St Johnstone v Motherwell 07/11/2023

[MJC]

10 hours ago, stv said:

He’s an arsehole, too smart for his own good.

Being an arsehole doesn’t make someone a bad manager. Quite often you find it’s the opposite.

St.Johnstone haven’t hired him to hand out werthers originals at training and dance through the fields of rural Perthshire of a summer evening, they’ve hired him to get them out of a relegation battle and Levein will do that imo. 

[wellfan]

1 hour ago, MJC said:

Being an arsehole doesn’t make someone a bad manager. Quite often you find it’s the opposite.

St.Johnstone haven’t hired him to hand out werthers originals at training and dance through the fields of rural Perthshire of a summer evening, they’ve hired him to get them out of a relegation battle and Levein will do that imo. 

I'm not sure about Levein. He's been out of the managerial game for over four years, so it's risky for St Johnstone to expect someone like that to come in and save them and take them forward. He may well do it, but he's still an unforgivable 4-6-0 prick. 

[Stevie73]

Fear the worst for this one, we know they will score as we can’t keep hens out a close, but it’s just how many.

[Kmcalpin]

19 minutes ago, Stevie73 said:

Fear the worst for this one, we know they will score as we can’t keep hens out a close, but it’s just how many.

Yes, they'll score but if we can sort out the midfield and strikers then we have a chance. I don't care if we lose 3 as long as we score 4. Going with the right formation and picking the right personnel would be a great start. Both we and St Johnstone know our weaknesses at the back so we just have to mitigate them. Hopefully we'll protect Kelly and take out cross balls before they reach him; lets close down opponents quickly - probably  a pipe dream ( no I've not been on anything).

[joewarkfanclub]

The circumstances for this game dont feel great for us.

Saints have fired their manager, got their first win and will he looking to impress their new manager.

We on the other hand are on a poor run, have several injured players and are low in confidence going to a venue we have historically found difficult.

Id take a point right now just to stop them gaining ground on us.

Glad Im working tonight and can just find out what happened after the fact!

[MJC]

It’s certainly not the best circumstances for us and why I felt it was a bad thing for us when the original game was called off, because we badly needed to halt the run of what at that time was four straight losses. Since then that run has become six defeats from seven with only one point picked up with games against Hearts and Celtic coming up. Meanwhile St.Johnstone have sacked their manager, picked up a big win last week and now appointed a good manager. 
 

Somehow we just have to find a way of getting a result tonight but it’s hard to see it.

[pretzel]

We have only kept one clean sheet in our league games so far, ironically this came when we were down to ten men for 20+ minutes. It's going to be a tough one tonight, I don't think I can cope with Chris Kane netting the winner for them tonight. I would imagine Levein will make them more hard to beat but lets hope his spell is more like his last when he was with Hearts, his footballing philosophy certainly marries up to what they usually expect at McDiarmid. 

It'll be interesting to see how Kettlewell lines up tonight due to not only the injuries but his different approach against Killie. 

[grizzlyg]

I am going to be different and try to put a positive spin on tonight.

I really hope we get a reaction tonight and a massive 3pts.  I am not papering over the cracks and fully aware of the bad run we are on but for me it's only been last 4 games we haven't performed. Very unlucky against St Mirren and old firm but granted still no points.

Buck stops with the manager but the players need to have a good look at themselves, some the past few weeks have had massive dip in form..... Slattery, Kelly and dare I say it ..Casey.

Tonight I don't care about performance, give me a scrappy boring 1-0 win to hopefully stop this bad run.

COYWWWWWWWWW 

[SteelmaninOZ]

I’ll be having my breakfast watching this one and backing the team.💯

come on ye wellllllllll‼️‼️

[pretzel]

47 minutes ago, grizzlyg said:

I am going to be different and try to put a positive spin on tonight.

I really hope we get a reaction tonight and a massive 3pts.  I am not papering over the cracks and fully aware of the bad run we are on but for me it's only been last 4 games we haven't performed. Very unlucky against St Mirren and old firm but granted still no points.

Buck stops with the manager but the players need to have a good look at themselves, some the past few weeks have had massive dip in form..... Slattery, Kelly and dare I say it ..Casey.

Tonight I don't care about performance, give me a scrappy boring 1-0 win to hopefully stop this bad run.

COYWWWWWWWWW 

Yeah I'd be happy with any kind of win just to stop the rot. We have two favourable games coming up before the international break then we get hit by Celtic away when the domestic footy returns. Horrible to think that we could possibly go three months without a win if we don't start getting our act together.

