2026/27 Scottish Premiership preview

 The hopes of a new dawn where more than two clubs could win the Scottish League faded by the end of May, as first Lawrence Shankland and then Derek McInnes hot-footed it to Ibrox. For all Tony Bloom's Jamestown witchcraft, it feels like last season was an altogether rare alignment of the planets, as the Old Firm both went through spectacular crises in the same campaign, whilst other clubs spectacularly raised their game.

I'm not totally convinced there isn't another predicament coming for CELTIC who should be a team in transition but actually seem increasingly like the 'This is fine' meme in football club form. The signings of Kasper Høgh (look at the effort I'm going to here, I even bothered with the 'ø') and Camilo Duran alleviate this a bit but it's very possible that August will bring significant bids for players like Alistair Johnston, Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren, and would you trust the club to adequately replace them, given all the guff they've been spouting about dealing with agents? Moreover, I'm just not confident that guys like Viljami Sinisalo and Yang Hjun-jun are really quite at the level you would expect for a team that aspires to playing in the Champions League Group Stage. If Høgh (that ø again!) scores enough to justify that price tag - and by 'enough' I mean 'a hell of a lot' - that might paper over the cracks sufficiently. But it's a bold strategy, Cotton.

RANGERS at least appear to have a plan. You know that you will get a high floor with Derek McInnes; now is the chance he has been looking for to prove his ceiling isn't terribly limited. Shankland and Youssouf Chermiti should score plenty between them, providing someone (hopefully Findlay Curtis, from a Scotland point of view) can provide the creativity that Mikey Moore delivered last year. I like Ross McCrorie as a no-nonsense option at right-back and Ivor Pandur as an upgrade in goal. Whisper it, but I think they are going to win the league this year, especially if they can get in another good wide player.

It's not outrageous to suggest HEARTS will go backwards, but the question is whether it'll be a small step while new boss Wouter Vrancken finds his feet, or whether it'll be a collapse, which is entirely possible if players acquired from the French Third Division and the English National League turn out to be only up to scratch in a computer database. I have more confidence than that but the exits of Shankland, Cammy Devlin and Alexander Schwolow and the long-term injury to Craig Halkett have ripped the spine out of the Jambos. Defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott and midfielder Sabri Guendouz cost a lot of money and Hearts simply can't afford them to be as disappointing as record signing Ageu (still injured!) was last season. If (when?) good offers come in for Claudio Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis and then a team lacking last season's stars begins to struggle I can't help feeling the fans will get on Vrancken's back quickly.

MOTHERWELL are a more curious case. They clearly anticipated Jens Berthel Askou's departure and have dipped back into the 'European coach with interesting ideas' well, to pluck out Alfred Johansson. I was pretty anxious for them after they sold Elijah Just and Elliott Watt but the early signs are promising. I particularly fancy left-back Dylan Williams, though I'm not sure how he and Emmanuel Longelo will fit in the same team. A lot depends on whether Tawanda Maswanhise can repeat his incredible 2025/26 campaign, or whether the Steelmen can rustle up a replacement if he moves on too. I'm excited to see if Alex Lowry (Wycombe) can finally fulfil the potential he displayed as a Rangers youth, and the sudden emergence of young Mikey Booth is worth watching too. I'd expect a few more new faces before the end of the month which should get them to where they want to be.

It kind of feels like HIBERNIAN are in a bit of a rut, where they are neither making tangible progress under David Gray nor doing badly enough that they can justify punting him. Maybe they'll just finish fifth for the rest of eternity. The lack of flexibility in their 'three at the back, get the wingbacks to cross early' tactics doesn't help, but that's all the squad is designed for. They really need Owen Elding or new signing Nathan Lowe (whose comments about being the Premiership's top scorer definitely won't come back to haunt him) to step up like Kieron Bowie did. A fit Josh Mulligan will help a lot, and hopefully so will the addition of Josh Kerr to the defence. But it's all just a bit 'meh'. 

ABERDEEN weren't even close to reaching 'meh' levels last season but their budget means that it would be a catastrophe if they were stuck in the bottom half again. I'm still not sold on Stephen Robinson as the answer to their problems, though his move to a back four and willingness to play wingers is reassuring given his rigidity at St. Mirren. Connor Ronan looks like a cracking signing as a playmaker and enormous centre-back Dan Happe should really help them in both boxes. Most crucially, Kevin Nisbet appears to be back in form. Still, this looks mostly like a functional team rather than a great one, though in turn that is a huge upgrade from last time out. I previously joked on Twitter that their signing policy appears to be two Robinson signings and then one from Director of Football Lutz Pfannenstiel, but there might be an element of truth to that - keeper Marius Muller and midfielder Alexander Briedl have clearly been rustled up by the latter.

FALKIRK were a top half team last season but now comes the difficult second album. The departures of Barney Stewart, Calvin Miller and Dylan Tait will be hard to overcome; John McGlynn seems to be focusing on bringing youngsters with high upside for attacking areas, such as Ethan Laidlaw (Brentford) and Joe Gardner (Nottingham Forest) and adding experience to the backline with Ryan Strain (Dundee United), Scott Tanser (St. Mirren) and Jack McMillan (Exeter). I'm suspicious that the momentum that they carried over from promotion might have finally petered out. McGlynn also doesn't appear to have solved their big weakness, which was defending their own box. If the goals do dry up without Stewart leading the line I'm not convinced they can grind out one-nil wins.

it feels like DUNDEE UNITED have tried to rip it up and start again for the second consecutive summer. They didn't exercise options on any of the four loan players they could have chosen to keep and couldn't permanently sign the two who shone, Amar Fatah and Luca Stephenson. Hopefully Jack Walton (Preston) will solve their goalkeeper woes on his return to the club, while Michael Forbes (West Ham) looks like a talented young defender. Jim Goodwin has gone full Antipodean in attack, adding Jesse Randall and Lachlan Rose as potential partners for Zack Sapsford. If they can get to the end of the window without losing the excellent left-back Will Ferry then they will be good candidates for a return to the top six. Playing on a pitch that doesn't look like the Somme in 1916 might help their prospects too.

Their city rivals DUNDEE might have more moderate aspirations, even though the appointment of Steven Pressley worked out far better than anyone expected. They sold Luke Graham and Billy Koumetio for good money but now have gaps to plug in defence; if Owen Bevan (Bournemouth) can stay fit he should fill one of those positions more than adequately. They will also miss loan wingers Cameron Congreve and Tony Yogane, though Alan Forrest (Hearts) will take one of those spots. Owen Goodman (on loan from Crystal Palace) replaces Jon McCracken (Bradford) in goal. They still feel a few players short and I'd expect them to attack the loan market again in the next few weeks. Pressley, who looks more like Isa from Still Game by the month, is working hard to reduce expectations though.

KILMARNOCK improved exponentially under Neil McCann, not least because of the goals that Joe Hugill and Tyreece John-Jules provided. The trick will be fitting them both in the team and creating chances for them now that Findlay Curtis is back at Rangers. Tom Lowery and Aaron Tshibola became a strong midfield combination and hopefully they will provide a platform for the club's latest Ibrox loanee, Bailey Rice. Michael Schjonning-Larsen will be fun to watch bombing forward from left-back and if new wide players Erik Ring and Roshaun Mathurin are up to it then Killie could really push on. At the end of last season I had high hopes for them but they will really miss Curtis and I don't think they have a centre-back they can totally rely on; I'm biased towards Robbie Deas because he used to play for ICT but the other options aren't terrific.

ST. MIRREN chose to keep Craig McLeish in charge after a fairly underwhelming interim spell and he is determined to change them from a direct outfit to a possession one. There are already reasons for concern though. The defence looks uncomfortable playing out from the back and is already weaker for the sale of Miguel Freckleton (LASK Linz). Right-back looks a particularly weak area, with Marcus Fraser not suited to the role and Jayden Richardson simply not good enough, while on the other flank Declan John's long-term injury means that a lot is required from newbie Henry Fieldson (Queen's Park). In midfield the new system doesn't really suit the all-action Killian Phillips, and up front a lot is required of youngster Eseosa Sule (West Bromwich Albion) who is an excellent prospect and far from the finished product. With Jonah Ayunga injured, Mikael Mandron away and Jake Young unwanted there are not a lot of alternatives. To be honest, this all feels like 2014 when they replaced Danny Lennon with Tommy Craig, and that did not go well...

And finally ST. JOHNSTONE return after a year in the Championship where they seemed to find themselves again under the hugely popular Simo Valakari. Making the step up will be a lot harder for the loss of Josh McPake (Hearts) who was their talisman last season, and goals might be hard to come by unless Josh Fowler or Ruari Paton can raise their game. I'm nervous about whether they will be able to play out from the back as well as they did last season or whether they will be caught out by high-pressing opponents. Of their new signings I am a big fan of winger Logan Chalmers (Partick) who I think could be a real success. I think they will struggle, and although Simo has a lot of credit in the bank I wonder whether their style can achieve results with the relative lack of quality they have.

So here's the inevitably wrong predicted table:

1. RANGERS

2. CELTIC

3. MOTHERWELL

4. HEARTS

5. HIBERNIAN

6. ABERDEEN

7. DUNDEE UNITED

8. KILMARNOCK

9. DUNDEE

10. FALKIRK

11. ST. JOHNSTONE

12 ST. MIRREN

Don't forget to bookmark this so you can remind me how wrong I was about your team!

