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I can't answer the question the OP put, mebbes aye, mebbes naw, but: it is a real shame that more fans didn't turn up to enjoy the good timesit is a real shame more of those of us who did, spent less time moaning and actually realised these were the good times

Just a thought on Craig Thompson here that a lot of people on here are not giving him much respect, he is a 20year old man I believe? yet some are saying he is to young to carry out his day job. Yet if he was in the Army he would be given a gun and told to fight the enemy? If he was and apprentice Plumber/electrician/refrigeration engineer he would be expected to carry out his job to his full extent. In lots of cases he will be a father/husband main bread winner for his family! Yet he is to young to run about for 90mins and play right wing for St Johnstone football club?

What Championship club would have any interest in coming in and offering that for him after the way he played for us over the last couple of months? We've just gone through an entire transfer window with MOH at the peak of his profile and saleability, and yet not a single one of the clubs rumoured to have been interested in him actually made an offer (except for the one club who we already know are hopeless with money). If we priced him at £1million we'd be stuck with a disgruntled player who wanted to leave but wasn't allowed to, and ultimately we'd end up getting nothing for him when he went to Hearts/Aberdeen/Dundee Utd at the end of his contract. MOH staying here and sitting on the bench because he's gone in a huff is of no use to anyone. Any of the clubs who could actually afford a £1million fee for him would have taken one look at the way he was playing, and reached the conclusion that he wasn't good enough for them. Saints had no other choice. I actually think MOH's departure will come as a big weight off the shoulders for both Tommy and the players. They can look forward now, get a bit of a boost from Swanson's arrival, and Tommy can get on with planning who he wants to sign up for next season.

You can't force interest. Come the summer, with a year on his deal you would have struggled to get £500k as 6 months later he could sign for free. Great business by the club.

I think we are all being a bit too harsh on Mikey, ok so I am hacked off he didn't want to stay at my grand 'wee' club, but the reported £7500 PW would turn many a head! I don't believe he wasn't trying I think it was a lot to do with our tactics, against Hearts especially where high balls were being hit up to him & McLean neither of them being the sort to naturally suit headers. He has probably had an agent in his ear who would be keen to get a slice of transfer cash! Goodness knows what he would be saying. If folk are honest it's not the fact he left that disappointed us because we always expect any decent player to be poached or flogged to the highest bidder, it was the fact he left for THAT club!!! A club who have NO integrity, saturated in sectarian bile, arrogance, there are not enough adjectives!!!!!! COYS⚽️⚽️⚽️

Sure it's sad to lose main men, but that has been happening to Saints FOREVER. I would like to think we have lost the yo yo tag, but realistically we are only going to survive & remain solvent by selling players. We seem to be fiscally sound, but with average gates of 3000 but you don't have to be Stephen Hawkings to realise we need to sell players to survive? Personally I think TW has a good eye for a player (Joe Shaugnessey) ....it is difficult for any team to sustain success far less a team like us on a strict budget (Celtic cup result!! Their budget is huge!?) What I am trying to say is there will be ups there will be downs but I believe under TW we are better placed than most! Unfortunately the team is getting to the end of it's shelf life, but hopefully we have enough depth in the squad to get us through?!⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️

Agree with that! Moving joe to RB no matter how desperate the situation will only serve to prolong our defence frailties. Joe and Ando as a partnership are the closest thing to steady that we have seen for a while..

I'm fine with it if we've actually received £500,000 for him. As noted on another thread however, need convinced that this is actually the case. I wouldn't have let him leave until we were absolutely convinced the money was in the club bank account. I'm sceptical that they've been able to go from making derisory offers in instalments to suddenly on the last day providing exactly the figure we are after. History suggests an exceptional degree of caution should be taken in any dealings with them.

We need to let a centre half partnership settle and build. Plus Joe is a far better CH than he is a right back

I believe his semi final performance was not down to him but TW tactics. Play him through the middle against two big Centre Half's then punt high balls at him. after 10 mins everyone saw it was not working. Others games yes his performance was below par.

