With the winter break having shut the Premiership down for the next few weeks, now would seem a good time to look back on the first part of 2021-22, and to highlight those who have caught the eye so far.
Some have put in an excellent few months, but then been ruled out through injury, while others simply haven’t maintained their levels of consistency long enough to make my side.
For a number of positions there was no real argument, and one of those was goalkeeper. CRAIG GORDON has been outstanding both for club and country, and as he celebrates his 39th birthday today, is in the form of his life.
The full backs also caused little concern. Had he remained fit, I might have gone with Calvin Ramsay, but in truth, the country’s best performer has been ANTHONY RALSTON, whose campaign has deservedly earned him an unlikely future with Celtic.
On the other side, Jack MacKenzie would have been in the running but for injury; beyond that there wasn’t much competition. I have gone for STEPHEN KINGSLEY who has seamlessly made the transition to the Premiership, adding a few goal of the season contenders along the way.
JOHN SOUTTAR’s comeback has been one of the best stories of the year, he had to go in, and alongside him I have gone for an unlikely choice, BEVIS MUGABI, a much-improved player who has, at times, been outstanding in the Motherwell defence.
CALLUM McGREGOR is a near automatic inclusion every time I compile one of these sides. As is the norm, he has pulled the strings in Ange Postecoglou’s revamped Celtic team, and his level of consistency is frightening. His central midfield partner will be no stranger as I will be reuniting Callum with SCOTT BROWN. The Dons captain has been excellent in what has, on occasion, been a tough campaign, and he has brought all the qualities I would have expected. A born leader, he has been the outstanding Aberdeen performer to date.
Rangers look to have benefitted from the change in management at Ibrox and are playing with a freshness they were lacking. JOE ARIBO was one who didn’t need that injection, but he seems to have kicked-on even more following the arrival of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and has been the champions’ top man in 21-22.
Of the new faces at Celtic Park, two have shone, and both make my XI. The Portuguese JOTA has been superb, an exciting talent who has displayed his range of talents, creating and scoring goals in equal measure.
The same can be said of KYOGO FURUHASHI, top scorer in his debut season and a player who has made a massive impact both at home and in Europe. His movement and vision are remarkable, and he must be a nightmare to mark. He has had fitness concerns, and it is noticeable how much Celtic suffer in his absence.
I will have the Japanese playing just off the front, and leading the line will be CHRISTIAN RAMIREZ. The American has attracted a bit of criticism, which I do not understand. He has his limitations, but is a finisher, and is right up there among the leading marksmen in the Premiership. If his team-mates can provide the opportunities, I would expect Christian to breach the 20-goal barrier by the end of the campaign.
And for the manager…
While my team is made up entirely from the Premiership – I don’t see enough of the other divisions to accurately assess the players there – the manager of the season contenders are all from the lower leagues.
Stewart Petrie continues to do a remarkable job with Montrose, again guiding them to a challenging position, and they look odds-on to be in the play-off shake-up at the end of the campaign.
Paul Hartley is another who has excelled. Cove Rangers are currently on a 12-match unbeaten run, clear at the top of the table, and favourites to clinch the League One title.
But the clear winner must be Dick Campbell.
What he has done at Arbroath is beyond belief and having established them as the best part-time team in the country, there is a real chance the Gayfield side could be in the top-flight next season. That would represent one of the most incredible achievements Scottish football has ever seen.