Your complete guide to the Premiership

Aberdeen
Manager: Derek McInnes
Prediction: 3
Last year: 2
In: Greg Tansey (Caley Thistle); Ryan Christie (Celtic, loan); Greg Stewart (Birmingham City, loan); Nicky Maynard (MK Dons); Gary Mackay-Steven (Celtic); Kari Arnason (Omonia Nicosia).
Out: Jonny Hayes (Celtic); Ryan Jack (Rangers); Niall McGinn (Gwangju); Ash Taylor (Northampton Town); Peter Pawlett (MK Dons); Neil Alexander (Livingston); Cammy Smith (St Mirren); Aaron Lennox (Raith Rovers).
Ground: Pittodrie Stadium
Capacity: 20,866
Key man: Graeme Shinnie. Appointed captain last season and seems to be getting better and better. Drive, determination and loves a tackle, Shinnie is a hero to the Dons fans with his all-action style.
New force: Gary Mackay-Steven. Snapped up for £150,000 from Celtic, the former Liverpool wide man will be expected to replace Jonny Hayes, who went in the other direction. Will hope Dons can reignite his career after struggling to establish himself in Glasgow.
Do expect: Aberdeen board to repeatedly plead that Pittodrie is past its sell-by date as the decision time looms for their proposed new stadium.
Don’t expect: McInnes and Pedro Caixinha, the Rangers manager, to be sharing a bottle of expensive Portuguese wine any time soon. There was mutual distrust last season which may only escalate.
Vital stat: Aberdeen had the Premiership’s biggest home win and biggest away win last season — 7-2 v Motherwell and 7-0 at Dundee.
Mascot: Donny the Sheep
Sponsor: Saltire Energy
Quiz question: Which new summer signing for Aberdeen provided nine assists last season in the Premiership, third behind only Jonny Hayes and Patrick Roberts?

Celtic
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Prediction: 1
Last year: 1
In: Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen); Kundai Benyu (Ipswich Town); Olivier Ntcham (Manchester City).
Out: Efe Ambrose (Hibs); Emilio Izaguirre (Al-Fayha); Gary Mackay-Steven (Aberdeen); Saidy Janko (St Etienne); Logan Bailly (Mouscron); Paul McMullan (Dundee United); Eoghan O’Connell (Bury); Fiacre Kelleher (Oxford United); Conor McManus (Morton); Ryan Christie (Aberdeen, loan); Kris Commons (free agent).
Ground: Celtic Park
Capacity: 60,832
Key man: Scott Sinclair. Former Manchester City forward was an absolute stand-out last season and swept up at the Player of the Year awards. Pitches in with plenty of goals and looked a class above anyone else in the league last season.
New force: Jonny Hayes. Signed from Aberdeen this summer, he may not be Celtic’s most earth-shattering transfer of all time, but he was electric for the Dons and unplayable at times. Provides crosses and assists by the bucketload.
Do expect: Rodgers to demand that his players do not ease up so that he can secure his place in the history books by becoming the first manager in Scotland to win back-to-back trebles.
Don’t expect: To have heard the last of the Green Brigade after their two-match ban. An explosive showdown appears inevitable at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Vital stat: Out of 3,420 minutes of league football last season, Celtic were behind in just 110. And they did not lose once.
Mascot: Hoopy the Huddle Hound
Sponsor: Dafabet
Quiz question: Celtic were famously invincible last season, but who were the four teams that the Glasgow side dropped points to in the league?

