Three Games for the Weekend

Hamilton v Ross County

A Derek Adams-less Ross County travel to New Douglas Park this weekend, to face a Hamilton side buoyed by three consecutive wins. Both Adams – manager Derek and his father, Director of Football George – received their marching orders on Thursday morning; the Staggies anchoring the Premiership table after losing their opening four matches. Derek had been in charge at Victoria Park since 2007 – a seven month spell as Hibs assistant manager splitting two spells at the helm – guiding County to the First Division, the Scottish Cup final, to the Premiership, and then to fifth and seventh placed finishes.

County, as mentioned earlier, have succumbed to four successive defeats, although three by fine margins. Aside from the 4-0 demolition at the hands of Partick Thistle, the Staggies lost 2-1 to St Johnstone, Dundee United and Kilmarnock, challenging all three sides but picking up zero points from those tight affairs. County haven’t brought in a replacement yet, although Danny Lennon has made his interest clear.

The last time Hamilton played County, the Staggies crushed the recently promoted side 5-1. It’s hard to imagine a similar outcome this weekend. I criticised the Accies for poor defending after their opening day defeat to Inverness, stating that they’d struggle to retain their Premiership status unless they delved back into the transfer market – it seems I may have been incorrect in my judgement. Since then, Hamilton have enjoyed wins over St Mirren, St Johnstone and Partick Thistle, using counter-attack tactics to good effect and earning all nine points. Another three points could be huge for Hamilton, creating a 12 point gap between them and County – points that could be crucial at the tail end of the season.

 

Rangers v Queen of the South

Hearts sit atop the Championship table, nine points from three games, wins against Rangers and Hibs. In second place, however, isn’t one of the ‘big three’ teams, but Queen of the South. The Doonhamers have seven points, giving them a one point advantage over third place, and their opponents at the weekend, Rangers. The teams last encounter was in the Ramsdens Cup last year, as Rangers cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory; Mohsni, McCulloch and Daly scoring the goals.

This match is more about Rangers than Queen of the South. Ally McCoist’s side haven’t impressed so far this season: they suffered an opening day loss at home to Hearts, the Miller-Boyd partnership hasn’t contributed a single goal out of the seven scored in the league, and McCoist is still looking tactically-naïve despite his three-and-a-half-years in charge at Ibrox. Despite a close-fought victory over Falkirk and an easy win against Dumbarton – Jim McIntyre’s side also cruised to a 4-0 result – Rangers haven’t matched pre-season expectations that they would sweep the Championship aside. Queen of the South have the chance to further dent McCoist’s automatic promotion hopes.  

 

East Fife v East Stirlingshire

East Fife were favourites for the League Two automatic promotion spot, having impressed with a win over Hamilton in a pre-season friendly and having eliminated Forfar in the Petrofac Training Cup. However, three games in and the Fifers are still without a single point. They struggled to break through a resolute Elgin defence, were abysmal against Berwick, relying on a penalty and a stunning free-kick to reduce the deficit, and were swept aside by Albion Rovers.

Problems lie in both defence and attack, and perhaps in the dugout. Gary Naysmith has been criticised for his dreadful record in charge at Bayview, and, having put this current side together, he’ll take most of the flak if their current form doesn’t pick up. There’s also a lot of pressure on Jon McShane. The journeyman striker has looked dangerous in attack for the Fifers, but has failed to find the net. Nathan Austin, his possible strike partner, has missed a good couple of chances over the past games, and has never impressed the East Fife supporters.

East Stirlingshire have also been terrible, losing 5-0 to Berwick last weekend. This is the game for East Fife to begin their season. If the Gary Naysmith’s side can’t defeat East Stirlingshire at Bayview, then it’s hard to imagine them challenging for the top spots. If East Fife are to fight for the automatic promotion place, they need these three points. The old ‘it’s only a matter of time’ line can only be used for so long before it becomes abundantly clear that they are in trouble, not only of not being promoted, but of being relegated.

Points from the Scottish Premiership

HUGHES’ INVERNESS SETTING THE PACE

If one word could be used to describe Inverness last season, it would be inconsistent. It’s a term often linked with teams under the management of John Hughes. He’s quite obviously a manager who values playing the ‘right way’ – passing and attacking in the same vein of Barcelona – but doesn’t seem to comprehend that he’s coaching at the Scottish level, and that the players at his disposal won’t necessarily be the undiscovered Xavi or Iniesta of the SPFL. That attacking style often seems to come at the price of defensive solidity, which makes it all the more surprising that, not only have Caley earned ten points from their opening four matches, but they’ve also kept four clean sheets.

Hughes’ team cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win at Hamilton on the opening day, were held by Dundee in a fairly quiet match at home, and then defeated Motherwell, one of their top six rivals. Their fourth game, played last weekend at the Caledonian Stadium, had Inverness hosting reigning champions Celtic, fresh from demolishing Dundee United’s early season dreams and hopes at Celtic Park. This time, however, the circumstances were different: Ronny Deila opted for 10 changes from the side that picked up a crucial point at Maribor in the Champions League qualifiers, handing chances to the likes of Teemu Pukki and Eoghan O’Connell.

The Jags admitted after the game that seeing so many changes to the opposition line-up inspired some extra confidence, perhaps thinking Deila had underestimated Inverness with his second-rate team. To be fair to the Bhoys’ new coach, with a season-defining European tie at Parkhead mid-week, he would have come under immense scrutiny if those first-team stars were to lose to Maribor after playing in the league. And that’s overlooking the fact that Kris Commons, the 13-14 top scorer, and Charlie Mulgrew started, and Stokes, McGregor and Johansen all came on as substitutes – the latter pair coming on prior to the deciding goal.

Inverness’s 1-0 victory highlights the improvements the team and Hughes have made since the last campaign. The former Hibs and Falkirk manager seems to have addressed the issues from last season, in part by looking back at the successes Inverness had under his predecessor, Terry Butcher. It could be said that Butcher’s side was less expressive and attractive than Hughes’, but when the Englishman took charge the Jags were-all-but-relegated, meaning he had to rebuild from scratch. He turned them into one of Scotland’s top sides, focusing on the team elements rather than on individual talents. Hughes seems to have meshed his attractive, passing-focused style – he wants Inverness to play like Barcelona – with the more pragmatic, team-orientated approach that Butcher used. That much was obvious from the Celtic game.

Of course, Inverness had moments of luck: Teemu Pukki stuttered and wasted a clear chance; Commons had a decent one-on-one opportunity that he blasted at Dean Brill; Biton’s curling shot bounced off the crossbar; and, in the 65^th minute, Zaluska botched a clearance and pushed the ball at a charging O’Connell. The 19-year-old had no chance, as the ball bounced off his foot and chipped the back-up goalkeeper. Caley Thistle had pressed Celtic high – sometimes opening themselves up for the counter-attack – but, after the own-goal, showed their defensive capabilities. Hughes’ side compacted, tightened up, and were content hitting the Bhoys on the counter.

Obviously it’s still early days: Celtic are still going to cruise to the title and Inverness won’t continue on this run of form forever. Even Hughes has been quick to dampen expectations, stating that Inverness have ‘no chance’ of finishing second in the league. Considering the rough starts Aberdeen and Motherwell have endured, there’s absolutely no reason why the Jags couldn’t push the likes of Dundee United for what would be the highest finish in their history.

 

ST JOHNSTONE AND ABERDEEN LACK THE CUTTING EDGE

I had the fortune – this is sarcasm – of watching the enthralling – this is also sarcasm – St Johnstone v Aberdeen game at McDiarmid Park at the weekend. It’s no surprise that the game was tight – only one meeting between the two sides last season exceeded two goals – but what became painstakingly obvious as the match progressed was that neither side boasted a dangerous attack.

