Jim Goodwin criticism was over the top, says St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson, who reveals key to success against Celtic

The criticism of Jim Goodwin after Aberdeen’s defeat to Celtic was over the top, according to St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson.

A possession statistic of 19% and a shots total of two were meagre numbers for the Dons when they welcomed the Premiership champions to Pittodrie last weekend.

The fact that the Hoops ended up scoring a late winner made the spotlight on Goodwin’s tactics all the brighter.

It’s now Davidson’s turn to come up with a strategy to give his Perth team a fighting chance of getting a result against a Celtic side unbeaten in 12 domestic fixtures.

And he believes that the recent World Cup, which featured plenty of group stage and knock-out shocks, was a reminder that there is more than one way to win a game of football.

Asked whether the Goodwin post-Celtic reaction shocked him, Davidson said: “Yeah, I was really surprised.

“Jim put a formation and a plan in place that I thought might have got him a result.

“It would have been a great draw against Celtic.

“He will probably say they could’ve kept the ball better but I thought their defence was really good.

Morocco topped their group, defeated Spain and Portugal in the knockouts, and became the first African nation to reach the World Cup semifinals.

They may not have finished third, but they still have a lot to be proud of. 🇲🇦 👏 pic.twitter.com/vNifDi109J

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 17, 2022

“Morocco went through against Spain in the World Cup and they sat in. But nobody criticised them.

“Sometimes set-out a plan in and all of a sudden you end up 20 yards deeper than you intended to be.

“How do you win a game of football? It is not always about going and attacking.”

Torturous last trip

Saints’ previous trip to Parkhead was a torturous experience.

Such was the one-sided nature of the contest, a 7-0 defeat had a ‘could have been much worse’ feel about it.

“We conceded goals at bad times and gave away bad goals that day,” Davidson recalled.

“We need to make it so that if they score, it is a fantastic goal and something we can’t do anything about.

“We don’t want to be sloppy in possession, especially in the middle third and we want to ask their defenders questions.

“You go to Celtic Park and know it is always going to be really tough.

“Playing there and at Ibrox are the two hardest fixtures in the calendar.

“We need to go with a game-plan and work out how can we stop them first and foremost.

Alex Mitchell with his first goal for the club. pic.twitter.com/ozCy8Tcbjd

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“I watched the last game we played against them at McDiarmid and I felt we didn’t keep the ball well enough in the first half.

“That will be key to how successful we are and how much pressure we can put them under.

“We can’t let them dictate the game for the full 90 minutes. It’s easier said than done.”