League placing: First Division champions
Scottish Cup: fourth round League Cup: round two Challenge Cup: round one

Ins: Kenny Deuchar, forward; Dave MacKay, defender; Murray Davidson, midfielder; Graeme Smith, goalkeeper; Danny Grainger, defender; Filipe Morais, midfielder.

Outs: Steven Doris, midfielder; Kevin James, defender; Derek Holmes, forward.

Derek McInnes St Johnstone manager

We have players of SPL quality in our squad and it's now up to us to prove that.

I know we are going into the SPL as underdogs and people are not expecting too much from us but we are determined that this time next year we will still be an SPL club.

I also don't want us just to hang in there and finish 11th, although I'd take that right now. I want St Johnstone to aim for better than that.

Stuart Cosgrove Off The Ball presenter and Saints season-ticket holder

St Johnstone are back in the SPL after too long a break. They were denied an earlier return to the top-flight by the farcical betrayals of the Gretna era, but ironically their return may be helped by another football crisis, the collapse of Setanta TV.

St Johnstone have never needed the methadone of TV money and enter the league in very good financial shape, thanks largely to the wily custodian of the club, chairman Geoff Brown.

I think they will be hard to beat and will survive in the SPL, although top-six and Europe, which the club have achieved in the past, will have to wait for future seasons.

There is an unlikely Millwall connection. Manager Derek McInnes played at the Den and so did two of his best players, the possession midfielder Jody Morris and the recently re-signed attacking winger Filipe Morais.

The strength of the squad is in midfield, where St Johnstone have players for every occasion. Two of their veteran players - Martin Hardie and Paul Sheerin - couldn't be more different, the first a do-or-die hard man, the other a pure craftsman, whose cult status at the club continues to grow. One song popular in Perth is 'Who Need Robinho we've got Sheerinho?'

There is a real sense of expectation about emerging players too. The young starlet Kevin Moon is a local boy and a Saints die-hard. He is similar in style and enthusiasm to Scott Brown and, if he was with a bigger club, would already be quoted for a big money move.

Saints return to the SPL to celebrate their 125th anniversary and in a nod to ancient history will play their away-games in the traditional 1884 shirt, which is maroon in colour. It will add extra spice to our trips to Easter Road.

At last, Saints are back where they belong - my head says they will survive, my heart says they will have the league wrapped up by Christmas.

We know it will be tough, but I am sure we have stronger squads than Falkirk and Hamilton and are probably on a par with St Mirren. Our home form will be crucial. I reckon, at worst, we will finish ninth.
supersaint12

MY SPORT: DEBATE How will St Johnstone fare this term?

Avoiding relagation must be the goal. Second bottom will be success. Kenny Deuchar may get a few and Jody Morris is key.
usedaforce

I don't understand why people say avoiding relegation will be a success. I feel that our squad this year is much better already than the one we used to win the title. We are a good side and that will show in the SPL. We are by far very underrated.
SIGN DAVE

Tough beginning with Well, who have played six competitive games, then Celtic and Hearts. Four points from that and I think that we will be on our way.
norsaint

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version