Premiership half-season review as each team is assessed

But it is nearly over now, and Scotland's top flight will resume on Monday night when Celtic host Hibs. 

So with the excitement building up to the re-start, it seems an appropriate time to review what we've seen from teams so far.

Herald & Times Sport have detailed a report card for all 12-teams at the half-way stage.

Aberdeen 

The Dons have been up and down constantly under Stephen Glass so far this season. After so long under the stewardship of Derek McInnes, it is only natural that some inconsistencies would appear during what is ultimately a transition period for the club. Some stand out results include a 2-2 draw away at Ibrox, as well as home victories over Hibs and Hearts. On the other hand, some really poor performances were on show with two defeats to Motherwell and an away loss against Dundee. The Dons sit sixth going into the re-start, seven points behind third-place Hearts. If they can maintain some better form, they should finish in the European spots. 

Rating: C+

Celtic

Another club who are undoubtedly going through a transition season, the Hoops have made good progress under Ange Postecoglou. With a complete overhaul of the squad, and four further January additions, the team is pretty unrecognisable from last term's 10-in-a-row disaster. That seems to be firmly in the past now though, with Postecoglou implementing an exciting, high-pressing style of attacking football - which is pleasing the fans. Kyogo has been a standout signing. He has 16-goals so far and his form continuing with prove crucial in determining how successful Celtic's season is. There is certainly a title race so far this season, with Rangers just six-points ahead of their city rivals. Decent progress in Europe - albeit now the Conference League - shows the players are buying into the manager's ideas. Premier Sports Cup glory has also signalled a good start to life under the Aussie. Their is certainly still room for improvement though, with a defeat to Livingston and draws with Dundee United and St Mirren highlighting some vulnerability. 

Rating: B

Dundee

The ultimate aim for the Dens Park outfit this season is survival. James McPake did so well to get the team promoted via the play-offs last term, so to have that undone in one season would be a bitter blow. Their American owners certainly backed the former Dark Blues defender, with the likes of Leigh Griffiths not coming cheap. Unfortunately for them the on-loan Celtic striker has not proved to be the best move, and they're looking to cut that deal short. They have recorded some big wins over St Mirren, Motherwell and St Johnstone. However, two defeats to relegation-threatened rivals Ross County shows cause for concern. They currently occupy the play-off spot on 16-points, two above St Johnstone at the foot of the table. It appears some business will need to be done this month in order to give themselves the best chance of maintaining their Prem status. It is very tight with six-points separating five teams, so a run of wins for any should guarantee safety.

Rating: C-

Dundee United

There is a definite theme running in the league this season where many teams are in the midst of big changes with management. Tam Courts is another at Dundee United. The rookie boss got off to a very impressive start in the first quarter of games, with a win over Rangers and a hard-earned point at Celtic Park. The Arabs also recorded a 1-0 derby win and a big 3-0 victory at Hibs. However, before the break they suffered five defeats on the trot, which saw them slip down to seventh after flying high. Courts admitted the break came at a good time for the club, and they will look to kick on again with the squad back to full fitness. They can still make a big push for top six should they rediscover their early form. An early arrival for Tony Watt could help them massively. 

Rating: B-

Hearts 

The Jambos are flying. While the consensus of course is that they should be in the European slots given their healthy budget and high-quality playing squad, having just come up from the Championship it would be fair to say they've exceeded expectations so far. Robbie Neilson's side announced their arrival back in the big time with a 2-1 win over Celtic. Apart from that, there hasn't really been any standout wins. However, what Hearts have managed better than any other team (Old Firm apart) is to find great consistency - recording ten wins, six draws and only four losses. They have the best keeper in the country with Craig Gordon, a solid defence with John Souttar and Stephen Kinglsey playing terrifically, a dynamic midfield with Cammy Devlin a standout and then constant goal threats in the form of Liam Boyce and Barrie McKay among others. They have a five-point cushion on fourth spot. If Hearts can continue stringing wins together, with the odd big result against Rangers or Celtic, they will finish 'best of the rest'.

