Livingston boss David Martindale says mid-season World Cup break has added 'edge' to Premiership

Livingston boss David Martindale believes the upcoming World Cup break means the Premiership will be even more competitive in the next three rounds of fixtures.

After the full top flight card on November 12, the league shuts down for just over a month as focus shifts to Qatar 2022. That means Premiership sides are vying for position and hoping to be in a good place then the break starts.

Livingston play Kilmarnock on Friday evening before matches against Aberdeen and Hearts, knowing that wins could see them rocket up from ninth place in a tightly-packed table.

Martindale thinks that will add to motivation and that players across the league will know they can give everything before enjoying a break.

“I think everybody is putting a bit more into these games because you know you only have three games before you’re off for five weeks,” the Livingston manager said.

“There’s that wee added element to it – let’s try and pick up as many points as we can and see where it takes us.

“Everybody is going to be in the same boat. It’s going to be a really, really competitive league. It is just now, but I think it’s going to get more intense after the World Cup. So these next three games for everyone are really important.

“There’s no divine right at this level with the three teams we have got coming up that we can go and pick points up. Outwith probably the Old Firm, you are not guaranteed points against anyone. We are not a million miles away from each other.”