Anthony Brown: strap yourselves in for a scintillating season

LAST season was easily forgettable on several fronts, but if we scrape away the sour stuff, there are segments of evidence to suggest that this upcoming SPL campaign can be a heartening one.

It's generally been overlooked that last season Rangers and Celtic staged one of the most exhilarating title races in recent years, both, at times, playing the type of scintillating football which would have had onlookers purring with pleasure had they not had to watch it through a rancorous haze of sectarianism, summits, bullets and bombs.

If the poison can be kept to a minimum then, given that Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster is the only regular to have left either team since the end of last season, a similarly tight-fought title race looks to be in the offing this time round. The smart money is on Celtic to win their first title since 2008 simply on the basis that it's hard to tell how Walter-less Rangers will react under new management. But if Ally McCoist's transition from assistant to head honcho is a smooth one and the Ibrox side are able to maintain the type of resilience which became their forte under Smith, there is no reason why they can't make it four in a row.

Hearts, having strengthened, and look the only side equipped to offer any kind of challenge to the big two. As a result it would be a remarkable surprise if they didn't secure at least a third-place finish.

Outwith the top three, however, there's little in the way of predictability about how things may be about to pan out. Dundee United, Hibs and Aberdeen are the biggest names, but United have lost a batch of key men and not really replaced them, while the Dons and Hibees have plenty work to do if they are to improve on wretched campaigns last time round which saw them flirt with relegation.

There's plenty intrigue surrounding the smaller clubs in the league, with Kilmarnock's breathtaking football under Mixu Paatelainen, pictured below, and Kenny Shiels last season having a galvanising effect on other teams of a similar stature. Encouragingly, the following quotes (all from the past few weeks) suggest there's a genuine desire among our top flight's teams to scintillate rather than stifle.

"In every training session and every game, the gaffer demands that the keeper throws the ball out from the back. If you can get it right and get the talented boys on the ball, it's great to watch. I've never played under a manager who has so much faith in this kind of football." New recruit Paul Heffernan assures everyone that Kilmarnock have no intention of ditching their philosophy even though Shiels has now stepped up to replace the departed Paatelainen.

"If you look at the way Kilmarnock went about their business, maybe other clubs can learn from that. They were totally refreshing, a great asset to the SPL.Hopefully this season, more teams will try to play the same way as they did, and make it exciting for everyone." Dundee United's John Rankin is up for emulating the Killie way.

"I don't see why we can't be entertaining, you only have to look at the way Kilmarnock played last season. We have the same philosophy as them." Alex Keddie reveals that Dunfermline are aboard the sexy football bandwagon.

"Kilmarnock were different class last season - they always wanted to play from the back and were very difficult to play. I think our gaffer's maybe taken a leaf out of Mixu's book and also tried to implement a wee bit of the way Barcelona play into our game." Darren McGregor reveals that even the perennially-stodgy St Mirren are ready to try and adopt a cultured approach.

Exciting times indeed if they all stick to their word. And that's not even accounting for an easy-on-the-eye Motherwell side who have added the trickery of Nicky Law to the irrepressible flair of Jamie Murphy and Chris Humphrey. Inverness will be an unknown quantity given the turnaround of players over the summer, but Terry Butcher's superb record as an SPL manager suggests he'll be able to keep his exciting young side away from the relegation trapdoor.

St Johnstone are another team who have made an effort to play football under Derek McInnes but much will depend on whether they've added the necessary firepower to avert the type of goal drought which saw them finish last season in a desperate state. New strikers Sean Higgins and on-loan Cillian Sheridan will be crucial to their hopes.

Aside from the top three, trying to work out where the other nine sides will finish is as hard as picking tonight's Euromillions numbers. If my arm's twisted, I'd go for Motherwell to finish fourth; Kilmarnock, who are ahead of their rivals in that they have already mastered sexy football, and possibly even St Mirren, to sneak into the top six; depleted Dundee United, who don't have much in reserve beyond their starting XI, to be a surprise bottom-six finisher and St Johnstone to be relegated.

Look out for Rangers youngster Jamie Ness to kick on from his impressive breakthrough season, while St Mirren defender McGregor will find himself in demand if he is able to improve on an excellent debut campaign in the SPL. In terms of newcomers, Dunfermline's Joe Cardle and Kilmarnock midfielder Gary Harkins look like the two to keep an eye on.