The most recent lament of success-starved St Kilda fans is that Sydney have ruined their lives. Or at least ruined their team.

Not because the Swans beat the injury-depleted Saints in the 2005 preliminary final, a result that has become even more difficult for the Saints faithful to reconcile as the premiership that seemed imminent for a playing list once rated the best in the AFL becomes ever more distant.

St Kilda fans now clench their fists and shake them towards the north because, they claim, former Swans assistant coach Ross Lyon has imposed Sydney's tough, disciplined and low-scoring gameplan on their once free-wheeling team and, whether such complaints come from the heart or the head, they do not like it.

Particularly, they do not like constipated performances such as yesterday's 27-point loss to the impressive Western Bulldogs, in which the Saints kicked just two goals between the quarter and three-quarter time breaks, the type of scoring drought that will heighten perceptions about the so-called "Ugly Saints" and increase the pressure on Lyon and his team.

How timely, then, that St Kilda will take on the Swans at the SCG this Saturday night in a match that will measure the progress the teams have made since their controversial round one match at Telstra Dome - a tense tug-of-war in which the miserly 51-49 scoreline in St Kilda's favour was tendered as evidence of the evil defensive tactics of Sydney coach Paul Roos and his former lieutenant Lyon.

At the time, Roos claimed criticism of his game plan was grossly unfair given the St Kilda match was an early-season struggle in which poor kicking (St Kilda 6.15 to Sydney 6.13) played a part in the paltry scoreline. He has since been justified by his team's sharp new attacking edge - something demonstrated to telling effect on Saturday night in a match-winning six-goal last quarter burst against against West Coast.

And St Kilda? That opening win over Sydney remains the Saints' only victory over a top eight team. Against the Bulldogs yesterday, their midfield was dour and uninspired, their defence lacked run and their two remaining key forwards - with Fraser Gehrig on the long-term injury list - had forgettable days. Nick Riewoldt has struggled in front of goal since returning from a knee ligament strain and the perennially underachieving Justin Koschitzke was also hobbled by a knee injury.

Lyon lamented his team's inability to create "scoreboard pressure" by taking their chances early in the game when they had the better of the talented Dogs. Injuries to Steven Baker and Sam Gilbert have also left St Kilda's defence exposed against small forwards with Jason Akermanis (six goals) and Daniel Giansiracusa cutting them up.

Regardless of the long list of extenuating circumstances, the finger of blame is pointed firmly at Lyon and, particularly, his supposedly negative tactics - the heat from the supporters not diminished by the somewhat ham-fisted recent "vote of confidence" from club chairman Greg Westaway, who said he hoped Lyon would coach the club for the next decade. However, after another tough day, Lyon was measured in his assessment of yesterday's setback.

"Clearly it makes it more and more difficult [to make the finals]," he said. "But we need to get to work on the things we need to do to be competitive for four quarters and at the moment we are inconsistent in that."

Lyon retains staunch support from former premiership coach Robert Walls, who himself has copped flak from St Kilda supporters as part of the committee that recommended Lyon's appointment. "There are more problems at St Kilda than any of us thought and I think Ross Lyon is the one that will get them out of that," Walls said yesterday.

But with the Saints now falling off the pace, the impatience of St Kilda supporters will only grow. This Saturday night's match could be crucial to the club's immediate future and, potentially, provide a more credible reasons for Saints fans to curse the Swans.