derek_holmes

Cup final starting XI?

Is there any evidence for this? That's a genuine question, not an attempt at being passive-aggressive. I'd be interested to see a club's PPV figures, including geographical spread.

Tommy can walk on water.

Living down south, I've loved being able to watch Saints again in recent months. Realistically, I'm not getting to more than a couple of games a season (and I'm not one of those selfless people who will buy a season ticket without getting anything in return). It would be great if the opportunity to watch the team and support the club financially continued beyond this season for people like me – but I fully appreciate why that's unlikely.

That seems to be May's technique now - hard and low, Vardy-style. Always looks risky given proximity to keeper's legs.

This feels unsustainable - like a half-time lead against Celtic. Think the extra body in midfield would have served us better.

Game has a bad vibe about it already.

Melamed's been a breath of fresh air the last couple of weeks. I'm not hugely convinced this change makes us any more solid (and it almost certainly won't make us more potent). We shall see - hope we're all laughably wrong.

I think you're probably right. I got too excited.

So which of our four-unbeaten heroes is getting punted from the starting XI to make way for our new superstar?

Code doesn't seem to work for the Premier Player online-only option (or at least it doesn't for me).

Are we seeing less adventure from our swashbuckling centre-backs in recent weeks?

21-year-old May would have a field day in this team.

Bryson is tidy enough but has no drive these days. Can't see Davidson taking him off till later, though. It's been better today, but I'd like to see the wide players take a bit more care over their crossing. Hammering the ball across the six yard box gets everyone excited but isn't the smartest move if no one's likely to get on the end of it.

I wonder if he has the technique and nous to capitalise when he does manage to barrel his way to the edge of the box or the byline. I guess we'll find out when he gets a run in that position. He's impressive when in full flow, certainly.

He looked tired when he (eventually) came off but put in a right good shift for an hour or so. It was refreshing to see a St Johnstone forward look so confident and dangerous. Will be disappointed if he doesn't start again on Saturday.

One thing about Melamed is that he certainly puts himself about.

That's a superb strike. I blame Callum Booth.

Yes. Best attributes seem to be his comfort on the ball and his ability to sense and snuff out danger.

Melamed causing more mischief in the last five minutes than the rest of our strikers over the season combined. Alistair Heather (if that's who it is) seems a good guy, but his commentary is almost unlistenable.

Nice. I'm also struggling to get beyond McNamara on the right, which is telling (although Drey Wright might have done a job). Nigel Hasselbaink springs to mind as someone who could get to the byline and cut balls back into the area. I think our first season back down in the second tier is a good cut-off point for this.

Here's an eve-of-matchday exercise for anyone who's interested: Which 11 St Johnstone players from, say, the last 20 years or so would best fit the 3-4-3 formation (plus goalkeeper)?

Is it that: CD is trying to redress the balance because he felt he (inadvertently) threw Melamed under the bus in the original interview? CD is hoping to generate a bit of interest in Melamed from other clubs? Melamed has genuinely upped his game over the past couple of weeks? We're so crap that playing Melamed is now the only option? Regardless, he's going to tear United a new one this weekend.

I'm enjoying imagining Frazer Wright and Steven Anderson as overlapping centre-backs.

Do we think McNamara leaving will have an adverse effect on the team? Rooney or O'Halloran would certainly offer something different and more direct in that position. And any (non-punny) news on the replacement from Millwall?