nelsjfc

United strike me as an even more extreme version of saints from last season - a team tied to a system they are nowhere near equipped to play. Centre halves looked totally exposed and there was gaps all over the place the first hour. Flat going forward too - not surprised the goal came from a mistake. Can see how they lose 7s and 9s. From a saints point of view, further growth on the momentum. May was terrific and the game suited him perfectly. McGowan was the force in the middle if the park United missed. Big disappointment was that there was any sort of nervousness towards the end because the game should have been dead by then. Feel I'm always targeting him but I don't really see the point in Crawford coming on unless going to 5-2-3. McLennan was the only sub I felt I could understand the thinking behind. Eta - what a great assist from May at the second. The position he picked up, the vision and the pasd

Agree about McGowan. Solving an 18 month problem in the middle of the park. Needs cover/assistance in there - could have done with replacing late on being on a booking - and it robs us of a ball playing centre half but in the last three games we've controlled periods of games which has not happened much recently. Issues with the formation improving with the summer signings but still the squad balance needs addressed. Carey, Phillips, Davidson and Wotherspoon fit makes a massive difference to the options today though.

Delighted for May. His work the last few weeks meant he deserved that. Great finish and great assist. United are a mess defensively.

Same side again. No Davidson or Phillips on the bench so have to hope nothing happens to Hallberg or McGowan. Good to see Gallacher back on the bench.

Be interesting to see what Davidson does today. McLennan doing well in close door games and adds something we don't have with Kane out. Bair scoring too. Think he'll stick with with May and Clark though and they probably deserve that chance. Midfield is more a conundrum. McGowan has done okay but moving him away from the back three limits us playing out. Not convinced about Murphy at the head of the three and assume neither Carey or Wotherspoon are ready. Be tempted to bring in Phillips if fit and push Hallberg further forward. Questions at LWB is Gallacher is fit too. Nice to be talking about best options rather than "least worst" again. Horrendous feeling that Davidson will go back to 5-2-3 today though. Missing a saints game in Dundee for the first time in years. I dont usually moan too much about prices but 60 quid for an adult and two kids is absolutely outrageous. Add in no trains and it's 90 quid+ simply to get to the game and watch it.

Will have to leave it at home

At least the penalty shouts will give Callum something to distract us with post match. The "flexibility" he sought in the summer appears to just flicking endlessly between 5-3-2 and 5-2-3. Genuinely just about got up and left when I saw McLennen go out wide. Tedium

Did appreciate Oliagbes sticking his tongue out. Not enough juvenile stuff like that in the game. Been decent enough without too much clear cut. Wonder if we'll see Crawford or Wee Max for Murphy soon.

McGowan into midfield and Gordon in at the back. Strengths the midfield at a cost to ball playing. More injuries in an area already straggling in but at least Murrays made the bench

I was amazed when McGowan avoided a booking for that off the ball block early on yesterday. It was a thing of beauty. Watching the highlights again its encouraging to see the wing backs so high as well as just seeing bodies in the box in general. At both the first and second goal both wingbacks are right up the pitch and at the first there's five players in the box. So often under Davidson, it would have been one player to aim at. If you're going to play 5-2-1-2, you need the wingbacks to do what they did yesterday (agree with comments elsewhere about Wright being the MoM). It carries some risk but that's why you have three centre halves and a DM. Talking about DMs, Carey and Hallberg cant be the paring against better sides. Hopefully Phillips and Davidson help there. Wotherspoon suits the role Murphy was in yesterday too.

So what striker will we sign today or tomorrow? And will we already be after another central midfielder?

Folk still clinging to positives merely because we somehow scored twice is wild. Well second best - and at times a complete mess - against a grossly weakened hearts side. Are we really to applaud because Callum realised playing an actual left wing back at left wing back 45 minutes into the game?

Lolz

Running through treacle at the second goal. Absolutely finished at this level. Philips has been woeful. Carey certainly has something to offer but its definitely not as a deep lying midfielder. A shambles. Question is, how many?

Free money

Just a bit of a mess isn't it? No idea what the plan is outside sticking rigidly to one of two similar shapes.

Mustn't have been one of his clients that scored. Carey and Crawford in a midfield three.

Assume Montgomery isn't 100%, although there's a chance that Davidson somehow feels we'd be too open with him and Wright. Montgomery and Bair for Brown and May at 65 minutes at 2-0 down.... Looking at that hearts line up, real chance to go at them here. We won't though. And they've got plenty to bring on from the bench. Worried about Ginnelly up against Considine too

They did. Unbelievable decision.

Always enjoy having to sit through 15 minutes of an old firm cake walk before the "proper" highlights.

Putting aside the fantastic second goal, I was watching him and just thinking how much we miss a striker that occupies defences in the way Kane does. Akinyemi didn't give them a minute to breathe. Ball stuck nearly every time. Get in to channels, hold it up, compete. Not going to get a 20 goal striker but need someone to at least worry the opposition. Centre halves must love playing against us at the minute.

https://www.perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk/news/article/scott-boyd-to-leave-his-role-as-head-of-football-operations Here's the flowery statement around it. Sounds like Boyd got another job lined up though. Probably wise enough to get out before any reputation he has is ruined. Ian Flaherty will work closely with Davidson over the last few weeks of the transfer window - assuming Davidson is pretty much in charge of recruitment. Great. Worrying how quickly we seem to be going through back room staff. Robertson, Boyd and Grieve all in and away in the last 5 years. Clubs just limping along.

Be delighted if we see the last part. Maybe a hint we'll see May rather than Bair? With the strikers, I'm almost at the point thinking we just stick MoH through the middle instead and be done with it. Probably leaning to continuing with Bair currently but need to see improvement.

That second goal is an example of why VAR doesn't solve all your issues. It's very difficult to say conclusively if the ball goes forward there (I think its close enough to square to say no) but I don't think its overturned either way. Agree about saints tv today, seemed incredibly downbeat. I'm happy enough that for 60 minutes we approached in the right manner and at least looked to play when the opportunity arose. There still issues - neither striker providing an outball or a threat, both full backs being suspect defensively, Considines lack of mobility - but it was better. At least the ideas and mentality were right even if the quality always wasn't. Concerns around that last half hour. Squad depth is shocking and made baffling subs again. Feel that Crawford is just coming on to try and justify his signing at this point. Brown for Montgomery had to be made, but why is MoH coming on at wb. Either change the shape or stick him as one of the three. And the reaction to going 2-0 was really poor;threw the towel in.

Chucked this now.