The new Scottish Premiership season begins with last year's epic campaign—a fairytale that saw Hearts push the Old Firm to the final day—fading into memory. Few expect lightning to strike twice; Hearts are in transition post-Derek McInnes and Lawrence Shankland, while Motherwell and Aberdeen rebuild. Hibernian lack consistency, Falkirk would settle for replication. The plaintive cry for youth opportunities goes largely ignored.

We appear headed back to a two-horse race, but with experienced jockeys: Martin O'Neill at Celtic and McInnes at Rangers, replacing the "apprentices" Russell Martin and Wilfried Nancy. Last season's surreal drama—Rodgers' fall, Desmond's evisceration, fan invasions, the SFA's damning independent review—sets a toxic backdrop. Governing bodies face pressure to enforce stand closures for misbehaviour.

Celtic have flexed fiscal muscle, signing striker Kasper Hogh and winger Camilo Duran for a reported £17m, addressing the void left by Kyogo Furuhashi. Fit-again Cameron Carter-Vickers and a potential Jota resurgence bolster a settled, proven side. Rangers, under McInnes's cold-blooded pragmatism, have added beef and leadership with colossal American-backed spending. The O'Neill vs McInnes duel shapes as the season's defining narrative, unless another sub-plot emerges.