It takes bravery and guts to admit you’ve made a mistake and to try something new.
I get a sinking feeling every time I have to go to my better half and admit that something I thought would work was actually a terrible idea that should never have been entertained in the first place.
Sometimes your pride keeps you from admitting your mistake, and can lead you to keep plugging away regardless of the awful outcome.
Albert Einstein famously said insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
And when you take St Mirren’s pre-winter break form, when they went 11 miserable games without a win, you could have easily made the argument that the system in place simply wasn’t working.
In true Orange Juice fashion, Jim Goodwin bravely decided that 2022 was the time to rip it up and start again.
As much as the players and staff had worked on the 5-3-2/3-5-1 formation for months over the summer, it simply wasn’t working when put into practice.
Yes there were coronavirus issues at hand just before Christmas, but overall the performances in the first half of rhe campaign were nowhere near the levels required to give the Buddies a proper chance of making that step up into the Premiership top six.
The system was far too defensive, with the Saints often setting up with five defenders and two defensive-minded midfielders for matches in Paisley and on the road.
It was no wonder the club weren’t providing much of a threat up front when they were committing so few numbers forward.
Now I’m not going to sit here and argue that Tuesday night’s narrow 1-0 win over Aberdeen was anything other than a pretty forgettable snoozefest.
But as with the previous two victories, St Mirren were much more balanced having switched to a back four.
And youngster Jay Henderson on the wing again provided some much needed attacking intent and pace that was sorely lacking before the winter break.
As much as some St Mirren fans were hoping to see Jamie McGrath nowhere near the team, with his head firmly back on matters on the pitch it was a no-brainer to bring the club’s best player back into the fold.
At the end of the day, the race for the top six this season is going to be even more keenly-contested and every single win and every point is going to count come the split.
While all the pre-match chat was about McGrath’s involvement, it was ironic that it was another Irishman - Connor Ronan - that stole the headlines with yet another stunning strike for the Buddies.
It was a goal worthy of winning any match, but it’s clear that St Mirren are still far from the finished article.
Another striker and another winger would seriously boost the Paisley club before the transfer window slams shut early next week, whether McGrath stays at the club or not.
With the defence now a very solid back four unit, if the Buddies can improve up front they’ve got every chance of running Motherwell, Hibs and Aberdeen close for a place in the top half come the end of the season.
This weekend’s trip to Dens Park to take on struggling Dundee is significant to the Saints on two fronts.
If they’re serious about pushing into the top six, then maximum points from the likes of Saturday’s match are pivotal.
On the other side of the coin, a win would also send the Buddies 11 points clear of Dundee in eleventh spot and potentially 13 points ahead of St Johnstone who currently prop up the table.
That is a huge gap which, even at this early stage, would give most Buddies confidence they won’t be drawn into a relegation scrap this season.
Hopefully Goodwin won’t be wanting to rip it up and start again come Saturday night.
