Aberdeen v St Johnstone 31/03/18 3pm

[Radford 72]

9 hours ago, Havana Saint said:

Hearing Tommy after the game, quite clear we can expect quite a turnaround of staff next season.  Encouraging interview I thought, we can't live in the past. Time to move forward. 

Onwards...

Yep, some managers would dwell far more on the success of the past few years when given the opportunity but it's clear that TW still has the ambition to get Saints back to that level. Ambition that requires financing.

Think we really need to push for seventh place for the financial benefits it brings. The top six will get their monetary reward, Motherwell will have at least three trips to Hampden and Dundee sold a player for seven figures, plus have outside investment like Thistle do. It's getting harder for Saints to compete, especially with dwindling crowds. I realise it might be against his nature but I think Steve Brown really does need to consider spending some of that cash in the bank this summer.

[Kilgour]

Listening to TW ,I think his next big meeting with SB will be crucial for Saints,TW, and SB. Something will have to give.Squad needs a few out ,and a few in but if you change but dont improve quality theres not much point.Apart from permanent staff, I would like to push for a marquee loan signing (plenty others have).From relative safety we should play without fear now and still try for 7th spot.

[RandomGuy]

Just conjecture but you wonder if this Head of Recruitment role has been brought up too late? While we hire one next week and expect to use him for Summer signings? 

[Radford 72]

The manager has said the HoR is a long-term thing that will serve the club long after he is gone.

If they get it right...

He will already have a lot of his targets for this summer I suspect.

[Cagey]

27 minutes ago, Radford 72 said:

The manager has said the HoR is a long-term thing that will serve the club long after he is gone.

If they get it right...

He will already have a lot of his targets for this summer I suspect.

I would hope so. Don't want another'will we wait & see if we can get O'Halloran/Swanson" scenario.

This discussion should probably be on transfers thread.

[Shaggy Jenkins]

Thing about the HoR as a long term thing is probably a bit of a misnomer. 

We have seen it before all these behind scenes steps being made by managers. I specifically remember all the building blocks luggy put in with sports science, scouting etc. However as soon as he was gone that all fell away to cut costs.

Now we hear we are making great leaps again with nutrition etc.....these things should never of lapsed, they are a bare minimum. You could argue these behind the scene things are much more important for a club at saints level

[SlickDT]

There is no doubt that the squad will need addressed over the summer.

Ultimately we have several squad players that are not good enough to reach the same levels that we have seen in the last few seasons. It's Tommy's job to try to push us towards the standards we previously matched, even if it is lofty ambitions for a club our size.

Chris Kane has been fantastic since coming back and is ready to make a big impact and would be a great partner for a fresh new striker, whether it be McMillan or a new option. Scougall is a player that can be very effective here with the right players around him and Jason Kerr looks a first team player in the making. We still have two good goalkeeping choices as well. I also think Anderson and Millar have something left to offer the squad. Hopefully Easton will manage a  better season injury wise aswell. There is plenty to work with there for Tommy.

Ultimately three or four good solid options could well make a bigger difference for us.

[SaintJet]

Just watched the highlights. What a fuc@@g meek performance! How can that wee pr'CK Logan have so many headed chances in the box with taller defenders all around him? I despair sometimes. 

[Radford 72]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/scotland/43612918

Chance to see the highlights and they make grim viewing. Thought Tanser was rolled too easily for first goal but hadn't fully noticed Craig's contribution, a horrific garryowen and it's just horrible to watch defensively.

Millar and Davidson colliding obviously plays a part but one simple 10 yard pass takes out the whole midfield and Kerr is pretty much on top of Anderson, giving May a gaping channel to run into for the second.

Build up to third shows advantage of having someone with both good close control and a range of passing in McLean but we've probably dropped too deep by time ball comes in, although Wotherspoon shouldn't be getting outmuscled by Logan and Tanser has fallen asleep; I do still think it looks offside though.

Final goal isn't the first time that Shaughnessy has been caught in possession this season but Stewart is in so much space. It's a decent shot but, for all he made good saves at other times, one that Mannus was capable of stopping.

We have attacking issues to address moving forward but the defence this season has shown that it isn't the unit it once was either.

[garydavidson]

Got to agree there Radford, that third one has to be offside.

[Guest ScottMann]

From Twitter...Carter George Williams, born 31/3/18 at 21:50 weighing 6.6lbs. What an amazing day, I’m so proud of you @ELLAPALFREY and I love you both so much!!!

That's the missing William's mystery resolved then. He must have ticked the no publicity box when he signed for us.

[541ntees]

good to see May scoring for Saints again

[HOODLUM65]

12 hours ago, garydavidson said:

Got to agree there Radford, that third one has to be offside.

Haven't watched it again , but said at the time it was offside.

Ball was going in anyway, but Stewart tap in from almost the goal line should have ruled it out. Don't know what the   "Lino " saw that made it legit.

[mainstand]

5 hours ago, HOODLUM65 said:

Haven't watched it again , but said at the time it was offside.

Ball was going in anyway, but Stewart tap in from almost the goal line should have ruled it out. Don't know what the   "Lino " saw that made it legit.

I think when the header was made form just inside the 6 yrd box the player that scored was outside the box. Not offside if behind the player .

