Motherwell vs St Johnstone, Sunday 19 May

[Radford]

So here we are. The scene of relegation in 1994 and also 2002. This will never be a Great Escape but can we right some wrongs of the past on Sunday?

The obvious storyline is of course that Theo Bair scores the decisive goal but maybe it'll be Stevie May scoring his first league goal of the season?

We lack quality but the players that have started the last couple of matches are largely the ones you want involved, the guys you'd want alongside you in the trenches. Can Levein be trusted to recognise that though?

Next couple of days is just about letting the heart rule the head though.

[Handsome_Devil]

Regardless of whether Motherwell are involved are not, I would never bet on a side 'on the beach' to win a last day game against a side playing for survival. Dunno if the stats back that or just a hunch mind.

It's hard to judge St Johnstone having not seen them properly since January when the two new strikers weren't settled in. Having to go for the win rather than take a point is quite intriguing, especially with the combination of Dingwall. I can imagine getting a goal early to put pressure on County is the ideal theory but it's hard to see Levein coming out like that. 

As for us, massive shrug... you'd like to finish on a high with some goals but ultimately I'm more interested in the release list and pre-season friendlies.

[capt_oats]

Mentioned this in our thread but this is pretty much a zero stakes game for us. We've a ton of players heading out of contract and potentially finishing 8th or staying where we are in 9th is all that's on the line so it's a question of whether we can collectively be arsed turning up.

The fact that we're at home and you'd hope we want to sign off an entirely meh season with a win. I posted the SPFL video of us officially relegating United on the final day last season where, again, there wasn't really much riding on the game from our POV and it was just a big daft fun time with KVV continuing his scoring streak and everyone having a nice afternoon in the sun.

If we decide to turn up and make a game of it then it could be a good laugh since when we've managed to get it right this season we've actually been very good.

That said, as @Handsome_Devil alludes to above, the fact that we're as "on the beach" as it's possible to be means it's pretty hard not to see Saints getting something out of this given they very much have something to play for.

I mean, such as our defence is at the moment we'll definitely concede.

Edited May 17 by capt_oats

[RandomGuy.]

Trying to figure out a line up for this is tough, as so many you don't want to play compared to wanting to play.

Mitov, Wright, Carey, and Sidibeh, are cast iron starters.

Then Gordon, McGowan, MacPherson, and Phillips, all defacto start due to the other options being ones you want nowhere near it. Tony Gallacher if fit joins this list.

I think...

Mitov

Keltjens - McGowan - Gordon - Gallacher

Wright - MacPherson - Phillips - Carey

Sidibeh - Kimpioka

... is what I want, but I dunno. It's hard to not just see flaws everywhere when thinking about it.

[PSJ.84]

I don’t hate that team, well I do, but it’s about the best we can do. 

[DunkeldRoad01]

Phillips and Macpherson fall into ones you want nowhere near it for me. 
 

Matt Smith has been out of form but I’ve at least seen him have quite a few games where he looked like a good footballer since he came to the club, can’t say the same about the other two.

[mizfit]

Just f**k off Levein. 

[superwell87]

BTTS is a given. Saints really need something out of this, and we have nothing to play for. This could make it a tough game. It would be nice to close the season with a win though. 1-1 or 3-1 Motherwell. 

[Swello]

We've pumped Livi and County when they had more to play for - and then got pumped by Hibs when neither team had anything real at stake - so who knows.

Over the years, it feels like we do well in these last day of the season games at Fir Park (I'm sure the actual stats won't really bear that out BTW) - but maybe because of that, I'm quite confident for Sunday and I'd be lying if I said that the idea of Theo Bair bringing the watching Eric Nicholson to tears with a late winner didn't have excellent patter potential

I've got no beef with St Johnstone at all - great club - but petty as it is, my utter hatred of late 80's Hearts and Levein's part in that means that I'd be delighted to see the damp-eyed jambo bastart fail miserably. Sorry.

An early defensive shiter to send Saintees into the lead and a second half rally to send them into the playoffs would be my prediction....

 

[capt_oats]

2 hours ago, Swello said:

We've pumped Livi and County when they had more to play for - and then got pumped by Hibs when neither team had anything real at stake - so who knows.

Over the years, it feels like we do well in these last day of the season games at Fir Park (I'm sure the actual stats won't really bear that out BTW) - but maybe because of that, I'm quite confident for Sunday and I'd be lying if I said that the idea of Theo Bair bringing the watching Eric Nicholson to tears with a late winner didn't have excellent patter potential

I've got no beef with St Johnstone at all - great club - but petty as it is, my utter hatred of late 80's Hearts and Levein's part in that means that I'd be delighted to see the damp-eyed jambo bastart fail miserably. Sorry.

An early defensive shiter to send Saintees into the lead and a second half rally to send them into the playoffs would be my prediction....

I was having a quick look at that earlier actually.

