Temple Of Saints - ???

Scottish Premier League - 18/03/2000

Boringly Uninventive Saints 0 Just as boring Killie 0 League Table Here

Team : Robbo,Danny,Bollan,Weir,Dods,Kane,Chief,Del,Paddy, Nathan,Pope
Subs : Cuthbert,Frail,Gerry,Jones,Keyring

Cast your minds back just under a year when Saints and Killie were both challenging the so-called bigger clubs for 3rd place and Euro glory. Well after the total boring crap on display from both sides today it's easy to see how the mighty have fallen. This was easily the worst game I've seen this season. And the hard thing is that although Killie played the defensive tactic throughout, there was a total lack of effort, imagination or creativity from the entire Saints side. Nothing, zilch, zero, nada. And if we continue along the same vein we're going down.

Chief returned to the side in place of Frail with the latter dropping to the bench as the all-too-familiar 4-4-2 formation (remember attacking football) took the field. Even with the reduced prices attracting a slightly larger than normal home support there was a real air of depression around the stadium.

First half was the same crap that most first-halves at McD have been recently. Usual story of missed tackles, standing off players instead of closing them down and a midfield that couldn't pass a ball to save itself. When the sum total of all Saints creativity in the first 15 minutes was a Danny long-range half-hearted shot (which of course went wide), it shows you just how bad things are.

Defensively we looked sound although with Killie willing to settle for Veraille up front on his own it wasn't too difficult. Mind you Dods and Weir still showed their panicky touches and Blaster more than once decided to test the keeper - unfortunately it was Robbo who suffered from his slack passbacks.

Midfield was crap. Kane tackles ok but then insists on trying to run forward with the ball which let's face it he can't do to the same effect any more. Pope was posted missing. Del on the wing had some good moves but too often the final cross/pass/chip went miles astray. Chief looked his usual self - no ability but at least he fought for the ball and tried to get himself into space.

As for the attack there is no understanding between Nathan and Paddy and this is becoming a liability. Too often passes between the pair went to the wrong side etc. Of course the close marking of DanDildo and his fellow Killie defenders didn't help but both players should be able to at least outrun and outrun them.

I've not mentioned any of the action cos basically there was none to speak of. Del had a shot, Pope almost got a shot, Chief crossed the ball once and Del had a header. That was it really - expect the usual in the papers tomorrow.

At the other end Robbo came out of his box to clear a couple of times and a Tosh McKinlay corner was headed off the line by Del (although some mates in the Ormond stand believe it was over the line).

Second half was even worse as Saints ran out of puff and any form of ideas. We did have a couple of chances in the early stages with Paddy having a good 15-yd shot saved and Del missing an open goal after intercepting a Lauchlan passback and beating the keeper.

Sandy put on Jones for Nathan on the hour and although Corporal put himself about a bit he spent far, far too much time in his own half helping out the defence. Pope moved to the right wing with Chief coming into the middle but that was only a temporary stop en route to the dugout as the Karaoke King (who according to the programme notes is one of the most talented players at the club in training) came on to convince us he's not worth the space anymore.

The last 20 minutes saw Saints totally lose their shape with panicky clearances, arguments amongst themselves and a total inability to close down their opponents more than evident. For all that though, Robbo only had a couple of close calls with a shot over the bar and a one-on-one with Abou which he cleared.

We had a few corners in the last 10 minutes (taken by Danny) but it was like the Jambos game with the ball in the box being passed about like a hot potato instead of being sent netwards. Final whistle saw the home support boo the team off the park. Says it all really.

No real MoM for me but best of a bad bunch was Chief who at least tried for the jersey. Good performance too from Bobby Orr in the middle - there were the usual quota of weird decisions but he let the game flow and kept his cards in his pocket for the 90 minutes. Where do we go from here? The team are back at the low point of a few weeks ago. We hear that there isn't enough depth in the squad but IMHO it's time to blood the kids. Let's see what McCulloch, McAllister, Keyring, Parker and Lauchlan can do.

That was the shittiest week of the season.

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