St.Johnstone Vs St.Mirren

St Mirren, having suffered a difficult two-match losing streak, will be determined to return to winning ways when they make the journey to McDiarmid Park to face St Johnstone this Saturday afternoon. This game marks matchday 17 of the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership season, with both sides facing challenges as they try to make progress up the league table. 

St Johnstone, the home side, currently sits in ninth place, having accumulated 14 points from 16 matches. Their position in the standings is precarious, just a few points above the relegation zone, and they are looking to recover from a difficult period. On the other hand, St Mirren are slightly better placed, holding seventh position with 18 points from their own 16 fixtures. While St Mirren has shown glimpses of promise this season, they are also coming into this match with some work to do to address a recent slump in form.

St Johnstone’s form has been one of concern for the club in recent seasons. Since their impressive fifth-place finish in the 2020-21 campaign, the club has struggled in subsequent years, finding themselves caught up in relegation battles year after year. The following season, 2021-22, saw them drop to 11th place, narrowly avoiding relegation by defeating Caledonian Thistle in the relegation playoffs. In 2022-23, they improved slightly to finish ninth, but last season was another near-miss, with St Johnstone finishing 10th, just above the relegation playoffs on goal difference. This season, they are once again in a battle to avoid the drop, and their current position reflects that struggle. With 14 points from their opening 16 matches, they find themselves in a perilous position, just two points above bottom-placed Hibernian as the halfway point of the season approaches.

Simo Valakari, who took over as manager following the sacking of Craig Levein in early September 2024, has been tasked with stabilizing the team’s performance and keeping them out of the relegation zone. Under Levein, St Johnstone's form was poor, with just one win and four losses in their first five league matches. Valakari has made a slight improvement since his arrival, securing three wins and one draw from his first nine matches in charge. However, this improvement has been modest, and St Johnstone still face significant challenges as they look to climb further up the table. A 1-1 draw with second-placed Aberdeen in their most recent fixture was a positive result, providing the team with some much-needed confidence. Valakari will hope that his side can carry this momentum into Saturday's match, aiming to secure a vital three points to widen the gap between themselves and the relegation zone. 

St Mirren, despite being the favorites heading into this fixture, are not without their own challenges. They come into this match with a mixed bag of results, sitting in seventh place in the standings, four points ahead of St Johnstone. Their season started positively, as they went unbeaten in their opening four matches across all competitions, showing promise and creating expectations of a successful campaign. However, things took a turn for the worse as the season progressed. The team went through a dismal period in which they managed just one win in 11 matches. During that stretch, they suffered eight defeats and two draws, a run of results that left their position in the standings under threat. 

Despite this difficult spell, there has been some hope for St Mirren in recent weeks. Manager Stephen Robinson has overseen a small resurgence in form, with his team claiming three wins, one draw, and two losses in their last six matches. However, they have also experienced back-to-back defeats leading into this game, and Robinson will be eager to halt that losing streak. A victory in this match would allow them to continue their upward trajectory and get back to the form that saw them enjoy a strong start to the season. The fact that they managed a 3-1 win over St Johnstone in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign will give Robinson’s side some confidence as they head into this match, with the hope that they can replicate that performance. 

This fixture represents a crucial opportunity for both teams. For St Johnstone, a win would not only boost their points total but also lift them out of the danger zone, providing a sense of stability as they head into the busy winter months. For St Mirren, the focus is on bouncing back from their recent defeats and solidifying their position in the upper half of the table. With the stakes high for both clubs, this match promises to be an intense and closely contested affair.

The outcome of this game could have significant implications for both teams as they navigate the second half of the season. While St Johnstone is firmly focused on avoiding relegation, St Mirren will be looking to maintain their place in the top half of the table and push for a potential top-six finish. With both teams having experienced mixed fortunes so far, the result of this match could go a long way in determining their respective paths for the remainder of the season.

St Mirren's recent form and their slightly better league standing make them the favorites heading into this encounter. However, the unpredictability of the Scottish Premiership means that anything can happen on matchday, and St Johnstone will be determined to prove that they can still compete at this level. With both managers looking for a positive result, this clash between two teams fighting to avoid the drop and stay competitive in the league will undoubtedly provide plenty of drama and excitement. 

As the season progresses and both teams look to address their respective concerns, this match represents a crucial juncture for both clubs. For St Mirren, the challenge is to recapture the form they showed early in the season and avoid slipping further down the table. For St Johnstone, the focus is on survival and ensuring they can avoid being dragged into another relegation battle. With everything to play for, the result of this match will be one to watch closely, as it could shape the fortunes of both teams for the rest of the campaign.