Livingston

James Penrice has insisted his Livingston teammates are giving their all as they attempt to escape relegation to the Championship.

The wing-back says there is a huge incentive to win at fellow strugglers Motherwell on Saturday, while also calling out the criticism of Joel Nouble, whose substitution off the park was cheered by sections of the home support on Wednesday.

"Obviously it's massive. With not getting the three [against St Johnstone], it's probably made it even bigger. We just need to go there and go and get the three.

"We need to actually go out on the park and do it and it's not been falling for us. The amount chances we missed [against St Johnstone] but going into Saturday, it's a chance to go and get get three points again and hopefully we're going to do that.

"We all know in there, we can do better and there is a way you go about things. I think we've been trying, there's no doubt about that.

"I would probably put emphasis on going there getting on a wee run, if we went to Motherwell and we go and win. Hopefully that happens and we put a run together and climb up the league.’

On fan criticism of Joel Nouble, he added: "Nobody's going out there and not trying. I think Joel playing out of position, it's not easy.

"I didn't like what happened with the cheering of him coming off us. I don't want to see that. He's a teammate and he's trying his hardest. Nobody's going out there and sacking it off.

"You can say his form this year isn’t the same as last year but you also say that he's playing out of position as well.

"It's not easy with the run we’re in, they're always going to look for somebody to kind of hack down, but we're going to stick together and we'll do that, and Joel was definitely there with us."

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Not only are Motherwell and Livingston the bottom two sides in the Premiership, but they're also enduring lengthy winless runs that have them in danger of losing touch with the chasing pack.

Should either team claim three points in their basement battle at Fir Park on Saturday, the victors would enjoy a real morale boost, while the losers would face even more doom and gloom, says The Times' Michael Grant.

Speaking on the Scottish Football Podcast, he said: "This is going to sound cruel, but I hope that neither of them win tomorrow. I really hope this is a draw and that us and the media can still keep writing about these winless runs that they both have.

"I know it sounds a bit vulture-ish, but it is interesting to see how far it'll go. Motherwell - no wins in 15.

"I'm being flippant because it will be pretty horrible around both clubs at the moment, for the staff and the players and everybody at the club. You're under such a cloud when you go so long without winning.

"One of them probably will win tomorrow and suddenly the skies part and the sun comes through and everybody feels better about themselves, but if there's another loser tomorrow, it's really bleak.

"And all of that is apart from the relegation issue, which of course they're the bottom two at the moment and in danger of just drifting away."

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"Mentally strong" Joel Nouble affirmed he will not be fazed by criticism from Livingston fans and backs himself to get back to his best.

The 27-year-old striker has not scored since August and was booed by some supporters before being sarcastically cheered off when he was substituted in the 80th minute of Wednesday’s goalless draw with St Johnstone.

Asked if he was hurt by what happened, Nouble said: “No. Fans are entitled to their opinion.

“They pay their hard-earned money to come to the game and if they’re not happy with the performance, they’re allowed to voice their opinion.

“I’m just focused on trying to help the team win and hopefully that gets the fans back on my side.

“I’m strong mentally. I’ve been through a lot worse in life than getting a bad reception from fans. Obviously teammates and family will always want to check up on you and see how you’re feeling but I’ve told them I’m fine.

“This isn’t going to define my season or my career. Obviously at the time it isn’t the best but the best thing I can do is focus on the next game.

“I don’t take it to heart.”

Nouble was applauded for his performances last term, but has struggled this season as the Lions have slipped to the foot of the Premiership with no wins in their last 11 games.

The forward-thinker feels playing wing-back in a 3-5-2 recently instead of on the left wing in a 4-3-3 has taken an edge off his play.

“I might not be on my best form but I’m always a confident person and always have self-belief,” he said. “I’m very confident I can get back to my best.

“[Criticism] is something that won’t ever go away, whether it’s fans or media, but I'd back myself to overcome any situation.

"Last year I was playing left-wing and in three of the last four games I’ve been playing wing-back so the opportunities I’m getting in games to show my abilities probably isn’t the same as last season, but wherever the gaffer puts me I’m going to try and perform well.”

