[red dave]

The money of the Old firm is drying up and Rangers and Celtic seem to be slowly getting worse .

The standard of players at the Old firm is getting poorer every season and I think in the next 5 years we could well have another winner of the Scottish premiership.

Aberdeen and Hibernian seem to of started to improve whether they can gain enough to make up the ground needed is yet to be seen .


What do you think ?

 

[Sownak27]

I can't really look beyond tose two at the moment. Though Hibs have a great striker in Steven Fletcher (Real were interested in him at one point isn't it?)

Gers from the Prem this year!

 

[martinutd]

Until some Rich Arab buys Hearts or Hibs, no

 

[VaVa]

Celtic and Rangers will always be big, they have a bigger fan base around the world than about 12 out of the 20 clubs in the prem IMO.
They will always have just enough money to stay ahead of the pack!!

Celtic for the Title

 

[RtiD]

Celtic for the title this season can't see another team separating these two for a few years as they get more tv money get money from european exploits and attract more players than other clubs
they also have bigger stadiums, bigger fan bases so even money that too.

 

[Dazza]

I thought a few years ago, hearts would, but they fell my the wayside really. Romanov truly messed up their position.

 

[marty davidson]

I don't think any other team in Scotland can win the league Celtic and Rangers will always fight it out at the top of the table

 

[Jay007]

Another team apart from the Old Firm winning the SPL is as likely as a non-"Top 4" team winning the Premiership.

 

[red dave]

Fergie achieved it with Aberdeen so why cant some one else!

 

[Jay007]

Fergie achieved it with Aberdeen so why cant some one else!

Because football has changed since then.

The SPL, despite the quality and numeracy gap between the Premiership, is structured the very same way.

You have the teams seen as being title contenders (Celtic and Rangers), the UEFA Cup contenders (Dundee Utd, Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts) the mid-table sides (Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Falkirk) and the sides battling relegation (St Mirren, Hamilton, Inverness CT) {The promoted sides usually always go into the relegation battlers)

On the odd occasion, you get someone transferring between the relegation battlers and the mid-table sides (Falkirk, who are battling relegation and St Mirren who are mid-table this season) and a side like Motherwell who won a European place last season. And every couple of years, you may get clubs moving around into the different sections, but no one can move into the title contenders section and in all honesty their is hardly any gap whatsoever between mid-table and relegation battlers, so those sections as I've suggested are fairly sketchy tbh.

Hearts should have won the League a couple of years ago. They had a good team, managed by George Burley but Vladimir Romanov (the owner) ended up sacking the manager, interfered with the team so they ended up with a UEFA Cup place.

But everything has changed now. For example, Hearts, and Romanov, are struggling financially (players have been paid late, clubs have been paid late fees, and bills have been in jeopardy - Hearts were threatened with getting their water supply cut off for not paying the bill.)

You can also add the fact that the Old Firm always end up buying the other clubs best players, even if they don't end up getting games. (Then their supporters complain about a lack of competition from the other sides.)

Finances are key. The Old Firm pay much higher wages than the other sides, and generally players of a fairly high standard aren't interested in coming to Scotland unless to the Old Firm if at all.

Talking of the Old Firm though, Rangers are struggling a bit financially whereas Celtic are flourishing it's safe to say, so if Celtic manager the situation properly they could dominate the League, much like Rangers did in the 90's.

 

[Fiat Cunto]

manutd 004 youwatch the scotish league reguarly? what do you make of young james mccarthy?

 

[Check the Milkman]

manutd 004 youwatch the scotish league reguarly? what do you make of young james mccarthy?

I watch it regularly aswell. He is a top quality player and he will definately make it in the premier league and he will be a key player for Ireland

 

[Fiat Cunto]

I watch it regularly aswell. He is a top quality player and he will definitely make it in the premier league and he will be a key player for Ireland

do you think so? that's good to hear hope your man Clifford at Chelsea lives up to his hype too and we will have a class center midfield partnership in a couple of years!

just hope James doesn't go to Liverpool!weren't barca linked with him as well

 

[piazza]

Hell no. They don't have the resources, and to be blatantly honest, the rest of Scotland is probably on par, or below the better MLS sides.

 

[Nachito Coronel]

something needs to happen in scotland and fast, its just ridiculous how its either rangers and celtic every year.

 

[Jay007]

manutd 004 youwatch the scotish league reguarly? what do you make of young james mccarthy?

He certainly has potential to be a quality player.

He's been great for Hamilton this year, and he starred against Celtic and Rangers when he played against them this year.

My only concern would be about what career move he ends up making. Obviously, he is good enough to play for a bigger club than Hamilton (no disrespect to them.) But, I think that there could be a danger of him leaving Hamilton and ending up at a team who would stick him on the bench or in the reserves (as the Old Firm usually do )