What a chance St Johnstone have given themselves to complete a sensational Europa League result against Galatasaray.
This might not be the finest team the Turkish club have had in the last couple of decades but it’s still one packed with household names and top quality players.
Callum Davidson doesn’t have to change the game plan from the strategy that was successful in Istanbul.
If there was one thing he might have wanted to do better it would be test the Galatasaray goalkeeper with cross balls.
That could be a huge factor in the second leg.
Saints have a big team and it would have been an obvious tactic even if the opposition first choice goalie hadn’t been suspended.
But it’s even more relevant now it’s their back-up – who didn’t look too clever when he came rushing off his line last Thursday – or somebody else.
Getting Shaun Rooney charging in at the back post, and the centre-halves making their presence felt at set-pieces, could bring big rewards.
An absolute bullet header from Jason Kerr 😍#SJFCLive
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) January 23, 2021
Fingers crossed Saints do it.
It would be a famous result in their history and a big one for Scottish football.
And if they can tire themselves out over extra-time and penalties before we play them at Gayfield on Sunday, even better!
Paul Lambert always used to say when I was at Celtic that two defeats in a row was a crisis.
Rangers have now had three.
There is a lot of chat about the compare and contrast between how they were playing when the grounds were empty and how they’re getting on now.
It’s too early to jump to any conclusions – there could be any number of reasons Rangers have lost form.
But what is certain is that those question marks won’t go away until they can prove that they can win big games with big crowds.
It would be exaggerating things to say that the win against Rangers has taken the pressure off Tam Courts – it was far too early to say he was under it in the first place.
But it has taken the spotlight away from him.
That should really benefit Tam to go about his business of making Dundee United a better team without folk constantly talking about his inexperience and age.
You don’t fluke a 1-0 win against Rangers at any time – let alone when they hadn’t lost a league game for so long and were heavy favourites.
Welcome Lawrence Shankland. 💜🤍#TogetherWeBuildHistory pic.twitter.com/RyjB2UnjRD
— K. Beerschot V.A. (@kbeerschotva) August 11, 2021
United won at the weekend without Lawrence Shankland, of course.
And now his move to Belgium has been officially confirmed.
Time will tell how much of the transfer fee goes to the manager but, although he’ll be a loss at Tannadice, you’d like to think it will increase the chances of Tam bringing two or three in and putting even more of a stamp on the squad he inherited.
For Lawrence, all credit to him.
I always applaud players who are brave enough to go and prove themselves in a foreign country and adapt to a new culture.
And, in Jack Hendry, he’s got the perfect role model for the career benefits playing in the Belgian top flight can bring in terms of Scotland recognition, which will be at the front of Lawrence’s mind.
