St Johnstone

Sam Miller
Fan writer

Football is a fickle beast. One week you are walking on air, and the next you are wondering if your team's boots are glued to the turf.

For St Johnstone fans, the bruising encounter against Rangers felt a bit like stumbling into a brick wall while running for a bus - sudden, painful and entirely disorienting.

​Let's be honest, watching the Saints take on the Glasgow giants is never for the faint-hearted.

But when the dust settles and the bruises stop throbbing, the golden rule must kick in - write it off as a classic 'bad day at the office'.

​Every team is entitled to one afternoon where the football gods are looking the other way and nothing goes to plan. It was one of those matches where even the corner flags seemed to be against us.

​Crucially, a single bumpy ride shouldn't mean a downward spiral of form. A blip is just that, not a crisis.

The Perth squad has plenty of grit, character and quality in the locker to bounce right back.

So let's bin the tactical post-mortems, shake off the Perthshire rain and look ahead to Motherwell. Paint it off as a glitch in the matrix and get back to business.

Sam Miller can be found at Dogger Saints, external

St Johnstone midfielder Sam Stanton's ankle injury may end up keeping him out of Scottish Premiership action for a month. (The Courier, external)

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Sportscene's Steven Thompson and James McFadden review Kai Fotheringham's red card in St Johnstone's 4-0 defeat by Rangers (UK only).

Kevin Kelsy scores twice as Rangers comfortably defeat St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership (UK only).

Rangers narrowed the gap to Celtic at the Scottish Premiership summit to one point as Kevin Kelsy's double helped them to an emphatic victory over St Johnstone.

Read the match report

Have your say

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "Disappointing result, no complaints. Rangers deserved to win.

"We could not handle. We changed a couple of things for the second half and played very well for the first 15 minutes. When you get your chances, you have to take them. We did not and with the quality of the opponent, they will take their chances and it's game over.

"We had a couple of close moments and that's the disappointment. You need to take your chances.

"I've seen [the red card] quickly and I think Kai is a little bit unlucky. He wins the ball but the follow through is high and caught the opponent. No complaints there."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rangers manager Derek McInnes says he still uses notes from his first managerial job at St Johnstone almost two decades ago as he prepares to face the Perth side this weekend.

McInnes was an experienced and well-travelled midfielder at McDiarmid Park when he took the managerial reins in 2007 following Owen Coyle's exit to Burnley.

"I enjoyed my time there, they were good to me," said the 55-year-old.

"I still look at my notes from those days and the fundamentals of being a manager and the core values are the same in terms of what my team needs to look like. The rules and conditions about how the club works on and off the field.

"A lot of things tactically I think I want us to be. Sometimes just a wee check, looking back. There's a notepad I keep that I just add to every now and then.

"Just wee things that keeps me reminded about what's important. Because sometimes you just need that wee reminder.

"Sometimes you've got to evolve and change and players are different now.

"The circumstances are different in terms of the fallout when you lose a game. Everything's magnified now and everybody's got a comment to make. Whereas back then, it was just really about working closely with the players."

McInnes remembers exactly where he was - approaching the Broxden Roundabout just outside Perth - in autumn 2007 when he heard on the radio St Johnstone would be announcing their new manager the following morning.

What McInnes didn't know was that he was the new manager being referred to.

"The chairman hadn't even asked me!" he recalled. "And I did what I was told, to be honest, by (chairman) Geoff Brown.

"It was a shock and a pleasant surprise when he said to me he'd watched me and liked how I commanded respect, how I dealt with players and had contacts in the game and that he thought I was ready for it.

"So it wasn't a job I'd applied for or expected."

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Derek McInnes has half a dozen players - including Tuur Rommens and another key man - dealing with a sickness bug which has affected the squad.

Ross McCrorie, Cammy Devlin, Lawrence Shankland (all hamstring), Youssef Chermiti (knee) and Daisuke Yokota (groin) are still out.

