Livingston

Livingston are back in the Premiership after one season in the Championship. The West Lothian side won promotion via the playoffs, comfortably overcoming Ross County in the end to win a spot back among Scotland’s elite. There is a strong sense of stability at Livvy, which is brought largely by the fact that manager David Martindale has a hand in virtually everything the club does. He survived relegation to retain charge of the team and justified that decision thanks to the swift return last term. Livingston, though, have a small fanbase and a limited budget. This means that they have to make the most of what they have available to them. Flowing football is unlikely to be a feature of their play this season, with energy and strength underpinning much of what they do. Unlike many Premiership clubs, they have recruited almost exclusively from Scotland. They will hope this allows their players to hit the ground running the season. Perhaps the biggest problem that Livingston face is offensive. When they were relegated in 2023/24, they scored only 29 goals and finding the net promises to be a problem once again. There is a lack of quality in attack, where Tete Yengi did show promise in his previous spell at this level. He will have to recapture that after a mediocre campaign in the Championship. Crucially, Livvy have retained Robbie Muirhead in attack. He scored 19 goals last season but has scored only 10 goals in his previous 83 appearances in the top-flight. Asking for him to return double figures is a big ask. Support from midfield is unlikely to be significant. Scott Pittman will be important in this regard. Indeed, Livvy have strengthened here via the top Championship teams in the form of Connor McLennan and Graham Carey as well as Dundee’s Mo Sylla. Macaulay Tait has returned from Hearts for another loan spell. At the back, Shane Blaney has been recruited from Motherwell to add some steel to the team while the pickup of Cammy Kerr from Queen’s Park is a promising one at right-back. He replaces the very solid Jamie Brandon. One worry is the consistent injury issues experienced by Cristian Montano, who is a highly experienced player. Goalkeeper Jerome Prior had a solid season last term in the Championship but under more scrutiny at this level will have a harder time. A former Bordeaux keeper, he struggled in Ligue 1 during his rare appearances.