Valakari expects to be 'bullied' by St Mirren

St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari thinks St Mirren have gone "under the radar" this season. Craig McLeish's side won their Premiership opener with a 2-0 victory over last season's surprise package Falkirk. They also won three of their four League Cup group stage games, scoring 12 goals in the process and securing a place in the next round as they look to defend their title. Valakari, whose St Johnstone side returned straight back to the Premiership having been relegated to the Championship in the previous campaign, has been impressed with what he's seen so far. "I've been very impressed," he said. "How I see the situation, they had a very difficult last season. They survived through the play-offs. They have been able to work on their game. I can see what they try to do. "They brought in good footballers but they still have this, how would you call it, the old DNA of St Mirren, that they are very, very tough. They really want to bully you. "They have Premiership experience there, but the biggest thing is, no one expected anything from them and that's why they're going a little bit under the radar. "But I have been watching them all the time. I've seen what they're doing in the pre-season games, there's a clear identity what they want to do and good example was the first [league] game. "They went to Falkirk, not an easy place to go, the surface, the stadium, no away matches in this league are easy. "They went there and they played a very solid game. They were able to, in the right moments, hold the ball, in the right moments they were very vertical with dangerous running behind. "That's what I expected from them and they see this opportunity now as, 'we won the first match, now we play home' so they are building up the momentum there and that's why I said it's a tough challenge for us, but it's an exciting challenge for us."