There is no doubt that Arbroath surprised us all last season – Dick Campbell’s men did remarkably well and anyone who thinks they were one-season wonders should perhaps not rush into such rash judgements.
To be honest, I am not convinced we are any the wiser yet, after just a couple of rounds of games, how the Championship will pan out.
I think we will have to wait until each team has played everyone else once before we have any idea about who are the likely promotion and relegation candidates. Indeed, it might take longer still.
Caley Thistle’s trip to Gayfield on Saturday always looked like it would be a challenging and close encounter. Conditions on the day also ensured it was not the beautiful game at its best.
It was no surprise that neither side could find the net, because – apart from one game between the two Inverness won comfortably last season – the other five meetings were all very close.
It is going to be very interesting to see how Arbroath and Cove Rangers do.
If part-time clubs continue to show they can match the full-time sides at this level, people will inevitably begin to ask how clubs outwith the Premiership should be structured in the future. That will be an uncomfortable thought for many in Scottish football.
If you had a part-time club winning the Championship, how effectively could they adapt in a matter of weeks to get ready for the life in the Premiership?
It would be very challenging, I think, but the full time model needs to show it is superior to the part-time one otherwise what’s the point carrying on as we have been in recent years, particularly when money is so tight in the lower reaches of Scottish football.
So, for these reasons and others besides, it will be interesting to see if Inverness can get the better of Cove on Saturday.
A win for Caley Thistle would be very welcome indeed, though the sides’ recent League Cup group match suggests it will be close.
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