OK, so our last game was a defeat to Celtic but before that we'd been doing well (if you ignore the defeat to Motherwell). Eight points from our first six games is a great return and has given us our best start to a season in five years. We also don't need to worry about when we'll record our first home or away win of the season - something that has plagued us in the last few seasons. The football we are producing at times is a joy to watch, the only problems is we're not taking advantage of our dominance and not scoring the chances that come our way.
That's something St Johnstone have struggled with recently, although they did rattle three past Dundee United in their last game before the break. Unfortunately for them, they also conceded three. This is a game both sides will be looking at as a great chance to get three points. For us, victory is a must. If we are to show that our good start wasn't just a blip and we really do plan to push on and not be involved in a relegation scrap, nothing less than three points will do.
I seem to remember writing something similar this time last year when after a decent first three games, saying that we had to take at least six points from our matches in September. Instead, we recorded four successive 2-1 defeats. That is something we cannot possibly allow to happen this time around. There is no point playing pretty football if you don't get results and another September like last year's will quickly see us consigned to another year of fighting relegation.
Our record against the Saintees in recent years is horrendous. It's six years since we last beat them - Dunfermline being the only other current SPL side we haven't beaten in that time. It's seven years since we last beat them at home and that was a particularly crazy afternoon when they were reduced to eight men. Yes, younger readers, we really did take advantage of a team in blue starting to get men sent off. It is a record that needs rectified - now.
After a horrific opening 15 minutes or so, the team did pretty well in our last match against Celtic. We created chances - although didn't take them - and caused Celtic all sorts of problems. Therefore, it wouldn't be a surprise to see us go with the same team again. However, having had a fortnight to get to know his new team-mates, it also wouldn't be a surprise to see Ilias Haddad make his first start. Marc McAusland looked a bit shaky against Celtic and this is perhaps the best sort of game in which to give Haddad a chance.
We also have another new signing in Joe McKee, but he's likely to be on the bench again. Perhaps the time off will have given Graham Carey a chance to get his fitness sorted out and he will start, although who would you drop? Paul McGowan has done well despite his mistake against Celtic, while Nigel Hasselbaink is needed for his pace. That just leaves Gary Teale and I must admit I wouldn't be too concerned if he was given a wee spell on the bench. The international break has also allowed Hugh Murray and David Barron to get closer to fitness and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the latter on the bench - although Aaron Mooy and Darren McGregor are still out.
It took St Johnstone until their fourth game of the season to even score a goal - but it was worth the wait as it gave them a win over Celtic at Parkhead. After that they went goal crazy against Livingston and Dundee United, although problems in defence meant they only got a draw out of the last one. Now that his players have remembered how to score, manager Derek McInnes will be hoping to push up the table and finally break into the top six.
The achievements of the Saintees and McInnes since they returned to the SPL two years ago have been looked in with a bit of jealousy by Buddies fans. They haven't been involved in any relegation battles. They have gone on cup runs (admittedly we've now had a few of them). They've pushed for the top six. They have attracted players with Premiership experience. They haven't lost to us. All those things have been looked at by folk in Paisley and left us wondering why our team and management couldn't achieve that - something that is hopefully changing.
St Johnstone's struggle for goals this season isn't anything new as it happened to them last year too. In their first year up, Murray Davidson was a major goal threat from midfield yet didn't get any in the league last year. Liam Craig at least picked up some of the slack with six goals, but he'd managed nearly double that tally the previous season. Take that into account and the fact they finished in the top half of the bottom six is pretty impressive. It also saw Rangers make a bid for Davidson, although as they tried their usual trick of offering peanuts for an SPL player they were told where to go.
The problems in attack saw McInnes radically overhaul his strikeforce over the summer. It was goodbye to Peter MacDonald, Andy Jackson, Collin Samuel and Sam Parkin among others, with Sean Higgins and Carl Finnigan coming in. That doesn't sound too impressive, but late in the summer he also added Cillian Sheridan and Francisco Sandaza. Sheridan had a successful loan spell in Perth while with Celtic a few years ago and should do well, while Sandaza has started off in terrific form after overcoming the injuries that blighted his time at Dundee United.
Other new recruits include Dundee United midfielder David Robertson, former Dunfermline man Willie Gibson and ex Saintee Callum Davidson, now back home after making fame and fortune in England. Except he's now injured. Still, they do still have talented defender David MacKay - who scored that winner against Celtic - to call upon as well as former Premiership pair Peter Enckelman and Jody Morris - although Michael Duberry did one in the summer.
It won't be easy and our record against St Johnstone isn't good, but a win tomorrow is a must if we are to pick up points as well as plaudits.
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