The (far from) definitive 2011-12 SPL preview part 3

Flipping typical - Rangers choose last night to sign Lee Wallace from Hearts, so yesterday's preview was out of date within about four hours.

Anyway, here's the final part of this particular tour de force. My aim was to come up with a season preview which was better than any I've read in the papers in the last week...that was a depressingly easy goal to achieve.

INVERNESS

FIRST TEAM OUTS: Gil Blumenshtein, Stuart Duff, Russell Duncan, Stuart Golabek, Chris Hogg, Chris Innes, Alex MacDonald (end of loan), Roy McBain, Grant Munro, Eric Odhiambo, Adam Rooney, Danni Sanchez
FIRST TEAM INS: Tom Aldred, Aaron Doran, Billy McKay, Josh Meekings, Andrew Shinnie, Gregory Tade, Greg Tansey

PREDICTION: 8th

PROSPECTS: I've no idea, frankly. I'm certain Caley Thistle will bring in at least two or three more players. As described in previous blogs, Terry Butcher appears to have ditched the hardworking veteran backbone of the side in favour of a more swashbuckling approach...but we'll see how well it works. Can Inverness finally make the leap into the Top Six? I say no...but hope I'm wrong as usual.



Squad (* denotes U-21 outfield player - each team must have 3 in their matchday squad)
Goalkeepers: Ryan Esson, Jonny Tuffey
Defenders: Tom Aldred*, Kenny Gillet, Josh Meekings*, David Proctor, Graeme Shinnie*, Ross Tokely
Midfielders: Lee Cox*, Aaron Doran*, Jonny Hayes, Gavin Morrison*, Liam Polworth*, Nick Ross*, Andrew Shinnie, Greg Tansey
Forwards: Richie Foran (capt), Billy McKay, Shane Sutherland*, Gregory Tade

KILMARNOCK

FIRST TEAM OUTS: Kieran Agard (end of loan), Willy Aubameyang, Craig Bryson, Alexei Eremenko (end of loan), Jamie Hamill, Benjamin Laurant, Steven Old, Mohammadou Sissoko (end of loan), Mehdi Taouil, Fraizer Wright
FIRST TEAM INS: Patrick Ada, Danny Buijs, Gary Harkins, Paul Heffernan, Ben Hutchinson, Zdenek Kroca, Danny Racchi

PREDICTION: 10th

PROSPECTS: The jury is out on new boss Kenny Shiels, who failed to win any of his 8 matches as interim boss at the end of last season. His task is all the harder from having lost Bryson, Eremenko, Hamill and Taouil - basically their best four players. The defence particularly looks shaky, while they will rely on Celtic reject Ben Hutchinson and journeyman Paul Heffernan for goals. Expect them to go backwards, possibly into a relegation dogfight.



Squad (* denotes U-21 outfield player - each team must have 3 in their matchday squad)
Goalkeepers: Cameron Bell, Anssi Jaakola, Kyle Letheren
Defenders: Patrick Ada, Billy Berntsson, Tim Clancy, Gary Fisher*, Garry Hay, Zdenek Kroca, Ryan O'Leary, Alex Pursehouse*
Midfielders: Danny Buijs, James Dayton, Scott Evans, James Fowler, Gary Harkins, Liam Kelly*, Manuel Pascali (capt), Danny Racchi, David Silva
Forwards: William Gros*, Paul Heffernan, Ben Hutchinson, Rory McKenzie*

MOTHERWELL

FIRST TEAM OUTS: Esteban Casagolda, Angelis Charalambous, Gavin Gunning (end of loan), Francis Jeffers, Steve Jones (end of loan), Steven Meechan, Maurice Ross, John Sutton
FIRST TEAM INS: Nicky Devlin, Michael Higdon, Nicky Law

PREDICTION: 7th

PROSPECTS: Stuart McCall seems determined to rely on his young players, and needs Michael Higdon to prove an adequate replacement for John Sutton. McCall's knowledge of the English lower leagues has also turned up Nicky Law, while he's held onto Darren Randolph, Jamie Murphy and Chris Humphrey. Another top six finish is certainly possible, though it might be beyond them.



