St Johnstone manager Steven MacLean is demanding a “90-minute performance” from his team in Aberdeen.
The Perth side have produced spells of good football during their winless start to the Premiership season – the first 55 minutes of last weekend’s draw with Livingston the most recent of them.
But they haven’t sustained high standards for long enough.
And the Saints boss wants that to change at Pittodrie on Sunday.
“You need to take opportunities against top teams,” he said.
“And what we need to do is put a whole 90-minute performance together.
“We’ve been talking about that and we need to make sure we do it.”
Recalling famous St Johnstone scoreline…
MacLean was part of the Saints team which secured a famous 5-1 victory in Aberdeen in 2015.
He scored two goals that day but Brian Easton’s looping long-range volley is the one that sticks in supporters’ memories.
“It hit Easty’s knee, shin and his toe,” MacLean joked.
Aberdeen away. You know what goal is coming…
Brian Easton 2015. Ping.#SJFC pic.twitter.com/9wEJrma1V7
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) September 17, 2021
“I would certainly take the clinical edge we had that day.
“The big thing in football – people always say it – is goals change games.
“We probably weren’t even on top in that game but, when our chances came along, we took them.
“You need the build-up, final ball and the finish to be good.”
Nicky Clark, Chris Kane and DJ Jaiyesimi all have a chance of being in MacLean’s squad.
“Kano is hopefully going to train on Friday,” he reported.
“He did a lot of work on Wednesday with the fitness coach.
“Nicky has trained, so has DJ.
“Now it is just whether we think they are fit enough to be involved at the weekend.
“We need to manage how we train Nicky.
“We can’t train him really hard three days in a row. We need to watch his load.
“He trained Monday and Wednesday and was indoors on the bike on Tuesday.
“He came through all of that fine.”
Conversation