Livi v St Johnstone League Cup Finalists

[Zamora Fan]

I actually think it is important for Saints to win this ahead of the final. If Livingston have beaten us three times, it is a psychological advantage for them. Folk who deny that were probably saying the opposite when we had the upper hand against United in 2014. Look at what our players have said about the importance of knowing you have the beating of a side. 
The one mitigating factor is a game on the artificial pitch in the likely conditions tomorrow will be very different to Hampden Park at the end of the month. 
Interested to see our approach. Hopefully we don't get drawn into an arm wrestle and it's important to keep composure. We showed that last weekend.
If Wotherspoon isn't fit, that presents a dilemma as who plays behind the strikers if he wants to play Kane and Melamed?

I wonder if McCann - who’s played almost every position in the team at some stage this year - could be the player to step into the hole? With Bryson and Craig behind him

[Templar Saint]

2 hours ago, Radford said:

I actually think it is important for Saints to win this ahead of the final. If Livingston have beaten us three times, it is a psychological advantage for them. Folk who deny that were probably saying the opposite when we had the upper hand against United in 2014. Look at what our players have said about the importance of knowing you have the beating of a side. 

The one mitigating factor is a game on the artificial pitch in the likely conditions tomorrow will be very different to Hampden Park at the end of the month. 

Interested to see our approach. Hopefully we don't get drawn into an arm wrestle and it's important to keep composure. We showed that last weekend.

If Wotherspoon isn't fit, that presents a dilemma as who plays behind the strikers if he wants to play Kane and Melamed?

Spoony will be there

[perthsaint1977]

I actually think it is important for Saints to win this ahead of the final. If Livingston have beaten us three times, it is a psychological advantage for them. Folk who deny that were probably saying the opposite when we had the upper hand against United in 2014. Look at what our players have said about the importance of knowing you have the beating of a side. 
The one mitigating factor is a game on the artificial pitch in the likely conditions tomorrow will be very different to Hampden Park at the end of the month. 
Interested to see our approach. Hopefully we don't get drawn into an arm wrestle and it's important to keep composure. We showed that last weekend.
If Wotherspoon isn't fit, that presents a dilemma as who plays behind the strikers if he wants to play Kane and Melamed?

Spoony fit

[LIVIFOREVER]

5 hours ago, Radford said:

I actually think it is important for Saints to win this ahead of the final. If Livingston have beaten us three times, it is a psychological advantage for them. Folk who deny that were probably saying the opposite when we had the upper hand against United in 2014. Look at what our players have said about the importance of knowing you have the beating of a side. 

The one mitigating factor is a game on the artificial pitch in the likely conditions tomorrow will be very different to Hampden Park at the end of the month. 

Interested to see our approach. Hopefully we don't get drawn into an arm wrestle and it's important to keep composure. We showed that last weekend.

If Wotherspoon isn't fit, that presents a dilemma as who plays behind the strikers if he wants to play Kane and Melamed?

St Mirren had beaten us twice going into the semi final, but maybe that being under Gary Holt didn't let it affect us. Would take a draw here to keep our run going and hopefully carry it on till we get to the final, we've come through a run of games against top six teams and not lost, but we can't afford to go into any game thinking it'll be easy, we're just as likely to lose to a bottom 6 team if we don't put the effort in and give it our all.

[Mr Positive, sometimes.]

We've struggled against Livi in recent times and thats before you take into account Livi's current form as well i'm somehow still quietly confident from a Saints perspective certainly more than I thought i would have felt 6-8 weeks ago. 

Showing a level of confidence and belief in recent weeks we simply hadn't shown prior which showed in the inevitability of some of our results (play alright, shit the bed in front of goal, lose shite goal and get beat).

So 0-0 then lads? 

[The Marly]

The day Saints go in to a game against Meadowbank thinking we can't win is the day we should pack it in.

[Templar Saint]

Here is Saints cup final song.

 

https://youtu.be/oTW-W-YlIJM A

@StJohnstone

cup final song courtesy of

@ScarletSkylrRae

 

 

So were is yours Ferranti/Meadowbank/Livingston.

[Jamie_B]

7 hours ago, Radford said:

I actually think it is important for Saints to win this ahead of the final. If Livingston have beaten us three times, it is a psychological advantage for them. Folk who deny that were probably saying the opposite when we had the upper hand against United in 2014. Look at what our players have said about the importance of knowing you have the beating of a side. 

The one mitigating factor is a game on the artificial pitch in the likely conditions tomorrow will be very different to Hampden Park at the end of the month. 

Interested to see our approach. Hopefully we don't get drawn into an arm wrestle and it's important to keep composure. We showed that last weekend.

If Wotherspoon isn't fit, that presents a dilemma as who plays behind the strikers if he wants to play Kane and Melamed?

After the 2014 Scottish Cup semi we played United the following week - basically the cup final dress rehearsal. We won 2-0, with Anderson basically scoring the same goal as he scored in the final to get us started. I remember coming out of that thinking "well we've won that, we'll lose the final now".  But I think knowing we could beat them - as we'd already done handily earlier in the season as well - gave us the confidence going into the final.

