After a summer that seemed to last even longer than usual -even though we were treated to a particularly special European Championships- the Premiership returns this weekend. So, to whet appetites for tomorrow’s big kick off, we’ve put together a preview of the new season - but with a difference. We’ve put together the predictions of all of the big hitters in football journalism, so we can see how their predictions pan out over the season.

The Predictions

Soccerword: 1.Manchester United; 2. Chelsea; 3. Liverpool; 4. Arsenal; 5. Portsmouth; 6. Tottenham; 7. Everton; 8. Aston Villa; 9. Newcastle; 10. Manchester City; 11. Sunderland; 12. Blackburn; 13. West Brom; 14. Bolton; 15. Fulham; 16. Wigan; 17. West Ham; 18. Middlesbrough; 19. Stoke City; 20. Hull City

The Guardian: 1. Chelsea; 2.Manchester United, 3. Liverpool; 4. Arsenal; 5. Tottenham;6. Aston Villa; 7. Portsmouth; 8. Everton; 9.Manchester City; 10. Newcastle; 11. West Ham; 12. Sunderland; 13. Middlesbrough; 14. Blackburn; 15. Fulham; 16. West Brom; 17.Wigan; 18. Bolton; 19. Stoke; 20. Hull City

Joe Lovejoy (The Times): 1. Chelsea; 2. Manchester United; 3. Liverpool; 4. Arsenal; 5. Tottenham; 6. Portsmouth; 7. Aston Villa; 8. West Ham; 9. Manchester City; 11. Newcastle; 12.Blackburn; 13. Middlesbrough; 14. Sunderland; 16. Wigan; 17. Bolton; 18. WBA; 19.Stoke City; 20. Hull City.

Sky Sports: 1.Manchester United; 2. Chelsea; 3. Liverpool; 4. Arsenal; 5. Tottenham; 6. Portsmouth; 7. Everton; 8. ASton Villa; 9. Manchester City; 10.Newcastle; 11. West Ham; 12. Middlesbrough; 13. Blackburn; 14. Sunderland; 15. Wigan; 16. Fulham; 17. Bolton; 18. West Brom;19. Stoke City; 20. Hull City

Bobby McMahon (Fox Sports): 1. Chelsea; 2. Manchester United; 3. Arsenal; 4. Liverpool; 5. Aston Villa; 6. Tottenham; 7. Everton; 8. Manchester City; 9. Portsmouth; 10. West Ham; 11. Wigan; 12. Sunderland; 13. Blackburn; 14. Middlesbrough; 15. Newcastle; 16. West Brom; 17. Bolton; 18. Fulham; 19. Stoke City; 20. Hull City

Nick Webster (Fox Sports): 1.Chelsea; 2. Manchester United; 3.Liverpool; 4.Arsenal; 5.Tottenham; 6.Aston Villa; 7. Manchester City; 8.Newcastle; 9.Portsmouth; 10. Sunderland; 11.Everton; 12.West Ham; 13.Blackburn; 14.Fulham; 15.Middlesbrough; 16.Wigan; 17.Bolton; 18.WBA; 19.Stoke; 20.Hull

EPLtalk.com: 1. Manchester United; 2. Liverpool; 3. Chelsea; 4. Arsenal; 5. Aston Villa; 6. Tottenham; 7. Portsmouth; 8. Manchester City; 9. Everton; 10. West Ham; 11. Blackburn Rovers; 12. Newcastle; 13. Sunderland; 14. Middlesbrough; 15. Wigan; 16. Fulham; 17. Bolton; 18. West Brom; 19. Hull City; 20. Stoke.

The Gaffer: 1. Manchester United; 2. Chelsea; 3.Arsenal; 4.Tottenham; 5.Liverpool; 6. Aston Villa; 7.Portsmouth; 8. Blackburn; 9. Everton; 10. Manchester City; 11.Sunderland; 12. West Ham; 13.Wigan; 14. Middlesbrough; 15.Newcastle; 16.Fulham; 17.Bolton; 18.WBA; 19.Hull City; 20.Stoke

Bet123: 1.Manchester United; 2.Chelsea; 3.Arsenal; 4.Tottenham; 5.Tottenham; 6.Aston Villa; 7.Everton; 8.Manchester City; 9.Newcastle; 10.Portsmouth; 11.Blackburn; 12.West Ham; 13.Middlesbrough; 14.Sunderland; 15.Bolton;16. Wigan; 17.Fulham; 18. West Brom; 19. Stoke; 20.Hull

Interesting to see that almost everyone thinks all three promoted teams will go straight back down, even though this has not happened in ten years. The majority of people seem to suggest that it is a two horse race for the title as well, with Spurs being the most likely challenger to the Top 4 places.

