Peterhead

Peterhead have had to battle relegation in each of the three seasons they have played in League One since they won promotion into the third flight. They flirted seriously with relegation last season in what was a highly competitive league, yet by the same token it was somehow their best campaign since the 2015/16 season. Given they were often hit hard by injury issues, this was quite an achievement from Jim McInally’s side. The emphasis that the manager has placed on this team has been experience. Twelve new faces have joined up at Balmoor, with five of these players over the age of 31. Although they are coming from higher-ranked rivals on the while, there is no doubt that these players are on the downslope of their careers. It remains to be seen how effective Jamie Redman and Paul Dixon are at the age of 35, while Ryan Strachan rarely featured for Cove Rangers last season. Indeed, it appears that much of Peterhead’s recruitment has taken place in a rather rushed fashion after the embarrassment of only being able to name a squad of 12 players for their opening League Cup match against Raith Rovers, which they lost 6-0. That set the tone for the competition for Peterhead as they lost all four games without scoring a single goal and conceding 13. It was hardly a morale-boosting manner in which to start the season. This is a squad still gelling, though there is a lack of obvious quality in their ranks. Russell McLean can be a tricky forward but has not been in good form for over a year, while Hamish Ritchie, who is their outstanding player in midfield, is troubled by injury. Peterhead look like that they will be set up in a workmanlike fashion this season, with the emphasis on solid defence to give them the edge over their rivals.