ex-montrosesaintee

Perfect summary of VAR.  We've ended up with just as many talking points, just ridiculous delays during the match that massive dilute the atmosphere of just about every critical moment.  The whole celebrate - wait for 4 minutes - maybe celebrate a bit more or maybe swear at the invisible man is pathetic.

Perfect summary of VAR.  We've ended up with just as many talking points, just ridiculous delays during the match that massive dilute the atmosphere of just about every critical moment.  The whole celebrate - wait for 4 minutes - maybe celebrate a bit more or maybe swear at the invisible man is pathetic.

Perfect summary of VAR.  We've ended up with just as many talking points, just ridiculous delays during the match that massive dilute the atmosphere of just about every critical moment.  The whole celebrate - wait for 4 minutes - maybe celebrate a bit more or maybe swear at the invisible man is pathetic.

Perfect summary of VAR.  We've ended up with just as many talking points, just ridiculous delays during the match that massive dilute the atmosphere of just about every critical moment.  The whole celebrate - wait for 4 minutes - maybe celebrate a bit more or maybe swear at the invisible man is pathetic.

With the Celtic bus having seemingly lost a few wheels a concerted effort to make sure Sevco don't miss the chance to benefit is to be expected.
The sending off, would a Sevco player have seen red in similar circumstances?  Aye right,
The penalty?  Given that Sevco last conceded a penalty round about 1975 the ref would simply have waved play on.  But in Saints' box with the score at an uncomfortable 1 - 0 it was a foregone conclusion.

Injured himself in a dive in the box. 

We’d have been playing like that from kick off under Davidson. 

**** me that was awful

Disappointing result in the end, but it felt like Levein was watching the McLean/Cleland approach.  I don't think any sensible manager would try to introduce a new approach in the 24 hours leading up to a game, especially when one of the key issues seems to be players lacking individual confidence, as well as confidence in the system.
Going forward I think the first 45 minutes and the last 10 minutes gives Levein and Kirk an excellent platform to build from, and not having made radical changes makes it easy for them to dismiss the other 35 minutes as 'the old St Johnstone' and move forwards.
I'm feeling pretty positive and think we'll see an altogether better 90 minute performance that the weekend.

Make no mistake the press pack never forgave him for pointing out the Emperor was naked!
 
 

If Kirk is Perth bound then Brechin would be a good place for Liam Craig to go out on his own. I am still a bit surprised we did not keep him as Under 18 Manager.  
So maybe have a Saints legend near you!!

Maybe didn’t phrase it great, but it’s not automatic promotion like most other leagues, and in fact it then becomes a three way play off.
By all accounts, Brechin have been going very well, have signed good young talent and were beaten by a Spartans side in the play off semi last season who now sit near the top of league 2.
Most of it is irrelevant to the overall picture here though. I think Levein gives a steady pair of hands and would be more confident we stay up with him than 90% of the other candidates mentioned.

Dyron Daal anyone? 

Christ, we looked like a football team, great shift and result.

depends on how he is utilised - if he's good enough to be in the team, he's good enough to use to his full potential IMO.  Potentially the best corner taker we've had since Sheerin I reckon, but I worry that responsibility will lie with the 'senior pros' in the team.  Decades of corners floated to the 18 yard line... does my head in.  When wee Max was at Brechin, they scored barrel loads of goals from his corners and free kick deliveries.  He scored some belters of direct free kicks too.

Or you try to build the confidence of the players who were chucked under a bus by our previous manager by playing in ridiculous positions which did not suit their skillset. 
Is Carey fantastic, no but when played in his more natural position during the last few games, he looked immediately better 

This would have been a huge game regardless of the managerial change, but it takes on an extra bit of interest now with it being MacLean's first game in charge. Are people expecting Macca to make sweeping changes, or stick with a similar line-up to Davidson's?
I'd probably go 4-4-2 and something like:
__________Matthews
Brown Mitchell Gordon Montgomery
Wright Phillips MacPherson Spoony
_________May Rudden
Possibly summing up just what a mess our squad is in at the moment, we have loads of players and several out on loan because they couldn't get in the team, and yet we seem to have hardly any attacking options.
One disappointing thing about this game for me: I really felt the club should have done a reduced ticket price to get a bumper crowd in and give Hibs a reciprocal deal to the one they've given Saints twice of late. Feels a bit crappy that Saints have done nothing. Whoever takes over the club next, I really hope they have a few more creative ideas for attracting and motivating both new and existing fans.

