Premiership first round review: Hamilton Accies
Best player
At present answering this question is a complete nightmare. I will go for Ali Crawford for his progress this season, not to mention important goals, but Anthony Anderu is a close second. If you would have said to me at the start of last season young Ali would be our best player I would have laughed.
Worst player
This is an even tougher task. They all work so hard for each other and no one is a passenger at the moment. Any chance I can pass on this one ? No? Ok. If I have to pick a weak link in the squad it would be Stephen Hendrie and that’s only because he’s been sent off. It says a lot about the team right now.
Biggest surprise
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Hide AdThe team in general. At least 80 per cent of Scottish football fans would have had us certainties for the drop. They may have known we play a great brand of football, but to go on a winning run – including beating Celtic at Parkhead and hammering local rivals Motherwell in their own back yard – has just been a dream.
Biggest disappointment
Jason Scotland’s fitness has been a concern. He was a big player for us (pun intended) towards the end of last season and got us off to a flyer in the playoff second-leg at Easter Road. I’m a big fan of his but he’s been a near permanent fixture on the bench this campaign, and is probably one of our top earners as well.
Best team performance
Celtic 0-1 Hamilton
Quite simply it’s something I’ll never see again in my lifetime. The boys all pulled together, keeping it solid at the back before taking the lead with a smashing goal. Though beating Motherwell 4-0 was pretty special as well.
Worst game
It has to be last Saturdays match with Dundee at dens park where we lost 2-0. It was only our second defeat of the season but we never seemed to get going in the second half and gave away two soft goals. It was a hard one to take as we had been playing so well but I’m sure we will shake it off and kick on from here.
Most worrying contract
Jesus Garcia Tena is out of contract at the end of the season and I don’t think there is many defenders in Scottish football at the moment with the class that he has on the ball. It really is a must we get his contract tied up.
Manager’s performance
Alex Neil has, surely, already won manager of the year award. He has broken countless records and he is still young. He has the team playing a exciting brand of football which has been helped by a real togetherness throughout the side. He will definitely go on to bigger things in football.
Written by @DavdMacFarlanefor the Terrace Scottish Football Podcast website.
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