Talking Points: The Scottish Premiership
All the most important bits you might have missed from Scotland’s top league
DUNDEE WALK ON WATER
Aberdeen 0 Dundee 0
Fresh from a promotion and considering the calibre of teams in the league, a top 6 finish for Dundee is nothing short of miraculous. Despite the controversy surrounding the embarrassing state of their pitch, the Dee under Tony Docherty have pipped the likes of Hibs, Motherwell and Aberdeen to secure their place in the better half of the split.
Many would have predicted a struggle this season but the astute signings of loan players like Owen Beck and Amadou Bakayoko have all improved under superb coaching and become a cohesive unit that teams are now reluctant to face.
Whilst the 0-0 draw with Aberdeen was a fairly turgid affair, with both sides missing a few clear-cut chances, there were celebrations as if they had just won the league and it is fair enough. Regardless of how the end of this year goes, next season will be a huge challenge for not just the first team, but everyone else involved at the club. Having made cuts and sacked their groundsman, the state of Dens Park has been a source of embarrassment for Scottish fans. If they are to be considered a serious outfit, they will need to sort it out quickly.
Meanwhile further north, Aberdeen will take this point as they look to put themselves out of any danger. They are unlikely to go down this year but that doesn’t make performances any less shocking. Poor managerial choices and some woeful defending have made this a season to forget for the Dons. If they can somehow keep a hold of Miovski, they may be able to improve under incoming manager Jimmy Thelin. A return to form for McGrath and Roos will boost fans but it has been too little too late for the Aberdeen ensemble.
RANGERS DROP THE BALL
Ross County 3 Rangers 2
If ever a hopeful needed a reminder not every title run-in can be done as machine like as Manchester City, then Rangers got theirs at Victoria Park this weekend.
Coming into the game, perhaps with a hint of arrogance, talk among the fans was of a title decider at Celtic Park. Unfortunately, looking too far ahead can lead to tripping up on something right under your nose. Unused to feeling like the away side against anyone in Scotland but Celtic, they were made to feel that way by a side sitting in the relegation play-off spot. In what was their first ever win against Rangers, the Staggies were never cowed by the gap between the two sides, with only a lack of composure preventing them from scoring even more.
Credit to Don Cowie for getting his side to continue to fight week in week out, they will not go down without a fight and Simon Murray, the player you love to have but an irksome presence for opposition players was fantastic as their attack never let up.
Phillipe Clement and his men meanwhile will take a good long look at themselves. No excuse of a midweek fixture to recover from after it was postponed, the side struggled to create meaningful chances and were often disjointed in defence, spared only by some fine Butland saves. Cyriel Dessers’ point blank miss has done nothing to convince fans he is the long-term solution up front.
They will hope Celtic will slip up along the way or face looking back on this infamous defeat as the moment the league was lost.
CELTIC DON’T
Celtic 3 St Mirren 0
It was a weekend that required the title contenders to ‘get the job done’ as it were, and the East Enders of Glasgow did just that. It was not so long ago that it seemed as if the Hoops had blown it following consecutive losses to Kilmarnock and Hearts but with ten points from a possible twelve they now look like favourites once again.
Brendan Rodgers can thank his lucky stars Reo Hatate and his red mouthguard have returned to grace Celtic Park. The Japanese international has been unplayable since his re-introduction, gliding into space to find Celtic’s opener. Despite struggling to put St Mirren to the sword in the first half, they took advantage of their opponents dismal ball retention and began building their lead. Whilst Adam Idah still doesn’t look like the complete package up front, the Bhoys will no doubt take what they can get at this stage of the season and his goal will have done the Irishman’s confidence no harm.
As the split begins, St Mirren will be proud of their season regardless of today’s result and those from here on. They were completely dominated and failed to muster a shot on target as they faded in the second half but Stephen Robinson will just be glad to see the end of this match and will know there will be better days to come between now and the end of the season.
LEVEIN, SINNER TO SAINT, TO SINNER AGAIN
St Johnstone 0 Kilmarnock 2
As the Three Wise Men from Brazil followed their star to its conclusion, they believed they had finally witnessed the re-birth of Jogo Bonito. Not Pele, Vava and Garrincha but Armstrong, Watson and Watkins. The ball glided from foot to foot as if there was no opposition, with back-heels, one-twos down the wing before a deft cross dinked across the floor into Kyle Vassell’s feet. Then he scuffed it, the ball went wide and Three Wise Men from Brazil went home.
Regardless, Killie put in a strong performance and despite not needing the points, showed ambition in continuing a run of five without a loss. With a European place all but secure, winning games like these will be important to Derek McInnes ahead of next season where they will surely challenge for third spot. If they can hang on to the talismanic Marley Watkins, his boys might just do something special.
Craig Levein just can’t catch a break. One minute he is the second Saint in Perth, the next there are calls to have him struck by lighting.
Having come off the back of an impressive away win at Hibernian, there was a hope that a home win could give them a ten point cushion from the relegation play-off spot if Ross County did as they were told and lost to Rangers. Unfortunately County produced one of the shocks of the season and St Johnstone produced one of its the most predictable ones.
Spurning the good chances they created for themselves, the side struggled to impose themselves and are now only four points clear as Ross County hold a game in hand. Levein will hope another Hibs fixture on Saturday will help get things going.
Elsewhere
Hearts piled further misery on Livingstone in a 4-2 win as Lawrence Shankland grabbed a goal and two assists.
Motherwell and Hibernian secured a point each in a 1-1 draw in what could be one of Nick Montgomery’s final games in charge.