The issue for St Johnstone is obvious: a lack of Stevie May. Sheffield Wednesday’s latest acquisition has already opened his account for the Yorkshire club, and it’s his clinical finishing and creative play that the Saints are missing. He offered so much in attack, using both physical – outmuscling defenders and beating them for pace – and technical attributes – dribbling through defences and linking up with those around him – and, being such a complete package, most teams would also suffer after losing such a valuable commodity.

Aberdeen, on the other hand, seem to be struggling to figure out their most productive attacking setup. So far this season – not including their Europa League qualification exploits – the Dons have only scored two goals, both coming against Kilmarnock, and both also coming from midfielders. Derek McInnes has three options in Adam Rooney, Niall McGinn and David Goodwillie, a surprising signing after his disappointing loan spell back at Dundee United. The latter replaced Rooney during the game, but offered the same results. He held up the ball and tried to create chances, but, in the final third, the Dons just couldn’t break through the resolute Saints defence.

St Johnstone had a fantastic chance in the opening minutes; MacLean snuck a pass through three Dons defenders, but Wotherspoon, in space, curled his effort off target. Hayes almost cost Aberdeen the opener – under little pressure he played a dreadful pass-back that put MacLean in acres of space – but MacLean put the effort into the side netting. McDonald should also have scored, capitalising on a dropped ball from Langfield, but his shot went wide.  

For Aberdeen Shaleum Logan demonstrated attacking intent – he’s quick and puts in a decent cross, although his positioning during defensive situations is questionable – and McGinn should’ve done better after he was left unmarked. Considine also met one of Logan’s hard crosses, his header smashing off the crossbar and the ball being cleared for a corner.

The decider came from a quick free-kick, as O’Halloran swung a low cross into the box. MacLean curled a shot into the bottom corner, breaking the deadlock. Logan did nothing to aid the Dons, running in front of the goal and doing nothing to close down MacLean. While both sides, especially St Johnstone, looked their usual, capable selves in defence and midfield, both are going to struggle to replicate their 2013/14 finishes if they don’t sort out these issues.

Points from the Weekend

SET-PIECES PUNISH UNITED

Dundee United supporters had an extra Christmas gift in 1992. On Boxing Day, the Arabs travelled to Parkhead to face Celtic, and, courtesy of a Duncan Ferguson strike, United escaped with all three points. Since then, United have visited Celtic Park another 40 times – in both league and cup fixtures – but have travelled back to Dundee deprived of those elusive three points.

Of course, Celtic are going to claim the Premiership title, and by some margin, but the belief was that their closest challenger would come from Motherwell, Aberdeen or Dundee. United seemed to assert themselves as the main threat in their first two league fixtures, dispatching a tired and uninspired Aberdeen at Pittodrie, before a stunning Mario Bilate goal secured them three points against the Steelmen in a closely fought tie at Tannadice.

The front-four of Armstrong, Mackay-Steven, Dow and Ciftci have begun this season in a rich vein of form, tearing the Dons defence apart and eventually wearing down Motherwell. United have also looked more diligent in defence, Morris and Fojut looking much more capable than the occasionally-erratic Gunning and Souttar partnership.

Those successive results, mixed with Celtic’s poor European form, gave some credence to the belief that this could finally be the time that United break that streak. The Bhoys laboured against St Johnstone, struggling to create a moment of magic or link-up play – the 3-0 scoreline flattered their performance. A lapse in concentration from Anderson gifted them the first, a penalty that shouldn’t have been awarded gave them the second, and a horrible mistake from Mannus completed the so-called-rout.

Unfortunately for those optimistic United fans, it was business-as-usual at Parkhead. Celtic looked great, although, to be fair, that’s as much to do with United’s failings as it is to do with their performance.

United could’ve opened the scoring in the opening minutes. Stuart Armstrong unleashed a perfectly-weighted through ball that exploited the retreating Celtic defence, but Mackay-Steven, Craig Gordon charging at him, could only push his effort past the post.

Celtic punished the Arabs, both for missing their chance and for poor defending, as Denayer smashed in the first from a corner. Morris, the ball coming straight at him, headed it at Townsend, who, having just turned around, looked stunned as it bounced off his knee and straight towards Celtic’s Belgian defender. Defensive lapses from set-pieces became a theme throughout the match – the second and fifth also came from corners, and the fourth from a free-kick.

For the second, Rankin, on the near post, stood still as the ball looped over him, and Paton, his midfield partner, failed to stop Kris Commons from charging in and heading home. For the fifth, Stokes’ corner overshot the box, but, courtesy of an Ambrose header sending the ball back into the area, Berget was able to guide the ball past a comical United defence. For the free-kick, Stokes’ cross ran through the area and straight into the bottom corner, no United defender choosing to clear the ball.

The free-kick summed up United’s set-piece struggle. The defence appeared unnerved and disorganised, not sure what to do when the ball came to them, and Celtic capitalised on that with relentless pressure. Each goal from a set-piece shattered United’s remaining confidence, which also highlighted their second problem. The Arabs lacked a commanding figure, someone to take charge in their moment of chaos and add some much needed confidence and structure back to the team.

The third goal, although not from a set-piece, also came about through poor judgement. Paton, under pressure from Stefan Johansen – and also the last line of defence – took too long to clear the ball, and, similar to St Johnstone’s Anderson in Celtic’s previous match, had the ball nicked off his feet. The tenacious Norwegian looked cool and collected as he thumped his effort past Cierzniak. If not for the Pole, although the scoreline doesn’t suggest it, Celtic could have scored even more.

United managed to reduce the deficit for a short time – Rankin’s hard shot catching Gordon off-guard and sneaking in at the right post – but a late Celtic counter-attack completed the rout. Kayal charged down the right, put in a low cross that the United defence failed to clear, and Berget, waiting at the far post, smashed the ball in for his second.

 

JORDAN WHITE MAKING THE MOST OF HIS CHANCES

One of the most interesting signings of the summer was Jordan White’s move to Livingston. The former Stirling Albion striker notched 19 goals in League Two last season, playing a vital role in their play-off promotion against East Fife. Having moved up two leagues, the question is: how will he transition to Championship football? As dangerous as he was in front of goal last season, can he do the same against the likes of Hearts and Rangers?

He was rather anonymous in his league debut against Hibernian, but, to be fair, Livingston struggled to create many opportunities in that game. His second and third games – the third being a Petrofac Training Cup fixture – have been much more positive for the 22-year-old.

White opened his league account against relegation-contenders Cowdenbeath. A one-two with Gary Glen put him one-on-one with the Blue Brazil keeper. He held his nerve, dribbled the ball round Flynn, and tapped the ball into the empty net.

Livi’s mid-week cup game brought Hearts to the Energy Assets Arena. A second-string Jambos side capitulated as the hosts ran out 4-1 winners, with White bagging himself a brace. Just six minutes in, he capitalised on some penalty-box chaos: Hearts couldn’t clear a corner, and White, chasing the ball to the edge of the six-yard area, cut a fine shot from a difficult angle. His second came some 70 minutes later: Jacobs ran down the right flank, put a great ball into the box, and White, unmarked and charging in, headed in the second.

With Rob Ogleby – a 22-year-old attacker signed after his release from Wrexham – currently injured, White has capitalised on his chances and staked a claim to be a regular starter. With Livi taking on league leaders Queen of the South at the weekend, it could be the perfect occasion for White to continue his goal-scoring form.

 

AYR UNITED’S FRONT FOUR ARE KEY TO THEIR SEASON

In my pre-season predictions I judged that Ayr would struggle this season. All indications seemed to point to that conclusion: Michael Moffat, their most influential player and top scorer (25 league goals last season), joined promotion favourites Dunfermline, and manager Mark Roberts hasn’t been delving into the transfer market on a regular basis. In fact, he’s opted to focus on youth progression. After two games, and two impressive performances, Ayr United top the League One table, and some of those young players look like future stars.