Dundee
Manager: Neil McCann
Prediction: 10
Last year: 10
In: Scott Allan (Celtic, loan); Roarie Deacon (Sutton United); Lewis Spence (Dunfermline), Randy Wolters (Go Ahead Eagles); Jack Hendry (Wigan Athletic); Glen Kamara (Arsenal); Sofien Moussa (Lokomotiv GO); Elliot Parish (Accrington Stanley).
Out: Rory Loy (Falkirk); Daniel Higgins (Kilmarnock); Yordi Teijsse (Quick Boys); David Mitchell (Falkirk); Josh Skelly (Arbroath); Matty Allan (Montrose); Kevin Gomis, Nick Ross (free agents).
Ground: Dens Park
Capacity: 11,506
Key man: Cammy Kerr. A full back who bombs up and down the flank. Made vice-captain at the age of 21, the aggressive full back must surely have international ambitions given Scotland’s lack of right backs.
New force: Scott Allan. Has lost his way after both Celtic and Rangers battled to sign him two years ago. But, at his best, Allan can dictate a game with real panache.
Do expect: McCann to give it everything. Eyebrows were raised when he changed his mind and took the manager’s job on after initially turning it down to continue as a pundit for Sky Sports. He can’t have taken that decision lightly.
Don’t expect: Dundee to take a great leap forward with their plans to leave Dens Park and move to a new stadium. Progress is moving at the speed of tectonic plates.
Vital stat: Dundee had the lowest rate of shots in the league last season — an average of just 3.08 per game. They also failed to score in 16 matches, more than any other Premiership team.
Mascot: Deewok
Sponsor: McEwan Fraser Legal
Quiz question: Dundee lost seven games in a row in March and April, but which team did they beat on either side of that dreadful run?

Hamilton Academical
Manager: Martin Canning
Prediction: 12
Last year: 11
In: Xavier Tomas (Lausanne-Sport); Ryan Fulton (Liverpool).
Out: Gramoz Kurtaj (SHB-Da Nang); Blair Adams (Hartlepool United); Craig Watson (East Fife); Jack Breslin (Clyde); Alex D’Acol; Jesus Tena; Danny Seaborne (free agents).
Ground: SuperSeal Stadium
Capacity: 5,510
Key man: Ali Crawford. The Hamilton playmaker has a slight frame but he makes his presence felt as he buzzes around in midfield, whil he is also his side’s biggest threat in front of goal. Was Hamilton’s top scorer last season with eight goals — including two against Lanarkshire rivals Motherwell in September — and registered four assists for his team-mates.
New force: Xavier Tomas. Hamilton paid a transfer fee for a player for the first time in eight years when they snapped up the French central defender from the Swiss Super League. Tomas needs to prove that he can be a commanding presence this term.
Do expect: Hamilton to be written off completely, with every tipster likely to make them favourites to be relegated. But that has been the case for each of the past four seasons and Hamilton are still in the top flight, so they appear to thrive on their survival being considered a lost cause.
Don’t expect: Hamilton to be involved in too many high-scoring thrillers this season.
In each of their seven league wins last season, they won to nil, including four 1-0 victories.
Vital stat: Hamilton committed more total fouls (506) and collected more yellow cards (97) then any side in the Premiership.
Mascot: Hammy the Hamster
Sponsor: SuperSeal
Quiz question: Which Hamilton player scored the first Premiership goal last season

Heart of Midlothian
Manager: position vacant
Prediction: 4
Last year: 5
In: Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town); Cole Stockton (Tranmere Rovers); Rafal Grzelak (Korona Kielce); Kyle Lafferty (Norwich City); Michael Smith (Peterborough United); Ashley Smith-Brown (Manchester City, loan); Connor Randall (Liverpool, loan).
Out: Callum Paterson (Cardiff City); Perry Kitchen (Randers); Sam Nicholson (Minnesota United); Faycal Rherras (Mechelen); Gavin Reilly (St Mirren); Billy King (Dundee United); Robbie Buchanan (Cowdenbeath); Bjorn Johnsen (ADO Den Haag); Alexandros Tziolis, Andraz Struna, Tasos Avlonitis, Juwon Oshaniwa, Dylan Bikey, Dale Baxter (free agents).
Ground: Tynecastle Park
Capacity: 20,000 (when new Main Stand is completed in November)
Key man: Arnaud Djoum. The African Cup of Nations winner wants to play at a higher level but he must show his class more consistently.
New force: Kyle Lafferty. The striker is a controversial figure but he is reliable in front of goal, as his 20 goals for Northern Ireland prove.
Do expect: The pressure to increase on Craig Levein, the club’s director of football, until the appointment of a new manager. Levein has been criticised for his role in Cathro’s abject tenure.
Don’t expect: Hearts to pick up many points on their travels. They won just three league matches away from home last season.
Vital stat: Hearts have scored just five times away from home in the league since the turn of the year.
Mascot: Jock the Jambo
Sponsor: Save the Children
Quiz question: Who scored the Tynecastle side’s solitary goal when they lost away to Rangers in May?

