Here's a quick rundown of who you should expect to see don the claret and amber in the coming season.
The goalkeeping jersey will go to Stevie Woods by default. Francois DuBourdeau didn't take his chance under Black and Terry Butcher quickly dropped him. At the end of the season, there were rumours that Francois wouldn't be returning to Fir Park. We'll have to wait and see if this turns out to be true but either way Woods will get the start. Stevie is entering his ninth season with us and deserves credit for this regardless of what you think of his ability. He could easily have departed to another club but he has always been willing to fight for his place and give 100% when required. Yes, he makes the occasional howling mistake but so did John Philliben and everyone admired his dedication. Stevie's backup could well be young Jamie Ewing but if we have to rely on him this year, our goose will already be cooked.
The defence could make or break our season. We have five defenders that we can realistically call upon but Eric Deloumeaux will be the crucial part of the puzzle. If he stays, he will add a lot of experience and skill to our back line. However, if he does leave, we will have little choice but to play a back four of Hammell, Kinniburgh, Corrigan and Ramsay. That is not a pretty sight. Stevie Hammell is still young but he will need to fulfil the potential he showed in his debut season. The right side of our defence is frighteningly weak – Corrigan and Ramsay will make small slips in almost every game and the top teams could tear them to shreds. As for William Kinniburgh, he was outstanding in his only first team appearance but no one can say for sure how he will cope with the rigours of a full season and competitive games. What happens if a couple of our defenders pick up injuries or suspensions should be locked away at the very back of your mind – thinking about it will only bring you out in a sweat.
If things are looking bleak, they begin to pick up when we get to the midfield. Scott Leitch will fight for absolutely everything and, dare I say it, if Derek Adams can continue his form from the end of last season, he could finally be on his way to repaying his £175,000 transfer fee. Adams has received some disgraceful abuse from his own supporters at times but in accepting his wage cut while improving his play, ‘Well fans should be slower to criticise in the future. Is there a direct relationship between Adams best performances – away to Hibs and Kilmarnock at the end of April – and the fact the fans were not getting on his back? Worth thinking about. Keith Lasley is another player who will need to step up a gear. He has shown lots of promise but all too often he loses out in the midfield battleground. There is no question that he does have the skill but he needs to develop the mental toughness to dominate the middle of the park, particularly when we're up against our fellow relegation candidates. Stephen Pearson is another youngster who has a lot resting on his shoulders. Before administration, not much was expected of Pearo. Now that he is an almost automatic selection, he'll have to grow up very quickly indeed. Again, the raw talent is there, he just needs to continue his progression.
As we get to the frontline, we suddenly hit the area where we are strongest. In Dirk Lehmann, Stuart Elliott and James McFadden, we have three players who will score goals and create chances. Lehmann will hold the ball up and act as a target man while the other two produce the flair and creativity. Stuart Elliott was our top scorer last year but it would be fair to say he had a disappointing time. If he can become more consistent and learn the offside rule, the goals will flow. As for McFadden, he carries the hopes of everyone on his shoulders. He still has a lot to learn but his skill and enthusiasm are a joy to behold. There will be a temptation for the rest of the team to sit back and watch Faddy try to do it all. That plan is obviously flawed but if his teammates can take some of the heat off him, there is no doubt that the ‘Golden Child' will work his magic. McFadden will have to produce both goals and chances for others – if he can do this with the heavy expectations weighing him down, he will be well on the way to proving he has what it takes to make it at the very highest level.
So do we have enough to keep us in the SPL? It's very hard to say without knowing what will happen with injuries, suspensions and whether or not we'll have a new owner. If everyone is healthy, we may just be able to score enough goals to make up for our weak defence. An early injury to McFadden or Elliott could well condemn us to the drop.
There are other poor sides in the SPL though – Partick Thistle will surely struggle after an initial good start and the likes of Dundee and Kilmarnock will also be down there. Livingston may find the second season tougher than the first but it would be very surprising if they are scrapping it out with us. They are our first opponents of the new season and a draw at Almondvale would be a great result. We then have Partick Thistle at Fir Park – the course of our season could well be decided by the evening of August 10th.