[HOODLUM65]

38 minutes ago, mainstand said:

I think when the header was made form just inside the 6 yrd box the player that scored was outside the box. Not offside if behind the player .

If that's the case, you're correct.

[mainstand]

1 hour ago, HOODLUM65 said:

If that's the case, you're correct.

Have to say it is touch and go though. If anything in line at best. 

[Wendy Saints]

Keep saying this and one of these days I will actually do what I say and give the god forsaken place a miss... first of all the away fans are herded in to restricted view seats, with no protection from the North Sea.. it was miserably cold with wind whistling in across the stand.. then we had some Saints fans who decided to stand, no problem with that provided they had stood at the back, not only was it irritating to the folk behind them who had to move seats.. it was irritating to us further back having moved and still being denied a good view of the pitch. 

I thought it was only the old firm who had no regard for anyone else... still no one said Saints fans are perfect!!

 

[Cagey]

Just watched the highlights & all 4 goals could have been avoided.

First ,Tanser should have done better in midfield ,then just jogged back.

Second ,Muzz & Midge going for same ball ,Spoony hasnt the pace to cover run and defence didn't do enough.

Third,Spoony should have done better at back post but again cross should be stopped.

Fourth, Joe ****ed up out on wing & we should not have left the cross come in & Maybe Mannus slow to go down to left.

Have not seen many views from any of the 200 odd brave souls that braved the frozen north.

[HOODLUM65]

35 minutes ago, Cagey said:

Just watched the highlights & all 4 goals could have been avoided.

First ,Tanser should have done better in midfield ,then just jogged back.

Second ,Muzz & Midge going for same ball ,Spoony hasnt the pace to cover run and defence didn't do enough.

Third,Spoony should have done better at back post but again cross should be stopped.

Fourth, Joe ****ed up out on wing & we should not have left the cross come in & Maybe Mannus slow to go down to left.

Have not seen many views from any of the 200 odd brave souls that braved the frozen north.

Have to agree as all 4 goals were self inflicted mistakes.

Surely can't be so generous against 'Well.

Dons punished the mistakes we made and but for a few incredible Mannus saves could have been more.

Back four (or however many) were all over the place.

[andy rhodes fancy watch]

57 minutes ago, Cagey said:

 

First ,Tanser should have done better in midfield ,then just jogged back.

 

Liam Craig could've stopped the whole situation from happening if he could actually control the ball.

 

It amazes me that professional footballers have so little basic skills. It's their ****ing job ffs.

[mainstand]

8 hours ago, andy rhodes fancy watch said:

Liam Craig could've stopped the whole situation from happening if he could actually control the ball.

 

It amazes me that professional footballers have so little basic skills. It's their ****ing job ffs.

You have to take into account the condition of the pitch, absolutely dire. It is also strange that there are so many players ,mis-controllig the ball that they can't all be bad at it, like shooting and crossing how many times does it go flying over the bar or crosses over-hit. These balls must be like the old floaters you get at the shows.

9 hours ago, Cagey said:

Second ,Muzz & Midge going for same ball ,Spoony hasnt the pace to cover run and defence didn't do enough.

Have not seen many views from any of the 200 odd brave souls that braved the frozen north.

Was the 2 players running into each other not Joe and Murray? Looked too big for Midge.

From one of the 200 that was up in Aberdeen, Pittodrie is crap £26 (unless you managed to sneak in as a pensioner) for what is really a restricted view seat is terrible. Not helped by a man mountain 2 rows in front of us who wanted to stand. Blocked out half of the 18 yard box. Sadly he ended up sitting down and I saw the first 2 goals.

[jhq]

After the last 3 games a few on here were suggesting that the players they had vilified for most of the season had suddenly become good enough.  I wasn't prepared to slate the players earlier in the season and was not prepared to say they have suddenly become good enough for next season.

Aberdeen were clinical and taught us a bit of a lesson in taking chances on Saturday, just as they had done in the previous 2 games this season.  But to keep things in perspective, they have a far bigger budget than us and have been the 2nd best team in the country for a few years now.

I'm delighted we've done enough to avoid relegation, but we need some real quality in the door for next season.  The return of Scougall might help, and if we could keep Williams I'd say that would be a real coup. We still need a strong CM, a striker, another wide player and I'd like to see a more commanding centre-half coming in.

[RandomGuy]

Unofficial Twitter saying the injury Alston picked up in this match will rule him out for the season. TW apparently said McMillan and Scougall are unlikely to play again this season aswell. 

[garydavidson]

56 minutes ago, mainstand said:

You have to take into account the condition of the pitch, absolutely dire. It is also strange that there are so many players ,mis-controllig the ball that they can't all be bad at it, like shooting and crossing how many times does it go flying over the bar or crosses over-hit. These balls must be like the old floaters you get at the shows.

But the ball wasn't on the ground - he punted it backwards and high. Could have quite easily taken a touch to control it, then again he wouldn't be with us if he could do something as simple as control a ball.

[mainstand]

1 hour ago, RandomGuy said:

Unofficial Twitter saying the injury Alston picked up in this match will rule him out for the season. TW apparently said McMillan and Scougall are unlikely to play again this season aswell. 

The unofficial says Easton and McMillan unlikely to play but Scougall is