But it wasn't really a case of "taking a chance" with May. He'd more than proved himself consistently on loan, improving each year, winning awards and breaking records. He made his debut for Saints in the 2008/09 season and didn't become a first team regular until 2013/14. A lot of people seem to forget the amount of time it took him to him to develop into a player that was ready to start matches for us. Kane had a fairly lengthy stretch in the first team at the end of last season and scored one goal. Thomson is only in his first season with the first team squad. Bringing through young guys doesn't mean chucking them into the first team at the earliest opportunity, it means developing them in the correct way (whether that's loans, like May, or exposure to the first team environment, like Thomson). If they're ready then I'm confident that Tommy will play them. But maybe we're just not quite at the stage where our youth system is producing players that are ready to regularly play in the premier league yet. Give them time.

I'd go for Aberdeen from the off- we've got a ton of injuries and simply aren't expected to get anything from the game. So why not go for it Mannus Fischer-Ando-Joe-Scobbie Davidson-Craig Thomson-MacLean-Swanson Cummins

Fisher had a shocker at Motherwell, but was decent up at Ross County. Back 4 looks like it picks itself.. Fisher, Ando, Shaughnessy, Scobbie. Think it sounds like Swanson is in for a start. That being the case I don't think Thomson will also start, as exciting as that sounds. looking forward to it. We'll be big underdogs for this one, which is back to where we're best. Time to get back below the radar and start quietly getting the results on the board. sleeves rolled up, and a fighting performance on Saturday. Let's get right behind our team right from the start!!

I suggest you direct that remark to Mrs Wright.

I live in a tax haven, only because no tax man is going to freeze his erse coming up here to get you

I would rather we played Wotherspoon at right back and leave Fisher on the bench.

Could well be, the Sturrock/Sandy Clark era would be the obvious analogy. I obviously hope not but we are a diddy yoyo club after all. I think this summer will be a massive transfer window for saints and we'll get an idea whether the broons are willing to stick or twist.

Played for Spartans on Saturday in an away game against East Kilbride. Scored with a thunderous shot from the edge of the box to secure a 1-0 victory and was named M.O.T.M.

I d also be worried that the scouts were impressed by what they saw

Obviously I hadn't forgotten that goal against Celtic but watching him in those highlights against Dundee I had definitely forgotten how technically good he was. I completely agree that Craig and Lappin while both left footed are not creative players so it's too simplistic to say "we already have enough left footed players". They are very industrious and more the work horse type player in the team. Neither of them play those killer passes but both get involved in the slow build up play we often see and the slow build up play MOH was a welcome change from. We NEED someone like Danny and we needed someone like that even when we had MOH as our play was becoming predictable. I don't think Thomson is going to immediate be starting games so I think we will see a midfield very similar to that in those highlights against Dundee. Wotherspoon Millar Davidson Swanson With Thomson used as an impact sub when the time calls for it and Craig/Lappin providing the cover for the inevitable injuries. I think it's a shame for Craig who I would love to see starting more games. Out of him and Lappin I would be offering Craig a new deal. He's a proper "St.Johnstone player" every day of the week. He just fits the club so well.

I was wondering if we should start him in February, never mind Saturday!

so many others jumped to conclusions based from blue nose tv interview... Every article I've read today he has mentioned Saints. He was off to pick his boots up and drop a present off. Good lad, good pay rise, cup winner legend. He has enjoyed his time here but the time always comes to move on, unfortunately it is to Rangers but that doesn't bother me at all... its his choice, and it doesn't detract to his achievements with Saints. Thanks for the memories Mikey!

It takes one to......................

HEY! I didn't even write that! What's going on with this site!!

Because you're an ersehole

Aberdeen put in an absolute power of work tonight, and looked dead on their feet by the end. We need to capitalize on that, whether its a fast start or a high tempo throughout the match, we have the advantage in terms of fitness.

