Self-confessed “football geek”, Steven MacLean, is well versed in the new Hibs manager’s team tactics from his time in Australia.
And the St Johnstone boss will not feel at a disadvantage facing Nick Montgomery’s Easter Road side so early in his Leith tenure.
“We have done plenty of work,” said MacLean.
“I’ve watched in depth what he has done – not just in Hibs’ game against Kilmarnock but in the past as well.
“I’ve gone deeper.
“He played the same way (in Australia with Central Coast Mariners).
“I’m a football geek and I’ve always watched Australian football.
“I used to always watch it on a Saturday morning when I was a player.
“It helps having a good analyst. He had a lot of stuff ready for me.
“The players are ready and we know exactly what is coming so there are no excuses there.”
The MacLean v Montgomery Sheffield rivalry
MacLean and Montgomery crossed paths when lining up on opposite sides of the Sheffield derby in 2006.
On this day in 2006 💫
A couple of wonder strikes from Ade Akinbiyi and Michael Tonge saw us win 2-1 at Hillsborough ✊ pic.twitter.com/gwdWiSKT7B
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) February 18, 2020
“I played against Nick,” he recalled. “He was a hard-working midfielder who liked to mix it.
“He will want that from his team as well.
“He was in about the middle of the pitch, broke things up and played simple.
“Sheffield had the two teams in the city who hated each other.
“It was a good time and I liked living in Sheffield.”
First win would give St Johnstone ‘confidence’
Saints are still seeking their first Premiership victory of the season to put some upward momentum behind MacLean’s new-look side.
“That first win will give them confidence,” he said.
“They need to learn how to win a game, whether they play well or not.
“There are different ways to win a game of football and we need to do it as a team.
“We need to be able to dig in when we’re having bad spells in games and make sure we come out the other side.
“When this group does start doing that, we’ll see the improvement.”
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