Hibernian
Manager: Neil Lennon
Prediction: 5
Last year: Ladbrokes Championship winners
In: Danny Swanson
(St Johnstone); Simon Murray (Dundee United); Efe Ambrose (Celtic); Ofir Marciano (FC Ashdod); Steven Whittaker (Norwich City); Deivydas Matulevicius (Royal Mouscron); Vykintas Slivka (Juventus); Anthony Stokes (Blackburn Rovers).
Out: Jason Cummings (Nottingham Forest); James Keatings (Dundee United); Chris Humphrey (Bury); Jordon Forster (Cheltenham Town); Alex Harris (Falkirk); Scott Gallacher (Dumbarton); Aaron Dunsmore (Elgin City); Grant Holt; Sam Stanton (Dundee United, loan); Fraser Fyvie (Dundee United); Brian McLean; Jamie Insall (free agents).
Ground: Easter Road
Capacity: 20,421
Key man: John McGinn. Hugely influential and has international experience. He was instrumental in title triumph last season.
New force: Simon Murray. The former Dundee United striker gets himself into great positions iin front of goal. He missed plenty of chances for United, but has seven goals in four games for Hibs already.
Do expect: Neil Lennon to be just as volatile as he was last season, when he often lost his temper with his players after poor performances.
Don’t expect: Rangers fans to roll out the welcome mat when Hibs go to Ibrox on the second day of the season. It will be the first time the sides have met since the 2016 Scottish Cup final.
Vital stat: Hibs were most impressive at Easter Road last season. They lost just once there in the league — against Ayr United.
Mascot: Sunshine the Leith Lynx
Sponsor: Marathon Bet
Quiz question: Who were the only team to beat Hibs in the league in 2017?

Kilmarnock
Manager: Lee McCulloch
Prediction: 9
Last year: 8
In: Alan Power (Lincoln City); Daniel Higgins (Dundee); Calum Waters (Alloa Athletic); Stephen O’Donnell (Luton Town); Kirk Broadfoot (Rotherham United); Dominic Thomas (Motherwell);
Alex Samizadeh (Bolton Wanderers); Chris Burke (Ross County), Gordon Greer (Blackburn Rovers); Lee Erwin (Leeds United); Cammy Bell (Dundee United).
Out: Jack Whittaker (Cowdenbeath); Dapo Kayode; Jamie Cobain (free agents).
Ground: Rugby Park
Capacity: 17,889
Key man: Jordan Jones. English winger loves to take on his man.
New force: Kirk Broadfoot. Solid former Scotland player who should add greater steel to the Rugby Park rearguard.
Do expect: Kilmarnock to be more in touch with their fans. The club lost a little of its identity due to the enmity between supporters and former chairman Michael Johnston, but there is a sense that all of that is all in the past now.
Don’t expect: McCulloch to follow his predecessor Lee Clark and oversee a turnover of 45 players in a transfer window. McCulloch will take a far more measured approach to the challenge of shaping his squad.
Vital stat: Despite finishing eighth last season, Kilmarnock were the lowest scorers in the Ladbrokes Premiership with only 36 goals — an average of less than a goal per game.
Mascot: Nutz the Squirrel
Sponsor: QTS
Quiz question: Some of Clark’s signings were more successful than others. But who was the Nigerian defender, formerly on the books of Dinamo Bucharest, who failed to make a single appearance for the Rugby Park side and has since been released quietly this summer?

