St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari has admitted for the first time that relegation from the Premiership is becoming a distinct possibility.
The Perth Saints are now a hefty eight points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership after losing 3-1 to Dundee at McDiarmid Park on Sunday.
Dundee scored three goals within 20 minutes in the first-half as St Johnstone collapsed defensively in a game they just had to get a result from.
Both Hearts and Ross County pulled away from St Johnstone this afternoon with wins of their own and it leaves Valakari’s men in an extremely precarious position at the start of 2025.
Valakari breaks down St Johnstone 1-3 Dundee
Speaking to the BBC after the game, Valakari said it became ‘mission impossible’ after Dundee blew St Johnstone away in the first-half.
The Finnish boss said: “Nightmare start to be 3-0 down. Then we try to recover for the rest of the match but it was just too much in the situation. Three pretty soft goals we give away and it was almost mission impossible today.
“We pushed to the end and gave what we could today but it was a nightmare start and it cost us.
“Against Hibs, it was a really gritty, solid performance and actually today we did some good stuff with the ball straight from the start.
“But we can’t put all this together for a full 90 minutes and that is our problem and that is why we are where we are right now.
Valakari honest about St Johnstone relegation fears
Asked if relegation now comes into the equation for St Johnstone, Valakari was forthright in his response. He said: “Of course. In this club, we are really honest.
“I have honest players since the first day we worked together and every day we have had very brutal and honest conversations.
“And we know that if we don’t perform and don’t get results, relegation is a big possibility. Yes, it looks very, very bad but if we don’t believe in ourselves, no one will believe us.
“I see the effort in the players, I see it everyday. But we do make too many football mistakes.”