I think there are enough differences from the situation St Johnstone found themselves in to say that that is not the case here. For instance, they lost a couple of key players just before the transfer deadline and were unable to replace them with anything like the same quality. We are also, unfortunately, not artificially buoyed by unprecedented success from last season.
I do think that relying on the core of a squad that faltered so alarmingly in the second half of the season shows a degree of optimism in their ability, or the hope that they will improve, that I do not share. Relying on theist of the league to remain pretty awful seems both lazy and foolhardy.