In the often exaggerated world of football parlance, it might be easy to dismiss a claim that this has been St Johnstone’s greatest ever season but there is a strong case to back up the assertion. A League Cup semi-final, a first ever Scottish Cup final, a maiden win on foreign soil in a memorable, if brief, European campaign that saw Norwegian giants Rosenborg eliminated from the Europa League, and a third consecutive top six finish in the top division. Boosted by the impact of undoubted Player of the Year Stevie May, Saints have produced a number of memorable performances in 2013/14, with the best still hopefully to come on 17 May. Kevin McGregor writes.
The hallmarks of the St Johnstone side that has achieved so much in recent years have been a strong work ethic, good discipline and a simple approach to the game where winning points matters more than plaudits. This campaign has seen more of the same and although former manager Steve Lomas was mocked for it, these player assessments back him up in his belief about a good, honest set of players.
Goalkeepers
Alan Mannus – The imposing Northern Irish international has enjoyed another fine campaign in Perth. Far from the flashiest goalkeeper to ever play for the club, although not incapable of spectacular saves, Mannus’ real assets are his reliability and consistency. Although he had a slight dip in form when he returned from a thumb injury in February, he has otherwise enjoyed another faultless season, backed up the statistics that show he’s recorded 18 clean sheets in 41 matches.
Steve Banks – Released by Dundee United following the appointment of Jackie McNamara, Banks made the short journey along the Tay last summer to primarily fill the role of goalkeeping coach. With regular number one Alan Mannus untroubled by injury during his first two seasons in Perth – with costly replacements in Peter Enckleman and Jonny Tuffey warming the bench – the Northern Irishman then picked up an injury in only the second league match of the season, offering Banks the opportunity of his first league appearance since May 2010. Although criticised for his showing in the League Cup semi-final when Mannus was missing again, the 42-year-old kept four clean sheets in his six appearances this season.
Defenders
Dave Mackay – If you were to say that Mackay hasn’t had his best season in a Saints shirt, that could be viewed as a negative but in truth, it only speaks volumes for the standards set since joining from Livingston in 2009. The club captain maybe hasn’t reached the heights of some previous seasons but has still proved a pivotal part of a miserly defence and continues to offer a real attacking threat from the right back area. Although he’ll likely to end up at centre back eventually, the 34-year-old still has a few seasons left on the right of the back four… we would hope.
Tam Scobbie – Having spent his first season in Perth as deputy to Callum Davidson, Scobbie may have been dismayed to see Brian Easton arrive at McDiarmid Park last summer but boss Tommy Wright afforded the former Falkirk man an opportunity to stake his claim for the regular left back spot when he selected him for the opening matches of the season. Although Easton eventually forced himself into the side, Scobbie went on to prove himself as a more than able centre back in the absence of Frazer Wright and Steven Anderson but his season was brought to an abrupt end by an ankle injury in February.
Frazer Wright – Another player who like Dave Mackay maybe hasn’t had his best campaign in a blue shirt but there is little doubt that Saints remain a better team for his presence in the starting eleven. The sort of no-nonsense centre back that every manager should crave. Any frailties with the ball at feet are more than compensated for by the far more crucial defensive assets of winning tackles and headers.
Steven Anderson – After a quiet start to the season and an extended spell on the sidelines with a dislocated thumb, Anderson has found his best form again in recent months, even adding goals to his game. Although his stature can present problems when faced with physical opponents, Anderson has formed a strong partnership with Frazer Wright over the past three years and will be rewarded with a testimonial season in 2014/15.
Gary Miller – If any player in the Saints squad has a right to feel aggrieved at their level of involvement this term it is Miller. Unfortunate to be competing with Dave Mackay for the right back slot, Miller performs well when called upon but it never appears enough to keep him in the side when the more established defenders are available. Time will tell if the former County man is happy with his lot in Perth or will seek a more guaranteed involvement elsewhere this summer.