Rating: A

Hibs 

We have come to the first side who have changed their manager this term. A run of eight games without a win was enough to make Ron Gordon pull the trigger on Jack Ross. While it may have been harsh having finished third last season and guiding his side to a cup final after beating Rangers in a thrilling semi this campaign, the change seems to have worked from the evidence we have witnessed. Shaun Maloney has two wins from two games and has made some quality additions in the transfer window. Going into next week the Easter Road outfit are fifth on 29-points and within touching distance of the Europa League spots. They are probably the hardest team to assess so far with the big change in the dugout, but while things look on the up, there is little doubt with the quality they have they must do better in the second-half of the season. 

Rating: C+

Livingston

Davie Martindale's men appear to be the new team everyone predicts to go down at the start of the season with Hamilton out of the division. Like various sides in the bottom six, the main objective is to stay up. As things stand, Livi appear capable to beat the sides around about them. This could prove key come the end of the campaign - especially when the league splits. They have won against Celtic and Hibs though, so they are more than ready to cause an upset. They have 20-points so far and sit at the top of that bottom-five pile. The re-start commences with a home game versus Dundee. This result could set the tone for how the remainder of the season will go. 

Rating: B-

Motherwell

The Steelmen are defying expectations at the half-way mark. Fourth in the table with nine wins from 20 games, Graham Alexander reserves huge credit for the job he's doing. He recently penned a contract extension on his one-year anniversary at Fir Park. This move by the Lanarkshire side is proving to be more and more shrewd with every passing week. After a difficult start, a point at Ibrox and wins over Hearts and Aberdeen have followed, showing their resilience and at the end of the day, quality. Their ability to beat the bottom six sides is also showing to be a big factor in their success. They finished third two seasons ago, if they can keep up their impressive form you wouldn't rule them out from securing another European spot. 

Rating: A

Rangers

The second team to have made a managerial change. The champions are looking good under Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Steven Gerrard achieved the club's 55th title last term and was rightly hailed a hero. Ultimately the lure of the Premier League was enough to tempt him away from Ibrox despite searching for another title and Champions League qualification. He deserves credit for helping to put van Bronckhorst into such a good position, with the club progressing to the last-32 of the Europa League again. However, most Gers fans would admit that the club's form at the start of the season was ropey, and they did not look quite as free flowing or defensively solid at the back. Some slight tweaks from van Bronckhorst have certainly shored the backline up, with Joe Aribo and Alfredo Morelos particularly benefitting from the slightly new system going forward. They sit six clear of Celtic at the top of the table. There is a lot to play for, however, with the club on a good winning streak, they will be aiming to kick-on and retain their title. 

Rating: B+

Ross County

The Staggies had to wait nearly a full round of games to win their first game. And what a victory it was. To win 5-0 away at your relegation rivals shows that the Highlanders have the dig and determination within their squad to battle it out until the end for Premiership survival. Since then, big wins over Hibs, St Johnstone and Dundee again show green shoots of recovery for Malky MacKay. They currently sit four clear of bottom spot, and remain two off of eighth. Harry Clarke will be a miss, having now joined Hibs. But County must keep up their improvements should they want to stay away from the danger positions. 

Rating: C

St Johnstone

Perhaps the biggest surprise so far this season, Saints are struggling badly. They are bottom of the table and look to be facing a tough task to stay in the league. Like Dundee United, the break came at a very good time for the McDiarmid Park side having lost eight matches in a row. It's very uncharacteristic of Callum Davidson's double cup winners, with Saints losing soft goals and looking toothless up front. The club are backing their manager though, with several signings already this January. They better hope it works, because otherwise relegation is a realistic outcome. 

Rating: D

St Mirren

Jim Goodwin had hopes of securing a top six finish this season. At this stage, it looks unlikely. The Buddies sit ninth at the break, and are eight points off Aberdeen in the top six. The major issue for St Mirren is the amount of draws they have had. Turning even a few of these into wins would see them in a much better position. There's no doubt they possess decent quality in their ranks, but the consistency levels just haven't quite been there to propel them further up the table. Their last win came 12 games ago, so they must be careful that they don't drop further into any form of relegation battle. 

Rating: C