Aberdeen backed for third by some BBC Sport Scotland reporters

While Celtic were unanimously predicted to become league champions by our reporters, the question of who would finish third split opinion. Some said Hearts would repeat the trick, but two plumped for Aberdeen…

Tyrone Smith, our man in the north-east:

I initially had Hearts down for this but, despite their big squad, the impact their European commitments could have on their domestic ones made me change my mind and go for Aberdeen instead as being the team who will finish as the best of the rest behind Celtic and Rangers.

After hugely under achieving last term, they will be determined to avoid any such repeat this time round, and under new manager Jimmy Thelin, there is a real optimism among everyone connected with the club that the good times could be heading back and that they could, and should, find themselves challenging in the upper echelons of the table once again.

Kheredine Idessane, asking all the big questions pitch-side:

I was swithering over this one, with Hearts my natural pick for third. The big caveat to that is Lawrence Shankland.

It seems unlikely he’ll still be at Tynecastle for much longer and when you take away Scotland’s player of the year, and add in an expected improvement from the Dons under new boss Jimmy Thelin, that’s why I’ll plump for Aberdeen to be the best of the rest.

Before all you Killie fans start screaming at me, I’m actually expecting third spot to be a close three-way fight between Kilmarnock, Hearts and Aberdeen.