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2026/27 Scottish Championship preview

The Championship has been quite fun for the last couple of seasons. That stops now, since I now have a stake in it again.

As the team demoted from the top flight, it makes sense to assume LIVINGSTON are going to be favourites, but I'm not sure they are as strong as St. Johnstone were last season. To be fair, a lot depends on whether Glenn Whelan proves a good appointment in the dugout. They're certainly not short on depth - they have a first team squad of twenty-eight at the time of writing. I certainly think Liam Polworth (Kilmarnock) will shine at this level if they become more possession-orientated, while Robbie Muirhead should emulate his 2024/25 goalscoring exploits in this division. All Whelan needs to do to succeed is work out his best eleven and get them playing as well as they should. It sounds so easy when you put it like that...

PARTICK THISTLE ran St Johnstone close in the league and then gave St Mirren a scare in the playoffs so they will expect to be there or thereabouts again. Logan Chalmers (St Johnstone) are big losses that they have hopefully offset by bringing in Euan Henderson (Airdrie), while they did well to convince Ethan Ingram and Oisin Smyth to make their loan moves permanent and even better to sign up Ben Stanway for anothrt year. I've heard great things about their new keeper Liam MacFarlane (on loan from Hearts). They are in decent shape, although neither of their striking options, Alex Samuel and Tony Watt, contribute huge volumes of goals to go with their work-rate (Samuel) and cleverness (Watt).

I would make DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC the other team who I could see winning the Championship this season. Neil Lennon's side lacked consistency in the league last year but made the playoffs and the Scottish Cup Final to boot; they have strengthened in defence by signing Aston Oxborough permanently after a good loan spell and acquiring Sam Cleall-Harding (on loan from Dundee United) and up front by adding the highly sought-after Oli Shaw (Hamilton Accies). They did lose talented defenders Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen (Wigan) and Kieran Ngwenya but with young players like the Tod brothers getting better all the time, the only thing that might hold them back is a lack of experience with only player-coach Kyle Benedictus and Chris Kane over the age of 28.

ARBROATH also made the promotion playoffs last season, having surprised everyone with a third place finish. I fear this might be the part-timers' ceiling, as when Dick Campbell guided them to the brink of the Premiership a few years back. They have lost three of their best players from last year in Jack Wilkie (Livingston), Harry Cochrane (Morton) and most crucially Findlay Marshall (returned to Aberdeen). Newbies Stuart Morrison (Forfar) and Brody Paterson (Kelty) will need to make a big step up and their attacking options are all hard-working players who don't score many goals. If Marshall were to come back for another year they would be an entirely different prospect though.

They may have finished fifth last time out but RAITH ROVERS never seriously looked like taking a playoff spot and seemed to be struggling for an identity after appointing Dougie Imrie mid-season. This is Imrie's first chance to really put his stamp on the team and bringing in two big forwards in Anton Dowds and George Oakley (both Ayr) tells you which direction he wants to go. Dylan Easton and League Two Player of the Year John Robertson (East Kilbride) will be the main sources of creativity. The defence - 36 year old Paul Hanlon aside - still looks a bit lacking; Ross Millen somehow parlayed a poor campaign with Inverness into a move back to Kirkcaldy while Zak Delaney is an Imrie stalwart from Morton.

Imrie's former club are in what could be charitably called a mess. GREENOCK MORTON nearly sleepwalked to relegation last season but chose to stick by Imrie's successor Ian Murray; given the club are lacking in funds and struggling to put a squad together Murray could be forgiven for wishing they'd sacked him. Manchester United loan keeper Elyh Harrison is highly rated and Callum Sandilands (on loan from Hearts) impressed at Morton last season, but using some of the budget on the perenially injured Grant Savoury (Queen's Park) was foolish, especially when the almost equally fragile Eamonn Brophy is still on the books. Morton look really weak at the back and no more than functional elsewhere; they badly need reinforcements but it's not clear where the money for that will come from.

There's more reason for optimism at AYR UNITED who are hoping Gary Naysmith will put out a far more successful and watchable team than Scott Brown did. Naysmith performed miracles at Stenhousemuir and has gone back to League One to get three of the best players from that division in Reece Lyon (QOS), Ross Taylor (Stenny) and Kieran Shanks (Peterhead). The biggest coup is the permanent signing of Leon King who was expected to end up at a higher level after he left Rangers. If Shanks or Owen Stirton (on loan from Dundee United) can lead the line effectively then they should have a bash at the top four, but they are both unproven at this level.

Sean Crighton worked wonders at QUEEN'S PARK last season with a squad of youths and jobbers. A co-op deal with Rangers has landed them three highly-rated players in midfielder Aiden McCallion and wingers Lewis Stewart (brilliant at Alloa last year) and the wonderfully named Zebedee Lawson. Jack Hamilton is a useful addition to a forward line that should be adequate if Michael Ruth can stay fit. The Spiders did lose excellent left-back Henry Fieldson (St Mirren) and I'm not sure either Jack Wills or David Mitchell (Ayr) will adequately replace Calum Ferrie (Kilmarnock) in goal, but it would be a surprise if they ended up in any danger.

After winning League One, INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE fans took note of how Falkirk recently managed back-to-back promotions but the reality is that Scott Kellacher's side aren't at that level. That's not to say that they can't spring a surprise, especially after Graeme Shinnie's return to the club after eleven years away and the deals to bring back Alfie Stewart and Alfie Bavidge from Aberdeen for yet another loan spell. If they and other young players like Calum MacLeod can continue to develop then ICT will be in a good place. But at times it seemed like Kellacher wasn't sure of what his best lineup was and if he chops and changes a lot again it may hold them back.

And finally, STENHOUSEMUIR play in the second tier for the first time since the professional ranks have had more than two tiers. The major reason for that success was manager Naysmith, and it will be a hard act for Marvin Bartley (previously of a poor spell at Queen of the South and a brief mediocre one at Livingston last season) to follow. With their best attacker Ross Taylor having followed Naysmith to Ayr it is hard to see where their threat will come from with only journeymen Matty Aitken and Dale Carrick to choose from up top. Most of their signings come under the 'young and unproven' bracket, and Bartley will need to hit the jackpot with several of them. Stenny were always really hard to beat under Naysmith and they will need more of that if they are to overcome the odds and stay up.

The inevitably wrong predicted table looks like this:

1. PARTICK THISTLE

2. DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC

3. LIVINGSTON

4. AYR UNITED

5. INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE

6. QUEEN'S PARK

7. RAITH ROVERS

8. ARBROATH

9. STENHOUSEMUIR

10. GREENOCK MORTON

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2026/27 Scottish League One preview

League One looks like an absolute humdinger this season, and I am glad that my team are no longer in it.

Given that there is generally a combination of full-time and part-time teams, along with some 'hybrid' ones, it is usually safe to assume the FT sides will be nearer the top and the PT ones nearer the bottom. This season might be a bit different though. Some of the smaller clubs have made some impressive signings, even if that may be a case of running to stand still. Conversely, there are full-time teams who are little more than a shambles.

At the moment it's hard to see past ROSS COUNTY for the title. They have had a proper reset following back-to-back relegations and it seems that Stuart Kettlewell has used the summer wisely both to bring in quality and to get the team playing watchable football. Brian Graham will be 39 later this year but is still more than capable of ragdolling defenders and racking up the goals as long as Adam Emslie (finally getting his chance after being punted on loan last year) and Richard Chin (signed from Raith) provide the supply. Lewis Strapp (Airdrie) and Lewis Reid (Stranraer) have bolstered a defence that still includes Akil Wright, while Chris Hamilton (Dunfermline) adds further experience in the middle of the pitch where they still have Jamie Lindsay and Ross Docherty. No-one can match County's depth and I don't think anyone can go toe-to-toe with their first XI either.

If anyone is going to challenge the Staggies, it'll probably be HAMILTON ACADEMICAL who have bounced back from last season's points deduction and appear to be back on an even keel. Star striker Oli Shaw left as expected but otherwise Accies have actually held on to most of last season's team and players like right-back Aaron Comrie and midfielder Cameron Blues (both signed from Morton) and attackers Dom Thomas (Airdrie), Andy Ryan (Larne, back for his third spell at the club) and Taylor Sutherland (Montrose) strengthen them. Veteran Stuart Bannigan (Ayr) also gives them some nous and steel. I can certainly see them finishing second this season, instead of second-bottom.

As the team relegated via the playoffs, you'd expect AIRDRIEONIANS to be in the promotion mix, but they've ripped everything up this summer, sacking manager Aaron Taylor-Sinclair and gutting the squad - fifteen first team players and three loan players moved on. New boss John Rankin has almost had to build a new team from scratch and has brought in fourteen new faces so far, some of whom are largely unknown quantities from down south. Of the more recognisable names, I like the addition of Matty Yates (Linfield) up front and Sam Fisher (Dunfermline) in defence, but it's a bold move to bring in 35 year old Declan Gallagher (Ross County) as player-assistant manager after a season so terrible that it will live in Dingwall infamy.

