Scottish Premiership - The Season So Far

We've reached the halfway point in the 2019/20 Premiership campaign, meaning clubs have the winter break to regroup and recover after what was a fierclely competitive first-half of the season. In this article I'll be singling out a few teams from Scotland's top-flight to discuss their form up until now, as well how the second-half could fare for them.

Celtic

The Hoops remain top of the table, but that may not be for long. Why? Rivals Rangers are hot on their heels and are only two points behind, all while having a game in hand over the champions. Neil Lennon's side will be wanting to quickly forget their previous match: a 2-1 defeat to the Gers in front of a packed Celtic Park on 29th December. It was an embarrassing performance which highlighted their need for reinforcements in the transfer window. They'll be thankful the winter break has came when it has. They had things to cheer about out-with the League last month, though, as they retained their League Cup crown and qualified for the Europa League knockout phase. They certainly can't afoord to slip-up between now and when they visit Ibrox again (which is in March), otherwise they risk the chance of losing the league. However, I think the winner's mentality that the crop of players have will see them over the line.

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Motherwell

The North Lanarkshire outfit are flying high so far this season and find themselves sitting in third place. Thier recent 2-1 derby defeat to Hamilton Accies will be a tough one to take for sure, but it doersn't reflect the work Stephen Robinson and his players have put in up until now. A game before that, they made the long journey to the Highlands to face Ross County. It seemed like they'd be going home empty handed as Blair Spittal's first-half header put the hosts ahead. In the 81st, Motherwell equalised, but that wasn't it over. In the 92nd minute, defender and POTY contender Declan Gallagher rose up to head home and seal all three points. It was a game that showed their desire to win and proved they deserve to be where they are in the table.

Hearts

Where do I start? Hearts find themselves rock bottom of the table, five points adrift of safety. They look like a team with no heart (pun intended), no desire and no game-plan. They look broken. They hired manager Daniel Stendel and clearly believed he would be the best man to take them forward, but that isn't working out very well so far. They lost their Boxing Day derby match at home to Hibs, extending their winless run to nine games. Irish international Glenn Whelan left the club and it looks like captain Christoph Berra could be next to join him, as Stendel revealed he's not in his future plans. Brutal. Will there be a turning point for the Edinburgh side? I honestly can't see it. If so, then it'll have to be very soon otherwise they'll be sporting the Championship badge on their jersey next season.

Rangers

Going to Celtic Park and getting a result is one thing, but going to Celtic Park, getting a result and looking like the superior side for the majority is another thing altogether. Rangers did just that right before the winter break commenced, setting a potential marker for the rest of the season. They are just two points behind their rivals and still have a game in hand to play: win that, and they go top of the league. Gers fans are desparate to see Gerrard guide this side to glory, and this is his best opportunity to do so. It's all about holding their nerve now, though, as everyone knows things can change quickly in football. There is no room for error between now and the end of the season. They host Celtic at Ibrox in March in a game that could possibly become the biggest in years. There is still a lot of football to be played before then, so it'll be interesting to see how they hold their composure.