Football Season Guide

Had an overall positive season, with some mixed spells of form, including long winning and losing streaks. Long serving coach Holt departed early on and was replaced by Martindale who had never managed before, though had years of coaching experience. An initial upturn in form saw Martindale earn major plaudits before things tailed off a little. Martindale now in charge for first full season and has a big test ahead of him. Club captain Bartley stepped up as his assistant and could offer key support. Summer recruitment has been somewhat unexpected with eclectic players arriving from a mixture of clubs. Settling in large number of players could be key to success. Preparation has been mixed with some poor results in the League Cup, and failure to qualify from a group full of lower league teams is an early setback. Last season’s squad players have excelled in league cup games and the likes of Kabia and Reilly could play bigger roles. Goalkeeping is an area of some concern, with the place contested by Stryjek and new loan keeper Barden, both of whom are good prospects but lack experience. The loss of Emmanuel Thomas could be a big blow and Livingston now lack physicality up front. But new striker Anderson offers a key outlet, while attacking midfielder Shinnie also has plenty to offer.