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH are also in the midst of a rebuild, but their new player-manager Nicky Clark is starting from a position of even greater weakness and hasn't had his problems to seek. New player-coach Trevor Carson chose to retire just a few weeks after signing, leaving them searching for a keeper; they have just signed Deniz Mehmet (Dunfermline) to play between the sticks, but still don't have a backup. Worse, winger Kai Kennedy refused to turn up for pre-season and forced his exit, while the departure of Reece Lyon (Ayr) weakens the midfield. The additions of Peterhead backup Caleb Goldie and Edinburgh City's Chris McQueen do not really solidify the back line; Clark and Kurtis Guthrie may have to score a lot of goals to keep them afloat.

The state of play at COVE RANGERS, who have a mix of full- and part-time players, looks even worse. It wasn't until some time after the end of last season that Paul Hartley confirmed he'd stay in post - it's hard to walk away when the Director of Football is your father-in-law - but the loss of talismanic striker Mitch Megginson and seasoned midfield duo Blair Yule and Declan Glass weakens them massively. Aside from target man Jordan White (Ross County) their signings have been mostly youngsters who appear to be making up numbers or just dart throws. The front two of White (aged 34) and Chris Maguire (37) must be the oldest in the SPFL.

It certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see one or two of the part-time teams near the top end, and the best bet looks to be EAST KILBRIDE who rewarded the squad that got them up from League Two by releasing most of them and upgrading in nearly every area. Winger Owen Moffar (Morton) looks the most exciting of the fifteen new players Mick Kennedy has brought in (not counting Timam Scott who left for Clyde about five minutes after signing for EK), but impressive performances against Dunfermline and St. Mirren in the League Cup suggest they are gelling just fine. The departure of League Two Player of the Year John Robertson and loan forward Connor Young does potentially leave them a little short on goals, but Cameron Elliott scored six goals in the League Cup and may be the solution to that.

MONTROSE are a more left-field suggestion for a good season, given they have been mid-table stalwarts for goodness knows how long. Stewart Petrie continues to evolve the side by moving on a few veterans every summer for new blood, and the captures of Shaun McGinty (Airdrie) in defence, Shaun Byrne (Raith) and Declan Glass (Cove) in midfield, and Gary Oliver (Falkirk) up front give plenty cause for optimism. Oliver doesn't score many goals but usually makes the other attackers more potent, so it could be a big year for Blair Lyons and Ewan Loudon.

ALLOA ATHLETIC made the promotion playoffs last time out but have had a pretty quiet offseason. They will again look to take full advantage of a co-operation agreement with Rangers, which has this term led to the acquisition of exciting 16 year old Kyle Glasgow (remember the name). Ross Stewart (Queen of the South) should cover the loss of outstanding loanee goalkeeper Liam McFarlane, but it's mostly same old Alloa, looking to seasoned players like full-backs Calum Waters and Scott Taggart, midfielders Steven Hetherington, Kurtis Roberts and Stefan Scougall and forward Luke Donnelly who have been there seemingly forever.

Normally PETERHEAD would tend towards only modest transfer activity and stick with a familiar core, so it's worth noting that they've brought in eleven new players this summer. They will hope that bringing in Mitch Megginson (Cove) will offset the loss of star striker Kieran Shanks, who has gone full-time with Ayr. Busy attacker James Stokes (Edinburgh City) has earned a crack at a higher division, while Eritrean international midfielder Robel Teklemichael is surely the most intriguing signing in the SPFL for a while. With the seasoned Peter Pawlett and Cammy Smith still on board the Blue Toon look to be in a decent place.

And finally, EAST FIFE finished 2025/26 so poorly that they nearly got dragged into a relegation battle, which didn't seem to bode well for this rodeo. But Dick Campbell's side gave both Inverness Caley Thistle and St. Johnstone a fright in the League Cup to remind us that they maybe shouldn't be dismissed lightly. Nevertheless their five signings - two from the Lowland League, two from League Two (including keeper Derek Gaston) and one from English non-league - do not inspire confidence, particularly as it seems as if Campbell has lost his golden touch in the transfer market from his early Arbroath days. East Fife got a lot out of loan players last season and may need to pull off the same trick again.

So my inevitably wrong predicted table looks like this:

1. ROSS COUNTY

2. HAMILTON ACADEMICAL

3. EAST KILBRIDE

4. AIRDRIEONIANS

5. MONTROSE

6. PETERHEAD

7. ALLOA ATHLETIC

8. QUEEN OF THE SOUTH

9. EAST FIFE

10. COVE RANGERS

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2026/27 Scottish League Two preview

Last season, it wasn't a massive surprise that East Kilbride won League Two, given they seemed to enjoy financial backing that their peers couldn't match. It also wasn't a massive surprise that Edinburgh City ended up bottom, given their points deduction.

But aside from the Citizens' spectacular collapse after Christmas (they still won the relegation playoff though) it was generally a close, competitive league. In 2026/27 there's no obvious favourite to win the division, and there's no obvious favourite to be Club 42 either.

So predicting the table for the coming season is clearly a mug's game. When has that ever stopped me, though?

ANNAN ATHLETIC
I thought Annan would really struggle last year but Wullie Gibson steadied the ship and earned a new contract; they were never really at risk of the drop or in the promotion playoff hunt. Talismanic striker Tommy Goss is away, and the defence has lost regulars Max Kilsby and Ryan Muir. Veteran Aaron Muirhead has returned to see out his career at the club where it all started and probably has enough left in the tank, but they really need ex-Airdrie forward Cammy Cooper to show something at a lower level.

CLYDE

Darren Young's side seemed to get better as the season progressed and he has mostly managed to get the band back together. Winger Timam Scott looks the pick of the newbies, if you don't count keeper Jay Hogarth (who signed for Falkirk and then was loaned back). Scott Williamson and Kyle Connell provided sufficient firepower up top and they will fancy that they can beat last term's third placed finish.

DUMBARTON

Last season's struggles seemed less due to the quality of the squad - especially after January - and more down to issues in the dugout. The jury is still out on manager Frank McKeown but he seems to have been well backed. Getting loan keeper Aidan Rice back is a coup and they have added Tommy Robson to a defence that is well marshalled by Somali international Ali Omar. A front line of Bang Bang Deryn Lang and Leighton McIntosh is okay but another striker would be welcome. How high they can finish probably depends on whether the coach can get them to equal the sum of their parts.

EDINBURGH CITY
A points deduction and Michael McIndoe's decision to gut his squad in January and play lots of youngsters made 2025/26 a bit of a crazy one for City, and it's no surprise that McIndoe has brought in almost an entirely new team ahead of this campaign. Cammy McKinley scored lots of goals in the Lowland League and will be expected to lead the line, while the arrival of the Leitch brothers and Ricky Waugh overhauls the midfield. Don't expect them to be at the bottom again, but it's bound to be a wild ride.

ELGIN CITY

Elgin's summer has been overshadowed by the dismissal of Allan Hale under curious circumstances, and his replacement Stefan Laird is somewhat unproven. On the bright side, defender Evan Towler (Montrose) and young winger Kieran Willox (who was on loan at Inverness from Stoke City last season) look like good additions. However top scorer Ryan Sargent has returned to the Highland League and Kane Hester is coming off a mediocre campaign. The worry is that other clubs are overtaking them.

FORFAR ATHLETIC

Forfar scraped into the promotion playoffs last season and have a lot to thank veteran boss Jim Weir for. It's fair to say he got the most out of a limited squad and with star defender Stuart Morrison and forward Jake Sutherland away he will need to do the same again. They've not really improved the team much via the transfer market so far and will be very vulnerable if veteran striker Martin Rennie doesn't get into double figures.

KELTY HEARTS
Expectations should probably be high for the club that was relegated from League One last time out, but it's certainly not clear that they should bounce straight back up. Keeper Jamie Smith and midfielder Connor McManus look like solid additions and they still have the creativity of Innes Murray and Lewis Moore. Up front Ryan Shanley has a great record at this level. Bringing back 37 year old Kallum Higginbotham seems a weird one though.

STIRLING ALBION

Stirling's eighth placed finish was their worst for twenty-three years and understandably got Alan Maybury the boot. Steven Whittaker is the new man in charge and their success probably depends on how he fares in his first managerial role. Bringing in Josh Mullin from Raith certainly looks like a coup and an attack of Russell MacLean, Jordan Allan and Dunfermline loanee Lucas Fyfe could be dangerous. I'm intrigued by the signing of former Celtic and Bayern Munich starlet Barry Hepburn too.

STRANRAER

Stranraer quietly improved last season to the point that they were unlucky to miss the playoffs. They particularly used the loan market well and have signed Dom Plank and Dean Cleland permanently after good spells last year. There are high expectations for Hibs full-back Lewis Gillie. The loss of top scorer Deryn Lang is a problem though and they generally lacked goals last season from other areas, while star centre-back Lewis Reid - a nominee for League Two Player of the Year last time out - has stepped up to full-time football with Ross County.

THE SPARTANS

Never forget the 'The'. They were pipped to the title by Kilby and then got beaten by Clyde in the playoffs. Dougie Samuel has a settled side and the attacking combo of Mark Stowe and Marc McNulty will take them a long way. David Mackay's arrival from Alloa will improve the defence and veteran midfielders Sean Welsh and James Craigen provide plenty of nous. They should be there or thereabouts again.

So my inevitably wrong predicted table looks like this:

1. CLYDE

2. THE SPARTANS

3. KELTY HEARTS

4. STIRLING ALBION

5. DUMBARTON

6. EDINBURGH CITY

7. STRANRAER

8. FORFAR ATHLETIC

9. ANNAN ATHLETIC

10. ELGIN CITY

Feel free to bookmark this and use it against me in the coming weeks and months!

