January isn’t likely to be a busy transfer window for St Johnstone but there was plenty of activity in the summer.
Courier Sport takes a look at how the six new recruits for 2016/17 have fared.
Michael Coulson
Coulson was snapped up on a pre-contract from York City back in March and it didn’t go down well with the then league Two outfit. The main thing you want when you arrive at a new club, particularly when it’s a new country as well, is to stay fit. Unfortunately for Coulson, injuries have blighted the first six months of his Saints career, and he’s currently in the middle of another spell on the sidelines. The form of Danny Swanson has probably also had an impact. He does look to have the attributes to thrive in the Premiership though – he’s busy and can play on either side. Coulson just needs a run of games and confidence will rise on the back of it, you would expect. Players are often the best judge of players, and Coulson’s team-mates have spoken highly about the Englishman.
Keith Watson
A lot of what has been said about Coulson applies to another pre-contract man, Watson. In fact, his injury problems have been even worse. He hasn’t yet played a league game. Watson has proved he can cut it at this level and, now that he’s fit again, you would expect him to be an asset for Tommy Wright in the second half of the season. His problem will be getting a chance because the man brought in to cover for him, Richard Foster, has been one of Saints’ best players of the season, and the Steven Anderson-Joe Shaughnessy partnership will only be broken up by injury or suspension.
Richard Foster
Ross County must have some good defenders to be able to let him go. One of the most consistent full-backs in the Premiership this season, Foster has fitted perfectly into the Saints backline. Like Brian Easton on the opposite flank, he’s a seven out of 10 man most weeks, and sometimes even better. The biggest compliment you can pay Foster is that Dave Mackay’s retiral hasn’t proved to be an issue.
Blair Alston
Alston knew that adjusting to life away from the club he played with man and boy, Falkirk, wouldn’t be without its challenges. He has risen to them, though. With the competition for places in midfield more intense than in any other area of the pitch, Alston can be satisfied with his 17 appearances. And, whatever happens, he’ll always have THAT goal at Ibrox. This is his first season in the top flight and Alston has the build, attitude and game to be a Premiership success. This time next year I would expect him to be one of the first names on the team-sheet.
Paul Paton
The Northern Ireland international picked up a Premiership player of the month award not long before leaving Dundee United. There were plenty of people responsible for United’s spectacular collapse but he wasn’t one of them. Thankfully, there haven’t been any serious injuries since he arrived at McDiarmid Park but it has been a bit stop-start for him nonetheless. Paton has been a valuable addition and his recent performance against Rangers was very impressive indeed. The jury remains out whether Saints are at their most effective with Paton and Murray Davidson in tandem, however.
Joe Gormley
Saints haven’t had much luck with their loan strikers from down south. First there was Adam Morgan and then Gormley. He looked a good bit short of what was required in his one and only start for the Perth men in the Betfred Cup quarter-final at Pittodrie and it became clear soon after why that was the case. We’ll never know if he would have been a success if his head was in the right place. It wasn’t, and that certainly wasn’t the fault of anyone at McDiarmid. Hopefully Gormley doesn’t regret chucking away a full-time football career when he’s looking back on it.
