Eric Nicolson

United Kingdom

Writer at The Courier and Evening Telegraph (Dundee)

Host at Courier Talking Football: Dundee FC, Dundee United, St Johnstone and other east coast Scottish clubs

Writing for The Courier - a lot of the time about St Johnstone FC.

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Articles

Zach Mitchell injury latest as on-loan St Johnstone defender gets hamstring scan

1 week ago | thecourier.co.uk | Eric Nicolson

St Johnstone will find out on Tuesday if Zach Mitchell has played his last game for the Perth club. The on-loan Charlton Athletic centre-back was substituted with a hamstring injury during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Dundee United. Mitchell underwent a scan on Monday afternoon, with the results expected the day after. It would be a huge blow to Saints’ hopes of staying in the Premiership, and backing up their league victory over Celtic in the Scottish Cup, if the 20-year-old gets bad news.
St Johnstone post-split fixtures revealed: 3 home games and last day McDiarmid Park clash with Dundee

1 week ago | thecourier.co.uk | Eric Nicolson

St Johnstone have been handed a potential final day fight for Premiership survival against Dundee. The SPFL’s post-split fixture announcement has revealed Saints will get three out of five games at home – ALL against their relegation rivals. A week on Saturday, Simo Valakari’s men kick-off with a trip to Motherwell, where they saved their top-flight status last season under Craig Levein.
St Johnstone goalie Andy Fisher says Perth side were written off before shock Celtic win

2 weeks ago | thecourier.co.uk | Eric Nicolson

St Johnstone’s shock victory over Celtic has shown they are made of the right stuff for an end-of-season relegation character test, according to Andy Fisher. But the on-loan Swansea City goalkeeper, who produced a few stunning saves in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over the champions-elect, knows that they now need to back that result up by beating Dundee United.
4 St Johnstone talking points: Bold tactics get rewarded, one stand no problem, left-back worry and points target

2 weeks ago | thecourier.co.uk | Eric Nicolson

St Johnstone produced THE shock result of the Premiership season to beat Celtic. Not only was it bottom v top, with over half a century of points separating the two sides before kick-off. Saints had the weight of history on their shoulders, having not won against Celtic in 31 attempts, a run that stretched back to 2016. In that time, the McDiarmid Park hammerings have piled up, the most recent of them a 6-0 scoreline in September.
Simo Valakari: St Johnstone will be 'fearless' in Premiership survival bid as Perth side shock Celtic with heroic win

2 weeks ago | thecourier.co.uk | Eric Nicolson

St Johnstone will be “fearless” as they seek to make a heroic victory over Celtic the spark for Premiership survival, according to boss, Simo Valakari. Many thought the final nail had been hammered into their coffin as a result of Dundee and Kilmarnock both winning on Saturday. However, Valakari’s side produced the biggest shock result of the season, with a 52-point gap between top and bottom of the table being bridged.
Barry Douglas on mindset adopted by St Johnstone in survival fight

2 weeks ago | thecourier.co.uk | Eric Nicolson

St Johnstone have a “nothing to lose” mentality, according to Barry Douglas. It’s a mindset that will hopefully serve them well against Celtic on Sunday and in their battle to turn the Premiership pressure up on the clubs within catching distance. “The reality is it will take two good games from us and two bad games for the team above us,” said the veteran defender when assessing the five and six-point gap that exists between Saints and Dundee and Kilmarnock.
Uche Ikpeazu moves to next stage of St Johnstone comeback

2 weeks ago | thecourier.co.uk | Eric Nicolson

St Johnstone striker, Uche Ikpeazu, has cleared another big hurdle on the comeback trail. A specialist has given the former Hearts man the final thumbs-up to begin ball work, head coach, Simo Valakari, confirmed. Ikpeazu needed three operations following his summer arrival in Perth. And, after building up his fitness work over the last couple of weeks, the injured knee and the muscles around it are ready to cope with the final stage of recuperation work. “Uche is progressing,” Valakari reported.
St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari gives rebuild pledge

2 weeks ago | thecourier.co.uk | Eric Nicolson

Simo Valakari knows there’s a growing consensus that St Johnstone’s Premiership survival bid is “finito”. He also knows that as long as Saints are staring relegation in the face, nobody wants to hear about a club that has started to rebuild regardless of which division they are in next season. Valakari is convinced that unseen steps forward are being made behind the scenes.
St Johnstone dream scenario factored in as SPFL reveal play-off dates

2 weeks ago | thecourier.co.uk | Eric Nicolson

St Johnstone now know the dates for the play-offs if they pull-off a dream end of season double shock. Saints are one game away from the Scottish Cup final but have to beat Celtic in their semi-final later this month to be back at Hampden Park on May 24.
'Slimmer and lighter' Elliot Watt has caught the eye of St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari

3 weeks ago | thecourier.co.uk | Eric Nicolson

St Johnstone loan midfielder, Elliot Watt, has taken on board his manager’s plan for improvement. And the former Scotland under-21 international is a strong contender for a weekend recall against Celtic as a consequence. Perth boss, Simo Valakari, admitted he came very close to starting Watt last time out against Hibs after the Burton Albion playmaker impressed him in training and two closed-doors games. He last featured for Saints in the McDiarmid Park defeat to Hearts towards the end of February.