St Johnstone’s emphatic 4-0 win over Hamilton was not only one of the most notable thumpings of the weekend, but it also showcased Tommy Wright’s new-look and once again suggested what they are capable of.
Hearts, Kilmarnock and even Livingston have enjoyed their moments in the spotlight so far this season, yet while Kris Boyd & Co. have sang their own praise through the radio waves, the quiet club from Perth have simply got on with quickly fixing a terrible start to the season and getting back up the league table.
Saturday’s victory was St Johnstone’s fifth in as many games, as Wright’s side look to have finally clicked in to gear with a number of new, young faces coming to the fore. Saints fans would have happily noted that new summer signings were on hand to either assists or score three of the four goals at McDiarmid Park a few days ago, which goes a long way to emphasizing the reasons behind the quick change in form.
For example, new forward Matty Kennedy has scored three goals in that five-match stint. Similarly, right winger Drey Wright has picked up a goal and two assists in that same period. Add two assists from Tony Watt in those same five games and it’s clear to see that a number of intrical additions to this squad are finally picking up important points for Wright’s side.
Couple this new-look attacking element to the Saints’ starting lineup up with Wright’s signature pragmatism on the tactics board and you have a St Johnstone side who look as though they’re ready to grind up the bottom six and make their assault on the top half of the table come May.
So far in this season’s league campaign, St Johnstone have picked up maximum points against Hamilton, St Mirren, Dundee, Motherwell and Livingston. Although they may have shipped 10 goals to Rangers and Celtic in that same period, Saints fans would undoubtedly take more encouragement from the fact that their side are, first and foremost, winning the games they’re expected to win.
Although we’ve already touched on Wright’s new front line, there’s no doubt that his team have only managed to do this thanks to a stubborn and resolute defensive line that has kept five, consecutive clean sheets from their last five Premiership games.
For example, no other team has a better average of blocked shots per game than St Johnstone, who currently average 4.73 in the division. Wright’s side also sit top of the division when it comes to total interceptions in the Premiership so far this season.
Interestingly, although the Saints have the highest average for number of shots fired towards their goal in each game, they also have the lowest expected goals figure per opposition shot in the division too. Which, roughly, means that although teams often litter their goal with speculative shots, Wright’s side also tend to limit the number of clear goal-scoring chances for opposing players more than anyone else in the division.
Like Steve Clarke’s Kilmarnock and Craig Levein’s Hearts, Wright’s new side are built on a solid, defensive structure that can keep all but the best teams in the division at bay, but now has talents like Watt, Kennedy & Co. to score vital goals and pick up important points.
At the start of the season many neutrals wondered if any of the bottom half would be able to break in to a top six that seemed to have a reserved sign on each position. Then along came teams like Kilmarnock, Livingston and now St Johnstone. And if Wright’s side can keep up this kind of form then they may be crowned the latest underdogs ready to punch above their weight in a truly fascinating season of Scottish football.
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