THE new season is almost under way. This afternoon, tens of thousands of supporters across the country will head to stadia to cheer on their team, full of hope and expectation about what the following ten months will bring as the Premiership returns.

Can Ange Postecoglou retain the league title with Celtic? Or will Giovanni van Bronckhorst guide Rangers to the championship in his first full season in charge? Who will finish in the European places? Who will beat the drop?

Trying to answer such imponderables is a mug's game, which is why we've enlisted the help of our football writers to have a go at guessing how the final league table will shape up.

Below, our writers provide their predictions for the upcoming season as they attept to hazard a guess at the standings come May.

Matthew Lindsay

1) Celtic
2) Rangers
3) Hearts
4) Dundee United
5) Aberdeen
6) Kilmarnock
7) Hibernian
8) St Johnstone 
9) Ross County
10) Livingston 
11) Motherwell
12) St Mirren

Graeme McGarry

1) Celtic
2) Rangers
3) Hearts
4) Aberdeen
5) Dundee United
6) Hibernian
7) Motherwell
8) Livingston
9) Ross County
10) St Johnstone
11) Kilmarnock
12) St Mirren

Chris Jack

1) Rangers
2) Celtic
3) Hearts
4) Aberdeen
5) Dundee United
6) Hibernian
7) Ross County
8) Livingston
9) Kilmarnock
10) St Mirren
11) Motherwell
12) St Johnstone

Aidan Smith

1) Celtic
2) Rangers
3) Hearts
4) Aberdeen
5) Dundee United
6) Hibernian
7) Kilmarnock
8) Motherwell
9) Ross County
10) St Mirren
11) Livingston
12) St Johnstone

Ewan Paton

1) Rangers
2) Celtic 
3) Hearts
4) Aberdeen
5) Dundee United
6) Livingston
7) Hibernian
8) Kilmarnock
9) Livingston
10) Ross County
11) St Mirren
12) St Johnstone

David Irvine

1) Celtic
2) Rangers
3) Hearts
4) Aberdeen
5) Dundee United
6) Motherwell
7) Hibernian
8) Kilmarnock
9) St Mirren
10) Ross County
11) Livingston
12) St Johnstone

James Cairney

1) Celtic
2) Rangers
3) Hearts
4) Aberdeen
5) Dundee United
6) Livingston
7) Hibernian
8) Ross County
9) Kilmarnock
10) St Mirren
11) Motherwell
12) St Johnstone