Scottish Premiership 2024 review scorecard - how Celtic and Rangers compare as Hearts rank higher than Hibs

Rating out of 10 for each Premiership side

As 2024 draws to a close, The Scotsman casts an eye over the past 12 months and hands each Scottish Premiership club a mark out of 10 for their performance.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin with his summer signing Sivert Heltne Nilsen. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin with his summer signing Sivert Heltne Nilsen. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin with his summer signing Sivert Heltne Nilsen. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Aberdeen

It's been a mixed year for the Dons, who spent the first half of 2024 flirting with relegation and floundering after the failed experimental appointment of Neil Warnock. The arrival of Jimmy Thelin sparked a major upturn of fortunes and an incredible start to the current season, keeping pace with Celtic at the top of the league until the end of November and reigniting the passion of a city. Now on a winless run of eight matches, Aberdeen go into 2025 in need of a pick-me-up. Off the pitch, they recouped the best part of £6.5 million when selling Bojan Miovski to Girona and continue to make healthy gains on player sales.

Rating: 6/10

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Brendan Rodgers, manager of Celtic, celebrates with the Premier Sports Cup trophy.Brendan Rodgers, manager of Celtic, celebrates with the Premier Sports Cup trophy.
Brendan Rodgers, manager of Celtic, celebrates with the Premier Sports Cup trophy. | Getty Images

Celtic

Celtic's 2024 has been a resounding success. Only two teams have beaten them across all competitions - Hearts and Borussia Dortmund. They have won three trophies, manager Brendan Rodgers assuaged any doubts about his return that lingered at the start of the year and they have pulled miles clear of Rangers. Progress has been made in Europe, with a place in the Champions League knockouts very much in reach, helped by some big results against Atalanta and RB Leipzig. Off the pitch, they have a bundle of cash in the bank, helped by a record sale of Matt O'Riley, some of which has been reinvested back into the squad. They are operating on different levels, and won't have a better year for quite some time.

Rating: 10/10

Lyall Cameron has been a key figure for Dundee across 2024.Lyall Cameron has been a key figure for Dundee across 2024.
Lyall Cameron has been a key figure for Dundee across 2024. | SNS Group

Dundee

Tony Docherty led Dundee to a top-six finish upon their return to the top flight, and the emergence of Luke McCowan as one of the country's best midfielders earned the club in excess of £1 million. They continue to promote young players such as Lyall Cameron into the team and play a nice brand of football. The second half of the year has seen a slight dip in level, but Dundee fans can be content with their progress. 2024 was blighted somewhat by issues with the pitch, leading to sanctions from the Scottish Professional Football League. There was the debacle over an important match against Rangers as the club toiled to make its surface playable. Summer works have improved the situation somewhat at Dens Park as they edge closer to a state-of-the-art stadium at Camperdown Park.

Rating: 7/10

Dundee United lifted the Scottish Championship trophy in May and have made a brilliant start to their first season back in the top flight.Dundee United lifted the Scottish Championship trophy in May and have made a brilliant start to their first season back in the top flight.
Dundee United lifted the Scottish Championship trophy in May and have made a brilliant start to their first season back in the top flight.

Dundee United

They were run close by Raith Rovers, but United got over the line in clinching the Championship title at the first time of asking and have settled seamlessly into life back in the Premiership, currently sitting fourth and challenging for Europe. Manager Jim Goodwin continues to restore his and the club's reputation and in Sam Dalby, they have found one of the Premiership's most effective strikers. Much to be happy about down Tannadice way.

Rating: 9/10

Lawrence Shankland and Hearts have struggled in the second half of 2024.Lawrence Shankland and Hearts have struggled in the second half of 2024.
Lawrence Shankland and Hearts have struggled in the second half of 2024. | SNS Group

Hearts

A tale of two halves in 2024 for Hearts, who romped to third place last season under Steven Naismith and guaranteed themselves group-stage European football. It has gone badly wrong since the summer, though, with the Jambos in a relegation battle and Naismith replaced by Neil Critchley. They failed to take advantage of a kind draw in the Conference League, not reaching the play-off round, and have paid the price for poor recruitment. A deal with Brighton owner Tony Bloom's Jamestown Analytics has been seen as a "game-changer" for the club, but the fruits of such a partnership won't be felt until next year.

Rating: 6/10

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Hibs have finished the year with a flourish but the club has largely underperformed across 2024.Hibs have finished the year with a flourish but the club has largely underperformed across 2024.
Hibs have finished the year with a flourish but the club has largely underperformed across 2024. | SNS Group

Hibs

Despite ending the year with a flourish, 2024 is one to forget for Hibs. They posted a £3.9 million loss in their latest accounts, failed to reach the minimum target of the top six and sacked head coach Nick Montgomery in May. Club legend David Gray was handed the reins and after a dismal start to the 24/25 Premiership campaign and his job on the line, has managed to guide the team up to seventh. There have been calls for the board's head and general fan unrest, but at least a strong December gives Hibs something to build upon when the bells ring for 2025.

