St Johnstone board insists 'We haven't given up on this season'

St Johnstone’s board of directors have insisted that they haven’t given up on Premiership survival and are prepared to back Simo Valakari in the transfer window to improve the team.

The Perth side currently sit at the bottom of the league table, eight points adrift of 11th-placed Hearts in the play-off spot.

Craig Levein was sacked as manager in mid-September, with Riga boss Valakari appointed on October 1 and tasked with turning the team around.

The Finnish coach led the team to two wins from his first three in charge but there has been only one victory in the 14 games since, leaving the team in a tough battle against relegation.

The board at McDiarmid Park has now published an open letter to supporters saying that nobody has given up on Premiership survival and work is being done to improve the squad and the team’s prospects. The statement said that Valakari and director of football Gus MacPherson had held talks with prospective signings and that the manager had their full backing and confidence.

The letter read: “Dear supporters, There is no sense in sugarcoating it: the recent results have been disappointing.

“While we, like you, are extremely frustrated by this, we want to assure you that no one at the club has given up on the season.

“Led by Simo and Gus, the football department is working relentlessly to improve the squad during this transfer window. We have earmarked funds to be spent on strengthening the team and that figure has increased further with recent loan terminations.

“Simo and Gus have held productive discussions with numerous skilled and dynamic players, who we believe will contribute to both this season and future campaigns. We are excited to strengthen our squad further.

“As soon as we are able, we will share further details of other transfers. However, it is important to note that we are not the only club pursuing these players. While the process may seem slower than we’d like, please know that it remains our top priority.

“Simo and our players have our full support. They are training hard, giving everything to turn our fortunes around.

“Additionally, CEO and interim chairman, Francis Smith, alongside all the dedicated staff at McDiarmid Park, are working tirelessly to improve the club’s business operations, ensuring we generate the revenue necessary to continue bringing in the talent we need – now and in the future.

“Lastly, we want to express our deepest gratitude to you, our supporters. Your time, attention, financial investment and energy mean the world to us. The passion and dedication you show, even in difficult times, does not go unnoticed. You are the lifeblood of St Johnstone FC and we are immensely thankful for your unwavering support.

“We are a proud, family-oriented club and, like any family, we are at our strongest when united in pursuit of the same goal. Right now, that goal is simple: getting back to winning games on the pitch.

“Rest assured, everyone on the board and at the club shares this objective. Each of us has a role to play and together we have a great chance of climbing the table.”

Speaking after his side’s 3-1 defeat to Dundee last weekend, Valakari had insisted he wasn’t facing “mission impossible”.

“When you don’t pick up points at this time of year the gap will become massive,” he said.

“Is it mission impossible? I don’t think so. It’s maybe the hardest and most difficult job for this club. It is a massive, massive job.

“We can talk about the January transfer window but these are the players we have now. We need to be better with what we have.

“The games after Kilmarnock to this one have summed up what we are as a team and what we have not been able to fix.

“The level goes too up and down and we are punished for that.

“It was a very bad afternoon but a very telling one about where we are.”