THE 2022 World Cup is rapidly approaching with Qatar set to host the biggest tournament of them all this winter.
This year’s competition is unprecedented for several reasons – one of them being that it comes mid-season.
As a result, all major leagues across the globe will be forced into a five-week shutdown to accommodate some of their star players heading to the Middle East.
The Premiership falls under that category. Exactly one month today, Scotland’s top-flight teams will play their final matches before going into cold storage for their scheduled mid-season break.
The league will barely be through a full round of fixtures before pausing, with domestic games resuming on December 15.
With that in mind, here are some of the major talking points to ponder over with just 31 days to go until the Premiership grinds to a halt...
Can Celtic cope without their captain fantastic?
The champions were dealt a huge blow last week when Callum McGregor sustained a knee injury in Champions League action against RB Leipzig. Ange Postecoglou confirmed a few days after the game that the knock would see the Scotland international ruled out until after the World Cup break. While this was of course disappointing news for the Hoops faithful, it was perhaps better news than the club was initially anticipating as Postecoglou originally lamented “it doesn’t look good”. The Hoops were deserved winners versus St Johnstone at the weekend - however the fashion in which they emerged with three points was undoubtedly dramatic. Matt O’Riley dropped deeper to sit alongside Reo Hatate to help fill McGregor’s void. It will be interesting to see if that works over the next few weeks or whether another player, such as Oliver Abildgaard, needs to step in.
Will Rangers keep the pace in the title race?
The gap between Celtic and Rangers at the summit of the table stands at just two points. Considering the doing that Postecoglou’s side delivered to the Ibrox club at the beginning of September, it’s quite a staggering realisation that one slip-up from the Hoops could see Rangers capitalise and jump into the top spot. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have really struggled in Europe, that’s clear. However on the domestic front, aside from that result at Parkhead, it’s nearly been a perfect record. One draw at Hibs was a dent in the armour for the Light Blues but the red-hot form of Antonio Colak has ensured that Rangers remain firmly in the title race when some early predictions posited that it may have been over before it even really started. The main focus for the Gers over the next month will be to keep pace and apply pressure to Celtic. It will be intriguing to see who sits top of the pile going into the break.
Will Hearts’ struggle to balance European & domestic football continue?
Firstly, it is important to mention that Robbie Neilson has contended with a plethora of injuries to key players so far this season. In their last game against Kilmarnock, two traditional left-backs Stephen Kingsley and Alex Cochrane were selected to play centre-back due to a shortage of numbers in that area. That said, there is little doubt that with the money spent by Hearts in the summer and the growing expectation levels at Tynecastle, many would have foreseen their hugely talented squad to have performed better when striking the balance between European and league action. In their two Conference League fixtures on home soil they have conceded seven goals without reply. The Jambos did earn an impressive victory in Riga against RFS, though. Most regard Hearts as the clear third-best team in Scotland - that may well be proved come the end of the season but the Edinburgh giants have endured some stuttering form domestically which Neilson will need to iron out over the coming weeks.
Who will break away from middle pack to lay down third-place marker?
There are six teams separated by just five points in the middle pack of the table, albeit there are some sides who have only played nine games as opposed to 10. Hibs currently sit in that highly-sought after third spot – the best of the rest after the Glasgow giants. Chasing their tails are St Mirren, Hearts, Aberdeen, Motherwell and Livingston. It is still very much early days in the season. One team could hit peak form and speed away from the pack while another team could hit the buffers and even fall into potential relegation trouble. However, by the time the World Cup break comes around, the table will be beginning to form some sort of shape which will likely resemble how it could look come the business end of the campaign. The battle for consistency rages on.
Can Dundee United kick on under Liam Fox?
It’s been a tumultuous start to the season for the Tannadice club in its opening few months. Jack Ross lasted only five domestic matches before being given his jotters by owner Mark Ogren. His assistant, Fox, was placed in temporary charge while Tony Asghar led the process to find United’s next permanent gaffer. In the end, after performing a solid job in his caretaker spell, Fox was that man. His first three permanent games in charge have resulted in a loss and two victories. The Tangerines remain rooted to the foot of the table. With games against Ross County, St Mirren and Motherwell on the horizon, it should present an ideal opportunity to get points on the board. If they can string a few positive results together, Fox could slowly but surely guide United up the table.
