Scottish Premiership 2026/27 Preview: Title Contenders, Relegation Candidates and Every Team Analysed
Aberdeen
After a disappointing season last season, The Dons will be hoping to move on from last season and start a fresh season on a high note, under new head coach Stephen Robinson, who joined from St Mirren. During his few games last season, he has a fairly good start, winning 3, drawing 2, and losing 4. His style makes defensive solidity the main priority and typically plays a 4-3-3 formation at Abderdeen. He makes his midfielders press high, this means that opposition attacks can be thwarted before they get to the defense and it allows for quicker transitions against discombobulated defensive lines. When attacking, they heavily rely on transitions and they exploit the wide areas and use fast wingers like Topi Keskinen to deliver early crosses. Another aspect of his attacking style is a big physical and clinical presence in the penalty area. He utilises lethal finishing from strikers like Kevin Nisbet, who gets on the end of second balls and crosses.
Celtic
The defending champions are hoping to defend their title this upcoming season under permanent manager Martin O'Neill. They are probably the best team in Scotland and are hoping to win another title. However, they willl be hoping that their season will be less dramatic than last and will be hoping that they won't have to win it in the dying embers of the last day. Martin O'Neill has gotten Celtic playing a highly aggressive physical style of football. They attack with speed and progress the ball rapidly. A key tactic that allows for this is the fullbacks pushing really high allowing for quick crosses into the box. Their strikers are ordered to constantly make runs behind the opposing centre backs. This forces them to drop deeper, therefore, this allows for for pockets of space for the late arriving midfielders. A crucial player for Celtic is the veteran, Callum McGregor, he is key in anchoring the rapid transitions and is one of the midfielders who constantly makes midfield runs when his side are going forward. However, the departure of star play Daizen Maeda leaves a gap in the forward line that needs to be replaced. Another key player is Liverpool Champions League winner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He is highly valued by the manager and his experience and top midfield qualities make him a valued member of the team.
Dundee
Under former Coventry manager Steven Presley, the Dark Blues defied the relegation odds and finished in a solid 8th place with 42 points. They pulled off some shock results on the way too, including beating eventual champions Celtic 2-0 at home. Unlike most managers nowadays, Presley plays an adaptive style of play based on match conditions. However, he still has principles for his team to follow. One of these principles is a low block, letting teams come at them and then hit them with rapid counter attacks. He also has a very resilient mindset inside the dressing room. When going forward, he usees the width of wing backs to get forward and put crosses into the opposition penalty area. Their main striker and attacking outlet is Simon Murray, he is undoubtedly the crème de la crème of their attack. He has 7 goals to his name last season and is their main goal source. Their defensive anchor and absolute pillar at the back, Ryan Ashley is also paramount in their system, his defensive excellence combined with his 3 goals make him the prefect set piece target.
Dundee United
Dundee United had a more successful season than their city rivals, finishing 7th, 3 points above the team that they share a road with. This is especially commendable due to the fact that is was their first season back in the Premiership after being promoted the season prior. This season, they will be looking to build on that and maybe get into the top half of the table and who knows, maybe, just maybe make it to Europe. Under manager Jim Goodwin, they play a 5-2-3/5-3-2 low block that puts solidity at the back over possession based football. The tactical layout requires that back 5 to stay compact, this means that there is less space for the opposition run into. Last season they registered the most interceptions and clearances per match out of any team in the SPFL last season. Their attacks consist of rapid vertical transitions that bypass the midfield. They rarely pass it around in defense and instead lump it forward to wingbacks or wingers to do the attacking damage. Their main striker is Zac Sapsford and he was their leading goal scorer last season with 11 goals. Out wide, they have Ivan Dolček, who is an engine out wide who helps out both defensively and when going forward. He regularly bursts forward from deep and creates wide overloads that enable crosses into the box. He generated 5 goals last season and his top level fitness enables him to run the length of the pitch constantly. His top crosses combined with the lethal finishing of Sapsford makes an elite combination.
Falkirk
In their first season back in the Premiership since 2019, Falkirk have impressed in their first season. Fighting relegation was never an issue and finished in the top half of the table after the split. They finished in 6th place on 49 points. Under head coach John McGlynn, they play on the front foot and are a nice team on the eye. They set up in a modern 4-2-3-1 formation which enables for a balence of patient, slow builp up and explosive counter attacks. When defending and out of possession, he orders his players to mark their man and don't let him get past you and then win the ball. When they are building up slowly, the fullbacks push really high, this forces defenses back and establishes numerical dominance in the opposition half. The wingers have a big part to play in this system, they have to track back to contribute to a high press but also bomb forward in the transition. One of their most important player is attacking midfielder, Aidan Nesbitt. He is the perfect bridge between the double pivot and the front line. His unmatched dribbling and passing vision make him crucial in defeaing low blocks. A good keeper makes or breaks a squad and that most certainly applies to No.1 Scott Baine is an experienced keeper and has the ability to come up with clutch saves at clutch times that keep Falkirk in games.
