Pre-season match #4
Saturday 15 July 2017, kick-off 2pm
St Johnstone
McDiarmid Park
Sunderland round off their six-day stint in Scotland by travelling to Perth to face St Johnstone.
The Black Cats face a quick turnaround between their opening pre-season friendly against Bury, facing Hibernian just 48 hours later.
Livingston then provide a friendly on Wednesday 12 July before they take the 60 mile journey further north to face St Johnstone.
- How do Bury shape up?
- What can we expect from Neil Lennon’s Hibs side?
- Recharged Livingston on the rise.
How they fared last season?
St Johnstone provide Sunderland with their fourth friendly ahead of the Sky Bet Championship season. The Saints had a season to remember last year as they successfully achieved their fifth European tour in six years. Tommy Wright’s side finished fourth, nine points behind third place Rangers but 12 clear of Hearts in fifth.
Topscorer – Danny Swanson
St Johnstone’s No.11 proved to be a vital cog at McDiarmid Park, netting 10 goals and providing eight assists in his first full season. However, that led newly promoted Hibernian to show an interest in him and Swanson switched Perth for Easter Road. Meanwhile, Steve MacLean, 34, was Saints’ second topscorer with nine goals.
The manager, Tommy Wright
In May 2017 St Johnstone’s chairman Steve Brown admitted the club have a major fight on their hands to keep hold of their impressive manager, Tommy Wright. The 53-year-old has made waves at Perth, helping Saints to finish fourth in the SPL for the third season running. On top of that, Wright has brought Europa League football to McDiarmid Park in four of the five seasons he has been in charge. A fine achievement.
