Players have had to wait more than a fortnight since the debacle in Iceland to return to a competitive game and they know that a decent performance is needed to bury the ghost. The visitors, under the guidance of their new manager Tommy Craig, will be keen to show that their sights are higher than the usual status of relegation strugglers so a tight encounter is likely.
There has been nothing to lift the spirits of the Fir Park faithful in the last few weeks. No new faces have arrived to boost the thin squad and the only interview with the manager revealed that half a dozen defenders were unavailable for the closed door weekend friendly with Real Betis (which we lost). For gloom and doom it’s been hard to beat.
The back four on Saturday are likely to be as much of a surprise to visitors as they will be to those in the home stands. Up front Sutton will need to look for forward running midfielders for support. It’s no surprise that a few locals are tempted by a generous 4/1 return on the away win as compared to the odds on price for a ‘Well win.
In contrast to the lack of movement with Motherwell, the Saints have replaced the half dozen who left over the close season with six incomers. Some familiar faces remain though and we'll likely see Goodwin demonstrating his special skills (“I play the game a certain way and won’t be changing. I’ll be playing the exact same as I did last year but trying to stay out the way of referees.”). Let's hope Calum Murray has a good game with the whistle.
It seems an age since we celebrated the triumph that earned the runner up place at Pittodrie and given our recent excellent performances in the league it seems out of place to admit that there's nervousness in the Motherwell support about the forthcoming season. The avoidance of defeat might be as much as we expect and both sides might be content with a 1-1 draw.
Remember the last time St Mirren came to town?