Sky pundits Chris Sutton and Kris Boyd come from different sides of the Glasgow divide. It’s fair to say that Boyd looks at just about everything through blue tinted spectacles while Sutton is pretty unique in the media in being a pro-Celtic voice…
Sky Sports yesterday got the two to actually agree on something and that is in itself fairly unusual. The two former players were asked to give their opinions on how the Scottish Premiership table would look at the end of this season and surprise, surprise there was agreement on the top three.
Aberdeen’s early season form not rated by Boyd
Boyd and Sutton both reckon that Celtic will win the league, theRangers will beat Aberdeen for second place with the Dons ending the season in third spot, not bad given they failed to make the top six last season
Here’s what the pair had to say to Sky Sports about the three title ‘contenders’ starting with KRIS BOYD…
1st. CELTIC – “Even I’ve been impressed by the way Celtic have started the season and that takes a lot for me to say that! I just get the feeling they’re going to have too much. The business they’ve done, they’re strong enough and they will win the league by a good few points.”
2nd. theRANGERS – “I knew it was going to be a tough season, I didn’t think it would be as tough as this. I still think they’ll have more than the rest but I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as it’s been over the last few years to get that second place.
“Once the season settles down a bit and players get up to match speed, they’ll be ok. Once injuries start to hit the smaller teams that’s when you see the bigger ones pull away. (the)Rangers will have more than enough to finish second but I don’t think they have enough to challenge Celtic.”
3rd. ABERDEEN – “I’m purely saying this based on the start the other teams have made as I’m not getting carried away with Aberdeen. They’ve had a good start but they are yet to face any really tough opponents. They have a run of fixtures that will be difficult for them. Having lost someone like Bojan Miovski, I can’t see them keeping this form for long. They do have a points gap on the rest but they will be dragged back into it. I am still to be convinced by them.”
And here’s the assessment from CHRIS SUTTON on how the top three will look in the Scottish Premiership in May 2025…
1st. CELTIC – “They’ve started the domestic season really strongly and fast. Brendan is back in his second season and I think it has been a smooth pre-season for Celtic. They’ll have to cope with the demands of Champions League football as well, hence why it was important to bring new players in.
“Brendan’s strongest suit is coaching and developing players so I think they’ll be happy with the work they’ve done in the window and they’re still the team to beat.”
2nd. theRANGERS – “Philippe Clement says Rangers will get better but they are still a work in progress. There’s been such an overhaul and a messy summer and they’re going to take time to gel. Whether Clement gets the time remains to be seen.
“He’ll want his team to be hanging on in there and just staying on Celtic’s coattails but then, as the season progresses, look to really hit a rhythm and find his way past them. It is fairer to judge Clement this season rather than last season when he inherited a real mess. This season it’s his team and there will be no excuses.”
3rd. ABERDEEN – “Jimmy Thelin has brought in one or two players he knows well which will really help. They’ve been a topsy-turvy team in the last few seasons where they’ve had patches where they’re done really well, then the wheels came off.
“They seem to have taken their time in appointing Jimmy Thelin and he’s a builder of clubs. He built Elfsborg and it took him three years to get them to a really decent level and he’ll be hoping to do the same with Aberdeen who are a big club, but they’re striving for consistency. I think splitting the Old Firm (sic) isn’t going to happen, it’s a great start for him but let’s not get too carried away just yet.”
COMING SOON ON CELTIC STAR BOOKS…CELTIC IN THE THIRTIES, VOL 1&2 BY MATT CORR…
