St Mirren benefit from recency bias

Celtic comprehensively destroyed St Mirren on 2 January, our last impressive performance against an SPFL club.  Since then, St Mirren have won three of their four games, conceding only once (to Newco).  Their last two wins, 0-3 at Easter Road and 2-0 home to Dundee, put them nine points ahead of their two city rivals and comfortably in fifth place in the table.

We should be aware of recency bias, though.  Before the winter break, St Mirren lost seven in nine games.  One of their wins since then was 1-0 at home to third tier Queen of the South in the last round of the Scottish Cup.  While Hibs were a close match for Celtic on Wednesday, their capitulation to St Mirren told more about their fragility than the victors.

Celtic’s loanee Kwon Hyeok-kyu has picked up a lot of the credit for St Mirren’s current form.  I am split between wanting to see how he performs against a top side and hoping his deal means he will be sitting in the stand tomorrow.

A few eyebrows were raised (including by me) when we signed the midfielder from the Korean second tier.  Although Brendan has yet to offer Kwon any gametime, I hear he thinks the player is a prospect.

Stephen Robinson had Saints press at Celtic Park earlier in the season.  After two wins, I expect nothing less on Sunday.  It should be an entertaining cup tie.