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

Worst Signings of the 2025/26 Premiership season (part 2)

The rankings from 25 to 11 can be found here.

Here's this season's top ten...

10. AGEU (HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN)

Hearts fans can absolutely bookmark this to use it against me when he tears the league apart next season. However at the time of writing he has started only one game and played little more than bit parts in a few others at a cost of nearly £2million.

9. PLAMEN GALABOV (DUNDEE)

Galabov has five caps for Bulgaria, but the last of those was in 2023. Apparently he was given a glowing reference by countryman Stiliyan Petrov, inspiring Dundee to offer a two year deal in the summer. He played two League Cup games before dropping out of contention. In September Steven Pressley insisted he would get his chance in the team, but he never got on the pitch again before leaving by "mutual consent" in January. 

8. JANNIK WANNER (LIVINGSTON)

Livingston actually paid a fee for the German winger, who was given a three year contract. After some early struggles he was punted on loan to St. Johnstone, in the hope he would do a 'Joel Nouble' and come back a different player after a few months. He didn't. St. Johnstone lost faith in him quickly and he has made only one sub appearance since returning to Livi in January. File this under 'player most likely to be mutually consented this summer'.

7. MAX AARONS (RANGERS)

Aarons was meant to be the successor for James Tavernier at right-back as well as covering at left-back. By the end of the season he was third choice behind Tavernier and Dujon Sterling, and Danny Rohl even preferred Sterling as the emergency left-back. Aarons will be forever remembered for the early red card in Brugge that led to a spectacular collapse in the Champions League Qualifiers. He has fallen a long way from a player that Bournemouth signed for £12million less than three years ago; he will go back there this summer.

6. EMILE ACQUAH (DUNDEE)

Acquah's last touch as a Dundee player (so far, at least) looked like a certain goal, only for Craig Gordon to produce the save of the season to preserve Hearts' win at Dens Park. Acquah was loaned to Harrogate Town a few days later, where he failed to score for the League Two strugglers. His only Dundee goal was at Bonnyrigg Rose in the League Cup. He still has two years left on his Dundee contract.

5. KION ETETE (ST. MIRREN)

The giant striker joined on loan from Cardiff in January. Having been hooked at half-time on his debut, he struggled so much in a Cup game against Airdrie after coming on as a sub that he was himself substituted at the start of extra-time, having played for just 27 minutes. He's only played two minutes of football since, and has been injured - a blessing for everyone, it seems. It appears he struggled so much on loan at Rotherham in the first half of the season that he might go down as the worst signing of 2025/26 for two different clubs.

4. JOEL MVUKA (CELTIC)

Celtic's signing strategy in January seemed very much a case of throwing loads of things at a wall and seeing if anything stuck. Mvuka certainly didn't stick. Martin O'Neill claimed that “Joel is a talented player who has a very good level of experience achieved at some really good clubs. He will give the squad another option, he is very quick, able to play on both wings and I am sure he will make a very positive contribution to the club." He has made two Scottish Cup appearances (and was subbed at half-time in his only start), while he has rarely even made the bench in the league. So much for that positive contribution. His absence from the club Player of the Year awards was noted and a likely sign that he's already mentally back at his parent club, if not physically.

3. JOE ROTHWELL (RANGERS)

Rothwell was the standard-bearer for the Russell Martin era, the player who had played for him before, who knew exactly what to expect, and who would be able to school his teammates in a new system. And he was as hopeless as his manager. Rothwell looked ponderous and completely unequipped for a physical battle. Danny Rohl quickly sidelined him and the £2million signing ended up being allowed to leave on a free transfer within six months.

2. KUSINI YENGI (ABERDEEN)

Yengi's debut against Hearts was a special kind of awful, to the point where he actually managed to hit the post when he mishit his shot. It didn't get a lot better. Aberdeen moved quickly to get in Kevin Nisbet and Marko Lazetic so that they barely had to use Yengi again, and he was punted out on loan to Japan in January. However he tore a thigh muscle a couple of months ago so the Dons may find it hard to move him on permanently this summer.

1. MICHEL-ANGE BALIKWISHA (CELTIC)

Celtic had apparently pursued the left winger for two years, and Brendan Rodgers was apoplectic that the board didn't get him in before the Champions League debacle against Kairat. And yet Balikwisha has been hopeless. He hasn't started a league game since September, and was last seen being subbed after a mediocre performance against Auchinleck Talbot in the cup in January. He hasn't been injured, he's just been overlooked in favour of players like Yang who aren't even left wingers. And Balikwisha cost £4.5million...

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

Worst Signings of the 2025/26 Premiership season (part 1)

Your customary reminders of the previous 'winners' of this prestigious award:

2012/13: Rory Boulding (Kilmarnock)

2013/14: Stephane Bahoken (St. Mirren)

2014/15: Jim Fenlon (Ross County)

2015/16: Rodney Sneijder (Dundee United)

2016/17: Joey Barton (Rangers)

2017/18: Eduardo Herrera (Rangers)

2018/19: Umar Sadiq (Rangers)

2019/20: Madis Vihmann (St. Johnstone)

2020/21: Shane Duffy (Celtic)

2021/22: Matty Longstaff (Aberdeen)

2022/23: Anthony Stewart (Aberdeen)

2023/24: Sam Lammers (Rangers)

2024/25: Kevin Van Veen (St. Mirren)

Now, let's get down to business with the 2025/26 vintage. I was not short of candidates for this season's list, so there are certainly some players who would have been a shoo-in in years gone past that didn't make it this time around.

As always this is split into two parts. Here's the rundown from 25 to 11...

25. ISAAC PAPPOE (DUNDEE UNITED)

The Ghanaian under-20 international wrecked his knee in only his fourth appearance for United back in August and was ruled out for the rest of the season. Attempts by the club to end his loan in January were unsuccessful, which presumably means they've been stuck with paying his wages for all this time.

24. LEWIS MONTSMA (DUNDEE)

Dutch defender Montsma joined Dundee at the end of the January window. "Dundee is a great opportunity for me. The main thing in my career is to play games again" he said. He hasn't made a single appearance for the Dark Blues. He's on a deal to the end of the season, plus a year's option; I'm guessing the option won't be taken up.

23. SAM HART (FALKIRK)

Hart was hooked at half-time during his first start and hasn't got on the pitch since Christmas. However he is still hanging around at Falkirk, either as a deep depth piece for the defence or because parent club Port Vale refused to take him back.

22. ZAC WILLIAMS (KILMARNOCK)

Williams is a Welsh under-21 international defender who had been a regular for Crewe Alexandra for the last two seasons, but who bizarrely agreed a new contract with Crewe before immediately moving to Rugby Park on loan. He's played only 23 minutes since November and doesn't even make the bench under Neil McCann. Kilmarnock lost each of the seven league games he appeared in.

21. JUNIOR ROBINSON (LIVINGSTON)

Robinson couldn't get a game even as defensive injuries piled up for Livingston. After being an unused sub about a million times, he was allowed 14 minutes off the bench at Ibrox...and after that he wasn't even an unused sub very often. Unsurprisingly the diminutive right-back returned to parent club West Ham in January.

20. OLIVER ANTMAN (RANGERS)

Antman has had the odd flash - an impressive debut, as well as a big cameo as a sub at Falkirk recently - but one expects a lot more for £3.5million. The Finnish winger has so far failed to show any consistency and hasn't started a league game since the end of November.

19. HAYATO INAMURA (CELTIC)

Brendan Rodgers called Inamura "a club signing", which is code for "I didn't want him". Rodgers explained rather damningly that the defender was left out of the Champions League squad because "we also need a player that can defend". Inamura returned to Japan on loan in January and chances are that the sole Celtic appearance he made against Livingston will be his only one for the club.

18. TREY OGUNSUYI (FALKIRK)

There were high hopes for the Belgian U19 international when he arrived on loan from Sunderland. However, one Falkirk fan on the BBC website described him as "never looked interested, didn't run, couldn't score and the stadium let out an audible groan when he came on". He returned south in January having started only two games and has spent the second half of the season at Shrewsbury Town where he has hit the net a couple of times.

17. NICOLAS MILANOVIC (ABERDEEN)

At the time of writing, Milanovic hasn't played in the league since January, even before Stephen Robinson took over at Aberdeen. And now his chances of minutes have reduced further. “He’s probably been a little bit unfortunate with the system, when we’ve gone 3-5-2 or 3-4-3,” said Robinson recently. Which is a problem, given Robinson pretty much always plays either system and Milanovic is a winger that the Dons spunked four hundred grand on. That said, the Australian failed to impress in the first half of the season even in a formation which seemed perfect for his strengths. By January he was being linked with a loan return down under, and regardless of the manager or tactics going forward it's hard to see him succeeding in the North East.

16. ALEX TAMM (LIVINGSTON)

A big powerful international striker? Sounds good. Five sub appearances, no goals (even by his teammates while he is on the pitch)? Not so good. Livingston's January signing has played more minutes in the last three months for Estonia than he has for his club, where he isn't even making the bench.

15. MALIK DIJKSTEEL (ST. MIRREN)

St. Mirren originally agreed a pre-contract with Dijksteel last summer, and then Dijksteel refused to play for "personal reasons" until Cork City agreed to let him move to Scotland immediately, with St. Mirren paying a fee. It hasn't been worth it; Dijksteel hasn't been trusted to start a game, and in fact the only match they've won in which he was involved (and scored a goal while he was on the pitch) was an extra time cup win at Championship side Airdrie. He's also been out injured since February.

