Aberdeen defender Ash Taylor is unsurprised to see former teammate Stevie May back on the goal trail at St Johnstone.
May will line up against his old team at Pittodrie this afternoon as both sides look to bounce back after disappointing midweek results. The Dons drew 0-0 at Motherwell, while the Perth Saints were beaten 3-0 at home by Rangers.
But the St Johnstone forward has been enjoying a productive season in Perth with 10 goals in 22 games – two more than he achieved in 75 appearances for the Dons.
Taylor, however, is well aware of the danger May can pose if chosen to lead the line by Perth Saints boss Callum Davidson this afternoon.
He said: “They have been doing really well lately and obviously they have got Stevie May who we know is a really good player.
“I played against him in training and I saw close-up what he’s all about. It’s good to see him doing well again.
“He had a bit of a slow start when he went back to St Johnstone, but he and the team are putting performances together again.
“I’m certainly not surprised that he is back scoring as he is a very talented player who is very quick and likes to play on the shoulder.
“He is a real threat as he has been throughout his career and he is certainly showing that now.
“Injuries can put a stop to your form and trying to end that can be difficult, but he is doing that now and is looking to kick-on again.”
The Dons sit a point behind third-placed Hibernian heading into the Boxing Day visit of St Johnstone with Taylor eager to end 2020 on a positive note with a wins this afternoon and on Wednesday at in-form Livingston.
The defender said: “It’s important that we come out of December strongly and keep the momentum going so we can go into the New Year and kick on.
“Wins are always important in terms of building confidence for any team and the start for us was fantastic.
“We’ve had a little blip with a few disappointments, but we just want put that behind us with a good run now.
“The good thing is we didn’t lose too much ground at the time, but the expectation at this club is to win every week and we put that pressure on ourselves.
“It’s a lot closer near the top of the league this season, which is pleasing, apart from Rangers who have got away a bit, but we can only control what we do.
“We had a few away games that maybe didn’t go as we wanted but we are in a good position now.”
After playing six of their previous seven matches away from home, Taylor is looking forward to being back on home soil for today’s encounter.
He added: “Playing on our own pitch will be good after a number of away games and travelling up and down the country.
“We were in on Christmas Day, but that’s not something unusual as this is always a busy time when you are a footballer.
“The family is used to that as we have a job to do and that is to train and make sure we are ready to play all these games.
“I wouldn’t be able to get back home to the Wirral anyway, so it’s not something that’s strange at this time of the year.
“It’s always nice the see the family after training on Christmas Day, but it is being fully focussed on the football that matters.”