Domestic football is back and after the opening rounds of the SPFL, we’re starting to get a clearer picture of where teams are, which managers’ coats are on a shoogly peg and why you shouldn’t play seven defenders in the same XI, eh David Hopkin? I’ve scoured the fixtures from across the top four divisions and whittled them down to my four favourite selections, with each of the Premiership, Championship, League One and League Two represented in my accumulator this weekend.

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Celtic v Ross County

After a Glasgow derby defeat before the international break, welcoming a struggling Ross County to Parkhead could be the perfect way to get back to winning ways for Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side and to kick off the accumulator in style.

There had been signs that Postecoglou was beginning to stamp his authority on a football club that had been woefully mismanaged from top to bottom for the best part of two years. The Old Firm loss to Rangers was a significant stumbling block though. Especially when you consider Steven Gerrard’s team were without both their first choice and back-up keeper as well as a host of important outfield players too, including both of their right backs. They did create enough in that game to give me confidence that they can challenge Rangers far better than they did last season, however.

The bad news for this selection is that Kyogo Furuhashi, the Premiership’s stand out player thus far this season, is out having picked up an injury on international duty with Japan. That does open the door for a few of the options at Postecoglou’s disposal though. New signings Jota and Giorgos Giakoumakis could be thrown straight in, and the duo do come with impressive credentials.

There are also the more established names of James Forrest and Liel Abada who will be expected to step up in Kyogo’s absence, and we know that both are capable match winners and of really running riot against a poor County side. I’ve been a big fan of what Postecoglou is trying to do with his Celtic side this season, and it does lend itself well to really battering the lesser sides in the division.

County’s start to the season has been okay in that two points from Aberdeen, Rangers, Hibs and St. Johnstone is probably a steady return but there’s an argument that there wouldn’t have been a better time to play those sorts of sides. Each game was in and around the four sides’ European adventures so to come away without a victory over distracted and slightly jaded sides does represent an opportunity missed. They won’t likely make up for that this weekend, and, in fact, could take a bit of a pasting from a Celtic side keen to really kick on in the league after a stop start opening to the new campaign.

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Kilmarnock v Morton

Dropping down a division, and we’re headed from one side with ambitions of reclaiming their title to a side hopeful of regaining their spot amongst Scottish football’s elite, with Tommy Wright’s Killie welcoming Morton to Rugby Park.

Killie had been motoring along nicely in the Championship, taking nine points from their opening three games but a 1-0 loss to Inverness put the breaks on a little. Everyone loses 1-0 to the Inverness though, as the song almost goes. Hosting Morton should be a completely different kettle of fish though and it is a good opportunity for Wright’s men to get their title bid back on track.

We’ll see new signing Oli Shaw in action for the first time in the league, having made his debut in the Challenge Cup win over Falkirk last weekend. He’s can be a dangerous player at this level, having done it in flashes in the Premiership. He could be a nice foil to Innes Cameron up top and should help lighten the goal scoring load from the 21-year-old.

I’m not really one read too much into Challenge Cup performances, with teams likely to have been shuffled about but both of these sides registered 3-1 wins last weekend. Killie’s win over Falkirk is far more impressive than Morton’s over Celtic’s colt outfit however.

Morton’s start to the season hasn’t been ideal and back to back losses to Queen of the South and Partick Thistle (one of the sides who look like challenging Killie this season, they thumped Morton 3-0) suggest it won’t be a vintage season for the men from Greenock. Their season won’t be defined by trips to Kilmarnock though, which is lucky as they’ll likely leave empty handed come 17:00 on Saturday evening.

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Queen’s Park v Airdrie

Having steamrollered League Two last season, and playing with the proverbial cigar out from about the turn of the year, I was intrigued to see how Queen’s Park would fair coming up into what is a strong League One. The answer? Very well.

Laurie Ellis’ first job in senior management has gotten off to a brilliant start. Top of the league, a very bright showing in a tough League Cup group and into the Round of 16 in the Challenge Cup having knocked out Airdrie in the previous round. I’d count that as very good start to life in the dugout for Ellis.

They did require penalties to get past Airdrie in the Challenge Cup Round of 32 last Saturday but as I mentioned in the Killie write-up, it’s not worth reading too much into results from that competition, one that few managers place much importance on until the later rounds. Where you can see the gap in quality of the two sides is in the league standings, even at this early stage we’re beginning to see a gap form between two of the more fancied sides coming into the new campaign.

Airdrie had a tricky window and lost a lot of talent in the summer, with Thomas Robert, Dale Carrick and Paul McKay just a few of their difference makers that departed in the window. They’ve made a few interesting additions but they’re certainly going to need a bit longer to bed in and a trip to Firhill to face Queen’s Park is unlikely to be the place when it all clicks for Ian Murray, a manager under ever growing pressure.

Three wins and two draws from what was a tough set of opening fixtures for The Spiders means they currently occupy top spot in a talented division, no mean feat. They will expect to be there or thereabouts come the end of the season and picking up wins against sides like Airdrie will be key for their title push, and they should do that this weekend.

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Annan v Stenhousemuir

The final selection on the accumulator takes us on the complete tour of the four divisions and I’m expecting Annan to make it five wins on the bounce as they welcome League Two basement dwellers Stenhousemuir to Galabanks.

They’re the side that have managed to keep pace with Kelty Hearts this season, and if you’ve read even one of my Scottish acca articles this year you’ll know how much I love me a bit of Kevin Thomson’s men.

It’s a fine achievement for Peter Murphy’s side and they should have enough to keep the pressure on Kelty for one more week at least, with Stenny looking bang off it this campaign. They’ve managed just two wins all campaign, neither in the league. The first came against a hugely depleted Dumbarton team, the other against Dundee United’s colt side in the Challenge Cup.

They took a pumping from Kelty last time out on league duties and I fear they could be about to get the same from Annan. This looks the perfect opportunity for Annan to continue their fine run and I do worry Stenny could be cut a little adrift come the full-times this weekend.

Read my latest Scottish football accumulator here.

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18+ please gamble responsibly. All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.

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