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell dismisses the notion that Saturday's meeting with bottom side Livingston is a six-pointer, with Well four points ahead of David Martindale's side. (Herald - subscription required), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip

• Motherwell are unbeaten in 14 top-flight home games against Livingston (W11 D3) since a 5-1 defeat in October 2002 under Terry Butcher. The Steelmen have won their last four such games in a row.

• After their 2-0 win in October, Livingston could pick up successive top-flight wins over Motherwell for the first time since December 2002, when they won five in a row.

• Motherwell have lost their final league match in four of the last six calendar years (W2), although one of the two exceptions in this time was in 2021 when they beat Livingston 2-1.

• Livingston have won just one of their last 18 away league games (D2 L15), losing their last six in a row on the road.

• Since winning three of their first four Scottish Premiership games in 2023-24 (D1), Motherwell have failed to win and picked up just six points in 15 matches (D6 L9), the fewest of any side in that time.

Livi travel to Fir Park to face Motherwell on Saturday in a battle of the bottom two.

Would you make any changes to the team who drew 0-0 against St Johnstone?

Put yourself in the manager's shoes and tell us your starting XI here.

Image source, BBC Sport

David Martindale has made no secret of the limited funds at Livingston.

If money does become available, which areas would you like to see the manager strengthen in January?

Get in touch.

Stuart Barrie, Livingston fan

Two back-to-back 0-0 draws at home pretty much sums up our season - pretty flat so far and not enough to get us where we need to be.

There was some good play against St Johnstone from us, however there was a lot of direct punting to Kurtis Guthrie and then trying to scrap for second balls off him. It felt predictable and teams are comfortable dealing with this one-dimensional approach. We had a couple of glorious chances to get that much-needed goal but they sadly couldn’t be converted.

I think the issue is clear; we’re not scoring goals. So, when we inevitably go behind in games there’s almost an anticipation that we won’t claw our way back. We have some very good footballers but they are not at the top of their game just now and they aren’t doing the things we know they can do well. They are making basic errors and not making the right decisions with the ball.

I admire the way they are continuing to fight their way into games, but when we get the ball it's direct and lumped to the forwards quickly. This can work, as we have proved in the past, but it doesn’t work when it’s the main tactic and there is no guile and no attempt at clever passes, which we know we can also do well.

The team are massively devoid of confidence and the strain of being at the bottom of the league for several weeks now is starting to weigh heavy on the players and staff.

The negativity towards the coaching staff and players is growing game by game. Booing your own players and ironically cheering when they come off won’t help. I believe fans can and should be free to express opinions but I can’t see how some of the angrier shouts from the stands can help anyone.

With few points in return for a recent run of home games, and one game left in the calendar year, we have to win on fellow strugglers Motherwell's patch. We don’t get much there traditionally but the players have to believe they can win.

The manager has to take a lesson from Ted Lasso and get these guys believing in themselves. We’re a good team, we just stopped believing in ourselves and need to find that belief again.

Jonathan Sutherland, Sportscene presenter

Livingston’s James Penrice is always reliable down the left side but did a solid job filling in at right-back in the 0-0 draw against St Johnstone.

David Martindale expressed disappointment that some Livingston supporters turned on striker Joel Nouble during the goalless draw against St Johnstone.

Nouble has not got on the scoresheet since August and was deployed at wing-back against the Saints, before being taken off in the 80th minute to sarastic cheers from the home support.

“It’s a part of the game I don’t like,” Martindale said. “As a club we’re slightly different, we’ve not got a huge amount of fans and we’re big on the community and family aspect, so when it happens here it feels a bit more personal.

“There’s no doubt Joel’s form needs to improve, but I think in being a supporter, I would rather support the player than boo the player. That’s just my opinion.

“I’m not trying to tell the fans what to do. If that’s the way they feel and the way they want to express their emotions, so be it.

“I just know if I was a fan I’d want to try and help the player. But it’s modern-day society.”

Livingston are four points adrift at the bottom of the table after 11 games without a win, and Martindale insists nobody should carry the responsbility alone for that run.

