Gareth_Glasgow

Firstly, the reason why he couldn't sign a midfield player to be back up to Quinn (once he realised Hutton wasn't the answer) was because he had spunked his budget on four central defenders and four forwards.
A "midfield general" is exactly what we need. Someone who can organise the midfield , because there sure as hell isn't anyone there at present doing that, and who can break up play effectively and pass to his teammates. Hen's teeth? Really? A Steven Thomson like player springs to mind, although obviously not as good as we're now scrabbling about in the championship.
Maybe the manager envisaged Hutton as being that player. However, if he did then I'm afraid he didn't do his homework very well.

Yeah it's not as simple as that. There is absolutely no chance that the players can't be arsed. Whatever we think, they have got to this level by caring very much.
The players appear to be playing with fear. That IMO is the issue. Players appear to be working to rule, scared to make mistakes. Now I can only speculate why that is but IMO that is the core issue. Kicking arses won't help. Neither will booing them. It's nothing to do with self respect.

Ian Murray should realise that if your major signings are: Alan Gow (2 league starts all season, hooked at half time in the second), Thommo, now aged 36 at the start of the season and after 1 season of injuries (1 league goal all season), Cameron Howieson, Scott Agnew, Paul McMullan etc then you effectively dig your own grave as a manager. Even though the season has just finished I've already forgotten most of Murray's signings because they were sooo bad, even at our modest level... the full back sent off at Morton also signed from Burnley U20's, Carswell, McGraith. And let's not forget that Murray was also left to appoint his own assistant and chose someone he fired by October.
There were as many people released by Murray last summer as by Rae this summer. Murray had a clean slate to begin freshening things up and changing the culture in the dressing room. It seemed pretty obvious that we had lots of young guys from the U20s around who were going to try and make the step up to 1st team football and only Goodwin as a senior pro still in contract when Murray arrived that he was going to need to bring in experienced pros to help the young guys out, but what did Murray do, signed senior pros like Gow (with a decade long track record of being a waster or injury prone) and then signed loads more young guys from other clubs' U20 teams also trying to make the step up: Calum Gallagher, Paul McMullan, Cameron Howieson... Scott Agnew was signed as a senior pro but was making the step up to full time at the age of 28.
Murray also began the season trying to freeze out Jim Goodwin, and was still signing key players in September (Webster, Langfield, Shankland). Anyone could see that Thommo was finished but Murray persisted starting with him, and using him as a lone striker for 90 minutes and dropped Shankland not long after he had signed him... it sounds like Rae would take Shankland back if there was a chance and once he got a run he got a reasonable return of goals for us.
Alex Rae inherited the same club in an even worse position than Murray did... we were 10th in the league and about to fall to 11th after his 2nd game in charge... Murray had largely spent the season budget and Rae had to wait until January to bring in a few players and try and make sure we didn't suffer a 2nd successive relegation. Despite having to deal with the same issues behind the scenes as Murray had, Rae turned things around, we finished 6th rather than 10th or 11th, we won most of our home league games, we became harder to beat and began to show that even if the performances were not great we could grind out results.
The only thing I find credible about Murray's account was the negative atmosphere at the club and directors, players and background staff pulling in different directions.

Got his training top yesterday as he got ready to go on, took it home to my 13 yr old girl who worships him. When I handed it to her she smelt it and hugged it like a baby with a blanket. Every home game she went to he spoke to her( we sit beside home dugout) and nothing was any trouble. A rare breed who understands players come and go but the fans are forever. She though, will never forget him. All the best Jim, thanks for the memories

I thought yesterday's booking typified a lot of the cards he picked up in the last few seasons... his first and only foul of the game for bumping into someone as they changed direction. No one else on the park would have been booked for that challenge. Ultimately he only had himself to blame for two pointless off the ball elbowing incidents against Dundee United that elevated him to SPL Villian #1, however I thought that for the most part he acquitted himself well in a situation where managers like McNamara, Adams, Butcher targetted him pre and post match and clearly instructed their players to try and get Goodwin sent off and the diving , feigning injury, surrounding the referee and calling for a red or yellow card became uglier than any of Goodwin's misdemeanours. At various points I thought we as a club should have been more robust in defending him against the targeted playacting from opponents that became a feature of his last 3 seasons with us.

Would be good if he said publicly who they are. For starters, there's probably a few folk holding off on renewing season tickets incase Alan Gow gets a new deal.

