Jim Goodwin comes from Hamilton to aid the Buddies battle

At times it feels as though there is staleness about the SPL and a lot of this is to do with teams playing each other so often. However, another reason for it is even clubs make signings, they so often just buy players from other SPL teams.

This is not to criticise the signing of Jim Goodwin, no doubt Danny Lennon feels the midfielder can do a job for the Paisley side. Goodwin himself benefits from a new contract, the security that goes alongside and on this season’s form, he is joining a club that appears to be in better position.

There is a long way to go of the 2010/11 season but St Mirren look a far safer bet to stay in the SPL than Hamilton. Mind you, give it a month and if Accies can pick up points in their games in hand, we’ll be singing a very different tune.

Players can react differently to different managers and systems but there is an air of predictability in the SPL. With so much at stake, this is probably understandable. Danny Lennon took some risks in the summer by dropping down the divisions to pick up players for St Mirren and he hasn’t fared too badly.

However, at this time of the season, you need players who have been over the course and know what the league is about. Pinning your hopes on a new signing from abroad or even down South brings other gambles so maybe the signing of Goodwin is exactly what the Buddies require at the moment.

It may not be a signing that will have the Paisley fans rushing to the club shop for a name and number on their kit but if Goodwin can provide the steel to the Buddies midfield, it will prove to be a valuable signing.

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Fresh start in Paisley

We felt that St Mirren would have been better served going with a fresh face for the season ahead and the Paisley board have done just that with Danny Lennon, the ex-Cowdenbeath boss.

There is not much of a difference in age between Lennon and current Rangers captain Davie Weir but two years of experience in the lower reaches of Scottish football has paid dividends for Lennon. Back to back promotions with Cowdenbeath has raised the profile of Lennon and made him the ideal candidate for the Paisley club.

Lennon knows Scottish football very well from his playing time in the 90s and 00’s and is probably best remembered for his time at Raith Rovers. Few will forget the brief period when Rovers led Bayern Munich in the Olympic Stadium and it was Lennon who grabbed the goal.

Like the other Lennon who may be managing an SPL team soon, Danny Lennon is considered to be a Northern Irish internationalist. The former midfielder was born in Whitburn but picked up four Northern Irish B caps through a grandmother.

As for his ability to manage St Mirren in the SPL, it is hard to argue with his promotion feats with The Blue Brazil. We’re not going to lie and say we know anything about the way Lennon had his team playing and some Buddies would have hoped for a manager with a bit more experience at a higher level but it has to be said this is a positive move for the Paisley club.

After deciding to dispense with the services of Gus McPherson, it made sense for St Mirren to go with a up and coming manager in an attempt to build a freshness. Replacing McPherson with a tired SPL face from the merry-go-round would have did little to excite the fans and players so this move should revitalise everyone.
The Buddies won’t have that much to spend on transfer deals so being able to bring new energy to the club has to be seen as a positive step.

Buddies fans, positive about the new season?

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Heads could be low at St Mirren Park

Just think, if things went differently on Sunday, both sets of fans could have been cheering the presence of the League Cup at St Mirren Park tonight but as we all know, Rangers overcame adversity to clinch the cup.

Therefore, there would be no surprise if the atmosphere was a little bit flat at the game tonight.

Some Celtic fans will have one ear on the radio or one eye on their mobile phones hoping that Dundee United can derail the Rangers treble express. St Mirren fans, well we just hope they have taken their heads out of the oven since Sunday.

Not that there is any time to mope for the Buddies. Bottom club Falkirk picked up an away point last which means they are only two points behind St Mirren. The Paisley club have a game in hand but this comes tonight against a Celtic side who may just be creaking into form.

That has been seen many times in the Celtic side this season so no one should predict that they have turned a corner but with Robbie Keane on board, you feel there is more chance they will win games.

As for how this one will go, you would have to think Celtic will see it out but a lot depends on the mental state of St Mirren. They may be able to bounce back from Sunday and put everything into their survival fight. However, if they feel sorry for themselves, things may get a whole lot worse before they get better.

Who do you fancy for tonight?

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A home win is a rare occurrence for Buddies

Never mind a New Year’s Resolution, could be there a New Year’s Revolution for St Mirren.

New St Mirren Park was not home sweet home in the league in 2009 for St Mirren with only a defeat of Hearts bringing all three points for the Paisley side.

St Mirren only managed 5 league wins in 2009 so getting a league win at the first attempt in 2010 will hopefully be a positive omen for the Buddies.

Even if it doesn’t, it will give them a boost for the weeks ahead. Due to games being postponed, St Mirren have a busy January with a few midweek games to take care of but this result will see them in fine fettle.

Chris Innes got the only goal of the game with a back post header and this put St Mirren five points above bottom place in the SPL. The recipe for survival is beating your rivals at the bottom and this result puts Kilmarnock in grave danger.

They are two points above Falkirk but Falkirk have played one game less.

St Mirren fans, will you avoid the drop?

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St Johnstone are moving on up

Such is the tight nature of the SPL, any win can make a big difference and St Johnstone’s second home win of the season brought some instant gratification.

The Paisley team travelled to Perth a point ahead of their rivals and a win would have given then some great space over their rivals.

As it was, the victory for the home team allowed them to leapfrog their rivals into seventh place. They also moved above Hamilton and Hearts although these sides have a game in hand over the Perth side.

All three points were secured in the 19th minute when Chris Millar struck from outside the box.

It certainly wasn’t a classic match with the sending off of Michael Higdon being the other moment of note. The striker grabbed the headlines last week with a wonder goal against Falkirk but he is in the news for the wrong reasons this weekend.

St Johnstone boss Derek McInnes is a manager who likes his team to play in the right manner but the three points were the most important thing for him at the end of the game;

“We said we’d sacrifice a good performance as long as we got the result. I think it was more of that today.”

Saint Mirren boss Gus McPherson understands the tough nature of life at the bottom;

“We were frustrated that we lost a late goal at Falkirk, which would have seen us take the three points.”

“These games against the teams around you are the crucial ones. You just need a couple of wins, gaining confidence from that and you can climb the table.”

“You know it’s going to be very tight for the remainder of the season because so many teams are evenly matched.”

Can St Johnstone push into the top 6?

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Debt free but unable to progress.

When St Mirren moved from their former Love Street home and St Mirren Park, there was a large amount of hope for all concerned at the club. (New) St Mirren Park offered a new start and more importantly, it offered a debt free start.

In an era when even the biggest institutions in Scottish football are struggling financially, this announcement was warmly received by all Buddies. Being debt free should have been the catalyst for St Mirren to build and maybe recapture some of the excitement from the 1970s and 80s when European football and silverware were not strangers to Paisley.

News from the St Mirren AGM is not good for St Mirren fans.

The main focus for fans will be the fact that Andy Dorman and Stephen McGinn will both definitely be leaving the club by the summer when their contracts expire. However, a reasonable bid in the January transfer window may see these key players exit early.

It was announced that both players were made offers which were probably above St Mirren’s means but even at that, they were both turned down. The issue of why St Mirren decided to offer terms that were above what the club could reasonably afford should be discussed in depth later but not everything is well with regards to the clubs finances.

The money lost from Setanta going bust has caused the shortfall in St Mirren’s level of finances which looks like ensuring there will be no new signings in the January window.

With the Falkirk board promising to back boss Eddie May, St Mirren could be playing a risky game but if the money isn’t there, what can the club really do?

You can probably add Billy Mehmet to that list as his contract is also up in the summer.

Are St Mirren in trouble in the New Year?

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