Radford 72

28 minutes ago, SaintJet said:

Don't be surprised if somone else has came in; won't be surprised if he's away over the next few days.

I think this seems a sensible suggestion. There must have been some encouragement for Saints to try and agree a fee but the player has a last minute change of heart... 

John Mahon maybe second choice to Deas but still looks a good signing. That apart, it's been a bit of a disaster since the opening few days of the window. 

New structure but some problems clearly remain. 

The problem Callum Davidson faces is that when you start weighing it up, there are so many facets of his management that you can pour scrutiny on, whereas the defence is limited to past achievements that don't really provide much source for optimism in our current situation. 

He turned it round last season - by luck or design - with the introduction of a couple of new players into his system but the big difference was that despite not getting results, all the indicators pointed to a change of form. Basically we created a lot and gave little away. 

That brings us to the first aspect of his management, tactics:

The system he developed last season was good and became even better when you added the predatory instincts of Melamed and everything that Rooney offered. Wide diagonals were effective with the aerial prowess of the latter and Tanser, McCann would snap in and win the balls off those contacts. Wotherspoon understood and thrived in the inside forward position behind a main striker. Kerr advanced up the field to give the extra man you need when pressing in games but operating with a back three. 

It wasn't perfect - we didn't score enough goals - but it worked. It looked a system that the manager had developed to suit his squad, which is always encouraging, and he received plaudits for his ability as a coach. 

It was understandable that he wouldn't change much going into this season in that sense but as the team changed, so did the results. We no longer had the ability to win the first or second contact on the diagonals, nobody to pick up the ball in the pockets of space in attacking midfield and nobody to step out from defence. Yet he has persevered with the same system for now four months with no upturn in form, results or performances. Quite the opposite and it's drained the belief and confidence from the squad of players it is his job to manage. 

At some point (in my opinion about a month ago) he had to realise this wasn't working and try something different. I think the players would have relished it as much as the fans. It might not have worked straight away but it would have shown an acknowledgement and willingness to rectify a worsening situation. 

We now don't know if he can come up with something different tactically when assessing where to go from here. 

The morale of the players looks at rock bottom and that's part of his remit, to manage a group of individuals and the unit. He said yesterday that they hadn't done what he asked of them in the first 40 minutes. The problem with that is that we were so well-drilled last season and the system has hardly changed. So why aren't they doing what he says? It's hard to believe they don't understand what is being asked of them given where we were previously. Have they stopped playing for him? The reaction to going a goal behind in the defence of your trophy was as limp as it could be.

Is the bigger picture that he can't inspire players in the way some of his predecessors could? Saints have always lost their better players to clubs with greater resources but have largely avoided seeing the sort of defection witnessed with Scott Tanser's switch to St Mirren. The list of players not interested in signing a new contract under the manager is far longer than the list of those that are. 

Maybe that's purely financial and you can't judge him overly on that but you can on his business, or lack of, in the transfer market and his failure to evolve the squad he inherited. 

There is a defence, the uncertainty of the pandemic, the timing of his own arrival and most certainly the timing of the August departures of Kerr and McCann. But there is also a pretty damning case for the prosecution:

Despite the success of the team last season, at just 0.47 goals per game, Saints recorded the lowest goals per game at home of ANY club in ANY division in the HISTORY of the Scottish league... AND we lost Guy Melamed. Yet this summer the manager made no proven additions to his striking options that he was clearly going to be happy with. How did he think that was going to work out? 

Tanser was replaced with a young loanee with no experience and the potential sale of Kerr was prepared for in the same manner. Loans have been the order of the day until this month, when it's potentially too late in any case. 

The advantages of Saints making a change now are you hope it lifts the players, we see something different tactically to surprise the opposition and you have a few days left to recruit some reinforcements with a lot of scouting having been done on potential players by others at the club. 