Motherwell
Manager: Steve Robinson
Prediction: 11
Last year: 9
In: Alex Fisher (Caley Thistle); Gael Bigirimana (Coventry City); Craig Tanner (Reading); Trevor Carson (Hartlepool United); Andy Rose (Coventry City); Russell Griffiths (Everton); Charles Dunne (Oldham Athletic); Cedric Kipre (Leicester City); Ellis Plummer (Manchester City).
Out: Dominic Thomas (Kilmarnock); Scott McDonald (Dundee United); Craig Samson (St Mirren); Joe Chalmers (Caley Thistle); Lionel Ainsworth (Plymouth Argyle); Keith Lasley (retired); Craig Clay (Leyton Orient); Dylan Mackin (Livingston); Craig Moore (Ayr United); David Ferguson (Ayr United); James McFadden; Stephen Pearson (free agents).
Ground: Fir Park
Capacity: 13,742
Key man: Louis Moult. Aberdeen are keen on the striker, as are a number of clubs down south. An effective target man, he would be a significant loss at Fir Park were he to leave.
New force: Gael Bigirimana. Former Rangers loan player was signed from Coventry City and has hit the ground running at Fir Park.
Do expect: Motherwell to try and sort out their awful home form. Their inability to win at Fir Park from November to April — a run of eight home games — almost cost them their place in the Premiership.
Don’t expect: Motherwell to get relegated. This will be their 33rd consecutive season in the top flight, a run only Celtic and Aberdeen can surpass.
Vital stat: Motherwell scored 10 of their 46 league goals in the first 15 minutes of matches.
Mascot: Steelman
Sponsor: McEwan Fraser Legal
Quiz question: Motherwell won two league games in a row only once last season. Who were the teams the Lanarkshire side beat consecutively?

Partick Thistle
Manager: Alan Archibald
Prediction: 8
Last year: 6
In: Blair Spittal (Dundee United); Jamie Sneddon (Cowdenbeath); Niall Keown (Reading); Jordan Turnbull (Coventry City, loan); Milan Nitriansky (Slovan Liberec).
Out: Liam Lindsay (Barnsley); Mark Ridgers (Caley Thistle); Ade Azeez (Cambridge United); David Amoo (Cambridge United); David Wilson (Dumbarton); Michael McMullin (Albion Rovers); Dominic Docherty (Queen’s Park); Matthew McInally (Cowdenbeath); Sean Welsh (free agent).
Ground: Firhill
Capacity: 10,102
Key man: Kris Doolan. His 14 league strikes last season represented 37 per cent of Thistle’s total number of goals. A real poacher.
New force: Blair Spittal. The former Dundee United midfielder will take the set-pieces at Thistle this season and he looks to have been given a new lease of life at Firhill.
Do expect: Thistle to improve. Archibald has strengthened his side each season and they are likely to continue on an upward trajectory, thanks in no small part to a settled squad.
Don’t expect: Archibald to move. Every season, he appears on the radar of an English lower league club in search of a new coach, but he remains committed to Thistle. The most popular manager among fans since John Lambie.
Vital stat: Thistle made the top six despite winning just once during first nine games. Had they showed their mid-season form across the entire campaign, Thistle would have been in Europe.
Mascot: Kingsley
Sponsor: Just Employment Law
Quiz question: Which team did Kris Doolan score against when notching his 100th and 101st Thistle goals?

Rangers
Manager: Pedro Caixinha
Prediction: 2
Last year: 3
In: Bruno Alves (Cagliari); Ryan Jack (Aberdeen); Dalcio (Benfica, loan); Fabio Cardoso (Vitoria Setubal); Daniel Candeias (Benfica); Alfredo Morelos (HJK Helsinki); Eduardo Herrera (Pumas); Carlos Pena (Guadalajara); Graham Dorrans (Norwich City).
Out: Barrie McKay (Nottingham Forest); Joe Garner (Ipswich Town); Matt Crooks (Northampton Town); Billy Gilmour (Chelsea); Philippe Senderos, Clint Hill (free agents); Michael O’Halloran (St Johnstone, loan); Rob Kiernan (Southend).
Ground: Ibrox Stadium
Capacity: 50,817
Key man: Niko Kranjcar. The Croatian suffered a lengthy injury last season just when the midfielder was beginning to flourish. Fitness problems notwithstanding, he has the attacking guile to unlock defences.
New force: Bruno Alves. Vastly experienced Portugal international who reads a game well and will give Rangers a physical presence at the back.
Do expect: Rangers supporters to demand a positive start to the season to give them hope of success, while also helping to wipe out the memory of their side’s truly dismal Europa League exit to Progres Niederkorn.
Don’t expect: New midfielder Ryan Jack to receive a warm reception when he returns to his home city of Aberdeen when he lines up for Rangers against the club he used to captain.
Vital stat: Rangers won more corners than anyone else in the league last season. The Ibrox side won 292 corners and yet scored 50 fewer goals than Celtic.
Mascot: Broxi Bear
Sponsor: 32 Red
Quiz question: Who were the only side that Rangers beat four times out of four in the league last season?