It's scary how the last few months have went, like you say after the games against the arse cheeks and St Mirren I think everyone was agreed that had we had all our forward options available we would have probably been able to take many points from that trio of games. Since the Livi game we have went right off the rails which is a shame because the likes of Spittal, Miller, Slattery, Casey, Kelly etc had set a high bar and it was actually a joy to watch them. 

 

[MJC]

2 hours ago, pretzel said:

Since the Livi game we have went right off the rails which is a shame because the likes of Spittal, Miller, Slattery, Casey, Kelly etc had set a high bar and it was actually a joy to watch them. 

 

For me this is a big worry because it’s eerily similar to how things were in the last few weeks of Hammell and before Kettlewell took over. In the 2-3 loss v Hibs at home, the losses at St.Mirren and Aberdeen, the home loss v St.Johnstone midweek and the Raith cup tie several players looked absolutely disinterested and disheartened. Then Hammell goes and Kettlewell takes over and you had Spittal, KvV, Slattery, Goss all looking like different players with a much improved attitude.

Unfortunately now we are seeing heads drop again and too many look disinterested, disheartened and lacking any direction and unless we get a positive result tonight and again on Saturday then you worry about how and if we can get back on track.

Tonight is vital.

[grizzlyg]

If players heads are dropping and looking disinterested then fingers should be getting pointed at them maybe more than the manager.

It was the right time for Hammell to go but part of me although delighted at results was angry when we won SK's first 2 games in charge as if the players had shown same attitude and application then we wouldn't have needed to change manager 

However that is now in the past.  We focus on tonight and hopefully a very happy forum come 10.00.

Commeeeee onnnnnnn yeeeeee wellllllllllllllll

[David]

1 minute ago, grizzlyg said:

If players heads are dropping and looking disinterested then fingers should be getting pointed at them maybe more than the manager.

Not that I don't agree, but why should that be the case now when it never really has been in the past? When results turned against us it was Alexander, Hammell etc who got the blame. 

Kettlewell is no different.

[MJC]

The players can’t be absolved of blame but if they are collectively downing tools then it raises the question of the strength of the management team.

[grizzlyg]

Well let's hope for a reaction tonight.. a 7pt cushion and 2 PTS behind 4th would be a lovely scenario come 10.00.

Not even thinking of the alternative.   Let's do this Well

[MJC]

Biereth and Wilkinson up top, SO’D returns to the starting lineup, still no Miller.

[wellsince75]

4 minutes ago, MJC said:

Biereth and Wilkinson up top, SO’D returns to the starting lineup, still no Miller.

Miller may just need a break - he's played lots of game for someone young. Equally wonderful if this is to force his hand to extending contract.

Delighted to have S'OD back.  he's everyones first choice when when the chips are down, can't see anyone moaning about that 😉

[stv]

11 hours ago, MJC said:

Being an arsehole doesn’t make someone a bad manager. Quite often you find it’s the opposite.

St.Johnstone haven’t hired him to hand out werthers originals at training and dance through the fields of rural Perthshire of a summer evening, they’ve hired him to get them out of a relegation battle and Levein will do that imo. 

Werthers or not hes still an arsehole

[GazzyB]

O’Donnell???

 

Kettlewell out. Genuinely.

[bobbybingo]

3 minutes ago, GazzyB said:

O’Donnell???

 

Kettlewell out. Genuinely.

Who would you have in - Mugabi or Gent?

[Ya Bezzer!]

Hopefully Kettlewell can set some ambitious targets tonight......like scoring a goal in the first half.

[grizzlyg]

9 minutes ago, bobbybingo said:

Who would you have in - Mugabi or Gent?

Exactly, I agree.   

[ppower]

On 11/5/2023 at 8:02 AM, bobbybingo said:

Take it McGinn will be out. Kettlewell was talking about a possible fractured cheekbone - and 2 broken hooters (Butcher and?)

Slattery is the other broken nose.

[grizzlyg]

2 minutes ago, ppower said:

Slattery is the other broken nose.

Was it not Spencer that had the broken nose?

[AllyMax]

17 minutes ago, GazzyB said:

O’Donnell???

 

Kettlewell out. Genuinely.

The alternative being what ? Mugabi at right back ? Think we've seen that before. Gent at left back ? Gives the ball away and can't defend (on the evidence of the limited minutes he's had so far)