We are still there. Back at this time of the year when managers and players bring out the big book of clichés while they are preparing for the final parades of the football season.
Everyone takes things a week in time. No one gets ahead of themselves. It’s always the same thing.
For St Johnstone? Well, they are now in the territory of all games. It’s just a shame that they don’t have a real cup final to hope – Celtic saw this in a fairly brutal way last Sunday – because, in all likelihood, it will be a few dark weeks for everyone linked to the side of Perth.
They look at the Prime Minister’s relegation cannon for the first time in more than two decades. This is a sad situation for a club that has brought both to the next level, but it would take a courageous soul to predict something other than championship football being the diet of the basic food at McDiarammid park in August.
However, despite their shortcomings – and there are many – confidence has never been a problem. In fact, belief has not hesitated in the team since Simo Valakari crossed the door in early October for the first time.
And this is probably an important factor in the reasons why their fate has not already been sealed.
The manager of St Johnstone, Simo Valakari, maintains the conviction that his team can avoid relegation
Callum McGregor went on the match sheet while Celtic hit five against the saints in Hampden
McDiarmid Park could soon see the return of second level football for the first time since 2009
It will therefore be interesting to see if the Skelping 5-0 of last week in the hands of the Brendan Rodgers triples will have a training effect on the players as they take on the field against Motherwell this afternoon.
Twenty defeats of the 33 output league is a lamentable record. But, under Valakari, there was not too many opportunities when his team was not competitive.
Celtic hit four unanswered in December, while Hibernian did a light job to Paste Road at the end of last month. Aside from these sweet exhibitions, St Johnstone participated in almost all other competitions.
But, as the table shows, when the team is pulling the foot every two weeks at one end and does not take risks to the other – Makenzie Kirk is the top scorer with seven – things are intended to end with a disaster.
All the discussions that came out of the club during the accumulation of trip to Fir Park were optimistic, as you can imagine. Valakari insists that there will be no mouth of Hampden, and that the players remain confident to make a minor miracle.
Another thing than three points today could be enough to finally burst their bubble.
Surface tensions between relegation rivals
Since he had the upper hand over Kilmarnock the first weekend in March, Ross County fell from a cliff. Four games, four defeats.
The way things are happening, Manager Don Cowie cannot afford to try his players. No need to kick them while they are down, right? He could therefore also throw jibes towards this week’s opponents. See what sticks.
The manager of Kilmarnock, Derek Mcinnes, was criticized on the surface of the rugby park
Many visit teams have struggled to go with the plastic ground in recent years
Cowie assessment in the very relaxed plastic field of Killie in the accumulation of today’s trip to rugby park was far from complementary. Needless to say, he’s not a fan.
He underlined Kilmarnock’s home record as proof of his negative impact on his visitors every two weeks. And although this theory would have resisted a meticulous exam last season when it provided the foundation to its thrust for European football, it did not offer a lot of time for an advantage this time.
The county won in January. Indeed, they went out in the lead in the three games against the men of Derek Mcinnes this season.
Cowie’s opposite number was never going to let the criticisms slide, describing the surface to Dingwall as “horrible” during their last visit to the Highlands. Shots drawn.
Since the two parties find themselves dangerously close to the dreaded relegation dam point, it was a luminaire that did not require any additional needle to help accelerate tension. But it is nevertheless a welcome addition.
Robson goes under the radar in Raith
In Scott Brown and Neil Lennon, the managerial list of the championship has two of the most decorated and discussed characters in Scottish football.
Ayr United and Dunfermline – and the league as a whole – should consider itself lucky to have them.
But we must not forget that there is another former Celtic midfielder standing in the canoe this year, and what work he does.
Barry Robson guided Raith Rovers on the edge of the play-offs with two remaining games
When Barry Robson took over in Raith Rovers at the end of December, the club was eight points from the play-offs and lacking direction of management after the surprise of Neill Collins.
It was not a perfect start by any section, undergoing three championship losses on the rebound. But, slowly but surely, Robson stabilized the ship.
Last week’s late dramatic victory over the League leaders, Falkirk, extended the unbeaten League from Raith to eight and moved them to a touching distance from the playoffs.
They face Morton this afternoon looking for victory that would keep their dream of unlikely promotion alive on the last day.