14. JAHMAI SIMPSON-PUSEY (CELTIC)

Even as Celtic's injuries in defence (and goals against) piled up, Simpson-Pusey went months on end without even making the bench. He made as many appearances for the B team in the Challenge Cup (where he was part of a team that lost five goals at East Fife) as he did for the first team, though that one game against Kilmarnock yielded a clean sheet. His loan from Manchester City was essentially a waste of everyone's time and he moved on to Koln in the Bundesliga in January where he has got rather more game time.

13. NIKOLAJ MOLLER (DUNDEE UNITED)

It's hard to be an effective target man striker with "a head like a 50p piece" as one United fan described him to me on Twitter. Moller's only goal in Scotland was in a cup tie against Ayr, but the club remarkably managed to get a six figure transfer fee for the Swede in February.

12. SHIN YAMADA (CELTIC)

Celtic can't afford to spend £1.5million on a striker who is so much of a project that he's only fourth-choice up front when he arrives. Yamada was trusted to start only one game and was shipped out on loan to the German second division in January, where he has managed only a single goal so far. He is still under contract for another three years.

11. YEVHENII KUCHERENKO (DUNDEE UNITED)

I don't remember Kucherenko being calamitous from the word go, but his form deteriorated in the autumn and he was dropped after an epic stinker at home to Falkirk where he gifted Calvin Miller a goal after failing to hold a weak shot and then punched a corner into his own net whilst under no pressure. Somehow United got a fee for him in January, and he subsequently moaned to journalists that all his problems were because Scottish referees let him be fouled all the time...

The top ten will come next week...

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2025/26 Scottish Premiership preview

Before we get on to anything else, I'd like to point out that I got huge stick last season for predicting Dundee would come tenth. Just saying, like. What do you mean, even a stopped clock is right twice a day? Anyway...

In recent years, my Premiership season preview has tended to follow a pattern: first we have The Cheeks Of The Glasgow a***, then we look at the three clubs whose budgets should -but often don't - put them comfortably clear of the rest, and then the other seven who could all potentially charge into the top six, and who could also potentially slump into a relegation battle.

So starting at the top, the question is whether the fact that RANGERS now appear to have some sort of plan going forward might actually lead to a title challenge. I'm the sort of football hipster who likes what Russell Martin wants to do with his team and the passing out from the back should help to break down the low blocks they'll face most weeks. I'm also impressed by their use of the loan market, getting in good short-term defensive fixes in Nasser Djiga and Max Aarons as well as exciting young Spurs winger Mikey Moore. But they're going forward with the same, er, forwards as last season (though Hamza Igamane looks offski) and I think they need to find a real gem in that area if they are to overhaul their rivals.

The gap to CELTIC should be smaller this season though, even if Brendan Rodgers does finally get to spend some of the hundred trillion dollars or so that the club are choosing to hide away for a rainy day that never comes. The main concern is out wide where Nicolas Kuhn has been sold and Jota is out long term. If new boy Benjamin Nygren is to play in midfield that actually seems to leave them a bit overloaded in that area  - one of Nygren, Reo Hatate and Arne Engels would have to be on the bench every week - but they look so much stronger defensively than Rangers and if Kieran Tierney stays fit then they have upgraded from Greg Taylor at left-back. I do expect a title race this year, but I also still expect Celtic will win it.

There is of course no way that anyone else will be in the top two - whatever Tony Bloom claims about his investment at Tynecastle - but the next three places should be ABERDEEN, HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN and HIBERNIAN in some order. Of course in reality at least one of the trio will probably have a shocker - last year it was the Jambos, though Aberdeen's lousy form in the second half of the season (the Cup win excepting) and the added pressures of European football make them the most likely to have a mare this time around. New signings Nicolas Milanovic and Adil Aouchiche should boost the midfield and getting Alfie Dorrington back for another loan looks like a smart move; however they look weak up front with Pape Habib Gueye. Kevin Nisbet and Oday Dabbagh gone, and none of them were actually that brilliant in the first place. One feels they really need a splash move in that area.

In contrast, Hibs were tremendous in the first half of 2025 and have spunked a million quid on Togo forward Thibault Klidje as they look to keep the momentum going. There are high hopes that this could be a breakout season for striker Kieron Bowie, while Jamie McGrath and Josh Mulligan will fit in well to a midfield that already has plenty of good options. This squad looks well built for exactly what manager David Gray wants to do - no mean feat given he's only been in the job a year - and they should absolutely fancy their chances of another third place finish.

Expectations are also high on the other side of Edinburgh, what with Bloom's involvement and the arrival in the dugout of Derek McInnes. This should give Hearts a higher floor, and signings like Stuart Findlay and Claudio Braga, along with the retention of Lawrence Shankland, should certainly make them candidates for the final podium place. However it is simply not realistic to think they can do any more than that without a much bigger splurge in the transfer market - and at the moment the priority is to trim a squad that looks a bit bloated.

As for the other seven, you could maybe pick a name out of a hat for who will grab a top six spot. DUNDEE UNITED would seem to be the obvious choice following their fourth place finish but Jim Goodwin has moved on a lot of the squad that won promotion in 2023/24 and brought in eleven new players, none of whom are Scottish or have experience of Scottish football. There's certainly a chance they will take time to gel, and it's not entirely impossible it will all go badly wrong. A decent chunk of their recent success was down to loan striker Sam Dalby, and new attackers Zac Sapsford and Max Watters have a big hole to fill there.

ST. MIRREN also look like a good bet simply because they managed it last time out. Stephen Robinson has lost some important players in Zach Hemming, Ryan Alebiosu, Richard Taylor, Caolan Boyd-Munce and Toyosi Olusanya but has been very busy with nine new signings plus permanent deals for Killian Phillips and Roland Idowu. Jamaican duo Richard King and Jalmaro Calvin look like low-risk, high-reward acquisitions and there are high hopes for Dutch winger Malik Dijksteel. The worry is that Jonah Ayunga and Mikael Mandron don't offer enough goals up top.

MOTHERWELL feel like an unknown quantity under new boss Jens Berthel Askou, and he inherited a squad that had so many loan players last season that a high turnover was inevitable. They have spent a decent fee (by their standards) on winger Ibrahim Said and also brought in New Zealand international wideman Elijah Just. Well seem happy that front two Tawanda Maswanise and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos will push on, but it will be interesting to see what they do with the substantial funds incoming from the imminent sale of Lennon Miller.

In contrast, it feels like we know exactly what we'll get from KILMARNOCK now that Stuart Kettlewell is in charge, and that's not necessarily a good thing. Killie were due a refresh and only ten players from last season's first team squad remain (with two of those, Robby McCrorie and Marley Watkins, potentially heading for the exit door). There are ten new signings but is there a lot of quality there? They need new strikers Marcus Dackers and Djenairo Daniels to hit the ground running and Scott Tiffoney to adequately replace Dan Armstrong. They also look short at the back after Corrie Ndaba and Joe Wright left. This could be a tough campaign and Kettlewell had better hope the home support are kinder than the fans at Fir Park were...

Meanwhile, goodness knows what is happening at DUNDEE. Their shambolic defending last season nearly got them a relegation playoff and punting Tony Docherty at the end of it wasn't a crazy move...but replacing him with Steven Pressley was. A rubbish League Cup campaign has left him with very little credit in the bank and a rough start to the league season will put him under huge pressure very quickly. Given that multiple starters have left during the summer this was always going to be a hard ask, and I'm not convinced Simon Murray will score twenty goals in a season again.

Newly promoted sides can often carry momentum into the next campaign, but I don't expect FALKIRK  to do as well as Dundee United did last season. They've mostly stuck with the squad that got them promoted, and I'm not convinced that a lot of these players - who have either played in the lower leagues for years or who have failed to establish themselves in the top flight in the past - will make the step up successfully. There will be a heavy dependence on veterans Scott Arfield and Brian Graham to provide creativity and goals.

In fact, I could see LIVINGSTON fairing better, even though - as I stated above with Dundee United - making a lot of signings comes with risk. Aside from captain Jamie Brandon (who joined Killie) I don't think anyone who left would have impressed in the Premiership, and whilst I'm not sure that Graham Carey and Stevie May have much to offer I think Mo Sylla and Macaulay Tait are particularly great additions. Importantly, it feels like Robbie Muirhead has finally matured into a quality striker and his contribution will be crucial. And at the other end Jerome Prior may well prove to be one of the best keepers in the country.

So here's my (inevitably inaccurate) predicted table:

1. CELTIC

2. RANGERS

3. HIBERNIAN

4. HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN

5. ABERDEEN

6. ST. MIRREN

7. DUNDEE UNITED

8. MOTHERWELL

9. LIVINGSTON

10. KILMARNOCK

11. FALKIRK

12. DUNDEE

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2025/26 Scottish Championship preview

 Ah, the mad, bad Scottish Championship, a place where teams who think they're too good for this level quickly learn to show respect after they've been scudded at Gayfield. There's a reason why clubs looking to get promoted fill their squad with players who are known to be good at this level, rather than ones who they think can do a job in the top flight.

