If Celtic fail to win the Premiership, what happens next?
October 29th, 2025by Craig J Shields
Forster, Wilson, Ledley, Wanyama, Samaras and Watt. A small list of names that were instrumental in Celtic defeating Barcelona almost exactly two years ago to the day. Throw in then leading goalscorer Gary Hooper – who missed the match through injury – and it's a formidable list of men who had been standouts whenever they donned the fast forward from that night at Paradise and the Parkhead club have a new man in charge. Skeptics say that Ronnie Deila has been brought in as a cost-effective replacement, to fit in with the downsizing at the club rather than for footballing reasons.
On the surface so far, it looks like that may be the case as Celtic have stumbled their way through the season. Exiting the Champions League twice and currently occupying a mid-table spot in the Scottish Premiership is not how the Glasgow club would've envisaged this season starting.
But with all Celtic's woes is there a genuine contender to their title? Is this the season that they're tested? The current domestic table would suggest that it is, with Hamilton, Dundee United, Inverness and Kilmarnock all above Celtic as we approach March.
With a quarter of the season gone and questions remaining over Deila's ability to manage not only his players, but his backroom staff that were handpicked by the club, if there's going to be any opportunity to stop the juggernaut of Scottish football then this season might be it.
Hamilton currently lead the table and having just been promoted from the Championship their position is a shock to many. Alex Neil's Accies have just managed three wins on the bounce, with an impressive 3-0 win over Aberdeen last week cementing their position at the top of the table. But there are serious questions over their strength in depth and as the cold Scottish winter moves in, injuries and suspensions are sure to hit the club and test them to the full.
A team with a bit more quality throughout though is Dundee United. Who despite selling players are consistently finding replacements coming through at youth level. Just this summer saw United sell Ryan Gauld to Sporting Lisbon and Andrew Robertson to Hull City. But United are already preparing themselves for bids coming in for Stuart Armstrong. The young midfielder is being scouted weekly by English Premier League sides with Hull City strong linked for a move in January, just weeks after taking Robertson.
But despite young talent leaving the Scottish Premiership the key thing for the other clubs is that Celtic aren't getting hold of any. Gone are the days when Rangers and Celtic would cherry pick the best young players in Scotland, often ruining the careers of many
