Scottish Professional Football League preview

ROSS COUNTY

The Dingwall side shocked the SPL with a 5th place finish in their first season in the Scottish top leagues. While most observers certainly expected the side to stay up, no one expected them to be involved in a European battle for the majority of the season! With a crisp attacking style of football, we’re looking for more of the same this season.

Manager Derek Adams has lost Iain Vigurs to Motherwell and nomadic midfielder Mark Forthingham is on his way down south for a spell with NottsCounty. Richard Brittain had agreed a pre-contract deal with St Johnstone, but will now stay in Dingwall after some wrangling saw his deal terminated for family reasons.

Apart from that, Adams has done extremely well to keep the majority of the squad together for the 2013/14 season. He’s built on last season’s success with the signings of defenders Brian McLean and Steven Saunders, while winger Graham Carey joins from St Mirren and Dutch striker Darren Maatsen joins from Excelsior. Derek also seems hopeful of completing a loan deal for Grasshopper Zurich striker Orhan Mustafi.

League Prediction: 7th – Teams will have a better idea of how to play against The Staggies this season, and I don’t see them in the top six again as a result. However, they won’t be involved in a relegation battle either, and will be comfortable ahead of the likes of Kilmarnock and St Mirren.

ST JOHNSTONE

The Saints are currently making waves in European football after a quiet run at the end of the season saw the Perth side finish in 3rd place. They just knocked out Norwegian giants Rosenborg in the last round of Europa League qualification.

New manager Tommy Wright has picked up where Steve Lomas left off, and has signed the likes of David Wotherspoon, Brian Easton and Rory Fallon for the season ahead, while the only real loss to the squad was Rowan Vine. Goalkeeper Alan Mannus will need to be in great form again to help the Perth side stay in the top six this season.

League Prediction: 4th – While I don’t see the Perth side flying quite as high this season, they’ll still do well this season. The teams around them seem to have strengthened well, which leads me to think St Johnstone will slide back a little bit.

ST MIRREN

The Buddies slumped to an 11th place finish last season when most observers really expected them to push on towards a top six place. Despite a beautiful passing game which would bamboozle defences, there weren’t enough goals in the team and if it hadn’t been for talisman Steven Thompson, there would have been a real relegation battle.

Danny Lennon has a struggle on his hands this season, as I previously discussed over at Scotzine. A staggering nine players left the club during the summer, ripping the heart out of the League Cup winning side. Gary Harkins joins from relegated Dundee to add an extra bit of class in midfield, while Danny Grainger will replace Paul Dummett at left back.

Goalkeepers David Cornell and Christopher Dilo replace Craig Samson and Grant Adam. Kealan Dillon joins from HullCity and Lennon is hoping to sign some youngsters on loan from Newcastle after the successes of Conor Newton and Dummett last season.

League Prediction: 10th – A season of consolidation ahead for the Paisley side as they rebuild after the League Cup victory and subsequent destruction of that squad.