St Mirren

• Claudio Braga has had 26% of Hearts' shots in the Scottish Premiership this season (30/116), the highest total and ratio of any player for a club in 2026-27.

• After avoiding defeat in their first four Premiership games this season (W3 D1), St Mirren have lost their past three, the joint-longest ongoing losing run in the division (Motherwell also three).

• Hearts have won their past 10 home league games. The last side to win more in a row on home soil in the Premiership were Celtic from May 2022 to April 2023 (18).

• Hearts have won 16 of their past 19 home games against St Mirren in the top flight (D1 L2), including their current run of four in a row all by a 2+ goal margin since a 2-0 reverse in April 2023.

• Of the last 14 goals in Scottish Premiership matches between Hearts and St Mirren, 11 have come in the second half of games, including the last five in a row.

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Are underlying numbers from the start of the Scottish Premiership season suggesting a refreshed approach could be taking hold across the league?

Well, the success stories at Motherwell and Falkirk last season seem to have had an influence.

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin was humble enough to reveal that Jens Berthel Askou - now head coach at Toulouse in Ligue 1 - has inspired him to change his ways after more than 15 years as a player and manager in Scotland.

Goodwin's side are one of a number of Premiership teams to have undergone a stylistic shift this term, and that is reflected in the league's overall numbers, albeit the sample size remains small after just seven matches for each club.

Compared with the previous five Scottish top-flight seasons, passes per game have soared to 886. That is an increase of 58 on last term. Five years ago, the average was 795.

Passing accuracy is also at a high of 81%, which is quite a remarkable increase on the 73% recorded in 2023-24.

That is down to more short passing. The percentage of long passes across the league (13%) is now at its lowest level of the past five years. Perhaps surprisingly, Hearts and Rangers go long more than any other teams.

Goodwin's United, meanwhile, have gone from average possession of 42% last term to 50% this season. Their accurate passes per match have rocketed from 219 to 320.

It is a similar story for St Mirren under Craig McLeish and Neil McCann's Kilmarnock, while league leaders Celtic and Alfred Johansson's Motherwell are locked at the top of the possession chart on 61%.

The promotion of St Johnstone back into the league, replacing Livingston, has added another side who aim to play a more expansive brand.

The recent appointment of Dutch head coach Marink Reedijk at Hibernian will only enhance that.

Read more: Why early-season data points to Premiership style shift

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BBC Sport Scotland has been taking a look at away ticket pricing in Scottish football.

It is an issue which has been tackled at the highest level south of the border, with a £30 away ticket cap having been in operation in the Premier League for a decade.

Is anything similar on the agenda north of the border?

While it doesn't appear to be at the moment, we have been canvassing the thoughts of fans across the Premiership.

An adult away fan going to a league game at St Mirren will pay £29 for games that don't involve either of the Old Firm. That price jumps to £37 for Celtic and Rangers encounters.

Concessions are from £7 to £27, depending on the match.

St Mirren fan Mark Jardine, of The Misery Hunters Podcast, says: "St Mirren mostly make our money from people coming through the door, so I understand why prices go up. But I think it will get to a point where you are putting people off. I do find myself siding more probably with the Twenty's Plenty, £25 cap side of things.

"It does feel like we are getting into the prohibitively expensive territory and I think the clubs benefit more than just financially from the full house, the tension between a full away stand and hopefully fullish home stand, so I do think there probably could be a decision to lower it slightly with a more holistic view.

"There has to be some sort of consensus between clubs, no one is ever going to volunteer to be the one that makes less money.

"St Mirren really did lead well and got the response they hoped for when they reversed the two away stand policy and protected our family stand for being your season ticket has all fixtures in it.

Read more: Are SPFL away tickets too expensive?

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St Mirren have had their B team's 4-2 victory away to Cumbernauld Colts in the KDM Evolution Trophy erased after being found to have fielded an ineligible player.

Neither the Scottish Premiership club, nor competition organiser the Scottish Professional Football League, have named the player who featured in the game at Broadwood Stadium on 26 September.

The SPFL has "reprimanded and warned" St Mirren about their "future conduct" and awarded Colts a 3-0 victory.

It means, with one game remaining, St Mirren B drop from 12th in the league phase to 29th and outside the 22 places that qualify for the second round.

East Fife move up into the qualification spots, while Colts, who have been handed their first win in five games, are now one point and one place behind St Mirren B.