Me? I don’t make predictions for the honour of beating others. I do it for cold, hard cash.

This week the BBC magazine’s weekly feature was about lunches at work and so we had to submit a picture (Click on picture number 5) of our lunch from a few weeks ago.

We had been marvelling at the astoundingly low cost of a double cheeseburger, a mere £1.19. Four whole double cheeseburgers for a shade under a fiver! This inspired Rhod to take up the challenge, but sadly he failed with 2 burgers still to go. Luckily myself and Thomas are made of sturdier stuff and had no trouble polishing off over 90g of saturated fat each.

The leap between stage and screen isn’t especially easy, and with more and more “crossover” acts having musical careers while also starring in films, it is easy to dismiss the musician turned actor. Anyone who knows the pain of watching Crossroads, Glitter, or Swept Away will know why. But alas! There are some examples where musicians and singers have appeared on screen, and genuinely given great performances.

As usual, we have a few rules. First of all, they have to have been a musician or singer first and foremost, with an established career as such. There has to have been some element of risk to their careers. Minnie Driver was an unknown singer, who became a well known actress, who went back to being a singer. That doesn’t count. The same applies to Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez and anyone else who dabbled in both acting and music.

Secondly, they have to actually be playing a role- as good as Bruce Springsteen’s cameo in High Fidelity is, it is just a cameo, and he doesn’t do any acting.

Finally, they can’t just be playing themselves. Eminem was great in 8 Mile, but it wasn’t a massive stretch for him to play a white rapper from Detroit. Keith Richards was cool as Jack Sparrow Snr, but it wasn’t really a flexing of his acting muscles. This also rules out a lot of people who play extensions of themselves in musicals- your Streisand and Minelli. It has to involve acting.

Chris Isaak - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

Chris Isaak

When Kyle MacLachlan’s disagreement with David Lynch limited the appearance of Twin Peaks hero, Dale Cooper, Lynch needed an able replacement. As the film was about the days leading up to the murder of Laura Palmer, he was able to tell the story of another Special Agent, investigating the strange goings on of the town. Chris Isaak had already worked with Lynch by this time, soundtracking the vastly under-rated Wild At Heart, but it was his first lead acting role (he had a small part in Silence of the Lambs prior to this). Isaak’s Special Agent Chester Desmond was less quirky than Dale Cooper had been (as the film was in general), but it gave another level of disturbance to the series when Desmond investigates the murder of Teresa Banks- a case which mirrors that of Laura Palmer. Reaction to this film was mixed, it was famously booed at Cannes, while Mark Kermode claims it is “Lynch’s masterpiece”. Part of the problem was that it was viewed as a prequel to the TV series, when it was simply intended to enrich and deepen our understanding of the events of the series. Isaak’s character was a welcome addition.

Madonna - Evita (1996)

Madonna

It could be argued that Madonna should fall foul of our Rule 3 here, as she didn’t so much play Eva Peron, as Madonna playing Eva Peron. Certainly, there were critics who suggested it was a “role she was born to play”, but that should not take away from her performance. Madonna led the line in a film full of good performances (especially Jonathan Pryce’s Juan Peron). It is far too easy to mock Madonna’s career in films, so we will get it over with quickly- Swept Away, Body of Evidence, Dick Tracy, The Next Best Thing, Dangerous Game, and one of the worst cameos ever, ever, ever in Die Another Day. But now that we have that out of our system, we need to remember that she was in A League of their Own and Desperately Seeking Susan. Taken on their own merits (ie- don’t expect high art), these are fine performances.

Frank Sinatra - The Man With The Golden Arm (1955)

Sinatra at his best

Equally, From Here To Eternity could be in this list, as it was almost single handedly responsible for giving Sinatra a career in the 1950’s. The Man With The Golden Arm required a little bit more acting, and was a considerably more brave role for Sinatra. The film itself was a watershed, as it was the first time that a mainstream American film had depicted narcotic addiction. To give the best possible performance, Sinatra had spent time at a rehab clinic for Heroin addicts. The result is a dark and edgy film, that features contributions from some of the all times greats of cinema - a Saul Bass opening credit, an Elmer Bernstein soundtrack, Kim Novak in full flight. It is a huge credit to Sinatra that he is the best thing about the film.

