The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The faces might be different but the ambition at Livingston will be the same heading into their second season in the SPFL Premiership.
Survival is all that matters to the club with the smallest budget in the top flight and, just like last year, they’ll scrap all the way to achieve it.
Gary Holt was, correctly, in the conversation for manager of the year last term after the Lions upset all the odds to clinch ninth spot and secure their survival with six games remaining.
But serving up an encore this term might very well be an even greater achievement.
The core of the side that performed miracles to get the club from League One to Premiership is now all but gone.
Out go Craig Halkett, Declan Gallagher, Liam Kelly, Shaun Byrne and Nicky Cadden, while Raffaele de Vita has been loaned out for the season to Championship side Partick Thistle.
In come the unknowns of Matija Sarkic, Aymen Souda, Ibrahima Savane and Cece Pepe, sprinkled with the astute arrivals of Marvin Bartley, Nicky Devlin and Robbie Crawford.
It will take a while for the fans to know who is who and, no doubt, it will take the players and staff some time to figure out what works best.
But one thing you can be sure of is that the Lions will still rely heavily on their all-out effort, fight for the badge, taking- no-nonsense routine that has served them well.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Even if the parts have changed.
That’s not to say there’s a lack of flair and skill in the team. Souda looks set to be a fans’ favourite while Steven Lawless and Craig Sibbald both showed last term they know how to create chances in the top flight.
The lack of a proven top flight striker is perhaps a worry, but they’ve already shown in the Betfred Cup that there are goals from across the park and if they can be as solid at the back as they were last season then they should be fine.
Yes, folk might be writing off Livi’s chances of repeating last term’s incredible results.
But they went into that season as clear favourites for the drop.
And they went into the season before that expecting to battle against relegation from the Championship.
We all know how they made a mockery of those predictions so count them out at your peril.
Livingston are happy being the underdogs. It’s what they know and they thrive with that tag. They continually prove the doubters wrong.
It’s sure to be another dramatic season at The Spagetthihad.