I feel like we are in a slightly unusual position where a whole list of potential managers could do really well initially, and certainly ensure we avoid relegation.  We have a big squad and the players required to put a good team on the pitch, we've just had a manager who let his arrogance that his tactics were the be-all-and-end-all, despite that system being completely dependent on Kerr, McCann and Rooney being on the pitch, overrule any logic or common sense.
I think the priorities have to be a manager who has recruitment skills and also isn't completely against giving young players (or any new players) more than 30 minutes to prove themselves.
I also feel like the job might be attractive to more potential young managers, who will surely see that they won't be sacked as a knee jerk reaction to a few bad games and destroy their CV.
Trying to see some positives here...  

We’ve played 83 games since the Scottish Cup Final and only won 22 of those, losing 42 and averaged 0.94 goals per game over that period. 3 of those wins came against Inverness, Elgin and Ayr, another 5 of those against Dundee United and Dundee. We’ve failed to beat Arbroath, Kelty, Annan and Queen of the South. 
 
Nothing to do with being victims of our own success, it’s about having been absolutely rank rotten for the majority of the last two seasons. 

If and when Callum Davidson does leave the club all the facts you have stated about his management, coaching and playing career with us will always be there. Whilst recent times have been far from brilliant, his place in the history of our club will always be remembered due to his significant involvement in the club winning three major trophies. It seems to me though that a number of our supporters feel that these achievements mean that he can not be criticised on the merits of his current work. Over the weekend I have read a number of our supporters on social media come away with "what do you expect from Callum, he won us the double". He did and that was an amazing time for us all and one that I struggle to see being repeated by a club outside the big two in Glasgow anytime soon, but surely anyone looking rationally at the evidence over the past 18 months cannot make a case to say he is doing a good job.
Last season I was not as critical as some as I still had an element of goodwill towards him after the double season and tried to take into account the impact that losing Kerr and McCann on the last day of the transfer window had on the team as a whole as well as losing key figures such as Wotherspoon and Kane to injury. Despite concerns over his recruitment in the summer, I was willing to give Davidson a fresh start going into this season as I could see not logic in not getting behind and the club going into a new campaign, but as each week has gone by my concerns have grown about the direction that he is taking the club in. Our home form has been atrocious, he is tactically inflexible, his team selections defy logic at times and the general performance levels have been dire. Add into the mix concerns over the way he seems to isolate players for no obvious reason, his often bizarre pre and post match press conference and his unwillingness to give youth players an opportunity are all reasons that have led to me strongly believing that that the longer he is our manager then then more damage he will be doing to the club we all love.
Can anybody offer an defence of Davidson from a footballing perspective? Do anyone enjoy watching us? Can anyone offer a defence of why he seems obsessively stuck to the same rigid formation? I note that most defences of him over the weekend were along the lines of "we should be happy, we have no divine right to be in the Premiership" and "think yourself lucky, it was worse in the 80's". I'm yet to see anyone come up with a logical argument in support of Davidson tactics, team selections or general style of play. 
The only side of the club that seems to have any ambition is the youth teams under Alistair Stevenson. The rest of the club from the Chairman, board, Head of Operations and Head of Football Operations seem to be lacking in any sort of vision or ambition. Its really not an enjoyable time to be a Saints fan at the moment.

One of those that was never a red, arguably not a yellow, but there is one freeze frame that without context makes it look like an intentional leg breaker - and we know how the authorities love a freeze frame analysis.  Pathetic decision.

One of those that was never a red, arguably not a yellow, but there is one freeze frame that without context makes it look like an intentional leg breaker - and we know how the authorities love a freeze frame analysis.  Pathetic decision.

Really wanted to believe that Callum was making headway pre-world cup, and things were going to get better and better again.  I think I even posted my positivity on this thread several pages ago.  How wrong I was.  This is utter shite, to the point I almost wanted us to get absolutely humped today when the 3rd went in, to try and force the issue.  Surely he has to go, before he completely destroys both the club and his own future in the game.
Closing in on the worst defensive record in the league now, after shipping another four goals.  Average 1.64 per game (1.3 last season saw us finish 11th).  When you consider the negativity in the starting lineups, that's utterly horrendous.