Rupert Lowe claims not to be looking at the table, which sounds pretty stupid if you're the chairman of a Premiership club. He does say though, that he will have a look at it soon. "The club is not even looking at the table until 12 games into the season," said Lowe. Strange then, that there is a new quote to let us no there is no panic after every predictable Saints performance. Perhaps someone tells him the league positions instead of him having to take a peek ?
When he does get round to having a glance at the table, he'll be in for a shock. The team he thought would push for a European place have been shown that they are no better than the dozen or so other clubs around them.
How can that be so ? Don't we have the lowest wage structure in the division (well, maybe West Brom)? Don't we only sign cheap squad players ? Don't we refuse to get drawn into actively chasing first team players at the first sniff of an interest from a rival club ? Don't we rely on Strachan getting in cheap players as stop gaps, who then go on to be key members of the side in subsequent seasons ?
I know, I know, it's strange that such stunning ambition sees us in the relegation zone.
Lowe was clearly thinking that if the squad are able to get us into 11th one season, with the rubbish games we had under Gray in the same year, then we must be able to improve on that the next season. Which is a fair enough point is you consider that Strachan has a whole pre season to whip the lads into shape. He also thought that with Williams and Telfer doing so well, we might be able to get away without investing in new playing staff too.
So what has gone wrong, especially up front ?
Firstly I think we expect too much from the players. No really I do! While they are a match for anyone on their day, they're just not good enough to do it every week. That lack of consistency, rather obviously, is why we're a mid table club at best. It's no good expecting more from them. Most of them are as good as they are likely to get.
A case in point would be Jonah. He was pants at crosses and dominating the box and his defence when he got here. He remained complete pants in those areas ever since, with not a hint of an improvement. A sad attempt to change only came about when it became clear that his next blunder would be his last, as we had signed Niemi. As much as I waited for him to improve those skills, he was the finished article when we got him. I'll leave the queries on lack of personal ambition and crap training for another time.
The point is that most of the squad are as good as they're likely to get and Strachan can only improve them so far. We'll see the odd purple patch, but the players seem only too eager to fall back into their old ways, which must really piss Strachan off.
Saints couldn't buy a goal right now, even if they could prise Lowe's hands off the purse strings. So are we expecting too much of the strikers we have ? We have plenty of options up front, so why can't we get the goals ?
Beattie was a bargain buy from Blackburn who back then had more money than sense. Since his arrival we have seen two quiet seasons, a purple patch in 2000/01 and a good run of form last season which was ended by injury.
This season, you could substitute Beattie for a 6' 1" sack of spuds for all the extra movement you would get. As with everything, it's not only his fault. Beattie's ball skills have actually improved since his arrival, which should please the ladies if nothing else. While admittedly, they couldn't have got much worse, he is quite capable of scoring striker's goals.
Unfortunately Saints play him as a good old centre forward and just lump balls up the park to him. It's a pathetic tactic and makes the entire team predictable going forward. With more creative use of the ball from midfield, Beattie good be utilised in a variety of situations which don't involve the inevitable flick on.
For a while I thought Marians would never recover from Dave Jones' decision to play him out on the left wing. Yet last season saw a return of 14 goals. As Saints main strike threat, the club were looking to make Marians the 20 goal a season striker we would need to make us into a top ten side. Marians hasn't really been at full fitness this season which is obviously affecting his game. Stuck in a lack lustre tam and relying on Beattie's knock downs time and again clearly isn't helping. When he's fit, I'd like to see him get a few full games in without being taken off for Tessem or Ormerod. A fit Pahars is probably the key to our success.
Brett Ormerod, for all his determination, strength and speed has still to prove himself at the top level and it's too early to be critical. He shows a lot of promise and at the moment is a better option that Beattie and certainly Tessem. He's the sort of all round striker that Saints could get a lot of mileage form if we start playing the ball to the forward's feet.
Jo Tessem said yesterday: "They forget that I was a striker before I came here. I have always been an offensive player up front in a 4-4-2 or wide right in a 4-3-3 formation.
"That's where I started my career and that's what I enjoy. Of course I enjoy it more if I am scoring, that is good for the confidence and helps to calm you down."
People also forget that he was considered to be a very wasteful striker before he joined us having settled back into midfield. Tessem is much more of a threat coming in form deep, either in the centre or right of midfield. He's a bit predicable up front and is only useful for the odd headed goal as he's not the best close range finisher.
To actually tie up this rant, which makes a nice change, let's go back to Lowe's quotes on our other option, Agustin Delgado. Things have gone ever so slightly wrong since he said: "We are delighted to have completed the signing of a recognised, international quality forward." He forgot to add internationally recognised crock in there as well as we have barely seen him play.
The £3.2 million handed out by Lowe for an injured playing effectively slashed our transfer budget shortly before a new manager had been appointed. Our Chairman has a very vested interest in trying to make sure that Delgado works out. He hasn't allowed his own manager to spend an equal amount, while he brought in an untried, volatile Ecuadorian. Perhaps the pound signs were clouding his judgement.
Since then we have had squabbles with the Ecuadorian FA, Delgado wanting to leave and criticising the club as well as a much publicised failure to return to pre season training. With the collapse of much of the transfer market the club are now stuck with someone they wanted to offload after a good world cup, while Delgado is stuck at a club he would dearly wish to leave for something better.
Strachan doesn't rate his attitude and clearly would not have gone near him if given a choice. "There have been too many handshakes down the line and we cannot back out," said Strachan at the time.
So while Lowe is trying to push Delgado back into the team, Strachan isn't so keen. ''I have no idea when we shall see him playing again. Seeing is believing. There is no doubt he has tremendous ability but it is no good if he spends all his time being injured.
''I understand he is making progress but I am not counting on him being back for a while yet.''
In other words, Strachan is stuck with what he has.Lowe says: "Overall, I would say that we have a powerful strike force and it is just a question of them finding their scoring boots as I am sure they will." Other are doubting Saints overall tactics and getting ready for a long winter up front for the Saints.
Next: Why Fadiga could be Saints saviour