St Johnstone players overlooked by Scotland

[craigkillie]

St Johnstone could do with actually winning a game this season if they want to get players into the squad.

[MarkoDevilovich]

5 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

St Johnstone could do with actually winning a game this season if they want to get players into the squad.

Or have players who are actually international standard. To my eye none of the three who's names keep cropping up are.

[2426255]

It's a fair question. If these St Johnstone players are so good then how come no other teams have tried to buy them?

[PauloPerth]

3 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Think it's quite clear none of our players will make the next squad, and I'm not sure why folk are getting their hopes up.

Way Steve Clarke operates means Liam Kelly has more chance than Zander Clark, while Welsh and Ralston have more chance than Kerr or Rooney. We'll get the usual patronising "they're good players we'll co time to have a look at, they're not far away" before they get ruled out based on a bad 10 minutes v the OF later in the season.

Not sure Gordon or McCart are better than their competitors to get near the squad though.

I don't think anyone's seriously getting their hopes up.

Its time for a Scotland squad to get announced, its our job to bring it up.  And it's the job of diddy club fans to mock the suggestion.

Its tradition.

[Clown Job]

Why a St Johnstone player must be named in Steve Clarke's Scotland squad this week

You see, a St Johnstone player being capped for the senior national side is a rare occurance indeed. It has happened only once in the last 89 years, and even that was limited to a fleeting last minute substitute appearance.

When Murray Davidson came off the bench in a 2-1 win over Luxembourg in 2012, it was the first time since goalkeeper Sandy McLaren in 1932 that a Saints player had represented Scotland.

Now with the McDiarmid Park club achieving remarkable feats both domestically and in Europe, it would be a terrible sin if there was another such long wait for one of their players to be recognised at international level.

Last season's national cup double was among the greatest achievements our game has ever seen. The last team outwith the Old Firm to lift both League and Scottish cups was Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen – a side littered with Scottish internationals – in season 1989-90.

 

Their headturning results on the continent this season only underline how good this St Johnstone side are. Away draws at both Galatasaray and LASK – two European heavyweights – would be considered good outcomes for Celtic and Rangers, sides with infinitely greater resources.

A small club in comparison to those they are rubbing shoulders with, St Johnstone now stand within 90 minutes of European group stage football, and a momentous moment in the annuls of the Scottish game.

While there is no doubt that the Perth side are greater than the sum of their parts, and that Callum Davidson – a future Scotland manager in the making – deserves huge credit for how he has organised his team, their success could not have been achieved without good individual players, of which they have a few.

Murray Davidson is 33 now, and despite his continued heroic displays in the middle of the park for his hometown club, his first cap is likely to remain his last given Scotland's strength in that particular area.

But there are several of his teammates who are knocking on the international door, and in positions where Steve Clarke ought to be mulling over his options, ahead of the September matches against Denmark, Moldova and Austria.

The foundation of Saints success has been their solidity at the back where centre-backs Liam Gordon, Jason Kerr, and Jamie McCart have formed an impressive unit in front of Zander Clark.

All four could have arguements for inclusion, but in the St Johnstone goalkeeper, there is a player that can surely no longer be overlooked by Clarke.

Behind every successful side is a solid and reliable custodian – just ask Celtic – and Clark must now be in serious contention for his first international call-up at any level.

In terms of shot-stopping, kicking, communication he ticks all the boxes and his fearless performances in Turkey and Austria show that he is capable of perfoming on the big stage. He could even come in handy in the opposition box if Scotland are chasing a last minute equaliser, as his Scottish Cup heroics at Ibrox last season will testify.

Given Scotland's issues in the goalkeeping department – David Marshall is now third choice at Derby County, Craig Gordon is performing well for Hearts but is approaching 39-years-old, and Jon McLaughlin only getting the odd-game for Rangers – there is an opening for Clark, or at least there ought to be.

Clarke has been faithful to his regulars, but the end of the Euro 2020 journey, where Scotland's first qualification for a major finals in 28 years ended in the customary group stage disappointment, despite the heroics at Wembley, feels like the right time to close some doors and open new ones.

The Scotland boss has shown his willingness to look beyond Glasgow’s big two when it comes to filling his squad with SPFL players – the likes of Stephen O'Donnell, Declan Gallagher, Andy Considine, Paul Hanlon and Kevin Nisbet have all won their first caps under his tenure.

If Motherwell, Aberdeen and Hibs players are good enough for call-ups, then St Johnstone’s certainly are. 

Alongside Clark, club captain Jason Kerr is also pushing for a call-up, but while there is a dearth of options in the goalkeeping department, there is increasing competition for a place in the Scotland defence.

With Kieran Tierney nailing down the left side position in the back three, and Grant Hanley arguably stepping up and claiming the central position with his performances at Euro 2020, it is only the right-side central berth that is up for grabs, which so happens to be Kerr’s position for St Johnstone, and one he has been starring in.

Jack Hendry has not looked overly convincing when played there, and while Scott McTominay has played on the right of the back three to varying degrees of success, Clarke has stated that he wants the Manchester United man in midfield.