Thus ROSS COUNTY followed their relegation by quickly moving for Declan Gallagher and Ross Docherty, who formed the backbone of the Dundee United side that won the division in 2023/24, and Arran Lyall who was a decent winger for Morton last year. The two clear issues for County are up front - they will be a completely different proposition if/when talented striker Ronan Hale goes - and in the dugout, as Don Cowie is somewhat fortunate to still be in a job after the collapse at the end of last season. There's a clear move away from a back three to a team with wingers, and that midfield with Docherty and new signings Dean Cornelius, Jamie Lindsay and Adam Emslie looks suave, but an ageing Nicky Clark will not replace Hale's goals and Cowie better have learned some lessons.

ST. JOHNSTONE's 'Championship experience signings' were more for depth - Morton centre-backs Jack Baird and Morgan Boyes, Accies full-back Reghan Tumilty, Raith forward Jamie Gullan - but it's their subsequent moves for Exeter defender Cheick Diabate and midfielders Reece McAlear from Livi and Stevie Mallan (who has been out of football with injury for 18 months) that catch the eye. Even if Uche Ikpeazu chooses to leave they will still be dangerous up top with Makenzie Kirk and Adama Sidibeh. Simo Valakari's tactics should, in theory, work better now they're expected to be on the front foot.

As the best of the rest last time out, AYR UNITED will have designs on another promotion battle. Their most crucial signing may be Kevin Holt, who adds some nous and experience to the defence. Dom Thomas looks like a super acquistion too, and it'll be interesting to see how young Celtic loan duo Jude Bonnar and Kyle Ure do. They still have their choice of George Oakley, Curtis Main and (when fit again) Anton Dowds up top, but you feel like the team as a whole are still a level below the duo that have been relegated into this division.

PARTICK THISTLE also made the playoffs last term but they've had a tumultuous off-season with budget cuts and a bit of a mess regarding appointing a new manager; Captain and talisman Brian Graham turned down the job and then left for Falkirk after they gave it to Mark Wilson. Wilson's managerial CV doesn't fill one with optimism and whilst Thistle still have Logan Chalmers and Robbie Crawford to provide creativity and a solid defence marshalled by Lee Ashcroft and Daniel O'Reilly, they have only one senior striker in veteran Tony Watt. Young midfielder Ts'oanelo Lets'osa might be a wildcard though after returning to Scotland from Belgium.

RAITH ROVERS came fifth in 2024/25 after a late charge following Barry Robson's appointment as manager. Rebuffing a six-figure bid from rivals Dunfermline for star man Dylan Easton keeps the supporters sweet but only wing-back Jai Rowe and winger Paul McMullan (who doesn't really fit into their three-at-the-back system) look like reinforcements. Lewis Vaughan's fitness will always be key to their success, though Jack Hamilton is a solid alternative. Their season may depend on whether Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson can keep defying Father Time, and whether a proposed co-op agreement with Rangers works out for them.

Eventually, Dougie Imrie's tactics will go stale, or for some other reason GREENOCK MORTON will slide away from mid-table. That's not to say it'll be this season though. It's not exactly ideal that they lost Baird, Boyes, Lyall or quality keeper Ryan Mullen, but they've picked up a new keeper in Jmaes Storer and defenders Kris Moore  and Sonny Hart from down south. Crucially, they've kept Tomi Adeloye who will be good for goals as long as he doesn't get injured. All in all, Morton should be able to scrap sufficiently to avoid relegation again, but that seems to be their ceiling.

DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC have far higher aspirations now that Neil Lennon is in charge. Having failed with their wild attempt to sign Easton, they have instead boosted their midfield with Charlie Gilmour from Inverness and the exciting Alfons Amade, who is a Mozambique international who previously played for Germany's under-20s. Rory MacLeod, who is still a teenager, feels like a high risk, high reward capture from Dundee United to compete with the oft-injured Chris Kane up top, and the emergence of brothers John and Andrew Tod (sons of Pars legend Andy) is fun to see. Remember the name Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen though; this is a central defender who should already be playing at a higher level.

QUEEN'S PARK stank the place out in the last few months of last season and would surely have been relegated via the playoffs had Hamilton Accies not had their points deduction. They've had a nightmare offseason with massive cuts to their budget and a move to the woefully inadequate Lesser Hampden ground, so good luck to rookie manager Sean Crichton. If there is hope it is in the shape of Josh Fowler, their new forward who has joined from Dubai City (!) and was banging them in during the League Cup games. Most of their more talented and more experienced players have exited though and a squad mix of a few veterans, a lot of raw youths and some former Dumbarton players is likely to struggle...especially if the stuff off the park gets worse, as it may well do.

If the Spiders were lucky to stay up, AIRDRIEONIANS were even luckier; the problems at Hamilton gave them a reprieve via the relegation playoffs and they need to try and build on that despite the loss of captain Adam Frizzell and striker Ben Wilson. However many of the new faces have a feel of being good League One players rather than Championship-quality, with ex-Accies trio Jamie Barjonas, Euan Henderson and Sean McGinty being particular examples. Up front they currently depend on converted midfielder Chris Mochrie to lead the line, and could really do with a decent striker as an alternative.

And finally there's ARBROATH, the sole part-time team who, despite their recent history at this level, have to be tipped to be closer to the bottom than the top. They look pretty solid though, with Aaron Muirhead joining permanently after a loan spell to partner Tam O'Brien at the back and Harry Cochrane and Ross Callachan added to the midfield. They still look light up top though, as whichever of Gavin Reilly, Calum Gallagher and Nikolay Todorov starts up front is not likely to score many. It's worth noting that their best players of the second half of their promotion campaign were loanees Fraser Taylor and Sam Stanton, and they are of course gone.

So here's my (inevitably wrong) predicted table:

1. ST. JOHNSTONE

2. ROSS COUNTY

3. DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC

4. AYR UNITED

5. RAITH ROVERS

6. GREENOCK MORTON

7. PARTICK THISTLE

8. AIRDRIEONIANS

9. ARBROATH

10. QUEEN'S PARK

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2025/26 Scottish League One preview

 For my annual League One reviews, I've tended to assume that full-time sides (the ones that are not financial basket-cases) are likely to beat out part-time ones over the course of a whole season. Of course Arbroath put that particular theory to shame last season, but I'm not going to let a small thing like that stop me.

Of this season's four full-time League One teams, INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE are the bookies' favourites but start with a five point deduction courtesy of last season's administration adventure. Five points isn't a huge amount, but it's the equivalent of nearly two wins and may make this tougher than many think. Caley Thistle have also lost loanee striker Alfie Bavidge plus excellent keeper Musa Dibaga and midfielder Charlie Gilmour, though they've replaced the latter two adequately with Ross Munro and Joe Chalmers respectively. They also did well to retain Paul Allan and get Alfie Stewart back on loan. They unquestionably have the best midfield in the division and wingers Luis Longstaff and Liam Sole could have big years; however at the moment their starting attackers are Billy McKay (36) and David Wotherspoon (35). A new striker (or a Bavidge return) is required if they really are going to be the team to beat.

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH finished last season strongly and so boss Peter Murphy has largely chosen to run it back, signing three loan players permanently. Jordan Allan and new striker Kurtis Guthrie (who played for Livingston in the top flight a few years back) should be a threatening pair and mitigate the exit of Adam Brooks. They've also used the loan market well to get St. Mirren defender Callum Penman and exciting Killie midfielder Cole Burke, while Kai Kennedy is hugely talented if he can stay fit. This looks like the best squad the Doonhamers have had in the last few seasons and could take them far.

In contrast, COVE RANGERS went down a rebuild route; Paul Hartley has lost a number of players, including goalie Nick Suman and club legend Connor Scully, and is operating a very streamlined squad at the time of writing. There is plenty of quality in striker Mitch Megginson and midfielders Fraser Fyvie and Declan Glass but new keeper Robbie Mutch will be a downgrade from the terrific Suman (who joined Aberdeen) and the lack of depth - and, surprisingly, the lack of loan signings so far - will be a concern unless Hartley is very busy in the market in the next month.

And then we come to the aforementioned basket-case. HAMILTON ACADEMICAL were relegated after a points deduction and now, having had to move to Cumbernauld for the season, they have been hit with a transfer embargo until next summer as well. Whilst they held on to a pretty solid core - including forwards Oli Shaw and Scott Robinson and midfielders Barry Maguire and Steven Bradley - they seem to only have around 13 senior players; just to add to the chaos, at least two veterans who had been kept on to join the coaching staff apparently can't be re-registered as players due to the embargo. They feel like the obvious answer to the question "Which Scottish club is most likely to end up in administration this season?".

Which of the part-time clubs could emulate Arbroath's success? I'm not sure any jump out for me. PETERHEAD could well carry momentum from their League Two title triumph; guys like Craig McGuffie, Peter Pawlett and Cammy Smith have been round the block and Oliver Colloty really impressed up front after joining mid-season. Jack Newman should be a good signing in goal, though I'm not sure veteran forward Niall McGinn has much left to offer. It'll be strange seeing them without Rory McAllister up front though.

The other promoted side, EAST FIFE, have only made one new signing at the time of writing - Lewis Latona on loan from Livingston - and it'll be a huge ask for 39 year old forward Alan Trouten to repeat last season's ridiculous goal tally. He and Nathan Austin should give them enough firepower but neither the defence nor midfield look of League One standard (as it stands, their only goalkeeper is youth product Matty Rollo, who made his debut in the League Cup groups). They need reinforcements if they are to show they belong here.