Sad to say but what are the potential disadvantages? I think when you get to the stage where you ask yourself if it can get any worse, you probably already know the answer to both that and whether the manager should remain in his role... 

3 hours ago, blueheaven said:

I thought Middleton did really well for us last season so wouldn't agree that it was a poor decision to bring him back. I can't remember there being many complaints at the time. His performances since coming back have been poor, however.

I must've blinked in those instances where he was doing really well. 

He had some huge moments, which in itself can be a useful trait in a footballer and could be the only justification for bringing him back. He only started four games and two of them were when we played much-changed teams. 

You can call them wingers but you need far more in your locker than Middleton or O'Halloran offer to play in Davidson's 5-2-3 system. 

3 minutes ago, blueheaven said:

I don't get this. We regularly play with two wide forwards on either side of a lone striker. It's probably the formation we've used most often since Davidson's arrival. If anything it's a central attacking midfielder like Crawford who has struggled to fit into the system.

The system doesn't suit Middleton or O'Halloran, who both want to get white paint on their boots and face up a full back. Hence why Davidson ends up playing them as strikers, something that has to stop if we we are to improve. 

It was a poor decision to bring them both back this season, rather than try and find players that are better suited to the systems we use.

6 hours ago, mainstand said:

During the period that he was conceding the higher percentage of shots, defenders were blocking everything that moved in front of him and closing down space so when they did get through on Zander it was wither a pretty good shot or it was a move that got through our back line.  

Then the xSv numbers would reflect that. In reality though, rather than baseless claims, he was conceding goals that were usually prevented. And a lot of them. 

Thankfully, he has improved massively in the past 10 months and deserves all the praise he's getting. 

Key for me with this is the player's commitment. 

I think the short-term nature of the Ciftci deal suits everyone but I wouldn't be so comfortable with Hallberg only being here until the summer. We need him to have skin in the game. 

Intial impression is he won't have the defensive side that McCann offered but are we ever going to find that? Will add some legs though hopefully which is almost as important.

Saints fans will forgive a lot but never a lack of effort and unfortunately Crawford has got himself tarred with that brush. 

If a guy like Danny Swanson can work for the team, there is no excuse for Crawford not doing likewise and that would be a start for him. 

Will it happen though? Unlikely. 

Still absolutely staggered Saints bave given him two-and-a-half years. 

3 hours ago, blueheaven said:

Has anyone heard if we've offered VSO an extension? I think hanging on to him a bit longer would be a good move.

He's gone. And to make matters worse, MacPherson is back in training. 

11 hours ago, Linky said:

And are there any more signings on the way?

I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if there was another five or six signings. There are areas that need immediate addressing (legs in midfield arguably now being number one) but if they are serious about learning from past mistakes (and surely appointing a Head of Recruitment is a big part of that) then they need to prepare for likely departure of Rooney and McCart. 

Obviously retaining league status is the priority but you can't afford to stand still, especially when we've already done it for three windows under this manager. 

Goalkeeping issue will need addressed but there is absolutely no way they can let Clark go in January so we don't actually NEED a keeper until the summer. 

After stating the above, there will then need to be players out as well clearly. 

2 hours ago, blueheaven said:

On the subject of the numerous factors and errors that have lead us to our current situation, I'd go right back to allowing our greatest ever manager to become so unhappy that he walked out in the middle of a contract with no other job to go to, and start with that.

The ultimate irony being he'd have loved having a HoR to share the workload with him on recruitment and that's the sort of thing that could have persuaded him to stay.

My outlook is probably similar to @Aitchy whereby the tide has really turned now and I feel we are massively swimming against it.

This isn't fixed with the players that are already at the club.

Took decision not to apply for this. Will be first home game I've missed (fans allowed) in 7 years I reckon. It was fine back in the summer when we thought it was a route back to something but sitting on your own (no guarantee that family/friends get an allocation) in the cold, potentially in the front bottom corner? Just really don't see the appeal when you can watch it with whoever you like on Sky Sports/Saints TV. 

