SPL Transfers IN & OUT and Team by Team Predicted finishing positions

ABERDEEN

IN: Jonny Hayes (Inverness Caledonian Thistle), Niall McGinn (Celtic), Gary Naysmith (Huddersfield)

OUT: Rory McArdle (Bradford City), Kari Arnason (Rotherham United), Darren Mackie, Youl Mawene, Mohamed Chalali, Yoann Folly, Danny Uchechi (all released)

Aberdeen were simply very poor last season and I feel that this will be Craig Brown's last season in charge however things go and I imagine he will need to get a large improvement from his players if he wants to keep his job all season. He has managed to pull off 3 decent signing though, Jonny Hayes is a good player and former Celt McGinn does have genuine quality but was just unable to get himself in the first team at Celtic. Gary Naysmith comes with good experience and will help to keep them more solid at the back. Remember they also basically have another signing in Russell Anderson if he can keep himself fit this season. However, scoring goals was a big problem for the dandy dons last season so some fans will be disappointed not to see a striker brought in. It will be crucial for Aberdeen to get off to a better start to the season than last year.

Last Season : 9th   Prediction  : 7th.


CELTIC



IN: Fraser Forster (Newcastle United)


OUT: Cha Du-Ri (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Efrain Juarez (Club America), Daniel Majstorovic (AIK Stockholm), Glenn Loovens (Real Zaragoza), Niall McGinn (Aberdeen), Mark Wilson, Dominic Cervi, Darren O´Dea, Richie Towell

I have been very surprised that Celtic have not really added anything to last seasons squad, especially in defence where they struggled with injuries all season and now with Majstorovic, Cha Du-Ri, Wilson and Loovens gone I can see the same situation happening this season. Of course there is still plenty of time to bring in players but Celtic's season has already started with Champions League qualifying. As far as the title goes it can basically be handed over to Celtic from day one as with the down fall of Rangers, Celtic will win the league, it's not even open to debate! Far important for Celtic this year will be to see if they can get themselves back in the Champions League group stages or failing that a decent run in the Europa League.

Last Season : 1st  Prediction : 1st


DUNDEE




IN: Iain Davidson, John Baird (Raith Rovers), Carl Finnigan (St Johnstone), Kevin McBride, Declan Gallagher (Clyde), Mark Stewart (Falkirk), Davide Grassi (FC Brussels)


OUT: Craig McKeown, Mark Fotheringham, Rhys Weston (KR Reykjavík), Ross Chisholm, Jake Hyde, Graham Bayne, John Gibson (Elgin, free).


I feel a bit sorry for Dundee, they did benefit from Rangers demise to earn an unlikely spot in the top flight but because of the SFA's scandalous handling of everything they only found out which league they were playing in a matter of weeks ago. It has left them certainly ill prepared in terms of playing staff but judging by their cup games last season they are more than capable of competing in the SPL. It will also mean the revival of the Dundee derby and with Dundee's sizable support they will be a great edition to the league. The likelihood is that Dundee and Inverness could be relegation rivals this season and unfortuanately with the SPL experience I have Inverness as just having the vital edge.

Last Season: Runner's up in Div 1     Prediction : 12th (relegated)


DUNDEE UTD


IN: Michael Gardyne (Ross County), Mark Millar (Falkirk), Brian McLean (Preston), Radoslaw Cierzniak (Alki Larnaca)


OUT: Garry Kenneth (Bristol Rovers), Dusan Pernis, Paul Dixon (Huddersfield, free), Danny Swanson (Peterborough, free), Scott Robertson (Blackpool)

As SPL teams have had to come accustomed to and accept success, this  also brings a bit of a bite to the tail, you do well and other teams with better financial attractions come in and pinch your players. Dundee Utd, will badly miss keeper Pernis, Kenneth, Dixon and midfielder Robertson but it could have been a lot worse. They have managed to hold on to Russell and Daly upfront and still have good quality in midfield. Houston has brought in 2 good players in Gardyne and Millar and they should both walk into the first team. They are a team that can genuinely challange for the best of the rest title but I think they will fall just short.

Last season : 4th Prediction : 3rd

HEARTS


IN: NOBODY, nothing, nada, hee-haw, squat diddly.......

