It’s stick your neck on the line time as Scottish Premiership action prepares to begin again.
The one thing you can guarantee is that it won’t be quiet, but what team will finish where is hard to call. Celtic will look to fend off a Rangers challenge for the league title while Hearts have designs on cementing third spot once again.
Hibs are under new head coach leadership with David Gray and he will be keen to get the club back into top half territory. That’s the same goal for Jimmy Thelin at Aberdeen, and there’s the added angle of how Kilmarnock and St Mirren will both cope with European qualifiers.
Predicting the Premiership table come May is almost impossible but we’ll do our best to try and decipher who comes where. So much can change between now and the end of the transfer window but as things stand, here’s how we think the league will look at the end of the season.
5. 8th - Motherwell
Such a turnover of players at Motherwell this summer will take time to gel, not to mention the loss of key players like Liam Kelly, Blair Spittal and Theo Bair. They won't endure a nightmare run like they did between September and December last year but another who'll be just shy of the top half. | SNS Group
6. St Mirren - 7th
Toss of a coin stuff. Hibs and St Mirren are the two we think will be battling neck and neck for the final top six spot. We reckon it'll come down to the final day and with Hibs taking on less burden this campaign through no Euro involvement, that's how small the margin that might determine these placings could be. We do think Saints will make Hampden though in either the Scottish Cup or League Cup, with that a landmark the Buddies have still to tick off under Stephen Robinson. | SNS Group
7. 6th - Hibs
As we've said, this Hibs side will have players added to it come the end of the transfer window. That little bit of reinforcement and probable more scope for movement in January in terms of budget when compared to St Mirren has them edging into top six territory. | SNS Group
8. 5th - Kilmarnock
Another strong season for Killie. Not quite the fourth placed finish of last season but more European football to look forward to, having looked sharp against Cercle Brugge. | SNS Group