Four points separating ten clubs makes it tight in SPL

True competition or much of a muchness?

Fans all over Scotland that don’t support Celtic or Rangers are always quick to dream of a world where they can live without the reign of the gruesome twosome. Amazingly enough, the land of Twitter appeared up in arms this week at the thought of Celtic and Rangers avoiding each other in the League Cup quarter final draw. Far be it from us to proclaim this as rampant paranoia…but heyho, that’s exactly what it was!

A 1/7 chance of these two teams being paired together meant there was no reason to get angry about the draw outcome and the fact that both teams were paired at this stage two seasons in a row back in 2004 and 2005 means its not the impossibility that some short of thinking folk were proclaiming.

However….a look at the SPL table gives you an indication of some of the frustration football fans feel. 10 teams separated by 4 points is an almighty competitive place to be in….even with only 5 games gone.

Excluding the top two positions, any team could finish in any position and yet there is a touch of madness in the air at the moment in Scottish football:

John Hughes looks as though he could be facing the sack soon
St Johnstone fans booed their team at the end of a loss against Motherwell
St Mirren boss Danny Lennon has fallen foul to paranoia and banned the media from the clubs training ground
Accies boss Billy Reid has come under pressure despite a few years of tremendous success for the club

And they say that Celtic and Rangers fans have unrealistic expectations!

St Mirren v Inverness Caley in Paisley is a game between two of the four clubs congregated on 4 points at the bottom of the SPL. A victory for either side could catapult the victor away from the bottom and create some sort of breathing space for the winning manager. A draw keeps it as you were for both clubs but these are the games where a win can define a season.

The same could be said for Hamilton and Kilmarnock at New Douglas Park but Killie will be buoyed by their midweek trouncing of Hibs at Rugby Park. A Kilmarnock win could even put them third if other results go in their favour, which indicates the tightness in the SPL.

The Hearts v Motherwell match at Tynecastle sees the Jambos with a chance to atone to their fans for the disastrous Cup defeat in midweek whilst the Well will be looking to continue their positive start to the season.

Dundee United versus St Johnstone is a Tayside derby at Tannadice between two teams who have had some ups and downs already this season. Both clubs are in the quarter final stages of the League Cup, so a return trip to Hampden isn’t out of the question for either of the way.

So….in a league that ignores the comings and goings of the big two, there could be a lot of movement today in the SPL!

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