St Johnstone

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "It's a big disappointment. In key moments, not doing well enough. We don't defend when we should, and when you are bottom of the league you feel a bit of fear.

"But it's up to us, we need to fight our way through it. It's easy to say to the players to be confident but it doesn't work that way.

"We just need to keep going and do the simple things, and focus on every moment. Then you can start getting your confidence.

"But it's a tough moment. The players are feeling a lot of pain, the supporters are feeling a lot of pain, everyone is feeling a lot of pain.

"But we stick together and keep going. I said to the players it's not good enough. We have good players, but we need more [from them].

"The players know it, they are honest and brutal about themselves. They know nobody is feeling sorry for you, we need to get ourselves out of it."

Dundee United's impressive return to the Scottish Premiership continued as they came from behind to beat St Johnstone and move to within six points of third-place Aberdeen before the sides meet on Sunday.

Jim Goodwin's side were looking to build on a creditable point against Celtic, but trailed to Makenzie Kirk's well-taken goal one minute before the break.

However, a terrific effort from Glenn Middleton levelled the game six minutes into the second half, before the league's top scorer Sam Dalby headed them in front on the hour mark.

It leaves St Johnstone two points adrift at the foot of the table.

Let us know your thoughts on St Johnstone's performance.

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Simo Valakari conceded pre-match that his side needed a result given their position at the bottom of the Premiership.

They looked good at the break but were ripped apart in the first 15 minutes after the restart and now face a daunting trip to play leaders Celtic next.

They showed in patches that they can play good football and created some decent opportunities. And in Makenzie Kirk, they have a young player who is a threat and can make it count with five league goals to his name.

However, right now, things are not coming together to deliver a full 90-minute performance and it is costing them dearly with just one win in their last eight.

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St Johnstone have Lewis Neilson, Kyle Cameron and Nicky Clark back in their squad.

Barry Douglas (calf) is still out along with long-term absentees Uche Ikpeazu (knee), Cammy MacPherson (hip) and Sam McClelland (Achilles).

Dundee United are again without Louis Moult (shoulder) and Craig Sibbald (groin).

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Experienced pair Kyle Cameron and Nicky Clark have returned to fitness as St Johnstone look to move off the bottom of the table.

Defender Cameron and attacker Clark missed Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Hearts but are set to return to the squad for the Boxing Day visit of Dundee United.

Speaking on Christmas Eve, manager Simo Valakari said: "Everyone trained today. Kyle trained, Nicky trained, Graham Carey trained and everyone.

"So all the players who are available for Thursday are available now."

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• Against no other side has Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin won more Scottish Premiership games as a manager than his six against St Johnstone (also 6 v Ross County). However, only one of those six has come in his seven away games against the Saints (D2 L4), winning 1-0 in August 2022 with Aberdeen.

• Dundee United have scored at least once in nine of their last 10 away league games, only failing at Aberdeen in October (1-0 defeat).

• St Johnstone have lost 11 and won just two of their 17 home league games in 2024 (D4). It's the most home defeats by a side in a single calendar year in the Scottish Premiership since 2018, when Hamilton lost 13 and Dundee lost 12.

• Dundee United are looking to earn back-to-back top-flight victories over St Johnstone for the first time since April 2012.

• St Johnstone's last home league meeting with Dundee United saw them win 1-0 in May 2023; the Saints last won successive home Scottish Premiership meetings with the Tangerines in December 2014 (3 in a row).

Andy Campbell
BBC Sport Scotland

One of the Premiership's newest managers, Simo Valakari, is facing a big challenge at St Johnstone.

With just one point from a possible 12 so far in December, the Perth side are a point adrift in 12th place.

However, Saints supporters will know their three defeats so far this month have been by a margin of one goal, while the point they picked up away to Aberdeen came only after the Dons had battled back from a goal down.

The short version is that it's tight in this league and Valakari's side need to find a way to end up on the right end of marginal games.

Dundee United are their Boxing Day visitors, aiming for their second straight win over Saints.

With three wins and a draw out of 11 so far, Finnish former Motherwell player Valakari has not enjoyed the strongest of starts at McDiarmid Park but he's not alone. Hearts' Neil Critchley has five wins from 15 while David Gray at Hibernian has only recently pushed his win percentage in to the high 20s.

Again, it's tight in the Scottish top flight but that also means a win can go a long way and Valakari still has it within his gift to guide St Johnstone off the bottom of the table in time for the New Year.

Read all the Boxing Day Premiership picks

Sam Miller
Fan writer

What a difference a couple of weeks can make.

