Transfer Business
As usual with a team the stature of Hamilton Academical, they are forced to utilise the free transfer and loan market to fill spaces in their squad.
Key players in recent years such as Dougie Imrie, Gary Woods and Ziggy Gordon have all departed. Team togetherness has served the Accies well and each of these will be missed in the dressing room.
You have to admire the replacements identified though, the scouting department have been busy and have been assisted by the board in getting some important signatures on contracts earlier this summer.
Blair Alston and Brian Easton have arrived from St Johnstone and will add solid performances week in, week out.
Another couple of additions are required.
Early Season Form
Four games played in the Betfred Cup has given them a decent platform in which to start their league campaign next week - three wins and a draw in the early stage of the competition. Victories over Clyde, Partick Thistle (penalties) and Airdrie followed a match-day one defeat to Queens Park (penalties).
A concern for the manager and former defender, Brian Reid will be conceding goals to those sides who compete at a lower level.
A 2nd place finish in Group F ensures they head into the last 16 stage as an unseeded side. They will play Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
Player To Watch: Korede Adedoyin
The young Everton winger chose Hamilton over a number of clubs north of the border and abroad. He will spend the season at New Douglas Park to gain some first-team experience.
Adedoyin recently signed a pro contract at Goodison and is highly regarded after scoring 11 goals in 17 appearances for the under-18 side.
With big things expected he could be a stand out performer in Lanarkshire in the coming months.
One For The Future
Will Collar was released by Premier League, Brighton at the end of last season. The midfielder did make a league cup appearance in late 2018 when completing the full match against Southampton.
Having progressed through the youth ranks at the Amex, the defensive midfielder is now 22 and if he is to make a name for himself in the game, now is the time.
Predicted Finish
A bottom-six end to the season looks a certainty for Accies and Brian Reid. With the league scheduled to it's now settled split format, the makeup of the sides from 7th to 12th will determine Hamilton's fate. They avoided the dreaded playoffs last term and it will be a similar aim this time out. 10th or above will be classed as a successful campaign.