STENHOUSEMUIR did remarkably well to make the promotion playoffs last season but admitted afterward that their finances had sailed rather too close to the wind for comfort. The exit of Blair Alston is probably a sign they are cutting their cloth. Striker Matty Yates has also gone (though his expected move to Accies fell through and he's still a free agent) and most of their signings are short-term ones to deal with an injury crisis. Finlay Gray looks like a great addition from Dumbarton and boosts a midfield area that is probably still a strength, and Gregor Buchanan and Ross Meechan provide experience at the back. However they look very unlikely to challenge for top four again.

ALLOA ATHLETIC just missed out on that fourth spot and there was perhaps a feeling that Andy Graham's side underachieved a little last season. With the exception of loan keeper Liam McFarlane most of their newcomers feel like depth pieces though medical student midfielder Andy Clarke looks worth taking a punt on. They'll need McFarlane to prove an adequate replacement for PJ Morrison between the sticks, but otherwise the backbone of last season's team is still here and still looks strong. I don't think League Cup form holds much weight but the Wasps were very, very good in the group stage.

Last season was quite a turbulent one for KELTY HEARTS, who lost manager Michael Tidser to Dunfermline and then endured a nightmare period under Charlie Mulgrew. Tam O'Ware took the reins after Mulgrew's exit and kept them out of a relegation playoff; he was rewarded with the gig permanently and has only retained nine players. If he can gel the newbies quickly, he could be rewarded; midfielders Innes Murray and Alex Ferguson look like particularly smart acquisitions. But top scorer Ross Cunningham is away and they're looking to former Stirling forward James Graham for goals.

And finally MONTROSE are heading for their eighth consecutive season at this level, which is some job. It does seem to be getting gradually tougher for Stewart Petrie's side though. Keeping Kieran Freeman and Craig Wighton permanently after loan spells will help, and Ewan Loudon scored a lot of goals in the Highland League last season. And the defence, marshalled by 42 year old Sean Dillon, isn't short of experience. But they're another team who could do with bringing in a few loans if they are to avoid a relegation scrap.

So here's my (inevitably wrong) predicted table:

1. QUEEN OF THE SOUTH

2. INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE

3. COVE RANGERS

4. PETERHEAD

5. ALLOA ATHLETIC

6. KELTY HEARTS

7. STENHOUSEMUIR

8. MONTROSE

9. EAST FIFE

10. HAMILTON ACADEMICAL

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

2025/26 Scottish League Two preview

Lessons I've learned from the League Two previews I've done in the past (many of which have been extremely, spectacularly wrong):

- Do not pay much attention to the League Cup group results. They tend not to be a good indicator of what's coming.

- If there is a team that is pretty well bankrolled, put them near the top as they will either romp it or, if they don't, they will sack their manager and/or bring in loads of players in January and then romp it.

- The weakest team right now is not actually all that likely to come bottom, as they will also sack their manager and/or bring in loads of players in January and then turn it around. The team that finishes bottom will probably be the seventh or eighth best right now, but will be overtaken by a few sides that panic sufficiently early to get out of danger.

There is a little extra spanner in the works this year: DUMBARTON start with a five point penalty following their administration in League One last season. That doesn't sound like much, but a six point deduction was the difference between Bonnyrigg Rose staying up and going down last time out. It's a new beginning for the Sons, on the pitch as well as off; pretty much none of their best performers from last year remain and manager Stevie Farrell has had to mostly build a new team. While centre-backs Mark Durnan and Morgyn Neill give them a solid backbone, they will be heavily dependent on veterans Leighton McIntosh and Ally Roy for goals and probably need some of their many loan players to shine if they are going to avoid a fight at the bottom.

I also fear for the other side relegated from League One, ANNAN ATHLETIC. Star striker Tommy Goss is set to leave after an alleged fallout with player-boss Wullie Gibson, while potential replacement Joel Mumbongo picked up a serious knee injury on his debut. Aidan Smith is probably good for double-figures and that will be crucial, while Paul McGowan and Paul Smith add a bit of midfield nous. I can see them starting badly, punting Gibson and then hauling themselves out of trouble but I'm not sure they have the budget to make wholesale changes if they are in danger.

Having only avoided the relegation playoff via goal difference, FORFAR ATHLETIC need to improve, and while Lewis Martin and Jake Dolzanski should strengthen the defence their problem in recent years has very much been at the other end of the park. New boys Martin Rennie and Scott Shepherd will be relied on heavily for goals, and their ability to deliver will be the difference between them climbing the table and not.

STRANRAER were always near the bottom last season and it could well be the same again for them. Manager Chris Aitken has turned over the squad (thirteen signings so far) but he's relying on a lot of lower league players to make the step up. He's done well to get winger James Dolan back after a year away studying in Spain, and signing defender Lewis Reid permanently from Queen's Park is actually a bit of a coup.

Moving to the business end of the table, EAST KILBRIDE are the newly promoted side but are also the ones who could be described as 'bankrolled' so I'd make them favourites. They've considerably reinforced the team that won the Lowland League with Rhys Breen and Magnus MacKenzie added to the backline and Ouzy See joining the attack. John Robertson is a solid bet to be League Two's top scorer this season.

Curiously EK signed two players and then punted them in a matter of days; one is striker Josh O'Connor (son of Scotland international Garry) who looks like quite the star signing for ELGIN CITY. Elgin made the promotion playoffs last season and have added keeper Tom Ritchie, defender Connall Ewan and midfielder Miko Virtanen as well which is not too shabby. They have lost the flair of Dujon Golding though. City's target will be to remain in that top four.

EK also let Mouhamed Niang go and he should add a bit of steel to the CLYDE midfield. After a couple of seasons that go into the "bad start, sack manager, sign lots of players, turn it around" category they will look to continue their steady improvement under Darren Young. Guys like full-back Tommy Robson and striker Scott Williamson are probably better than this level and the Niang-Andy Murdoch pairing in the centre of the park is very strong. However captain Lee Hamilton left and they are banking on Sam Campbell, signed from East Stirling, making the step up to replace him in central defence.

EDINBURGH CITY were probably 2024-25's surprise package with Michael McIndoe impressing as manager. Their weakness still seems to be their small squad and the resultant lack of depth. If they can avoid injuries they will be dangerous. Aside from keeping Malik Zaid permanently after a successful loan, McIndoe has had to dip into the lower leagues again to augment the squad (though that worked pretty well for them last year). They did struggle to replace Connor Young's goals after his January exit and have lost Ouzy See too, so they'll need Innes Lawson and James Stokes to continue to contribute heavily from midfield.

As ever, THE SPARTANS resisted making wholesale changes as they go into their fourteenth season under Dougie Samuel. They've convinced Sean Welsh to drop down to League Two and kept defender Bailey Dall on a permanent deal. Crucially Blair Henderson and Cammy Russell are as reliable as any front pairing at this level and so they will have aspirations of finishing higher than last year's fifth spot.

And finally STIRLING ALBION seemed to spend the entirety of last season in mid-table. They'll be hoping new attackers Ross Cunningham and Russell McLean can move them up, while they did well to attract defender Lee Hamilton from Clyde. However the bulk of the squad have been around for the last few seasons and it's possible that they have reached their ceiling under Alan Maybury.

So my (inevitably wrong) predicted table:

1. EAST KILBRIDE

2. THE SPARTANS

3. ELGIN CITY

4. EDINBURGH CITY

5. CLYDE

6. STIRLING ALBION

7. FORFAR ATHLETIC

8. STRANRAER

9. DUMBARTON

10. ANNAN ATHLETIC

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.

The eighteenth annual Narey's Toepoker Team of the Year

I'm getting later at doing this every year, so sorry about that. Still, traditions are traditions. And it's always a fun excuse to look back at the teams from the olden days. I can barely remember when Stephen Hughes was actually a thing...

2007/08: Allan McGregor (Rangers), Alan Hutton (Rangers), Carlos Cuellar (Rangers), Lee Wilkie (Dundee United), Lee Naylor (Celtic), Barry Robson (Celtic), Stephen Hughes (Motherwell), Barry Ferguson (Rangers), Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Scott McDonald (Celtic), Steven Fletcher (Hibernian)

2008/09: Lukasz Zaluska (Dundee United), Andreas Hinkel (Celtic), Gary Caldwell (Celtic), Lee Wilkie (Dundee United), Sasa Papac (Rangers), Scott Brown (Celtic), Bruno Aguiar (Hearts), Pedro Mendes (Rangers), Andrew Driver (Hearts), Scott McDonald (Celtic), Kris Boyd (Rangers)

2009/10: John Ruddy (Motherwell), Steven Whittaker (Rangers), David Weir (Rangers), Andy Webster (Dundee United), Sasa Papac (Rangers), Steven Davis (Rangers), Morgaro Gomis (Dundee United), James McArthur (Hamilton), Anthony Stokes (Hibernian), Kris Boyd (Rangers), David Goodwillie (Dundee United)

2010/11: Marian Kello (Hearts), Steven Whittaker (Rangers), Daniel Majstorovic (Celtic), Michael Duberry (St. Johnstone), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Steven Naismith (Rangers), Beram Kayal (Celtic), Alexei Eremenko (Kilmarnock), David Templeton (Hearts), Nikica Jelavic (Rangers), David Goodwillie (Dundee United)

