McCann and assistant Billy Dodds earned praise last season after reviving a struggling Kilmarnock side and guiding them to safety.
Judging by this performance, they may now have another major challenge on their hands.
Finding the net was not the problem last season, as Kilmarnock scored more goals than any other team in the bottom half. Their weakness was in defence—only Livingston allowed more goals—and those issues resurfaced in Perth.
They deserve credit for recovering from a losing position and moving in front. However, St Johnstone produced only 1.76 expected goals yet scored four times from 15 attempts, without being especially ruthless in front of goal.
The goals were simply too easy to concede, particularly the second, which Cheick Diabate headed home from a corner.
For neutral viewers, however, all of that made it a remarkable contest. Preston described the match as an extraordinary spectacle.
He suggested that if the remaining 37 weeks can produce anything even better, supporters are in for a memorable season.
He added that Kilmarnock barely competed during the opening half and were fortunate to reach the interval level before unexpectedly taking the lead. Valakari then responded by introducing as many attacking players as he could from the bench.
St Johnstone kept battling and secured an excellent victory. In his view, even the 4-3 scoreline was generous to Kilmarnock, whose overall display was poor.
Managers sometimes try to soften the impact of such defeats by presenting the match as more competitive than it was, but McCann chose to be completely direct.
After the final whistle, he said he had found no enjoyment in the contest and admitted his team received exactly what their performance warranted: nothing.
He also acknowledged that the players had disappointed themselves, the club and the supporters.
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