Ross County
Manager: Jim McIntyre
Prediction: 7
Last year: 7
In: Sean Kelly (AFC Wimbledon); Jamie Lindsay (Celtic, loan); Thomas Mikkelsen (Odense);
Jim O’Brien (Shrewsbury Town); Billy Mckay (Wigan Athletic).
Out: Liam Boyce (Burton Albion, undisclosed); Chris Burke (Kilmarnock); Ian McShane (St Mirren); Paul Quinn; Jonathan Franks; Oscar Gobern (free agents).
Ground: Global Energy Stadium
Capacity: 6,541
Key man: Jim O’Brien. Signed a permanent contract this summer following successful loan spell in Dingwall and, at 29, the wide man should be in the peak of his career. Will be expected to provide plenty of assists for his team-mates this season.
New force: Billy Mckay. County stunned some of their own supporters when they swooped for the former Caley Thistle hero. Mckay has gone off the boil recently — his two-year spell at Wigan comprised loans at Dundee United, Oldham and Caley Thistle — but, if the striker can recapture his form following a groin operation, he could be an inspired finisher for the Dingwall side.
Do expect: County to bemoan the loss of Liam Boyce. To finish top scorer in the Premiership last season while playing for a club of County’s stature was remarkable.
Don’t expect: County fans to lament the loss of the derby with Inverness. They will relish the chance to fly the flag for the Highlands alone this term.
Vital stat: Both teams scored in 66 per cent of County’s league matches last season — the highest in the Premiership.
Mascot: Rosco the Staggie
Sponsor: CRC Evans Offshore
Quiz question: Who were the only Premiership team Liam Boyce failed to score against last season?

St Johnstone
Manager: Tommy Wright
Prediction: 6
Last year: 4
In: Kyle McClean (Nottingham Forest); Stefan Scougall (Sheffield United); Scott Tanser (Port Vale); Callum Hendry (Blackburn Rovers), Michael O’Halloran (Rangers, loan).
Out: Danny Swanson (Hibs); Tam Scobbie (Dundee United); Connor McLaren (Montrose); George Hunter; Eoghan McCawl (free agents).
Ground: McDiarmid Park
Capacity: 10,740
Key man: Steven MacLean. The St Johnstone striker, below, is now 34 but he remains vital to the Perth side. Still looks by far their biggest goal threat and the Perth side’s attack always seems depleted when they play on artificial pitches, surfaces on to which MacLean does not venture due to concerns about how his knees will cope.
New force: Michael O’Halloran. His return to McDiarmid Park following a disastrous spell at Rangers has been a huge boost to Wright. The on-loan forward will surely soon regain the form which led to him being on the considered for a call-up to the Scotland squad.
Do expect: Wright to often look like the most miserable manager in Scotland and yet somehow overachieve again. Three successive fourth-place finishes is miraculous.
Don’t expect: The fans to flock back. A Scottish Cup win and consistent results have failed to make a difference, with last year’s average attendance a paltry 4,368.
Vital stat: St Johnstone have now finished in the top half of the league for six years in a row.
Mascot: Super Saint
Sponsor: Alan Storrar Cars
Quiz question: Only one outfield player started every game in the top flight last season. Who was that St Johnstone player?