It’s that time of the year where fools go and the devil fears to tread simply put its prediction time. Season 20016-17 can not be understated. The return of Rangers and the massive additional fan base this gives the league generates interest in every game every week. Only time will tell on how accurate this prediction is but anyway here goes.
Ladbrookes Scottish Premiership Predictions
| 1 | Celtic |
| 2 | Aberdeen |
| 3 | Rangers |
| 4 | St Johnstone |
| 5 | Hearts |
| 6 | Ross County |
| 7 | Dundee |
| 8 | Kilmarnock |
| 9 | Partick Thistle |
| 10 | Inverness CT |
| 11 | Motherwell |
| 12 | Hamilton |
Brendan Rodgers ( © Belfast Telegraph)
Can’t really be a surprise to pick Celtic to win this season. Brendan Rodgers simply has to win or be judged a worse failure than he was at Anfield. There can be no slip ups. Interesting signings belay the fact that there is simply too many Players on Celtics books. The Wage Bill is enormous and even reopening areas of the Stands and the new still to be tested Standing area will not reduce the pressure of paying wages for no return. The embarrassment of Lincoln Red Imps shall be the fired at Rodgers if his Hoops lose in Any Match. Celtic to win but not by Much certainly not more than 10 Points.
Derek McInnes (© Ronny Davies)
Aberdeen in Second seems an easy pick too. Oh how every Dons Fan wants to forget October 2015. The usual Consistency Question Mark sits over a soon to be demolished Pittodrie. The Squad seem to take their eyes off the ball for long periods of the season. Draws at Home to Partick and Inverness seem to compound the maintaining of Standards set so High by Derek McInnes who has to be attracting other Clubs wishing a vibrant Manager to reverse their Clubs Fortunes. A Massive season for Aberdeen they simply have to impose themselves as valid Championship Contenders on the Field before as you would expect the Old Firm begin to resume pass the Cup across the Clyde Game they play so well. In addition Aberdeen’s Board have to not focus so much on the New Stadium In Westhill so that they lose sight of the actual business of Playing Football.
New Aberdeen Stadium Plans Westhill Aberdeenshire (© http://www.afc.co.uk)
Rangers in Third seems like a newly promoted clubs Dream but Rangers are not really comparable to the usual promoted Teams. Rangers have a Squad littered with International Class Players, have a well-respected and feared manager in Mark Warburton. Also lets mention the Elephant in the Room have more than a point to prove against Clubs whom in the eyes of Rangers Fans and Board were heinous in their victimisation of Rangers in last five years. As Criminal Proceedings continue it would be unwise to comment but as the dust settles most fair-minded Commentators realise the fervour that was aimed at Rangers and placing the club in the lower divisions was short-sighted and fuelled by Jealous and Hatred. Almost Every Game Involving Rangers in the Premiership will have this edge. The Important things for Rangers Fans is to curb this enthusiasm so its channelled positively and not into any Rod Petrie Style Exuberance. Dave King has Talked the Talk its time he Walked The Walk. The stage is set for him to back himself and his words the question is will he?
Mark Warburton
Saint Johnstone in Fourth seems a push but I like Tommy Wright, he has a workmanlike Managerial style that is displayed by His team week in week out. Perth is blessed with a good tried and tested Squad that can easily spring surprises in the league and should unspectacular hit fourth with no real sparkling individual displays but a great team ethic. To my mind it’s really that short and sweet.
Hearts in Fifth, the Gorgie Club flattered to deceive last year poor in cups and disappointing in the games that mattered. Letting Neil Alexander go seemed fuelled by either lack of ambition or an unwillingness to Pay a seasoned Professional the going Rate. The loss of some experienced players in Tynecastle’s home dressing room will only be exposed in the games when Craig Levine And Co can’t walk onto the Pitch during games and look out for Graeme Hogg style targets. The Fan ownership model and Ann Budge have yet to display that no matter how ethical everything financial is at Hearts it’s yet to deliver anything notable in terms of pure footballing success. Winning the Championship in 2014-15 will not keep Jam tarts fans happy for much longer. A long season ahead for the Maroon Legions.
Ross County In Sixth again much like Saint Johnstone the Dingwall side just seem to consistently be there or there about. Mid Table far from mediocre more secure in knowledge they are safe might interfere with European places might change the destination of the Title and might be the team that pushes a Club mathematically into the Championship or play off place. They will do all this without actually being the club in any of the places neither at top or at bottom.
The City of Discovery’s only representative in the top league in Seventh place. Following James McPake’s horror injury the Dark Blues seemed to be in shock for most of the season afterwards. I witnessed Paul Hartley in a Post Match Press Conference looking like a Crime Watch Victim reliving a Mugging. Too many times last season Dundee were Mugged, robbed of valuable points and the sparkling performances from Gary Harkins shall not be so easily done with the loss of the Highly talented Kane Hemmings. I imagine a tight race for seventh place in a league within a league with Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle. The lack of Dundee Derby’s will give the Dens fans the chance to lord it over their City Rivals in Pubs and Clubs and at work but the missing sparkle and excitement of the rivalry will detract from the feeling with in Dens Park.
Paul Hartley post Match
Kilmarnock in Eighth. It is a punt in the dark. Lee Clark has signed a whole new starting eleven! How quickly they gel and how easily they are accepted is of paramount importance to The Rugby Park faithful. With their own Celebrity You tuber ready to fire off vitriol from the Rugby Park Car Park even before the final whistle its very much up to Lee Clark and Co to silence the uneasy dwindling masses who have more than enough to throw at everyone at Rugby Park. Kilmarnock are a club on precipice of Board room troubles and Player Revolts hand in hand with a Fan Base that is near the end of its tether.
Partick in Ninth for me the best organised team in the league. Alan Archibald has no star players he has a well-drilled squad that collectively is greater than the sum of its Parts . How no Club from down south has whisked Alan away to pastures new is beyond me. Quietly Spoken and intelligent When you look at the Firhill Teamsheet the twelfth man is listed as head Coach because you play twelve when you play Partick. Hard to break down but the rest of the Clubs have seen chinks in the Harry Wraggs armour the question is has Thistles brilliant manager identified them too and filled them with his excellent organisational tactics for the new season.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Tenth for no other reason than the departure of the vibrant John Hughes and the installation of a Player direct from the Dressing Room as Manager Rarely works even the Great Kenny Dalgleish struggled and he was the only real successful transition from Pitch to Dug Out in recent times . Saint Mirren suffered Humiliation and relegation two seasons ago following this route, and it is only the bottom twos making better cases to be in these positions that to my notion prevents Inverness following out of the Premiership. I very much doubt Calley will be out the bottom Six past September and will flirt with Playoff and Relgation all season sure they will still spring a surprise result here and there but not in a way that will propel them up the league.
Will deal with Eleventh and Twelve together or the Lanarkshire derby Hamilton look like their Luck has run out with no new Wonder Kids coming out of their usually Prolific Academy the season looks like a journey back to the Playoffs for The New Douglas Park Club where their Playoff History makes them a force to be reckoned with. Motherwell have the same feel as Dundee United had last term no new blood same old same old for Mark McGhee to pick from and like their Neighbours across the M74 no real exciting Youth prospects to display or even some one in the pipeline. The New Ownership Model seems to strangle Scotland Assistant Coach McGhee’s ability to raid the transfer market and from disappointing survival last season to automatic relegation seems the most likely outcome in May 2017.
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