That was the year that was. After 219 matches played and exactly 600 goals scored, the Scottish Premiership has put up the shutters for 2022.
The action will of course soon crank back up – derbies in Glasgow and Edinburgh bring a thunderous start to the new year in Monday’s fixture list – but before all that let’s take a pause for reflection.
What does the table for the calendar year look like? Who had a memorable 12 months? And who had an annus horribilis?
Relentless Celtic lead the way
If recollections of 2022 give you a warm, fuzzy glow, chances are you’re a Celtic fan. The year belonged to Ange Postecoglou’s men as they reclaimed the title from Rangers and are making a more than decent fist of holding on to it, with a healthy nine-point lead as the Hogmanay bells get set to clang.
Celtic bookended 2022 with wins over Hibs – 2-0 at home and 4-0 away – and were relentless in between. As the manager says, they don’t stop. Only two points were dropped in their opening 14 league games of the year and their current winning streak stands at 12.
In total, Celtic won 33 of their 37 fixtures in 2022 and suffered just one defeat – at St Mirren in September.
It all adds up Celtic topping the table for the year with a points haul of 102 – a whopping 19 more than Rangers.
Postecoglou’s men also scored by far the most goals – 111, which is 30 more than Rangers and an average of three per game – and had the meanest defence.
Motherwell on downward spiral
Motherwell supporters will be glad to see the back of 2022. But perhaps they shouldn’t get their hopes up too much for a revival.
If we discount Kilmarnock and Dundee – who each played only half a season in the top flight in 2022 – then Motherwell are rock bottom of the table.
Granted, they played a game fewer than some teams, but their miserly average of 0.92 points per match is still the worst in the division.
The Steelmen started 2022 with Graham Alexander in charge and end it with Steven Hammell presiding over a run of one win in nine.
Defensive issues are root cause of their struggles. Injuries have mounted up and so have the goals against, with Motherwell conceding the most of any Premiership side.
While the Fir Park men are three points off the foot of this season’s Premiership, there’s no disguising their past year has the look of relegation form. No wonder Hammell is desperate for the transfer window.
The Fir Park men aren’t alone in having a far from vintage 12 months. Ross County are next worst in the points stakes and are spluttering at both ends of the pitch, with the fewest goals scored – just 34 in 37 matches – and second-most conceded.
Then there’s clubs of some serious stature floundering. Dundee United, Hibernian and Aberdeen – who have both lost 18 of their 37 matches – are all hovering in the lower reaches of the 2022 table.
Underdogs punching above their weight
When it comes to plucky underdogs, look no further than Livingston and St Mirren.
Hearts may be Scotland’s third force, but Livingston – despite having one of the league’s lowest budgets – are neck and neck in the annual points stakes with 53 from 36 games and an identical record of wins, draws and defeats.
Likewise St Mirren – three points behind having played a game fewer – are proving masters of frugality. Who needs a positive goal difference anyway?
These are heady days for the Buddies – unbeaten on their own patch since the opening day of the season and enjoying their best campaign in 34 years.
And honourable mention, too, for St Johnstone, who’ve had the veritable year of two halves.
Having only survived by the skin of their teeth last season, thumping Inverness CT in the play-off final, Callum Davidson’s men are now motoring along nicely and eyeing Europe rather than another relegation scrap.