It's safe to say that it is very unlikely that Livingston fans will ever experience a season quite like they did last year. Despite not being able to attend games, there was plenty of drama, excitement, cheers and tears for fans of the West Lothian club in a very eventful campaign. Gary Holt's tenure at the club came to a sad end before David Martindale took the club on an incredible 14 game unbeaten run that resulted in the club reaching the Betfred Cup final. The Lions would miss out on cup glory but secured a top 6 finish for the second season running, an incredible achievement for the lowest budgeted side in the division.
As always, the new season brings a new set of challenges for the West Lothian club as they look to yet again defy the odds and avoid relegation for a 4th season in the row. The Lions have done a tremendous job in staying away from any sort of a relegation battle since returning to the top division in 2018 but this season may be a little different for a number of reasons. However, with Livingston, you never really know what to expect as the league's perennial underdogs have proven to be a great addition to the league with a number of memorable moments over the years.
As usual, the Lions had to deal with a number of departures, with 13 players released or heading back to their parent clubs at the end of the season. A fair chunk of these names were squad players but a handful will be sorely missed this coming season. The departure of Jon Guthrie is easily the biggest loss as he has been the Lions most consistent player on the park for Livi since joining and alongside Nicky Devlin, has been the only constant figure in the Lions backline for the past two seasons. Guthrie sealed a move to Northampton due to personal reasons leaving Livi with the gargantuan task of replacing their prolific centre back. Centre back now appears to be the biggest concern for Livi this season as Alan Lithgow and Efe Ambrose were both moved on as the Lions never really filled the hole left by Ciaron Brown's departure last January.
Jack Fitzwater is the only centre half to remain at the club from last season but at times found himself far down the pecking order due to injuries and form. Tom Parkes was brought in from Exeter City as the club's main option for replacing Guthrie whilst Ayo Obileye is also comfortable in the backline, although Martindale has already expressed that he sees the former Queen of the South man as a defensive midfielder. Sean Kelly also arrived last week as apparent cover for centre-back but those familiar with the defender from his time at St Mirren and Ross County will know he is more of a left-back. Replacing Guthrie was going to be a gargantuan task but it will be concerning for Livingston fans that they have so few options to naturally slot in at the heart of the defence. Throw in the club's poor defensive record last season (54 in the league, the joint 4th worst) and some shaky showings in the Premier Sports Cup group stages, the Lions look to have moved away from the defensive solidity that has treated them so well in past seasons. The Lions defence conceded an average of 2 goals a game in the final 15 games following the 14-game unbeaten run which should have been the catalyst for the Lions to focus mainly on shoring up their defence.
But if anything the focus from Livi this transfer window has looked to improve the club's attack, with fullbacks Adam Lewis and James Penrice also being signed but with the intentions of being played further forward. Based on the Premier Sports games, Lewis has been deployed in central midfield whilst Penrice has been used as a left-winger as well as in the middle and at his natural full-back position. Full back isn't the position that the Lions needed to bring in faces to replace departing others, with Nicky Devlin and Jackson Longridge set to be the club's starters whilst Jack McMillan fills in on either side. The decision to fit Lewis and Penrice in so far has raised a couple of eyebrows due to the Lions having plenty of bodies within the midfield and wing positions, although disruptions haven't seen Livi with a full squad for the League Cup fixtures so far.
