Scottish Premiership 2023/24: Kris Boyd and Chris Sutton’s league predictions | Football News

The 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season promises to be another intriguing one and Sky Sports pundits Kris Boyd and Chris Sutton have predicted where each side will finish…

It once again looks to be between the choice of two sides for the title, but there is plenty at stake for all the Scottish Premiership sides.

There is the battle for the top six and European football and who will be the team to drop into the Championship come the end of the season?

Aberdeen

Kris Boyd – 4th

After a fantastic end to the season under Barry Robson, Aberdeen will be looking to kick on again. Duk proved last year he was a handful, Bojan Miovski as well but losing Matty Pollock defensively is a big blow, as is Ross McCrorie moving on. Aberdeen have spent money and they’ve started to rebuild the squad again and they’re going to need that if they’re going to be successful. They have guaranteed European football until Christmas which can cause its own problems, and I do think it may be role reversal with Hearts this season.

Chris Sutton – 3rd

It’s a real positive for Aberdeen that they still have Duk and Bojan Miovski as they both really impressed last season. Barry Robson made a real difference to the side when he took over and he’s managed to bring in a number of good players. The fact they have held onto the strikeforce means I see them finishing best of the rest once again.

Celtic

Kris Boyd – 2nd

Brendan Rodgers has been here before – he knows exactly what to expect – he only lost once against Rangers in his last spell in Scotland. I’m sure Brendan will feel he can be all-conquering again but if it doesn’t start well and there are points dropped, the ones who were vocal about him coming back won’t take long to find their voices. There is no doubt Brendan is an outstanding manager and Celtic have done really well to get him after Ange Postecoglou moving on because I don’t think there are many who would have backed themselves to take over from his success. It’s safe to say Brendan Rodgers isn’t lacking in confidence, but if Rangers find a way to beat them consistently this season it will be a very different season for him.

Chris Sutton – 1st

It’s very different for Brendan Rodgers this time around in terms of the team he’s taken over, he’s taken over a treble-winning team. I don’t think anybody would argue that Brendan isn’t a good appointment and he’s come back with a point to prove. Is Brendan a good coach? Absolutely. Is he taking over a good team? Yes, albeit he is a player down and the standards of Postecoglou were so high. We know Glasgow is unforgiving and there can only be one winner so it’s going to be a really interesting season. The most important thing is Celtic start strongly as they don’t have the burden of the Champions League qualifiers while Rangers do.

Dundee

Kris Boyd – 10th

I think it will be very difficult for Dundee coming up. No disrespect to the Championship, but they made hard work of that last season. Similar to a lot of clubs at the bottom end of the table, I don’t see them scoring a lot of goals and ultimately they’re going to have to depend on their defenders to defend really well. Keeping clean sheets was an issue for them last season. There is a new manager and structure and it could be a tough season, but I do think they will at least get a play off.

Chris Sutton – 12th

I think it’s going to be a real baptism of fire for Tony Docherty in his first season as a manager. I really admire him for taking the job but I think he’s going to find it really tough. He will probably have one of the smallest budgets, but he has overhauled the squad as he looks to keep Dundee in the league. I do think it will be too big an ask for them and they’ll go straight back down.

Hearts

Kris Boyd – 3rd

There does need to be some real clarity about who is actually in charge. It always seems to be when Hearts get themselves into a position to kick on then something happens and they’re on the back foot again. I can though see them recovering this season. Lawrence Shankland will score goals and they have had a pre-season to work on the changes they started to make after Robbie Neilson’s departure. I think they’ll have enough to finish third because I don’t think they’ll qualify for Europe and that allows them to focus on the league.

Chris Sutton – 5th

I felt a bit sorry for Robbie Neilson. I know a lot of Hearts fans wanted him out, but I thought he did a good job overall and they because more expansive. Lawrence Shankland is of course is really important for them, but they’re going to miss Josh Ginnelly after his move to Swansea. Have they replaced him? I’m not so sure. I think their start is really important in terms of building belief and momentum. I think they will find this season a little bit tougher though.