Squad (* denotes U-21 outfield player - each team must have 3 in their matchday squad)
Goalkeepers: Lee Hollis, Darren Randolph
Defenders: Stephen Craigan (capt), Nicky Devlin*, Steven Hammell, Shaun Hutchinson*, Jonathan Page*, Steven Saunders*
Midfielders: Stuart Carswell*, Ross Forbes, Tom Hateley, Chris Humphrey, Stephen Jennings, Keith Lasley, Nicky Law
Forwards: Michael Higdon, Robert McHugh*, Jamie Murphy, Jamie Pollock*, Gary Smith*

RANGERS

FIRST TEAM OUTS: Kyle Bartley (end of loan), El Hadji Diouf (end of loan), Ricky Foster (end of loan), Vladimir Weiss (end of loan), Andrew Shinnie
FIRST TEAM INS: Juanma Ortiz, Lee Wallace

PREDICTION: 2nd

PROSPECTS: As I said about Celtic, you might as well toss a coin to decide who will finish first at the moment. Ally McCoist has been expertly groomed for the manager's job at Ibrox, but he's bound to make a mistake or two along the way. Rangers still need reinforcements, but there's a feeling of 'jam tomorrow' about new owner Craig Whyte. One or two good signings might change that viewpoint, though,



Squad (* denotes U-21 outfield player - each team must have 3 in their matchday squad)
Goalkeepers: Neil Alexander, Allan McGregor
Defenders: Madjid Bougherra, Kirk Broadfoot, Darren Cole*, Jordan McMillan, Sasa Papac, Lee Wallace, David Weir (capt), Steven Whittaker
Midfielders: Steven Davis, Maurice Edu, Kyle Hutton*, Salim Kerkar, Lee McCulloch, Jamie Ness*, Juanma Ortiz, Gregg Wylde*
Forwards: John Fleck*, David Healy, Nikica Jelavic, Kyle Lafferty, Andrew Little, Steven Naismith

ST JOHNSTONE

FIRST TEAM OUTS: Scott Dobie, Michael Duberry, Danny Grainger, Danny Invincibile, Andy Jackson, Peter MacDonald, Arvydas Novikovas (end of loan), Jordan Robertson, Collin Samuel, Graeme Smith, Cleveland Taylor
FIRST TEAM INS: Callum Davidson, Carl Finnigan, Sean Higgins, Alan Mannus, David McCracken, David Robertson, Fraizer Wright

PREDICTION: 9th

PROSPECTS: Can Derek McInnes take Saints any further? He had a huge clearout this summer to try and freshen the side up - though the possible departure of Murray Davidson would be a disaster. If McInnes stays for the season, St J should be fine, though they will fall short of the top half. If he is tempted away, the club will find it hard to find a coach of his calibre,



Squad (* denotes U-21 outfield player - each team must have 3 in their matchday squad)
Goalkeepers: Peter Enckelman, Alan Mannus
Defenders: Steven Anderson, Callum Davidson, Graham Gartland, Dave Mackay, Alan Maybury, David McCracken, Fraser Wright
Midfielders: Jamie Adams, Liam Caddis*, Liam Craig, Murray Davidson, Chris Millar, Kevin Moon, Jody Morris (capt), David Robertson
Forwards: Carl Finnigan, Stevie May*, Sam Parkin

ST MIRREN

FIRST TEAM OUTS: Garry Brady, Patrick Cregg, Craig Dargo, Paul Gallacher, Michael Higdon, Ally Love, Sean Lynch, Jamie McCluskey, Mark McLennan, John Potter, Conor Ramsay, Jure Travner, Gareth Wardlaw
FIRST TEAM INS: Graham Carey, Nigel Hasselbaink, Paul McGowan, Graeme Smith, Gary Teale, Jeroen Tesselaar, Steven Thompson

PREDICTION: 12th

PROSPECTS: Manager Danny Lennon has a year's more experience behind him, but he's taken a big risk that veterans Gary Teale and Steven Thompson still have what it takes. Ex-Celtic midfielder Graham Carey has a sweet left foot and is a shrewd acquisition. But the Buddies looked a shambles for much of last season and it doesn't take a leap of imagination to see them as strugglers this time round. Might this be the year they go down?



Squad (* denotes U-21 outfield player - each team must have 3 in their matchday squad)
Goalkeepers: Craig Samson, Graeme Smith
Defenders: David Barron, Jim Goodwin (capt), Lee Mair, Marc McAusland, Darren McGregor, Jeroen Tesselaar, David Van Zanten
Midfielders: Graham Carey, Mark Lamont*, Jamie McKernon*, Kenny McLean*, Aaron Mooy*, Hugh Murray, Gary Teale, Steven Thomson
Forwards: Nigel Hasselbaink, Paul McGowan, Paul McQuade, Steven Thompson

L.