northstbuddie

As you would say yourself Shull - "naw" You are the one that blows hot and cold. If we continue to have one shot on target from open play we are unlikely "to put the ball in the net" often enough to win games. At least there were fewer "jessie" boots on display on Saturday - so thanks for that!

One shot on target from open play at home to Queen of the South is not sufficient cause for optimism. Yes based on the last two home results there is some hope that AR and DF are starting to turn things around in that we are more solid at the back and more competitive in the midfield and that is something to be thankful for. However what we do with the ball when in possession leaves a lot to be desired.

It would appear that you are not disagreeing with me in that Leicester had a total of 14 shots at goal as against 22 from Manchester City, but they had 7 on target as against 4 by MC! By contrast we had ONE shot on target from open play at home in the whole game and we were not playing Man City. My gripe is not about the amount of possession we have during a game but what we do with the ball when we have it.

I would be as delighted as anyone on here if St Mirren's progress in terms of results continues. However, we should not bury our heads in the sand based on recent performances as against results. For example, yesterday's stats indicate that we had 48% possession as against QoS's 52%; we had a total of 6 shots as against 8 for QoS; we had 2 on target (including Mallan's brilliant free kick) as against 4 for QoS meaning we had 1 other shot on target against 2nd tier opposition on our own turf. We did edge the stats for corners and fouls. And yes I know that stats don't tell you the full story but we are a good bit away from being the poor man's Leicester City. LC, from 34% possession, had 14 shots on target as against 22 from MC; but they had 7 on target as against 4 by MC! There is a difference between winning ugly and winning as a result of good fortune. However like many on here I genuinely hope that the Saints' results will hopefully build confidence and ultimately produce better performances than we are witnessing at present.

If these back-to-back wins had been well deserved I could agree with you.

Blind optimism abounds on here. If we are to challenge for the 4th spot we will have to improve 100% on recent performances.

They certainly did not deserve to lose - we were fortunate to get 3 points. In fact although the team is more organised than in Murray times I would question if we have won any game convincingly under Alex. My son and I entertained ourselves yesterday (in the absence of what was on offer on the park) by trying to count the number of times St Mirren strung 3 consecutive passes together. We did not run out of the fingers in one hand to achieve this!

Plus points - 3. Minus points - after watching the under 14 video against Hibs - would recommend that the first team should also watch this in terms of skilful, fluid, attacking midfield play - they might learn something - like running off the ball - winning possession - swift linking up play - decisive, penetrating passes - all of which qualities were conspicuous by their absence this afternoon and for most of this and last season. However, well done the players for their effort.

Other than 3 points - not much to get carried away with. Effort and competent performance from the players but QoS played with more cohesion than us - and that's not saying much. We seldom threatened other than at Mallan free kicks. Langfield, Baird, Kelly and Mallan just shaded it above the others.

Was not aware until I read the obituary for Tommy in the Scotsman, that Jackie McGugan from the 1959 cup-winning team had also passed away a couple of months before Tommy. He went on to play for Leeds United, Tranmere Rovers, Ayr United, Morton and Cambridge City. I remember him vaguely as a young no-nonsense centre half not unsimilar to our present day Jack. At Leeds United he was competing at that time against another Jack (Charlton) for a first team place.

Yes

We have absolutely no justification for optimism based on what we have seen at any time so far this season and as for finishing in fourth place this season .... get real. However, I do agree that with our two recent signings plus the imminent return of Goodwin and Naismith, there is hope that our new management team will be able to turn things round within a few weeks time. And a big plus in this period of negativity is the return of Tony Fitzpatrick as CEO - all is not yet lost. I was also wondering if we could slot Tony somewhere into our midfield - even at his advanced age?

Obviously someone who did not want to see what he knew was about to happen!

