Double Winning St Johnstone FC Thread

[RandomGuy.]

7 minutes ago, PSJ.84 said:

Going by his comments in the latest Courier piece it’s back to the ever-effective 5-2-2-1 on Saturday. Woo hoo. 

Is that the interview with him hinting that Murphy might start?

Not because he thinks Murphy can exploit County, or that a change of shape can help. Just that Murphy has looked "determined" coming off the bench lately so changing the shape to fit him might happen. 

Philips and MacPherson both "50/50" to play too.

[RandomGuy.]

Mentions doubts about MacPherson and Phillips but says we have Carey, Wotherspoon, and Hallberg as replacements, so aye.

Matthews

Wright - McGowan - Gordon - Brown - Montgomery 

McLennan - Wotherspoon - Hallberg - Murphy

May

Is genuinely possible for Saturday.

Edited April 6, 2023 by RandomGuy.

[Kyle]

McLennan’s been really good apparently.

 

I’d have said anonymous with the odd flash that there might be something there, but sure Callum. 

[Valentino Bolognese]

39 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Mentions doubts about MacPherson and Phillips but says we have Carey, Wotherspoon, and Hallberg as replacements, so aye.

Matthews

Wright - McGowan - Gordon - Brown - Montgomery 

McLennan - Wotherspoon - Hallberg - McLennan

May

Is genuinely possible for Saturday.

Have we been spending our massive reserves on cloning experiments, or does he just rate McLennan so highly he thinks he can cover both wings?

Give him credit, would certainly confuse the opposition. 

 

[RandomGuy.]

6 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said:

Have we been spending our massive reserves on cloning experiments, or does he just rate McLennan so highly he thinks he can cover both wings?

Give him credit, would certainly confuse the opposition. 

 

Me brain no work good sometime

[PSJ.84]

2 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Is that the interview with him hinting that Murphy might start?

Not because he thinks Murphy can exploit County, or that a change of shape can help. Just that Murphy has looked "determined" coming off the bench lately so changing the shape to fit him might happen. 

Philips and MacPherson both "50/50" to play too.

That is indeed the one. Don’t particularly like getting obsessed with the shape, but if it’s along the lines of a 4-4-2 then I’d be fine with it but we all know there next to f**k all chance of that happening. 

[Kyle]

32 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said:

Have we been spending our massive reserves on cloning experiments, or does he just rate McLennan so highly he thinks he can cover both wings?

Give him credit, would certainly confuse the opposition. 

 

Just cut out the middle man and start with 10 players, our discipline is in shambles anyway.

[Valentino Bolognese]

26 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Me brain no work good sometime

I'm going to assume you meant Carey, which might actually be worse.

My prediction would be something like;

                                  Remi
Wright  McGowan Gordon Mitchell Montgomery                
          Phillips  McPherson Wotherspoon  
                         May  McLennan

I think that the only thing that might force the back 4 would be if both Dan and McPherson are out, in which case I think McGowan moves into midfied. If that's the case then we're in real bother as missing those two massively weakens the midfield which would end up as Carey / McGowan / Wotherspoon.

Carey is 24 on the 20th May and the last day of the season is the 28th. In that game we could easiy start with a 100-year-old midfield 3.

Another swap would be to put Brown in for Mitchell in LCB as it's a great opportunity to play him both on the wrong side and the wrong position. A double win for Davidson.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Valentino Bolognese

[SJFCtheTeamForMe]

Mitchell will come in for Considine, McGowan will be moved over to the left. 

If MacPherson and or Phillips isn't fit he'll bring in Carey or if it's both he'll bring in Carey & Murphy and play with a middle two of Carey & Hallberg with Murphy further forward. 

It's just going to be moving players around to fit into the definitely not preferred shape of a back 3 with wing backs with two directly in front. 

After 13 wins at home in his entirety of his reign I very much doubt now is the time he is going to admit he's wrong and it doesn't work and then change it. 

Edited April 6, 2023 by SJFCtheTeamForMe

[RandomGuy.]

22 minutes ago, PSJ.84 said:

That is indeed the one. Don’t particularly like getting obsessed with the shape, but if it’s along the lines of a 4-4-2 then I’d be fine with it but we all know there next to f**k all chance of that happening. 

I dont think we can really fit McLennan and Murphy into a 4-4-2 well, tbh. Means one would be up front as Wright will always be a starting right winger for me (im still not convinced he works at RB in a back 4) and im not a fan of either there. Murphy maybe the best of the two but if youre partnering him with May then youve two strikers desperate to drop off onto the left side.

The 3-4-3 gets them both on a flank and probably "suits" both best on paper, but we know that shape just gives up the midfield and May isnt a focal point so to actually the get ball sticking up front is a struggle. 

5 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said:

I'm going to assume you meant Carey, which might actually be worse.

