INSANITY is repeating the same mistake over and over again and expecting different results.

As Scottish football tends to be less than sane, at least most of the time, there is a tendency to rush to the same wrong conclusion and then repeat. And repeat. With not a single lesson learned.

It’s the time of year when snap judgements are always made about managers, players and teams as a whole. There is no grey area. The final judging tends to be that the team is either brilliant or rubbish.

After just one pre-season match.

So, judging Livingston after a 2-1 win over Airdrie in the Betfred Cup is a bit mad; however, you can still make observations about how the newly-promoted side are shaping up.

They are supremely fit, full of energy and enthusiasm which you would expect, perhaps prone to switching off which did cause them a goal at the weekend, they certainly need more players, preferably with some Premiership experience and while they are favourites to finish 12th, they probably have enough about them to have a fighting chance – which is all they can ask for.

Player-manager Kenny Miller will lead from the front. Does he ever age? Scott Robinson and Scott Pitman, who scored as did veteran Lee Miller, are busy and positive players, and as a team they do a lot of talking.

This might be the basics but if you don’t get them right then trouble will lurk.

They go to Hamilton tomorrow night and Miller believes he will know a lot more about where his squad stand after they take on a team which has made Premiership survival their speciality.

Miller said: “We are still working on bringing in a first team coach as well as new players. You can see we are not quite where we should be with regards to numbers in our squad. Hopefully we will see some movement on that this week.

“We are the new team in the Scottish Premiership, have come up through the play-offs and we are the lowest ranked side in the league.

“Which is why Tuesday’s match against Hamilton will give the team an early gauge and it will let the lads know what is expected of them for the up-and-coming season.

“It will give the lads a little insight into what the step up is going to be like and what we are going to face for the majority of the season. Hamilton are a team that we have seen in the Premiership for a number of years now and it will be a real test for us.

“The players have worked very hard to get into the Premiership and they want to stay there.”

Craig Sibbald signed from Falkirk and has always been a player who looked as if he could handle the step-up. He will have a big part to play.

And if they all follow the example of the gaffer who knows what it takes to compete at the top level, then they will do okay.

Sibbald said: “The manager demands high standards and that is always a good thing.He is up for a bit of a banter and he joins in with the craic and that.

“When he has to be serious he will be serious but he still joins in with the jokes and stuff as well. I’ve not heard anybody shout at him yet during a game. That might have to happen at some point this season but it will not be coming from me anyway!

“He has been brilliant since he came into the club and he is getting us to pass the ball more than usual. I enjoy that style of play because I am used to it.

“It is a first for a lot of the players to have their boss as a team mate. It is quite weird to shout ‘gaffer’ when you want to receive a pass and the boys are getting used to it now.

“He is a good link-up player but he also knows that if there is an easier pass on then we will have to play that. I have not felt any pressure yet to give him the ball simply because he is the manager.”

Livingston are up against it. St Mirren look in better shape, while Hamilton and Dundee are, on paper, much stronger.

But Miller is confident that with a few more players and a few tweaks, last season’s surprise package could repeat that trick.

It’s going to be an interesting watch.