Well St Johnstone fans, what did you make of that?
How was the send off to Geoff Brown? And what about the actual match?
Did anyone impress you? Did you think you could snatch a point at the end?
Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland
It has been 233 long days since the Saints won a league match in Perth.
16 December 2023 was the date. A 1-0 win over Hibs was the scoreline. Graham Carey the goalscorer.
Many have named St Johnstone as relegation candidates. We are a fair distance out but if you can’t win at home, you are going to be in real trouble.
Traditionally, the Saints’ problem has been goalscoring but they looked far better in attack than defence this evening, worryingly.
10 league games at home without a win will keep Craig Levein up at night. A new regime above him won't help that insomnia, either. But if there's a manager who will back himself to get out of a corner, it's the old Scotland boss.
Image source, SNSSt Johnstone manager Craig Levein told BBC Scotland he feels his side are "a bit unfortunate not to get anything from the match".
"I thought in spells we played really well. Aberdeen managed to get on top after the first quarter of the match and we struggled a little bit. But we changed the shape and we managed to get back into it in the second half and I thought we played well.
"It's the worst way to lose.
"They got the better of the midfield battle, and we struggled to get that back but the change of shape worked.
"I thought it was competitive, we got loads of crosses into the box and we had some really good chances. We got one, but we just couldn't get the other."
Image source, SNSBenjamin Kimpioka. A genuine outball for St Johnstone, he has the raw materials to be a good striker at this level but needs to polish the edges. See also: Adama Sidibeh.
Matt Smith had a few lovely touches, while Makenzie Kirk made a brilliant impact when he was introduced late on. Andre Raymond also had a few impressive moments defensively.
St Johnstone: Rae, Neilson, Cameron, McClelland, Wright, MacPherson, Essel, M Smith, Raymond, Kimpioka, Sidibeh.
Substitutes: Sinclair, Sanders, Clark, Carey, C Smith, Sprangler, McPake, Kirk, Franczak.
Aberdeen: Mitov, Devlin, Molloy, Rubezic, MacKenzie, McGrath, Heltne Nilsen, Shinnie, Morris, Miovski, Sokler.
Substitutes: Doohan, Jensen, Gueye, McGarry, Besuijen, Milne, Duncan, Ambrose, Stewart.
Image source, SNSKyle Cameron aims to provide a "fresh outlook" as St Johnstone captain after admitting he was surprised to be handed the armband following his loan arrival from Notts County this summer.
The defender, 27, will lead Saints out on his Premiership debut when Craig Levein's side host Aberdeen on Monday night.
"It [the captaincy] was something the manager sort of sprung on me when I turned up here on the Friday before the Arbroath game," he said.
"So it was a welcome surprise and a nice pat on the back and a bit of confidence shown from the management team, which I appreciate.
"Of course it's a challenge, and it can always be difficult because you have a lot of senior lads in there who may not take it rather well, but everyone was pretty spot-on with me and helped me out when I've needed some guidance.
"It's just something I'm really looking forward to and hopefully I can give a bit of a fresh outlook and try to lead without having the last couple of seasons of doom and gloom that's been around. We can start with a fresh mentality and hopefully I can push that.
"I hope I can bring a positive mindset and try and help build a winning mentality within the squad."
Image source, SNSSt Johnstone will be without Nicky Clark (calf) and Andre Raymond (hamstring) while Uche Ikpeazu (knee) faces longer out. Aaron Essel is free from suspension.
Aberdeen are without midfielders Leighton Clarkson (shoulder) and Dante Polvara (hamstring), while striker Duk is unavailable after failing to report back for pre-season training on time.
Bojan Miovski will be in the squad despite intense speculation about his future.
Image source, SNSWhile every one of our reporters predicted Celtic to win the league, opinion was split on who would go down. However, most unfortunately picked the Saints.
Tyrone Smith, our man in the north-east:
They survived by the skin of their Premiership teeth last time round and could well be sucked in to the dogfight at the bottom once again.
Arguably the performances of now Aberdeen keeper, Dimitar Mitov, kept Saints up last term and his departure, as well as the exits of key players like Liam Gordon and Dan Phillips, suggest it could be an uphill struggle for the men from Perth.
Alasdair Lamont, one of the men behind the commentary mic:
Never a pleasant category to predict but St Johnstone’s recent travails suggest it could be another tough season for them.
Craig Levein’s experience and nous may mean they can once again successfully navigate the challenge of staying in the division, but I have my doubts.
Tom English, always paying attention and ready to comment:
Look highly vulnerable again. Might not escape this time.
Image source, SNSSt Johnstone will be without two key players for their Premiership opener against Aberdeen, according to boss Craig Levein.
Striker Nicky Clark and summer signing Andre Raymond will miss out on Sunday's league starter, although there was good news about former Hearts man Uche Ikpeazu's fitness.
“I don’t think he’d be ready,” Levein said of Clark's fitness, despite the 33-year-old returning to the training pitch. “He might be able to join us in training in another two or three days from now, but I don’t think he’d be ready.”
On Trinidad and Tobago international Raymond, Levein added: “He hadn’t done an awful lot of work over the summer, and he'd been playing in the national team and took time off and then when we brought him here, so he wasn’t up to the same speed as the rest of the group."
“Unfortunately he’s just got a little bit of a problem with his hamstring. Nothing too serious, but I don’t know if he’ll make Monday.”
The Perth side are hopeful for another boost in the coming weeks with Ikpeazu set to make his return following surgery.
“Uche [Ikpeazu] had an op on his knee. He will probably be the end of August, I think, round about that time before he’s back, so we’ll get a little bit of a boost in the next month to six weeks.”
Image source, SNSSt. Johnstone last faced Aberdeen on matchday one of a league season in 2016-17, drawing 0-0.