Farewell Thommo and Goody, quite fitting that Goody roared into tackles and won the ball cleanly, and then got an ( in my opinion) undeserved yellow, and that Thommo ran the line across young Lewis' shot to unsight the keeper as we snatched a well deserved draw.
And Wee Eck nearly crash tackling Farrell when the goal was scored... priceless.
I f*ckin love St Mirren

Alex Rae spoke well for a short five minute interview pre-game. He briefly answered a question about Sevco, then spoke entirely about St Mirren, St Mirren's squad situation, St Mirren's rebuilding situation, how he wishes we were in the playoffs, and it was all about St Mirren. I hope no-one is going to give the St Mirren manager grief for spending five minutes on live TV talking about St Mirren.

He shouldn't be leaving saints. He is 34 and can still play whilst organisation is his strength. Under murray he was the only shining light yet rae plays agnew,carswell and quinn before him. Three of the worst players at the club. Don't anyone say quinn is doing well, he's absolutely anonymous. Jims been our fans favourite and is still wanting to be there fighting our cause. I find it sad that Alex can't find a role for him. He was a similar player at 35 for rangers. Good luck jim your a club legend

I'll be there, f#ck Sevco and their band of glory hunting fans.
Thommo and Goody deserve a good send off ..... hope that's not literally in Goody's case !

All Buds should go to the game if they can.Forget the fact our BOD have put their love of money before the Fans love of our Club.Get down there and support your team,we can beat this mob,come 5th and give Thommo,Goodie and the rest of the players a fond farewell.
We could have a minutes abuse at 25 mins to protest about gate prices.????

I had no intention whatsoever of attending the game.
I probably won't go, but the thought of not showing my appreciation for his (and Goodwin's) contribution to the club has made me waver.
If I go I think I might get a tad emotional when Sir Thommo waves goodbye.

This is getting beyond a fuking joke. How many times have we seen ourselves or seen pictures of ex Saints employees attending Saints games after they have left. Maxwell at Fir Park , Charlie Adam a few times and Basher all spring to mind instantly. They are all lauded for it yet a current employee is being criticized for doing the exact same. Get a life ffs and stop this moronic hypocritical witch hunt.

I doubt there are many St.Mirren fans amongst the 1st team squad.
What they do in their spare time is entirely up to them as far as I'm concerned.
The manager is a Rangers fan. So what?

I think there came a point when fans could see that guys like Hugh Murray and the other Stevie Thomson were reaching the end of their shelf life at our level, no matter how well appreciated their efforts as St Mirren players were. I'm not sensing the same consensus among fans that now is the time to move Goodwin on. I'd say there is a decent argument for saying that if he is not asking for crazy money, we could use his experience, and his form has been good this season... I also don't see anyone calling for a 2 or 3 year extension.

Well done today saints. Let's hope this helps us to build momentum for next term. Also please.dont ditch Goodwin on the grounds he's too old. He isn't any slower than quinn or carswell who offer v little indeed. Mark kerr gets a game at Falkirk at 34 and seems.to be well liked by Houston. Goodwin should be used to help bring on a young team.

Stevie could have blasted the assist from Cooper, but took a touch, settled himself, and finished with aplomb.
The lad is a class act in the making, and will only improve.
Let's enjoy him while we have him.

The moment Goody or any player stops being an asset to the team is the time they should be let go. I see Goody as an asset that would be damn near impossible to replace given the conditions our club operates in.
To see him coming on and marshalling the youngsters for that final period yesterday where we pushed on and actually sealed victory, compared to all those games where we have fell back and lost a winning postion confirmed to me how much we need his presence in our squad.
His presence and commands helped the team create that third goal and cement a great victory for a team that has struggled so many times.

Nearly every St Mirren manager he has worked with has given him new contracts, improved contracts or promoted him to captain or player / coach or complimented him on his attitude and contribution to the club.
Danny Lennon signed him, re-signed him, promoted him to captain and I think 'signed' him 2 or 3 times in his 4 years at the club. Tommy Craig promoted him to player / coach and gave him a new deal as a player
Gary Teale or the BoD demoted him to player again
Iain Murray complimented him on his attitude and play.

Take a bow son, looked top class today!!

Definitely don't play Mallan out wide.
He needs to stay central, but needs to knuckle down, and realise that the majority of the game is about doing the simple things well. Something he completely failed at today. Nice free kicks and the occasional 40 yard pass won't hide a lack of basic play.
Thankfully he's young, and appears eager to learn. His dad isn't exactly afraid to hold back anyway...

This.
He is drastically out of form, and has been poor but he doesn't need to be hung out to dry.
There's a good defender in there with Baird, he just need to improve his ability on the ball

Didn't take you long to change your tune, one win against the team adrift at the bottom and things are a lot rosier

Lonesome!
FFS!

"Langfield rolls it out short"