Meat Loaf - Fight Club (1999)

Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf had flirted with film on several occasions- notably as Eddie in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and less notably in Spice World. As “The Martyr” Robert Paulson, we forgot that he was Meat Loaf. No longer was he bringing his personality to the screen with him, he was acting. To prove this point, how many of you started this paragraph by saying “oh yeah, I forgot Meat Loaf was in Fight Club”? All together now, his name was Robert Paulson. His name was Robert Paulson. His name was…

David Bowie - The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

Bowie

Few musicians have had the acting success that Bowie has managed, and in truth he could be in this list more than once- roles in Labyrinth, Absolute Beginners, Basquiat, Twin Peaks, The Man Who Fell To Earth and The Prestige are all worth noting. His role as Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ is arguably his finest, as he almost flirts with Willem Defoe’s Jesus. Any of the mentioned films could have been on this list, but how many musicians get the Martin Scorsese seal of approval?

Courtney Love - The People vs Larry Flynt (1997)

The People Versus Larry Flynt

Like her or loathe her, Courtney Love has survived in the entertainment industry for almost 20 years. Personally, I am quite a fan of her work with Hole, and her work as an actress. With Hole, she was always a Pop Star with real Rock attitude. And it always reeked of sexist to me, that she was so vilified, when people like Sid Vicious are seen as Rock Martyrs. In this film, she played Althea Flynt, the lifelong love of Woody Harrelson’s eponymous hero. Harrelson was nominated for an Oscar for his role in this, and it is all credit to Love that her performance is just as strong as his. If her acting work was taken on its’ own, she would have an impressive CV. As well as this film, she has put in impressive turns in Man on the Moon, 200 Cigarettes and Julie Johnson. If we didn’t know about her career in music, or her famous marriage, then she might well be lauded as one of the great female character actors.

Elvis Pressley - Wild In the Country (1961)

Elvis

This might be a hugely controvertial statement, but the majority of Elvis films are very bad. The music in them was great, but they are almost all elongated music videos (before the term was coined). Wild In the Country is different, as Elvis plays Glenn Tyler, a depressed, violent and troubled man who discovers he has a gift for writing. The difference between this film and some of the other Pressley vehicles, is that the songs are not the star. Elvis gives a genuinely edgy performance. The songs in this film are far from Elvis favourites (I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell and In My Way being the most recognisable), and only serve to enhance the story, rather than carry it. Elvis was never this edgy in a film again.

Nick Cave - Ghosts… of the Civil Dead (1988)

Nick Cave (may be a bit disturbing)

John Hillcoat’s feature debut was written and soundtracked by Nick Cave, and so it was of little surprise that Cave would play a significant part in the film. What is surprising is just how convincing (and disturbing) Cave is as Maynard, the psychotic new inmate of a maximum security prison. Maynard could well be a character from his Murder Ballads album, but it was in this film we discovered that Cave could actually push himself over the edge and become one of his creations.

Tom Waits - Down By Law (1986)

Tom Waits

Jim Jarmusch has never been worried about casting musicians as actors, having used Iggy Pop and GZA in his films. Arguably the most impressive perfomance of all was by Tom Waits in Down By Law. I only saw this film the other day, and I couldn’t believe that it was the same Tom Waits, he is that impressive as an actor. The film centres around three men who are incarcerated despite their innocence. They have to quickly learn to trust each other, so they can escape, despite obviously aggrivating each other. Waits’ performance makes me wonder why he hasn’t had more starring roles.

Kris Kristofferson - Lone Star (1996)

Lone Star

While Chris Cooper is the lead actor in this Western Thriller, Kris Kristofferson plays the murdered Sheriff Charlie Wade. The film was to rejuvinate Kristofferson’s career, and would lead to his roles in the Blade Trilogy, as well as films such as Planet of the Apes and Payback.

RZA - American Gangster (2007)

American Gangster

Initially I wanted to put Method Man in this list, because he is fantastic as “Cheese” Wagstaff in The Wire. But I decided that TV was cheating, and even though I loved the character, the list must be right! Of all the Wu-Tang acting roles, RZA has featured in the best films- Ghost Dog, Derailed and as himself in Coffee and Cigarettes. His best acting role was definitely in American Gangster, where he played Moses Jones, a detective working with Detective Roberts (Russel Crowe). RZA initially auditioned for the role of Jimmy Zee, but impressed Ridley Scott sufficiently to get the part of Jones.

