St Johnstone squad assessed: As Perth club return for pre-season where does Craig Levein still have gaps to fill?

St Johnstone resume pre-season training on Monday.

The contrast between now and 12 months ago is a stark.

A combination of a long free transfer list, a slow start to recruitment and a worrying number of injuries piling up meant Steven MacLean didn’t have anywhere near the amount of senior players to work with.

Things are a lot more encouraging for Craig Levein.

Courier Sport breaks down each area of the pitch to assess where Saints are already looking strong and which parts of the team still need to be addressed.

Goalkeeper

A very, very good main man and three promising young keepers below him.

As things stand, Saints are in a position that would be the envy of a lot of clubs in the Premiership.

We never found out how good Dave Richards is – that may happen at Tannadice – but signing one of the Championship’s best goalies, Airdrie’s Josh Rae, to replace him feels like sound business.

Hopefully, former Scotland under-21 international, Ross Sinclair, will finally get some luck and avoid injury.

He needs to play games on loan, preferably in the league Rae has just left.

And, in Craig Hepburn, Saints have another up-and-coming and local keeper who is highly rated by the McDiarmid Park coaching staff.

The general picture could change drastically if somebody comes in with an acceptable bid for Dimitar Mitov, of course.

And there’s a long time between now and the transfer window closing. The qualities of last season’s player of the year are no secret to potential suitors.

But as long as Mitov is at McDiarmid, Saints are sitting pretty.

Full-back/wing-back

One player’s return to fitness at the ned of April drastically altered the picture on the right.

It shouldn’t be forgotten that Drey Wright was nearly as convincing a player of the year in 2022/23 as Mitov was in 2023/24.

He’s a class act who instantly gave the Saints team a better balance when he was fit for the run-in, bringing calmness on the ball, energy to get up and down the pitch and an ability to travel at pace in possession.

Wing-back still feels like Wright’s best role but his defensive game is of a high enough standard for full-back as well.

David Keltjens’ form fluctuated – understandably, given his lack of football before he arrived from Israel – but he definitely comes into the ‘will feel the benefit of a full pre-season’ category.

With Fran Franczak and Dare Olufunwa other options on the right, I’d be happy with what Levein already has on that side.

It’s a different story on the left, though.

That’s a priority position in need of strengthening.

Graham Carey can fill-in as a wing-back, and Keltjens has shown he can switch flanks, but a forward-thinking left-sided defender would elevate this team, perhaps more than any other player.

My preference would be an Adam Montgomery (full-back or wing-back) type rather than a Luke Robinson (full-back or centre-half) option.

Actually, just go and get Adam Montgomery and be done with it!

Central defence

By some distance, this is where the real change from one season to another is likely to be felt.

Of the four players who featured most regularly at centre-half over the course of the last campaign, Robinson and Andy Considine have left, Liam Gordon is likely to sign for a club in England and nothing has been said about Ryan McGowan’s future.

Dundee United fans were disappointed to see Sam McClelland go after his short but very sweet, title-clinching, loan spell at Tannadice.

The Northern Irishman will be given the chance to earn a starting jersey.

If signed, Ghanaian under-20 international, Aaron Essel, would be a project player, meaning two more centre-halves (bringing leadership and experience) are still required, preferably one of them left-footed.

Central midfield

At the turn of the calendar year, the prospect of losing Dan Phillips was a grim one.

He had a strong claim to be Saints’ best outfield player at that point.

The Trinidad and Tobago international’s form waned over the last couple of months of the season, though.

Phillips no longer feels irreplaceable.

A combination of Sven Sprangler and Matt Smith or Cammy MacPherson gives you a destroyer and a passer/tempo controller.

Athleticism and a goal threat are the two qualities I’d be hoping to see added in a box to box midfielder.

Connor Smith has been linked with a move out of McDiarmid and back to Hamilton, so it’s likely he won’t get the chance to fill that role.

Franczak has to be factored in – and Max Kucheriavyi can cover for Smith and MacPherson – but there’s still a need for one more.

Wide midfield/attack

Graham Carey’s left foot has always been important to this team.

It’s the biggest unlocker of doors and creator of goals Saints have.

With Uche Ikpeazu to aim for, that isn’t likely to change next season.

Taylor Steven’s best position with Alloa was on the right of a front three.

If he re-signs, that’s more depth.

But a peak-age, Premiership-ready, wide player was the biggest thing missing in the Saints side last season.

I’d want to see that remedied.

Centre forward

As with his goalkeepers, Levein has no need to sign any more number nines.

Some supporters questioned why the Perth boss made a centre forward his first summer signing but it’s the hardest position to get right – as MacLean found to his cost with Luke Jephcott – and everybody else in the league will be looking for one.

Ikpeazu hasn’t been recruited for his goals.

He’s here to help bring the best out in others – more facilitator than finisher.

Despite the hype building around Adama Sidibeh, it’s hard to imagine an English Championship club wanting to buy him on the back of just a few months’ worth of professional football and scoring all his goals against Premiership bottom six opposition.

Saints fans love him, season tickets will be sold on the back of his continued presence and it will be fascinating to find out how high his ceiling for improvement is.

Levein has a good blend of options.

Nicky Clark’s penalty box instincts and link-up play will still be important and, as Sidibeh was grabbing goals and headlines in April and May, Benji Kimpioka was quietly adjusting to the Scottish game and looking an increasingly more rounded striker.

It wouldn’t be a shock if Stevie May left given Levein made him available for loan in January but, if the club legend stays, his shot at game-time is likely to be off the left and off the bench.