Twelve reflections on the start of a new Scottish Premiership season
A year ago, Michael Beale was managing Rangers, Lee Johnson was with Hibs, Steven MacLean led St Johnstone, Barry Robson was gearing up for the new season as Aberdeen’s manager, and Malky Mackay was in charge at Ross County.
For years, Scottish football used to criticize the frequent managerial changes in English football, calling it a chaotic environment. Now, the situation here is just as, if not more, unstable.
Making predictions is a risky endeavor—consider yourself warned.
With that in mind, here are twelve thoughts on the expected chaos of the upcoming season, ranked by anticipated finishing positions.
Why Celtic Needs Idah
The situation with Adam Idah is evolving into a saga, as he missed Norwich’s trip this week. It’s evident that Idah is eager to join Celtic on a permanent basis, leading to ongoing negotiations between the clubs over his valuation.
Idah made a significant impact during his loan spell, scoring the decisive goal in the Scottish Cup final and several other crucial goals. His physical presence offers a different style compared to Kyogo Furuhashi. Idah scored eight goals in 15 league matches—averaging a goal every 76 minutes, which is impressive compared to Kyogo’s 179-minute average.
Even when excluding the two penalties Idah converted, he still averaged a league goal every 86 minutes, matching Kyogo’s best performance in the 2022-23 season.
At just 23, Idah represents both an immediate asset and a future prospect. Securing him is vital for Celtic.
Anxieties at Ibrox
It’s been a challenging summer for Rangers. The delays with the Ibrox construction, the manager’s frustrations, and poor pre-season results have all contributed to a tumultuous period.
Philippe Clement has expressed his concerns about transfer restrictions, though the acquisition of seasoned center-back Robin Propper seems like a solid move.
Rangers have relied on supportive directors for financial backing, but it appears those days might be coming to an end. They now need to become financially self-sufficient, develop a sustainable player trading model—something they’re still working on—and secure Champions League revenue, which is a significant challenge.
This season is likely to be a tough one for them. Clement may face difficult times ahead, and the fans won’t hesitate to show their dissatisfaction if things go awry.
The Shankland Enigma
Every day brings fresh rumors about clubs expressing interest in Lawrence Shankland. They’re said to be preparing bids, on the verge of making a move—but so far, nothing has materialized.
At Hearts, the consistent message is that no formal offers have been made for Shankland. It seems to be nothing more than speculative chatter driven by various sources.
Shankland’s role at Hearts is undeniably crucial. He scored 44% of the team’s league goals last season and, with four assists, was involved in 28 goals across 37 Premiership matches.
While the speculation continues, there’s no solid evidence yet that Shankland is on the move.
How Can Kilmarnock Progress?
Derek McInnes had a strong season, building a team that proved a challenge for any opponent on their day. They were arguably the best fourth-placed team we’ve seen in some time.
However, scoring goals remains a key area for improvement, as highlighted by their recent exit from the Europa League.
Even with contributions from Danny Armstrong, Marley Watkins, and Kyle Vassell, who had respectable goal tallies, they still finished joint eighth in terms of goals scored last season.
If they can get more goals from their defenders and central midfielders, they could elevate their performance. There’s a good chance they could secure fourth place again and earn another opportunity in Europe.
Life After Miovski
There’s a strong expectation that Bojan Miovski will leave Aberdeen within the next month. The Dons believe they could set a record for the highest transfer fee ever received by the club when the North Macedonian striker departs.
He’s undoubtedly a talented player—an international, in good form, and a proficient scorer. If they can secure around £7 million for him, it would be a significant deal.
While Miovski deserves a shot in a more competitive league, his league goal tally was 12 from open play last season (plus four penalties) and 10 from open play the previous season.
Despite playing in a struggling team, these figures aren’t exceptional. Miovski is replaceable, and Jimmy Thelin is likely scouting potential replacements. The ongoing speculation about Miovski has been evident for some time.
Rooney’s return
Shaun Rooney, a cup final hero for one set of Saints, has now joined a different Saints team—potentially one of the standout signings of the summer.
Rooney is versatile, capable of playing as a right-back, right wing-back, or right centre-back. He can also score goals, having already netted on his debut against Valur on Thursday.
St Mirren could use more goal-scoring options, as their performance in that area was mediocre last season. Rooney brings a strong presence, with plenty of energy and charisma.
Murray on the Fast Track
Dundee’s new striker, Simon Murray, has made an impressive start, scoring five times in his first two League Cup matches.
At 32, Murray is an experienced player, but last season he was among the most underrated in the Premiership. Despite playing for a struggling Ross County side, he netted 23 goals across all competitions, including 14 in the league, and added four assists.
With 18 goal involvements in 37 games, his tally is remarkable for a striker on a lower-placed team.
Tony Docherty has made a smart acquisition in bringing Murray to Dundee. After effectively utilizing the loan system last season, the Dundee manager seems to have secured another strong addition.
Foley and the Gordons
It’s never quiet at Hibs, whether on or off the pitch. Following their defeat to Kelty, Bill Foley—the Black Knight with a 25% stake—had some critical remarks about the Gordon family, who hold just over 60%.
“If the ownership group at Hibernian pays attention to us, they will perform better. So far, they haven’t heeded our input. I believe they will now.”
New manager David Gray could certainly do without internal boardroom tensions. His task will already be challenging enough, and if the 2016 hero is to succeed, a unified and discreet ownership would be highly beneficial.
Have Motherwell Found Another Star?
Two seasons ago, it was Kevin van Veen with 25 league goals, followed by Theo Bair with 15 last season. With Bair now departed, could Apostolos Stamatelopoulos be the next Motherwell striker to shine in the Premiership?
The 25-year-old earned an Australian international spot after scoring 17 goals for the Newcastle Jets in the A-League last season.
From their recent 0-0 draw against Partick Thistle in the League Cup, it’s clear Motherwell could use more firepower up front.
Replacing Bair will be challenging, but Stamatelopoulos has the potential to make a significant impact this season. If he does, headline writers may have their work cut out for them.
The Macedonian Duo
As Dundee United returns to the Premiership, they’ve signed two intriguing Macedonian players who are making a strong impression.
David Babunski, 30, is a former Barcelona La Masia product. An attacking central midfielder, he has played in Macedonia, Japan, Romania, and Hungary. Recently, he’s scored three goals in his last three matches, including a friendly against Luton.
Kristijan Trapanoski, 24, is a wide midfielder and has already netted three goals in his first four games.
While Dundee United’s prospects this season remain uncertain, these players could quickly become prominent figures if their scoring form continues.
Away Day Blues
Ross County narrowly escaped relegation in the play-off final last season, just as they did the year before.
To avoid a repeat of that stressful situation, they need to address their poor away performance. They played 19 away games last season but won only one of them.
They were unable to score in 10 of those matches and collected just nine points out of a possible 57. If Don Cowie can turn around their away form, County should be in a better position.
The acquisition of Ronan Hale from Cliftonville seems like a promising start. The striker has already hit the ground running.
Craig Levein has been busy this summer, overseeing over 30 different transactions. The sense of a fresh start is not limited to the team but extends to the club’s ownership as well.
St Johnstone struggled with scoring last season, managing just 29 league goals. However, there’s optimism with the arrival of Benjamin Kimpioka, who has already scored five goals in the League Cup.
Levein has added more strikers to address this clear weakness and hopes to rectify it—failure to do so could be detrimental.