2011/12: Cammy Bell (Kilmarnock), Adam Matthews (Celtic), Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic), Paul Dixon (Dundee United), James Forrest (Celtic), Victor Wanyama (Celtic), Ian Black (Hearts), Dean Shiels (Kilmarnock), Jon Daly (Dundee United), Gary Hooper (Celtic)

2012/13: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Mihael Kovacevic (Ross County), Gary Warren (Inverness CT), Mark Reynolds (Aberdeen), Stevie Hammell (Motherwell), Victor Wanyama (Celtic), Nicky Law (Motherwell), Murray Davidson (St. Johnstone), Leigh Griffiths (Hibernian), Michael Higdon (Motherwell), Billy Mckay (Inverness CT) 

2013/14: Jamie MacDonald (Hearts), Dave Mackay (St. Johnstone), Virgil Van Dijk (Celtic), Mark Reynolds (Aberdeen), Andrew Robertson (Dundee United), Scott Brown (Celtic), Stuart Armstrong (Dundee United), Peter Pawlett (Aberdeen), Kris Commons (Celtic), Kris Boyd (Kilmarnock), Stevie May (St. Johnstone)

2014/15: Craig Gordon (Celtic), Shay Logan (Aberdeen), Virgil Van Dijk (Celtic), Jason Denayer (Celtic), Graeme Shinnie (Inverness CT), Ryan Jack (Aberdeen), Greg Tansey (Inverness CT), Greg Stewart (Dundee), Stefan Johansen (Celtic), Gary Mackay-Steven (Dundee United/Celtic), Adam Rooney (Aberdeen)

2015/16: Jamie MacDonald (Kilmarnock), Callum Paterson (Hearts), Igor Rossi (Hearts), Andrew Davies (Ross County), Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen), Nir Bitton (Celtic), Jackson Irvine (Ross County), Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen), Kenny McLean (Aberdeen), Marvin Johnson (Motherwell), Leigh Griffiths (Celtic)

2016/17: Joe Lewis (Aberdeen), Callum Paterson (Hearts), Jozo Simunovic (Celtic), Joe Shaughnessy (St. Johnstone), Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen), Stuart Armstrong (Celtic), Adam Barton (Partick Thistle), Scott Sinclair (Celtic), Moussa Dembele (Celtic), Liam Boyce (Ross County)

2017/18: Jon McLaughlin (Hearts), James Tavernier (Rangers), Scott McKenna (Aberdeen), Christophe Berra (Hearts), Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Scott Brown (Celtic), Dylan McGeouch (Hibernian), John McGinn (Hibernian), James Forrest (Celtic), Daniel Candeias (Rangers), Kris Boyd (Kilmarnock)

2018/19: Allan McGregor (Rangers), James Tavernier (Rangers), Kristoffer Ajer (Celtic), Craig Halkett (Livingston), Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Callum McGregor (Celtic), David Turnbull (Motherwell), James Forrest (Celtic), Ryan Christie (Celtic), Ryan Kent (Rangers), Alfredo Morelos (Rangers)

2019/20: Mark Gillespie (Motherwell), James Tavernier (Rangers), Kristoffer Ajer (Celtic), Jon Guthrie (Livingston), Borna Barisic (Rangers), James Forrest (Celtic), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Ali McCann (St. Johnstone), Niall McGinn (Aberdeen), Odsonne Edouard (Celtic), Alfredo Morelos (Rangers)

2020/21: Benjamin Siegrist (Dundee United), James Tavernier (Rangers), Conor Goldson (Rangers), Jason Kerr (St. Johnstone), Borna Barisic (Rangers), Steven Davis (Rangers), Ali McCann (St. Johnstone), Ryan Kent (Rangers), David Turnbull (Celtic), Martin Boyle (Hibernian), Odsonne Edouard (Celtic)

2021/22: Craig Gordon (Hearts), James Tavernier (Rangers), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Ryan Edwards (Dundee United), Stephen Kingsley (Hearts), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Joe Aribo (Rangers), Regan Charles-Cook (Ross County), Barrie McKay (Hearts), Jota (Celtic), Alfredo Morelos (Rangers)

2022/23: Trevor Carson (St. Mirren), James Tavernier (Rangers), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Conor Goldson (Rangers), Greg Taylor (Celtic), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Reo Hatate (Celtic), Jota (Celtic), Malik Tillman (Rangers), Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic), Kevin Van Veen (Motherwell)

2023/24: Dimitar Mitov (St. Johnstone), James Tavernier (Rangers), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Frankie Kent (Hearts), Owen Beck (Dundee), Matt O'Riley (Celtic), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Dan Armstrong (Kilmarnock), Abdallah Sima (Rangers), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), Bojan Miovski (Aberdeen)

And here's this season's list:

GOALKEEPER: DIMITAR MITOV (ABERDEEN)

Honourable mentions: Jordan Smith (Hibernian), Kasper Schmeichel (Celtic)

This isn't just recency bias following his cup final heroics; Mitov was impressive all season for the Dons and was badly missed during a couple of injury layoffs. Smith only got his chance for Hibs because Jozef Bursik was so consistently terrible, but he grabbed it (and often the ball) with both hands. In contrast to Mitov,  Schmeichel had a nightmare at Hampden last month but had actually been reliable enough the rest of the season. I'd have put Zach Hemming ahead of him but the St. Mirren stopper didn't play enough games to qualify.

RIGHT-BACK: ALISTAIR JOHNSTON (CELTIC)

Honourable mentions: James Tavernier (Rangers), Nicky Devlin (Aberdeen)

Tav's seven year run as my pick at right-back comes to an end; he only really makes the top three here because there was a dearth of options (you could say the same about Aberdeen's Devlin). Johnston is the clear first choice though after another excellent all-round season which has led to him being linked with big money moves elsewhere.

LEFT-BACK: JAMES PENRICE (HEARTS)

Honourable mentions: Nicky Cadden (Hibernian), Greg Taylor (Celtic)

Penrice had shown at Livingston that he has a wand of a left foot, and he displayed it to good effect during his first campaign at Tynecastle. Cadden was more of a wing-back - or a winger playing wing-back - than a full-back, but I've put him in here. His crossing from deep was a big part of Hibs' attacking play. Celtic will miss Taylor if/when he goes this summer, when prodigal son Kieran Tierney inevitably gets injured again and again and again.

CENTRE-BACK: CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS (CELTIC), JOHN SOUTTAR (RANGERS)

Honourable mentions: Jack Iredale (Hibernian), Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian), Liam Scales (Celtic), Dan Casey (Motherwell)

CCV is a mainstay of this list now - four times he's made it. Celtic are lucky that he shows no particular urge to test himself at a higher level. Souttar was miles ahead of everyone Rangers partnered him. As for the others, Iredale's insertion into the Hibs lineup coincided with an improvement in those around him, including the hereto haphazard Bushiri. Scales was quietly very good for Celtic and often kept the far more expensive Trusty and Nawrocki out of the team. Motherwell may find it difficult to retain Casey this summer, as he has improved year on year.

CENTRAL MIDFIELD: CALLUM MCGREGOR (CELTIC), NICOLAS RASKIN (RANGERS), REO HATATE (CELTIC)

Honourable mentions: Nectarios Triantis (Hibernian), Beni Baningime (Hearts), Vicko Sevelj (Dundee United), Mohamed Diomande (Rangers), Lennon Miller (Motherwell), Killian Phillips (St. Mirren)

Just the fifth time McGregor has been named to this team, and a second for Hatate; the Celtic duo were both outstanding again. Raskin raised his game dramatically in the second half of the season, forcing his way into Belgium's national team and onto the radar of several bigger clubs after his fine perfomances as midfield anchor. Russell Martin would love to hold on to him and Diomande, who is a lot more skilful on the ball than he often gets credit for. Triantis, Baningime and Sevelj were all impressive no. 6's for their clubs this season. Miller will clearly go on to much greater things, while Phillips was St. Mirren's Player of the Year and got himself an Ireland call-up.

WINGERS: DAIZEN MAEDA (CELTIC), NICOLAS KUHN (CELTIC)

Honourable mentions: Vaclav Cerny (Rangers), Luca Stephenson (Dundee United), Martin Boyle (Hibernian), Jamie McGrath (Aberdeen)

Maeda was the best player in the country this season and could have been picked as a striker, but for the purposes of this I've stuck him wide. 'Kuhn or Cerny' was the hardest pick in this list; whilst the latter showed more consistency, Kuhn had a few months this season where he was unplayable every week and gets the nod for that. Stephenson did well on loan from Liverpool and United really want him back. Boyle is more of a striker than a winger these days but regardless he is as important to Hibs as ever and shows no signs of slowing down. McGrath was a big factor in Aberdeen's fast start but injuries affected much of his season.

STRIKER: CYRIEL DESSERS (RANGERS)

Honourable mentions: Simon Murray (Dundee), Simon Dalby (Dundee United)

18 league goals is nothing to be sneezed at; however when one watched Dessers, one could believe his xG was probably double that. I think the Premiership's top scorer probably gets in this team by default, though. Lord knows what would have happened to Dundee without Simon Murray, and lord knows why Murray wasted a chunk of his career playing in the lower leagues with Queen's Park given he's playing so well at age 33. Dalby's goals dried up a bit as the season went on but he's been too good for United to be able to sign permanently.

And that's another year sorted. Maybe when I reach twenty, that'll be enough?

Lawrie Spence has whinged about Scottish football on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.