The opening game of the season had League One’s second full-time outfit – alongside the Pars – visiting Somerset Park. Ayr had the better chances, Donnelly’s outstretched foot inches for poking a cross into an empty net, and Forrest testing the keeper with a quick shot. McGill demonstrated his main attributes, charging past three Morton players before Pepper brought him crashing outside the box. McGill continued to trouble Morton on the left-side, unafraid to unleash an effort at goal or use his pace for creative purposes. On the other wing, the trickery of Forrest frustrated Morton’s Jordan Allan, whose rash lunge gave the referee no choice but to show red. The goal came from the left, as Donald, the left-back, curled in a cross that Donnelly headed in for the 79^th minute winner.

The Honest Men’s first trip of the season saw them visiting recently-promoted Stirling Albion. McGill terrorised the Albion right-back from the opening minutes, charging along the left and putting a ball into Donnelly in the centre. The striker opted to pass to Gilmour, who then laid-off a charging Forrest for a hard shot that ended up being blocked. Gilmour brought about the first goal, bamboozling the Albion defence and luring the keeper out. While his effort bounced away, Forrest had an empty net at his mercy. The second also came from intricate attacking play: Coult chipped a pass to Devlin, who sped past two opponents; Devlin crossed it into Gilmour, who faked a shot and lured the defenders to his position; and Gilmour passed it to Forrest, who stood ready and curled his effort into the top corner. Martin Campbell conceded a penalty after handling a corner, and Smith duly reduced the deficit. Ayr’s third came from a corner, Gilmour – having been crucial to Ayr’s opening two – capitalised on a loose ball and poked home his first of the season from close range.  

Of the youth players coming through the ranks, it’s difficult to look past the two wingers: Peter McGill and Alan Forrest (James’s brother). The 18 and 17-year-olds – McGill turned 18 on the 19^th – have excited in the opening games of the season, utilising their pace and dribbling past players at will. The pair look confident not only creating chances for Ryan Donnelly, but also chipping in with goals of their own. Forrest looks more threatening that his older brother, choosing his chances rather than relying solely on speed to create opportunities. Aiding them are left and right backs, Nicky Devlin and Michael Donald, who will help create space and chances for the young wingers.

There’s also been a change in style since the departure of Moffat. Ayr are more grounded, retaining possession, using more short-passes, and using the pace of McGill and Forrest to aid Donnelly. The link-up play between the Honest Men’s front three and Gilmour, their attacking midfielder, is key to their season, and, if they continue to create as many chances as they have, promotion should be a target.

Points from the midweek games

CELTIC KICK OFF TITLE DEFENCE

For Ronny Deila, all the focus since his arrival from Stromsgodset has been on Celtic’s tumultuous European adventure. He came under heavy criticism – as did the Celtic board – for his role in the Bhoys’ embarrassing 6-1 aggregate defeat to Legia Warsaw, although that’s been eased by their reintroduction. For him, the Scottish Premiership must almost feel like a secondary competition. Celtic’s name has probably already been scratched into the trophy, and now it’s just a matter of collecting the points.

The Bhoys lined up without Fraser Forster, who signed for Southampton for a fee around £10 million. The England keeper broke two records in 2014: keeping 13 clean sheets (the most) and beating the total amount of time without conceding a league goal (1,256) before Johnny Hayes’ stunner for Aberdeen. Craig Gordon is a fine replacement – if he can match his pre-injury crisis form. The former Scotland number one was brilliant between the sticks for both Hearts and Sunderland, but injuries have curtailed his career.

Neither Celtic nor St Johnstone created an abundance of chances in the first-half, both looking lethargic and struggling to link-up play. Steven MacLean tested the debutant with a hard shot that Gordon parried, and missed an opportunity in the second-half as he clipped the ball past the post. The opening goal came from some atrocious defending: Steven Anderson failed to control a simple pass, allowing Commons to steal the ball from him and set Stokes up for the opener. St Johnstone appealed for a penalty after Van Dijk missed the ball and collided with McKay, and, minutes later, Derk Boerrigter dropped inside the St Johnstone box and the referee called for a penalty. McKay, receiving his second yellow, was sent-off, and Biton converted the spot-kick for his first Celtic goal. McGregor got Celtic’s third, his hard shot sneaking through Mannus’s hands.

The 3-0 result does mask some important issues for Celtic. The Bhoys struggled to create chances in the first-half, and, if not for a poor defensive error, an undeserved penalty, and a goalkeeping lapse, might not have even come out with the three points.

 

PARTICK CRUISE TO ROSS COUNTY WIN

Partick’s first match of the season – the weekend game against Celtic was postponed due to Parkhead being used for the Commonwealth Games – handed Thistle a tough challenge in the form of Ross County. The Jags finished 10^th last season, and, aside from losing Aaron Taylor Sinclair to Wigan, have managed to keep most of their team intact. All three of their summer acquisitions started against County – Seaborne, Osman and Stevenson – but it was Alan Archibald’s tried-and-trusted that got Partick off to the perfect start. It took Partick 14 games to pick up three points last season – and until February to do so at Firhill – but just one to do it this campaign.

County were lucky to avoid an early penalty, as Higginbotham in the area after pushing the ball past Reguero – the referee chose a yellow card for simulation. Thistle came close, with Fraser’s shot from a tight angle bouncing off the post and Stevenson’s hard effort testing the keeper. Higginbotham created the first, charging inside, preparing for a shot, but instead opting to send a through ball for Bannigan, unmarked, to chip over Reguero. Carey had a hard shot smash off the crossbar, but, for most of the game, County rarely threatened. The second-half brought a glut of goals for the home side: Frempah attempted to block O’Donnell’s cross, but instead kicked past his own keeper; a great team-effort created the third, as Fraser tapped the final ball into the bottom right corner; and O’Donnell cut his shot from a tight angle for the fourth.

Partick linked up well in attack, created many chances, and proved clinical in front of goal. Their defence was by no-means impenetrable, but if they can play like this more often, Partick could aim for a mid-table finish – perhaps taking Ross County’s place.

 

UNITED STAKE THEIR CLAIM FOR SECOND PLACE

Celtic are going to take the Premiership title, that much is certain, but the battle for second is hard to predict. Aberdeen, Motherwell and Dundee United all have their positives and negatives, but, if the opening two games are anything to go by, it could be the Arabs’ to lose. Following their demolition of the Dons at the weekend, United welcomed Motherwell to Tannadice in what was a close affair.

Both teams seemed to adopt more defensive outlooks for this match, and both seemed to create chances. United had the better opportunities in the first-half, but were mostly restricted to long-range shots. Rankin had a call for a penalty ignored in the second-half and Irwin thought he’d put the Steelmen ahead, only to be called back for offside. Mario Bilate decided the game with a late strike, a 25-yard thunderous effort crashing into the top-left corner and securing United’s position at the top of the table.  

Points from the weekend

OPPOSING STRATEGIES AND FORTUNES FOR THE PROMOTED TEAMS

Dundee and Hamilton were inseparable last season, battling for the one automatic promotion spot over the course of the campaign. Both earned promotion, but, over the summer, the teams have opted for contrasting strategies.

Paul Hartley’s side sent 12 players packing, making space for another 11. Such a high turnover of players could backfire: there’s no guarantee that their summer signings will fit in, and the manager risks upsetting the squad harmony. Dundee have acquired Premiership experience in Kevin Thomson, James McPake and Paul McGowan, and, in Scott Bain and Greg Stewart, top-flight potential.

