Former Irish League star pinpoints where Premiership title 'is going to be won and lost'
Former Irish League star Philip Major has pinpointed where he believes the Premiership title “is going to be won and lost” this season, feeling the team who picks up most points against those outside of the top-four could get their hands on the Gibson Cup.
Glentoran, Larne, Coleraine and Linfield are the four title contenders according to bookmakers and even at this early stage of the campaign have already moved into the Premiership’s top spots.
The Glens are one point clear at the summit having put together an eight-game unbeaten league run while their rivals have each only lost once.
With the strength of Northern Ireland’s four full-time teams this season, Major has predicted they’ll all be capable of taking points off each other and it could come down to which side can maximise results against the rest of the field.
The former has already been on full display with Glentoran and Linfield drawing at The Oval while Larne’s sole defeat came at Coleraine, who were handed a first loss by the Glens earlier this month.
"Normally in recent seasons it has been your record in head-to-head matches against your opponents at the top, but I think this season the four teams at the top of the table are quite evenly matched,” said Major, who won four league titles with Portadown, on BBC Sportsound. “The record for those teams against the others is where I think the league is going to be won and lost.
"I see the top teams all taking points off each other, especially when Linfield are missing the likes of Chris Shields, Larne are missing Cian Bolger, Leroy Millar, Andy Ryan, so these clubs are going to have to try and compensate in some way for that.
"I think where these clubs will really make a difference this year is with their performances against the lower teams - they have to pick up as many points as possible.
"I think this is where the league is going to be won and lost, it's not going to be your record against top teams, it'll be the record against teams below you - you have to get maximum points."