St Johnstone are starting to get the best out of Ali Crawford by playing to his strengths, according to former Perth keeper Kevin Cuthbert.
The two men were team-mates at Hamilton Accies a few years ago, during which time Crawford became a talismanic goal-scoring midfielder in Lanarkshire.
And the 30-year-old is shaping up to fill a similar role at McDiarmid Park, after scoring the winner against Livingston and the opener in last weekend’s triumph over Hearts.
“Ali is someone you can always rely on at the top end of the pitch to create things and nip in with the odd goal,” said Cuthbert.
“The ones he’s scored for Saints recently have been very important and he’s showing what he brings to the team now.
“You need to play him in the right way.
“He’s not someone who will put last-ditch tackles in or put his head in when the boots are flying.
“He’s more about putting his foot on the ball and showing composure.
“Get him on the ball high up the pitch, into good areas and he’ll make things happen.”
😇 Saints making it look so, so easy.
A brilliantly well-worked goal from back to front 👏#cinchPrem | @StJohnstone pic.twitter.com/ygvS1YLKWZ
— SPFL (@spfl) February 21, 2022
Cuthbert added: “We were a good passing team at Hamilton and that brought out the best of him.
“We never sat back so we didn’t have to ask Ali to defend much and that suited him.
“So with Saints being more creative now since the restart you’ll see the best of him.
“He’s got quality. He can bring others in and he can finish.
“Scoring goals was a big problem in the first half of the season but they seem to be getting more these days and if the team is playing better then Ali will benefit from that.”
Fast start then form loss
After scoring crucial goals at Dens Park and Tannadice earlier in the season, Crawford’s influence was on the wane during the 10-game losing run Saints endured.
So when it was announced his loan from Bolton had been turned into a permanent deal, the reaction among the club’s fan base was ambivalent at best.
“He got a bit of stick at Hamilton as well because people know how good a player he is and they get frustrated at him,” said Cuthbert.
“When you have a player with that ability and you’re not getting him on the ball, they ask what he’s doing.
“It’s a bit of an easy target.
“He’s quite a quiet lad – or he was back then anyway – but he’s tough. He handles it no bother and it doesn’t affect him.
#OnThisDay in 2⃣0⃣1⃣4⃣… Hamilton stunned Celtic with a 1-0 win at Celtic Park. Ali Crawford was the hero for Accies! 🔴⚪️#SPFL | @acciesfc pic.twitter.com/IE0dab7jyt
— SPFL (@spfl) October 5, 2020
“One thing you’d say about him is he’ll never shirk away from anything, he always wants the ball and to be involved.
“He’ll try to play passes and he’s not scared to make mistakes when he’s on it because he wants to make things happen.
“There’s a real mental toughness there and you’ve seen that in his performances over the last wee while.”
Saints on the rise
Cuthbert, who was with Saints for a decade and made over 100 appearances, is hoping his old club have found their traditional second half of the season momentum.
“St Johnstone always start slowly,” he said. “It happens most years.
“But they always seem to finish it strongly.
“When they’ve got into the top six it has usually been on the back of good runs late in the year.
“They usually get one big result and away they go.
“It’s funny how it pans out but hopefully that can be the case again this season.
“A few weeks ago you were looking at it thinking it was definitely going to be between Saints and Dundee down there.
“But after picking up a few results, they have a chance to reel in the clubs above them.
“The big thing for them is they are good defensively so now they have started to get the attacking side of it sorted, they have the platform to build.”
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