It has restored the Lowland League West side's outside chances of qualifying as they host the Fifers in the final game on 13 October.

St Mirren B, who have now won two and lost three of their games, travel to face 11th-placed Edinburgh City.

The Paisley club stated: "While we have held constructive talks with the SPFL surrounding the circumstances of the player's availability, we have reluctantly accepted this sanction and will ensure the matter is dealt with accordingly.

"We will continue dialogue with the SPFL around the specific nature of this discrepancy."

At £132m, Rangers have overtaken Celtic by nearly £19m as having the most valuable squad in Scotland after a 4.6% increase this summer, with Hearts third at £22m after a 15.5% increase, but St Mirren have the biggest percentage increase at 18.6%, with Hibernian the biggest drop at 10%. (Transfermarkt, external)

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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We asked you to rate St Mirren's season and tell us what Craig McLeish should be focusing on during the international break.

Here's what some of you said:

William: At this point we have won games we should be winning. However, after losing to Dundee United - a game we should win - the season start is not that good. And worryingly we now have two extremely hard away games which we will likely lose, that could be five defeats on the bounce.

Alan: This season is rather a curate's egg - good in parts. However, showing promise.

Gus: The new style of play can be attractive to watch but our wing-backs must remember they have defensive duties too. Ismael Kabia and Nikolas Agrafiotis are real finds but we've only won against relegation candidates so far.

David: I would say apart from the Dundee United game things have gone pretty well so far. I know there will be some bumps along the road, however, I feel we will have a positive season.

Mr St Mirren: About a 5/10 but we need some players. I would take Matthew Pennington (Bradford City), Charlie Webster (Burton Albion), Chido Obi (on loan at Willem II from Man United).

Scotland youth international Dylan Reid, 21, has joined Scottish Championship club Arbroath for the rest of the season a little more than two years after signing for Crystal Palace from St Mirren. (Sun, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

As the extended international break continues, we want to hear your thoughts on St Mirren's opening seven games in the Scottish Premiership.

Craig McLeish's permanent tenure got off to a flier with back-to-back wins to start the campaign.

His young side have earned plaudits for their style of play, although Saints headed into the hiatus on the back of three successive defeats.

How do you rate St Mirren's start to the season and why? And what should McLeish be focusing on during the extended break?

Share your views here

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

When club football shudders to a halt for a full 21 days, what else is there to do but try to figure out where everyone is?

Continuing the trend seen over the past few years, the international break represents less and less of a holiday for those on the playing staff at the Marbill Coaches Stadium.

Some are on senior international duty, several are earning age-group honours while much of the remaining cohort are out on loan. Here, for one week only, is my best effort at summarising all of that within the polite boundaries of a single column.

Jacob Chapman, cementing a highly-promising beginning to his Saints career, has found himself in Brisbane and holding a chance of a debut from the bench against Brazil that means missing his brother's wedding and girlfriend's birthday.

Nottingham-born Jayden Richardson has earned international recognition for the first time, joining the St Kitts and Nevis set-up as The Sugar Boyz faced Bonaire and Grenada before their Cuba double-header.

Richard King continues to race towards 50 Jamaica caps, joined for the first time in the national squad by former team-mate Miguel Freckleton.

Killian Phillips, initially left in Paisley, was escalated back into the senior set-up following call-offs and made his fifth Republic of Ireland appearance as a second-half substitute in the Nations League win over Israel in Debrecen.

At Under-21 level, a hat-trick of Saints joined up with Tony Docherty's first Scotland squad selection. Ryan Carr, quickly established as the general in Craig McLeish's new-look midfield, looks to add to his tally while defenders Henry Fieldson and Louis Jackson are seeking debuts at this level.

Josh Farquhar, fresh from making his senior debut for the club against Dundee United, represented Scotland's U19s while new club record holder for youngest player, Marcello de Barros, scored for Scotland's U17s alongside clubmate Ruari Duff.

A firm focus on getting young players senior minutes has meant most remaining youngsters on the club's books have continued playing for their loan clubs during the break.

And, if all of that wasn't enough for you, the vast majority of these youngsters returned to black and white for the KDM Evolution Trophy where the Saints are the highest ranked B side in the competition.

