Tekel Towers » St.Johnstone Vs Dundee United

Slotbadger · 17/10/2026 8:58 am

Yeah. Agree with majority on Sapsford. He played a few good games at the start of last season that now look like a purple patch. The majority of his time he has been poor and doesn’t look interested. That is not a loss of form, but a lack of talent or mentality.

The rest of the forwards also look awful. Metsoko particularly bad V Hibs in a game a good striker would have scored 2 or 3 goals. I would keep him because there are no other options I think are better and we have been winning despite him, so maybe he is at least occupying the centre backs and creating space for Cameron.

redford_must_score · 17/10/2026 10:32 am

Slotbadger wrote:
Yeah. Agree with majority on Sapsford. He played a few good games at the start of last season that now look like a purple patch. The majority of his time he has been poor and doesn’t look interested. That is not a loss of form, but a lack of talent or mentality.

The rest of the forwards also look awful. Metsoko particularly bad V Hibs in a game a good striker would have scored 2 or 3 goals. I would keep him because there are no other options I think are better and we have been winning despite him, so maybe he is at least occupying the centre backs and creating space for Cameron.

Metsoko is frustrating to watch at times. There was a bouncing ball in the Hibs game where he opted not to jump for it when he definitely could have.

In the St Mirren game he did link well with other players and was creative in his approach.

The club will realise we have an issue, the question is how will they react to it.

RogerTheAlien · 17/10/2026 11:11 am

redford_must_score wrote:
Slotbadger wrote:
Yeah. Agree with majority on Sapsford. He played a few good games at the start of last season that now look like a purple patch. The majority of his time he has been poor and doesn’t look interested. That is not a loss of form, but a lack of talent or mentality.

The rest of the forwards also look awful. Metsoko particularly bad V Hibs in a game a good striker would have scored 2 or 3 goals. I would keep him because there are no other options I think are better and we have been winning despite him, so maybe he is at least occupying the centre backs and creating space for Cameron.
Metsoko is frustrating to watch at times. There was a bouncing ball in the Hibs game where he opted not to jump for it when he definitely could have.

In the St Mirren game he did link well with other players and was creative in his approach.

The club will realise we have an issue, the question is how will they react to it.

We had the same problem last season, they clearly didn’t learn from their mistake.

redford_must_score · 17/10/2026 11:43 am

RogerTheAlien wrote:
redford_must_score wrote:
Slotbadger wrote:
Yeah. Agree with majority on Sapsford. He played a few good games at the start of last season that now look like a purple patch. The majority of his time he has been poor and doesn’t look interested. That is not a loss of form, but a lack of talent or mentality.

The rest of the forwards also look awful. Metsoko particularly bad V Hibs in a game a good striker would have scored 2 or 3 goals. I would keep him because there are no other options I think are better and we have been winning despite him, so maybe he is at least occupying the centre backs and creating space for Cameron.
Metsoko is frustrating to watch at times. There was a bouncing ball in the Hibs game where he opted not to jump for it when he definitely could have.

In the St Mirren game he did link well with other players and was creative in his approach.

The club will realise we have an issue, the question is how will they react to it.

We had the same problem last season, they clearly didn’t learn from their mistake.

It's not like they haven't tried. They sold VDS and Moller. They wouldn't have brought Metsoko in thinking he's a dud but let's sign him anyway.
Im not impressed yet but we've played 8 games not 18. It's too early to say he's not the right fit. And just imo it's also too early to write Sapsford off.

redford_must_score · 17/10/2026 3:52 pm

Unchanged line up. We conceded early from a counterattack with too many defenders out of position. We've also looked slow and ponderous at times. Need to move the ball quicker if we're going to get anything here.

HT Saint J 1-0 United

Last edited by redford_must_score (17/10/2026 3:53 pm)

redford_must_score · 17/10/2026 5:05 pm

A stinker from Metsoko and I'm going to say it, Tait not far behind.

So much possession with so little penetration is a worry. Thanks to Lyall Cameron we at least got a deserved point.

A missed opportunity.

Snacks94 · 17/10/2026 5:07 pm

Wasnt at the game but listened to open all mics and sounded like we could have won it right at the end. Point away from home is ok though and thats 4 unbeaten and sheep up next at home.

Tek · 17/10/2026 5:57 pm

I'll say more about the game later but let me just say the now.

That Metsoko is up there with one of the worst to ever play for United.

Billy_Hainey · 17/10/2026 6:01 pm

Despite tons of possession in the 1st half, fir a lang time, was thinking that we couldna even score 1 goal against St phuckin Johnstone.

Hear what's fowk are saying about Zac, but do we need another striker, when it takes JG 60 odd minutes to put Rose on, when we're struggling to get a goal.

In any event, thank goad for Lyall Cameron.

Slotbadger · 17/10/2026 6:51 pm

BBC analysis of United is almost an exact copy of majority of comments on Hibs

“For how dominant United were, they were just as weak in front of goal.
In the first half, they had 61% possession. Seventy-one from minute 30-45. In that first half, though, central striker Idjessi Metsoko attempted just five passes and didn't look a threat at all in front of goal.

The point will be taken, but on another day - or with another forward line - it could have been all three”

This feels like it will be the story of our season.

LocheeArab · 17/10/2026 7:49 pm

Unless there's a free agent gem or we promote a youth we will be reliant on Metsoko and Rose for at least 2 and a half more months.
We can't be creating so much and squandering so many chances. Not good for team morale.
Surely we must be looking at getting a striker coach in to help, even part time or short term.
And btw Lyall Cameron what a player! Just as well we got him in.

