Motherwell vs St Johnstone, Sunday 19 May

[Handsome_Devil]

58 minutes ago, 'WellDel said:

 

@capt_oats team there is what I'd like to see us start with. Halliday hasn't done much to impress in his recent outings so would much prefer wee Davor back in the middle. 

I love how everyone is calling for Davor to be recalled while fully aware it'll be Paton who comes in.

We might as well bench Gent to complete the retro feel, play McGinn or some such at lwb.

[Swello]

2 hours ago, PauloPerth said:

Steve Maclean’s a postie now??

Aye - was quite surprised when I first saw him - a bit of a double take when he handed me my post. I suppose most ex-players need to go and get a job if/when they are out of full-time football stuff, so fair play to him..

[The Saintee]

5 minutes ago, Swello said:

Aye - was quite surprised when I first saw him - a bit of a double take when he handed me my post. I suppose most ex-players need to go and get a job if/when they are out of full-time football stuff, so fair play to him..

Aye. Saw the other day that Murray Davidson is a Prison Officer.

['WellDel]

35 minutes ago, Handsome_Devil said:

I love how everyone is calling for Davor to be recalled while fully aware it'll be Paton who comes in.

We might as well bench Gent to complete the retro feel, play McGinn or some such at lwb.

Fvck, aye. How could I forget about SK's love of the bald/bold Harrison. Yir right, it'll quite probably be him.

[PauloPerth]

20 minutes ago, Swello said:

Aye - was quite surprised when I first saw him - a bit of a double take when he handed me my post. I suppose most ex-players need to go and get a job if/when they are out of full-time football stuff, so fair play to him..

Aye definitely, just surprised as I thought he would have picked up a job in football working alongside an old colleague somewhere. He maybe is coaching part time, i suppose.
 

A St Johnstone legend; our top all time premier league goal scorer. 

[YassinMoutaouakil]

18 minutes ago, The Saintee said:

Aye. Saw the other day that Murray Davidson is a Prison Officer.

Please, nobody tell Steelmen Online about this.

[The Saintee]

12 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

Please, nobody tell Steelmen Online about this.

Is Muzz then....not popular?

[YassinMoutaouakil]

20 minutes ago, The Saintee said:

Is Muzz then....not popular?

Haha aye. Been a few years obviously but he used to get spoken about on there like a Vinnie Jones/Roy Keane hybrid.

Edited May 18 by YassinMoutaouakil

[capt_oats]

9 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

Haha aye. Been a few years obviously but he used to get spoken about on they're like a Vinnie Jones/Roy Keane hybrid.

I mean, I'm sure it's true of other teams as well but there's a special flavour with the takes on St Johnstone on SO.

It's weird/funny it's like an imagined version of Saints they're talking about rather than what they're actually like.

I mean not to single anyone out but:

Quote

"A typically street-wise St Johnstone under Levein's cynical control will find it all too easy to con the ref with their play-acting and time-wasting while I fear little will be done about their "robust" takling. If they score first these tactics will only increase and we will find it hard to turn things around"

Sir, have you actually *seen* the St Johnstone team recently?

Edited May 18 by capt_oats

[YassinMoutaouakil]

3 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

I mean, I'm sure it's true of other teams as well but there's a special flavour with the takes on St Johnstone on SO.

It's weird/funny it's like an imagined version of Saints they're talking about rather than what they're actually like.

I mean not to single anyone out but:

Sir, have you actually *seen* St Johnstone recently.

Bring back Tom Wright. 

[PSJ.84]

I wish even half of that quote was true. 

[RandomGuy.]

1 hour ago, capt_oats said:

I mean, I'm sure it's true of other teams as well but there's a special flavour with the takes on St Johnstone on SO.

It's weird/funny it's like an imagined version of Saints they're talking about rather than what they're actually like.

I mean not to single anyone out but:

Sir, have you actually *seen* the St Johnstone team recently?

Those were the days.

[RostokMcSpoons]

8 hours ago, 'WellDel said:

Agree with @Busta Nut that only players fully motivated for playing 90mins should be involved, an extra £60k may be chicken feed to the top couple of clubs but at our level it's a sizeable chunk of a first team wage, so very much worth fighting for.

Nah, I'm sorry but I don't buy that, or think it's realistic.

Sure, as a manager you'd want to march into the dressing room and look each player in the eye and say "you're going to give your all on the pitch aren't you?" and expect a positive response.    

But is a player really going to put himself at risk of getting crocked in a 50/50 challenge, just before his summer hols, all for the sake of a slightly different number on an Excel spreadsheet?
Now if we've got something juicy like a Euro place, or to avoid the drop, that's a different kettle of fish... but for a few quid in the coffers that half have no chance of seeing (as they're offski)...?  nah, they're not going to be at the very peak of commitment. 