See, there's loads to be getting on with.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

To paraphrase a fake Marilyn Monroe quote that spawned a thousand profile pictures, "If you can't handle Craig McLeish at his changing the starting line-up and losing 3-0 to Jim Goodwin, then you don't deserve him at his two league wins in August and manager of the month".

Saturday's defeat to Dundee United, by whichever metric you settle on, was a disappointment.

United have not been without their own wrinkles to iron out this early season and will most likely populate the same blob of teams in the division as the Saints come mid 2027.

They have coped admirably with the absence of Goodwin (who it was great to see back in Paisley and back in the dugout), recovering from poor initial form to climb back into mid-table. This, then, represented an opportunity for points that may be tougher to find in Glasgow, Edinburgh or elsewhere.

The returning Killian Phillips, eligible-again Paul Nsio and unfortunately injured Nikolas Agrafiotis necessitated some changes, though consensus in the terraces quickly became clear that perhaps too much had been tinkered.

Eseosa Sule toiled leading the line, Nsio lost some of his impact in his wide role and Chris Mochrie was glaring in his absence.

Not for the first time since leaving Paisley for Tannadice (well, Pittodrie, but there wasn't much to worry about there), Goodwin gave the impression of a man that had the Saints figured out.

A couple of early goals set the tone, a couple of marginal decisions fell United's way and a third goal before half-time killed the spectacle. There was to be no Motherwell-esque comeback as in late August.

To paint Saturday as anything other than disappointing would be foolish. To neuter the ability to bemoan that disappointment by repeatedly pointing out it's early days and there is a learning curve for both this young squad and their young manager, likewise.

We should be gutted at conceding three at home, at not scoring ourselves and at handing out chances like funsize own-brand chocolate bars on Halloween.

We just owe it to those in the dugout and on the pitch to acknowledge they are gutted too, to back them in picking up what lessons are there for learning and to put that to good use in the long term.

We're not suddenly awful. We weren't suddenly incredible. October brings five challenging fixtures this side should have no fear in tackling head-on.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

Image source, Getty Images

St. Mirren midfielder Killian Phillips has been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for their upcoming Nations League quadruple-header.

The 24-year-old joined Heimir Hallgrimsson's squad in Dublin before the side travelled to Pristina for Thursday's match against Kosovo.

He has replaced Hibernian's Jamie McGrath and Harvey Vale from Queens Park Rangers, who have both been ruled out through injury.

The midfield duo will now join captain Nathan Collins on the sidelines for the four-match international window.

Phillips joined St Mirren from Crystal Palace after a successful loan spell and has four caps for the Republic of Ireland.

After their away match against Kosovo, Hallgrimsson's side face Israel twice and Austria at home in Group B3.

Sheffield United loanee Liam Kitching has been handed his first call-up in the initial squad, while uncapped Cardiff City defender Joel Bagan and Owen Elding of Hibernian are in contention for their first caps.

Sportscene pundit James McFadden reviews St Mirren's 3-0 defeat by Dundee United.

After going unbeaten in their first four league matches of the season, the Buddies have lost three in a row.

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St Mirren were forced into a late change to their line-up yesterday when striker Nikolas Agrafiotis was ruled out with an unspecified injury, but manager Craig McLeish hoped it would not be a long-term issue.

He said: "He felt something and we went and got it scanned (on Friday night) to try and put his mind at ease a little bit more.

"And it showed up a little bit worse than we'd expected so he had to then miss out. Hopefully he should just be back in contention for the Hearts game after the international break.

"We had planned all week with him starting the game but other boys when they get opportunities they have to come in and step up. So, Niko was a bit of a loss but it still doesn't excuse what happened throughout the game."

Manager McLeish admitted his team had been poor all across the pitch as they lost for a third league game in a row.

He said: "It's a tough one to take because we've been so good up to this point. We let ourselves down today probably all across the pitch.

"I've said that to the boys, in this league it's ruthless and you have to be at your best every single week. We had too many nowhere near the levels that they have set.

"It's two home games where we've given teams two goals of a head start within the first 10 minutes and you're not going to survive doing that. We did well to come back in the Motherwell game but you just can't give yourself that mountain to climb every week."

Dundee United score three first-half goals to secure a Scottish Premiership win in Paisley (UK only).

St Mirren fans, we asked for your opinions on the shock 3-0 loss to Dundee United in Paisley. Here's a taste of what you had to say...