From previously discussing how the gaffer had 'credit in the bank', murmurs of being 'out his depth', 'ineptitude' and 'tactically naive' are beginning to creep into the Perth faithful's opinion of the Finn.

A match against a struggling Hearts team in front of a sold-out away end and off the back of a sore defeat to At Mirren should have been all the team needed to bring some festive cheer back to Perth.

A formation with players deployed out of position didn't work and a brief fightback was just papering over the cracks. The fans wanted some fight but didn't even get that.

All we want now is a busy January in the market and an end to the square peg/round hole situation.

Sam Miller can be found at The Dogger Saints Podcast, external

St Johnstone need to find a way to win ugly, says winger Graham Carey, 35. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari is challenging his players to "show what kind of team we are" after slipping to the foot of the Premiership table.

Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Hearts meant the Edinburgh club leapfrogged the Saints who now sit bottom.

That's now four games without a win this month as the Perth club prepare to welcome Dundee United on Boxing Day.

"There's nobody behind us," Valakari said.

"We have put ourselves in this position and we are the only ones who can get us out of it.

"I believe in my players. They are honest players who are not making excuses about the situation.

"They are not feeling sorry for themselves. They are suffering.

"Are they at 100 per cent maximum confidence? Of course not, because they are losing football matches.

"But at the same time, we are a football team and sometimes you lose, and in those moments you need to show what you are. This is kind of our moment. We need to show what kind of team we are.

"We need to be ready for our next match at home. That is the opportunity when it all starts, the climbing of the table."

Saints fans, we asked for your views on Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Hearts.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Les: Yet again basic errors are costing us. First half was so poor, Nicky Clark was a huge miss. Simo Valakari has to get this sorted in January or it's Championship football next season. A goalkeeper, a right back and possibly another centre half are the bare minimum.

Stuart: Again poor defensively and in goal. A continuing trend from last January. Fans starting to question Simo need to remember this squad was built by Craig Levein and has no options out wide, defensively or any confidence. We need to break this habit of January windows fixing previous seasons errors and break it sharp.

Perry: The last few years we have stayed up without being a goal threat but having a decent defence. Simo will need a miracle or Ross County to finish last to keep us up. The club's been run into the ground and it's now all caught up with us.

Duncan: Not good enough. January signings? No one worth having would want to come. The Championship beckons. Can see us finding it even harder to avoid further relegation next season.

Gordon: Where do you start after that dross? First half was a disgrace and had we been 3-0 down we could have had no complaints. Lacked pretty much everything required to win a football match. Team selection a bit baffling and most of the players were gutless. The second half was better (couldn't really have been worse) but yet again, defensive frailties cost us dearly.

Henri: Starting to lose confidence with Simo, he seems to play a different formation and team every week. We need a definite tactic to save us from relegation. David Keltjens was fantastic when he came on last week, surprised he didn't start.

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• Blair Spittal has scored three goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), no Hearts player has more.

• St. Johnstone have failed to win in their last four games in the Premiership, their last longer winless streak was from 24 August 2024 to 6 October 2024, a run of six games.

• St. Johnstone have scored in each of their last three games in the Premiership, scoring four goals in that run.

• St. Johnstone have scored in their last three games in the Premiership, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of 6 games from 19 October 2024 to 23 November 2024.

Watch the best of the action from Tynecastle as Hearts move off the bottom to be replaced by St Johnstone.

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St Johnstone prop up the Scottish Premiership after a 2-1 loss away to Hearts.

That's six defeats in the last eight games now, but only one of those has been by more than a one-goal margin.

Is there evidence of better to come from the Perth side or are fans worried going into 2025?

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St Johnstone head coach Simo Valakari: "Tough 90 mins, a lot of ups and downs.

"We did not start the game very well but this time the opponent was very, very good, they put us under so much pressure.

"We were one yard short everywhere but managed to get to half-time only one down and came out very strong at the start of the second half.

"What hurts me most is we could not hold the 1-1 for a longer time to stay in the match. We let their second goal come too early and it was difficult after that.

"We need to win football matches, simple as that. We have put ourselves in this position so no time to feel sorry or make excuses.

"It's almost like a reset moment, there's no one below us, we can only look up."

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St Johnstone were far too open before changing to a diamond formation in midfield 25 minutes in. They were fortunate not to be further behind by that stage and the shift in shape helped stem the Hearts attacks.

Makenzie Kirk, so prolific at B team level for Hearts, and looking to score for the third game running, barely got a touch and when he did could only steer a tame, late effort into the gloves of Gordon.

Adama Sidibeh showed the odd glimpse of dangerous speed but was let down by his decision-making and it was mixed afternoon for Rae, who made a couple of outstanding saves but did not move his feet quickly enough to keep out Spittal's decisive strike.

