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Kamara? You'd need to have one of the ball boys with a Karcher pressure washer to hose him down with freezing cold water every 5mins to wake him up. He can do Barisic as well while he's at it I suppose...

So no new signings announced until after tomorrow's game. Fair enough as tomorrow's is an important game for us.

Main takeaways: - No transfers to be announced before this game - No comment on any transfers - But then we're are interested in Raskin - Roofe out for four weeks - Colak back in squad for tomorrow - Some enquiries for our players

McLaughlin is arguably better with the ball at his feet but that doesn't excuse his error against Celtic then his inexplicable decision to play a risky pass in injury time the other night. He got very lucky there. I'm all for goalkeepers (and defenders) looking to use the ball and keep possession rather than aimless long punts. But there's a time and a place for both... What I would say is the manager either needs to pick McGregor or McLaughlin and stick with that decision.

Seriously, Kamara has shown in the past he's a very capable player who can compete with the very best midfielders in the game but, for whatever reason, has completely lost his form and belief over the last 18 months. His passing, positional awareness and anticipation have all been woeful since Euro 2021 and it's a pity as before then he was a key player for us. If he can regain that form then, like you say, he could be part of an important unit which has bizarrely been allowed to rot and fester over the last couple of years.

I think he has the skill set, and would show it more with more technical and positive players around him. He is also tied down for the long term so is part of our future unless we get a bid.

As it stands, we are more than capable of winning domestic Cup competitions, but not the League. A solid defence tends to be fundamental to winning over the long haul but tbh, it isn't the only area we lack in. It is all over the pitch and you can add energy and leadership.

Millport ?

He said there's an interest from us but others are also interested - 21secs in here:

Nice flex....

We’re conceding too many goals at the moment. That needs to change

Beale'e success or otherwise will be determined by recruitment. What was interesting on the other side of the city, was that their best sustained burst of recruiment (in memory) came after the then new first team manager (AP), was given control over it. Unfortunately, the hit rate has been outstanding and that is why they are, where they are. Previously, Peter Lawwell and his lackies played the most significant part in recruitment. From a financial/player trading model it was generally successful, but the hit rate was dubious, bringing in a lot of pish, as well as the odd success. It passed muster because we provided little competition during much of the time. It failed when we applied pressure, bad and complacent squad mgmt. and an awful managerial appointment in the Hampden showers. Finance is fundamental to recruitment options and that is where we stuggle in relation to direct competition. In an attempt to level things up, we have tried to squeeze value out of bigger risks (eg. injury prone, lost their way, etc.). I think we have done this too much and we are now suffering some of the consequences.

Both Raskin and Cantwell are going to be rubbish. I can't believe the industrial quantity of hopium that has been consumed in here.

Apparently he's been carrying a knock for a while.

St.Johnstone tend to go on extended blips of success or failure. Below we have their last 14 matches- Bookended with 8 defeats. LLLWWWDDWLLLLL 0/9 points, followed by 14/18 points, followed by 0/15 points. 05/10/22 PRE Kilmarnock 2 - 1 St. Johnstone View events 08/10/22 PRE St. Johnstone 1 - 2 Celtic View events 15/10/22 PRE Livingston 1 - 0 St. Johnstone View events 21/10/22 PRE Hibernian 1 - 2 St. Johnstone View events 29/10/22 PRE St. Johnstone 1 - 0 Kilmarnock View events 06/11/22 PRE St. Johnstone 2 - 1 Rangers View events 09/11/22 PRE St. Mirren 2 - 2 St. Johnstone View events 12/11/22 PRE St. Johnstone 1 - 1 Motherwell View events 17/12/22 PRE Ross County 1 - 2 St. Johnstone View events 24/12/22 PRE Celtic 4 - 1 St. Johnstone View events 28/12/22 PRE St. Johnstone 2 - 3 Hearts View events 02/01/23 PRE St. Johnstone 0 - 1 Dundee United View events 07/01/23 PRE Aberdeen 2 - 0 St. Johnstone View events 14/01/23 PRE St. Johnstone 2 - 4 Livingston View events 21/01/23 FAC St. Johnstone 17 : 30 Rangers 28/01/23 PRE Rangers 15 : 00 St. Johnstone Treat with due care and attention They are the only diddy club to beat us since before Gio arrived in the dugout (see results above) They put us out of the SC and hence the only domestic team to come away from Ibrox with anything in the 55 season. Earlier this season, Celtic needed a 95th minute winner up there.

2015: Aberdeen 1 St.Johnstone 5 2010: Hearts 5 Aberdeen 0 Bigger pcture Diddy teams generally getting worse doesn't help us at all. If Hearts hadn't wasted so much money on generally poor recruitment over the past few seasons, they could be closer to us than the rest below. edit Chasing McInnes wasn't a good idea. Expecting more than he was providing was an unrealistic dream.

I thought they did? As I always manage to pick out a donkey!

Looking at the Match Hub on RTV it looks like they will be showing the game.

league cup semi was

In terms of tomorrow evening's team, I don't envisage many changes. You'd imagine Jack and Tillman will come back in for Lundstram and Arfield whilst McGregor may start again given it's a cup game and I've no idea what the manager is doing with the 'keeper position. We'll discuss this and more on tonight's podcast!

Just a hunch on my part, though I also suspect he'll be gone by next season.