You will never find out as your balls are too small and you will never leave mummy or Perth x

Manager of the month.

At nearly 21 it's time to be giving regular game time to players like Thomson. Kane is in the same boat. Thomson may well be inconsistent, but if that's a reason not to pick him, then Spoony shouldn't see much game time for the rest of the season either.

Think the OP has said what most reasonable fans have been thinking. It will be a lot harder to finish in the top 4 but we are more than capable of decent cup runs, it happened before and will again. Underestimated since 1884 as the flag says.

Depends what we consider good times John. For me, it's great we have got into Europe and won the cup. These were probably much more than "good times" though. These have been exceptional times. I still think we will continue to float around between 8th and 5th as long as the manager is able to continually develop the squad and move on some of our older players and bring in younger ones. This is going to be an ongoing operation though I think rather than a cull. I am reasonably confident that we aint heading for doom and gloom just yet..

Pittodrie pitch doesn't look too good tonight either

I would have thought you had all their numbers. Did you not form a wee club after you got papped?? I was sure that that had happened. Club 45 was all over the internet.. I will leave all you politics experts to get on with this now, and head back to the Saints section. This wee foray has left me intellectually exhausted..

Probably a Proddie cheque.

For him -financially a good move (as long as his employers pay him on time and don't go into administration) and he gets shaftd, professionally the move is debatable, personally he has walked into a shitstorm, just wait until the morons are howling at him in the street, for missing a sitter. No doubt his upbringing, school attended and religious beliefs if he has any will be brought into question. Of you go and don't darken our door again.

Purrrrr purrrrr

We've been after Swanson for ages, with or without O'Halloran. It's pretty much the exact opposite of a knee-jerk signing.

Exactly. Too young at a month off 21. This club will never progress if they dont give youth a chance. Clark,Kane & Thomson are all old enough & good enough. Wrights reliance on ageing injury prone players cost us a place in League cup final.

Still say Scottish Cup winning team best ever. Do not see the argument that this seasons team is the one and same. As soon as Dunne left it became a different team.

That's better! Takes much less time to ignore that.

Welcome back Mr Swanson....we have been expecting you⚽️

Runners up in cup DO NOT qualify for Europe (unless they have already qualified through their League position)

The problem is they don't get time. You could see how hard Kane was trying to score last season and the amount of pressure he was under to score obviously had an impact on his performances, he was trying like a bear, almost trying too hard. May got his chance in the Europe league through luck not because Tommy wanted to start him.

Sometimes when the team picks itself due to missing personnel, that's when you get the shock result

Unless that's changed since last year then that's wrong. http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/european-places-201516/

Paul Lambert getting a better tune out of Rovers but Remi Garde still struggling at Villa.Sometimes you need to look at the recipe...not just the chef.

The thing that sets Mikey apart is that he is the fastest player in Scotland. Not sure exactly how defenders learn how to defend against someone that much quicker than them, other than putting more than one player on him, which in itself is great as it creates gaps for other players to exploit. His touch is superb too. If he had a consistent end product he could be an incredible player. The improvement in his end product this season suggests he has more in him too.

O'halloran is on a good run of form and if he continues it over a sustained period of time then he may be worth a call up. However, how many players have we seen over the years have a good few months and folk shout for them to be in the squad only for them to disappear, never to recapture that form again. Obviously I hope that doesn't happen with MO'H but I wouldn't be surprised if it did once teams figure out how to defend against him.

If he had agreed to go to Sevco in January, surely that would be tapping up and against the transfer rules? Why do they make this crap up?

Hi biggest strength is not just his pace. It's his balance and strength. How many times have we seen 3 or 4 defenders running with him at pace and he can hold them off. Nobody can put a glove on him. There was one comedy moment against Alashkert where I swear they had 7 chasing him down the wing and he still got a cross in.