Everyone I've spoken to feels the same and it's compounded by being told there is no science behind the 500 limit (McDiarmid could easily accommodate all ST holders) but that they are doing this to send out a message that we need to reduce social interaction. That despite triple boosters and LFTs. 

Good luck to those in the hat. 

27 games. Started in April 1979 and ran into 1979/80 season. 

Scored at least 3 goals in three consecutive league games in October 2005, 3-1 against both Brechin and QoS, then 5-1 against Accies. Game in which Goran Stanic scored his only goal for the club. 

Did the same in April 1997: 4-0 vs Partick, 3-2 vs East Fife (day we won league) and 4-1 vs Falkirk. 

We bettered that in January/February 1996, doing it in four consecutive league fixtures: 3-1 vs Clydebank, same score against United, 3-2 against Dundee and then 3-1 against St Mirren. 

In that period under Sturrock, we scored three or more goals in 22 out of 52 league games! What a time to be a Saints fan. 

Also managed a run of four in the spring of 1990, a set of fixtures everyone remembers: 5-2 vs Albion Rovers, 6-0 vs Alloa, 3-2 vs Hamilton, 3-1 vs Airdrie.

In 1982, we opened our title winning season by scoring at least three goals in five of the first six fixtures.

Some other runs of three and four but in 1950, there was a run of five late in the year: 6-1 vs Arbroath, 7-2 vs Dunfermline, 3-0 vs Forfar, 4-4 vs Albion Rovers and 6-1 vs Queen's Park. 

That run has never been bettered. 

2 minutes ago, blueheaven said:

Isn't that basically what happened to Owen Coyle too? I'm convinced he wasn't that far from being under serious pressure here at the point that Burnley took him off our hands.

I think Coyle had turned it round before he left, because he made big signings at a key time. 

His summer business (Stewart, Daal, McCluskey and, to a lesser extent, Weatherston) had been poor but he went out and got Gary Irvine late in the window and Quinn and Deuchar on loan, putting them straight into an underperforming team. 

We'd fallen off the pace early on (more draws than defeats admittedly) but he was one loss in 13 when he left. 

One of those days where you can't really select anyone on quality, so are left looking at effort. 

Would say that Clark was fine after the small error last week might have caused concern and Gordon and McCart got their heads on a lot in the second half. Solomon-Otabor looked like he might have something. 

He was largely rubbish but O'Halloran ran his pan in up front and on a pretty grim day, that effort at least was appreciated. 

Overall success has managed to mask some pretty glaring deficiencies during Davidson's time in charge.

Just 15 goals in 26 home league games under him. Last season we had the lowest goals scored per home game of any team in the entire history of the Scottish football league across all the divisions and over a century. 

We are now 1 win in 12 home games against full-time opposition. 

Vertainen and Solomon-Otabor might be a disaster today, they might not even, God forbid, press and track back but really, we have nothing to lose. The home form can't continue as it is, it must be sucking the soul out of the support. 

Get them both on from the start and hopefully something sticks, as that was one the major problems against St Mirren.

The play-it-safe option today, which is presumably something like Crawford in behind a lone O'Halloran would suggest a manager that will never deliver a team set out to entertain. 

That would hurt far more than a(nother) defeat. 

19 hours ago, Sergei said:

This is just typical of the supremacy mindset of the Old Firm follower. They will always be better than you no matter what you do. It's one reason they follow them. 

Was just going to post exactly the same. Absolutely sums them up.

Transformation in Clark's form since the spring has been remarkable. Everything about his game as well, positioning is great, handling is solid, kicking is better and, the true value of any keeper, he's making big saves that influence games. And obviously he's cut out the mistakes, that were all too frequent. Huge credit to him for turning it around. 