Have we missed anyone? Let us know.

Whether you like it or not, whoever you are, everyday at work you go through several processes.  Disagree?  Think about your email. Personally, I work from oldest unread to most recent when I check, unless I’ve been away for a while, in which case I work the other way, so that I get the most recent mail in a thread first, and can ignore the older mails in a thread.  This is a process.

Processes creep, and become increasingly complicated and subtle.  It is human nature to refine and optimise anything you do frequently.  The person who performs a process, or part of a process, is unlikely to even be aware of all the things that they do, and quite unlikely to be able to document them or communicate them to others.  This is especially true of processes with several points where you do X every time.  Oh, yes, unless Y, which happens sometimes, in which case you do Z.  But only on a month with 5 Fridays.

What made me think about this?  Apart from presiding over a variety of processes being passed from one person to another recently at work, I had an experience which brought this home to me in a surprising way.

As anyone who knows me knows, I like a good gin and tonic.  The emphasis here is on ‘good’ though, as there are few drinks worse than a warm can of tonic water served alongside a glass with a lone ice-cube and some nasty generic gin, as many pubs seem to think gin and tonics are served.  There are few places that serve a good G & T, with the exception of good restaurants and cocktail bars.  There is one pub in Cambridge that does a good one, and deserves a mention: The Vine. They have a great selection of gin (not cold unfortunately) and Fever Tree tonic (more on that later).

I like to think I make a good G & T.  Personal preferences aside, which I try to take account of, I take care to make the best G & Ts that I can for guests at home.  Recently, for a friend, I wrote out how I make my G & Ts.  I thought that the less-than-five-minute process would take me a paragraph, a couple of hundred words to communicate.  I was very wrong.  1,200 words later I had explained how I make a G & T.  I’ve probably even not remembered everything.  Take heed, simple things are often not simple!

The destructions for anyone interested:

Gin & Tonic (the way they all should be)

Ingredients

Ice:
Use disposable ice-bags to ensure that the ice doesn’t pick up any flavour from the freezer; open ice-trays are bad for this.

Tonic:
SHOCK FIND Schweppes Indian Tonic, the non-low fat kind, nevertheless has artificial sweetener in it, sodium saccharin. (so does Britvic) Avoid avoid avoid.  Needless to say NEVER use diet tonic. Unless you are making G & Ts for a diabetic.  That’s allowed.  So what tonics can you use?  The best tonic that I know of is ‘Fever Tree Tonic Water’ available online and in Waitrose. Some supermarket own-brands, e.g. ASDA Extra Special tonic also contain no artificial sweeteners, and are good substitutes for Fever Tree.  If possible, buy tonic in the small bottles or cans.  Tonic goes flat VERY quickly.  If you are using a large bottle, make enough G & T to use up the bottle in each round of drinks, and if you don’t quite make it, discard the rest, the next batch made with flat tonic will be horrible if you don’t. 

Gin:
Other than buying Gin at least 43% so as to avoid it freezing, this comes down to personal preference.   I would suggest that anyone serious about G & T should organise a blind taste test to get a side-by-side unprejudiced opinion.  My taste tests leave me quite open-minded, the differences are more in the mind than in the drink.  Nevertheless, I do have a soft spot for Tanqueray No. 10, although I suspect that I notice it more in other gin-based cocktails than I do in a G & T.

Lemon & Limes:
Yes, both.  Not essential to have both, but a good touch if you can.  How much you use of each, and which you choose to garnish is up to personal taste, but either way, buy good ones (Marks and Spencer do good ones; thanks Felix!) and keep away from ‘value bags’ etc.  Buy lots, you’ll get through about 1 per G & T you make.

G & T glasses:
I would use what is often referred to as a high-ball glass, i.e. a glass for a long drink, tall and slim.  The best are crystal (this is because they have more glass in them, and keep their cool better, not just to be posh) and have a crisp almost sharp brim.  Any long drink glass will do though, and I’d even suggest using pint glasses before resorting to a small glass.


