The Premiership season is nearly upon us.
And as is the case in the run-up to every new campaign, it's prediction time.
A lot of the focus lies on who will win the title or who will earn the European slots.
Today, all of our focus is on the bottom six.
Who faces the dreaded drop and which manager is feeling the pressure already, here are our writer's tips...
Matthew Lindsay
Who will be relegated?
It is very hard to see St Johnstone staying up in the Premiership at the present moment in time. League Cup group stage defeats to Stenhousemuir, Ayr and Stirling Albion suggest that another difficult 10 months lie ahead. They were fortunate to stay up last term and look to be even weaker this term.
Which team is looking likely to underperform?
The expectation levels among Hibernian supporters are always high at the start of every season. With good reason. The Easter Road club have a bigger wage bill than many of their top flight rivals. But defeat to Andorran minnows Inter d'Escaldes in a Conference League qualifier last week hardly augurs well for the new campaign.
Based on summer transfers and the League Cup, what manager has it all to do in the league?
If St Johnstone, who take on Hearts at home in their Premiership opener on Saturday, get off to a bad start in the league then rookie manager Steven MacLean will come under intense pressure from supporters. There is already unrest in the stands after their woeful League Cup campaign. A couple of heavy losses could result in an early change in the dugout.
Chris Jack
Relegated?
It has been a struggle for St Johnstone so far this summer and it will take quite the upturn if the Saints are to avoid another battle to beat the drop. The Perth squad looks short of numbers and quality and their League Cup outings don’t bode well.
Underperform?
This unwanted tag could be heading to Edinburgh. Both Hearts and Hibs should have third in their sights but the new Tynecastle management team has questions to answer after last term and their Capital counterparts must recover from the loss of Kevin Nisbet.
All to do?
Steven MacLean hasn’t had an encouraging couple of weeks. The results and the performances speak for themselves at McDiarmid Park.
Graeme McGarry
Relegated?
St Johnstone.
Underperform?
Livingston. Although, it could be argued they've been overperforming for years.
All to do?
Steven MacLean. The rookie manager has lost a whole host of players, has brought in just a couple, and has serious injury issues. The League Cup group stage was a disaster, and the 4-0 home defeat to Stirling Albion has set alarm bells ringing.
Liam Bryce
Relegated?
It’s not looking great for St Johnstone, is it? It always feels harsh to make cast-iron forecasts of doom at this point, but Saints have had a pretty miserable summer in terms of personnel and results.
Underperform?
It feels like Hearts have something to prove given the new management regime and they have not been overly active in the transfer market.
All to do?
It’s hard to look past Steven MacLean for the reasons given above, the Saints manager looks to have a real challenge on his hands.
James Cairney
Relegated?
St Johnstone. The first few months of Steven MacLean’s tenure in Perth haven’t exactly gone to plan. Survival was assured last term but the team limped over the finish line, while a huge chunk of MacLean’s squad has moved on and not been replaced. The Viaplay Cup group-stage exit showed the scale of MacLean’s task at McDiarmid Park.
Underperform?
Ross County. The Staggies have splashed the cash to an extent this summer, shelling out six-figure fees for the likes of Eamonn Brophy, but there have been a lot of players moving to the Highlands from England’s lower leagues – and they will need time to adapt. Kyle Turner and Jay Henderson look like clever additions but there are a few too many unknown variables that Malky Mackay will need to contend with.
All to do?
Steven MacLean. The Saints boss has an unenviable in-tray, to say the least. An understrength squad needing overhauled? Check. An ageing team that could use a few younger players? Check. A disastrous Viaplay Cup group-stage campaign? Check. It would be a lot for any manager, never mind one so inexperienced.
Aidan Smith
Relegated?
St Johnstone. The Perth club have suffered a horror start to the season in the Viaplay League Cup, and it looks set to continue with a lack of transfer activity at McDiarmid Park. Saints have added just two players this summer despite a mass exodus at the end of the last campaign. The 2020/21 double cup winners desperately need players if they are to stand any chance of remaining in the division.
Underperform?
Motherwell. Stuart Kettlewell turned around Motherwell’s fortunes last term when he took over as he guided the Steelmen from relegation danger into a solid mid-table side. Now he faces a struggle to replace the goals of Kevin van Veen who departed the club for Groningen in the summer. There is now a lot riding on Connor Wilkinson and Theo Bair, who was hardly a hit at St Johnstone last term, to bag the goals.
All to do?
Steven MacLean. As previously mentioned the St Johnstone boss had a nightmare in the League Cup as Saints suffered defeats to Stenhousemuir, Ayr United and Stirling Albion. MacLean has been forced to play a lot of youth players so far this term and that is partly why his team has suffered. The Perth outfit desperately needs first-team quality players through the door so their youth stars of the future can gain valuable minutes out on loan instead of bulking out the starting XI at McDiarmid.
David Irvine
Relegated?
St Johnstone. There is very little hope around St Johnstone currently off the back of the disastrous Viaplay Cup group stages. Unless things change swiftly and recruitment picks up it could be a long old season.
Underperform?
Hearts. A complex managerial situation and the (exciting) burden of European football could take a toll on Hearts this term. Anything other than a serious challenge for third would be a disappointment - and with so many other factors at play, league form could falter.
All to do?
Steven MacLean. A dire League Cup campaign and a lack of transfer activity points to a difficult season for the McDiarmid Park men. Best of luck to MacLean in tough circumstances for his first managerial gig.
Ewan Paton
Relegated?
St Johnstone. It's always said you can't look too deeply into pre-season, for better or worse. But something just seems to be off about Saints at the moment. They have regressed since Steven MacLean kept them up last term. A bad start following on from a dismal League Cup effort could see them in for a long season. Livingston for the play-off.
Underperform?
Hearts. While I don't necessarily feel they will finish in the bottom six, I think they could flirt with the idea. The managerial set-up at Hearts has yet to convince and at this moment remains very strange and unknown. It may prove to be a masterstroke. But it could also turn out to be a total disaster. They'll have their sights on third, but I don't see them coming close.
All to do?
Tony Docherty. His decision to go it alone as a manager, aged 52, raised more than a few eyebrows, especially given the length of time he served as No.2 under Derek McInnes. It will be very interesting to see how he copes with the rigours of being a gaffer in his own right. He's recruited some good players, but that's only a part of the job - it's how his team fares on a matchday that counts. Some early concerns after the Viaplay Cup.
