I started writing this on Saturday night – in the direct aftermath of the horror show performance we put in in Paisley. Quite frankly, it was a diatribe. Immoderate language was used.

And that was fully deserved – Saturday’s showing was a disaster from the players, but even more so from the management team. Square pegs in round holes and desperately out-of-form players still getting game time, all of which was very reminiscent of the latter days of Callum Davidson’s reign.

Thankfully for everyone, I had forgotten all about the fact we had a midweek match, and that has changed an awful lot.

Credit where credit is due. The performance in Aberdeen was everything that the capitulation at St Mirren was not. Organised, structured, with attacking intent and a cutting edge – this was much better. It is no coincidence at all that the change of shape combined with playing players in far more comfortable, natural positions made a huge difference.

Liam Gordon had one of his best performances in months – the defence all round helped by being well protected by Sven Sprangler and Dan Phillips. We also saw Diallang Jaiyesimi’s best performance in a Saints shirt – his assist for Kimpioka’s clincher was a joy to watch. The striker too showed the danger he can pose not only with his goal, but by stretching the Dons defence on multiple occasions and allowing the rest of his team to get up the park and support.

There was a point – after a fairly accomplished first half – that I worried we were going to sit back and let Aberdeen get back into it. That has been a massive failing of Saints this season. As a team that doesn’t score many goals we are far too quick to try and defend a slender lea rather than trying to extend it. But the set up last night meant we carried a threat throughout and were able to go and seal the three points when the opportunity arose.

The results last night have moved the dial only very slightly in the overall relegation calculation. Motherwell – despite their lack of wins over the course of many months – now sit eighth. Saints remain tenth – but are now level with Aberdeen, who appear to be sleepwalking into a relegation battle. Livingston – who we face this weekend – are in a dreadful position butcan’t entirely be ruled out quite yet.

The fine margins in this league are crazy at the moment. Even the allegedly all conquering, swashbuckling Dundee side are only five points ahead of Saints and Aberdeen – two teams who, to put it kindly, have been appalling for most of this term. And it has to be said, an added bonus of last night’s fixtures was seeing the Dens Park side falling to a thorough and hilarious pumping at the hands of Celtic.

I saw a league table from this point in 2018/19 posted online this morning that shows just how unusual the league is right now. That year St Mirren were bottom with 17 points – one more than Livi have now – but had Dundee just a point ahead and Hamilton four points clear. The next team was Livingston in ninth place – with 34 points. That total just now would put the 2018/19 Livi team in sixth place in the 2023/24 Premiership.

The form of the current bottom six remains diabolical, and any team that puts any sort of run together in the next five games before the split could well find themselves escaping into the top half after 33 games.

It is likely between Hibs and Dundee for that final top half berth, but you can’t rule anybody out from going on a five game losing streak at the moment. On the flip side, it is hard to see any team from sixth down putting a great run together.

The hope for us Saints fans has to be that Levein has found a formula in the changed setup and personnel last night that can put more points on the board. I would hope that we see a very similar starting eleven when Livingston come to town on Saturday, and go out there with the intention of winning the game.

There’s a long way to go, and we know it hasn’t been good this calendar year so far, but there is at least a glimmer of hope as we go into yet another crucial Premiership weekend.