Pre-Preparation in order of importance (the more items down this list you can get lined up in advance, the better your G & T will be)

• Gin in the freezer for a few days, freezer on coldest setting. The exception about the freezer setting is if you only have 40% gin, in which case medium freezer setting is the best you can do, or you’ll freeze it.
• Ice, lots of it, as cold as can be, pref. in freezer on coldest setting.
• Tonic in the coldest fridge you can live with, so about 2c works well.
• Lemons and limes in coldest fridge…
• G & T glasses in the freezer (the least important, but if you are going for perfection…)

Preparation

Only take out the ingredients as you need them, the longer they stay cold the better.  As soon as you have finished using an ingredient, put it straight back in the fridge or freezer ready for the next round of G & Ts.  Never let anything sit on a warm counter for any longer than necessary. Work quickly, keep things as cold as possible.

• Get a chopping board and a knife (big sharp one, no messing around with paring knifes please) ready on your counter top.
• Arrange your (hopefully) cold glasses in a line behind it.
• Get the gin from the freezer and pour a good measure into each glass.  How much is about taste.  I like my G & Ts about 1:2 gin to tonic, but there is no shame in liking them weaker, and I often make a round of G & Ts to different strengths for each drinker.  I’d rather someone with less resistance to alcohol had less gin and could join me for several rounds than over-face them with the first.  If you make it too strong, or too weak, don’t be afraid to adjust at the end, or after a few sips have been drunk.
• Then put the ice in the glass. I would usually keep putting ice in a glass until the top of the top cube sits about 2/3 up the height of the glass.  This is often 8 cubes or more, so make sure you have lots of ice!
• Next comes the lemons and limes.  If you are expecting to do several G & Ts of an evening, you can squeeze these in advance, just make sure the squeezed juice goes straight back into the fridge.  The best way to use lemons and limes, in my opinion, is a G & T with both.  Why?  Lime has more aroma, and more citrus-y flavour, but is sweet in comparison to a lemon and far less acidic.  Half and half gets the best of both.  I would use between 1/2 and 1 lemon or lime per drink.  So, if you are mixing lemons and limes, that’s between 1/4 of each and 1/2 of each.  Squeeze the juice over the ice.  Getting some flesh from the fruit in the glass is a good thing.  Retain some of the spent lemons and limes.
• Top up the glasses with tonic.  I pour quite vigorously. This is because I do not mix the drinks at a later stage.  An imbalance in the drink so that it gets a bit stronger as you drink it is generally a good thing.
• Garnish with lemon or lime.  If someone prefers lime in their tonic, garnish with lime, etc. but still use the mix of both in the drink earlier.  With the garnish, be creative, the more you can create interesting shapes, the more you have exposed the flesh of the lime or lemon, and the more it will give off a scent.  Scent is important.
• Take one of the spent lemons or limes, whichever of lemon and lime you have used for a garnish, and rub some around the rim of the glass.  Try to get the skin squashed against the glass so that the oils which have more fragrance get left on the rim, where they will remain and add a fantastic scent to the drink throughout the duration of it being drunk.
• Finally, squeeze a few drops from some of the spent limes or lemons (use whichever you used for the garnish)  on to the surface of the drink.  i.e. squeeze from a low height and don’t disturb the drink.  This is another scent tool.
• If you like, you can take a straw, immerse it in the drink, cap the exposed end with your thumb, remove, and take your thumb off to taste the drink.  Edit the drinks if necessary.  It’s important to know what you are making so that you can fine-tune it next time, or if really bad, discard and start again.

They are now ready to serve, enjoy!

The start of the Scottish Premier League is less than one week away, and fans of the SPL are looking forward to seeing what the class of 08/09 will be like. We thought we would have a look at the contenders, and what should shape the season:-

Aberdeen

How did they do last season:- A good end to the season ensured that The Dons finished in 4th, however they were always playing catch-up. An impressive run in the UEFA Cup took its’ toll on the league form, and while two cup semi finals may be viewed as a good season, the loss to Queen of the South cost them European Football, and their best chance of silverware in years. A mixed season.

New signings:- Gary McDonald (Oldham), Mark Kerr (Dundee United), Bertrand Bossu (Unattached), Sammy Stewart (Glenavon), Charlie Mulgrew (Wolves), Tommy Wright (Darlington - medical pending)

More to come?:- Linked with Adam Hammell on loan from Liverpool. A defender may yet be brought in, and Calderwood has yet to hear whether he will be allowed to take Sone Aluko (Birmingham) or Josh Walker (Middlesbrough) back on loan.

What will shape their season:- Calderwood’s plan to move captain Scott Severin into the defence could be the pivotal decision of their season. Severin has the ability to dominate games in the centre of the park, and is not a natural centre back. However, his organisational skills could mean he forms a solid partnership with more natural defenders such as Zander Diamond or Andrew Considine. If the decision works, Aberdeen could have a very good season, if it doesn’t then the decision not to sign a centre back will be scrutinised.