Short career etc... etc... but he would do very well to remember the loyalty that the last two managers showed him when he wasn't playing well and ask himself if he'd be afforded the same luxury elsewhere. Being a reserve goalkeeper is very different to being a reserve full back or striker, the opportunities to actually play are far more limited. But then a few (or a lot) extra quid week maybe make that palatable. 

He certainly didn't give off desperate to stay vibes though when we was asked about his situation a few weeks ago. Wants to play at the highest level etc... 

11 hours ago, rik2304 said:

I continue to be impressed that we've never been hammered under CD. 

Especially from the OF. Even under Tommy we'd get some serious hidings.

Very much so. Other than the Celtic game at the end of last season when we were Covid-ravaged, we have been in every single game under CD.

Actually, the worst performance was probably the one game where he started with a back four, away to Livingston, which is what makes me think he's not likely to rush back to that in a hurry. 

Even the 3-0 defeats to Rangers, we played well but just made bad errors at silly times. 

As said though, you haven't really come away from a single game under CD thinking we've been massively second best there. 

The only really disappointing game this season has been United, where he should have made more changes. Other than that, we are playing well and that's what you are looking for at this stage of the season. That points you far more towards where you'll be in May than spawning a few undeserved wins. 

That's another benefit of being in this league so long, you kind of know how it pans out. First season up we were playing well but not getting results. They came. The first full season under Lonas. Likewise. Then again last season.

So much to be pleased with on Saturday but the way the manager got a new defence gelled is really encouraging. The competition between Muller, Dendoncker, Ambrose and now maybe Brown for that spot beside Gordon and McCart is going to be fierce and should really bring something out of hopefully at least a couple of them.

Three tough games coming up and results might not fall our way yet but if the performances are there again, there will be no need to become concerned. 

1 hour ago, The Real Saints said:

It’s honestly extremely concerning to see the posts which older posters deem acceptable on here and the ones which they don’t. Are we really that out of touch with reality? 

Spot on. But then there is definitely a bit of playing the man and not the ball going on. 

Folk caring more about some words on a forum than the actual important stuff, i.e. the stuff contained within. 

Very strange behaviour. 

When season ticket holders had to buy tickets for the Morton cup tie in January 2020 (seems about 6 years ago now), you simply logged into system with the barcode and it defaulted to your reserved seat.

The ELO club rankings put Galatasaray at 1548 points and LASK at 1567, so I think we can expect an opponent on a par with Galatasaray, if different in style. 

For reference, Celtic are ranked at 1544, which I'd say was about right in terms of quality between them and Galatasaray.

Need to regroup and give this absolutely everything.

Their coverage of Saints is very good. Some of Eric Nicolson's long read weekend pieces have been brilliant.

But I'd have thought most folk would get their fix of news on the day it's relevant, rather than on a weekly basis? 

Does anyone want to read a match report from the previous weekend on a Thursday? 

But then that's maybe not the point of this and it could simply be about clicks or advertising revenue, says the cynic. 

16 hours ago, mainstand said:

I think he is just replacing Ewan Peacock who has gone to Hearts. Although I think this is a increased role in that Ewan was previously just opposition analyst. 

I'm going to surmise that in order to bring in someone as HoR, they needed to let Peacock go. 

EP certainly didn't seek publicity, so I could be doing him a disservice, but I'd guess that Stevie Grieve has a much wider range of abilities and knowledge. 

EP was clearly a good opposition analyst given our success but what SG will bring in terms of player identification and recruitment could be game changing. And hopefully they'll still be able to lean on his analysis and youth coaching attributes as well. 

By putting structures in place to work on recruitment, football operations etc... hopefully it allows the chairman to reduce his own involvement and work rate if that's what he so desires. The club is under great ownership and hopefully this helps prolong that. 

Anyone who has ever read a report on the Aberdeen website will know to take talk of their dominance with a pinch of salt. 

Pre-season ticking over nicely for Saints after the disrupted nature of last year, when we only got two games. 

Europe will be hard but we should be much better prepared than ever before.