Hearts
After an amazing, record breaking season where they lost the title in the last minutes at Celtic Park, Hearts will be hoping to go one better and win the whole thing this coming season. However, this will be no easy task as their manager and talisman have gone to title rivals Rangers. They have replaced McInnes with Belgian manager, Wouter Vrancken. It is difficult to see how he will set out at Hearts but in his previous jobs he was a manager who played a modern 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation. He also didn't really use the middle of the pitch to attack. Instead, he funnels the moves forward to inverted wingers or crashing central midfielders to create overloads. Additionally, the Belgian isn't a fan of passive, lateral build up. He goes all in with progressive passing and getting the team forward. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of Lawrence Shankland, Kenneth Vargas who will be the central striker in the sysem whos elite pace brings versatility across the front line, he is also good on the ball with 4.2 per 90. Malachi Boateng and Beni Banigime are key in protecting the transition under the new gaffer's high pressing system and act as a shield breaking up opposing attacks. They succeed at this as they make 2.9 per game.
Hibernian
After finising in the bottom half of the table last time out, the other Edinburgh side will be hoping to get themselves competing with the big guns come the end of the season. Their manager, David Gray plays a robust and physical approach to the game. He plays a compact formation of either a 4-2-3-1 or a classic 4-4-2 that prioritises defensive solidity over sleek football. They focus on winning he ball deep and launching quick long balls directly over the top that get to the front line. This is benefital as it catches out opposing defenses and allows for more time and space for the front line to run in. Set pieces are a big part of their game and use tall centre backs to really get the most out of corners, long throws and free kicks. Warren O'Hora is key in their system, he is a cenral pillar of a defender who's positional awareness and 71% ground duel sucess rate make him a perfect defensive anchor. In attack, their main man is Martin Boyle, he is the explosive heartbeat of the Hibs team and his blistering pace and clinical finishing make him the perfect player in David Gray's counter attacking defensive system.
Image: Daniel, Flickr
Kilmarnock
After a 10th place finish last season Kilmarnock and Neil McCann are hoping to finish higher than that and want to have no fear of potential relegation to the Championship. Despite finishing 10th last season, they play a fluid possession based system that is played in a 4-3-3 formation. The system puts high emphasis on high inverted wingers who tuck in to create central overloads which leaves space for the fullbacks to overlap out wide. One of these wingers in Scott Tiffoney, he is an explosive player on the wing who averages 4.1 successful dribbles per game. When defending, the manager likes his team to play a high energy proactive defense. The players are told to suffocate the opposition the millisecond that the ball is lost and play in an aggressive way. George Stanger does this well, and anchors this philosophy. Additionally, he is key in the very beginning of the build up as he averages 54 completed passes per 90.
Motherwell
After a commendable 4th place finish and getting European football last season, Motherwell will be hoping to have another season like the previous campaign. However, their manager Jens Berthel Askou has gone to Toulouse, the North Lanarkshire side have replaced him with Alfred Johansson. Similar to Hearts, we haven't really seen his style at Motherwell so it is hard to predict how he will set out at Fir Park. However, at his previous jobs, he was known for an attacking 4-3-3 formation. When attacking his sides changes to a back three and build up from there with the fullbacks holding their width and the midfield dropping back for easy, progressive passes. In attack, he tend to focus on a big lad up front to funnel play to and try and score. The player that will do this will be Tawanda Maswanhise, he carried the attack last season and was their top scorer with 17 goals.
Rangers
Under Danny Röhl, Rangers stormed the Premiership after a disappointing start under Russel Martin. Röhl has since departed for RB Salzburg and has been replaced by Dereck McInnes. McInnes plays a solid 4-4-2 formation, he places a lot of importance on natural width and over 75% of their attacks start from out wide. Attacking fullbacks and pacey wingers look to continuously put in crosses into the box and hope that the strikers get on the end of them. A major attacking influence is his main man at Hearts, Lawrence Shankland. He scored a whopping 23 goals for he Jam Tarts last season and carried the attacking line. McInnes' sides like to control the ball and the 4 in midfield really aids that. This dominance allows for strikers like Shankland to push up and get into the penalty area. When defending, the defense overloads the central regions of the pitch, forcing their opposition out wide. This makes them close to the byline and puts pressure on attackers, who have one path taken away as they can't go both sides of the defender.
Saint Johnstone
This is the Perth side's first time back in the Premier League after securing a return from the Championship at the first time of asking. Their manager, Simo Valakari plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, this gets the best out of his set of players. He plays a modern system of narrow wingers and inverted fullbacks to create wide overloads. They heavily rely on short, sharp playmaking passes from the midfield double pivot and this gets the ball to the attacking third smoothly. However, that was in the Championship, in the Premiership they will have to face way more talented opposition and will have to change to a more defensive style that still implements Valakari's principles. A key player in the build up in Sven Sprangler, he is the structural anchor of the playmaking double pivot but also is key in breaking up play. Another crucial player for them is big lad up front, Jamie Gullan, he is a versatile forward who is a massive focal point in their system and will have to take the best of his chances if St Johnstone want to retain their Premiership status.
Saint Mirren
In a season where they survived in a scrappy relegation playoff with Partick Thistle, it will be a priority for the side from Paisley to stay up more comfortably and not have to go through a relegation playoff. Craig McLeish is the man who will be at the helm of St Mirren next season after a successful interim spell following the departure of Stephen Robinson to Aberdeen and he guided them through a relegation playoff. In his short spell last season, he was seen playing a fearless attacking 4-3-3 formation. However, if this isn't working, he will not be adversed to changing his system to match the tempo of the game. He requires frequent rotation from his midfielders allowing inverted wingers to cut inside and overlapping fullbacks to join the attack and create overloads out wide on the wings. Mark O'Hara is a massive player in their system, he is a box-to-box midfielder who balances defensive work with driving runs into the attacking third to help out the attackers.