Ritspeed

Our recent result against Dundee and Ross County's against Rangers have been real bummers for me. However, we are where we are and we'll all have views on why. I really do hope we put angst aside and get behind the team during these next five games. The recovery of a patient on a sick bed is unlikely to be enhanced if his visitors tell him he looks awful and on his last legs!

I've just watched the post match interview and felt that Craig Levein show'd more emotion for Saints wellbeing than ever. I get the 'hands in the pocket' critisism and appreciate the fans concerns but, maybe, Levein is beginning to buy into Saints (maybe talking to Geoff) and he can get us through this to safety. Despite criticisms I do think we have the squad to get through this - caveated with the niggling uncertainty that they're being coached in the right way.

Nonsense.

Only he will know. Anyway, hopefully the players have given him the confidence to justify starting them again. It has to help the cohesion of the side. Practice makes perfect. Mind you, after the season we've endured 'one swallow doesn't make a summer' comes to mind. It remains vital we beat Livingstone I think.

I think your assessment is spot on. Dimitar Mitov's comments about lacking "fighting spirit" is revealing - most likely for the reasons you allude to. I concede it must be difficult for the players to raise their spirits when they've been scrabbling around all season. However strong, motivational leadership from management/coaches/player leaders should get over this lethargy. I believe the squad is good enough. It's an old trope but I do believe Tommy Wright would have made much more fruitful use of the squad.

Totally misplaced optimism on my part. It's getting desparate, boys.

I should know better than be optimistic - still haven't quite recovered from the Dundee game. But maybe, just maybe................

"Brown has previously admitted that the vast amounts of prime site land has proved to be problematic" "For any deal to be completed legal guarantees would be put in place" - Good to know. "Saints will be provided with proof of funding that underpins that underpins the bid and the future running of the club" - Good to know. "The prospective buyer assessed the landscape in leagues across England and Europe" - It would be good to know what his assessing the landscape entailed, and why. As others have said, I am grateful and reasonably relaxed that Geoff Brown is overseeing this. Imagine our angst if, say, Flaherty was handling the process!

I agree. I don't have any insight into the training but I've always felt that more sympathetic training could have developed Bair - and Melamed.

Levein's comment: "I've got to look at what we did during the winter break because a performance like that has been unlike this group and it's something that needs looked at" strikes me as a bit strange - even if he is leaving the bulk of the training to Andy Kirk.

I agree the starting 11 seemed a bit weird on paper but it seemed to work reasonably well. Maybe suggesting Levein and Kirk are getting to grips with the squad in training and developing player skill sets?

Apologies if I've missed it but, I'm not aware of news on a contract extension for Chris Kane. I wonder if he is to be let go to help fund a new striker?

Seems like we played quite well today, but lacking the goal threat. Priority for January should therefore be adding that goal threat (so what else is new)! May be hard to do in the January window.

Okay, so the dust is settling. We've all had fun speculating on the next management appointment and we now know it's Craig Levein. There has been a lot of dissent posted and I have been disappointed in some of the "I'll never set foot in McDiarmid whilst he is Manager" comments. I feel it is incumbent on fans and supporters of St Johnstone FC to give as much encouragement and support as possible as we try and extricate ourselves from the current predicament. COYS! As for Leveins initial interviews I'm not reading into them as much as BH. It appears he has watched two Saints matches, one pre-season and the Killie game. (He came to see Max and swithered whether to stay when Max wasn't starting). So I thought his responses were quite pragmatic and honest. I would have been more scathing if he had come away with bulls*** suggesting he had been following and admiring Saints closely all these years.

"I could be wrong" - don't think you are.