Historically, the split has been a much-bemoaned feature of Scottish football.
This season, however, it feels like a really intriguing battle to make the top six that is keeping quite a few clubs engaged and interested heading into the closing stages of the campaign.
Perhaps I feel this way because local clubs Dundee United and St Johnstone are right in the thick of it and, remarkably, my team, St Mirren, currently occupy the final top-half spot.
We’re not used to being up this high, you know?
Regardless, the fight to get over the line isn’t half heating up and it is incredibly tight in that middle section of the table.
As aforementioned, with three games until the Premiership is cut in half, the Buddies are in pole position.
I’ll need to say that again in order to make it seem real – the Buddies are in pole
position on 36 points.
United are just two further back with the Perth Saints hot on their heels a point behind in eighth spot.
Headed to Rugby Park today, you feel the Tangerines really have to pick up all three points to avoid the prize of guaranteed safety and fixtures against the league’s big guns slipping through their fingers.
With Celtic and Aberdeen still to come to Tannadice, this afternoon’s meeting with Tommy Wright’s Kilmarnock represents the Terrors’ best opportunity of stealing a march on the teams around them.
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With St Johnstone in League Cup Final duty (see below) and St Mirren welcoming Ross County to Paisley, with Hamilton also still to play, in fact, I don’t think United can afford to lose this one if they are to make top six.
Instantly, the Perth side would have a game in hand, and you would fancy Jim Goodwin’s men against County and Accies more than you would the Tangerines taking on Celtic and Aberdeen.
That said, they can only win the game that’s in front of them, and that will be the focus for Micky Mellon’s team today.
And, you’d have to say, they have a good chance of doing so if the form guide is anything to go by.
Despite last Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox, United have looked much better in wins over Ross County and Livingston, of late.
Whereas, Wright is yet to get that fabled ‘new manager bounce’ out of a struggling Killie – currently on an eight-game losing run and sitting precariously above a rejuvenated Hamitlon in the relegation play-off spot.
That the Ayrshire men are seemingly fighting for their lives, and 28 consecutive years in the top flight, could count against the Tangerines.
However, given the way their attacking players are looking right now, I fancy United to have too much for their west coast opponents.
Lawrence Shankland is back to his best, Marc McNulty notched against Rangers, while Louis Appere and Nicky Clark remain threats.
Make no mistake, United are on the up.
Not for the first time in his reign, patience is wearing thin with boss James McPake among the Dundee support.
Many have been left bewildered by recent events and, you must admit, it’s entirely understandable.
From the elation of beating league leaders Hearts at Dens Park at the start of the year, a result which seemed to reignite the Dark Blues’ season, they have taken a sharp nosedive.
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The weather disrupting clashes against Dunfermline, Inverness and Ayr United, the latter seemingly destined never to be played, hasn’t helped.
However, since that win over Championship title favourites the Jambos, the Dee have only picked up one point in three league games.
In dropping points at Arbroath the mood was frustration but, with recent defeats to Raith Rovers and Queen of the South, that is slowly growing into anger.
Sitting fifth in the second tier, for a club of Dundee’s size, simply isn’t good enough and they need to start turning the corner soon, once and for all, if McPake is to justify his position as manager.
For me, anything other than three points at Morton today and his role is untenable.
Albeit, the Dee are still well within a shot of getting into the promotion play-offs and returning to the Premiership, I feel the confidence in McPake to do that job is evaporating at an alarming rate.
It’s truly now or never.
In my heart of hearts, I wish I was roaring on my beloved Buddies in tomorrow’s Betfred Cup Final.
As it is, the Perth Saints will have to do as they take on Livingston in the Hampden showpiece.
Not only will I be supporting our Tayside neighbours, I really fancy them to do one over on Livi – the side that knocked the Paisley Saints out at the semi-final stage.
Callum Davidson’s men are the form team and should go into the match full of confidence.
What an achievement lifting silverware in his first season as boss would be for Davidson.
Tommy who?
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