SPL Predictions

Well the big kick-off is only a few days away now. Many of us SPL fans will be looking forward to what’s in store for the new season, but some of us will be dreading what lies ahead.

Here’s how I think the league table will look like come the end of May next year.

1. Celtic

2. Aberdeen
3. Rangers
4. Hearts

5. Dundee United
6. Motherwell

7. Hibernian
8. Falkirk
9. Inverness
10. St. Mirren
11. Hamilton

12. Kilmarnock

Okay, so maybe more how it would ideally end up rather than how it will. Although there are justified reasons as to why who is where.

Celtic will run away with the title in my opinion. At the moment they are just, quite frankly, better than everyone else. Although saying that, they are beatable by anyone but every team has their day. They won’t though, in my opinion, win anything but the league, like the past season.

Aberdeen seem to have followed the same path with Calderwood as they did with Ferguson. And, I think, this is our season. We will finally split the Old Firm, and along with that, take the diddy cup with us. No, we don’t play any attractive or entertaining football, but we get the results when they matter. And if we’re just ahead or just behind Rangers going into the split, we will do it in my opinion.

Rangers’ and Walter Smith’s 4-5-1 formation will not work this season. They used up all their luck last season in the UEFA Cup run. Kenny Miller works well in a 4-5-1 for Scotland, but that’s with different players around him, giving him different service, which he won’t get at Ibrox. Let’s just face it, all of their players are duff barr three, and one of them’s a goalkeeper and one of them never gets a game.

Hearts have always been a good team, and have one good season then one bad and so on. Last season must have been the bad considering they finished in the bottom six so it’s their turn this season to be near the top again. And with a new manager and less Kaunas loanees, things are looking up at Tynecastle.

Dundee United are so over-confident that they have European football in the bag this season that they won’t get it. They will fall at the final hurdle, the split, yet again. They also lost their top scorer from last season this summer for a sum of money they won’t get a player as good as him to replace him. I can’t wait to see them fail again.

Motherwell had a great season last season and thanks to it will be playing in the UEFA Cup this season. McGhee has done to Motherwell what Calderwood did when he arrived at Aberdeen. One brilliant season then the next brought us back down to earth again. Top six wooden spoon I think.

Hibernian went on a streak of not scoring in 9 games during pre-season. They also lost to Cowdenbeath and Clyde. However, I don’t think they will be that bad once the season starts but have a feeling they may miss out on top 6, narrowly.

Falkirk came within 8 minutes of their first ever top 6 finish last season, but thanks to Chris Maguire we stole their place in the last game before the split. I don’t think they’ll make it again this season, they’ve signed Jackie McNamara for godsake. I don’t think they know the expiry date on his boots said best before August 2007.

Inverness are not very good. At all. Bottom 6 again for them. Hovering above relegation for most of the season.

St. Mirren will just be St. Mirren. Taking the usual humping. Hovering just above relegation, occasionally slipping into it.

Hamilton – the SPL new boys. I think they’ll do okay for the most part of the season, and then slip down nearer relegation towards the end. I’m sure they’ll be happy just staying up though.

Kilmarnock have to get relegated. They are more boring than Rachel. Their football is so unentertaining it could be used as torture. And their ground is the most soul-less in the SPL. Get them out.