FIRST Division title contenders St Johnstone enjoyed four league victories over Livingston last season but their latest win was with laced with anxiety after they lost Liam Craig to a second-half red card.
The outcome was overshadowed by post-mat
ch comments from Livingston's Italian manager Roberto Landi, a newcomer to the hurly burly of Scottish football and its traditionally industrial language, who claimed he was sworn at by the Perth management team.
Landi branded it ungentlemanly and refused to shake hands with Perth manager Derek McInnes after a late Paul Sheerin penalty secured the points for the title favourites.
He said: "I lost the match but I was not happy with the situation. Why did they have to question every decision?
"I come from Italy and I am a gentleman. I don't understand what permits them to say these bad words. It is the first time in 15 years as a coach I have heard this."
But McInnes dismissed the row, stating: "I have nothing to apologise about and this shouldn't overshadow a good win. We have had a coffee together in the office. The manner of the victory was even sweeter after going a man down for 30 minutes and still coming back to get a second goal. But we won't get carried away. That is three points and it's on to the next game."
McInnes revealed he was determined to add to his squad, with a left-back given priority status.
Meanwhile, Landi is also scouting around for further acquisitions, with physical presence and experience attributes his squad currently lacks.
Saints snatched a 55th-minute lead through Peter MacDonald but had to see out the last half-hour without the services of Craig, who was guilty of a professional foul on Leigh Griffith, who recently secured a two year contract extension to keep other clubs at bay.
The McDiarmid clash provided the new Livingston regime with a taste of what lies ahead after embarking on a strategy focused on youthful foreign talent and a bedrock of Scottish professionals.
Almondvale was busy over the summer as lawyer Angelo Massone and Tommaso Angelini acquired the club and swiftly dispensed with the services of manager Mark Proctor, who had steered Livingston clear of relegation in the closing weeks of a fraught campaign.
His successor, Landi, has an intriguing curriculum vitae, with the one-time goalkeeper previously employed in the United States by clubs including Chicago Sting and New York Cosmos. His coaching expertise was exploited by Qatar, Georgia and Lithuania at under-21 level.
Now, that experience will be brought to bear in Scotland's First Division and in advance of the trip to Perth Landi was bullishly predicting Livingston were ready to make a pitch for the title.
Ironically, it was the eccentricities displayed by his French keeper Pierre Martini which caused him consternation. He can brace himself for the Bond gags in the dressing room.
The full article contains 512 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