OUT: David Obua, Ian Black, Adrian Mrowiec (RB Leipzig, free), Stephen Elliott (Coventry, free), Gary Glen (Ross County, free), Jason Thomson (Raith, free), Suso Santana (Tenerife, free), Craig Beattie, Rudi Skacel


It has been very noticably in the wake of Hearts historic Cup victory over Hibs last season that there has been a mass exodus from the cup due mainly to cost saving measures, probably to ensure they do not go the same way as Rangers. The big misses will, obviously,  be fans favourite Rudi Skacel and all his goals and also Beattie and gritty midfielder Ian Black. However, what Hearts do have this season is still a good number of senior experienced players together with a very promising crop of youngsters which new manager McGlynn will give chances to. Hearts are really short of goalscorers though so it may be an idea for Mr Romanov to see if he can try and lure someone in the door to back up Sutton who is back from a loan spell in Australia and been finding the net in preseason. The Gorgie faithful will be looking at this as an ideal opportunity to cement 2nd place and if they can improve on their horrible away form I see them as a good call for 2nd place.

Last season : 5th Prediction : 2nd


HIBS




IN: Tim Clancy (Motherwell), James McPake (Coventry City), Paul Cairney (Partick Thistle), Ben Williams (Colchester), Leigh Griffiths (Wolves, loan)




OUT: Ian Murray, Sean Welsh (Partick), Graham Stack, Garry O'Connor, Martin Scott (Ross County, loan), Matt Doherty (end of loan), George Francomb (end of loan), Tom Soares (end of loan)


Pat Fenlon has been very busy in the transfer market and lets face it with the season Hibs had last term it is the least he could do. To be fair though, since he has come to the club he has steadily weeded out the rubbish and is now shaping his own team that will no doubt be a big improvement on last season's shambles. I was surprised Motherwell let Tim Clancy go but he will be a welcome addition to the ropey Hibs defence and can partner up with the only defender that looked any use last season McPake. Hibs have also signed a new keeper and it will be interesting to see whether he will be another in their long line of dud's lololol. However, they have done well in retaining the services of Leigh Griffiths as long as he can behave himself but they will be affected by the departure of O'Conner who scored 16 goals last season. As the song goes, "things can only get better" but I do believe Hibs are going to turn the corner.


Last Season : 11th Prediction : 6th





INVERNESS CT




IN: Gary Warren (Newport County), Antonio Reguero (Gandia), Jason Orwell, David Raven (Tranmere Rovers), Ross Draper (Macclesfield), Conor Pepper




OUT: Gregory Tade (St Johnstone), Greg Tansey (Stevenage), Ross Tokely (Ross County), Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen), Thomas Piermayr, Jonny Tuffey (St Johnstone), David Proctor, Roman Golobart (end of loan), Kenny Gillet


Wow! Inverness have basically lost all their best players and I mean almost a full team of them. So much so that I think big Terry Butcher will need a magic wand to stay in the top flight. He seems to be recruiting from the lower leagues in England but I just dont think that he can replace what has gone so this season looks to be a really struggle. Salt might be rubbed into the wounds also with their highland rivals Ross County doing better than them. Seriously challanging season for Inverness fans I fear!


Last season : 10th Prediction : 11th



KILMARNOCK


IN: Jeroen Tesselaar (St Mirren), Rory Boulding (Livingston)




OUT: Danny Buijs (Sparta Rotterdam, free), David Silva (Oldhanese, free), Zdenek Kroca (Tescoma Zlin, free), Dieter van Tornhout, Ben Gordon (end of loan) Dean Shiels (Rangers)



Kilmarnock were given a bit of a late kick in the stones with Dean Shiels recently deciding to move to Rangers which I'm sure will please his dad, the Killie Manager. Kilmarnock dont have the biggest squad but they played some decent football last year and we will look forward to Kenny Shiels controversial comments this year.... With Shiels gone and also 2nd choice striker Van Tornhout they may be a little short upfront but I can see Kilmarnock having a so-so season but maybe not with the kind of cup glory highlights they had last season. Always capable of a good performance and equally always capable of a shocker sums them up.


Last Season : 7th Prediction : 8th



MOTHERWELL


IN: Simon Ramsden (Bradford City)




OUT: Steve Jennings, Stephen Craigan (retired), Tim Clancy (Hibernian, free), Ross Forbes, Jordan Halsman (Morton, free), Steven Lawless (Partick, free), Gary Smith.


