Well I had a stab at this last season and i dont think i did too well, i know i predicted one of the old firm bums to win and they did

Here is a list of my top 4
1) Rangers
2) Hearts
3) Peterhead
4) Hibs
5) DFA

Rangers have a great manager and a nice side this season they also have the resource to do things

Heart should win the title if you based it just to SL and resource but i think the Rangers Man will out smart him

Peterhead Will fight hearts all the way for second play but i think Hearts will get off to the better start and Peterhead will find it hard to catch up

The Hibs team is no where near as strong as last season and its going to be a rebuilding time but we will make sure we can fight with the big boys

A good mix of young and old and the resources to build only down fall is that thing they call Fossey man who thinks he can manage a team



Who will face the drop i hate predicting this so lets just cay Celtic will be playing Div2 football next season

So, SESL season 17 is in front of us. All thanks and congratulations to Mark for giving us this servise for free for such a long time.
What can I expect from my team this season? At the end of last season, I have some concerns if my team will be competitive this season, because I knew that some very poverfull teams will join from Division 2. Hearts and Gretna are really strong, not far behind is Partick Thistle and the only weaker teams are Alloa Athletic and Dundee FC. Paul at Alloa and Ashley at Duncee FC will have full hands of work to stay in elite Division.
I must admit, I was quite surprised after aging. As it turned out, Peterhead has a very decent team this year, too, so i don't expect relegation problems.

But who are the favourites?
Celtic, Hibernian and Rangers are my picks. I was sure that Dunfermline Athletic will have the most powerfull team this season, but a big trade with Hibernian spoiled DFA chances for title this season. Althoug Peter from Hibernian payed a fair price for 1/19 GK and 1/20 DF, I believe that this was not good trade for DFA expecially because, as I said, this trade spoiled all chances for DFA to be a champion this season.
CEL, HIB and RAN will surely have strong opposition expecially in Hearts. Probably also in Gretna, but I don't know how much experience their new manager has in this type of games.

Relegation: Year after year I predict relegation for Saint Johnstone and Aberdeen, but at the end Yoav and Ross always makes impossible and somehow stay in Division. Normally, I would surely tip STJ and ABE for relegation, but this time I wont.
Actually, the only thing I'm sure this season is that ABE and STJ will surely stay in Division 1

Ciril, you are being way too nice to Yoav! He has 6 players at SL1 and 2, 9 players of SL8-11 and 9 players of SL19 or more. If Yoav survives this season in Division 1 I will be amazed...

I agree with Ciril..Yoav always finds a way!

HEARTS PRE-SEASON PRESS STATEMENT

"Give me joy in my heart, give me SESL."
That is what the Hearts players have been singing in the locker room this close season.

What an opening day fixture schedule! HIB and the DFA!
HIB may have bottled the league title last season, but remain strong. They are our Edinburgh city rivals too, so full on effort and top11 int his match is certain.
DFA did a crazy trade with HIB last week, so I think 3 points can be expected vs DFA until they sort their team out.

I still expect both HIB & DFA to challenge for the title this season. I will be betetr placed to decide how good they are after we play them in league session 1.

Earlier in this thread, HIB predicted his top 4 and then list 5 teams! D'oh!
Always wanting to go one better than HIB, I predict my top 5 now (and list 6 teams per HIB rules!)

1. CEL (experienced boss)
2. DFA (learnt well at FOR last season)
3. HEA (just want to be above HIB, that is all)
4. HIB (clever manager if he stays focused on job in hand)
5. DUU (new manager = new effort from team?)
6. PT (a canny manager who knows his team tactics well)

************ CELTIC PRESS **************

After all the celebrating of last seasons dramatic title success, it's been a bit of a slow preseason here at Parkhead, only one new signing so far and a few of the old timers turning to the junior ranks and the pundits chair. So alot will be expected again this season from the backbone of the championsip winning side.

We have good cover at GK this season and the new signing of 1/16 Hinchcliffe will provide a solid base for not just this season but the next couple as well.