“It’s not the first time and it probably won’t be the last,” he said of the Nouble criticism. “It happened a good bit last year with Nicky Devlin when he signed his pre-contract (with Aberdeen).

“It’s disappointing. I understand the frustrations but booing him is not going to make the situation any better. There’s no way Joel goes on the park not wanting to have a good game.

“There’s no doubt that his form is a bit off where it was last year but for me he’s still doing enough and contributing to the group. Everyone expects the Joel Nouble of last season to turn up but it doesn’t always happen.

“I could probably go through every one of our (individual) performances, including myself, and every one of our performances is below the standard of last year.

“We’re bottom of the league for a reason. It doesn’t fall on one isolated player. I think it’s a minority that are booing but unfortunately in modern society the minority are the ones that are the loudest.”

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We asked for your views on Livingston’s 0-0 draw against St Johnstone.

Terry: David Martindale is certainly on thin ice given his record this season as the manager of a club with a board constantly in turmoil. They need to take responsibility and understand the decision to buy a striker for the new season. It shows the amateur nature of what is a huge, huge failure.

• Livingston have failed to win in their last 11 games in the Scottish Premiership, their last joint longest winless streak was from March to September 2021.

• Livingston have failed to score in 12 of their 19 games, more often than any other team in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Livingston attempted 14 shots in this match, much higher than their season average of 8.6 in the Scottish Premiership.

Image source, BBC Sport

An encouraging second half ends in a familiar story for Livingston - no goals scored, another match without victory.

A monumental tussle with Motherwell looms for bottom club Livingston, whose winless run now stands at 11 games.

Can David Martindale's men turn their season around?

Let us know here.

Livingston manager David Martindale told BBC Radio Scotland: "We had 14, shots, three on target, and we are not converting any of them. The conversion rate needs to get a lot better. That's the story of the game.

"You progress through times of adversity, the individuals, the club, we've all got to dig in and work through this difficult period.

"You can't let fear take over your decision-making on the park and that's probably what we're finding slightly.

"You are one game, one goal, one win away from everything changing."

Toothless attack has been the story of Livingston and St Johnstone's season, with neither scoring a first-half goal in 17 of their games this season.

Livingston have scored only twice on their barren 11-game streak and 10 in total this season, their issues summed up by Mikey Devlin's last-ditch miss.

David Martindale fielded virtually all of his most potent attacking players, but none were able to cleave St Johnstone open.

David Martindale names a very attacking Livingston line-up as he searches for a first win in 11 matches.

The manager switches up his goalkeeper, with Shamal George preferred to Jack Hamilton. Captain Mikey Devlin returns from suspension, with fellow defender Michael Nottingham and forward Kurtis Guthrie also brought in following the loss at Celtic Park.

The injured Tom Parkes is sidelined, while Hamilton, Jamie Brandon and Luiyi de Lucas drop to the bench.

Guthrie is joined by Joel Nouble, Bruce Anderson and Andy Shinnie in the attacking areas as Martindale seeks some much-needed incision.

Image source, SNS

Livingston: George, Nottingham, Devlin (c), Obileye, Penrice, Pittman, Holt, Shinnie, Nouble, Anderson, Guthrie.

Substitutes: Hamilton, Montano, Kelly, Brandon, Bradley, Sangare, De Lucas, Lawal, Ledingham.

St Johnstone: Mitov, Brown, Olufunwa, Gordon (c), Gallacher, Robinson, Phillips, Smith, Kucheriayvi, May, Clark.

Substitutes: Richards, Considine, Kane, Carey, Jephcott, Sprangler, Turner-Cook, Costelloe.

Livingston's Tom Parkes is a major doubt after going off with a head injury at Celtic Park on Saturday, but fellow centre-back Michael Devlin returns from suspension.

St Johnstone winger Diallang Jaiyesimi serves the second game of a two-match suspension.

Defenders Callum Booth and Sam McClelland are back training, while midfielder Ali Crawford is improving, but Drey Wright remains a long-term absentee.

Image source, SNS