Kilmarnock v Saints Preview

It's not me that doesn't think the Jim Jeffries and Gus MacPherson are capable of managing in the top flight, it's the SPL itself. At a recent get together to discuss such exciting ideas as a winter break and not talking about referees, only half the managers were invited. MacPherson and Jeffries were two of those left out, the others being Billy Reid, Craig Brewster and the Edinburgh managers. Quite rightly, MacPherson and Jeffries have criticised their omission in recent times. I can just about come up with plausible reasons for five of the managers missing out, but Jeffries' absence is baffling. He has been a manager for the best part of two decades, most of those in the top flight in England or Scotland. He is the only person still managing in Scotland to have won the Scottish cup with a non-Old Firm club. He would undoubtedly have been able to make a valuable contribution and was more deserving of a place than Mark McGhee and John Hughes, who were invited. I just don't understand why he wasn't invited, but I don't understand most things the SPL do.

In fairness to them, a few weeks ago most Saints fans were wondering if Gus was capable of managing an SPL side. However, two wins in the last two weeks have seen us leap up to the heady heights of eighth in the table and all seems well - for the time being at least. In the past we've often won two SPL games in a row without managing three - and usually we end up going a couple of months before we win again. This cannot be allowed to happen this time and a win tomorrow would ensure we can keep the momentum going.

The two wins have been achieved with the same starting 11, so it makes sense to go with the same team tomorrow despite the return to the squad of Billy Mehmet. Jim Hamilton and Dennis Wyness have done well in his absence and it would be a bit unfair if either were dropped tomorrow. Our recent wins have also coincided with the long overdue return to form of Andy Dorman. His charging runs from midfield were a highlight in the first half of the year and they have begun to appear again in the last few weeks, most notably when he scored from one against Caley Thistle last Saturday.

We still have a number of injuries despite Mehmet's return, with Stephen O'Donnell, Tonet, Steven Robb and Will Haining all out. The first two are back in training, but this has coincided with the reserve league shutting down so their return has been delayed. In truth, we've done well without any of them in the last few weeks and it's only Robb and Haining we could really do with having in the squad.

Last season we managed to finish above Killie as they endured a terrible season, mainly thanks to injuries. They got off to a good start this time around, but had faded a bit until Monday night's win over Motherwell. When fit, they do have a number of talented players such as Craig Bryson and former Saints keeper Alan Combe, who is being linked with a move to either Hearts or Hibs.

Another former Saint is Allan Russell, who scored his first goal since his summer arrival on Monday night. The striker spent last season in the second division with Airdrie and scored 26 goals - probably more than he's scored in the rest of his career combined! In truth, I was quite pleased to see the back of him in 2005 as, while he was a talented player, he only turned it on when it suited him. However, it's almost inevitable he will score tomorrow - our former players usually do well against us and he managed to score twice against Hamilton, who he started his career with, while playing in the black and white.

I don't normally predict wins, but I've done that for the last two weeks and we've picked up three picks each time. So, I predict we'll notch up another victory tomorrow and finally manage three in a row.