Hibernian

Kris Boyd – 5th

They would have been under a lot of pressure if they hadn’t overturned their first-leg defeat to Inter Club D’Escaldes in Europa Conference League qualifying. There is no doubt a lot of Hibs fans are fed up with Lee Johnson but they have allowed him to spend money to try and make an impact. The fixtures were kind to Hibs and they need to get off to a strong start before facing the likes of Hearts, Celtic and Rangers.

Chris Sutton – 4th

I quite enjoy watching Hibs play and the fact Lee Johnson plays quite expansive football and trying something a bit different. They need to remain in European competition to keep the fans on side, but they are playing an entertaining brand of football at times. They’ve also made some good signings over the summer, although it will always be difficult to replace a striker like Kevin Nisbet. I see them getting one over their city rivals this season.

Kilmarnock

Kris Boyd – 7th

Derek McInnes has recruited well, bringing in players that know the league and if he can keep Kyle Magennis fit it’s a good signing. I look at their defence and that’s one thing Derek prides himself in, defending well. Bringing in Robbie Deas from Inverness is decent business. The signing of Stuart Findley is a big one for me. He’s been there before and he’s a leader. If Kilmarnock can find a settled starting XI then they will be in a battle for that top six. I do though see them just missing out.

Chris Sutton – 8th

Derek McInnes is a really clever manager. There have been a lot of changes at Kilmarnock, he’s brought a lot of defenders in which could be key for them. They will need to improve on their away record though, two wins on the road last season was far from good enough. Derek though has been around the block enough times to make sure he keeps them in the league. He will be looking to evolve and kick them on and I think they wil finish a bit higher up the table this season.

Livingston

Kris Boyd – 10th

Livingston have lost a lot of players again and David Martindale will be hoping he can hold onto Joel Nouble. He’s been working with a reduced budget this summer and it is showing but, that said, he has managed to add some experience to his squad. It’s the first time I’ve looked at Livi and thought this is the season they might struggle. It will be tough but I think they will just manage to do enough to keep themselves in the league once again.

Chris Sutton – 11th

Livingston always manage to do enough to stay in the league but this season they might struggle. David Martindale works wonders and will have them well organised. They will pick up points at home on that terrible plastic pitch, but I think it might be a season too far. I predict the playoffs for Livi.

Motherwell

Kris Boyd – 6th

I feel sorry for Motherwell in terms of Kevin van Veen leaving after the unbelievable season he had and they will never be able to replace that. Losing Max Johnston is also a huge blow because he was a huge talent. One who could be a bright spark for them in young Lennon Miller. He’s only 16 but he’s got the physique and the power to make an impact. go in there. As I said for that young kid and there’s no doubt we’ll see him feature. Despite losing players I think they’ll build on their strong finish too last season under Stuart Kettlewell and will sneak into the top half.

Chris Sutton – 7th

Trying to replace Kevin van Veen’s goals will be a real issue for Motherwell. Stuart Kettlewell did a really good job last season, coming in and really galvanising the team when they really needed it. They have recruited some players, but have also lost a lot of talent in the likes of Max Johnston and Connor Shields. I think they’ll do ok this season but won’t have quite enough to make it into the top six.

Rangers

Kris Boyd – 1st

Rangers won the last Old Firm game of last season and they need to find a way to start winning these meetings on a regular basis to go and challenge for trophies. Rangers have been playing second fiddle to Celtic for a number of years and they need to rectify that quickly as when you’re not winning big games and not delivering trophies it can become an issue. The club have backed Michael Beale in the summer and they’ll need to deliver. The fixtures have been kind to Rangers at the start of the season and it gives them an opportunity. If they can go to win the games up until that Old Firm then you’re able to beat Celtic at home, then you never know.

