Airdrie Utd – A team of mystery last season who seemed to be able to do well on their day but struggled at other times. This season may be a bit of deja-vu for The Diamonds but then again it could be trouble, relegation candidates wouldn’t be a bad bet.

Finish – 10th

Clyde – The loss of Tom Brighton and other important players along with a managerial situation which has rumbled on throughout the summer has unsettled their pre-season preparations. Making them relegation candidates is a risky affair though as they were tipped for the drop last season but ended up doing well.

Finish – 8th

Dundee – A shake-up at all levels has given Dundee supporters renewed optimism going into their second season back in the First Division. Chief Executive Peter Marr has stepped-down from his position, with Dave McKinnon succeeding him. Dee4Life are attempting to buy 26% of the club and there is a new management team of Alex Rae and Dave Farrell. Rae has brought experience to what was a young squad and has also made himself an addition to the playing staff. His signings have been impressive with the inclusion of strong centre-half Gary McKenzie and tricky winger Ross Harris being the most notable. Dundee look to be a more solid and hard working unit, an improvement on last years finish of 7th looks possible.

Finish – 3rd

Gretna – Obvious favourites to gain promotion from the First Division with the spending power of Brooks Mileson unique to the league. They have players in their ranks who have spent numerous seasons at SPL clubs and they are dripping with experience. Their downfall may be the lack of transfer activity during the summer but January gives Mileson the chance to spend further and give Gretna the firepower for a promotion push.

Finish – 1st

Hamilton Accies – Remarkable achievers last season with a 4th place finish. They were consistent last season without ever being too classy, but they have lost players in key positions during the summer and could struggle to maintain last seasons feats. They could still compete with the bigger sides on occasion but a high finish might be too ambitious this time around. Home form, though, may carry them through.

Finish – 6th

Livingston – The relegated side and for the first time in a long while have not been made automatic favourites for promotion, possibly due to the presence of Gretna. Loss of players from an already poor squad and lack of buys could see Livingston come nowhere near promotion or even a challenge and they may even struggle. John Robertson has a big job on his hands.

Finish – 5th

Partick Thistle – One half of the newcomers to the First Division but not as highly regarded as their companions Gretna. Dick Campbell has made some decent signings pre-season, the most notable being Simon Donnelly. Partick are probably the most un-predictable of the First Division sides with nobody really expecting what they could do, or not do for that matter.

Finish – 7th

Queen Of the South – Flirted with relegation last season but after the arrival of Ian McCall they were a revived side. With one of the best form records in 2006 out of any First Division side they avoided relegation and start the season with higher expectation than last. McCall is building a decent squad, but it remains to be seen whether they can keep it going all season and finish reasonably high up the table.

Finish – 9th

Ross County – The loss of John Rankin will obviously be big but they may still provide a test for most sides in the league. Their home form last season was very good and they did reasonably well away from home. A high finish may again be on the cards.

Finish – 4th

St. Johnstone – They proved last season that they have a good squad and are a strong unit but promotion may again be beyond their grasp. Transfers coming in have been sparce but players coming back from injury will freshen up a much un-changed squad.

Finish – 2nd

 

Aberdeen – The signing of Touzani sounds like a good one but they’ve lost a couple of players, key one being Kevin McNaughton. With the season fast approaching and not much chance of new signings, The Dons could be looking at the bottom six. However, Stevie Lovell may come good providing he stays reasonably fit; goal-scoring has been a problem at Pittodrie in recent years.

Finish – 4th

Celtic – A severe lack of transfer activity for a side defending their title as Champions. Jari Jarosik is their only big signing and talk of a player such as Dion Dublin becoming a permanent fixture at the club must be worrying. However, Gordon Strachan has done well speeding up the process of Derek Riordan’s signing and his ex-Hibs team-mate Gary Caldwell should slot into Celtic’s rear-guard. I think Celtic will struggle if they lose Petrov though, if they manage to keep him then Rangers’ quest for the title may prove difficult.