Would love to see a stato put together a nice graph showing Aberdeen results after a game V celtc compared to results after a game v us.

This in spades. Surely its obvious rotating between a keeper that's always off his line and one that wont move off it all will cause confusion in defence.

I'm sure i heard on a Heart and Hand podcast this confirmed tbh

Signing Cantwell today will give the club, fans, players a massive lift for tomorrow IMO.

I am - McGregor can't make a save, can't kick a ball and can't command his area. McCorrie is injured and untried.

I think Cantwell’s style will suit us. Playing in a team who are always in possession and looking to break teams down. He has the kind of creativity that we badly lack too. I can see him playing as the furthest forward of the midfield 3 a lot. A midfield 3 of Raskin, Kamara and Cantwell would be miles ahead of where we are now in terms of creativity. Not to mention being enjoyable to watch, what a novel concept.

Urgently needed are a right back a left back a centre half all who know how to defend and we might as well throw in a goalkeeper until such positions are filled I can’t see us winning anything.

Look like a pair of shoes that a bird from a couple of decades ago may have worn to the disco. Disclaimer: General comment, rather than on Cantwell.

I like this Raskin...Cantwell not so much. Whoever it is, they just need to stay healthy! Like a GD black magic curse on the team.

We definitely need some new midfielders, so we're looking in the right places.

Sorry, not directed at you, it was just a general comment. We are all on cloud 9 tonight but if nothing announced in next few days, we'll "all" be back to ranting about Wilson & The board 😀

Cantwell was wanted by Liverpool and Villa a few seasons back and was rated at £40M at one point. Lost his way a little (maybe caught up in the hype) but any reports I've read about him have been positive. The kind of player we need to take a punt on.

I think he's the best we've got at the moment tho.

The improved performances of so many players since Beale replaced van Bronckhorst speaks volumes for just how low morale in the dressing room had sunk under the previous manager. Jack, Kamara, Kent, Sakala and Morelos seem renewed. Sadly, if we're to see similar improvement in defence then it looks like it will only be achieved with replacements.

There was a moment in the second half when he 'bulldozed' his way through 2/3 defenders where i immeadiately thought "Thats Morelos of old"

OK, so I should have added... changing the keeper around game to game 🤣

The most positive aspect of our play since Beale has come back, if you can call it that, is the ability to win after going behind. I don't think we'd have turned all those games around under Gio. That said, we need to start better and cut out the early sloppiness and start to build on this run of results. I'm now confident that Beale is the right guy to take us forward, I'm optimistic about our recruitment under him, and I think if we can strengthen over the next two windows, we'll be back fighting for the title again, regardless of what septic do. The future is looking brighter for me, if he's already managing to grind out wins from this depleted and tired squad then it will only get better. It's undeniable that Kent has started to return to form under him as well as Sakala and Jack, and now we're starting to see Morelos contribute meaningfully again. I think Kent will stay now Beale is back and maybe also Alfie, an idea I'm beginning to warm to, that I would have been opposed to up until now. We need desperately need better from midfield and the defence and GK situation needs fixed but that may take some more time, hopefully it can be addressed in the summer as it doesn't look like we have anyone lined up this window. I'd like to start giving McCrorie a chance, I don't see what we have to lose, with the other two keepers proving unreliable. It's hard not to feel fairly positive looking at the run of results, all things considered.

Reality is that we need to sign young players with potential or rough diamonds, train them up and move them on. We haven't done that with much of the team that's let us stagnate. Whittaker may not improve the first team straight away, but looking to the future he may well be worth the effort. We need to keep up the turnover of squad, polishing the rough and selling on for profit.

A large swathe of the middle class, liberal-minded including almost all of the Church of Scotland are so desperate to demonstrate their middle of the road, liberal-mindedness that they want to be seen to distinguish themselves from the more robust elements of Protestantism and Unionism and by so distinguishing themselves, they have become aligned with Roman Catholicism and Separatism. What I can never understand is why they get so upset about flutes and banners and sashes but blowing people to smithereens is somehow neither to be condoned nor condemned but is understandable and almost justifiable for two hundred years old historical reasons. About twenty years ago there was a match of shame at Ibrox. Lennon was ordered off, O’Neil made a fool of himself and what else? Oh, celtic lost. The Labour micks then in power went loco at Holyrood on the Monday. A prominent Liberal-Democrat MSP for a leafy Edinburgh constituency joined in and became their useful idiot in the storm against Rangers and by some weird extension Orangeism although the Loyal Order as such had not been present at the match. I wrote to the Liberal drawing attention to a little bit of history in general and celtic history in particular and asked him if he had considered these aspects. He was good enough to reply confessing his ignorance which astonished me because he was a highly educated man. What astonished me more, though, was his insistence that it didn’t matter because Protestant sectarianism and by association Unionism constituted the greater current problem and had to be dealt with. How liberal is that? As commented on by others, their PR, their propaganda and their adherence to their objectives are better. We should be demanding that Union MPs and MSPs be more determined in their beliefs. There may be signs of that starting. They should be more united in their Unionism but I don’t see Labour committing themselves to that. With regard to Father Lawlor why is the Kirk not publicly expressing disgust and disbelief at his appointment? Forgiveness and redemption are admirable but in most cases futile. Is the Kirk afraid that by calling out the man it will be seen to be attacking his faith? If it can’t manage to rebut that argument it’s not up to much.