Widge

This is exactly it, ours is at 1-0 when we were needing a foothold in the game to stay on top and having a two goal lead, Aberdeen we’re heading up the road pointless the way the game was paning out. It’s frustrating because whilst I don’t think Collum has cost us the win, he’s cost us the opportunity to really go for it by making the wrong decision at a crucial time. Yes you could say he evens it up by not giving Aberdeen a penalty at 1-1, but it’s irrelevant because if he does his job properly even with a last minute penalty I don’t think Aberdeen would have been in a position to get anything from the game. I’d have taken a point, but I genuinely think we’ll be battling Aberdeen for a top 6 spot this season, they’re pretty average at best.

I suspect it’s on the basis of 7 goals this season compared to Watts 6. If that’s the angle you want to go down.

Happy for folk to disagree, as you say it’s about opinions. In my eyes, there were a number of times that the ball got caught under feet and players slipped. Haven’t seen that in the home games. It’s a better pitch than it was, but it’s still not good. As for the players, I thought Kennedy was simply taking too long on the ball. Can’t fault his defensive work rate, but there were a number of times he simply ran into 2/3 players when easier passes were on. Watt was the same, he showed some lovely touches and runs I agree, but he never looked like scoring today and it just didn’t look like happening for him. I guess it’s a sign of the quality he can bring to the team, whereby one person thinks he was poor and another great. When he’s brilliant however, everyone knows it. Fwiw I thought Joe Shaughnessy was he best player on the pitch today. Him and Kerr were excellent, apart from Kerr’s initial couple of scares.

Having reflected on the game, saints were actually pretty poor. Kennedy and Watt were both off the boil massively and we didn’t test the keeper nearly enough. However, we got the win and that’s the main thing. Defence was solid, Foster and Tanser stood up to aerial balls being shelled at then and the centrebacks were pretty much flawless after the first 20 minutes. Alston was better again today and Craig did the basic stuff well. We could have and should have scored a lot more today and the fact we didn’t push on in the second half is a tad disappointing. Still 7 points and an away win from our first 4 games is pleasing. Just need to step it up another level next game. I certainly think the plastic pitch played a part in some of our stunted attacking.

Why would you change a defence which kept a clean sheet in the last game and out captain at that? Plus Nydam will play or at least be in the squad. In fact, why change a winning team at all?

I mean this is entirely true and I’m not that bothered he doesn’t play in the slightest. The general lies and crap have quite rightly for whatever reason been exposed and brought to light by Tommy and rightly so. I’d love to see what Scott Gemmill really has to say for himself.

Clark is certainly no worse than the likes of Hamilton, Archer, Bain, Samson who have all been called up in the recent past. Kerr isn’t ready, but that million pounds Celtic spent on Hendry could have been better spent on Jason for sure. I’m glad it wasn’t, as I think he’ll go on to better than that, but he’s still got to keep improving and cutting out little mistakes.

Yeah the car park was much easier yesterday, I was out within 10 minutes and back in Edinburgh in just over an hour going through Perth.

It was 5 minutes into the second half, Kennedy wasn’t tired at all, he just didn’t close down quick enough. Tanser wasn’t in no-mans land, he was covering the overlapping run of Ambrose. Yes the ball should have been stopped before it came in by Kennedy and it should have been defended better by Kerr, but Tansers not culpable in any way and I’d argue Anderson isn’t either since he’s tracked their striker like he’s been told to. If anything Craig should have slotted back slightly once he spotted Anderson was out of position, or even Kerr across, Foster into the middle.

Tbf I though Wright looked good on Saturday against Aberdeen. He’s going to be a typical winger I suspect, some matches he’ll look unstoppable, others he’ll look like he can barely kick a ball.

So given the trialist situation and the injuries, you'd imagine the team will start a little like this - Lyness Comrie Kerr Gordon Russell Wright Wotherspoon McCann Driver Watt McMillan Unless of course they drop Scougall deeper, or indeed play Craig instead. Leaves the likes of Tanser (who needs wrapped in cotton wool right now), Scougall/McCann, McClean to come on, but apart from them, that's pretty much our squad right now considering we have 7 first team players either injured or with knocks and wont be risked. Edit - Completely forgot about Alston and Hendry, we're maybe not as weak as it originally looked and it's encouraging how young our squad is.

Given he played 45 minutes in Austria, I don’t think he’s injured. Simply being managed.

Quite, McMillan clearly isn’t a lone front man and that much is clear. I’d say Kane doing his running next to him however would possibly be promising, I don’t think they’ve had the oppertunity to play together yet. McMillan is ultimately a poacher who feeds off loose balls and half chances, something we’ve lacked recently. Don’t get me wrong he’s a decent player with a little bit of pace and guile, but he’s better facing towards the goal than with his back to it. My worry is, if we play two up front, we’re back to playing Scougall out wide and he showed yesterday that he is much better in that little hole off the strikers. He just wasn’t match sharp, but unless we drop him deeper then I don’t see how we’ll set up to the best of our squads ability.

Ian Cathro.

For all people can moan about the lack of transfer news or indeed news at all. The likes of Kilmarnock haven’t done anything either, even Hibs who start back in Europe way before we’re back haven’t signed anyone or indeed even been linked with anyone. For once the management and staff at saints actually get an extended break this season and as far as I’m concerned they’ve earned it. Just cause they’re away doesn’t mean we won’t be active in the market, it just means that everyone else is also on holiday. Folk need to relax and realise saints aren’t going to tell people everything, especially with skeleton staff right now and anyway the World Cup starts today, that’ll keep everyone amused.