Hamilton, on the other hand, retained all but three of the players who helped them achieve promotion. James Keatings, their second highest scorer last season – 13 in the league – rejected the Accies’ contract offer and joined relegated Hearts. Kevin Cuthbert, in a similar move, chose not to continue his contract and signed for Raith Rovers. Manager Alex Neil, rather than buying in bulk, has chosen to sign just five squad players: back-up keeper Darren Hill; young defender Kieran MacDonald, after an impressive run of form in League Two; Dougie Imrie, after his disastrous time at Morton; Daniel Redmond, who spent last season on loan at Carlisle; and Michael McGovern, included in the Championship’s Team of the Season for the 13/14 campaign and an experienced Premiership goalkeeper. The latter three all starred in Hamilton’s opening day match against Inverness.  

One glaring issue arose during Hamilton’s 2-0 loss to Inverness: the defence isn’t Premiership quality. It took ten minutes for that weakness to be exploited. Michael Devlin, in space and under no immediate pressure, trapped the ball and, rather than making a simple back-pass or clearing the ball up-field, opted for a lob back to McGovern. Billy McKay reached the ball first, chipped it over the keeper, and began his celebrations as it trundled into the empty net. 15 minutes later, their defensive frailties cost them a second. Christie, Williams and Draper linked-up to cut through the back-line and into the box, and, although McGovern managed to block Williams’ shot, the ball bounced into the path of Christie, who tapped in one of the easiest goals he’ll score. Redmond and Imrie had their chances, but Inverness limited them to long-range opportunities, and ran out 2-0 victors.

Dundee, on the other hand, should’ve taken three points at home to Kilmarnock. The Dees put Killie under pressure, and, after Mark Connolly barged Gary Harkins inside the box, the former Killie player stroked his penalty into the bottom left corner. Kilmarnock levelled seven minutes later, Craig Slater’s thunderous free-kick smashing into the top corner. Dundee had several decent chances stopped by Killie keeper Craig Samson, who earned his team their point. Although the Dees had to settle for one point, Harkins looked a threat throughout and looks a good signing.  

 

THE PERFECT START FOR THE EDINBURGH SIDES

The 2013/14 campaign couldn’t have ended on a more depressing note for Hibs supporters. I spent the occasional Saturday afternoon at Easter Road last season, listening to the shouts and sighs as their team slumped in the Premiership and suffered relegation at the hands of a determined Hamilton. Despite this experience, over 9,000 supporters turned up for their opening game of the league campaign, desperately in need of a performance to match their enthusiasm. Hibs delivered.

The Hibees controlled the first-half, keeping possession and working well as a unit. In defence they were composed, limiting Livingston to a few chances, and in attack they created plenty of opportunities – something they struggled to do last season.

Farid El Alagui impressed in attack, linking up well with Paul Heffernan and weaving through the Livingston defence with ease. The Frenchman looked dangerous throughout and opened his account in the 14^th minute, heading a corner hard into the net.  

The second came minutes later, and from an unexpected source. Mark Oxley, the goalkeeper on loan from Hull, launched a ball straight down the centre of the park. The ball bounced behind Declan Gallagher, over the head of Darren Jamieson – the opposition keeper – and into the back of the net.

The Edinburgh side continued to dominate the game, but couldn’t score a third as the referee called for half-time. As good as Hibs had been in the first-half, Livingston had also been guilty of failing to regain their composure after the first. The Lions settled after the second-half kicked off and, in the 60^th minute, Gallagher smashed Keaghan Jacob’s parried free-kick past Oxley to reduce the deficit.

It made for a tense final 30 minutes. Hibs managed to hold on to their one-goal lead and, as the referee blew for full-time, a cheer erupted around Easter Road. The Hibs fans had turned out in force to support their club, after such a negative season, and must have felt rewarded with this promising start.

…

Hearts had a similarly disheartening campaign last season, although their relegation was brought about by totally different circumstances. The threat of liquidation loomed over Tynecastle, and the resulting points-penalty all-but sealed their relegation from the first-day of the 2013/14 season.

If that experience had any positives, it was that it seemed to unite the players and gave time for the younger players to prove themselves in the first-team. That might have been an important factor in their 2-1 victory over Rangers, the supposed favourites for the title.

The match lacked chances, as both teams struggled to create opportunities. It took a second-half corner for the deadlock to be broken: Danny Wilson, Hearts captain and former Rangers youth player, smashed his header into the top corner.

After 90 minutes of fairly dull action, extra-time witnessed two goals. Miller’s header found Law in the box, unmarked, and the former Motherwell midfielder volleyed his shot past the keeper. Ibrox erupted, but it was not to be. Seconds after kick-off, Osman Sow, impressive in attack alongside Prince Buaben, dribbled past one defender and hit a low shot past Cammy Bell.      

 

EAST FIFE SUFFER TWO LOSSES

East Fife entered this season as firm favourites for automatic promotion, and a comfortable 2-1 win over Forfar in the Petrofac Cup demonstrated many of their qualities. The defence looked more solidified that it had done during their disastrous 2013/14 campaign and, overall, the team seemed to have gelled. Prospects for the coming league season looked optimistic.

Elgin hosted the Fifers in their opening game of the season, and, after finishing ninth last season, should have proved an easy opponent for Gary Naysmith’s side to collect their first three points. Jon McShane had the first chance, trapping the ball on his chest before hitting a volley just past the left post. Steven Campbell had the next opportunity, a free-header from a corner that he sent miles wide. For the most part, however, East Fife struggled to create good chances, especially as veteran defender Marvin Andrews – on trial – put in a fine performance at the heart of the Elgin. Michael Fraser stopped McShane’s free-kick creeping in, and the teams entered half-time level.

Nathan Austin should’ve put the Fifers ahead in the second-half. Austin reached Alan Cook’s cross before Fraser, but sent his header past the post. Andrews, making his influence felt, setup the decisive goal. The Livingston and Rangers defender smacked a cross from the half-way-line, which Craig Gunn brought down and lofted over Allan Fleming for Elgin’s three points.

Fife kept a solid defence for most of the game, limiting Elgin to a couple of half-chances. That being said, East Fife squandered their best opportunities, including a late McShane header that Fraser managed to push over. McShane looked their best threat throughout, but his finishing is, in part, to blame for the Fifers not picking up a point.

And, as bad as the result was, the news on Tuesday was worse. Chairman Lee Murray announced his resignation due to a dispute over the club’s future. Murray, who took over at the beginning of last season, had aimed for top-flight football within ten years, and had found financial backers willing to make an investment. He claims the current owners kept ‘moving the goalposts’, and felt that the club was moving backwards.

With events not going their way on, and off, the park, East Fife could have a tumultuous time ahead.

Scottish Championship / League One / League Two (2014/15) Previews

Championship

Hearts, Hibs and Rangers: three pillars of Scottish football, fighting to rebuild their reputations and secure one of the two precious promotion places. One of these illustrious clubs will remain a Championship side heading into the 2015/16 season, and this makes for one of the most anticipated Championship seasons ever.

Considering Hearts came close to liquidation last season, there’s much to be optimistic about at Tynecastle: the Jambos are under the careful ownership of their fans, out of administration, and building for the future. Robbie Neilson has replaced Gary Locke in the dugout, Craig Levein is the Director of Football, and fan, and multi-millionaire, Ann Budge is the executive chairwoman. The squad is also much different from the one that suffered relegation. The likes of Jamie Hamill and Ryan Stevenson have retained their Premiership status, signing for Kilmarnock and Partick respectively, but Hearts have been quick to find replacements. Morgaro Gomis, Osman Sow and Prince Buaben are among the names brought in to help Hearts achieve immediate promotion.

