Image source, SNSFootball finance expert Kieran Maguire assesses the sale ofВ St JohnstoneВ and reckons American interest is the most likely route to buying out Geoff Brown. (Courier, externalВ - subscription required) Read the rest of Tuesday's Scottish gossip. Image source, BBC SportSt JohnstoneВ midfielderВ Ali CrawfordВ hopes his match-winning two goals away to Ross County, having come on as a sub on Saturday, will mean he gets a starting place against Celtic in Glasgow on Christmas Eve.
We have such a good group here, the consistency is there. "Image source, SNSSt JohnstoneВ managerВ Callum DavidsonВ says recent criticism of Aberdeen counterpartВ Jim GoodwinВ was over the top. В (Courier - subscription required), external Read all of Friday's Scottish GossipImage source, BBC SportSt Johnstone manager Callum Davidson says his squad is "quite strong" as the fixtures come thick and fast over the festive period. Celtic Park is the destination on Christmas Eve for Davidson's side, before they welcome Hearts and Dundee United to McDiarmid Park. Saints came from behind to beat Ross County last time out, with substitute Ali Crawford's quickfire brace snatching the points... but is it enough for the midfielder to secure a starting place against the league leaders? "Ali trains hard every day, he was very unlucky not to start, " Davidson said.
"It's great for me that I have guys like that to rely on to produce the goods. "We have some big games coming up - one every four days - so we need to make sure everyone is ready and able to play well. "Davidson hopes to have Cammy McPherson and Callum Booth involved in a midweek reserve game as the pair continue their rehabilitation from injury. On facing Ange Postecoglou's side, the manager acknowledged a tough task awaits, but said his team can take positives from the match in Perth in October where Celtic snatched a late winner. "The key is trying to get the right balance between attacking and defending, " Davidson added. "We need to make sure when we get the chance to keep the ball, that we ask questions of Celtic and not just let them attack - which is difficult.
"A nice easy one next week! " he joked. "Obviously it’s going to be a tough game. You know what it takes to get something there, but we go there full of confidence and hopefully I get more minutes on the pitch. "Image source, BBC SportWere you at the game this afternoon, or did you watch the game from home? Either way, we want to hear you thoughts. Let us know here. St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson: "We talked at half-time that the midfielders had to get closer to the strikers. That was why we brought Ali Crawford on.
"It will be a really tough afternoon but we are more than capable to give it a good go and get a good result. "We want to try and keep the back door shut as much as possible - as we do in every game - but it'll give us a chance. If our strikers are on their game and our midfield and defence are tight, that confidence can only help us. "The Scotland international was keen to speak of the momentum Davidson's side have built, and says there are no plans of that fading any time soon. "Who's to say we can't get a result against Celtic? ", he added. "Regardless of what team you play for, you want to build that momentum and get those results.
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"I said it even when we won the cups, for us it's about staying in the league, that is the remit for the club, " he added. "It doesn't sound exciting, but it is realistic. Knowing what our main goal is and then we can maybe add things on to that like we have done in the past. Image source, SNSSt JohnstoneВ manager Callum Davidson is excited about the potential of young midfield pair Dan Phillips and Cammy MacPherson.
St Johnstone - BBC SportSt Johnstone defender Andy Considine has thanked Callum Davidson for having belief in him in the summer, saying he was "the first guy on the phone". After missing most of last season with a cruciate ligament injury, Considine had plenty to prove when he left Aberdeen after 18 years to join Saints. "To come into a squad who are full of players who haven't long won the double, which is an incredible feat, to be in the dressing room with guys who have that kind of experience is brilliant for me, " he told SaintsTV, external. "I wanted to prove to myself, I did have quite a serious injury. People on the outside did think, 'oh yes, he's done' but firstly I wanted to prove to myself and then to everyone else that I can still do handle it on a Saturday. "The main thing for me was just to get game time, get back playing on the pitch and so far that has been the case.
Image source, BBC SportWe're jumping back to 2014 for this one. Brian Graham's spot-kick was enough for Tommy Wright's team to pick up the three points against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, taking their unbeaten run to seven games in the Scottish Premiership. The goal was Graham's fifth of the campaign and his winning second penalty in as many games. He finished the season as the Saints joint top goalscorer in the league with Michael O'Halloran on nine goals, with the pair contributing heavily to the Perthshire side's fourth place finish that season.
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"It’s a big squad and dog eat dog.  If you don’t play as well as you can there is somebody ready to take your jersey away from you. I want to get in the starting 11 and I have done myself a favour. ” (The Courier), externalRead all the gossip here. Image source, SNSMidfielder Ali Crawford says St Johnstone are "full of confidence" ahead of their trip to Glasgow on Christmas Eve to face Celtic.
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Crawford came off the bench against Ross County on Saturday when his side were 1-0, but his two-minute brace turned the Scottish Premiership game on its head and the 31-year-old was delighted with his contribution. "You could say it couldn’t have went any better! Two goals in the bag, so all in all, it was a good day at the office, " he told BBC Scotland. "You probably could have said the break came at the wrong time for us. We were five unbeaten before the break and coming up here, a tough place to come, so going 1-0 down we knew we were up against it. "To come out the other end of that with three points and six unbeaten, it continues the momentum and hopefully we can continue that throughout the festive period. "Callum Davidson's side welcome Hearts and Dundee United to McDiarmid Park but first travel to take on the league leaders before Christmas.
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