Football Season Guide

St Johnstone did just enough in the end to avoid the worst of the relegation battle last season, with the appointment of Craig Levein midway through the campaign likely instrumental in their survival. The Perth club might not have been particularly attractive to watch, but they were functional and managed to grind out results when it was required. They did just enough against the teams around them in the table to survive, only winning one single match against a club that finished in the top six all term. Look for more of the same from the McDiarmid Park team this term. Their League Cup results were steady but sober, aside from a 5-1 win over East Fife that booked their place in the last 16, and it is this steady level that Levein will want from his side this term. Certainly, there is little obvious scoring power in the team. Uche Ikpeazu is back in Scottish football after a previous spell with Hearts, where he scored four in 37 games, while youngster Mackenzie Kirk joins directly from the Jambos are scoring prolifically in their youth team but doing little on loan in League One with Hamilton in the second half of last term. Benjamin Kimpioka enjoyed a strong League Cup, scoring five goals against lower-league opponents, but netted only three in 17 Premiership games last term, while Adama Sidibeh netted five in 15 and is the player hopes are pinned on. Other additions to the squad are similarly puzzling, with Saints set to lean largely on youth. The additions of Josh McPake from League Two side Stirling, Aaron Essel from Ghanaian football and even Lewis Neilson on loan from Hearts all suggest Saints are gambling on wildcard players this season. The pickup of Josh Rae in goal falls somewhat into this bracket, too, with Saints having lost key goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov to Aberdeen.