After last week's poor result against Kilmarnock, we really have to get a win tomorrow at McDiarmid Park. Losing to both Killie and St. Johnstone in the space of a week would be a disaster and pretty much confirm the view that we are going to be fighting the drop this season. St. Johnstone have had a fairly unconvincing start and are still looking for their first win, but it's usually in situations like these where we are more than willing to lend a hand.
It was way back in October and a trip to Westfield where we last managed an away win, beating Falkirk 3-1. We did put Hearts out of the League Cup at Fir Park, but that was classed as a neutral venue so doesn't really count. It's a horrific away record and it's something that should have been ended last time we were in Perth as we found ourselves 2-0 up. Obviously we didn't know quite what to do in such a situation, panicked, and ended up throwing it away and claiming a draw. Such an outcome is unacceptable tomorrow. We simply must win this game and next week's match against Caley Thistle and start getting some points in the bag.
However, our problems up front mean it is not going to be easy and there's a fair chance of someone being plucked from the stands, given a pair of boots and told to go and stand next to Gareth Wardlaw up front. The reason for that is simple - Paul McGowan is suspended and Craig Dargo, Michael Higdon and Paul McQuade (who I'm told does exist) are all injured. Wardlaw has looked decent so far, although he's had hardly any chances, but he surely can't be asked to lead the line on his own - especially against someone like the Saintees. It's not even as if we have an attacking midfielder we could move up front like we did last season with Andy Dorman. The best option will surely see someone like Graeme Ramage or Conor Ramsay handed their first start. Who knows, it could be the making of them?
Fortunately, we don't have too many other injury worries elsewhere in the team. David Barron is still out, but apart from that we seem to be OK as Steven Thomson should be fit. There will almost certainly be changes to the side that started against Killie last week - the obvious one being the removal of the suspended McGowan. While I'd like to see one of the youngsters take his place, it's possible Danny Lennon could go with one up front. If he does that, hopefully he'll add a bit of width by putting in Steven Robb or new boy Nick Hegarty. Apart from that, its hard to tell what will happen and we still don't know if he prefers 3-5-2 or 4-4-2. Whatever we go with, it wouldn't be a surprise to see David van Zanten come in for Marc McAusland. The problem with going to a back four is it means dropping one of Lee Mair, John Potter or Darren McGregor - or pushing the latter into midfield. That's hardly the most attacking option but the former Cowdenbeath man has been outstanding and doesn't deserved dropped. However, I can't see Mair or Potter being ditched either, so Lennon has a real task on his hands working out which team to go for.
It was arguably the form of St. Johnstone last season that cost Gus MacPherson his job at Greenhill Road. It certainly didn't help matters and did increase the frustration in the West Bank. How could a team be promoted from the first division and, in their first season, make such impressive signings, play nice football and challenge for a top six place - things we hadn't done in four years in the top flight? A lot of it is down to Derek McInnes, who has done a fantastic job at McDairmid Park since taking over from Owen Coyle. It is surely only a matter of time until he moves onto bigger things and, having played down south during his career, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him follow Coyle and take over a Championship club in the not too distant future. Mind you, their league form has been far from impressive so far this season - although it wouldn't surprise me if that changed tomorrow!
If you'd told me six or seven years ago that one day we'd be facing a St. Johnstone side containing such names as Jody Morris, Michael Duberry and Peter Enckelman, I wouldn't have believed you. These were household names for their performances in the Premiership (and failure to deal with throw ins if your Enckelman) so there was no way they would end up in Perth at the same time. And yet, here they all are. Quite how McInnes has managed to assemble them, as well as Sam Parkin and Scott Dobie, who was capped for Scotland during the horrific Berti Vogts era, is anyone's guess. Sure, he has contacts down south - but finding the wages to bring guys like that to a bottom six SPL club is pretty good going.
During the summer, McInnes also signed a winger called Cleveland Taylor (who is not the bloke from Family Guy) and this week added another wide player in the form of Jennison Myrie-Williams, who sounds like an 18th century country gent. However, he's actually a decent footballer and it was a surprise to see United let him go. Alan Maybury was another big signing for the Saintees this summer, the former Aberdeen and Hearts player moving north from Leicester. They are added to the core of last season's good squad that includes the likes of midfielder Murray Davidson, defenders Dave MacKay and Darren Grainger and forward Collin Samuel. They've also been boosted by the return of captain Kevin Rutkiewicz, who finally seems to be over his lengthy injury woes.