No news is good news?

While clubs like Inverness, St Mirren, Dundee United and Hibs have already strengthened for next year, we have had no arrivals. Mark McGhee is no doubt looking high and low for players who can improve the squad but he has at least been successful in keeping their names from the media.

We saw last year that bringing in players better than we had was not always easy - a youth goalkeeper was signed rather than someone with experience and despite misgivings about our defence, no central reinforcements arrived.

Instead McGhee decided to bide his time and to commit his budget only when he knew it would make a difference. Opinion may be mixed on some of his signings but having finished third place, by a convincing seven point margin, he is entitled to demand absolute trust from the fans.

Last year's achievement is put into perspective by looking at the points totals of our previous good seasons. In 2007/8, we averaged 1.58 points a game. If that is compared to our fourth place in 2000 (1.4), second place in 1995 (1.5) and third place in 1994 (1.68, if converted to three points for a win), McGhee's record stands up very well.

Improving or matching that performance again will be very difficult indeed. However, we do not look like losing any of our irreplaceable players and if that happy state remains throughout the summer we will have every chance of doing well again - even if the close season is rather boring.