With six defeats from their past eight outings, Saints will need to show much more at home to Dundee United on Thursday before finishing the year with a tough assignment at Celtic Park.

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Hearts welcome back Musa Drammeh (ineligible) and Adam Forrester (suspended) after they missed the Conference League draw with Petrocub.

Craig Halkett is battling to shake off an injury that forced him off against the Moldovans while Beni Baningime could be involved, but Gerald Taylor (knee), Calem Nieuwenhof (hamstring), Stephen Kingsley (hamstring) and Frankie Kent (quad) are still out.

St Johnstone will be without Hearts loanee Lewis Neilson, who cannot play against his parent club. Barry Douglas is still out along with Uche Ikpeazu (knee), Cammy MacPherson (hip) and Sam McClelland (Achilles).

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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St Johnstone striker Makenzie Kirk says they have to start to turning their good performances into points.

Despite their improved showings, Saints have picked up just five points in their last seven games, with just one victory in that run of fixtures.

They are currently second bottom of the table, just one point above Hearts who they play at Tynecastle on Sunday.

"It is a massive game for both teams," Kirk said. "For us it is just about focusing on ourselves and taking the game to them and showing what we are about and playing the football we have been playing over the last few weeks.

"Although results for us haven't been going our way, the football has been there and the performances have been there so it is just about going there and trying to take three points.

"The most important thing for us is winning games, it's the most important thing in football but we need to start picking up results."

With six goals to his name so far, 20 year old Kirk has caught the eye since signing for St Johnstone - from Hearts - during the summer.

He was asked if he is surprised at the predicament his old club currently find themselves in.

"From the start of the season they've not had great results and they've not really been as consistent as they were last year but it happens in football, you can't deny the quality they have got with the squad and the threat they have going forward."

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• Hearts have won their last seven league meetings with St Johnstone since a 2-1 defeat in February 2022.

• St Johnstone have lost eight of their last nine away games against Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, winning the other 1-0 in December 2019.

• Hearts have only kept one clean sheet in their last eight league games, but have also only failed to score in two of their last 12 in the Scottish Premiership.

• St Johnstone have only had one win in their last eight away league matches (D2 L5), beating Dundee 2-1 in October.

• Makenzie Kirk has scored in both of St Johnstone's last two league games; the last player aged 20 or younger to score in three successive Scottish Premiership appearances was Mika Biereth in November 2023.

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

It would rub salt into Hearts' Premiership wounds, deepened by Thursday's Conference League exit, should Makenzie Kirk come back to haunt them on Sunday.

Having ended his stay at Tynecastle by helping Hamilton win promotion from League 1 while on loan, the 20-year-old was sold for an undisclosed fee this summer to St Johnstone.

Working alongside father Andy, the Saints assistant and fellow former Hearts striker, the younger Kirk was initially a regular substitute under Craig Levein, but he has started the latest four matches under new manager Simo Valakari and repaid the Finn with three goals - two in his past two outings.

The Edinburgh-born Northern Ireland Under-19 forward will fancy his chances of adding to his tally given Neil Critchley's side have only kept one clean sheet in their latest nine league games and have only won once in nine overall.

However, despite Kirk's influence, Saints have still only managed one victory of their own in their most recent seven.

They sit just one spot and one point above their bottom-placed hosts before a meeting between two clubs for whom the new manager bounce has quickly disappeared.

Indeed, Kirk and Saints will be battling against the weight of recent history, considering Saints have lost four in a row at Tynecastle since a 1-0 win in December 2019.

Hearts have, in fact, won each of their latest seven meetings with St Johnstone since a 2-1 defeat in February 2022 and will be desperate to make amends after their failure to secure a win against lowly-ranked visitors that would have kept them in Europe beyond Christmas for the first time in 36 years.

Should Kirk help to end Hearts' winning run in this fixture, though, it will only add to the question marks being posed about the recruitment policy at his former club.

Read all the weekend Premiership picks

Sam Miller
Fan writer

Being a Saintee, I've seen my fair share of disappointment over the years.

Gretna scoring a 94th-minute equaliser in Dingwall to get promotion at our expense still sits top of that particular category.

However, last Saturday hurt. A lot. An abundance of angry fans were pointing the finger at the referee for not stopping play for a foul in the build-up to St Mirren's injury-time winner.

However, the fact remains we were 2-1 up with five minutes to play. Game management was lacking and with two wins in seven, points were more important than having four strikers on the pitch.

It's great we are going out all guns blazing and playing mostly nice football. But it's a points business and they need to come. Quickly.

Sam Miller can be found at Dogger Saints Podcast, external