RogerTheAlien · 17/10/2026 9:54 pm

Tek wrote:
I'll say more about the game later but let me just say the now.

That Metsoko is up there with one of the worst to ever play for United.

He scored in the champions league last season.

Fuck knows how.

RogerTheAlien · 17/10/2026 10:03 pm

First 20 minutes we were excellent & should’ve been winning but St Johnstone get the goal then for the rest of the half we struggled to get control of it. St Johnstone play to their strengths well, they sit in & try to play on the counter, they waste time & they hit the deck at every opportunity. Jesse Randall played 3 brilliant balls across the box & if we had a half decent striker he’d of got on the end of at least one of them.

Second half we took 10-15 minutes to get into the game but the last half hour or so when Metsoko was off we deserved to get the draw & with a few minutes more added, we’d of won the game. Delighted for Lyall Cameron to get the goal, absolutely love him.

Near 2000 strong away end today, we were noisy & the young team had it going. Not a bad point to take down the A90.

Tek · 17/10/2026 11:19 pm

A point in Perth certainly not the end of the World, but very frustrating given just how much possession we had and how many more chances we had.

Very concerning just how little quality we have up top.

Sapsford 1 league goal (a penalty)
Rose 1 league goal (a fluke)
Metsoko 0 league goals

That is nowhere near good enough from all involved. None of them look like scoring either.

I'm not sure how we get through to next year like this. We can't keep expecting midfielders and defenders to score and/or keep a clean sheet.

We have to a Striker ready to sign the minute the Winter Window opens. And he will have to hit the ground running. Goodwins sucess rate with Strikers is very, very poor. The next one has to be good. I wouldn't be against signing two Strikers and moving one on.

My player ratings -

Walton 6 - Felt he was a bit shaky at times tbh. Spilled one cross that subsequently gave them a good chance.

Rawlins 6 - Was 'ok'. Nothing more.

Esselink 6 - Probably his worst game of the season. All over the pace at their goal.

Forbes 6 - Passing was terrible at times.

Ciubotaro 7 - Was decent.

Iqbal 6 - Very quiet again for me. Needs to impose himself more in the match given his undoubted ability.

Tait 6 - Tried hard,as per, but not his best afternoon. Some loose passing.

Cameron 8 - Poor first half from Lyall, but once again took the game by the scruff of the neck when we needed someone too. He drives this team on like Barry Robson used to a few years back. Showing leadership qualities too.

Bennie 6 - Felt he was poor, but possibly harsh to sub him off first. Wasn't any worse than some others.

Metsoko 4 - Genuinely an awful player. Randall plays a great ball across the face of the penalty box 1st half and he doesn't gamble or attempt to slide in and meet the cross. In the 2nd half he fails to contest a 50/50 ball with their Keeper. Hospital pass to Yoro as well when we have a 3 on 1. Goodwin said he'd prove the doubters wrong and he'd get better the more he played. It's not happening.

Randall 6 - Put a couple of good deliveries in that deserved better. We'll never know how effective he may be in this team until we get in even one decent Striker.

Subs -

Farrugia 6 - One decent run and shot, but not enough. Zero goals and zero assists in 10 months at the club (22 appearances).

Rose 5 - Anonymous.

Sapsford 6 - Could and probably should have scored the winner. Continues to look like a shadow of his former self. One moment in the match really summed that up for me. The ball broke to him and he had acres of space to get his head down and run forward, which he 100% would have done this time last year. He instead elected to try and pass it sideways to a man and the move quickly frittered away.

Yoro 6 - Too quiet for me. Still waiting to see what the hype is about.

Shakey Isles Arab · 17/10/2026 11:23 pm

Thought final score fair enough, indeed as the game progressed I,m thinking goad we could go 120 mins and not score. A very well coached farmers team were like watching us in diddy division where you,d get 9 or 10 camped behind the ball with a line of six across the back. Good team.
Fortunately we,d an excellent breakaway team goal to spate the blushes and save the point.

I think we,ve all have become increasingly frustrated with Sapsford. For me he showed what a class act he is, resisting the strikers urge to shoot with his sublime dummy to free the tenacious Cameron to score the leveller. Just as well too that he stayed upright, knowing us the pen would have been denied. Hope that gives him the necessary boost to kick on because Rose and Metsoko are tryers but no really the answer.
Strikes me in past couple of games the number of low hard ball Randall's whipped across the box which we just cannae quite latch on to, (you'd think Metsoko would be long leggedy enough),I think that,ll come, frustrating meantime

Dunno what the answer is ? No a fan o' the free agent route.

Farrugia solid journeyman, Bennie I'd almost say waste of space but for the fact we're asking somebody so right footed to play on left. Don't know what,s going on with Ferry but jeez we,d look a lot more potent with him in there.

( Honest question - whatever happened to Trapper Google shows him still on the books ? )

Bottom line 2 points dropped.

Edit - Cameron, whit a boy

Last edited by Shakey Isles Arab (Yesterday 3:06 am)

Always_United · Yesterday 9:20 am

Trapanovski hasn't been a United player for months after his contract expired, but he has undertaken rehabilitation at St Andrews through United.

RogerTheAlien · Yesterday 2:29 pm

Bennie is much like Trapanovski, there’s a player in there but it only shows every 1 in 5. First game of the season as sub against Rangers & down at Killie i thought he played well.