Brian Easton – One of the few players to emerge with any credit for Dundee’s disastrous 2012/13 season, Easton followed the likes of Billy Dodds, John McQuillan and Gavin Swankie in swapping the dark blue of the Dees for the royal blue of Saints last summer. After patiently awaiting his chance in the opening months of the season, he hasn’t relinquished the left back shirt since, other than when a temperamental hamstring comes into play. Not as fashionable as some other left backs in the league, though he’s a player I doubt many Saints fans would be willing to swap for too many of his peers.
Midfielders
Paddy Cregg – A popular figure amongst the Saints support, Cregg has struggled to get a run of games since dropping out of the team in the autumn but rarely lets the side down when called upon, breaking up play and keeping things simple in the centre of the park. Off the field, Cregg’s season has been notable for having to issue a public apology on Twitter to Gareth Bale following doping accusations that the Real Madrid star took exception to!
Chris Millar – Now one of only three survivors from the side that won promotion in 2009 (Anderson and May are the others), Millar passed the 200 appearances milestone for Saints this season. Another campaign during which he has been dependable and industrious, it has also been one in which he’s once again failed to find the back of the net; his last league goal for the club came over four years ago against Rangers! Nevertheless, he’s a valuable member of the Saints squad who will deserve his moment in the spotlight on 17 May.
Gary McDonald – A signing met with howls of derision from supporters of former clubs Aberdeen and Hamilton, McDonald slotted straight into the Saints side and more than played his part in the positive European showings. Vital cup goals against Morton and Raith Rovers have been notable contributions from a midfielder who tends to play well when the whole side does, rather than ever standing out during a bad team performance.
David Wotherspoon – Although he hasn’t matched the goal return of the departed Liam Craig, Wotherspoon has been a key source of creativity in the Saints midfield this season and the main source of assists amongst the squad. Inconsistent whilst a Hibernian player, the local lad has benefited from the faith shown in him by Tommy Wright, who has stuck by him even if he’s endured dips in form. In his defence, he’s too often been asked to fill the problematic left midfield role (Saints have only three left-footed players in the squad, all of them defenders) when he’s far more comfortable on the right or even supporting the striker(s).
James Dunne – As hard as it might be to believe, Dunne is a player that has fallen out with Graham Westley at Stevenage! When it became clear that a combination of that clash of personalities and a fee due to Exeter City would prevent him playing for the Boro again, Saints brought the midfielder – Player of the Year at Broadhall Way last season – north on loan in January and he marked his debut with an impressive goal against Forfar. A fixture in the side over the second half of the season, Dunne maybe hasn’t kicked on as a lot of fans had hoped and it’ll be interesting to see how much of an effort Saints make to retain his services, especially if Murray Davidson commits to another year in Perth.
Murray Davidson – It looked certain that Davidson would leave Saints last summer but when he was left unimpressed with what was on offer elsewhere, he opted to sign on again at McDiarmid Park. A lack of a proper pre-season meant to took a good number of weeks for him to find his best form and unfortunately when he did, his season was brought to an end by a serious knee injury in January. He remains a player that has developed from a raw and combative youngster into a complete midfielder with not only a physical presence but also a good range of passing and a goal threat. If any silver lining is to come from his injury it is that Saints fans might be able to appreciate his talents for another twelve months.
Lee Croft – Let down when a move to Millwall fell through last summer, Croft spent the first few months of the season without a club, eventually taking up the opportunity to join Saints in the final weeks of 2013. Although a relatively short spell out of the game, it has probably been the main factor in preventing Croft recapturing the form Saints fans saw during his first spell in Perth but with a new deal in the offing, the hopes are high that the winger can make a big impact next season with a full pre-season behind him.
Forwards
Steven MacLean – When you look through the St Johnstone squad, there are a number of words that could be used to describe several of the players. One of those is underrated and MacLean is very much a player that falls into that category. In defence of observers of Scottish football, it took Saints fans themselves a long time to appreciate the quality of MacLean – not helped by just 3 goals in his first 26 league appearances – but the decision by former boss Steve Lomas to use him as a lone striker saw him able to showcase his ability to hold up the ball and link play. This season has seen him far more productive in front of goal with 10 strikes to his name, despite the fact he missed four months of the season. It has been a fine campaign for Saints but there will always be a lingering doubt about just how good it could have been if MacLean had been available between October and February.