Hearts fans had a tough time last season, mocked by their Edinburgh rivals for their relegation woes, but the Jambos had the last laugh. Despite being 2-0 up from the first-leg, Hibs succumbed to pressure and crumbled, as Hamilton equalised on aggregate – at Easter Road – and sent them packing on penalties. Perhaps feeling under pressure from the fans, chairman Rod Petrie opted to sack Terry Butcher, easing some of the criticism on his role in Hibs’ relegation. Alan Stubbs, beginning his managerial career, has taken the hot seat at Easter Road and seen an exodus of talent. The Hibees have made three additions – David Gray, Farid El Alagui and Scott Allan – as they look to challenge Hearts, and the Division One champions, for promotion.

Rangers are one successful season away from being back in the Premiership. Ally McCoist’s side cruised to the title last season and, utilising their seemingly unlimited resources, Rangers have continued to build their squad. In fact, they seem to rebuilding their 2009-2010 team. Both Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller have returned to Ibrox, and McCoist has also added St Mirren midfielder Darren McGregor. What’s even more surprising – or perhaps not surprising at all – is that Rangers equalled the wage offered by Aberdeen to sign Boyd. Let’s not forget that Rangers announced a £70 million loss over an 18-month period not six months ago. If they can continue to burn cash at their current rate, it’ll be interesting to see if they can survive long enough to reach the Premiership again.

Outside of the ‘big three’, Falkirk should provide the biggest threat to the promotion spots. The Bairns finished three points behind first-placed Dundee last season, and have been building over the summer. Peter Houston, former Dundee United manager, has taken the reins at Falkirk and has added Hearts’ Jamie MacDonald, Hibs’ Alan Maybury and Tom Taiwo, and Alex Cooper from Ross County. Falkirk will have to make do without left-back Stephen Kingsley, who signed for Swansea, and keeper Michael McGovern, who joined Hamilton in the Premiership. The Bairns had the second best defence in the Championship last season, conceding 33 goals – eight fewer than Hamilton – in part thanks to the efforts of McGovern and Kingsley – both earned spots in the Championship Team of the Year – so replacing them is going to be difficult.

Queen of the South, Raith Rovers, Dumbarton and Livingston make up the teams battling around the mid-table, perhaps hoping to snatch that third play-off place.

Queen of the South, who ended the season 11 points behind Falkirk, have kept their team intact and have had a quiet time in the transfer market. The Doonhamers have made fewer signings than the other three teams, adding Raith striker John Baird and Kilmarnock veteran James Fowler.    

John McGlynn has been one of the busiest managers in Scotland, as Livingston look to improve upon their 6^th place finish last season. Their biggest piece of business in the transfer market was the sale of striker Marc McNulty to Sheffield United for a fee thought to be around the £100,000 mark. Of the other seven players to depart Almondvale Stadium, only Martin Scott, who signed for Raith, could be considered a loss. Livingston have also been active bringing players in, introducing nine players so far this summer. McGlynn picked up defender Declan Gallagher after his release from Dundee, which could be one of the smartest bits of business in the league, and, after scoring 19 goals last season for Stirling Albion, Jordan White has earned a move to the Championship – he could be one to watch if he aims to fill the McNulty-shaped void.

Dumbarton finished four points shy of a play-off place last season, conceding more goals than any team outside of the bottom two. Attempts to improve on that number won’t be helped by the loss of defender Paul McGinn to Dundee, although Ian Murray has brought in right-back David Van Zanten and veteran centre-back Lee Mair. Midfielder Scott Taggart also arrived from relegated Morton.  

After a disappointing 2013/14 campaign, which started brightly before petering out, Raith have had a squad overhaul, losing seven players and signing eight. The inconsistent Joe Cardle joined Ross County, but most of the other departees headed to lower league clubs. Raith have made some ambitious signings, making them perhaps the strongest team out of the four. Dundee’s Christian Nade, influential in helping the Dens Park club reach the Premiership during the second-half of last season, should be a threat up-front, while Ryan Conroy also joins after scoring seven goals for Dundee in their promotion campaign. Veteran goalkeeper Kevin Cuthbert turned down the chance to remain at Hamilton, despite reaching the Premiership, and opted for a move to Stark’s Park.  

Cowdenbeath and Alloa might struggle this season. The Blue Brazil survived the play-offs last season, comfortably dispatching local rivals Dunfermline in the final, however, the summer has seen them lose star striker Kane Hemmings, whose 18-goal return earned him a transfer to Barnsley. Scott Bain, Alloa’s first-choice keeper, moved to Dundee, one of the six players to leave Recreation Park. Cowdenbeath have signed striker Craig Sutherland – he scored no goals in four games for Queen’s Park last season – and Scotland U19 keeper Robbie Thomson. Alloa, meanwhile, have brought in six players, including East Fife’s Liam Buchanan, Raith midfielder Greig Spence, and Mark Docherty, who they released one year ago.  

 

League One

Dunfermline reached the play-off final last season, but capitulated against Fife rivals Cowdenbeath. The Pars still have the advantage of being a full-time side, and don’t have to settle for second best after Rangers’ promotion to the Championship. Jim Jefferies was quick in the transfer market, bringing in star players from other League One clubs. Michael Moffat, after scoring 25 goals for Ayr United last season, earned his move to East End Park, while Gregor Buchanan, a rock in Airdrie’s defence, has also made the move to Fife. Dunfermline have already sent Championship side, and cup holders, Raith Rovers crashing out of the Petrofac Training Cup, so should be more than enough for League One opposition.

Morton appeared on the brink of finally reaching the ‘promised land’: the Premiership. Instead, one year later, they were embarrassingly demolished 10-2 at the hands of Hamilton, and the chairman insulted the players, the manager, and the fans. Jim Duffy has taken over, but his less-than-amazing track record doesn’t have fans over-optimistic about the future. Morton, like Dunfermline, still have full-time status and, although the squad isn’t as strong as the Pars’, the Ton should still be stronger than the League One opposition. Morton have had a clear out of players – 14 have left over the summer, including the much-ridiculed Garry O’Connor – and Duffy has focused his transfer activity on bolstering the defence. Stefan Milojevic and Sean Crighton have impressed in pre-season and could form a solid centre-defence partnership.  

Forfar and Stranraer should be competing for the play-off spots – especially the latter, after finishing third last season.

Forfar have strengthened their attack, bringing in Danny Denholm and Dale Hilson on a permanent deal. Stephen Husband and Derek Young have been signed to bolster the centre-midfield area, but the one area that needs protection is the defence. Darren Dods and Stuart Malcolm have a combined age of 73, and Forfar have limited options as backup. Their early season form looks bad, suffering elimination from both the League and Petrofac Cups – the latter at the hands of League Two East Fife – but The Loons have positive spells in both matches.

Stranraer ran out of gas at the end of the last campaign, picking up just six points from their final ten matches. Still, considering they had been among the favourites for relegation, Stephen Aitken had a lot to be optimistic about. This season they’ll have to challenge without Martin Grehan and Andy Stirling, after moving to Stenhousemuir and Dunfermline respectively. Aitken brought in Craig Malcolm after the striker rejected a contract extension at Ayr, and Grant Gallagher and Stevie Bell. The Blues have looked good so far this season, progressing to the next rounds of both cups.

Stenhousemuir, Ayr, Brechin, Peterhead and Airdrie will probably battle for mid-table mediocrity, perhaps hoping to capitalise on Forfar’s poor start to the season and grab the third play-off spot.

Airdrie had a decent second-half of the season, propelling themselves up the league and avoiding a relegation scrap. However, the summer has seen many of the best players depart for pastures new. Keeper Grant Adam, defenders Milojevic and Buchanan, and the creative Craig Barr, have all moved on, meaning boss Gary Bollan has to find his best team again.

Ayr are another team who will struggle without their star men. Michael Moffat, after scoring 26 times last season, signed for Dunfermline, and both Alan Lithgow and Craig Malcolm have moved to other League One clubs. Ayr have lost 12 players in total, and have brought in just five. They’ll be hoping Ryan Donnelly, who struggled at Brechin, can find his best form and fill the hole left by Moffat.

