Power rankings - mid-June

I'm already bored of the World Cup.

It's one thing for sides like Honduras, New Zealand and North Korea (until they actually start acting as a Democratic Peoples Republic then we should keep calling them that, however much they moan) to park not only the bus, but the train and the aeroplane, in front of goal. Its another to see a match such as France-Uruguay, or Portugal-Ivory Coast, where both sides look positively allergic to attacking.

So my mind is already wandering to the upcoming SPL season - it is purely coincidental, of course, that Inverness were promoted at the exact moment of the sudden return of my interest in Scotland's top division.

So who is looking good at the moment, and who is looking not so good? Well, I'm going to nick something from American sports - no, not timeouts, cheerleaders or the concept of "assists" - but a nice concept they use called Power Rankings. It is entirely opinion-based, but is basically a way of ranking teams when everyone is separated into different conferences and divisions.

So, at the moment, this is how I see the SPL. My hope would be to do another set prior to the start of the season, when a bit more transfer business has been done.

1) RANGERS
Ups - Kept Walter Smith. Return of Andy Webster
Downs - no sale of the club. No new players. Kris Boyd gone.
Overall - Stay top because of similar uncertainty of Celtic, but a few signings are needed.

2) CELTIC
Ups - Managerial situation is sorted.
Downs - question marks over Lennon's experience. No new signings. No sign of Robbie Keane returning. Lots of dead wood in the squad which will be difficult to move on.
Overall - Little progress at Celtic Park so far. No suggestion of improvement so far.

3) HEARTS
Ups - Good signings in Darren Barr and Kevin Kyle
Downs - Likely to lose Andy Driver soon
Overall - Unusually sensible signings for Hearts. They've shifted some folk off the wage bill as well, but need a creative force in midfield.

4) DUNDEE UNITED
Ups - No concrete offers yet for the better young players.
Downs - Andy Webster is gone. Lee Wilkie has retired. The defence looks threadbare.
Overall - With other clubs sniffing around Conway and Goodwillie, Peter Houston may have to make some shrewd transfer moves.

5) HIBERNIAN
Ups - Have held on to their best players. Have got shot of the petulant Benjelloun.
Downs - Little in the way of signings to freshen up the side.
Overall - Little action so far at Easter Road

6) ST JOHNSTONE
Ups - Have grabbed a useful veteran forward in Scott Dobie. Convinced Michael Duberry to stay
Downs - Cillian Sheridan's return to Celtic, and possible return to part-time play of Kenny Deuchar leave the attack lightweight.
Overall - Derek McInnes' side do not look any weaker than at the end of last season.

7) MOTHERWELL
Ups - Convinced midfielders Tom Hateley and Stephen Jennings to sign for another year.
Downs - Loss of their Everton duo (Ruddy and Jutkiewicz) at the end of their loan spells. Loss of Jim O'Brien.
Overall - lots of holes which Craig Brown needs to fill in his squad for the new campaign.

8) HAMILTON
Ups - James McArthur is still here (for now). Convinced Jim McAlister to turn down other sides to join them from Morton.
Downs - No cash to sign James Wesolowski, Mickael Antoine-Curier or Brian Easton permanently.
Overall - Expect McArthur to leave, but for decent cash which Hamilton will invest wisely.

9) INVERNESS
Ups - Everyone offered a new contract at the end of May has signed one
Downs - Lack of cover in goal and defence.
Overall - ICT look to emulate St. Johnstone and prove again that the gap between SPL and division one is small.

10) ABERDEEN
Ups - Signed Northern Irish defender Rory McArdle
Downs - loss of several first teamers (Mulgrew, Kerr, McDonald) plus no funds to make Jim Paterson's or Steven MacLean's loans permanent.
Overall - Mark McGhee has nothing to work with so far, unless he knows something about his youth players which we don't...

11) ST MIRREN
Ups - Finally appointed a manager.
Downs - Loss of Billy Mehmet and Andy Dorman. Several experienced players not offered new deals
Overall - I'd like to see Danny Lennon succeed, but his minimalist budget will make it awfully hard.

12) KILMARNOCK
Ups - errr......
Downs - So much procrastination about replacing Tangoman. The loss of Kyle, Severin and Maguire.
Overall - If Thomas Hassler does get the manager's job, I'll be amazed if he can keep this bunch up.

As I said, this is just the way things look now. Obviously teams who have done a lot of business already - Hearts, St Johnstone, Inverness - have leapfrogged the likes of Motherwell and Aberdeen for now. I'll take a look at it again once the World Cup is over.

Regards

L.