St Johnstone are missing Sam Stanton, who has sustained an ankle injury.

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Reece McAlear believes St Johnstone can take encouragement from Tayside neighbours Dundee when they travel to Ibrox on Saturday.

The Dark Blues were good value for their 2-2 draw with Derek McInnes' side at Dens Park last Saturday night.

Saints midfielder McAlear said: "Rangers at home are obviously a wee bit different, heavily backed.

"But Dundee took two goals off them and that's a positive. They can score goals but they also can concede goals.

"I am looking forward to it, playing in front of a big crowd in a big stadium.

"We've come a long way in our performances but still can get better.

"We are a tight group as well, we kept some good core of players from last year which is very important.

"When we got promoted last year, these were the type of games we wanted to play in, the big games.

"But everyone in the dressing room will be the exact same. Buzzing to play in these games, these are the games everyone wants to play in."

St Johnstone have made an impressive start to the season and are sitting fifth in the table.

McAlear said: "I think teams are going to think we are going to come into the league and lay down to them but it's not been quite that.

"Everybody in the team is proving a point, whether they belong at this level or not.

"Have we surprised people? Probably but that's what we want to do as well. We have players in the building that suit the way we play.

"We have good players that were too good for the Championship but this is where the test comes."

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Simo Valakari has no plans to shelve his attacking outlook at Ibrox as St Johnstone bid to prevent Rangers getting their title bid back on track.

The Ibrox side's seven-game winning run was ended by a 2-2 draw at Dundee last week that allowed Celtic to open up a four-point gap at the summit.

Fifth-place Saints have lost just one of their past six matches before the trip to Govan.

"We need to play our way of football because when you go to these tough places, there is no point trying to be something different, trying to be something you are not, or you have not been in training," boss Valakari said.

"Yes, we know there will be moments when they will push us into a low block, when we need to execute our defending actions at a very high level.

"But then the ball is a power and it gives you the front-foot thinking when you can have the ball. And especially in places like this, you need to be able to have the ball. And that's the challenge for us, what we can do then with the ball.

"It's easy to say, 'go and play, have no fear'. But when there are 50,000 people on you and you're a little bit out of breath, the pressure will come. But in those moments, we should remember to breathe and show our composure because we are good footballers.

"Of course, it would be massive if we can win. But we can't just go and hope. We need to go there and make things happen. And that's what we are aiming to do."

Valakari wants his side to make life as uncomfortable for the hosts in front of an expectant Ibrox crowd.

"Rangers may not be the happiest after their last result on the road," he said.

"Now they go back home and will really want to show what they can do in front of their own fans. I believe they would like to score a lot of goals and show their domination.

"But it's all about us and now we need to compete at a very good level. We need to go there and not let them breathe easily. We need to make them work for everything.

"Our aim is to ask the questions of them and make them a little bit uncomfortable with what's happening on the field."

• Rangers have spent 50.8% of their game time drawing in the Scottish Premiership this season, the highest proportion of any side. They drew 2-2 with Dundee last time out, ending their six-game league winning run.

• Only Claudio Braga has had more shots (36) in the league this season than Djeidi Gassama (33), while only Benjamin Nygren has created more chances (25) than Gassama (19).

• Rangers have won their past nine meetings with St Johnstone in all competitions by an aggregate score of 18-1 since a 2-1 league defeat in November 2022.

• St Johnstone are winless in 12 away games against Rangers in all competitions (D2 L10) since a 3-1 win in December 2017.

• St Johnstone have only lost one of their past six league games (W2 D3), avoiding defeat in their latest two away trips (W1 D1).

Sam Miller
Fan writer

In the high-stakes world of Scottish football, tacticians are revered and logic is more often than not thrown out the window. Just ask St Johnstone's Matty Foulds.

​After putting in a stormer of a performance at Aberdeen, earning top match ratings and walking away with a brilliant 1-0 victory, Foulds probably expected a hero's welcome for the Tayside derby against Dundee United.

