kevin Moon had an off-night. Perhaps he was slightly too far up the pitch, perhaps he simply isn’t sharp yet; whatever the case, he didn’t create enough for my liking and that’s a shame. I am in no doubt that he’s the best player we have at the club and there is not a shred of doubt that had he followed the immoral money at Tannadice, he’d be in the Scotland squad right now. If he’s looking for a club in December, I sincerely hope he chooses Aberdeen over Dundee United. There has to be a real risk that he’ll end up at Rangers and that would really hurt.

What also hurt was the kick in the coupon he received after 30 minutes. Plenty of blood and saliva flowed and the Perthshire physicians had to work hard to stem the flow. Kevin’s natural enthusiasm to return to the game, saw referee Conroy send him back to the dressing for further tidying up. It is typical of Mooner that he returned and never shirked a tackle or a high ball all game. He’s such a gem.

Partnering him in the midfield was club captain, Jody Morris. Many onlookers expected Jody’s return to be delayed until after the international break, but with great physios at Perth, we got him back two games earlier. Amazing what a difference a physio makes! He didn’t have the best of games, partly because he doesn’t work well with Mooner and partly because the game wasn’t played in midfield. Still, it was good to see him fit and available; his determination and passion are welcome attributes in any game. Of course his inclusion allowed Del to keep Jamie Adams on the naughty step.

The final of the midfield quartet was Liam Craig.  The ginge has been asked to play in a variety of positions this year and is really starting to become a utility player in the squad. He scored our first goal and it was a great finish, one that should win goal of month actually. Not only was he distracted by Sandaza’s attempt to hit the ball with his mullet, he also had a Hibs player trying to get sexual with him. It was a remarkable goal; perfectly weighted, perfectly directed, perfectly timed.

He played well enough throughout the ninety but kinda drifted away when asked to play full back, especially as Wullie Gibson was in front of him. I made some vitriolic remarks about Mr Gibson when we were first linked with him and I was wrong to do so. He is not really any worse than Cleveland Taylor or JMW but he is certainly far worse than Gavin Swankie, Fil Morais and Novikovas. If I were given Del’s job, signing Swankie would be my first job.

It is denied by most, but you do have to wonder if Del and Doc are unable to deal with the psychology of wingers. Many on the list have played well before and after Saints, but Del made them look poor during their tenure at McDiarmid. Maybe it’s because none of them were Glaswegians! I joke, of course, but Del’s reputation for favouring Glasgow players has now reached other clubs.

One Glasgow based player who Del clearly doesn’t favour is Marcus Haber. The big Canadian, who warmed up for most of the second half, clapped his hands in sheer frustration when McInnes brought on spindly David Robertson when the score was 3-1. As substitutions go, that was a belter, Del!

The game was stretched beyond belief and Sandaza is not quick by anyone’s standards. I’d have hooked him and brought on Marcus. That may surprise some folk, but credit due to Cillian Sheridan. He’s been rank rotten since his arrival, but he actually played well on Wednesday night. Not great, not enough to forgive him the dross, not enough to justify signing him, but he played well. His goal was a cracker and if continues to play like that he’ll deserve a start.

Sandaza worked away well and kept the centre halves busy. He had one terrific shot on goal but from the distance he hit it, Stack had time to curl it round the post.

All things considered, it was a poor result but a fine performance. If we play like that in the remaining games, we’ll get in about the top six. I still predict we’ll fall short because Del will have plenty mistakes in store for us. I live in hope that one day the penny will drop....

An Open Letter

Dear Derek

We’ve never really been close, but these last few months have been particularly difficult. Though our motives are shared, our methodology has never been further apart.

It’s unlikely we’ll ever reach a level of mutual respect, but I’d like you to consider your tactics over this season:

Aberdeen – You started 4-5-1 and let Aberdeen get comfy. Any chance of attacking in the second half, when you changed to 4-4-2, was killed by Enckleman getting the jitters. You admitted the 4-5-1 was wrong.

Rangers – You were missing Liam Craig and Chris Millar and the team struggled without them. Murray Davidson and David Robertson let you down badly. Despite this, we matched Rangers until Ando gifted them the first and they really struggled to their win.

Dunfermline – You blew it by playing a 4-3-3. We didn’t deserve to lose, but we didn’t do enough to win. The players didn’t move with their usual fluidity, the shape was as unbalanced as it was unnatural.

Celtic – You played 4-4-2 and brilliantly held your nerve, even after we took the lead. You were near perfect.

Livingston – A real lack of shape to the team using the 4-3-3. When Gibson gave up the ghost we really struggled against part-timers.

Dundee United – Excellent starting eleven in a 4-4-2. Game was going well until Sheridan tired. You refused to remove the loan signing and we lost as a direct result of you not changing a winning side. We played very well

St Mirren – I wasn’t at the game but a point away from home is never a disaster. 4-4-2 was the system.

Motherwell – 4-4-2 and a comfortable win.

St Mirren – Diamond formation, utterly humped.

Hearts – Back to 4-4-2, back to winning ways.

You’ll remember calling me an idiot for insisting that 4-4-2 is the only way to the play game; I’d argue that you’ve proved me right. We’ve beaten Celtic, Hearts and Motherwell using the 4-4-2. We should have beaten Dundee United using it, took a point from Paisley using it and we ran Rangers tight using it.

Playing your silly formations, we struggled past Livingston, drew with Aberdeen and lost to St Mirren and Dunfermline.

Football is a simple game. Willie Ormond’s team were present for the Hearts game. They’ll tell you that they never discussed tactics or shape, they just played the same formation every week. You’ll argue that time shave changed, your results prove they haven’t.

I’m begging you now; please play 4-4-2 in every game. Take the focus away from the opposition and play to our strengths. You have once again assembled a top six side, don’t let them down with silly tactics. They deserve better.

Yours in sport,

Gordon