William: I was thinking maybe, just maybe, the club had got the right manager, but after that totally shambolic performance, I think it's the wrong choice. Too many players were poor and the changes made no difference, the manager just looked clueless.

Russell: The fragility in the team shone through. As exciting as some of the play is we do always look a little nervous, hopefully just a blip but I feel we need a bit of solidity.

Panther: An awful show. Looks like the set-up was centered on fitting Killian Phillips back into the starting set-up which backfired. We looked to be without shape, couldn't get the basics right and Jacob Chapman again had a sub-par game. We must improve!

James: Saints were well beaten by a better team. Defensively we were too easy to play through - we could have lost by more. We need to link possession to creating real chances and we didn't do that today, Dundee United did!

Stu: Our central defenders seem to be so far from each other that you could drive a bus sideways through them. Goalkeeper's distribution was poor. There seems to be a huge gap in front of our central defence that is getting exploited regularly, as it did against Motherwell.

It just all looked ponderous, like they've been given a plan that they won't stray from, but sometimes you need to put your big boy pants on and think for yourself and take opportunities that present themselves.

I'm still not convinced despite having more points on the board than I thought we would.

John: Hopeless. Can't remember the last time an entire starting 11 for the Buddies was so inept. Further compounded by Craig McLeish taking our only effective midfielder, Fraser Taylor, off at half-time and bringing on a striker whose confidence is so low that he could be on the pitch on his own and still wouldn't score.

Defensively all over the place and just can't understand why McLeish persists with a back line that leaves Alex Gogic so exposed. He's been a stalwart for the club but his legs have gone. He's needs runners around him to allow time to read the game better. Eseosa Sule shows nothing up front. Paul Nsio flatters to deceive in the middle and we lack guile in key parts of the pitch. Can't help feeling that the McLeish bubble has burst.

Image source, SNS

St Mirren manager Craig McLeish: "It's the first time we have probably let ourselves down this season in terms of a disappointing result but its probably the performance as well.

"The boys have been magnificent up until this point. The damage was done in the first ten minutes of the game, a couple of defensive mistakes. You can't give teams two goals of a lead. That's twice we have now done it at home, we did it against Motherwell as well. You can't give yourself that mountain to climb every week.

"We start the game brightly but you can't lose the bit that got us to this bit, where we're gritty and we're determined and we defend well.

"A couple of lapses at the back and they capitalise on them. That just makes it difficult to get back into it, we're looking for a spark in different ways. We change shape and change personnel.

"I've said to the boys that there were always going to be bumps along the way but we have to make sure that we dust ourselves down and stick together.

"We got into some dangerous areas and were lacking the final bit today. I'd always back the group to create chances and score goals.

"We know we have to be at our absolute best every week to pick up points in this league. Sometimes you can have two or three having an off day but we had the majority of the group not being at the levels they have set.

"I can't fault the group up until this point they've been magnificent. I know it's a tough run in terms of results. Going into the international break we're still sitting in a healthy position. We know it will be tough at times and when the tough moments come we have to stick together."

Dundee United emphatically dispatched St Mirren to earn just their second Premiership win of the season on manager Jim Goodwin's return following a health issue.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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St Mirren welcome back influential midfielder Killian Phillips after injury, but Samuel Ramos (hamstring), Liam Donnelly (abductor), Malik Dijksteel (hamstring), Keanu Baccus (Achilles) and Jonah Ayunga (knee) remain sidelined.

Suspended Dundee United midfielder Emmanuel Agyei will be missing for several weeks with a knee ligament injury, while winger Mehdi Merghem (knee) is also absent.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Jacob Chapman thought the phone call tipping him off on a first call-up for Australia was just a compatriot at St Mirren looking for a lift to training.

Instead the 25-year-old goalkeeper could be making his international debut against Brazil.

"My girlfriend rang me up and was like, 'Keanu Bacuus has been ringing you,'", he explained. "I'd just woken up. I was like, 'Why is he ringing me so early? He probably needs a lift to training or something'.

"Then he told me, 'I've just given your number to someone on the staff'. I tried not to get too excited straight away. Then I got a text asking if I was free for a quick chat.

"The staff member said, 'Look, I just want to congratulate you. You've been selected in this upcoming camp'. They told me they'd been looking at me for a while now. It was a very nice call and I'm just really looking forward to it now. I cant wait."

Playing for his country would be the fulfillment of a 20-year long ambition since he turned out as a mascot for the national side.