I've got to admit Motherwell and Staurt McCall never fail to impress me. With a shoe-string budget McCall has Motherwell seriously over preforming, playing in the Champions League qualifiers the other night no less, abeit because of Rangers not being eligible. Lets not take anything away from their players though and what I like is they are very much a team unit, who know the system they place and play it well. My only concern with them is that they don't really have a big enough squad which with injuries could hamper them in the later stages of the season but hanging on to talents such as Murphy and Henrik Ojamaa make watching Motherwell great entertainment. Expect another decent season from them but I think they will fall short of challanging for second place.


Last Season : 3rd Prediction : 4th





ROSS COUNTY


IN: Ross Tokely (Inverness CT), Gary Glen (Hearts), Martin Scott (Hibernian, loan), Mihael Kovacevic, Jon Bateson (Macclesfield)




OUT: Michael Gardyne (Dundee United), Gary Miller (St Johnstone), Johnny Flynn (Falkirk), Scott Morrison


Ross County stormed to the 1st division title last season 24 points ahead of 2nd placed Dundee which tells it's own story really. They proved that they are more than ready to take on the Premier League and with a clutch of players in their team that were released by SPL teams there will be many that have a point to prove to previous clubs. This will be an away fixtures that I'm sure many clubs wont really relish, especially in the harsh winter months. I'm convinced that County will not be embarrassed in this campaign and I fully expect them to stay clear of the relegation places. They have lost two good players in Miller and Gardyne but have a real goal scorer in McMenamin in attack.


Last Season : 1st Div Champions   Prediction : 10th




ST JOHNSTONE




IN: Tam Scobbie (Falkirk), Gary Miller (Ross County), Gregory Tade (Inverness CT), Nigel Hasselbaink (St Mirren), Jonny Tuffey (Inverness CT), Patrick Cregg (Bury)




OUT: Francisco Sandaza, Carl Finnigan (Dundee, free), Marcus Haber (Stevenage, free), Jody Morris (Bristol City, free), Derek Riordan, Sam Parkin (St Mirren), Cillian Sheridan (end of loan), Alan Maybury, Lee Croft (end of loan).


St Johnstone are another team that have been depleated by players leaving, biggest of all is top goalscorer Sandaza and also his strike partner Sheridan who was only on loan. Another major loss is Lee Croft who really looked impressive last season in midfield. They have already had their little experience of Europe ended early with a 3-1 aggregate loss to Eskisehirspor but had a creditable home draw 1-1. They were unlucky that new summer signing Tade from Inverness wasn't fit for the 1st leg of that tie but he will certainly go a long way to replacing the hole that Sanzada and Sheridan leave. St Johnstone are another team that like Motherwell are capable of playing great team football and in Lomas I think they have a good and knowledgeable manager at the healm and they want to use that until he moves on to bigger and better things. I certainly see them as a top 6 side that will be challanging for European places this season.




Last season : 6th  Prediction : 5th


ST MIRREN




IN: Jon Robertson (Cowdenbeath), Sam Parkin (Queen of the South), Lewis Guy (MK Dons), Grant Adam (Rangers)




OUT: Hugh Murray (Partick, free), Jon McShane (Hamilton, free), Steven Thomson (Dover, free), Nigel Hasselbaink (St Johnstone, free), Jeroen Tesselaar (Kilmarnock, free), Aaron Mooy (Western Sydney Warriors, free), Graeme Smith.


St Mirren huffed and puffed last season with some notable performances (beating Rangers) but there were also some hopeless performances thrown in that in the end over-weighed the good. Danny Lennon's team were at their best when they attacked in their brave 4-3-3 formation normally at home. I've got a horrible feeling they may lose McGowan in the coming weeks which would be a shame as he is a great player for the club but no doubt others realise he could do a job at a higher level. They have though brought in the much experienced Sam Perkins who's presence will unsettle a few centre halves this season I'm sure. I've got St Mirren down as a bottom 6 team who are there to make up the numbers without really making any headlines.


Last Season : 8th  Prediction : 9th





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I have, of course, not mentioned one club! Rangers, but I think they will do ok in the 3rd flight............lol