ABERDEEN
Marks out of ten: 4
Overview: The best thing you can say about the Dons' season is that they haven't gone backwards - they finished 9th in the league for the third consecutive time. Craig Brown has just about worked out how to solidify the backline, but at the expense of attacking flair and goals. Attendances at Pittodrie are as low as they have ever been, and there is a feeling of apathy both on and off the pitch. There were, briefly, hopes of cup glory - only to be dashed by yet another semi-final defeat, the fifth in five years in domestic cup competitions.
Star man: Finnish midfielder Kari Arnason joined from Plymouth last summer and added class in the centre of the park, as well as proving capable of playing at centre-back if need be. He's unlikely to stay beyond the summer, though, unless his wage demands are met.
Waste of space: Mohamed Chalali had never scored a senior goal before he joined the club; the striker broke his duck but managed only two, forcing his way into the starting lineup only five times. It's no surprise his contract hasn't been renewed.
Is the future bright? Another summer, another clearout. But Brown's budget is not going to be increased, and while several of the youngsters look promising, the likes of Fraser Fyvie might not be able to resist the temptation to move south. Barring a long-overdue cash injection to improve the squad, there's no obvious reason why the Dons should be obvious candidates for next season's top six.
CELTIC
Marks out of ten: 8
Overview: Opinion is a bit split on how to judge Celtic's season. On the one hand, they won the league at a canter, after a horrendous start which left Neil Lennon on a shoogly peg back in the Autumn. Any championship is not to be sneezed at. Alternatively, it could be said that, given Rangers' problems, a title win was the absolute minimum expected requirement. They could and should have won more this season; whilst defeats in the League Cup final and Scottish Cup semi came with some controversy, the team did not play well on either occasion, and were comprehensively defeated in two Old Firm games.
Star man: As I've said before, if you told me a year ago that Charlie Mulgrew would be Player of the Year, I'd have had you sectioned. But Mulgrew proved adept in several positions for the Bhoys, and his set piece delivery and goal threat were a welcome bonus.
Waste of space: Mohamed Bangura's first season in Scotland was wrecked by injuries. Three starts and no goals is a rotten return so far for the £2 million fee that Celtic paid for the Sierra Leone striker last summer.
Is the future bright? The issues affecting the other half of Glasgow almost guarantee title wins for the next few years and the chance to build a domestic dynasty. Lennon's reputation will increasingly stand on his ability to lead Celtic to success on the European stage. He has a good record for good-value buys in the transfer market - can he keep it going?
DUNDEE UNITED
Marks out of ten: 7
Overview: It's incredible to think that there were doubts about Peter Houston's job security after a poor start to the season, but from about December the Arabs clicked in spectacular fashion, with goals flowing and some good football on display. Had the campaign been a few weeks longer they would have overhauled Motherwell for third spot, but a repeat of last year's fourth spot is an excellent return. Having knocked Rangers out of the cup at Ibrox, the only major disappointment was a tame loss to Celtic in the next round after Robbie Neilson's early red card.
Star man: Captain Jon Daly hit the form of his life this season; always a solid, hard-working target man, the Irishman hit the goal trail this season and finished with 22 in all competitions, ending up on the shortlist for Players' Player of the Year.
Waste of space: Slovak striker Milos Lacny arrived on loan from Sparta Prague in January, but injury problems limited him to just six sub appearances and a solitary goal.
Is the future bright? Houston managed to rebuild the team last summer after losing some important players - with Dusan Pernis, Garry Kenneth, Paul Dixon, Danny Swanson and Scott Robertson set to bid adieu, can he do it yet again? It's no secret that United are cost-cutting and I expect Johnny Russell and Gary Mackay-Steven to be the subject of tempting offers this summer. A sixth straight top six finish will not come easy.
DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC
Marks out of ten: 1
Overview: The newly-promoted Pars actually made quite a solid start to the campaign...and then everything went completely belly-up. By the time Jim McIntyre was sacked as manager, they had won only 2 of the previous 26 league games, and replacement Jim Jefferies was unable to perform the required miracles to keep them up. Off the field, the club revealed it had budgeted for much higher crowds and had to close a stand at East End Park, and at one point a delayed payment of gate receipts from Rangers led to wages being delayed. Dunfermline's return to the SPL was short and anything but sweet.
Star man: Winger Joe Cardle had plenty of off-days, but he was always willing to give it a go and chipped in with 8 SPL goals. He's one of the few in the squad who might have a chance of staying in the top division.
Waste of space: Few of the players could be faulted for effort - the problem was simply that they weren't good enough. Goalkeeper Chris Smith was the pantomime villain - after being thrust into action after a season-ending injury to Paul Gallacher, he became notorious for blunders - not least his 96th minute fresh-air kick which gifted Inverness an equalizer in the cup (plus another howler in the replay) which denied the Pars a lucrative tie with Celtic in the next round.
Is the future bright? As Dunfermline found out the last time they were relegated, the first division is not easy to get out of. Many of the players in the squad won the division in 2010-11 at the club, and they will certainly be considered amongst the favourites for promotion next year.
HEARTS
Marks out of ten: 7
Overview: Everything is rosy if you win the cup, especially if you beat the league champions in the semi-finals with a last-gasp penalty, then annihilate your local rivals in the final. So Hearts fans will forgive a pretty erratic league campaign, where top six never looked in danger but a finish above fifth place never looked likely. After a mediocre start, results under Portuguese coach Paulo Sergio steadily improved, and so did the quality of the football. But at the start of the season this squad looked more than capable of third place, and Vladimir Romanov is more interested in selling the club than strengthening it.
Star man: I swear Rudi Skacel does nothing except score goals...but he came up with 17 from midfield this season. The veteran Czech is a darling of the Hearts support, who will be devastated if, as expected, he and his deadly left foot are allowed to depart Gorgie for good.
Waste of space: Signed last summer from Motherwell amid a bit of fanfare, John Sutton was a huge disappointment - his confidence appeared to evaporate within a few minutes of pulling on a Hearts jersey. He was shipped out to Australia on loan in January.
Is the future bright? It wouldn't be Hearts if there wasn't uncertainty surrounding the coach - at the time of writing it is unclear if Sergio will be kept on. The impending departure of first team regulars such as Ian Black, Adrian Mrowiec, Stephen Elliott and (probably) Skacel does not bode well - it's likely that several Academy players will be thrown in at the deep end next year.
HIBERNIAN
Marks out of ten: 3
Overview: Hibs might well have been relegated had they not sacked Colin Calderwood in November. His replacement, Irishman Pat Fenlon, steadied the ship with a number of loan signings, but he had to wait till the penultimate game of the season for his first home league win and it wasn't until then that the Hibees were safe. Under Fenlon's charge they won only 5 of 23 league games (with 19 points out of a possible 69) and finished one place and four points worse off than last time round. A cup run lifted some of the gloom...until an absolute tanking in the final by their nearest rivals Hearts. It was very much a season to forget.
Star man: There were long periods where he didn't seem to be pulling his (excessive) weight, but it's hard to begrudge Garry O'Connor his 16 goals in all competitions this season. The former Scotland international is likely to end his second spell at Easter Road this summer, though.
Waste of space: Take your pick of several excellent candidates. I'm plumping for Martin Scott, signed for £100,000 from Ross County 18 months ago and who has so far made only 29 appearances for the club. In pre-season he broke a teammate's jaw in a training ground fight, and he has been out of first team contention for months (possibly due to a bust up with Fenlon). He was publicly made available for loan in March...and there don't appear to have been any takers.
Is the future bright? Most of the loanees will not be back. Neither will club captain Ian Murray, and probably not O'Connor. For the second summer in a row, there will be a huge rebuilding job for Hibs, though Rod Petrie has at least got a reputation for giving his managers a decent wage budget. The Tache will splash the cash, but will Hibee hopes continue to be dashed?
L.
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