Pre Season Predictions

The Scottish Football Season kicks off in a few hours, much to the disgust of many Scottish football figures including Inverness manager Terry Butcher, who declared it a farce, and I have to agree with him. Being three weeks early of the English Premiership starting, and allowing for pre season friendly’s to occur after the season has started is taking the biscuit quite clearly. The Scottish football season put bluntly should start at the same time as its English counterparts, be it either the Championship or the Premiership.

However, with it starting tomorrow, it is time for the annual pre season predictions, which is a reason to look back in ten months time and laugh at how hopelessly I get it wrong. So here goes:

1st - Rangers: Should make it four in a row in a tightly contested competition with Celtic. The only reason for having Rangers ahead of Celtic is due to the managers at both clubs. While Neil Lennon at Celtic is likely to continue hogging all the spotlight, Ally McCoist will be happy to leave him to it, and will instill his players with the confidence to take the top position.

Key Player: Nikica Jelavic

2nd - Celtic: See above.

Key Player: Kris Commons

3rd - Hearts: Not a shock to many, as Hearts ran away with third position last season and I presume they will do the same this season. Some assured signings from Jim Jefferies in Mehdi Taouil, Jamie Hamill and John Sutton are likely to see Hearts continue cementing third position as their own. They may not push the Old Firm as much as many would like, but they should confirm third place and keep the status quo going in Scotland.

Key Player: Andrew Driver

4th - Aberdeen: Did not have the season they were expecting last season, with Mark McGhee not having the return to Aberdeen that he was expecting, culminating in some shocking defeats and an embarrassing exit for the former Don great. However, with Craig Brown now at the helm, he is likely to do the same as he did at Motherwell and continue to prove that he grows better with age. They should make sure of 4th quite comfortably if Brown gets his team gelling together in the manner he usually does.

Key Player: Scott Vernon

5th - Dundee United: After Aberdeen it comes down to a straight fight between roughly everyone else to fill the remaining two positions in the top six. Dundee United have been gutted of a few strong players over the pre season weeks, and will be weakened for it, however, if they continue to keep David Goodwillie at the head of their attack then he should get the goals to keep them strong in the top six. If they do fail to keep him though, they could struggle for a top six position.

Key Player: David Goodwillie

6th - Kilmarnock: Alexei Eremenko has now left them, after being the star of the league last season, and along with Bryson, Hamill and Taouil they may struggle over the first few weeks with a new team trying to work together. However, if Kenny Shiels continues to keep the Mixu way of playing then they should be comfortably safe, maybe even sneaking a top six position. Paul Heffernan and Gary Harkins should get a few goals between them and that should get the Killie into the top six.

Key Player: Liam Kelly

7th - Motherwell: Rookie manager in Stuart McCall could give them a bit of a problem, and their first full season without Craig Brown may prove that the old manager made the team, especially with what I predict him to do at Aberdeen. They have enough quality about their team though to make sure they are comfortably clear of relegation and should fight both Dundee United and Kilmarnock, alongside Hibs and St. Mirren for a top six position.

Key Player: Jamie Murphy

8th - Hibs: The speculation over the future of Colin Calderwood has finally went away, with the ex Newcastle assistant finally confirming that his future lies with the Edinburgh side. Shrewd signings in both O’Connor and Sproule returning to the Hibees has led many to believe that Hibs could push into the top six this season. I however, look at the record of Calderwood at Hibs, and still believe that he may struggle this season with greater expectations on his shoulders.

Key Player: Garry O’Connor

9th - St. Mirren: Steven Thompson will prove to be a very good signing I feel and I am quite confident in predicting that he will get over a double figure total scores for this season. Gary Teale can provide him with the deliveries the big man needs to score goals. However, it is at the back that the Buddies will once again come unstuck, cracks will open and inconsistency will appear. A season of some cracking and some weird results will occur, but St. Mirren should be safe and have the nack of fighting off relegation that should see them clear by the start of the split.

Key Player: Steven Thompson

10th - Inverness: Losing Adam Rooney was a bitter blow for Terry Butcher, and the second season curse should strike in, after losing that “new kid in town” effect they may struggle. A lack of firepower and a touch of inconsistency will see them in a three team battle for the relegation spot, but they should succeed in avoiding such a fate, if not for their team, but for the fear of God, Butcher will put into them.

Key Player: Richie Foran

11th - Dunfermline: The difference between previous seasons and this season is that a lot of teams that would usually be fighting relegation season after season have got a hell of a lot stronger. Kilmarnock and St. Mirren should easily clear the relegation battle, and that only leaves a few teams. Jim McIntyre is currently trying to build a team worthy of a position in the SPL, but his team is littered with those only good enough for the 1st division and I can only envisage a struggle in their, and McIntyre’s first season in the big league.

Key Player: Paul Burns

12th - St. Johnstone: It just sometimes happens that a manager finally reaches a period where he can’t take a team any further, it happened with Jim Jefferies at Kilmarnock, Gus MacPherson at St. Mirren and it may now happen with Derek McInnes at St. Johnstone. There was a period of struggle last season with the Saints and McInnes managed to navigate that period, just. This season though is a different matter and with a load of better teams, the Saints are my pick for the drop. The quicker that McInnes gets his deserved move down south, the better for St. Johnstone, or he could just become another manager who should have moved on to better things, but instead held on to long and everything ended in disaster.

Key Player: Murray Davidson

Posted in: Aberdeen,Butcher,Celtic,Dundee Utd,Dunfermline,Hearts,Hibs,Inverness,Kilmarnock,Motherwell,Predictions,Rangers,St. Johnstone,St. Mirren