Maybe I'm out of line here, but It feels like this is just setting up another excuse to have a go at players and management that certain people on this board will never properly support. 

['WellDel]

1 minute ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

Nah, I'm sorry but I don't buy that, or think it's realistic.

Sure, as a manager you'd want to march into the dressing room and look each player in the eye and say "you're going to give your all on the pitch aren't you?" and expect a positive response.    

But is a player really going to put himself at risk of getting crocked in a 50/50 challenge, just before his summer hols, all for the sake of a slightly different number on an Excel spreadsheet?
Now if we've got something juicy like a Euro place, or to avoid the drop, that's a different kettle of fish... but for a few quid in the coffers that half have no chance of seeing (as they're offski)...?  nah, they're not going to be at the very peak of commitment. 

Maybe I'm out of line here, but It feels like this is just setting up another excuse to have a go at players and management that certain people on this board will never properly support. 

I would expect a level of professional pride, aye. If someone like Spittal has his eye on escaping injury free before his switch to the capital, or Vale wants to be guaranteed fit for a tilt at a first team squad position at his parent club or to be attractive as a loan option elsewhere next season then fine, let them sit it out and give folk who want to be here next season fighting for a starting berth a run out. Not a big ask, Shirley?

 

 

[Handsome_Devil]

11 minutes ago, 'WellDel said:

I would expect a level of professional pride, aye. If someone like Spittal has his eye on escaping injury free before his switch to the capital, or Vale wants to be guaranteed fit for a tilt at a first team squad position at his parent club or to be attractive as a loan option elsewhere next season then fine, let them sit it out and give folk who want to be here next season fighting for a starting berth a run out. Not a big ask, Shirley?

Put it this way, if the scenario was reversed, I would 100% be expecting our guys to out run and out fight an opponent with only pride and pounds on the line.

The difference between us winning for eighth and losing for ninth, in financial terms for the players, is probably only a few percentage points and negligible in terms of their lifestyle.

Would I like them to go out tomorrow and be 110% committed in full-blooded tackles? Sure. However, expecting them to care as much as a side fighting for survival just seems to contradict human nature - St Johnstone and County players will be aware that fucking this up means some of them might never play in the top-flight again. In a worst case scenario, they will be aware non-playing, normal people in their clubs could be on the dole next month if they turn off defending a corner.

We or Aberdeen might still be good enough to win, County and St J, despite their motivation, might be shite and lose anyway. There will no doubt be professional pride and I think the modern lessening of the physical element closes the gap a bit

But if it's 1-1 in the last 15 minutes, will a few quid more persuade us and the Sheep to find an extra yard, make an extra run etc compared to the opposition with what they have at stake? Nah.

[AnderooMFC]

10 hours ago, 'WellDel said:

I'd also like to maybe see a couple of the youngsters like Wells/Ferrie/Garcia get a wee half hour run out. I'll be bold and predict a couple of late goals and a 3-1 home win to sign off with.

3-1 because we won't keep a clean sheet, and +2 gives us 0 goal difference just for a laugh.
And also agree - give the kids a half hour! (Though a betting man would say it's Davor and Moses coming on at 75' for Paton and Vale instead)

[Kyle]

I suspect one team will look like they have it all to play for and the other on the beach, but it won't be the order it really ought to be. Some of our players haven't looked interested for a while now. 
 

Levein's pre match press conference didn't do much to quell my fears about  motivation either. I got the impression he wasn't even sure if Ross County were at home or not. 

[CoF]

9 hours ago, capt_oats said:

"A typically street-wise St Johnstone under Levein's cynical control will find it all too easy to con the ref with their play-acting and time-wasting while I fear little will be done about their "robust" takling. If they score first these tactics will only increase and we will find it hard to turn things around"

 

I read that in the voice of a grainy filmed 1950's commentator for some reason. Works quite well. 

[Costanza]

56 minutes ago, Kyle said:

I suspect one team will look like they have it all to play for and the other on the beach, but it won't be the order it really ought to be. Some of our players haven't looked interested for a while now. 
 

Levein's pre match press conference didn't do much to quell my fears about  motivation either. I got the impression he wasn't even sure if Ross County were at home or not. 

My own fault for watching it but that press conference was grim. Get him away to f**k. 

[tree house tam]

People saying the Saints players have something to play for? Not many, as we have an out of contract list that gives us some hope we never see any of them again. They know it, we know it. They downed tools ages ago.