"I walked out with Travis Dodd," recalled. "We won. I can't remember who it was against, I was so young. My mum actually just sent me the video of it today."

Dodd would certainly have a good memory of the match since he became the first indigenous Australian to score for the Socceroos in a win over Kuwait in Sydney.

"My mum's always reminded me of conversations we had when I was really young about how much I wanted to play, and it's never changed," added Chapman.

Two penalty saves in the Premiership have caught the eye, along with his comfort with the ball at his feet.

"I feel like every goalkeeper you meet says 'I was a striker and now I'm a keeper'," laughed Chapman. "I loved it when I was, and it definitely helps now with how the gaffer (Craig McLeish) likes to play."

"I've faced probably more penalties than I should have, but I don't mind. Obviously, the last two have gone our way. A couple of clean sheets just reflects the whole team."

After Saturday's home game against Dundee United, it's off to join the Australia squad for two friendlies against five-time world champions Brazil in Townsville and Brisbane.

"It's crazy, just looking at their team, they've got some of the best players in the world," said Chapman. "It's a huge occasion.

"It would be everything I've ever worked towards. I'm just excited to get there, put my head down and work really hard."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Craig McLeish has been speaking to the media before St Mirren host Dundee United in the Premiership on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Here are the key line from the Buddies boss:

• McLeish is delighted Jacob Chapman has earned a first Australia call-up for matches against Brazil - and revealed goalkeeping coach Jamie Langfield had vowed to get the 25-year-old in the Socceroos squad.

• "It was part of the conversation we had with him during the summer," says McLeish. "Myself and Jamie Langfield sat with him and we were both kind of trying to sell different parts of the club to him. Jamie told him, 'I will get you in the Australia squad.' Jamie's got a really good track record of developing goalkeepers and things as well. We knew Jacob coming here from the lower leagues in England, he would get more eyes on him."

• Chapman has saved two spot-kicks in the Premiership this season and McLeish adds: "Yeah, Alex Gogic was saying 'you're welcome' to him for giving away four penalties!"

• The Saints boss adds: "Even how he's been with the ball at his feet, he saves against Rangers at Ibrox and things, the penalty saves, it all adds up. That's great for him, we're delighted for him and he just needs to keep pushing on from here now.

• The club have three players - Henry Fieldson, Ryan Carr and Louis Jackson - in the Scotland Under-21 squad and McLeish says on giving young players a chance: "It's probably just a bias of mine because of my pathway and my journey. My whole background has been youth development. I've probably sat and moaned for years about boys not getting the opportunities that I thought they should. So I can't now sit in this chair and then be the one denying them opportunities. But the biggest bit is you can't do it just as a token gesture or just for the sake of it. They have to be ready."

• McLeish believes midfielder Carr could go on to be a full international: "He's only got two games left, I think, of eligibility for the 21s, and then we're saying your next bit is how far can you go and push it towards the full national squad."

• The manager is "proud" the young players at St Mirren after taking their first-team opportunities, adding: "We have to make sure we find the balance with the experienced players as well, but when you've got Goga at the heart of your defence to help them and see them through at times too, it helps we get a really good core of experienced players."

• McLeish expects a "really tough game" against United, who he believes have been "a little hard done by" in performances not reflecting results.

• On Jim Goodwin being back in the dugout - and back in Paisley - after a three-week medical absence, McLeish says: "I'm delighted to see that he's doing well. I think he always gets a good reception when he comes back here. He was such a big player for St Mirren and had a really strong spell as manager as well. So I hope he gets a really good reception."

• St Mirren have only won three of their past 23 top-flight home matches against Dundee United (D10 L10), although two of those have come in their latest five (D1 L2).

• Since Dundee United's promotion back to the Premiership in 2024, their five league wins against St Mirren is their most versus any opponent.

• Only Aberdeen (15) have more top-flight defeats in 2026 than St Mirren (14), who have lost their past two in the competition.

• Dundee United have won just one of their past 10 league games (D4 L5), beating Kilmarnock 4-0 in August.

• Jim Goodwin has taken charge of 94 Premiership games as Dundee United manager, now his most with any side in the competition, ahead of St Mirren (93). Goodwin has a 1.75 points-per-game average against his former side St Mirren in the league (P12 W6 D3 L3), his joint highest as a manager against any opponent (also 1.75 v St Johnstone).