Last games of the season at Fir Park:

22/23 - 3-2 vs Dundee United (W)
21/22 - 2-1 vs Hearts (W) (last game was 6-0 loss away vs Celtic)
20/21 - 1-2 vs Ross County (L) (behind closed doors)
19/20 - n/a (League curtailed)
18/19 - 3-2 vs Livingston (W)
17/18 - 3-0 vs Hamilton Academical (W)
16/17 - 3-1 vs Kilmarnock (W) (last game was 3-2 loss away to ICT)
15/16 - 1-2 vs St Johnstone (L) (last two games were 1-3 win at Ross County and 7-0 loss away vs Celtic)
14/15 - 0-0 vs Partick Thistle (X) (last league game, obvs last actual game was 3-1 win against Rangers)
13/14 - 2-1 vs ICT (W) (last game was 0-1 win away to Aberdeen - Big John Sutton INCOMEING)
12/13 - 2-0 vs Ross County (W) (last game was 2-0 loss away to St Johnstone)
11/12 - 0-2 vs Dundee United (L)
10/11 - 1-1 vs Kilmarnock (X) (last game was 4-0 loss away to Celtic)

So based on that we haven't tended to do that well against Saints on the last day of the season.

Edited May 17 by capt_oats

[johnoswald2712]

4 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Trying to figure out a line up for this is tough, as so many you don't want to play compared to wanting to play.

Mitov, Wright, Carey, and Sidibeh, are cast iron starters.

Then Gordon, McGowan, MacPherson, and Phillips, all defacto start due to the other options being ones you want nowhere near it. Tony Gallacher if fit joins this list.

I think...

Mitov

Keltjens - McGowan - Gordon - Gallacher

Wright - MacPherson - Phillips - Carey

Sidibeh - Kimpioka

... is what I want, but I dunno. It's hard to not just see flaws everywhere when thinking about it.

Still think we are light in midfield so would gamble bringing back Considine and playing McGowan in midfield in place of Phillips. Who partners him is a struggle though because none of them bring a lot to the table. Maybe Fran’s youthful enthusiasm is the answer but it’s asking a lot of a 16 year old to carry a poor team. If I thought he’d play Clark up top rather than some kind of advanced midfield player I’d play him but if its Adama and Benji I’d not complain 

[Busta Nut]

I see more chat about this being a nothing game. 
I can't help but see that as nonsense excuses (for our inevitable loss, which is coming IMO)
We've prize money to play for. Anyone not interested should be left out.

[RandomGuy.]

46 minutes ago, johnoswald2712 said:

Still think we are light in midfield so would gamble bringing back Considine and playing McGowan in midfield in place of Phillips. Who partners him is a struggle though because none of them bring a lot to the table. Maybe Fran’s youthful enthusiasm is the answer but it’s asking a lot of a 16 year old to carry a poor team. If I thought he’d play Clark up top rather than some kind of advanced midfield player I’d play him but if its Adama and Benji I’d not complain 

Watching back some set plays this season and I'm about 70% convinced Considine is a problem in most of them.

Against Aberdeen he let his man get a free header from about 6 yards while he wrestled Gordon.

[DunkeldRoad01]

                          Mitov

Olufunwa McGowan Gordon Gallacher

 

Wright    Keltjens   M Smith   Carey 

 

                 Sidibeh Kimpioka

 

Assuming Gallacher is available - if not replace him with May and go to a back three with May playing in behind the strikers. 

[RandomGuy.]

4 hours ago, DunkeldRoad01 said:

Phillips and Macpherson fall into ones you want nowhere near it for me. 
 

Matt Smith has been out of form but I’ve at least seen him have quite a few games where he looked like a good footballer since he came to the club, can’t say the same about the other two.

My issue with Smith is he's a shitebag.

As bad as MacPherson and Phillips are, you can half trust them to win a 50/50 at times.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

I'm more arsed about finishing 8th over 9th than I would be about 7th over 8th for some reason. Feels like the boundary between an average season and a below par one. 

[RandomGuy.]

3 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

I'm more arsed about finishing 8th over 9th than I would be about 7th over 8th for some reason. Feels like the boundary between an average season and a below par one. 

Your season ended when you could no longer get a better points tally than St Mirren, and we all know it.

[Widge]

13 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

My issue with Smith is he's a shitebag.

As bad as MacPherson and Phillips are, you can half trust them to win a 50/50 at times.

Did you watch Wednesday, MacPherson didn’t even try and win balls where it was 70/30 in his favour. Hes even more of a shite bag in my opinion. 

[PauloPerth]

Looking at that list of motherwell’s last games of each season, I remember one about 6 years ago, Steve Maclean’s last match for us where he served up a hat trick and Saints won 5-1. Might have been motherwell’s last home game rather than final match of the season.

I desperately want to believe we can do this. The Livi match gave me some hope we can grab a match by the scruff of the neck and play on the front foot.. but we still lost, and haven’t won a match in ages.

I just struggle to imagine what a Saints win would look like. As in, could we score then see it out or could we turn it on and cruise to a comfortable win with Motherwell half arsed. I just really struggle to picture these;  as soon as the opposition score we crumble. 

I’d love us to make a go of it here as I genuinely think county will drop points. But Motherwell are good going forward when they’re on it, and f**k knows we’ve been on the end of some (4-0) pumpings down there over the last few years. I could easily see them turn it on and ensure there’s not even the slightest bit of drama.

Desperately hope I’m wrong and being overly pessimistic.

[RandomGuy.]

3 minutes ago, Widge said:

Did you watch Wednesday, MacPherson didn’t even try and win balls where it was 70/30 in his favour. Hes even more of a shite bag in my opinion. 

It might just be I've seen more of Smith than MacPherson so have just seen Smith shite it more?

Familiarity breeds contempt etc.