Key player:- Jamie Smith. Few players outside the Old Firm possess the ability to change a game on their own, the way Jamie Smith can. Last year he was dogged by injury, and couldn’t ever get his season started. With a full pre-season of training under his belt, Aberdeen fans will be hoping he can get more games.

Celtic

How did they do last season:- As well as they have in the past three seasons. Despite a poor run of form in the wake of their Champions League exit, Celtic put a fantastic run of results together in the closing months, to give Gordon Strachan his third title in as many years. Another good run in the Champions League showed just how much Celtic are improving in Europe.

New signings:- Pat McCourt (Derry City), Giorgios Samaras (Man City), Matty Hughes (Rochdale)

More to come?:- Linked to Nathan Dyer of Southampton, and both Marc Crossas and Jeffren Suarez of Barcelona.

What will shape their season:- Finding a regular partner for Scott McDonald. While retaining the SPL is the main priority for Celtic, they will be looking at going one stage further in the Champions League. Over the past two years they have got through the groups, and just come up short against some very good sides. Strachan has tried Venegoor of Hesselink, Samaras, Riordan and Zurawski with McDonald, but none have made the second striker position their own.

Key player:- Barry Robson. Robson’s improving form towards the end of the season co-incided with Celtic’s late title resurgance. His workrate in the centre of the pitch, not to mention his goals, have meant that higher profile players have been left on the bench.

Dundee United

How did they do last season:- Dundee United were one controvertial penalty decision away from winning the League Cup, and were it not for some poor form in the Top 6, they could have pushed Motherwell for the UEFA Cup place. Levein has managed to turn a team of huge underachievers to a difficult side to beat very quickly.

New signings:- Scott Robertson (Dundee), Michael McGovern (Celtic), Andis Shala (Mannheim), Paul Dixon (Dundee), Willo Flood (Cardiff - Loan), Warren Feeney (Cardiff - Loan), Francisco Sandaza (Valencia Mestalla)

More to come?:- United have been linked to Lee Hughes, and are one of several clubs linked to Rangers’ Alan Gow.

What will shape their season:- How they manage to replace Noel Hunt. Dundee United noticably faded when they lost Barry Robson to Celtic, but still had enough in their midfield to take them to a 5th place finish. Having lost the work rate of Mark Kerr to Aberdeen, United can’t afford to let the loss of Noel Hunt affect them too much. Not only did Hunt provide goals - both Warren Feeney and Francisco Sandaza can replace them - but he was a striker that didn’t ever give defenders any peace. Maintaining that workrate will decide where United finish.

Key player:- Craig Levein uncovered a real talent when he signed 21 year old Danny Swanson from Berwick Rangers. Swanson scored twice in his ten league appearances for United, and his trickery quickly won the fans over. If he can stay clear of injury then he could have a very good season.

Falkirk

How did they do last season:- Falkirk had an excellent season last year, and were one game from finishing in the Top 6. Their youth policy has to be admired, and they finally started getting results to match their attractive football.

New signings:- Jackie McNamara (Aberdeen), Dermot McCaffrey (Hibernian), Lee Bullen (Sheffield Wednesday), Neil McCann (Hearts), Eric Schultz-Eklund (Gretna), Burton O’Brien (Sheffield Wednesday), Ashley Young (Bury).

More to come?:- Falkirk are favourites to sign former Dundee and Aberdeen striker Steve Lovell.

What will shape their season:- Can they mix their youth with their experience? John Hughes has been very shrewd in the transfer market, and managed to acquire several players with experience. Lee Bullen and Burton O’Brien have experience of the SPL, and will add steel and some class respectively. There are doubts over McNamara and McCann, who struggled with injury and form at Aberdeen and at Hearts. If these players can bed in to an already solid Falkirk side, they could challenge for UEFA Cup football.

Key player:-Darren Barr was the star of last season, and brought admirers from North and South of the Border. But the real coup of the season could be the signing of Burton O’Brien. In his previous spell in the Premier League (with Livingston), O’Brien was instrumental in helping the side win the 2004 League Cup. He provides a cool head, and invaluable goals from midfield.

Hamilton

How did they do last season:- Winners of the First Division. Despite initially appearing to run away with the Division One title, Hamilton were made to work for their title, eventually winning it by seven points from Dundee. Proved that they can mix it with Premier League sides with their displays in the cups.

