Temple Of Saints - Crap.

Scottish Premier League - 31/07/99

Saints 1 Hearts 4 League Table Here

Team : Main,McQ,Bollan,Weir,Dods,Dasovic,Kane,O'Halloran,McBride, Legend,Miguel
Subs : Ferguson,Lauchlan,Griffin,McMahon,O'Neil

What can I say? If anything this was just another typical Saints opening day performance. Sunny weather, a perfect pitch some injury worries which can't dampen the pre-match optimism. And then it's all spoilt by a crap performance and the sounds of every Saints fan leaving at 4.45 bemoaning the fact that another campaign has opened without a new striker being signed. I'm not sure if I'm still in shock or what. Given the so-called 'stars' on show (remember the ones that want the massive wage increases?) and the first 20 minutes or so of the match when Saints easily dominated the game, it's just such a disappointment that the last 15 minutes or so provided the home support with the sort of performances that we last saw against F*lk**k in a certain cup-tie.

Del made the subs bench as St. Sandy gave Chief a run out on the right side of midfield but although he tries, he just doesn't have the pace or ability to get past defenders. Which means that the front 2 of Legend and Eusebio spent most of the time coming back to pick the ball up from midfield. That is of course when they weren't chasing the long ball from Weir or Dods which more often than not ended up in the stand.

After an even first half-hour when the best shots fell to Miguel (after a wonderful run on the left) and Weir (unmarked on the penalty spot when a Pope corner found him, he managed to blast the ball over the bar), the Gits began to come back into the match. Both full backs were caught out time and time again by the pace of Flogel and Adam on the wings and it was only a matter of time before they scored. So it was that a McSwegan solo-ish effort which our 'star' keeper was far too slow to react to beat the floundering defence and ended up in the net.

Last year Saints would have fought back from this but it is a different Saints side this year. So bloody full of themselves that their discipline seemed to go to pieces. We have Blaster unfairly booked for a late challenge but the point is that the challenge shouldn't have had to have been made - the ball should have been well clear.

Second-half started evenly enough. The Gits must have still been worried about us given the amount of timewasting that was going on. Still we were useless up front with the Legend tiring and Eusebio having to take on 3 or 4 Gits by himself with little or no support from midfield. Ironically the midfield when they did come into the game were fairly good - Dasovic, Kane and Pope all played fairly well with the latter looking possibly like the midfield playmaker we've been looking for.

Of course it didn't last and with the defence caught out again and again (especially Bollan who was more of a damp squib than a Blaster), it didn't take long for the Gits to increase their lead. A Flogel 1-2 in the box found him clear and he put the ball past a flailing Main from 4 yards. Worse was to come despite a Kane shot hitting the bar when with 12 minutes to go a harmless cross was met by both Dods and Main. The latter didn't seem to shout and came to meet the ball. Not quite sure what Forrest Gump was doing but he seemed distracted by Main coming out and put the ball into his own net. This was getting to be a joke so it was almost fitting that Mickey Mouse made it 4 2 minutes later (although it was a well-worked goal) after Weir and McQ failed to clear their lines.

McQ got the consolation for Saints later but even then Del, Griffin and Dasovic all missed chances. At the other end Main made a couple of saves but his kicking and clearances still meant he looked well below his best.

I'm trying to pick out some good points. MoM Dasovic and Pope both had good games and looked on form. Miguel looks as good as ever but lacks support. The rest of them - absolute shite and if it continues like this it'll be an early exit from Europe and a relegation battle all the way.

Still at least Geoff Brown will be happy the contract negotiations will be on ice for a while.

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