Derek McInnes continues to try and rouse Aberdeen but at times it can seem as though he is having about as much luck as Rip Van Winkle's alarm clock.
The Pittodrie side have been slumbering for quite some time, with a series of managers overseeing a number of false dawns in recent seasons. That caused some agitation to the likes of Craig Brown and Mark McGhee, with McInnes now the latest incumbent to try and end the lethargy.
The Aberdeen manager witnessed another problem shared by recent Pittodrie teams against St Johnstone, too, with his side unable to turn creativity into something more tangible. That was due, in part, to McInnes' ongoing search for the right foil for Niall McGinn, with Calvin Zola, Scott Vernon and Josh Magennis - at least on the evidence of this goalless draw - unable to shine. They were hardly helped by the figure of Steve Banks, the veteran goalkeeper who overcast much of the home side's most enterprising play at the weekend.
McInnes's frustration at the lack of goals from his energetic side, despite their domination for long spells and sizzling strikes from Peter Pawlett and Cammy Smith, was palpable. However, he would also have been perturbed to watch as St Johnstone's counter attacks almost allowed the Perth side to snatch a win.
"We were looking to get off to a better start in the league than we've done but St Johnstone gave us a tough game," said Magennis. "It was down to our failed chances and their goalkeeper pulled off a couple of good saves and on another day we could have won the game 2-0 or 3-0.
"That's three home games where we haven't scored in open play, but if you start letting that stuff get into the camp, you start doubting yourself. You have to take as many positives as you can and move on to the next game. It's not as if we're not going to score goals. We know it's just a matter of time."
For St Johnstone, there was a sense of contentment. This result followed a 4-0 humbling by Dundee United seven days earlier, but it seemed on Saturday as though normal service had been resumed. Stevie May, a second-half substitute who is now preparing for Scotland under-21 action in the Netherlands this week, also used his afternoon to show why Peterborough United were right to seek his services with a series of bids this summer, although the striker later expressed his desire to remain in Perth for the foreseeable future.
"I've got a lot of games at the start of this season and I'd like to think I've performed relatively well," he said. "I intend to stay here. No figures have been talked [about] as such but my agent has been in speaking to the club so we're looking to get that sorted in the next week or two. I expect it to get the small print sorted and I'll be happy to sign a new contract."
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