To do that he needs a solution and Kerr is worth a look. John Souttar is another performing well at club level.

The Hearts defender already has three caps to his name, although he has yet to feature under Clarke, having been largely unavailable for his most of his tenure due to long-term injury.

He made his debut in a 4-0 drubbing against a star-studded Belgian side in 2018, then a month later, in his third appearance, he was sent off in a 2-1 defeat to Israel.

Hardly the start to his international career he would have wanted, but with his injury woes now behind him, and on the back of an impressive start to the season at Hearts, it would be no surprise to see the 24-year-old make the list, which would be great, as long at least one St Johnstone player makes the cut.

[Ro Sham Bo]

That Alex Ferguson achievement with Aberdeen in 89-90 will never be topped. An incredible feat for someone managing Man Utd at the same time. 

[Les Cabbage]

Zander Clark being in the squad after his fifa pro clubs attempt at saving Pawletts shot today would be laughable.

Would happily have Kerr over Gallagher but tbh hope not just for the seethe, doesn’t really matter who our 5th choice centre half is tbh.

[Ludo*1]

Zander Clark shouts are just moronic.

[RandomGuy.]

20 hours ago, 2426255 said:

It's a fair question. If these St Johnstone players are so good then how come no other teams have tried to buy them?

What?

By all accounts we've been rejecting bids for McCart all Summer, while clubs have been trying to sign Kerr for well over a year too.

Just because we aren't selling them doesn't mean there's not interest. Half the English Championship has put offers in for McCann too.

[2426255]

20 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

What?

By all accounts we've been rejecting bids for McCart all Summer, while clubs have been trying to sign Kerr for well over a year too.

Just because we aren't selling them doesn't mean there's not interest. Half the English Championship has put offers in for McCann too.

I wasn't really considering Ali McCann as he isn't eligible for Scotland. 

"We have had slight interest in players but nothing really serious" Callum Davidson

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, 2426255 said:

"We have had slight interest in players but nothing really serious" Callum Davidson

Because they know we won't sell.

McCann was used as an example of that. Plenty of teams want him, but are trying, as teams do, to get them on the cheap. Rooney, McCart, and Kerr are all free to leave next Summer, while we're trying to get in the Groups of Europe, no club is going to pay what we want just now when they can just wait 6/12 months.

The idea players are shite if they aren't moving clubs is bizarre.

[2426255]

Why won't St Johnstone sell if they will lose any potential transfer fee in the next year. Isn't that a bad business model? or you expect them to be sold after the LASK game? Also I'm not a St Johnstone fan and so I don't know the contractual details of your players.

I'd say it's the exception to the rule for successful National team players to be playing for a non-OF team in the SPL sadly. 

Edited August 23, 2021 by 2426255

[RobbieD]

3 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Because they know we won't sell.

McCann was used as an example of that. Plenty of teams want him, but are trying, as teams do, to get them on the cheap. Rooney, McCart, and Kerr are all free to leave next Summer, while we're trying to get in the Groups of Europe, no club is going to pay what we want just now when they can just wait 6/12 months.

The idea players are shite if they aren't moving clubs is bizarre.

If any club bids anything close to 700k for any player except McCann, they are selling them.

Let’s not pretend otherwise here. 

[RandomGuy.]

3 hours ago, 2426255 said:

Why won't St Johnstone sell if they will lose any potential transfer fee in the next year. Isn't that a bad business model?

If we make the groups of Europe we get at least £3m+

We've no chance of replacing McCart/Kerr/Rooney with the fee we can get for them with just 12 months left of their deal.

7 minutes ago, RobbieD said:

If any club bids anything close to 700k for any player except McCann, they are selling them.

Let’s not pretend otherwise here. 

No club will bid that high for players out of contract next Summer.

[Trackdaybob]

3 hours ago, 2426255 said:

Why won't St Johnstone sell if they will lose any potential transfer fee in the next year. Isn't that a bad business model?

The result on Thursday will have a massive influence on what will (or will not) happen. 

Wishful thinking perhaps but if we qualify for the Europa Conference, I'd like to think the players will want to be part of that despite the derisory offers from bottom half english championship jobbers. 

[RobbieD]

The wages those championship jobbers pay will blow anything out of the water than be offered by most teams in Scotland. 

[The Real Saints]

Call me delusional, but I’ve got a feeling that today might be the day.

[mizfit]

Call me delusional, but I’ve got a feeling that today might be the day.

You’re delusional

[2426255]

I could see a Saints player being called up also. In my view Zander Clark, Shaun Rooney and Jason Kerr all have a fair chance due to positions becoming available through illness/lack of playing time.

• We know Steve Clarke likes the Goalkeepers as a group so I'd be a little surprised if they weren't kept constant and Marshall just dropped down to 2nd or 3rd choice. Therefore, I think Zander Clark is the least likely to be called up.
• I can definitely see Jason Kerr being called up and would approve really. It possibly depends on where McTominay fits into the squad for the upcoming games.
• Shaun Rooney could be called up due to injury/illness to O'Donnell and lack of playing time for Patterson.

  

Edited August 24, 2021 by 2426255

[RossBFaeDundee]

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