Brechin finished 8^th last season, hindered by their sloppy defending and the resulting 71 goals conceded. Ray McKinnon is rebuilding at the back, with three centre backs and a left back moving on. In attack, Brechin scored as many goals as any outside the top four, so this season is mostly going to be about finding that right balance between attack and defence.

Stenhousemuir are a team in transition. Manager Scott Booth – alongside 23-year-old sporting director Robert Rowan – has preferred to sign younger, more mouldable players. The hope is that Stenhousemuir can become a smaller version of Celtic, bringing in players with potential and selling them on for higher prices. Alan Lithgow and Martin Grehan, who had a fine campaign for Stranraer last season, are the major arrivals, as Booth looks to create a progressive outfit.

Peterhead have been one of the quieter teams in the transfer market, keeping most of the squad that helped them to automatic promotion last season. Unlike Stirling Albion, Peterhead should be able to consolidate their position in the league, especially having kept hold of the formidable partnership of Andy Rodgers and Rory McAllister.

Stirling Albion will scrap to avoid relegation this season, and they’ll have to do it without star striker Jordan White. The 22-year-old, who scored 19 goals for the Binos during their promotion campaign, signed for Livingston over the summer. Greig McDonald has brought in several attackers – Gordon Smith, Lewis Coult, Darren Lee Smith and Steven Doris – and will hope one of them can replace White. Doris scored 44 goals for Arbroath during his spell there, so, if he can find that potent form, he could lead the Albion attack.

 

League Two

East Fife looked lethargic last season, using a brand of football not suited to their players, and lacking any team cohesion. Relegation has seen a turnover at Bayview, and, if results so far are anything to go by, the team appears to have a better balance. Signings Fraser Mullen, Scott Smith, Caolan McAleer, and Jon McShane have impressed so far, helping the Fifers defeat League One Forfar in convincing fashion. If that form continues in League Two, East Fife should be straight back up.

Albion Rovers should be up there, challenging, as well. Darren Young is the new manager, taking over from James Ward after a disappointing campaign last season. Midfielders Gary Fisher and Ally Love have signed from East Fife and Alloa respectively, but the major signing is that of striker John Gemmell. The former Stenhousemuir striker scored 29 league goals in a two-year spell at Ochilview Park, and should be one of the league’s top scorers.  

Annan Athletic finished second after an impressive campaign last season, but capitulated in their play-off game against Stirling Albion. Manager Jim Chapman has made little change to that squad, but will be without Chris Jardine and Kenny Arthur after both opted to retire from the game. Having kept most of the solid core of their team, Annan should again push for promotion.

Arbroath, Elgin, Clyde and Berwick Rangers will probably form the mid-table group, the four fighting it out for the third play-off spot.

Elgin finished 9^th last season because, despite having the fourth best scoring record in the league, they conceded 73 goals. The aim to reduce that figure won’t be aided by the loss of Sean Crighton to Morton. City have added some bright sparks from the Highlands, including Daniel Moore from Nairn. However, unless the side finds a better defensive balance, they could be struggling to stay above the relegation dogfight.

Arbroath, on the other hand, will be hoping to bounce straight back up to League One. The Red Lichties, like Elgin, conceded the most goals in their league. Goalkeeper David Crawford, signed from Stirling Albion, is a decent signing and should help a rather inexperienced defence.

Clyde finished 4^th last season but crashed out in the play-offs to East Fife. The big story has been the arrival of Barry Ferguson as player-coach, and, if he decides to start himself, he could be a massive addition to the team. Ferguson seems to play in an attacking style, which can leave them open to counter-attacks, but, out of the four teams, Clyde have the best shot at taking that fourth play-off spot.

Berwick, for all their attackers, seem to lack creativity in the final third. Signings David Gold and Paul Willis should help in that regard. The Black and Gold have a talented squad, but the issue seems to be making a team out of it. If they can, a possible play-off place awaits them. If they can’t, it’s another mid-table finish.  

East Stirlingshire, Montrose and Queen’s Park are the teams likeliest to be defending their position in the Scottish league system. For the first time, the winners of the Highland and Lowland leagues will meet in a play-off, with the winner facing the 10^th placed League Two side.

As bad as East Stirlingshire and Montrose are, it’s hard to look past Queen’s Park for relegation. They finished 12 points behind Elgin last season and spent the entire season rock bottom of the league. The squad is unrecognisable from last season, having lost 12 players and brought in 13 new ones – the losses include David Anderson, one of the best midfielders in the league. It’s hard to predict if Queen’s Park will do better than last season. It depends on the quality of their recruits and if a cohesive unit can be formed.

East Stirlingshire will struggle after losing many of their key players – Scott Maxwell joined Berwick and Iain Thomson returned to Spartans. The 7-1 loss to Falkirk and 4-0 demolition at the hands of Ayr United aren’t the type of scorelines that will give confidence to their supporters.

Montrose might fare the best out of the three, having added eight players to their squad over the summer. Stephen Day and Paul Harkins have both looked decent since signing, but the defence still looks shaky at best.

Scottish Premiership (2014/15) Preview

 

Aberdeen

2013/14 Premiership: 3^rd

Scottish Cup: Semi-Final (1-2 St Johnstone)

League Cup: Winners

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Aberdeen, under the reliable hand of Derek McInnes, finished 3^rd last season – a 90^th minute Craig Reid goal cost the Dons second place. Still, after spending the last four seasons around the 9^th and 8^th spot, never realising their potential, third place and a League Cup is huge for the Aberdeen fans. And, although elimination at the hands of Real Sociedad – perhaps the strongest side in the qualification round – looks certain, Pittodrie has much to be to be optimistic about.

A three-year sponsorship deal with Saltire Energy – rumoured to be a seven figure sum – will support the team’s youth system and has helped Aberdeen keep their team intact. The PFA Scotland Manager of the Year has not had to replicate Stuart McCall’s transfer business last season, as the Steelmen’s coach had to find suitable replacements for his outgoing star players.

McInnes has added depth to his side, bringing in Brighton winger Jeffrey Monakana on loan until January, signing Shay Logan to a permanent contract, and adding Ash Taylor to the defensive ranks. The most striking, and surprising signing, however, is that of David Goodwillie. Despite the third place finish, their top scorer, Niall McGinn ended the season on 13 goals – six ahead of Adam Rooney. Aberdeen attempted to lure Kris Boyd to Pittodrie after his 22 goal-season for Kilmarnock, but he opted for a return to Ibrox, and so the Blackburn attacker was brought in on a free. The former Dundee United striker spent the first half of last season on loan at Tannadice, but scored just six goals in 22 appearances and found himself sent on loan to Blackpool, who also chose not to retain his services. Considering the success McInnes has had with Flood and Robson, this could be Goodwillie’s best, and last, chance at rebuilding his career in Scotland.

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Aberdeen’s aim for this season will be another high finish and a good couple of cup runs. It’s important that Dereck McInnes proves last season wasn’t just a flash in the pan.

 

Celtic

2013/14 Premiership: 1^st

Champions League: Group Stage (4^th Place)

Scottish Cup: Fifth Round (1-2 Aberdeen)

League Cup: Third Round (0-1 Greenock Morton)

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After four seasons in charge, three successive Premiership trophies, a pair of Scottish Cups, and some memorable European nights, Neil Lennon resigned as Celtic manager. His replacement, Ronny Deila, has, until joining the Bhoys, been a one-team manager – excluding a 12-game spell at Brodd – leading Stromsgodset to the Norwegian league and cup. He’s already under serious pressure.

