CRAIG DEVINE

@ Miseryhunters

Last season was a bit of a letdown, given our final position and compared with the campaign before.

The big talking point is how Stephen Robinson [ above] will shape the side in his first transfer window. Things look positive so far, with some very shrewd signings like goalkeeper Trevor Carson and an injection of pace up top which we’ve been severely lacking.

Our key player will be captain Joe Shaughnessy [ below]. He’s the club’s best defender by a mile and can chip in with a few goals.

I won’t be happy unless we get top six. It’s never happened in my lifetime: we were a single goal away in 2020- 21.

Our most underrated player is Alex Greive. We didn’t expect much when he signed from Birkenhead United in New Zealand, but he really impressed. The opposition player who grinds my

gears is Kyle Lafferty. A very talented player, but absolutely bound to score against us at some point this season.

Fans think our ground is better than it was when it opened in 2009. It’s not a patch on Love Street, but some small touches have added up. Now St Mirren Park feels more like home.

Look out for Dylan Reid, who played a few games last season before being loaned out. He’s been linked with the likes of Benfica recently. The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is that we’re excited to see him build his own team. He inherited a very unbalanced squad, and a minority wanted him out based on early results, but thankfully we finished well. If he left, he should be replaced by someone with a decent track record, rather than taking a gamble. When does Mourinho’s Roma contract end?

The pantomime villain will be Jake Doyle- Hayes, who ( rightly) got a good amount of stick from our fans after signing for Hibs last season. Many of us felt he’d messed the club about. The one change I’d make would be to stop playing songs unconnected to the club when players run out. And to ditch the cringeworthy “this is our town, this is our team” catchphrase the announcer shouts before kick- off.

We’ll finish comfortably top six, and hopefully even challenging for Europe.

FFT VERDICT

11TH

A rotten run of form towards the end of last season left Buddies fans on a real downer, so they’ll need to hit the ground running to quell any lingering nervousness. Gaffer Robinson intends to shake up his squad while hoping that talented playmaker Greg Kiltie remains fit.