New signings:- Sean Murdoch (Dunfermline), Marc Corcoran (St Mirren), Derek Lyle (Dundee), Lucas Akins (Huddersfield Town)

More to come?:- Billy Reid has said he wants to sign five players before the start of the season. Finnish winger Sebastian Sorsa is currently on trial.

What will shape their season:- As with every side who are newly promoted, it is important that they keep their momentum going in the early weeks of the season. Hamilton have proved that they can score goals, and conceded just three goals at home all of last season. Hamilton are a difficult side to beat, and they will need to keep it that way.

Key player:- James McCarthy has won the plaudits (and rightly so for an 18 year old), but it is Scotland Under 21, James McArthur that makes them tick. He has already captained the side (aged 20), and is going to have to raise his game again this season.

Hearts

How did they do last season:- Hearts were the big underachievers last season. Confusion over the role of manager Steven Frail meant that there was no leadership on or off the pitch. Hearts’ season went from bad to worse, as they failed to make the Top 6, and were then beaten by a Gretna side which was almost entirely made up of youth players. Finished the season in 8th.

New signings:- None. Yet.

More to come?:- Hearts have been linked with taking Derek Riordan back to Edinburgh. There will almost certainly be new signings, and depending on the outcome of Rangers’ Champions League qualifier, don’t be surprised if they arrive from Kaunas.

What will shape their season:- Hearts have been on the brink of disaster constantly for the past three years. If Vladamir Romanov lets his new manager, Csasba Laszio, get on with his job then the prospects of Hearts’ having a good season increase. Hearts have the potential to split the Old Firm if they can all pull in the same direction, and they can make the standard of signings they suggest they will. At the same time, they could easily see a repeat of last season (or worse) if the dressing room is as divided as it has been.

Key player:- Laryea Kingston is one of the best central midfielders in Scotland. Although he has had problems with discipline, he is one of very few genuine box to box midfielders in the SPL. He tackles well, has the ability to beat a player, and weighs in with goals. How long Hearts will be able to hold on to him is another matter.

Hibernian

How did they do last season:- After looking like they could challenge for a UEFA Cup place, Hibs’ season went badly wrong in the closing stages. Hibs have won plaudits in recent seasons for the way they play, and the production line of young talent they have coming through the ranks. With that has come inconsistency, and last season was as good an example as ever as they ended the season 6th.

New signings:- David Van Zanten (St Mirren), Steven Thicot (Nantes), Joe Keenan (Melbourne Victory)

More to come?:- Could make a move for Alan Gow. Hibs have also been linked to Steve Lovell and are yet to make a decision on Fabian Yantorno.

What will shape their season:- Consistency. Hibs are capable of beating any side in Scotland on their day. When they are at their best, they pour forward in numbers, and are capable of sweeping away their opposition. When they don’t play, they have a habit of losing their discipline and matches they should otherwise win. Finding a goalkeeper they can rely on has been the task of Hibs managers for years, and this summer is no different.

Key player:- Brian Kerr will be important, not least as Hibs have lost Guilleume Beuzelin - the unsung hero of their midfield - to Coventry. Steven Fletcher will continue to be amongst the goals, as long Real Madrid don’t come calling. The real key to their season could lie with whoever they sign to fill the goalkeepers’ position. Goalkeepers have cost Hibs dearly in the past few seasons, and a solid ‘keeper could fill the rest of the side with confidence.

Inverness Caledonian

How did they do last season:- A fairly forgetable season for Caley meant that they finished in 9th position. A failure to score goals was their main downfall, as their home form was actually faily good. As with previous seasons, wins away from Inverness have been hard to come by.

New signings:- Andrew Barrowman (Ross County), Lionel Dejbi-Zadi (SC Verl), Ryan Esson (Hereford)

More to come?:- Caley have made moves to sign Calum Elliot from Hearts, and have Republic of Ireland under 21 Adam Rooney on trial.

What will shape their season:- Finding a regular goalscorer. Marius Niculae has been sold on to raise valuable funds, and club record goalscorer Dennis Wyness has moved on to St Mirren. Even Graham Bayne, who has always been capable of game winning goals, has moved on to Dunfermline. Caley are going to need to replace these goals, or it will be a very long season for them.

Key player:-Don Cowie was in fine form last season, scoring 9 goals. His form attracted the attention of several other SPL clubs, and there are reports that this has unsettled the midfielder. He has a new contract on the table at Caledonian Stadium, and their fans will be hoping he signs it.

