Already we have reached the second international break of the season as the club stuff goes on hold for a couple of weeks or so.
So this would seem a good opportunity to take stock and assess some of the individual performances of Scottish Premiership players so far. Now, we know there have only been seven games so this is by no means ruling anyone out if we don’t mention them.
But Not the Old Firm has decided to take a look at the best performing players, outside of Celtic and Rangers, in each position so far this campaign.
Logically, we’ve started with the goalkeepers.
Aston Oxborough
Remarkably, last season’s Motherwell number two has been one of their best performers this campaign. To the point where fans are wondering why on earth he was sitting on the bench behind Liam Kelly last season. The 26-year-old has just one clean sheet but it would do him a disservice to focus on that. He has conceded just eight goals in his seven games and his saves have been a huge part of the Steelmen’s early season form – hailed as ‘outstanding’ by manager Stuart Kettlewell after the recent win over St Mirren.
Dimitar Mitov
Already one of the oustanding shotstoppers in the league during his spell at St Johnstone, a side battling relegation, Mitov more than earned his move to Aberdeen. The Bulgarian has carried that on with the Dons as he has helped them to 13 wins from 13. Two clean sheets in the league and just six goals conceded for Jimmy Thelin’s high-flying Dons.
Jack Walton
Dundee United are another side who have flourished at the start of the season. And their 26-year-old keeper, on loan from Luton, has played his part after helping them win the Championship last season. Has more clean sheets than Mitov with three but has conceded one more goal with seven.
Ellery Balcombe
The bare stats aren’t as kind to St Mirren’s Balcombe, with just one clean sheet and 14 conceded. But that doesn’t all have to be the keepers fault of course. And, according to stats site FotMob, the 24-year-old is in the top six percentile for save percentage in the league, better than 94 per cent of the league’s goalies.
Ross Laidlaw
The 32-year-old Scot has improved as the years have gone on after spending much of his earlier career as a number two at various clubs. He enjoyed a strong campaign for Ross County last season despite playing in a struggling side and could be important for them again as they look set to fight it out near the bottom again.