Nigel Hasselbaink – In a squad built around team discipline and consistency, the enigmatic Hasselbaink bucks the trend. There’s no doubt he’s shown more under Tommy Wright than Steve Lomas but the arrival of Croft and O’Halloran has seen him spend more time on the bench than on the pitch. A joy to watch on his day, he is a match-winner and he clearly adds a lot to the Saints squad but may feel this summer is the time to move on, although personally I hope not.
Stevie May – There was always a quiet optimism, after scoring 19 goals in 22 games for Alloa and breaking the post-reconstruction goalscoring record for the First Division whilst at Hamilton, that May would be able to score goals for Saints in the top flight but it’s unlikely that even the player himself envisaged the season that has since unfolded. Undoubtedly helped by the change in management, Tommy Wright appeared to have faith in the young striker from the start and has been rewarded with nearly 30 goals in all competitions. There will be interest in the player this summer but it’s far from a foregone conclusion that he will leave McDiarmid Park, which can only be good for Saints and the league in general.
Chris Iwelumo – After failing to land David Goodwillie in January and influenced by the injury to Murray Davidson, boss Tommy Wright opted to split the funds he was going to use on a striker between a midfielder and a forward player and so arrived Dunne and Iwelumo. There is no argument that the affable powerhouse talks a good game but unfortunately he’s shown little evidence of being the same player who featured so much for the likes of Wolves and Stoke in the Championship. It was telling in the post-split game at Fir Park that even chasing a match late on, Wright wasn’t tempted to throw Iwelumo on in the hope of salvaging something. His short stay at McDiarmid Park will surely come to an end after the Scottish Cup final against Dundee United.
Michael O’Halloran – A January signing with an eye to the future, O’Halloran has very much forced himself into the reckoning for a Scottish Cup final start with his performances in recent weeks. Although billed as a striker upon his arrival, he has been used out wide, where his ability to both take the ball in and run at players has added another dimension to the Saints midfield.
The Departed
As always, the season will draw to a close without a number of players who began the campaign as St Johnstone players. Gwion Edwards was brought back to Perth for a second loan spell in July, despite the fact he’d failed to start a match under previous boss Steve Lomas. His second switch to Saints looked to be following the pattern of the first until December, when the winger forced his way into the team and produced several decent performances. Despite this and maybe motivated by the capture of Michael O’Halloran, Edwards opted to return to parent club Swansea City in early January. Edwards has since joined Crawley Town, where he team up with Rory Fallon, who parted ways with Saints in January after one start away at Kilmarnock and a handful of unmemorable substitute showings. Signed on the European transfer deadline day in a move that screamed of panic, it was something he was unable to come close to causing amongst opposition defences. Fallon’s World Cup dreams with New Zealand had come to an end in November with a heavy play-off defeat to Mexico but Sanel Jahic arrived in Perth that same month with the aim of making the Bosnian squad for Brazil. An unremarkable centre back, it was no great surprise when Tommy Wright preferred to utilise his wage elsewhere when his short-term deal expired in January.
The Youngsters
A number of young players have featured for the first team this season, most notably Liam Caddis, who started in the away leg of the UEFA Europa League tie in Minsk and who scored at Celtic Park in September, before moving to Alloa on loan towards the end of the year. Unfortunately, the midfielder has struggled to replicate the impact of Stevie May at Recreation Park and it’ll be interesting to see if a new contract comes his way this summer. New deals are less of a concern for Scott Brown and Chris Kane, who both extended their contracts with Saints during the course of this campaign. Brown is a holding midfielder who arrived in Perth last summer having already tasted senior action with Bradford City. Kane made only a couple of fleeting substitute appearances before heading for Dumbarton, where he has taken his prolific form at U20 level – 21 goals in 18 appearances – to the Championship, netting 10 goals in just 13 league starts for the Sons.
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