Starting the season with 5 defenders of 25+ SL should also stand us on good stead and give us a good defensive platform with which to build. Although we lost more games than we probably should have last season, the defence can't take all the blame as they were the tightest in the Division conceding only 28 goals. More of the same this season, please lads!!!

Yet again the midfield as where we come up short, every season has the same old story. One decent MF a couple of very good MA's and a handful of journeymen pros will have to take up the battle in the middle of the park. We will need to strenghten in this area to have any chance of retaining our crown.

Strenghting up front will also be important as well. Two young but experienced forwards and an aging frontman will need to bang in the goals to keep us challanging. An old faithful WG and a couple of bit part WG's will need to aid and abet when necessary.

Overall we have a decent squad to make a challange but a another couple of new faces would't go amiss. We intend to make a worthy defence of our title that was so sensationally won on the final day of last season and hope with a wee bit of luck to be lifting the trophy again come the seasons end.

In the spirit of our Edinburgh rivals, I too will predict the top five from six placed teams, but in no particular order...........yet.
Celtic, The Forces of Darkness, The Jam Tarts, The Bottlecrashers, The HarryRags and The Pars.

Rangers Press

Bottle Crashers , priceless Bill

A new season begins , crazy transfers and all

The question everyone wants answered is who will win the title.

But it is far too early to tell, there are 7 candidates which unsuprisingly contains 2 recent promotions.

Brian has been very impressive so far and any team that wins the 2nd division is doing well.

Stewart has a great squad but his defence is looking a little light to take the title , but expect some exciting high scoring games along the way.

Bill , old squad but great players and a manager that wont give up.

Nathan at Dunfermline , Ciril at Peterhead and Mark at Dundee Utd will put up a good challenge too although the title may be beyond them.

Which leaves my tip for the title this year, he came so close last year and would have learned a lot from that, this should help him steer HIBS to the title this year.

James

Participation Bonus money has been posted on the blog!

Clyde & Calvin

*** Stenny Press ***


The Stenny press office has been very quiet since the great fire of Season 15, but here we are for a quick 'release'
As the season has literally just kicked off, its a great time to have our say!
Stenny managed to stay out of the relgation places (well the playoff places) last season on goal difference!!! - mission acomplished!!)

This season we cant see much better, again we will be looking to finish 10th upwards, the stress of playoffs is no fun! A week ago i would have said this was going to be very difficult, but with two great picks at the auction i am confident we can survive again!! Hopefully we can progress a little in the cups too, but this season really needs to be about our squads age, and what we can do to prepare for next season without having the hole lot retire together!!

Everyone wants to see some predictions, but its tricky this season,

I think ALO will struggle as wilL ABE. STJ need to make some serious moves before next seaosn their squad is older than ours and not in great shape!
At the other end DFA and HEA and HIB should be able to play with the big boys RAN and CEl towards the end of the seaosn!

Good luck to all!

STE

********************* HIBS PRESS REPORT *********************

Its the worst possible start to the season, well i guess it could have been worse if
we had of had some players injured.

We played two newbies and Div1 and they both wanted to make and impression
and that they did both teams beat us 3 - 1. Which hurts more than i could explain.

This season will be a rebuilding season for HIBS, We are no where near the team we were last season, Last season we should have won the league but didn't so now we need to need to make plans for next season, I still think we can get a top 5 spot.

But there is no doubt that the OLD SCUM's will run the league again this season
why managers let them off the hook all the time by playing week teams against
them i dont know, Maybe Hearts and PT will change that ?

***************CELTIC PRESS***************

A good start to the season for Celtic, the best since I've been boss. Two games played and two wins, top of the league already without conceding a goal. Rangers are close behind, but it's early doors yet and there's plenty of action still to go. Just as well really, as The Man Who Would be KING and his mob sit amongst those at the bottom with both opening games ending in 3-1 defeats. Maybe his players believe their managers propaganda about them being not one of the title contenders. TBC's have the second highest top 11 and third highest top 17 with the highest overall team SL, which makes TMWWBK's claims of a rebuilding season with no chance of the title somewhat misleading and bit surprising.


