'A repeat of our last trip to McDiarmid Park would do nicely' - Fans' predictions for St Johnstone v Hibs

Connaire Wallace

Being unbeaten is a very welcome start to the season, but the last two performances against Dundee United and Motherwell have been a growing note of concern.

We edged a poor game at Tannadice and against Motherwell at Easter Road we were second best for most of the game, our energy levels being the biggest issue.

The centre of midfield is where I see our biggest frailties at the moment with Newell and Gogic not quite clicking together for the second game running. We have two very talented centre midfielders in Scott Allan and Stevie Mallan on the bench who are both potential matchwinners so I would like to see one or both of them introduced to the starting line-up on Saturday to freshen things up a little.

Against St Johnstone, we should be looking to come away with nothing less than three points and a performance to go with it. Our defence have been solid and St Johnstone have been pretty toothless in attack so far with just one win in four. Providing our attacking players are on form we shouldn't have too much difficulty in securing a victory. Prediction: St Johnstone 0-2 Hibs

Duncan McKay, Terrace Podcast / A View from the Terrace contributor

Sunday’s game is looking likely to answer the question: are we any good this season?

We are unbeaten but the performances have been slightly underwhelming, our visit to the Tony Macaroni Arena aside. Livingston were so abject there’s a chance even our neighbours could have come away with three points.

I felt the aftermath to last week’s drab stalemate was a little overblown. Motherwell were improved at the back and if we want to counter teams quickly, it does mean sacrificing possession. It might have been uninspired but that’s significantly better than the emotions we were all feeling following our first encounter with ‘Well last season where they walked all over us at Fir Park.

It would be nice to see the 442 dropped from the start with Scott Allan returned to the starting XI. It would be a statement of intent from Jack Ross that we want to go away to places like Perth with the intention to win.

St Johnstone have been underwhelming so far this season. We kick-started our season at McDiarmid last year, and a repeat would do nicely. Prediction: St Johnstone 0-1 Hibs

Alan Turnbull

After dropping their first points of the season at home to Motherwell at the weekend, Hibs travel to Perth to take on St Johnstone on Sunday. There’s not much to say about the Motherwell game although the positives are: undefeated, another clean sheet and Josh Doig looking a real prospect.

St Johnstone have had a tough start to the season with one win, one draw and two defeats, the latest of which came on Thursday evening against Aberdeen. On Thursday’s viewing I’d hope to see Hibs take the game to the Saints from the off as they looked lacklustre.

Hibs should be back to full strength with Drey Wright and Stevie Mallan being fit again. I’m expecting Hibs to drop the 4-4-2 formation they started with against Motherwell and go with a variation of the 3-5-2. The dilemma is: does Scott Allan play in the number 10 role or could we see Mallan deployed behind Christian Doidge and Kevin Nisbet? Prediction: St Johnstone 0-2 Hibs

Freddie White

Looking back on the Motherwell game last week, there isn’t much meat to pick from from. We didn’t really get going and our passing was, putting it bluntly, terrible. But there was a lot take take defensively from it. The back four again were solid, and we’ve still not lost a goal from open play.

Jack Ross has clearly been working very hard after the defence took a lot of stick last season, sometimes deservedly so. To see them all work hard as a team at the back is very pleasing, and long may that continue.

McDiarmid Park is not an easy place to go and after watching them last night they’ll want to bounce back fast. Michael O'Halloran is always dangerous and there are two former Hibees in likely starters David Wotherspoon and Liam Craig too. Saints love a late goal against us at Easter Road so I wouldn’t mind us doing it to them this time.

I’m not as confident though as I was with the previous games and I feel we may have had a little bit of luck on our side when playing Dundee United and Motherwell. We need to find a better link in the middle to the top two as we can’t keep getting overrun in there but I don’t think Ross will change much to be fair. Prediction: St Johnstone 1-1 Hibs

Callum Laidlaw

Last week’s 0-0 with Motherwell ended up being a good point as we probably deserved to lose the game. Hopefully Jack Ross has learned a few things from it and can take that into Sunday.

St Johnstone will be disappointed with their performance against Aberdeen although may feel they deserved a point. They’ll be looking to kick on from that, and they have a decent spine with attacking threat.

We should have more than enough to counter them though, and hopefully we see Martin Boyle back to his opening-day best as he’s been a bit quiet in the last couple of games.

I’d like to see us with a change of shape from the start, and go with a 3-5-2. I’d also maybe look to bench Joe Newell as he also hasn’t quite been at it the last two games. But four games in, we’re still unbeaten and I expect that to continue. Prediction: St Johnstone 1-2 Hibs

Steven Nicholson

Last Saturday was not the best advert for Scottish football. My prediction of the result was bang on, sadly.

Although ten points from the opening 12 is good start, for me the performances need to improve considerably.

Last Saturday we lacked any real attacking cohesion. Scott Allan must be starting matches, the gap between a flat midfield four and our forwards was too big.

Martin Boyle and Daryl Horgan are terrific players but if opposition teams mark them or double up, where do you go? Allan is a thorn for opponents, finding space and passes to cut defences open, something we lack in the current midfield.

Saints away is a game Hibs should be attacking for 90 minutes – these are the away games where maximum points are a must if we are realistically targeting third spot. Prediction: St Johnstone 0-2 Hibs