IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE: PLAYERS OF THE SEASON SO FAR

Celtic may be on their way to the title but they don’t monopolise the season’s best XI thus far

EIGHT points clear at the top of the table, Celtic’s dominance of the Ladbrokes Premiership is undisputed as the league moves into its winter recess.

Although the outcome seems certain, the Invincibles tag has been removed and, by common consent, there has been a greater deal of competitiveness in the league this term.

A quick glance at the table shows the big city clubs occupying the top five berths, St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright again has his team challenging for the top six and there have been signs of real progress at Motherwell and Kilmarnock.

If you had taken a straw poll this time last year then an SPFL select would pretty much have been an all-Celtic affair.

Sensing a greater spread of individual talent,

Sportsmail’s GRAEME CROSER decided to gauge the opinions of Billy Dodds (below), a man who started the season coaching in the Premiership as assistant to Jim McIntyre at Ross County and has since reverted to a broadcasting role.

‘The Premiership is more difficult this season,’ says Dodds. ‘It has suffered over the past few years — any league in the world would if some of its big teams dropped out. Getting the big teams back is healthy. That’s how you want your league to be.

‘I heard Tommy Wright speaking about it recently. St Johnstone have done brilliantly to consistently make the top six but this year he feels they are playing for one place. Celtic, Aberdeen, Rangers, Hibs and Hearts are the biggest clubs and they have the top five spots in the league. St Johnstone, Kilmarnock and Motherwell are all challenging and the standard is rising.’

Dodds’ select lines up in the now common 4-2-3-1 shape, with seven substitutes chosen to complement the starting XI. Logically, it is Celtic who have the strongest quota of players but six of the division’s 12 clubs are represented.

‘Celtic are still the best team in the country but they haven’t quite scaled the heights of last season,’ explains Dodds. ‘Let’s be honest, they have only lost once and are still a top team. But there has been a lot to admire elsewhere.’