I saw an article the other day on the stats regarding Livi's run and it made the point that Livi haven't necessarily been lucky during their current run (though they certainly got a stroke of it frmo Joe Lewis's fumble midweek!), but they certainly haven't been unlucky. I don't know how good a point that is - but I have watched a couple of their games lately and do think they have areas where we can get at them. More than anything we need to try and play our game and we need to defend well. Livingston's ability to take advantage of their opportunities and to hold on to the lead when they get it is remarkable though. We can't afford to concede the first goal here.

I'd be starting the same team that started at Kilmarnock, no doubt about it. Go out and try to get a good start in the game and see where it takes us.

[tree house tam]

1 hour ago, Templar Saint said:

Here is Saints cup final song.

 

https://youtu.be/oTW-W-YlIJM A

@StJohnstone

cup final song courtesy of

@ScarletSkylrRae

 

 

So were is yours Ferranti/Meadowbank/Livingston.

[LIVIFOREVER]

1 hour ago, The Marly said:

The day Saints go in to a game against Meadowbank thinking we can't win is the day we should pack it in.

Yeah but what about going into a game against 5th placed 14IAR unbeaten Livingston that has already beaten you twice this season?

[Valentino Bolognese]

1 hour ago, Jamie_Beatson said:

More than anything we need to try and play our game and we need to defend well. Livingston's ability to take advantage of their opportunities and to hold on to the lead when they get it is remarkable though. We can't afford to concede the first goal here.

I'd be starting the same team that started at Kilmarnock, no doubt about it. Go out and try to get a good start in the game and see where it takes us.

To me this argues for a Sevco approach more than a Killie one. 

Livi can be lethal on the break, they seem to thrive on the counter and love love it when teams go at them, leave space in behind, or try to play through the middle. If I was Callum Davidson I'd be tempted to start;

                         Clark

Roons Kerr Gordon McCart Tanser

               McCann Craig

       Conway  Kane Spoony

But I'm not Callum Davidson and Livi aren't Sevco. So I'd prefer;

                         Clark

Roons Kerr Gordon McCart Tanser

              McCann  Craig

                      Spoony

             Melamed  Kane

Key battles could be the yellow card race between Holt/Craig (or Davidson) in the middle and Rooney/Serrano. Confident that our CBs can (man)handle JET but Robinson seems full of confidence and gives me the fear.  Melamed, who had never seen snowfall until a few weeks ago and loves playing in the cold, can surely ragdoll jobbers like Ambrose and Tayalor-Sinclair. 

Anyway. Looking forward to it. Imagine being deflated because you can't go to Livingston on a Saturday in February? Strange days.

 

 

[crispy]

Any time and for all of time that these teams play I think it’s the toss of a coin.

[Cptn Hooch]

4 hours ago, Templar Saint said:

Here is Saints cup final song.

 

https://youtu.be/oTW-W-YlIJM A

@StJohnstone

cup final song courtesy of

@ScarletSkylrRae

 

 

So were is yours Ferranti/Meadowbank/Livingston.

If that's the standard then we'll just get big Efe to fart into a microphone. Scarlet Skylr Rae needs jailed for crimes against music with that one

[LIVIFOREVER]

Perth is more than a roundabout.

 

Fucking hell.

[Durnford]

5 hours ago, Jamie_Beatson said:

After the 2014 Scottish Cup semi we played United the following week - basically the cup final dress rehearsal. We won 2-0, with Anderson basically scoring the same goal as he scored in the final to get us started. I remember coming out of that thinking "well we've won that, we'll lose the final now".  But I think knowing we could beat them - as we'd already done handily earlier in the season as well - gave us the confidence going into the final.

I saw an article the other day on the stats regarding Livi's run and it made the point that Livi haven't necessarily been lucky during their current run (though they certainly got a stroke of it frmo Joe Lewis's fumble midweek!), but they certainly haven't been unlucky. I don't know how good a point that is - but I have watched a couple of their games lately and do think they have areas where we can get at them. More than anything we need to try and play our game and we need to defend well. Livingston's ability to take advantage of their opportunities and to hold on to the lead when they get it is remarkable though. We can't afford to concede the first goal here.

I'd be starting the same team that started at Kilmarnock, no doubt about it. Go out and try to get a good start in the game and see where it takes us.

On the subject of not being unlucky; we have hit the woodwork a number of times however the worst point is that we've been playing twice a week since almost the new year.  This has resulted in a higher than usual number of injuries particularly hitting our defence and forward line. Midfield is pretty much full strength though so who knows.

[Mr Positive, sometimes.]

1 hour ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

Perth is more than a roundabout.

 

Fucking hell.

fuckin right it is. 

Its two fucking roundabouts!!

[Valentino Bolognese]

36 minutes ago, Mr Positive, sometimes. said:

fuckin right it is. 

Its two fucking roundabouts!!

3

[ATLIS]

11 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said:

3

4 and a Designer Outlet, final offer

[PauloPerth]

9 hours ago, Templar Saint said:

Here is Saints cup final song.

 

https://youtu.be/oTW-W-YlIJM A

@StJohnstone

cup final song courtesy of

@ScarletSkylrRae

 

 

So were is yours Ferranti/Meadowbank/Livingston.

[tree house tam]

Scarlet is definitely Templars granddaughter,  it's the only plausible way he would be promoting that pish.

On the plus side, at no point did she use the word Saintees....... aye , that's about all I've got.