{"id":13867,"title":"Saints Row","description":"So much of supporting St Mirren is playing an Operation-style game of trying to dig out positives without setting off the \u201caw here that\u2019s actually not very good is it?\u201d buzzer in the process. Our trip to face St Johnstone on Saturday was very much an example of this. St Mirren (or as we\u2019re officially known up McDiarmid Park after seven goalless years, \u201cSt Mirren nil\u201d) lined up against Callum Davidson\u2019s men off the back of a disappointing home defeat to Dundee last weekend","content":"

By Andrew Christie<\/em><\/p>

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<\/p>

So much of supporting St Mirren is playing an Operation-style game of trying to dig out positives without setting off the \u201caw here that\u2019s actually not very good is it?\u201d buzzer in the process. Our trip to face St Johnstone on Saturday was very much an example of this.<\/p>

St Mirren (or as we\u2019re officially known up McDiarmid Park after seven goalless years, \u201cSt Mirren nil\u201d) lined up against Callum Davidson\u2019s men off the back of a disappointing home defeat to Dundee last weekend. St Johnstone themselves have been experiencing a mixed bag of a season \u2013 with memories of last season\u2019s double cup win seeming long in the rear-view for many in Perth as the side struggle to recapture the football that won them so many admirers in the tail end of last campaign.<\/p>

The season\u2019s second 0-0 between the two teams followed, with St Mirren playing the game\u2019s better football \u2013 as much as \u201cfootball\u201d could be played on a pitch receding quicker than Chris Kane\u2019s hairline \u2013 but ultimately coming back down the road frustrated at not making the most of an opportunity to build on their points tally.<\/p>

The game\u2019s first talking point came with the pre-match release of the team sheets, as Jim Goodwin announced the omission of Saints frontman Eamonn Brophy, starting on the bench after suffering midweek with a virus. Starting in his place: Curtis Main. Other team news included the welcome return of Jamie McGrath from injury, as Saints moved back to playing the 3421 formation that had served us so well before the ROI international\u2019s injury.<\/p>

Although conditions \u2013 the pitch, the wind, having to exist in the same postcode as that St Johnstone team \u2013 were not ideal, the switch in system saw St Mirren emerge a revitalised side to that which finished the game against Dundee last week. The creativity, vision and ball-carrying ability of McGrath and his number 10 partner Connor Ronan was a constant threat, with the two constantly looking to turn the screw and create. Flanked by Scott Tanser and Richard Tait on the left and right wings respectively, St Mirren generally looked a much more dangerous prospect.<\/p>

That being said, St Mirren failed to create any real chances of note on the, with passages of the game devolving into SPFL \u201cthe floor is lava\u201d (which, to be fair, would have provided a far more structurally sound playing surface).<\/p>

One reason for this, as far as I see it, was the omission of Eamonn Brophy from the Saints front line.<\/p>

Despite finding pockets of space on occasion and repeatedly looking to link up with the advanced midfielders, Curtis Main was not able to influence the game to anywhere near the level he\u2019d have liked, cutting a frustrated figure as the lone man up top. Had Brophy been 100% fit, his movement in dropping off the opposition backline and running the channels would have likely had some luck against what was, on the day, a St Johnstone defence lacking. While there is certainly a place for Main in this Saints side, this was simply not a game that was ever going to get the best out of him.<\/p>

Ultimately, for the second week in a row we failed to break down a side set up to frustrate and stifle us with the hosts \u201cCup Double Winning Media Darlings\u201d tag slipping with every Murray \u201ca YouTube video of a spider stuck in a bath\u201d Davidson-inspired raked stud (striker Chris Kane would cap off a torrid day for his side by taking himself into a red card on 85 minutes) . Luckily when teams look to drag the game into the sewer, they\u2019ll tend to find Alan Power, greased up and ready for A Row.<\/p>

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Man of the Match Power put in another composed, assured performance in the heart of the St Mirren midfield. Since his arrival in Paisley, the 33-year-old has shown a keen ability to adjust to the ebb and flow of a game\u2019s intricacies. When a tie calls for it (as Saturday\u2019s repeatedly did), he is able to meet the\u2026 \u201cdarker\u201d side of an opponent\u2019s style head-on. Conversely, when the game requires Power to get his foot on the ball, he stands up; as his 85 touches, 44 accurate passes, 1 interception and 18 recoveries in Perth show.<\/p>

Defensively, Saturday was as comfortable an afternoon as we\u2019ll see all season, with the home side\u2019s xG of 0.28 making our 0.73 seem free-scoring by comparison. One positive to take from Saturday is our continued away form now stretching to five unbeaten on the road. The goal now is to learn to capitalise more on games like this and turn the impressive football we repeatedly show we are capable of playing into results.<\/p>

On the other side of the international break lies a home tie against Livingston. The time off will give the squad time to reset somewhat, and work on training field in developing that cutting edge more as our injured players return to full fitness.<\/p>

It really does feel like St Mirren are on the edge of becoming something special right now, but being on that edge can only get us by for so long. Looking forward to the Livi game, we know better than to name any game at this stage of the season a Must-Win, but at the same time: it\u2019d be nice, wouldn\u2019t it?<\/p>","urlTitle":"saints-row","url":"\/blog\/saints-row\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/saints-row\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/miseryhunters.co.uk\/blog\/saints-row\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1636497102,"updatedAt":1636497716,"publishedAt":1636497716,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":106606,"name":"Misery Hunters"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/yeldeoiwkla2hlrifenh7rsyn7wtal43zbcb7tzfs4tvw3iu.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/yeldeoiwkla2hlrifenh7rsyn7wtal43zbcb7tzfs4tvw3iu.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/yeldeoiwkla2hlrifenh7rsyn7wtal43zbcb7tzfs4tvw3iu.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":16742,"title":"Winds of Change","url":"\/blog\/winds-of-change\/","urlTitle":"winds-of-change","division":106606,"description":"As I write this, I should be on my way to Dundee - A half bottle in one hand and a handwritten \u201cAlex Gogic can I have ur shirt?\u201d sign in the other. With the weather once again putting pay to the tie at Dens, we were handed an extra night to reflect on what has been an extremely eventful week in the Paisley Saints\u2019 season.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/h2o21ybjfyfbvhcedvfvtnpjxhh10fbupclrig36odwglz2j.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/h2o21ybjfyfbvhcedvfvtnpjxhh10fbupclrig36odwglz2j.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":38046,"title":"The Back Five #11","url":"\/blog\/the-back-five-11\/","urlTitle":"the-back-five-11","division":106606,"description":"Misery Hunters writer Andrew Christie takes a sideways look at a massive week in St Mirren's race for the Top Six.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ksnq6eonkpndsqlth3w4mscwpvdsrk9ximfeprace1zptfox.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ksnq6eonkpndsqlth3w4mscwpvdsrk9ximfeprace1zptfox.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":15740,"title":"Tangerine Dream","url":"\/blog\/tangerine-dream\/","urlTitle":"tangerine-dream","division":106606,"description":"This week saw the return of Premiership football after a long, dark, cinchless and ultimately joyless Christmas period. The break couldn\u2019t have come at a better time for St Mirren, allowing Jim Goodwin and his team the chance to hit the reset button on a run of form that saw us register 12 league games without a win.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/itwy5sfkpqs9vmoij8ofcggbaq2qmjzvhe6wkgdgoibbznyp.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/itwy5sfkpqs9vmoij8ofcggbaq2qmjzvhe6wkgdgoibbznyp.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}