COVID, injuries and a sickness bug has seen David Martindale's first pre-season become heavily disrupted with both players and coaching staff missing a key part of the season's preparation. Alan Forrest, Nicky Devlin and Josh Mullin have all missed the group stages completely whilst David Martindale has commented that Jason Holt and Craig Sibbald have played more than he would have liked them to. A number of other players have been missing alongside assistant manager Marvin Bartley - who appears unlikely to play much this season - and new coach Dougie Imrie, leaving Martindale short-handed during training and on matchdays. This may be the most concerning aspect for the Lions as the season begins on Saturday as the club have a number of key players who aren't up to full fitness. It's unsure as to how long these players will take to get up to full speed which could prove to be costly, especially with Livi's tough start to the season
It's certainly not ideal to have these issues and then have the small task of travelling to last season's unbeaten champions on the first day that fans can return to competitive games. Rangers will have 23,000 fans cheering their team on and will be expecting a show on the opening day, giving Livi a monumental task upon their hands. This game won't tell everything we need to know about where the Lions are as any positive result shall be unexpected, however, if they aren't up to scratch fitness-wise and defensively then it could be a very long day for the West Lothian outfit. The Lions play all of last season's top 4 within the first 6 games of the season which could see Livi adrift at the bottom of the table quite quickly. The home fixture against Motherwell on the 21st of August looks to be the Lions best chance of picking up three points, although they were bested twice by the Fir Park side last season, drawing the other 2-2. A poor run would only continue the Lions pretty dismal form as David Martindale's side have only won 4 out of the last 19 games, with three of those wins coming against lower league opposition. Of course, a new season brings a fresh start but it has to be said that questions may be asked should this form continue into this campaign.
It's not all doom and gloom for Livingston, though, as there have been some exciting signings brought into the club. The signing of Andrew Shinnie came out of nowhere and looks set to be a great piece of business as the former Scotland International will add great quality going forward and experience. Bruce Anderson has also arrived at Almondvale with a lot of prospect following a good loan spell at Hamilton last year. The forward will have a point to prove as he never got the chance to show his former side Aberdeen what he can produce and Livingston has proven to be the ideal place for players like himself to flourish.
Those two players combined with the likes of Alan Forrest, Josh Mullin, Scott Pittman and Jaze Kabia make Livingston appear to be more of a threat in an attacking sense. Livi's 42 goals last season saw them be the league's 5th top scorers, even amongst numerous struggles in finding a settled number 9. Lyndon Dykes, Lars Lokotsch, Scott Tiffoney, Matej Poplatnik, Scott Robinson and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas all had spells as the main man showing a lack of consistency for the club's main focal point. Anderson looks to bring some stability for the Lions attack, whilst Gavin Reilly and bright young talent Jack Hamilton provide competition. Usually known for their defensive solidity, Livi look more likely to rely on the attacking front, at least based on personnel.
Livi will also have to back to the drawing board as they don't have a physical presence up top who will hold the ball up ala Lyndon Dykes or even Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. The Lions had great success by playing balls into the channels but were soon found out as teams started to sit off Livi and force them to come onto them. With this in mind, it seems as if Martindale will be looking for his side to have more movement in order to open up these gaps, as has been seen in their recent fixtures. Livi have operated with their wingers drifting inside in order to create space for the wing-backs to bomb up the line, as two midfielders drop deep in order to receive the ball.
Due to certain personnel being missing, we haven't seen this style be executed at its best just yet, although there may be concerns over the Lions not having that deep-lying playmaker capable of spraying those passes into the channels. Livi appear to be much better when the wide players are able to square up their opponents with the full-back creating a 2v1 opportunity rather than contesting aerial duels or by looking to get in behind, with the returns of Mullin, Forrest and Devlin likely to bring more quality in these positions. If Martindale can get this system up and running effectively, then Livi could be one of the league's most exciting sides going forward this season. With the full backs pushing up high on Livi's attacks, they will need to be cautious of any counter attacks, especially due to the lack of pace within Livi's centre backs. Tenacity and hard work have been a mainstay in Livi's playing style for a good number of years but it may be even more vital in this upcoming one.
For Livingston, the aim each year is to avoid relegation and if you ask the majority of fans, they'd take 10th place off you right now. The club is yet again operating with the lowest budget in the league and if the club can stay away from relegation, it will be considered a successful season. There's factors going against the Lions but as always, they'll be up for the battle. There is a fair amount of uncertainty regarding how the club will perform but time will tell. One thing is for sure, though, and that is that this Livingston side will leave everything out on the park, whether successful or not.
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