Celtic to win but hope springs eternal for rest

Scottish football does not exactly celebrate diminishing standards but it has been forced to accept them.

Inverness enjoyed the finest season of their short history in 2014/’15 and lost one of their star players, Marley Watkins, to Barnsley for a 400 per cent salary increase. Earlier, the main striker at the Premiership’s third footballing force, Billy McKay, exited for League One-bound Wigan Athletic.

St Johnstone began this season with understandable and renewed hope before being bundled out of Europe by the team who finished fourth in the Armenian league. This was not an isolated, if depressing, scenario.

Prominent clubs

If the financial – and football – chaos at prominent clubs such as Rangers, Hearts and Hibernian in recent years has offered fresh hope for smaller clubs, there must be a recognition of what level the Scottish game finds itself at. And not, as commonly portrayed, because of certain clubs’ demise. Trouble was evident long before these scenarios. The annual question is whether things have yet bottomed out.

Yet this weekend, despite an underlying unease at the overpriced monotony, deeply unimpressive administrators and certainty of who will be crowned champions come the end of the season, hope springs eternal. The ability of this sport to consume a nation, regardless of whether or not people are attending matches, remains a wondrous scenario. It leaves one wondering what it would be like if, once again, Scottish football was in fine fettle.

Celtic's main challenge for the Scottish Premiership crown should again come from Aberdeen, who finished second and 17 points behind last season. The outpouring of hooped anger had Derek McInnes's team pipped Celtic to a fourth title in succession is not worth imagining, and the same principle exists this term.

Celtic have the playing and financial resources to swat aside all before them. Last season, when push eventually came to shove, they did likewise to Aberdeen. Celtic will retain the flag, the question being by how much.

McInnes’s stellar work should not be ignored, however. They easily look the best of the rest, and while McInnes arrived at Pittodrie at a useful juncture, several preceding him had failed.

Aberdeen’s season begins with a match against Dundee United, a club apparently damned by fiscal reality. Their manager, Jackie McNamara, desperately needs a bright opening to the campaign.

His opposite number at Dundee, Paul Hartley, has shown himself fond of rapid recruitment drives. They should be of a mind to challenge for Europe. As should St Johnstone, who have punched above their domestic weight under Tommy Wright.

Such a lofty position may be beyond Ross County.

Hearts’ supporter base, with season ticket sales halted at 13,500, is of obvious benefit to the league. The weight of expectation behind the Edinburgh club will come from supporters who watched their team canter to the Championship last season.

Kilmarnock should avoid a relegation battle, which may be between Partick Thistle, Motherwell and Hamilton. Guardian Service