What is becoming worrying is that there are posters on here who have been historically poles apart and perpetually at each others' throats in terms of the half-full/half-empty philosophy but are now in general agreement about just how far we have fallen since 2013. In recent months I sometimes felt that perhaps the fans were too hard on certain players and whilst there is a tendency to over-egg our criticism in moments of despair - this despair is now approaching terminal proportions and it is now difficult to excuse any of the players for their individual and collective performances. If they are incapable of better performances than we have been witnessing up till now we are in deep trouble. In present form there is only one team worse than us in this league and we play them on Saturday. If we do not win this one we may be battling to avoid automatic relegation for the rest of the season. There will be a sad irony on Saturday when we will be remembering how far we have fallen when I presume there will be a tribute to one of our all-time greats - Tommy Bryceland. I am fortunate to be old enough to remember seeing for myself how good he was! Surely the most gifted uncapped player ever to put on the Saints colours.

So sorry to hear this sad news - RIP Tommy. So far as I recall this game was at Ibrox - Tommy and Baxter were trying to out-nutmeg each other throughout the game. Not sure if this was the game on 17 October 1959 which St Mirren won 3-1 and ended with Bryceland being sent off for a tackle on Baxter when things boiled over. However my memory might be letting me down. Can anyone fill in the blanks?

St Mirren should try some electric under-soil heating.

​http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35334525 Reading some of the comments from the above BBC Sport website article about today's decision by the referee to abandon the game minutes before the scheduled kick-off, has rekindled the old controversy about summer football. Stewart Gilmour seems to be in favour, but what do the fans think - after all they're the ones that count? Whilst days like today are to be regretted, I for one do not see the sense in moving the season to June, July and August when a fair proportion of the potential customers(ie supporters) are away on holiday. The Scottish winters are miserable enough without there being no light relief of football to brighten up our dreich lives. PS: I am currently on the wild west coast of the Isle of Lewis and there is no snow at all.

Celtic and Newco are likely to have a big influence on any future league set up including TV rights and other commercial benefits. However, even they must now realise that they need a competitive league set up in Scotland to attract the TV companies and that is unlikely to be a top league of 10 clubs playing each other a minimum of 4 times a season which suited the former old firm. I may be naïve but whilst Celtic and Newco are big fish in a small pool they need a set up which distributes resources more equitably and fairly than the present system and should this happen the chances of seeing a 1979/80 quality St Mirren team would not be all that far fetched. I agree though that that would be unlikely with the current status quo in place, in which case we are not going to see the Saints or Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs or Dundee United etc making a realistic challenge for the top spot in the foreseeable future..

Hopefully Alex Rae will be the first manager for a while to get the best out of the players, including Quinn. Too often incoming players have failed to realise their potential or even maintain their previous form. It strikes me that players like Agnew, McMullen and Gallagher etc plus a few of the development team recruits can do a lot better than they have shown so far - with the right kind of mentoring, encouragement and coaching - and by being played in their natural position.

Thanks for the stats nosferatu - these are illuminating to say the least. My point was merely that with a 1979/80 standard of team the crowds would return to the 2020 stadium. Who could have foreseen in the 1950s that attendances would have fallen to the present level? By the same yardstick you can't discount the possibility that circumstances will change again and that the crowds will come flocking back - one day!

Aberdeen and St Mirren would certainly struggle to match the 1959 crowd at Hampden taking into account the present capacity of Hampden. However, Aberdeen under Ferguson were probably playing in front of bigger crowds then than they were about 20 years previously when we met them in the 1959 cup final. If Saints could produce a team of similar quality to that of the late 70s and early 80s I am confident that the 2020 stadium would be a sell-out. Yes life has changed - St Mirren have not produced a team anything like the one featured in the video ever since - that's not to say that we will be in chronic decline for ever more.

Did you pass away before 'Clangers' arrived?

On the other hand, it did not happen by magic and it was not a fluke. It just goes to show what St Mirren are capable of. In the Ferguson era 12,000 attendances at Love Street did not require the old firm's involvement. Our toy 2010 stadium should not be big enough for a successful St Mirren team but it is more than adequate for the current aspirations.

Just proves that hope springs eternal in the hearts of those even thinking about a 4th spot finish. I presume that this optimism is based on what kind of difference Alex Rae might make in the coming weeks and on what new players he brings in. It is certainly not based in reality or recent performances. However, things might ​​look up with the return of Goodwin, Ridgers and Naismith but it might be too late by then. I wouldn't agree that this is the worst St Mirren team of recent times but it is certainly the poorest midfield in my time of supporting St Mirren.

Can't remember seeing anything like this level of support under the present regime.