Glenavon manager Paddy McLaughlin feels it’s “hugely disrespectful” to the likes of high-flying Dungannon Swifts to suggest the Premiership’s standard has dropped due to Linfield’s hefty points advantage at the summit.

The Blues are overwhelming favourites to reclaim the Gibson Cup crown for the first time since 2022 having opened up a 19-point cushion ahead of this weekend’s league schedule, but behind them a number of clubs are chasing a top-six finish and European football.

With only nine points separating third-placed Dungannon and Ballymena United in tenth, it has set up a fascinating pre-split finish with plenty to play for.

Both Dungannon and Portadown have been the surprise packages of this season, occupying top-half positions for the majority of the current campaign, and will fancy their chances of extending that form over the final five matches before the split.

placeholder image — Dungannon Swifts boss Rodney McAree. (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)

Only Linfield have collected more home points and clean sheets than Dungannon, while Portadown have picked up seven points from a potential nine against reigning champions Larne, defeated Glentoran on the road and secured a home draw with the Blues.

McLaughlin’s Glenavon are also now on the charge for a top-six spot after putting together an unbeaten run of six matches and the former Cliftonville chief doesn’t feel Linfield’s superb form should reflect negatively on the wider league.

"It's definitely disrespectful to the likes of Rodney McAree, the work he has done and the players he has signed over the last two years - it would be hugely disrespectful to say the league's a lesser standard,” he said. “The sides that have been known to make up the bottom-half have definitely improved.

"There has been a lot of investment at clubs over the last few seasons which is brilliant for the league and they are improving their squads.

"Portadown have a very strong squad...nobody would have seen that coming, Dungannon have been sitting in the top-three for most of the season and nobody would have seen that coming.

"You have to give the so-called lesser teams credit rather than being critical of the league.

"Linfield have ran away with the league because they are the most consistent and produced results.

"They have found a way to win and that's the mark of a champion...just because they are so far ahead doesn't mean you have to be critical of the rest of us.

"Full credit to David Healy and his squad - they've been the most consistent - but there's no doubt the rest of us are improving."

McAree has compiled a talented squad which have put themselves in position to secure Dungannon’s first top-six finish since 2010 while they’re also still going strong in the Irish Cup.

Rather than looking negatively at the Premiership, McAree feels clubs like his deserve immense credit for fighting against full-time powers.

"I don't think the standard has dropped that much...I think that would be being a bit disrespectful to ourselves and Portadown,” he said. “We spoke for two or three seasons about how the part-time clubs are going to have to try and stick with the full-time clubs and what that's going to take.

"None of the full-time clubs have disappeared, they are still there, but what we've done is find a way of improving ourselves so that we can try and stay in touch.

"Larne's squad hasn't changed a massive amount to what it was last season, Linfield's hasn't and Glentoran's has probably changed for the better in their view.

"I look at Coleraine's squad and it's full of quality players.

"I think the smaller teams, part-time teams, have done that bit more in looking at fitness, tactics and trying to set yourself up more to frustrate than get beat.

"The standard of the league has been good and I'd like to think we've contributed towards that rather than look at it from a negative point of view that it's a poor league at the moment."