Stevie May is in full bloom.
The St Johnstone striker is flowering after a period when some fans thought his career was wilting.
The seeds now flourishing though were arguably planted with the signing of strike partner Nicky Clark.
Eric Nicolson’s statistical analysis of May in midweek pointed to the renaissance of a player who was hugely influential in his first spell at Saints – and is again proving highly productive.
May’s profitable partnership with Clark will hopefully develop further yet.
May’s overall game has matured and new elements to his performances have significantly improved his overall contribution, not least in front of goal.
Playing close to the intelligent Clark, who holds the ball up well and links intuitively with him, May’s days of drifting aimlessly to the wings looking for possession are over.
His more targeted approach through the middle and into the 18-yard box is proof that economy of effort is much more effective than expending energy on previous lost causes.
At 29, two years younger than his new striking ally, there’s sagaciousness about the pair, who are smart both in possession and out of it, with strong tactical nous evident in their collaborative work.
A Saints fan told me when Clark was signed that he would save their season.
He’s certainly been reinvigorated after a wee wilderness spell at Tannadice – and he’s been a big factor in May’s blossoming.
Dundee United fans are rightly aggrieved at their firefighting battle in the Premiership basement.
A win against Motherwell would help douse the flames a bit before they spread further, but they need all hands to the pumps.
On the training ground, head coach Liam Fox will be concentrating on the glaring deficiencies of defenders not stopping or attacking crossed balls with enough alacrity or determination.
And he’ll have been addressing the issue of improving ball winning and retention.
Squandering possession too easily when the opposition has quick players like Jonah Ayunga at St Mirren last week is an offence punishable by defeat.
Slack concentration levels and tactical indiscipline, particularly but not exclusively among younger players, are killers in the game, where constantly improving athleticism swiftly punishes slack play and poor ball use.
Fox has pointed to Steven Fletcher’s qualities as a shining example for the youthful cohort in his squad, urging them to: “Watch, learn and soak everything up.”
It’s solid advice but only useful if the kids have the humility to accept it.
Part of the role of the elder statesman in football, as in all walks of life, is to advise the next generation with patience and tact.
But it’s a two-way street.
The experience of those who are time served in mentoring and passing on their knowledge is a vital one.
Many tradespeople talk warmly many years later of the effect a tolerant, unflappable journeyman had on shaping their discipline and knowledge of their craft.
Football is no different.
Experienced players, of course, also make mistakes, as United fans have witnessed in recent weeks.
How they themselves react and respond to those errors is also a vital part of the learning process for younger players around them.
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