Rating: 4/10

The red card shown to Danny Armstrong in the 1-0 defeat at Hibs on Sunday was Kilmarnock's 12th dismissal of 2024. (Photo by Roddy Scott / SNS Group)The red card shown to Danny Armstrong in the 1-0 defeat at Hibs on Sunday was Kilmarnock's 12th dismissal of 2024. (Photo by Roddy Scott / SNS Group)
The red card shown to Danny Armstrong in the 1-0 defeat at Hibs on Sunday was Kilmarnock's 12th dismissal of 2024. (Photo by Roddy Scott / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Kilmarnock

Under the shrewd stewardship of Derek McInnes, Kilmarnock finished fourth at the end of the 2023/24 season and qualified for Europe. Memorable matches against Cercle Brugge, Tromso and FC Copenhagen followed and while they scalped Rangers at home later in the year, they have been let down by eight red cards this season - 12 across the calendar year - and indifferent away form. Nevertheless, the shine of being back in Europe cannot be dulled too much.

Rating: 7/10

The development of Lennon Miller has been a real success story for Motherwell this year.The development of Lennon Miller has been a real success story for Motherwell this year.
The development of Lennon Miller has been a real success story for Motherwell this year. | SNS Group

Motherwell

It's been a solid 2024 for the Steelmen, who responded to just missing out on top-six football in April by starting the 2024/25 season well, currently sitting joint-fifth. They reached the semi-finals of the Premier Sports Cup and can take immense satisfaction in the development of Lennon Miller as one of the country's brightest midfield prospects. Off the pitch, a potential takeover/proposed investment from Netflix guru Erik Barmack was staved off, with the Well Society strengthening its leadership at Fir Park.

Rating: 6/10

Philippe Clement is under pressure to save his job after failing to meet the Rangers fans’ expectations across 2024.Philippe Clement is under pressure to save his job after failing to meet the Rangers fans’ expectations across 2024.
Philippe Clement is under pressure to save his job after failing to meet the Rangers fans’ expectations across 2024. | SNS Group

Rangers

The year threatened to be an iconic one as Rangers briefly became favourites to win the league last season before Philippe Clement's side fell away. They lost the Scottish Cup and League Cup finals in agonising fashion to Celtic, posted a £17 million loss, were forced to leave Ibrox for the start of the current campaign due to construction delays and made changes at board level with a new CEO and chairman. While there have been the odd hurrah in Europe, notably in Nice, they trail Celtic by 14 points in the league and manager Clement's job is in peril. One step forward, two steps back seems to be the 2024 motto in Govan.

Rating: 4/10

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Don Cowie kept Ross County in the Premiership before being given the job on a permanent basis.Don Cowie kept Ross County in the Premiership before being given the job on a permanent basis.
Don Cowie kept Ross County in the Premiership before being given the job on a permanent basis. | SNS Group

Ross County

The Staggies navigated a relegation play-off for a second season in a row by overcoming Raith Rovers and managed to make sure 2024 was not a year of no away wins by ending a 481-day travel bug in late December at Dens Park. Don Cowie's men continue to dwell at the wrong end of the table, but the survival instinct remains strong.

Rating: 5/10

Craig Levein was sacked by St Johnstone in September after four successive defeats.Craig Levein was sacked by St Johnstone in September after four successive defeats.
Craig Levein was sacked by St Johnstone in September after four successive defeats. | SNS Group

St Johnstone

The Saints just evaded the relegation play-off in May, which was an achievement under Craig Levein. The sale of the club by long-standing and legendary figure Geoff Brown to American businessman Adam Webb heralded a new era at McDiarmid Park, but the second half of the year has been very challenging. Levein was sacked, replaced by Simo Valakari, and while the style of football has improved, the substance of results have not. St Johnstone are bottom of the league and face the very real prospect of relegation.

Rating: 3/10

Stephen Robinson has St Mirren in a good place heading into 2025.Stephen Robinson has St Mirren in a good place heading into 2025.
Stephen Robinson has St Mirren in a good place heading into 2025. | SNS Group

St Mirren

The Buddies finished fifth last season and ended a long European duck by a neat Conference League campaign that brought them triumph over Valur before a narrow defeat by Brann. They remain in the top six and recently defeated Rangers at home. Not even court cases against three now dismissed players, including summer recruit Shaun Ronney, can take the shine off a really strong year for a club in a good place under Stephen Robinson.

Rating: 7/10

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