Liam Boyce – Kris Jack (@krisjack85)
The Northern Irish seem to be very proud of anyone who escapes the Irish League, as everyone I speak to over here seems to want to know how the likes of Josh Magennis, Niall McGinn, Billy McKay etc are getting on in the Scottish top flight. This time last year, all I was being asked about was how Liam Boyce was faring at Ross County, to which I could only respond ” a bit bawz, to be honest”.
His 70 goal haul in two spells at Cliftonville had seen him end up in Dingwall last season, via way of Werder Bremen’s second string, bringing an eye for goal and a smattering of German efficiency with him to Victoria Park. However, like most Derek Adams signings in the Staggies’ top flight tenure, he failed to live up to the hype, netting a reasonable but still not fantastic 10 goals in his 30 appearances last season.
While the Irish League and League of Ireland are the barometers by which Scottish Football hates to be measured, Boyce’s debut season in Scotland should not have been such a struggle, and had he been in a more creative and less turgid team than County last term, he would likely have done much better. With Jim McIntyre getting far better performances out of his assembled and settled squad this year, Boyce has been the player that has been front and centre for their resurgence, proving me wrong in my initial assessment of him for this term. Ten goals to the good already this season, equalling his tally for the whole of last season, he is a man on fire and will represent his country at Euro 2016.
Having become a keen observer of the DanskeBank Premiership over the last year, I can see the traits that Boyce has show this season in his fellow countrymen who are vying to get a move across the water or beyond. Linfield’s Andy Waterworth, Glenavon’s Eoin Bradley and Curtis Allen of Glentoran (who Inverness fans may remember for making bugger all impact when brought over for a short spell by Terry Butcher), are all showing the penalty box nous and trickery that Boyce has brought back to his game this year, in their home league.
Having seen guys like Peterborough’s Joe Gormley and Swindon Town’s Jordan Stewart step-up to full time football in the last few months from Cliftonville and Glentoran respectively, Boyce’s “not so bawz” showings of late will be hitting home for them to show they may be worth a punt as well.
Michael O’Halloran – Craig Anderson (@craig_killie)
When Michael O’Halloran signed for St Johnstone, I described him on the podcast as “one of the worst players I’d ever seen playing for Scotland U21”. That particular accolade put him in the company of the likes of Ross Perry, Clark Robertson and Darren Lee Smith. I still believe that description was accurate at the time – the then-Bolton man typically provided back-up to the likes of Jordan Rhodes, Scott Allan, Gary Mackay-Steven and Johnny Russell. O’Halloran was used as an “impact” sub as a central striker, but the word “impact” is used loosely – I don’t remember him making any sort of impact. He typically ran around like a hyperactive spaniel, and possessed a similar level of game intelligence.
With that in mind, I predicted that St Johnstone would be the first step in as downward spiral which would take O’Halloran to the Juniors in 5 years, via York City, Raith Rovers, East Fife (loan), Harrogate Town and Annan Athletic. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In his first six months he helped Saints to win the Scottish Cup. Last season he was a key player in a side that finished 4th and qualified for Europe. And now, two years on, O’Halloran is one of the most exciting players in the Premiership. Saints’ failure to recapture Danny Swanson in the summer left O’Halloran carrying the creative burden for the whole team this season. He has thrived on the pressure, adding consistency to his game and tormenting opposing full-backs (and occasionally centre-backs) on a weekly basis. Doctors and psychiatrists across Scotland are being kept busy as they try to untwist defenders’ legs and brains.
If the season ended now, O’Halloran would be a prime candidate for Player of the Year. He possesses a combination of pace and skill, an incredibly rare commodity in Scottish football. That commodity could make him a prime transfer target in January, particularly if he keeps up his current form. Rather than sliding towards the obscurity of the Juniors, O’Halloran may instead be embarking on an upward career trajectory. Perhaps he’ll even get to turn those Scotland U21 caps into full ones.
Dundee United – Gary Cocker (@gary_cocker)
It’s always tough to predict where your team’s rivals will finish in the league. You don’t want to look too petty or blinkered, but you also don’t want to over-correct and end up crowning them champions of Europe. I did genuinely believe that this season would finally see Dundee finish top dog in Tayside and United’s star begin to wane a little, but I did not anticipate just how badly they’d handle what was always going to be a transition season.
My one crumb of comfort is that I’m not alone in wildly over-estimating how the post-GMS/Armstrong/Ciftci generation would cope with the Premiership this year. United have looked every inch a bottom six side and have struggled against all comers. Previously, United could rely on a steady, settled backline protected by the steely likes of John Rankin, with a front four left to roam and pillage against the opposition. This was a formulaic but effective approach to the Premiership with their previous personnel, but as anybody who’s played Football Manager will know, the CPU eventually figures out what you’re up to. As in any walk of life, your greatest strength can so quickly become your greatest weakness, and United’s lack of experience of other systems and how to respond to being shut down by opponents has crucified them this season. Their famed treadmill of youth players is still providing some excellent talents – I really rate Scott Fraser, and although he’s not had his best season John Souttar still deserves the hype – but with mediocre veterans like Ryan McGowan, Sean Dillon and Paul Dixon in support it’s difficult for their inconsistencies to be masked as they were last season.
Although I’ve been a bit off with practically every prediction I made – Caley Thistle finishing third is another doozy – imagining United could replicate even last season’s form is a prediction I shall cheerfully admit was way off the mark.
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