With the Scottish Premiership season ticking over the halfway mark, our team of journalists looked at their current standouts from this unpredictable campaign.

Signing of the Season

Mack Kelly – Alexandros Kyziridis: It is out of him and Braga realistically, but for the same reasons mentioned above, I just think Kyziridis looks a better football player than Braga, despite the G/A complimenting Braga more. 

Craig Baigrie – Elijah Just: A both player and signing of the season, he scores important goals. Offers pace and direct play that helps drive Motherwell forward, and his adaptation to Scottish football is very impressive.

Rhys Livingstone – Alexandros Kyzridis

Cameron Caldwell – Stuart Findlay: The former Kilmarnock man has formed a formidable partnership with fellow centre-back Craig Halkett, not to mention his four league goals, including a late winner at Tannadice, and opener against Rangers.

Declan Tumblety – Josh Mulligan: Hibernian getting him on a free could go down as one of the best bits of business for years to come in this league; they look a completely different side when he’s in and out of the team. Hibs have been crying out for a John McGinn replacement ever since he left, and they might’ve just found him – until they sell Mulligan for millions and have to look again.

Liam Smith – Claudio Braga

Manager of the Season

Mack Kelly – Jens Berthel Askou: Nobody expected Motherwell to do as well as they did, even when results weren’t going his way, you could see what he was trying to implement, and the steel men are reaping the rewards from that just now.

Craig Baigrie – Derek McInnes: as manager of the season because of the consistency of results from Hearts. In the 40 years where only Old Firm teams have won the league, there’s been next to no serious competition from other clubs, but this is the first genuine title push for many years outside Rangers and Celtic

Rhys Livingstone – Jens Berthel Askou

Cameron Caldwell – Jens Berthel Askou: From their opening day draw against Rangers, the progression that the Danish manager has installed has been mightily impressive. He is working on a smaller budget compared to his rival managers and has improved stalwarts such as Stephen O’Donnell and Paul McGinn. Simply – Askou will not be at the Fir Park for long.

Declan Tumblety – Jens Berthel Askou: Derek McInnes narrowly misses out here, but JBA has taken Motherwell from bottom-six regulars to a side people genuinely fear to come up against. An outstanding appointment where it looks unlikely he will remain in Lanarkshire for long.

Liam Smith – Jens Berthel Askou

Team of the Season

Mack Kelly – Motherwell: seems incredulous not to award it to Hearts despite them being 6 ahead, but I actually think they should be further ahead, as mad as that sounds, due to the state of Celtic and Rangers and their results against them, as for Motherwell, they made a semi-final, albeit the result was embarrassing, and could leapfrog Celtic and Rangers themselves. JBA is pulling up trees with a lesser squad, and if they can keep him, the sky is the limit going forward, despite their limited resources

Craig Baigrie – Hearts: From the analytics and the smart signings to how well the team has been able to gel together, the improvement of players already there, especially Cammy Devlin, is huge.

Rhys Livingstone – Hearts

Cameron Caldwell – Motherwell: Between the Jambos and the Steelmen, for me, I edge towards Motherwell because of their lesser budget and tremendous style of play.

Declan Tumblety – Hearts: It really pains me to write that as a Hibs fan, but we’re into the new year now and they’re still top of the league. Whilst I still don’t think they’ll go all the way, they raise the question with every week that passes now. It’s absurd that a team outside of Glasgow is six points clear in January.

Liam Smith – Motherwell

Player of the Season

Mack Kelly – Alexandros Kyziridis: He is such an exciting player to watch and a massive cog in Hearts’ title push, always looking to make stuff happen and is such a dynamic asset.

Craig Baigrie – Elijah Just

Rhys Livingstone – Alexandros Kyzridis

Cameron Caldwell – Alexandros Kyzridis: He is the difference maker in that Hearts XI, and has produced several key moments already this season (late Livingston winner, cross for Findlay’s goal vs Rangers). If McInnes’s side wins the league, the Greek winger will be a huge influence.

Declan Tumblety – Lawrence Shankland: The current top scorer and captain of the league leaders. He looks back to his best after what seemed to be a blip last season

Liam Smith – Tawanda Maswanhise