Kilmarnock

How did they do last season:- Killie finished 11th last season, and had

New signings:- Allan Russell (Airdrie), Gavin Skelton (Gretna), Connor Sammon (Derry)

More to come?:- Jim Jeffries has indicated that he still wants to bring in another striker. Kilmarnock have been in negotiations to sign Peter Thompson from Linfield for most of the summer.

What will shape their season:- Kilmarnock have sold their top scorer for each of the past three seasons, letting Kris Boyd and Steven Naismith go to Rangers, and Colin Nish go to Hearts. Killie let Paul Di Giacomo and Gary Wales leave the club, and so a striker is a real priority.

Key player:-David Fernandez is the only recognised SPL striker at Kilmarnock, and they are going to have to rely on the veteran again this season. Keeping him fit will go a long way to keeping Kilmarnock in the SPL.

Motherwell

How did they do last season:- A fantastic season for Mark McGhee’s side. McGhee took the same side which had flirted with relegation a year previously, and turned them into a side which were capable of beating any side in the SPL. Their third place finish was well deserved, and were it not for the tragic death of captain Phil O’Donnell they might have pushed the Old Firm a little closer. Form after this event was understandably poorer, but they were still easily the third best side in Scotland last season.

New signings:- Bob Malcolm (Unattached)

More to come?:- Jim O’Brien could be added to the squad from Celtic, while the club could yet make Simon Lappin’s loan move permenant, and sign trialists Souleymane Mamam and Seyfo Soley.

What will shape their season:- Coping with the expectation of being a Top Six side can be difficult for sides which have been used to scrapping at the bottom of the table. McGhee also has had problems with players discipline. With extra UEFA Cup games to come, adding to the squad will be necessary, and they will need to replace Ross McCormack- such an important player last season. Transfer targets have been ambitious, and Motherwell could well build on last season.

Key player:- Stephen Hughes joined Motherwell from Leicester a year ago, and was vital at the heart of Motherwell’s midfield. The workrate and guile of Hughes allowed the players around him to get forward. McGhee plays an ambitious 4-3-3 formation, and it is the men in the middle of the park who make this possible.

Rangers

How did they do last season:- Rarely will a side which finishes with two domestic trophies, and as runners up in both UEFA Cup and League be disappointed with their season. Competing on all four fronts took its toll on the squad, and allowed Celtic back into the League. Rangers are unlikely to compete on all four fronts to the same extent, but stopping Celtic from winning a 4th title will be the priority.

New signings:- Madjid Bougherra (Charlton), Andy Webster (Wigan), Kenny Miller (Derby), Andrius Velicka (Viking FK), Kyle Lafferty (Burnley),

More to come?:- Walter Smith is still hoping to add a centre back to his side, with bids for Glen Loovens and Dickson Etuhu. The transfer of Steven Davis from Fulham looks to be dead.

What will shape their season:- Barry Ferguson will miss at least a couple of months of the season, and how Rangers cope with that will go much of the way to deciding how they will finish. The 0-0 draw with Kaunas was far from impressive, and a 4-0 friendly defeat to Liverpool will not inspire confidence in a side which sorely missed their captain. Someone will need to take on the captain’s role in his abscence.

Key player:-With Ferguson out, Rangers commanding defenders will be even more important. David Weir isn’t the youngest member of the squad, but his partnership with Carlos Cueller (who looks likely to stay at Rangers) will again be the basis around which the team is built.

St Mirren

How did they do last season:- A poor season saw St Mirren in relegation trouble until Gretna went into administration. No side scored as few goals as St Mirren, and Gus McPherson’s side will need to improve significantly if they want to survive this year.

New signings:- Steven Robb (Dundee United), Jack Ross (Falkirk), Tom Brighton (Milwall), Dennis Wyness (Inverness Caledonian Thistle)

More to come?:-Gus McPherson has said he wants to strengthen his side ahead of the new season, but there has been little movement in the transfer market.

What will shape their season:- Scoring goals. St Mirren scored just 9 goals away from home last season, and only 17 at home. Dennis Wyness should help them improve on that tally.

Key player:- Andy Dorman was one of the few bright spots from last season, and there were fears from fans that other clubs would take an interest. The Welshman was brought in from New England Revolution in January, and was an ever present in the side, scoring three goals. He is likely to improve on that this season.