The first issue relates to Europe. Celtic dominated the Premiership last season – as they will this season – and, as it is no longer a challenge, the Champions League has replaced it as the main focus of the season – their success in the competition decides the success of their entire season. After complaining that the other Scottish clubs held them back in the coefficient, Celtic collapsed to a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Legia Warsaw – it could have been worse, as the Polish side missed two penalties. As this is being written before tonight’s second leg, it’s possible that, for some Celtic fans, the season could be over before the Premiership even kicks off. Deila came under fire for his tactics and failure to stop the carnage, but the board have been the main target.

Elimination could cost the Scottish champions £20 million in TV rights and tickets, and could lead to the sale of some of their more valuable commodities. The club managed to do good business last season. The £17.5 million gained from the sales of Victor Wanyama and Gary Hooper paid for the purchases of Leigh Griffiths and Virgil van Dijk, and the club, although eliminated in the Champions League group stage, had a decent season by their standards. This summer has seen much less transfer activity, with Craig Gordon – on a free after years of injuries – and Joe Inge Berget – on loan from Cardiff – the only additions to the squad. The former is good cover for Fraser Forster, often linked to various Premier League sides, but the latter looked inept in the first leg of the third round. Celtic have identified a niche for themselves: buy young players from unfashionable leagues and sell the best ones for high prices (Wanyama arrived from Beerschot AC for £900,000 and was sold to Southampton for £12.5 million two years later). Failure to qualify for the Champions League or to keep the production line of potential stars running, and the Celtic board and Deila could be under pressure.

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Despite their possible elimination from European competition, Celtic are still going to secure their fourth-straight Scottish Premiership. A successful cup run could ease some of the pressure on Deila.

 

Dundee

2013/14 Championship: 1^st

Scottish Cup: Fourth Round (0-1 Raith Rovers)

League Cup: Third Round (0-1Inverness)

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Rangers’ demotion in 2012 launched an unprepared Dundee into the SPL, so it came as no surprise that the Dees floundered and returned to the Championship at the first attempt. But, after replacing John Brown with Paul Hartley, Dundee are back in the Premiership, and have been the busiest side in the transfer market, having seen 12 players depart and 11 arrive to date.

Among those additions are former Hibees Kevin Thomson and James McPake, the former having been made the club captain; Philip Roberts, after his falling-out with then-Falkirk manager Gary Holt; St Mirren’s Paul McGowan and Gary Harkins – and former Saint Paul McGinn; Simon Ferry from Portsmouth; and Luka Tankulic and Thomas Konrad after impressing as trialists during Dundee’s surprising 2-1 win over Manchester City in pre-season.

As with all promoted sides, it’s hard to predict their success – especially as this Dundee side is nothing like that from the 2012-13 season. Their opening day game against Kilmarnock – another side aiming to avoid relegation – could give us some clue as to their fortunes this year.

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The recruitment drive has lifted expectations at Dens Park, with some hoping for a top-half finish. While that may be optimistic, Dundee should hope to avoid being dragged into a relegation dog-fight.

 

Dundee United

2013/14 Premiership: 4^th

Scottish Cup: Final (0-2 St Johnstone)

League Cup: Quarter-Final (1-2 Inverness)

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Dundee United came up against Tayside rivals St Johnstone in the final of the Scottish Cup, but, as had happened in their three previous meetings, the Perth side came out on top. It had been a much different result back in August, as the Arabs cruised to a comfortable 4-0 demolition. United were the definition of ‘patchy-form’ last season, getting off to a poor start, before picking up 22 points from nine games – they then picked up three points from their next seven. Then came a run of 18 points from seven games, before an end of season slump saw them pick up one win from their final seven matches. It’s the sign of an inexperienced team.

Unfortunately for the Dundee United fans, some of those players have attracted major attention. English papers took notice of Scottish football for once, as 18-year-old Ryan Gauld was signed for £3 million by Sporting Lisbon. Despite losing someone referred to as ‘Baby Messi’, Gauld is still potential and wasn’t a crucial player for United last season. Andrew Robertson, on the other hand, had been perhaps the best left-back of the 2013-14 season. The SPFA Young Player of the Year has had an amazing couple of years. He began his career at Queen’s Park in 2012, moved to United last summer, and impressed enough to earn a £2.8 million move to Hull this year.

That’s not to say that United have been stripped clean. Nadir Ciftci earned plaudits for his attractive style and 11 league goals, 17-year-old John Souttar looks impressive at times, Ryan Dow ended last season in form, and Stuart Armstrong has been linked to almost all Championship clubs. Jackie McNamara has also added some depth in the transfer market. Michael Szromnik, the Polish Under-21 keeper, should challenge Radoslaw Cierzniak for the starting place. Dunfermline’s Callum Morris and Jaroslaw Fojut, whose move to Celtic collapsed in 2012 due to a cruciate knee injury, should also bolster the defence. United fans will also be hoping Mario Bilate, released by Sparta Rotterdam, could be as good a signing as Ciftci.

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Dundee United have some tremendous young talents, and if Jackie McNamara can turn them into a more consistent machine, European football could return to Tannadice.

 

 

Hamilton

2013/14 Championship: Play-off final (2P-2 Hibernian)

Scottish Cup: Third Round (0-1 Queen of the South)

League Cup: Third Round (0-3 St Johnstone)

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As mentioned in the Dundee section, it’s difficult to predict how a recently promoted side will fare in the Premiership. Hamilton showed great determination in the play-off final, coming back from a 2-0 defeat in the first leg – at home – to beat Hibs 2-0 at Easter Road and earn promotion on penalties. That being said, unlike their promotion rivals, Hamilton have had a quiet summer in the transfer market. The Accies conceded more goals than any of the top four teams in the Championship last season, and still haven’t added a defender to their ranks during the summer.

Michael McGovern arrives from Falkirk, having been included as the goalkeeper in the PFA Scotland Championship Team of the Season. Dougie Imrie should provide some top-flight experience – another aspect missing from this Hamilton side – but didn’t impress during his horrendous spell at Morton – he featured in the side that lost to the Accies 10-2. Danny Redmond has also signed, after rejecting the chance to join Carlisle after a loan spell. This team also seems to lack future stars like James McCarthy and James McArthur, who were guided Hamilton to their promotion in 2008.

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Despite their determination and work ethic, it’s hard to imagine that, unless they make use of the transfer market, Hamilton will avoid a relegation battle.

 

Inverness

2013/14 Premiership: 5^th

Scottish Cup: Quarter-Final (0-5 Dundee United)

League Cup: Final (0-0P Aberdeen)

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When Terry Butcher arrived at Inverness in 2009, Caley Thistle had all-but-been relegated from the SPL. Over the coming seasons he got them promoted back to the top division and created a formidable unit, each player having a purpose in the team and fulfilling a role. At the end of the 2012-13 season Inverness cemented their position as an SPL side and achieved a 4^th place finish – the highest in their history. 2013-14 started on a promising note. Inverness defeated St Mirren 3-0 and remained at the pinnacle of the Premiership until their 8^th game loss to St Johnstone. By that time, however, Butcher had already left to take the reins at Hibernian.

Butcher had built a pragmatic side that relied on team cohesion. It came as a surprise, then, that John Hughes would be his successor. The former Hibs and Livingston manager took over on December 4, with a reputation for being a bit more attacking and utilising a high defensive line. From the remaining 25 matches of the season, Inverness picked up just 29 points, averaging almost one point-per-game. Hughes remains in charge for the upcoming season and made it clear before the season ended that he didn’t want to bring anyone in. He’s changed the system but doesn’t necessarily have the players to fill those roles. Unless he oversees an improvement in form or adapts his tactics to suit the players, he could be an early candidate for the ‘sack race’.

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Hughes needs to find a balance between his attacking brand of football and the players at his distribution, or Inverness risk falling back in mediocrity.

