It is only a matter of time until Tommy Wright departs McDiarmid Park. Even the most optimistic St Johnstone supporter understands that the consistent over-performance of perhaps the club’s greatest ever manager has attracted the deserved attention of sides throughout Scotland and England. If anything, it’s a surprise he’s not been lured from Perth sooner.
Wright has led the Saints to consecutive fourth place finishes, brought them European football, and guided them to their first Scottish Cup win – all of this done within the constraints of a restrictive budget. Stability might be an unfashionable term in the football world, seen as an excuse for a lack of progress, but it’s something that Wright has instilled in the club. While the likes of Motherwell, Dundee United and Hibernian have seen their fortunes fluctuate to varying degrees, St Johnstone have maintained a reliable presence as the fourth strongest team in Scottish football, and have done so with a much smaller budget compared to the latter examples. He’s also created a team that’s stronger than the sum of its parts. Extract one or two players from that team and it will not crumble into pieces; could the same be said for a Griffiths-less Celtic or a Rooney-less Aberdeen? Over-achieving in one season is one thing – just look at Inverness and John Hughes – but to do it over a sustained period is the sign of a special manager. But next season could be his toughest task yet.
I’m among the ranks of people who expect a returning Rangers to challenge Celtic, but to ultimately fall short and fight Aberdeen and Heart of Midlothian for second. Derek McInnes will be frustrated that the Don’s title push collapsed at the final hurdle, which seemed to highlight a lack of mental fortitude in high pressure situations – how many times did Aberdeen capitulate after being in a position to leap-frog the eventual champions? He’s asked for investment to build, and he appears to have strengthened up-front. Hearts, on the other hand, exceeded expectations with a comfortable third-place finish and are going to push on and challenge Aberdeen. With all three utilising their resources in a bid to challenge Celtic, the Saints could be forced from their top-four perch. There are also going to be stronger challenges from teams around them.
Ross County, pushing on after a brilliant 2015/16, have kept their squad together – not the usual flood of releases we’ve become accustomed to – and are adding to it. They’ve brought in Chris Routis from Bradford City and Kenny van der Weg from NAC Breda, centre-backs who should have more pace than either Paul Quinn or Andrew Davies; and right-back Erik Cikos. It shows that Jim McIntyre’s focus in on solidifying a defence which conceded 63 goals last season – the highest number outside the bottom three.
Motherwell, who finished six points behind Saints, should also put up more of a challenge. Mark McGhee had to reshape the team which Ian Barraclough had assembled; one which won just two out of eight games before his sacking in late September. McGhee led the Steelmen to 12 victories in his 28 matches in charge, including a five-match winning streak during which they scalped Aberdeen. So far it’s been a quiet transfer window for Motherwell, but a sense of stability could reap rewards next season.
And then there’s Dundee. Paul Hartley’s team vastly underachieved last season, finishing a disappointing 8th in the Premiership, being eliminated from the League Cup by Dunfermline, and being thrashed in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox – that result coming after Gary Harkins thought it wise to wind up the Rangers support. The big challenge for them is keeping hold of Kane Hemmings and Greg Stewart. The former contributed almost 40% of Dundee’s league goals last season, and Stewart’s dynamic performances have earned him back-to-back Player of the Season nominations. Their main additions are those of James Vincent and Danny Williams from Inverness. The former can add some cover in midfield if fit and the latter offers some much needed width down the left-flank. Another under-performing season could see Hartley departing Dens Park.
With Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Aberdeen likely making up the top four, Dundee, Motherwell and Ross County will be challenging Saints for a top-six finish. All three look to be in stronger positions than 12 months ago, although the same can also be said for Wright’s side.
If you were to make up a list of areas St Johnstone need to improve upon last season, it looks like Tommy Wright’s ticking them off one-by-one. A younger, less injured replacement for Dave MacKay? Check. Some spark added to a sometimes laboured midfield? Check. More options in wide areas? Check. The signings of Keith Watson, Michael Coulson and Blair Alston could fix all these issues, making Saints perhaps the strongest and most experienced team outside the big four. The arrival of Alston, in particular, is exciting. In fact, there’s only one glaring issue that still needs addressing.
The Saints need a striker. Their top-scorer, Steven MacLean, is 33, and the 14 goals that he finished the campaign with perhaps paint an untrue picture. MacLean scored half of that figure in three games – a hat-trick against Hamilton Academicals, and doubles against Aberdeen and Motherwell. There’s also the fact that he scored just once between October 18 and April 21. Graham Cummings contributed eight goals and looked more effective as a secondary-striker, creating chances for MacLean rather than finishing them himself. John Sutton might not be good enough at Premiership level anymore and appears to be joining St Mirren. Chris Kane, as energetic as he is, doesn’t look good enough to warrant a starting berth.
If Wright can fix this, though, St Johnstone will boast a strong squad going into next season. With Rangers returning, the chances of them finishing fourth for a third-straight-season look slim, and with Dundee, Motherwell and Ross County strengthening in the summer, all three will be desperate for top-six finishes. It’s looking like this could be the most exciting Premiership season for some time, and St Johnstone will, once again, have to overachieve if they are to finish fourth. But if any manager can accomplish such a feat, it’s Tommy Wright.
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