IT is a case of nothing ventured, nothing gained. Time will tell just how worthy the latest plan to transform Scottish football really is.

Talk of changes that benefit the whole SPFL structure should be treated with scepticism, no matter the good intentions of those that are at the heart of the conversation.

In this case, there are five clubs – Aberdeen, Dundee, Dundee United, Hearts and Hibernian – involved after they announced a partnership with Deloitte that will see them undertake a ‘strategic and holistic review of the SPFL’.

On the face of it, the blueprint sounds interesting. If anything meaningful and beneficial comes from it, then it will be time and money well spent by a handful of our biggest clubs.

When Rangers attempted to shine a light down the corridors of power at Hampden last summer, the Ibrox board were rebuffed at every turn and their observations and criticisms were ignored by the majority of their peers and fellow clubs.

Given the fact that the champions remain on an almost constant war footing with the League, and chief executive Neil Doncaster in particular, it is perhaps no surprise that Rangers are not involved this time around.

Stewart Robertson, the Ibrox managing director, was outspoken towards the SPFL over their selling of the game just weeks ago, while the ongoing legal row regarding the cinch sponsorship deal could ultimately take Doncaster down.

It would be a surprise if one of the recommendations from this collaboration is the removal of the man that collects an increasing healthy six-figure salary each year. That, perhaps, is why he was prepared to publicly back the plans so quickly.

“The SPFL Board has already been in discussion with a number of the clubs involved regarding this independent strategic review,” Doncaster said in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon. “We wholeheartedly welcome and support any initiative that has the good of the game at its heart.

“We know Deloitte well and the SPFL will play a full, active and positive role in the process and we look forward to seeing what proposals and innovations emerge from it.”

The idea of a band of clubs coming together for the good of the game is all fine and well, but it is hard to shake the feeling that this is the kind of process that the League should be doing themselves.

Shouldn't it be Doncaster and his staff that are the innovators and the drivers for Scottish football? The big ideas should come from Hampden, not just be implemented there.

That said, there is certainly no harm in the quintet knocking their heads together and it is interesting that four members of the committee - Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack, Tim Keyes and Mark Ogren of Dundee and United respectively and Hibernian's Ron Gordon - have links and backgrounds in America.

Scottish football doesn't need a draft system or the razzamatazz of fireworks and cheerleaders, but there are ways in which sport is marketed, promoted and experienced Stateside that our game can certainly learn from.

The five clubs claim that they will spend around £600million in operations and infrastructure over the next decade and believe a 'clear vision and strategy with measurable goals is needed if Scottish football is to continue to grow and prosper on and off the pitch, and ultimately compete with similar-sized countries and leagues across Europe'.

There is an ambition to raise the annual distribution to clubs from £27million to £50million within five years as part of a sponsorship and media strategy and there will be a push to grow the SPFL as a brand.

In their statement on Tuesday afternoon, the five directors labelled Scottish football as 'authentic, intense, and passionate' and there is limitless room for improvement when it comes to selling what makes our national game unique. It is far from perfect and far from polished but it should be talked up rather than down.

It is in need of investment, but also of ideas and representation should be made to stakeholders of all sizes throughout this process. Small clubs could produce big ideas, after all.

There will no doubt be a focus on league reconstruction but that age old and wearisome debate cannot be allowed to dominate the agenda here, especially when clubs and supporters continue to show no real willingness for change.

The governance and competence of the SPFL is of a more pressing concern right now, as are other areas - such as relations with Government, strategy, academies and player development - highlighted in the outlined proposal.

League reconstruction is not going to be the silver bullet that transforms Scottish football and this entire process will be an opportunity missed if that is the driver for change in the coming months.

There has to be a concern that self preservation and self promotion creeps in here as well and while there is not a one size fits all solution, this can't just be used as an avenue to bolster the bank accounts of those involved.

Lower down the levels, the focus should be on community involvement and grassroots football. At the top, there is a chance to modernise the game, to bring it to new audiences and improve the experiences of those supporters that are the heartbeat of it.

The mindset of Scotland being a plucky underdog must be shaken off and discarded. Rather than having to punch above our weight, we should be breaking new ground at domestic, European and international level.

Leagues and nations of a similar size and standing regularly outperform our clubs and country but it has been easier to find excuses rather than solutions as Scottish football has failed to fulfill its potential for too long.

This review, and whatever recommendations come from it, are unlikely to be a panacea to our game. It could be a starting point for a brighter future, though.

Scottish football can, and must, move forward. What a waste it would be if this is another case of something ventured but nothing gained.