From Second Tier to Top Six - The future for Hibs and Hearts

Everyone knew that there would be sides in the Championship this season who would be a class apart from the rest of the division. The table would read that it is just Hearts who have done that but in terms of on the field performances, Hibs have done so too, once they got over their early season jitters.

With it beginning to look like a sure fire bet that it would be those sides getting promoted this season, where exactly would they slot into the Premiership.

I saw someone on Twitter claim that Hearts would be challenging Aberdeen for second. In the light of spanking Cowdenbeath in a manner so hard that it went from horrific beating into hilarious farce. Had Hearts kept up that form (or the form of the first few weeks of the season) all season, then it would be hard to doubt their credentials, but they have not. In spite of their goal difference nearing +60 and a 20 point gap to second, the fact remains that Hearts have strolled the division as much due to the issues others have had. Much of the season, they have done the Champions job of getting past sides without ever having to hit the heights. It is difficult, therefore, to actually know where they are.

Hibs have overcome early season wobbles and worries to become the best side to watch in the division and, arguably, the best side in the division. This is, of course, tempered by the fact that Hibs maintain their ability to self destruct at any given moment. At the back, they still don’t always convince but have the talent in midfield to create space against any defence. No side has pummelled Rangers so totally in the league and no side has consistently pushed Hearts so much. Eventually, they will beat Hearts, more importantly, there is little reason to think they wouldn’t beat Rangers, which they will have to to go through the playoffs.

Were Rangers to be the side to get through the playoffs, there would be no doubt that the side who starts next season would be massively different from the team that finishes this one. It is, therefore, impossible to guess exactly where they might be were they to go up.

But the fact remains that, for next season, there are two top six spots up for grabs. Celtic, Aberdeen, Dundee United and Inverness are more or less nailed on to stay there which means that, to get into the top six, Hearts and Hibs must be able to overcome teams such as St Johnstone, Kilmarnock and Dundee. In that respect, it would be difficult to think that they wouldn’t get into the top six - as tough to beat as St Johnstone are or as good as Dundee can be, across a season, it would be a brave person that would bet against either this Hibs side or this Hearts side to be ahead of them.

Past that, it is difficult to say. Aberdeen certainly won’t get any worse over the summer nor will Inverness. Dundee United look the shakiest of the lot, due to how much they miss Armstrong and Mackay-Steven and may spend next season in transition, especially should they lose Ciftci and/or McNamara in the summer. As such, one would expect the Edinburgh sides to not only slot into the top six but also slot into the top five. If it was Rangers coming up, who knows. Certain Premiership sides still have the fear of them, which no longer exists in the Championship, so they would certainly do well enough to come close to the top six but that, again, is so reliant on what players actually start next season - a question not even Kenny McDowell could answer right now.

It is a credit to the Championship that the sides getting promoted this season will, much as they have this season, comfortably retain their premiership status. But never will there be a crop getting promoted as good as this one.

The one guarantee that can be given is that there won’t be as many 10-0 victories next year.