Was Murphy i meant.

I think Carey has dropped out the starting line up for now due to his performances, i think. Especially if Wotherspoon played as well as people say last weekend.

[The Saintee]

Knowing Davidson we might never see Carey again.

[RandomGuy.]

5 minutes ago, The Saintee said:

Knowing Davidson we might never see Carey again.

Tbf i think Carey can still offer something.

He just seems to be in the rotten spot in a venn diagram between having no confidence but also having the complacency of knowing he'll play in every game regardless of how performs.

[Radford]

As a Scottish Cup semi-final should be when it doesn't involve the Old Firm...

Still have my ticket stub somewhere I'm sure.

[PSJ.84]

43 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

I dont think we can really fit McLennan and Murphy into a 4-4-2 well, tbh. Means one would be up front as Wright will always be a starting right winger for me (im still not convinced he works at RB in a back 4) and im not a fan of either there. Murphy maybe the best of the two but if youre partnering him with May then youve two strikers desperate to drop off onto the left side.

The 3-4-3 gets them both on a flank and probably "suits" both best on paper, but we know that shape just gives up the midfield and May isnt a focal point so to actually the get ball sticking up front is a struggle. 

 

I completely ignored the existence of Drey Wright so aye that’s fair. I guess one thing is that we’ve not really seen the 3-4-3 with Phillips and MacPherson but I’m still not particularly sold on it. 

[Widge]

45 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

I think Carey has dropped out the starting line up for now due to his performances, i think. Especially if Wotherspoon played as well as people say last weekend.

I mean I wouldn't say he was amazing, but he brought a level of calmness on the ball and actually looked to play forward and in behind the defence, which we don't see from our other players, other than maybe Carey. He also understands how the likes of May play, which is a huge help.

[The Saintee]

39 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Tbf i think Carey can still offer something.

He just seems to be in the rotten spot in a venn diagram between having no confidence but also having the complacency of knowing he'll play in every game regardless of how performs.

I'm not being totally serious. There's obviously a good player there. History shows us that but the issue is can Davidson get it out of him. He's not managed so far so how long has he got before Davidson puts the blame on the player himself.

[Valentino Bolognese]

9 minutes ago, Widge said:

I mean I wouldn't say he was amazing, but he brought a level of calmness on the ball and actually looked to play forward and in behind the defence, which we don't see from our other players, other than maybe Carey. He also understands how the likes of May play, which is a huge help.

I agree with this. One of those players that you can't always point to an amazing passage of play, but the general feel is that we're just a better team with him on the park.

He's had a lot of praise but to add to it, I fucking love Dan Phillips. He's quite an odd player, being a physical, ball-winning disruptor that can also play a bit. Watching him on Saturday he's got great, quick feet and a smart football brain, even if he does play into trouble too often (but when he does he's at least 50/50 to win it back, which he always tries to do). Not scared to have a pop from distance either, although that didn't exactly work out for him at the weekend.

To me he's quite a similar player to McPherson in terms of attributes, but better at finding space IMO.

[Widge]

3 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said:

I agree with this. One of those players that you can't always point to an amazing passage of play, but the general feel is that we're just a better team with him on the park.

He's had a lot of praise but to add to it, I fucking love Dan Phillips. He's quite an odd player, being a physical, ball-winning disruptor that can also play a bit. Watching him on Saturday he's got great, quick feet and a smart football brain, even if he does play into trouble too often (but when he does he's at least 50/50 to win it back, which he always tries to do). Not scared to have a pop from distance either, although that didn't exactly work out for him at the weekend.

To me he's quite a similar player to McPherson in terms of attributes, but better at finding space IMO.

Yeah Philips is great to watch in the team as you never quite know what he's going to do next and some of his skills are outrageous, just a shame they're always 30 yards from our goal and not in the opposition half! To me, he's more mobile than McPherson and a better ball carrier, but isn't as good at passing the ball getting his head up. Ironically combine the two and you'd have a heck of a player (or rather an Ali McCann!) In an ideal world, your midfield would be McPherson, Phillips and Spoony, with 2 strikers ahead of them and a license for Spoony to drift from a rigid central position to float into areas he can play 1-2s with the wing backs.

[Dick Van Dyke]

Since Clark has been injured we’ve had alongside may 

MacLennan 71 minutes at tynecastle  then dropped

Bair 62 minutes at Rugby park then dropped 

Rudden 65 minutes at home to Aberdeen and going by recent comments he’ll also be dropped. 
 

what chance do they have of forming any sort of partnership if it’s someone different alongside May every week. 
 

also it’s been mentioned before but we’re 100% offering MacLennan a deal after CD’s comments, another one getting a deal that they haven’t earned 

[tree house tam]

Callum won't be here to offer a deal.