The next couple of weeks could break our own season, with me leaving tomorrow for a two week sunshine break all my forthcoming lineups have had to be put in tonight. So those I play in the next six games could have it easy due to me not being able to change my lineups if there's any injuries or suspensions. Excuses, excuses..........

************** DUNDEE UNITED PRESS******************


Well after what seems like an age we are finally off and running. With a tough opening weekend in prospect it was imperative that we won at least one of our games which we did by a suprising margin. I expected a tough match from Gretna but got a big favour in the form of a fully passive side which resulted in a dream debut 4-0 win.


Our 2nd match was to be a much tougher test against reigning champs Celtic. Unfortunately I succumbed to "letting them off the hook by playing a week team", due mainly to the fact that our next 3 fixtures are all at home and very important if we are to achieve anything this season. Still a 2-0 defeat is by no means a disaster.


As I mentioned the next 3 games could be crucial in deciding what route our season takes. While we would like to do well in the league at some point it would be nice for United to claim some SESL silverware so the cup will also be getting out full attention.


Looking at the league I'd like to pay a little tribute to those in charge of Scottish Football's very own Axis of Evil. . You would have thought that in this little parallell universe of ours that we might have had a little displacement of teams but no true to life there sitting proudly atop the league are the Bigot Brothers. Well done to those who have managed to keep them there year after year and I'm sure that as this season continues there is a very good chance of these 2 being up there when the trophies are handed out.

Participation bonus has been posted on the bloggy part of the front page...

PRESS REVIEW: THE STORY SO FAR - week1

Rather than the my usual dull overview of recent matches, I thought a glance back at Div 1 press so far may be interesting. Afterall, these managers spout out sound-bytes at team press conferences but are rarely 'pulled up' on what they say or predict. Until now....

Peter HIB said: "Heart should win the title if you based it just to SL and resource but I think the Rangers Man will out smart him"
Top 6 finish aim for HEA this season in top flight.

Peter HIB added: "we will make sure HIB can fight with the big boys"
Planning ahead for next season's Div 2 play - respect! :-)

Ciril PET announced: "who are the favourites? Celtic, Hibernian and Rangers are my picks."
Nice one Ciril nice one son. Did Ciril just glance at last season's league table? A glance now at THIS season's table may see a review of his mutterings.

Ciril PET concluded "the only thing I'm sure this season is that ABE and STJ will surely stay in Division 1"
Oh dear, I wonder if that 'sure thing' will come back to haunt Ciril.
I like Yoav and the work he gets on with quietly at STJ. I cannot see how STJ can get out of the bottom 6 unless Yoav is a miracle worker.

Bill CEL pointed out: "it's been a bit of a slow preseason here at Parkhead, only one new signing so far and a few of the CEL old timers turning to the junior ranks and the pundits chair."
... not that far away from real life Celtic then!

Bill CEL predicted: "top five from six placed teams,
Celtic, The Forces of Darkness, The Jam Tarts, The Bottlecrashers, The HarryRags and The Pars."
translation: CEL, RAN, HEA, HIB, PT, DFA
spot the odd one out? The HIB Bottlecrashers perhaps?

James RAN: "my tip for the title this year, he came so close last year and would have learned a lot from that, this should help him steer HIBS to the title this year."
PRICELESS.

Ricky STE highlighted: "two great picks at the auction i am confident we can survive again!!"
Spot on! So many managers overlook the auctions, but they can make or break a season.


More nonsense from me next week!

Time to write down a few words about the new season.

Saint Johnstone is a very unpredictable team. Not just for the rest of the league but also for yours truly.

When my roster is full of old geezers and mediocre players I usually manage to turn the club into a good position but once a golden opportunity presents itself with a great team there is a tendency to fall face down in the muck.

I don't know what to think of this season and although it had already started I as though I'm floating in a dream not sure what I want to do or how I would like to get it done.

Now I know why Peter failed to win the championship on the previous season.
Chap can't count
That is he thinks wan is too and too are free.