Champagne? Perhaps. A permanent statue outside McDiarmid Park? Maybe a bit premature, but at least a guaranteed spot on the teamsheet, right?

​Wrong.

​In a classic slice of managerial mind games that left some Saints fans scratching their heads, Foulds found himself unceremoniously relegated to the bench for the big game.

Apparently, putting in a man-of-the-match display merely unlocks the privilege of watching the action from the best seat in the house - wrapped in a cosy dugout jacket.

​St Johnstone fought out a tense 1-1 draw against Dundee United, but Foulds must be wondering what wizardry he needs to pull off to keep his starting spot.

Next time he wins man of the match, he might just ask for a day off instead.

Sam Miller can be found at Dogger Saints, external

Former St Johnstone defender Richard Foster has been impressed by manager Simo Valakari's adaptability following the Perth club's return to the Scottish Premiership.

Watch Sportscene highlights of the weekend's top-flight action

Watch all the highlights as St Johnstone and Dundee United played out a 1-1 draw in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday. Available to UK users only.

Dominant Dundee United rescued a well-earned Scottish Premiership draw at St Johnstone to stretch their unbeaten run to four games.

Read the match report here

Have your say on the match here

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St Johnstone head coach Simo Valakari: "It was a good football match, United had their moments and played some good football, it was difficult to get close to them, they have players that are in good places, but at the same time we had our moments.

"The goal we scored was a beautiful goal and it changed the game a little bit, so it was a question of whether we could hold until the end. It's difficult to defend to ninety minutes, what we can now improve is these moments when we are 1-0 up, how do we put more pressure on and be more ruthless to get the second goal.

"The intensity was there, a good atmosphere, and both teams really pushed until the end looking for the winner and we very much enjoyed it."

As for top scorer Josh Fowler's substitution, the Finn added: "There is a big flu going around, he ran his chest out so he needed his rest and that's all it was."

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St Johnstone will be boosted by the return of defender Cheick Diabate from suspension.

Dundee United have no fresh injury concerns following last weekend's win against Hibernian.

Left-back Will Ferry continues to be monitored having picked up a knock during the training camp in Portugal over the international break, while forward Mehdi Merghem and Emmanuel Agyei (both knee) continue their own rehabilitation.

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St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari is enjoying the challenge of managing in the Scottish Premiership but admits it is a "tough life".

The former Finland midfielder, who spent four years at Motherwell as a player, guided the Perth Saints to promotion last season following relegation in 2025.

They have applied themselves well on their return to the top flight, taking 11 points from their opening eight league games as they sit fifth in the table.

"I'm enjoying it, but it's a tough life, you know," Valakari said. "Every match, it's so tough. But as I said, we worked so hard to get back here and it would be stupid not to enjoy it.

"We are enjoying it but at the same time, we are very realistic, very humble, knowing how tough it is, and that's why every match for us it's like our unique opportunity to show ourselves.

"[To] show what kind of club we are, what kind of team we are, and so far our players have been very good."

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has revealed he decided to pursue other targets when considered signing Ruari Paton permanently after his loan from Port Vale, but he is delighted the 26-year-old striker is now playing regularly in the Scottish Premiership with St Johnstone. (Daily Record, external)

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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• St. Johnstone's Josh Fowler is the top scorer in this season's Scottish Premiership, scoring five goals from just 10 shots (50% conversion), six of which have been on target.

• Dundee United have won both of their last two league games, last winning three in a row in April 2025 – when the third win was over St. Johnstone.

• After their 1-0 win over Aberdeen, St. Johnstone are looking to earn back-to-back victories in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since February 2025, and first time without conceding since March 2021.

• Dundee United have won four of their last seven visits to St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership (D2 L1) and could win successive trips to McDiarmid Park in the top-flight for the first time since April 2012.

• St. Johnstone have lost each of their last three league games against Dundee United, their longest top-flight losing run against the Tangerines since a run of four defeats from May 2001 to January 2002.