St Johnstone vs Rangers preview: Igamane of the moment

Morning everyone, now that we've shaken ourselves awake from Thursday night, we face a trip to Perth to take on the Saints. This will be the third time we've played them this season and the games have followed a very similar pattern so far. Generally we've started slow, struggled to break down their low block while St Johnstone look sharp on the break, then we get the breakthrough, look unsettled for a long spell, then grab a second.

Maybe today we can hope for something better? But it's yet another test for us away from home following a good European result. Our league away form has been beyond pitiful and I don't know if I want to lament it even further since we've already heard enough. St Johnstone come into the game in mixed league form, 2 wins in their last 5, which is actually the exact same as us, 2 wins in 5. Something will need to change for that to happen, and the hope is that Hamza Igamane will continue upfront with the same remit as Thursday evening. Aside from that I refuse to get excited for a league game knowing the pattern of things this season, we can't convert European to league performances under Clement.

Today I expect us to huff and puff, and look pretty impotent in-front of goal. St Johnstone will play like most teams in the league have against us because we can't break down a low block with any consistency and we look incredible vulnerable whenever the ball gets in our half. I'm a bit worried about the threat of Kimpioka and Sidibeh on the break, given they've looked very sharp this season and we look terrible when facing any kind of pace.

For anything to happen in the final third we will be looking to Vaclav Cerny again, the Czech has fast become our only reliable source of goals and I really hope we can keep him fit or this very long season will be feel even longer.

If Clement elects to start Dessers upfront then that's a sackable offence for me, I mean even he can surely tell that he's making a rod for his own back by doing that? But even with Igamane or Danilo upfront, our structural issues will remain and that's the real disheartening thing about this team at the moment.

Diomande was good on Thursday, but no doubt he will be terrible today given his form in league games has been a mixed bag to say the least. We know there is a good player there, and I think we're asking him to play the 10 in a way that doesn't really seem to suit him. We've essentially signed someone who operates as a number 8 between the lines, with no actual role like that in the team, so it's no surprise he's been inconsistent.

Aside from all that the goal of today will be 3 points, and if we do win I expect it to be ground out in an awful to watch fashion. Safe travels to the game and hopefully this is where we turn things around.