Finish – 2nd

Dundee Utd – Craig Brewster starts his first full season as Utd manager and his task is proving to be a difficult one, certainly if top six ambitions are to be considered. He has binned the top earners at Tannadice and signed players who won’t have demanded wages quite as high. That idea could backfire though as the players he has signed could be seen as lower ability players. On the other side of the coin, the players he has brought in and will attempt to bring in may have a lot more fight in them than previous under-achievers. Static movement in defensive signings could be Utd’s weak spot and may limit them to flirtation with the lower reaches of the SPL.

Finish – 9th

Dunfermline – Starting the season as relegation candidates. The Pars have two good forwards at the club in Jim McIntyre and especially Mark Burchill, but creativity and stopping goals at the other end seem to be Dunfermline’s problem. Whether the signing of Roddy McKenzie will provide a more solid back unit remains to be seen, but it could be a long and hard season for Jim Leishman’s side. The luck may have ended.

Finish – 12th

Falkirk – Did really well last season on the road but home form was their downfall in achieving more than they did. Along with most other SPL clubs, transfer activity has been low and strikers may be The Bairns’ problem this season. Bottom six is almost guaranteed, relegation candidates may be what Falkirk are tagged with.

Finish – 11th

Hearts – Obviously there is a lot of hype and expectation at Tynecastle after finishing 2nd last season. But that feat may be more difficult to achieve this time round. Signings have been few and far between pre-season and the losses of Rudi Skacel and Andy Webster could prove to be a large blow. Champions League qualification may provide Hearts with their first stumbling block of the season but if they do make it, playing in that competition will also have a large bearing on their SPL position.

Finish – 3rd

Hibs – With the departure of Riordan and Caldwell, I don’t think Hibs will muster as good a challenge on the European places as they did last season. Gary O’Connor also left for Locomotiv Moscow but that loss didn’t prove to be as great as first imagined. The presence of Ivan Sproule may still make Hibs a good attacking team but Caldwell’s presence at the back was a huge plus on their defensive capabilities and that is where they could struggle.

Finish – 5th

Inverness Caley Thistle – This side carry on silencing everyone with their stark determination to be a permanent fixture in the SPL. With as hard working a squad as you’ll find anywhere in Scotland they have secured their SPL status over the last two seasons without being in real danger of going down. This season could be even better for them if they can keep a hold of their top players. Top six could be a possibility for ICT.

Finish – 6th

Kilmarnock – A side who continue to surprise due to their lack of money and ability to cope with big losses. But, it may be too much this season and signings haven’t been rolling into Rugby Park during the summer. Killie are usually up with the top six sides but they could struggle this time around to maintain that.

Finish – 7th

Motherwell – A new manager, but an unproven one at that. Maurice Malpas begins his managerial career after the departure of Terry Butcher to Australia. His job hasn’t been made an easier by the loss of Steven Hammell and the speculation regarding star striker Scott McDonald. Ross McCormack is the clubs major summer signing but this could be a tough season for the former Scotland International.

Finish – 8th

Rangers – The spark of a new manager has given Rangers fans renewed optimism after what can only be describes as a dreadful season in 2005/06. 3rd place is not a position usually affiliated with either half of the Old Firm, not these days anyway and Paul Le Guen will be looking to eradicate the memory of last season. He has made countless signings and re-vamped everything at Ibrox to suit himself. His influence could prove to be vital and he may have enough experience to bring the title back to Rangers.

Finish – 1st

St. Mirren – The new boys starts their first season in the SPL since 2000/01 and they will have a lot of work to do if they are to stay up. But, they showed in the Scottish Cup last season that they can compete and beat SPL opposition, a 3-0 win against Motherwell proved that. Signings haven’t been of a great number but they have the backbone of a good squad and one that will definitely compete with the lower-placed SPL sides. The Buddies will obviously be one of the favourites to go down but they may have enough to stay up.

Finish – 10th