The status quo was preserved at the bottom of the Premiership on Saturday. Dundee squandered a two-goal lead to lose a thrilling game to Rangers at Dens Park, Kilmarnock were unexpectedly thrashed in Paisley and St Johnstone were comprehensively beaten by high-flying Hibs in Edinburgh. For different reasons, none of the three clubs will be full of the joys of spring.
From a Perth perspective, you can understand Simo Valakari choosing “calm” as a post-match keyword. With Saints’ survival prospects unchanged, albeit they have a game less to get the job done, this isn’t the time for one bad performance to become a three or four-game slump. There was no getting away from the fact that it was dismal display at Easter Road, however.
Courier Sport picks out three talking points. You could pinpoint 10 different components of this ineffective attempt to get a vital point or points in the capital city and still leave room for plenty more. Naming every starter, bar maybe Jason Holt, and analysing their individual contributions would get you there straight away.
Throw into the mix a couple of half-time subs who failed to make an impact as well. Strategy, which comes from the head coach, and an inability, to adapt it when it wasn’t working, which comes from the players, are further key factors. certainly shouldn’t be ignored either.
Hibs are a vastly improved side when it comes to where and when they press. That stopped Saints from building any attacking rhythm. So too did the.