 

Kilmarnock

2013/14 Premiership: 9^th

Scottish Cup: Fourth Round (2-5 Dundee United)

League Cup: Second Round (0-1 Hamilton)

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It’s difficult to think of a team more reliant on one player than Kilmarnock were on Kris Boyd last season. The striker scored 22 times – almost half of all their league goals – and almost single-handedly dragged them away from the relegation zone. Kilmarnock avoided the play-off place by four points, and, with Boyd having moved back to Rangers during the summer, it’ll be almost impossible for Killie to find a suitable replacement for little money.

Allan Johnston has bolstered his side in the transfer market. He’s brought in former Hibs midfielder Paul Cairney, former Hearts defender Jamie Hamill, Mark Connolly after his release from MK Dons – called the ‘worst player I’ve ever coached’ by Derek McInnes – and journeyman Lee Miller. He’s also signed Josh Magennis and Tope Obadeyi – his 10^th club at just 24-years-old.

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Kilmarnock need to find 22 goals to replace Kris Boyd’s contribution – one that just managed to help them avoid relegation.

 

Motherwell

2013/14 Premiership: 2^nd

Scottish Cup: Fourth Round (0-1 Albion Rovers)

League Cup: Quarter-Final (0-2 Aberdeen)

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It’s amazing to think that Stuart McCall lost three of his best players last summer, with Darren Randolph, Tom Hateley and Michael Higdon all being lured to bigger clubs for free. Losing their prolific goalscorer, heart of the defence, and one of the strongest keepers in the league, lesser managers would have lamented their luck and struggled on. Not McCall. John Sutton, signed from Hearts, scored 22 goals, and he brought in the reliable Stephen McManus to fill in at the back. The Steelmen went on to finish second for the second consecutive season, piping Aberdeen to the spot thanks to a 90^th minute goal on the final day.

McCall will start the 14-15 campaign with pretty much the same starting eleven he had last season, with his only major loss being Shaun Hutchinson. He’s signed backup keeper Dan Twardzik and winger Lionel Ainsworth to permanent contracts, and Josh Law, younger brother of former midfielder Nicky. One area they need improvement in is the defence. It’s rare that a team finishes second after conceding 60 goals in the league.

The main aim for McCall this season will be a cup. Aberdeen and St Johnstone both managed to cap off great seasons with a domestic trophy, and the victory scenes in both cities demonstrated how much it meant to their supporters. As nice as it is finishing second on a regular basis and reaching the Europa League qualifiers – they’ve already been knocked out by Stjarnan – a cup win would be the perfect way to demonstrate how far this team have come in the past few years.

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Motherwell have managed to keep the team that finished second together, and should expect another high finish. A good cup run should be a main target for McCall’s side.

 

 

Partick Thistle

2013/14 Premiership: 10^th

Scottish Cup: Round Four (0-1 Aberdeen)

League Cup: Round Three (1-4 Dundee United)

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Partick narrowly avoided a relegation play-off, holding Hibs to a 1-1 draw on the final day of the season – Thistle didn’t even pick up a win at Firhill until February. Still, Alan Archibald’s side didn’t go straight back to the Championship one year after promotion, and employed an attacking approach to their game.

The loss of Aaron Taylor Sinclair to Wigan will be felt on the left side, but the additions of Ryan Stevenson from Hearts and Abdul Osman from Crewe should give them added depth. Partick have also managed to retain the services of their better players, including Kallum Higginbotham.

The main aim for Archibald will be to avoid the dreaded second season syndrome, and perhaps cement their status as a Premiership side. With a seasons experience under their belt, both the team and the manager should’ve learnt their lessons and they should avoid a relegation battle.

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Building on their experience from last season, Partick should be pushing for a mid-table position.

 

Ross County

2013/14 Premiership: 7^th

Scottish Cup: Fourth Round (0-1 Hibernian)

League Cup: Second Round (2-3 Stranraer)

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Ross County endured a turbulent 2013/14 season but had a decent run of form in the latter half and secured a 7^th place finish. It must have realigned their fans expectations, after finishing in the top half the season before. It also must have been frustrating, as County struggled to build any momentum and had some of the patchiest form in the league.

Derek Adams has made a lot of signings over the summer, adding eight players to the Ross County roster. Joe Cardle arrives from Raith Rovers on a pre-contract, which could prove to be an astute move. Cardle has been criticised for being inconsistent at times, but looked too good for a mid-table Championship team like Raith. Antonio Reguero also signed to end his dreadful time at Kilmarnock. It’ll be interesting to see if he can recapture his best form after spending some of last season featuring for the Killie reserve team. Adams has also managed to bring back Filip Kiss on a season long loan from Cardiff, after his impressive run in the second half of the season.

The Staggies’ form this season could depend on how quickly the additions bed in to the current setup. They had a poor start last season and would’ve been bottom of the league if not for Hearts and their financial troubles. Having brought in so many new faces, including several defenders, it could take time for a cohesive unit to be formed.

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It’s hard to judge Ross County due to the amount of additions made to the squad. Their finish depends on the time it takes for a solid team to be formed.

 

St Johnstone

2013/14 Premiership: 6^th

Scottish Cup: Winners

League Cup: Semi-Finals (0-4 Aberdeen)

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Last season ended on the perfect note for St Johnstone: beating Dundee United 2-0 to collect the Scottish Cup, the first in their history. It marked a milestone for a club that has cemented its position as one of the best in Scotland after promotion in 2009. Despite a poor spell in the middle of the season, the Perth side finished 6^th, and fans found a new idol in Stevie May, who scored 27 goals in all competitions.

Unfortunately, the 2014/15 season has begun on a negative note. Funds haven’t been made available for Tommy Wright to cash in on their recent success, and, despite admitting he’d like to bring David Goodwillie to McDiarmid Park, he couldn’t stop the Blackburn striker from joining Aberdeen. St Johnstone also lack depth up front after releasing Chris Iwelumo and Nigel Hasselbaink, and it could get worse. Stevie May is currently holding talks with Rotherham United, and looks likely for a move down south. As obvious as it was that he would eventually look for greener pastures, it seemed as though that transfer might be held off until next summer. It also seems as though the chairman, Steve Brown, is determined to spend more money on the infrastructure at the club. It should be noted that St Johnstone already have a 10,000 seater stadium – the average attendance last season hovering just under the 4,000 mark – and haven’t made a single addition to the squad thus far.

St Johnstone fans have had a glorious couple of seasons, winning the cup, challenging the bigger teams, and experiencing European competition. However, there’s a feeling that they’ve reached their ceiling and might struggle to break into that top four.

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If Stevie May does move to Rotherham, and St Johnstone still don’t make any additions to the squad, it could be a mid-table season for the Perth club.

 

St Mirren

2013/14 Premiership: 8^th

Scottish Cup: Fifth Round (1-2 Dundee United)

League Cup: Second Round (1-2 Queen of the South)

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St Mirren looked certain for the play-offs leading up to April. The club sat 11^th and, having got five points from their previous ten games, relegation loomed. April proved to be an excellent month in Paisley, as the Buddies picked up seven points from their next three matches. A 1-0 victory over Ross County all-but sealed another season in the Premiership.

St Mirren chose not to retain the services of manager Danny Lennon at the end of the season. Considering his reputation in the transfer market, perhaps it was the correct move. Stephane Bahoken – on loan from French club Nice – looked abysmal and Eric Djemba-Djemba, coming with his Manchester United pedigree, looked off the pace.

Tommy Craig, a 63-year-old whose only managerial role was at Charleroi – he was sacked after guiding them to relegation – is Lennon’s replacement. While the club have cleared out the likes of Djemba-Djemba and Harkins, their additions have included a keeper whose last game was for East Fife two-years-ago, a striker who scored only two goals while on-loan at Alloa, Kilmarnock’s Jeroen Tesselaar, and a trialist.

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St Mirren should be among the favourites for relegation this season.