FourFourTwo Season Preview 2019-20 87This season: Antonio Conte’sassistant,a US
takeover in Edinburgh anda genuinetitleraceSCOTTISH
PREMIERSHIP
2019-20
FIXTURES
ABERDEENCELTIC HAMILTONHEARTS HIBERNIANKILMARNOCKLIVINGSTONMOTHERWELLRANGERSROSSCOUNTY
STJOHNSTONE
STMIRRENABERDEEN x
26/10 14/12 3/8 5/10 2/11 26/12 22/1 4/12 31/8 14/9 30/11
15/2 4/4 7/3 4/3 22/2 5/2
CELTIC 21/12 x 4/12 12/224/8 14/12 22/221/9 23/11 9/11 29/12 19/1025/1 21/33/8 30/107/3HAMILTON 30/1012/2 14/91/2 x 21/12 19/1021/3 10/87/3 25/128/9 22/224/8 23/11 30/102/11 26/12 7/12HEARTS 29/12 2/11 15/231/8 x 26/12 5/105/2 4/12 14/97/3 19/1025/1 10/821/3 14/12 9/11HIBERNIAN 7/12 28/94/4 22/1 21/94/3 x 30/11 30/1022/2 23/11 21/12 26/1012/2 24/814/3 3/81/2KILMARNOCK
24/8 22/1 9/11 23/11 14/9
x
19/10 21/12 4/8 28/9 4/12 26/10
4/3 15/2 4/4 12/2 1/2 14/3
LIVINGSTON 21/921/3 5/104/3 30/11 26/1014/3 29/12 7/12 x 3/81/2 9/11 21/12 22/1 31/812/2MOTHERWELL 19/1014/3 10/85/2 29/12 7/12 31/825/1 30/1021/3 2/11 x 14/12 21/94/3 30/11 5/1015/2RANGERS 28/9 1/9 5/10 30/11 10/8 26/12 14/9 26/10 x 7/12 2/11 22/1
1/2 14/3 4/3 5/2 15/2 4/4
ROSSCOUNTY 9/11 30/11 14/33/8 22/1 4/12 14/12 24/85/2 26/12 30/107/3 x 5/1015/2 14/94/4STJOHNSTONE 23/11 7/12 26/104/4 30/101/2 9/11 31/825/1 10/87/3 28/912/2 22/221/9 29/12 x 21/12STMIRREN
10/8 26/12 21/9 28/9 2/11 29/12 14/12 4/12 25/8 23/11 19/10
25/1 5/2 22/2 21/3 4/3 x
Ab fi t d / th ll bj t t hGETINVOLVED
TWEETUS
USINGTHE
HASHTAG#FFTPREVIEW
The titanic tussle at the top between
Celtic and Rangers will dominate
column inches in Scotland. However,
with the arrival of Antonio Conte’s
right-hand man at Kilmarnock and
an American millionaire at Hibernian,
the 2019-20 Premiership promises
to be a compelling spectacle well
beyond the city limits of Glasgow.
Celtic are so close to legendary status
that they can almost taste it. They’re
aiming for a ninth successive title on
their quest for the iconic 10-in-a-row.
That’s the task for Neil Lennon, given
the job permanently while he was still
in the Hampden showers following
their Scottish Cup final win over Hearts.
That sent some fans into a lather – but
Lenny is a proven winner at Parkhead.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard knows
time is running out to stop the mother
of all parties across the city. He has
retooled over the summer, because
although the Gers’ runners-up finish
last term was their highest in the top
flight in seven years, Gerrard is in no
mood to settle for second-best again.
Meanwhile, Aberdeen are itching to
add some silverware to their cabinet. In
the league, finishing as ‘best of the rest’
in 3rd is their minimum expectation.
A new era has begun at Hibs, with Ron
Gordon purchasing the club from Sir
Tom Farmer. Debt-free and ambitious,
the Hibees want European qualification- and to outperform Hearts again.
Killie’s appointment of Angelo Alessio
is a leap into the unknown, and it will be
fascinating to see how the ex-Chelsea
and Juventus coach copes in Scotland.
Motherwell and St Johnstone nurse
aspirations of belying their budgets
to break into the top six, while mere
survival would constitute success for
Livingston, St Mirren, Hamilton and
Ross County in the battle at the bottom.
2019-20
PREDICTIOn
1.Celtic
2.Rangers
3.Aberdeen
4.Hibernian
5.Hearts
6.Kilmarnock
7.Motherwell
8.StJohnstone
9.Livingston
10.StMirren
11.RossCounty
12.HamiltonAT THE LOWER LEVELS...
Just 200 yardsseparateDundeeand
DundeeUnited,andtheirfightfor
second-tierpromotioncouldbejust
asclose.PartickThistle,Inverness
andDunfermlinewillalsohopeto
beintheshake-upfortheplay-offs.
InLeagueOne,Falkirkaimtobounce
backfromtheirshockrelegation– but
RaithRoverswillmounta titlecharge.
EdinburghCity’srecruitmentdown
inLeagueTwostandsouta mile.They
shouldbegunningfortopspot,ahead
ofStenhousemuir,twice-relegated
BrechinandambitiousCoveRangers.Above figures represent day/month – all are subject to change. The league splits into two for the season’s final five matchesSEASOn PREVIEW