WE'VE seen the first round of games completed in the SPL and, after this Wednesday's fixtures have been played, we'll be one third of the way through the league campaign. Therefore, it seems like a good time to assess the progress of the leading clubs since the start of the season.
As expected, the Old Firm occupy the top two spots in the table with Celtic currently holding a two-point lead over arch-rivals Rangers, though, the Ibrox club do have a narrow advantage in goal difference.
That may seem unimportant at this early
stage, but the two teams are so closely matched I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the title going right down to the wire once again so goals for and against could end up being a crucial factor in the long run.
With that in mind, it's interesting to see that Celtic are still managing to find the net on a regular basis despite the fact their three main strikers have all missed large chunks of the season through injury.
Last season's top scorer, Scott McDonald, was out for several weeks between August and September with a muscle tear and it seems to have taken him a while to get back to full fitness but, after notching in three of his last four games, it looks like the diminutive Australian has rediscovered his ruthless scoring streak.
The surprise package for Celtic over the past few months has undoubtedly been Georgios Samaras.
Here is a player who regularly flattered to deceive last season, but this time around he's been playing with a freedom and confidence that all good strikers need to in order to show their best form.
Before his injury, the Greek internationalist scored an impressive ten goals in just eight starts and, in doing so, he had forced his way into being one of the first names on the Celtic team-sheet.
His main challenge when he returns from his lay-off will be to prove that he still deserves to play every week – especially with such intense competition for a starting berth.
When Celtic do eventually get all their forwards back to full fitness the general consensus is that they have more variety and more options up front, but one thing Walter Smith has in his favour is the re-discovery of a striking partnership that has begun to click for Rangers.
Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller are no strangers to one another, having played in tandem for the national side, but over the past month or so they've had a run of games together and the understanding that's developed between the two has been most impressive.
Boyd took a lot of flak recently after his decision to quit Scotland, but he hasn't let it affect him when turning out for his beloved Rangers.
In fact, if anything, it seems to have given him a new lease of life and it looks as if the penny has finally dropped regarding his workrate.
No-one can dispute Boyd's ability to score goals, but his fitness levels and general play have always been an issue. Now, though, he looks to be leaner than at any other time in his career and playing with Miller seems to have helped him improve all other aspects of his game.
When you look at their strengths and weaknesses it's clear Kenny Miller is the perfect foil for Kris Boyd and vice-versa.
One of them has genuine pace, the other has more of a physical presence. One likes to run in the channels, the other prefers to play more centrally.
One has a habit of making goals, the other has a habit of scoring them.
It's a match made in heaven and, if Rangers are to win the title this season, I've no doubt these two will have a huge part to play.
Back in August, before a ball had even been kicked most of the scribes were tipping Dundee United for third spot this season.
Five games in and those predictions weren't looking too clever as Craig Levein's men propped up the table.
Since then, though, United are unbeaten in nine games and, with most of the teams around about them taking points off one another, the Terrors have climbed up to third place. Not many would bet against them staying there from now until the end of the season.
The chasing pack consists of Hearts, Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Hibs and Aberdeen – none of whom have showed enough to suggest this will be anything other than a frustrating year for their respective supporters.
As a school report might say – a reasonable start, but must do better.
