First Team
All The Info | Rangers (A)
22nd November 2024
After a short hiatus enforced by the Scottish Cup Quarter-Finals, we host St Mirren at Tannadice in the hopes of building on our West Lothian point last Wednesday.
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Saints' Story Of The Season
Under the guise of former Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson, the Buddies have raised eyebrows around the country with an impressive 2022/23 campaign.
Despite a slight stutter in form of late which has seen them descend to sixth in the table, Robinson's men are still well in the mix for a place in the Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Should they succeed in their pursuit of European football, it will be their first continental venture in more than 35 years and just their fifth involvement in the club's 146-year history.
St Mirren are the only side to have defeated Scottish Premiership Champions Celtic so far this season, with goals from Mark O'Hara and Jonah Ayunga securing a shock 2-0 victory in Paisley.
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— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) September 18, 2022
St Mirren take the lead against Celtic. pic.twitter.com/avt1D8FGEa
The sides faced off once more at the SMiSA at the beginning of the month and it looked as though lightning was to strike twice when the hosts took the lead through that man O'Hara again from the spot. However, a rampant second-half display from Celtic coupled with the dismissal of Charles Dunne saw them net five without reply.
Eight of Saints' ten league wins have come in Paisley, including one against United, whilst their away form has faltered throughout the season - with just two wins on the road this season.
In their last six matches away from home in all competitions, they have shipped 18 goals.
Tale Of The Tape
Our last home win over the Buddies came during the 2020/21 campaign when a spectacular volley from Lawrence Shankland and close-range Adrian Sporle strike split the difference as the match finished 2-1.
United have won nine of the last 13 meetings between the sides at Tannadice, but the three outlying results on Tayside have all come in the last three seasons.
You have to go back to 1981 to discover the last time Saturday's opponents claimed three league wins on the bounce over the Terrors.
United manager Jim Goodwin enjoyed a five-year stint in Paisley between 2011-2016, making almost 200 appearances and raising the League Cup aloft in 2013. The Irishman then returned to the dugout three years later to steer St Mirren clear of relegation whilst simultaneously leading them deep into cup competitions.
In addition to this, current United men Liam Smith and Jamie McGrath have turned out for St Mirren in recent years - the former was part of the 2017/18 Championship-winning side and the latter flourished under the stewardship of Goodwin in the west.
Our last piece of silverware, despite not being major, came at the expense of St Mirren in 2017. Goals from Tony Andreu and Danish targetman Thomas Mikkelsen at a sun-drenched Fir Park saw United claim the Challenge Cup for the first time in our history.
Watch the story of the match below!
Talking Tactics
Much of St Mirren's success has been reliant on relinquishing the ball to the opposition and posing a threat on the counter, as they possess the lowest average possession stat in the division - 39.9% per match.
Robinson usually favours a 3-5-2 with attacking-minded wingbacks instructed to deliver early crosses in towards Curtis Main - most of which are executed from the right side of the pitch by Ryan Strain.
Due to the high volume of balls into the box, only the Old Firm have had more headed efforts on goal than St Mirren in the league.
To further emphasise their reliance on crosses, St Mirren have two players in the Premiership's top five for cross accuracy, Marcus Fraser sitting top of the pile with 46%.
Memorable Matchup
Back in March 2014, St Mirren raced into a shock two-goal lead at Tannadice and, after a midweek defeat to St Johnstone, it looked as though our European hopes were set to be further dashed heading into the final months of the season.
However, United came roaring out of the traps after the restart and began to turn the screw. Gary Mackay-Steven went close from range and Nadir Ciftci was crowded out by Marian Kello as we looked to claw our way back into the match.
Eventually, the pressure would tell with 11 minutes to play, with Brian Graham stabbing home from inside the area amid vociferous Saints protests for offside on two occasions.
Then, a phenomenal Stuart Armstrong finish on the half-volley levelled the arrears to set up a grandstand finish on Tannadice street.
Not content with a point, the Terrors continued to throw the kitchen sink at the Paisley side, with the outcome now appearing inevitable. And, deep into stoppage time, 'keeper Kello clumsily spilled a relatively weak Ryan Dow effort from distance, allowing Turkish hero Ciftci to pick up the scraps and force the ball home from a tight angle. Cue utter bedlam within the stands as United emerged victorious against the odds.
Watch the highlights below!
One To Watch
The aforementioned Ryan Strain has had an impressive first season in Scotland since joining from Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa in the summer.
To accompany his five assists, the 25-year-old has chipped in with three goals from wing-back and has an eye for a dead-ball.
He also remains committed to his defensive duties, having been embroiled in 213 defensive duels this season, a stat which places him second to only Aberdeen midfielder Ylber Ramadani in the top flight.
Reared in Aston Villa's academy, Strain has made 121 interceptions - four behind United counterpart Liam Smith for comparison and nine fewer than Scott McMann.
His form in Paisley saw him rewarded with his first call-up to the Australian national team, as he joined Aziz Behich in the squad for a friendly double-header against Oceania rivals New Zealand back in September.
Strain's roots are intertwined with St Mirren heritage - his grandfather Gerry Baker also pulled on the black and white stripes during the black and white era.
