Football Season Guide

St Johnstone are back in the Premiership after one season, bouncing back impressively by blowing away the Championship, which is a notoriously tough league. They led the league from post to post and suffered only 3 defeats, scoring 67 goals while conceding only 25. Simo Valakari’s side are unlikely to have it easy when they return to the top-flight, though. They have lost their best player from last season in the form of Josh McPake, who scored 16 goals and assisted 3 more. As such, Jamie Gullan will be their go-to figure in attack, with the midfield creating and scoring in equal measure last term. Interestingly, Saints have recruited significantly from within Scotland to try to help them survive in the top flight. Logan Chalmers is a like-for-like replacement for McPake, or at least as close as can be found to a player who is so direct and invites challenges from opponents. Matty Todd will get his chance in the Premiership after showing promise with Dunfermline for years, while Macaulay Tait will hope to bounce back after 18 months that have been ravaged by injury issues. He has strong potential. In attack, Ruari Paton arrives from Port Vale but spent the second half of the season at Saints on loan, while at the other end of the park they have managed to retain Toby Stewart from Portsmouth after a very impressive loan spell last season. The only truly unknown quantities that they have recruited are striker Unax Alvarez and defender Zach Mitchell. Each area of the squad looked a cut above Championship level last season but will be significantly tested here. Valakari’s management will also be questioned. Saints stuck by him after relegation, with the Finn playing an attractive attacking style that has made him popular. Typically, struggling teams in Scotland tend to be stuffy and try to be hard to beat, but Valakari does not seem to be of that mindset, making the Perth outfit an unpredictable force.