Aberdeen have only lost one of their last 14 league trips to St. Johnstone (W8 D5), going down 1-0 in May 2022.
St. Johnstone are winless on matchday one in each of the previous six league seasons (D2 L4) since a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock in 2017-18.
When opening their league season away from home, Aberdeen have only won one of their last nine such games (D4 L4), beating Dundee United 1-0 in 2015-16.
Since the Scottish Premiership began in 2013, this will be just the second matchday-one fixture played on a Monday, after Ross County’s 1-0 win over Motherwell in 2020-21.
Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSWith the new Premiership season starting this weekend, BBC Sport Scotland have been taking a look at some of the new faces to keep an eye on.
He is not exactly a new signing, but Benjamin Mbunga Kimpioka appears to be a striker reborn following a fairly unspectacular first six months with St Johnstone.
The 24-year-old has picked up the mantle of chief goalscorer in the absence through injury of Uche Ikpeazu, the summer arrival from Port Vale, and uncertainty surrounding Adama Sidibeh after a failed bid from Swansea City since the Gambian's own meteoric rise to prominence after arriving from Northern Premier League side Warrington Rylands in February.
Former Sunderland forward Kimpioka scored five times in four League Cup group games and will be hoping to improve on the strike rate of three in 17 in the last Premiership half season.
Read the rest of Clive's piece here.
Image source, SNSKyle Cameron says his St Johnstone teammates have been a huge help after he was named captain.
The 27-year-old joined the Perth side from Notts County on a season-long loan this summer and was selected by Craig Levein to be the club captain this season, despite the temporary nature of his move.
"Since I've come into full time men's football I've always had some sort of role whether it's captain or vice captain," Cameron told Sky Sports, external.
"It's familiar for me now but it was a surprise coming in and being named captain within the first day of being here. It was a nice extra responsibility to take on board.
"The senior boys have helped out when need be, pointed me in the right direction. In a lot of places it could have been a difficult one but coming here it was really easy."
Image source, SNSHearts defender Lewis Neilson has joined fellow Scottish Premiership side St Johnstone on a season-long loan.
The Dundee United youth product has also signed a year's extension to his deal with his parent club, now running until 2026.
Neilson, who spent last term on loan at Championship side Partick Thistle, has struggled for game time at Tynecastle since joining from United in 2022.
Hearts boss Steven Naismith says the move to Perth will give the 21-year-old "the chance to take even bigger strides by playing consistently in the Premiership".
Meanwhile, Neilson says the decision to join St Johnstone "was a no-brainer" and he feels Craig Levein's "style of play is really going to help my game".
Saints manager Levein added: "Lewis is an exciting defensive prospect and I am sure he will help us over the course of the campaign."
Sam Miller
Fan writer
With new owners and a heap of new and untested players at this level, it's so difficult to gauge how St Johnstone will do this season.
A new approach to scouting has seen us bring in players from Portugal's lower tiers, Ghana, English football academies and the assistant manager's spare room in Andy Kirk's laddie Makenzie.
One positive is that we've navigated the group stages of the League Cup for the first time since we won it, plus our striking options are as good as they have looked in a long time.
With new American owners in, it's a time of change at the club and I hope we can push on and return to the standards that made us look up the table instead of down.
The opening match against Aberdeen at McDiarmid Park will hopefully provide some of the answers.
Predicted finish: Sixth
Standout player: Adama Sidibeh
Game most looking forward to: Aberdeen in league opener
Sam Miller can be found on the Dogger Saints Podcast., external
Image source, SNSLevein congratulates Makenzie Kirk after his first Saints goal
Craig Levein was delighted with how St Johnstone responded to their surprise loss to Alloa Athletic through the week as his side beat East Fife to top their League Cup group.
The manager was scathing of his players as they were stunned by League One Alloa through the week, but they thrashed the Fifers 5-1 to progress to the knockout round.
“We dug a hole for ourselves at Alloa during the week and we managed to get out of it,” Levein told Saints TV.
“Both our strikers got two goals and Makenzie [Kirk] got his first goal for St Johnstone and in general I thought we defended pretty well."
Adama Sidibeh and Benjamin Kimpioka both scored two with Kirk - son of assistant manager Andy - adding the fifth late on.
“We were trying to get as many goals as we could in case there was a draw at Morton. We got five, which was pleasing.
“It’s exciting for me because we still have Uche [Ikpeazu] and Nicky [Clark] to come into the group so we have real competition for places.”
Drey Wright insists St Johnstone must banish the negativity that plagued the club last season. (Courier - subscription), external
St Johnstone are keen to sign Heart of Midlothian defender Lewis Neilson on loan but face fierce competition from several other Scottish clubs for the versatile 21-year-old. (Edinburgh Evening News), external
As he looks for a striker, Ian Murray has confessed Raith Rovers would "look at the options" if 31-year-old Stevie May was made available by St Johnstone, but the manager is unaware of any formal discussions between the clubs. (The Courier), external
St Johnstone youth defender Callan Hamill has travelled with Arsenal’s under-18 squad for pre-season, but the 15-year-old is facing a decision on his future as Celtic have tabled a three-year contract offer. (The Athletic), external
Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full here.
Image source, SNSKilmarnock's Premiership match against St Johnstone at Rugby Park next month will now take place on Sunday, 11 August at 15:00 BST.
The game was originally scheduled to take place a day prior but has been changed because of the Ayrshire side's involvement in Europe on the Thursday before.
Derek McInnes' men will be playing Molde or Silkeborg in Europa League third-round round qualifying if they get past Cercle Bruges.
If Kilmarnock lose to the Belgian side, they will drop into the same stage of Conference League qualifying and will face Tromso of Norway or KuPS of Finland.