Chris Sutton – 2nd

Michael Beale will have learned from last season, he was quite bullish coming in and I think he ended the season with his tail between his legs. He will have taken a lot from last season’s League Cup final and Scottish Cup final defeats to Celtic and his “lucky Ange” comments. Rangers have some seriously good players and so do to Celtic so I think it’ll be close this season. Rangers have brought a lot of players in but it’s all about whether they come in and hit the ground running.

Ross County

Kris Boyd – 9th

It was a close call for Ross County last season but they found a way to win football games to stay in the league. I think Malky Mackay has strengthened really well and he has players who will create chances and score goals. If he can keep the likes of Eamonn Brophy, Simon Murray and Yan Dhanda fit then they’ve got a chance. Defensively they do look vulnerable though. I want them to survive again this year and I think they will.

Chris Sutton – 9th

I think Ross County will stay in the league and will be a lot more comfortable than they were last season. It’s always going to be difficult for Malky Mackay to convince players to move to Dingwall. He is an astute manager and he knows how to turn things around, as we saw at the end of last season with that impressive playoff comeback against Partick Thistle. They’ve got some streetwise players and he will have them well-organised.

St Johnstone

Kris Boyd – 12th

The alarm bells started ringing at St Johnstone after they lost to Stenhousemuir and Stirling Albion and failed to make it past the group stages of the League Cup. Steven McLean needs help, he needs to get more players in. I just hope for his sake he is given the backing that his previous managers have been given to have the best opportunity to survive. Sadly though I think it might be time up for St Johnstone, I hope I’m wrong but I just get the feeling they’ll struggle to recover from that League Cup exit.

Chris Sutton – 10th

St Johnstone’s League Cup showing doesn’t bode well for the season ahead. Steven MaLean suggested he played a weakened side against Stirling Albion, but there is no way they should be losing 4-0 at home to a side who have just been promoted to League One. I think they will really be up against it this season, but will do enough to secure their survival once again.

St Mirren

Kris Boyd – 8th

I tipped St Mirren to go down last season and I was completely wrong. They had a fantastic campaign, Stephen Robinson is very good at creating a team that is very hard to break down. He managed to do that while also still having a threat at the other end of the pitch as he had Curtis Main, but he’s moved in. Defensively I think they’ll still be ok but scoring goals might be a problem for them. I don’t think they’ll get anywhere near where they finished last season, but they’ll still have enough to be more than safe.

Chris Sutton – 6th

Stephen Robinson is a really good manager. St Mirren will miss Curtis Main as he was a big part of their success last season. He has added Mikel Mandron and he has high hopes for Conor McMenamin after his move from Glentoran. They are not a great watch, they play some quite direct football at times but it works for him. They will finish in the top six for the second successive season.

Scottish Premiership and SWPL on Sky Sports

Sky Sports – Next season up to 48 cinch Premiership games will be available across Sky Sports’ flagship channels, including Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event, plus at least five SWPL matches. From 2024/25, up to 60 cinch Premiership will be live on Sky Sports, in addition to the SWPL.

Sky Sports News – Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Scottish football fans can enjoy Sky Sports News’ (channel 409) rolling editorial coverage of the cinch Premiership and SWPL throughout the season.

Sky Sports Digital – Follow all the latest from Scottish football across SkySports.com and app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus dedicated live blog coverage, in-game clips from matches live on Sky Sports and free highlights.

Sky Sports Social – Alongside coverage and visibility for the league across all Sky Sports’ main social media channels, the bespoke Twitter channel @ScotlandSky will continue to be the home of all Scottish football content on Sky Sports.

Highlights show – Tune in for a dedicated round-up from the cinch Premiership every week on Sky Sports Football.

To download the Sky Sports app click here, to visit Sky Sports website click here.

Sky Sports is the home of domestic football in the UK and Ireland, with more than 400 games per season across the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Women’s Premier League, Premier League, WSL, and EFL.