Scottish Cup final day. Nothing beats it.
It takes a bit of a battering, the old trophy. Sponsorless and struggling in a footballing world where other competitions hold sway.
Tell you what though, still means a hell of a lot to any side lucky enough to win it.
Today Hampden hosts the Scottish Cup's most successful team, Celtic, and Motherwell.
Now Motherwell are far from our least successful exponents of cup football. But today they chase their third win in their eighth final.
Celtic are on the hunt for win number 35 in their 54th final.
In a one off game that lack of parity in historic achievement means very little. Well, actually that isn't quite true. Since Jock Stein's Dunfermline shocked them in a 1961 replay Aberdeen are the only team apart from Rangers to beat Celtic on Scottish football's grand day out.
So Stuart McCall's side must wear their knowledge of our footballing history lightly today. Fear it and they'll be cowed underdogs without a chance.
Of course success like Celtic's brings its own obstacles. A lost League Cup final and being pipped to the SPL title mean has allowed Rangers to take the baubles and bragging rights in a long, emotional season.
The 2008/09 League Cup was Celtic's last trophy. In this Scottish footballing landscape when the Old Firm duopoly has rarely been so pronounced that must be both a frustration and a concern.
Today offers the chance to avoid a second straight trophyless season.
And a first managerial trophy for Neil Lennon. It takes very little understanding of human emotions to know how much that will mean to Lennon, perhaps more than a lot of the other honours he collected in a well garlanded playing career.
This might not be the trophy they desperately want at the start of each season, but today still carries a weighty significance for Celtic.
Motherwell? Well, can the cynic in me suggest that they are likely to be the more refreshed team having essentially gone awol for the last five games of the season?
Can they shut out that bad run of results, convince themselves that their focus has always been on 3pm at Hampden this afternoon? And how will their defeat at an emotional Celtic Park last Sunday affect them?
Will they see it as an opportunity, a chance to raise their game and surprise a complacent opposition? Or will it convince them they are playing against a team that can pummel them at will?
Stuart McCall, no stranger to trophies in his own playing career, will have had a strange week with his players, building them into giants when their most recent experience is of being blown away by today's opponents.
Celtic will have been disappointed last week but not shocked. Rangers won the league on the last day but it was the expected outcome. The damage was done in Celtic's defeat to Inverness. It's that game that Lennon will be using to guard against the crime of complacency today.
As Inverness proved - and as Motherwell proved earlier in the season - Celtic are from invincible. At their exhilarating best they can put to the sword any team in the country. Get them on an off day and they can be beaten.
Surely though the Scottish Cup final is no place for an off day. You would think not. But footballing fate tends not to respect such things.
League form, squad quality and history. Everything points to this being Celtic's cup for the taking.
And I expect that to be outcome.
In football you never know what will happen? Well, in Scottish football you often do have a fair idea of what's going to happen.
Motherwell can win today. They have impressive performers who can cause Celtic problems and take advantage of any weaknesses Celtic show.
Realistically though Celtic are big favourites for a reason and I don't expect to shatter the earth by predicting a Celtic win.
Who'll win the Scottish Cup - leave your vote here
Showing posts with label Scottish Cup 2010/11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scottish Cup 2010/11. Show all posts
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Scottish Cup: Celtic Ten Years On
Sigh heaped upon sigh.
After Wednesday's post celebrating Motherwell's 1991 Scottish Cup win I knew I had to redress the balance.
Fast forward ten years.
Celtic win the Scottish Cup, complete the treble, with a comprehensive 3-0 win over my Hibernian.
A cracking Celtic team it was. Lubo Moravcik was forced off after only 18 minutes. But Martin O'Neill, oft criticised for the functionality of his tactics, began the game with Moravcik, Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton in his team.
That posed a functionally attacking threat.
Neil Lennon, Johan Mjällby and Alan Thompson all started for Celtic. They'll feature again this weekend in very different roles.
Paul Lambert too. Now off to the English Premier League. Jackie McNamara replaced Moravcik and opened the scoring, little did he know that one day he would inherit the Jags.
The day before this game I had a massively important exam. It lasted all day. When it finished I got barnstormingly drunk.
It was with a whopping hangover that I began my cup final day in Edinburgh's Penny Black pub.
It's before 9am, you can still taste last night's dirty pint, your friend of a friend's dad has just told you he won't accept swearing in his company.
And somebody's put a dark rum and coke with a pint of lager chaser in front of you.
You know it's going to be a day of days.
Unfortunately for Hibernians of my ilk, a wayward genius had departed. Russell Latapy, the defence probing magician, had spent the week knocking my post exam shenanigans into a cocked hat.
Possibly last seen chasing down Princes Street in a Mini Cooper stuffed full of Brian Lara, Dwight Yorke and a bevy of lovely ladies, Russell had been given the chop by Hibs manager Alex McLeish.
A fine Hibs team that had spent the new year going off the boil were at the mercy of an exceptional Celtic team with a fine manager.
Celtic duly delivered.
Celtic's starting XI looked like this:
Robert Douglas, Johan Mjällby, Ramon Vega, Joos Valgaeren, Didier Agathe, Neil Lennon, Paul Lambert, Ľubomír Moravčík, Alan Thompson, Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton
Tommy Johnson and Tom Boyd joined McNamara in coming off the bench. Jonathan Gould and Alan Stubbs were the unused subs.
Hibs, it's perhaps forgotten, started with the briefly shining light that was Marc Libbra up front. The veteran Ian Westwater was the reserve goalkeeper.
In Motherwell's cup win a decade before only three of the starting 22 were foreigners.
Only six of the starting 22 in this final were Scottish.
Two Henrik Larsson goals finished off a 3-0 win for Celtic.
> Was it Spurs that always won stuff in years ending in one?
So do Celtic.
1910-11, 1930-31, 1950-51, 1970-71 and 2000-01 - Celtic were Scottish Cup winners.
Not that coincidence means anything.
After Wednesday's post celebrating Motherwell's 1991 Scottish Cup win I knew I had to redress the balance.
Fast forward ten years.
Celtic win the Scottish Cup, complete the treble, with a comprehensive 3-0 win over my Hibernian.
A cracking Celtic team it was. Lubo Moravcik was forced off after only 18 minutes. But Martin O'Neill, oft criticised for the functionality of his tactics, began the game with Moravcik, Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton in his team.
That posed a functionally attacking threat.
Neil Lennon, Johan Mjällby and Alan Thompson all started for Celtic. They'll feature again this weekend in very different roles.
Paul Lambert too. Now off to the English Premier League. Jackie McNamara replaced Moravcik and opened the scoring, little did he know that one day he would inherit the Jags.
The day before this game I had a massively important exam. It lasted all day. When it finished I got barnstormingly drunk.
It was with a whopping hangover that I began my cup final day in Edinburgh's Penny Black pub.
It's before 9am, you can still taste last night's dirty pint, your friend of a friend's dad has just told you he won't accept swearing in his company.
And somebody's put a dark rum and coke with a pint of lager chaser in front of you.
You know it's going to be a day of days.
Unfortunately for Hibernians of my ilk, a wayward genius had departed. Russell Latapy, the defence probing magician, had spent the week knocking my post exam shenanigans into a cocked hat.
Possibly last seen chasing down Princes Street in a Mini Cooper stuffed full of Brian Lara, Dwight Yorke and a bevy of lovely ladies, Russell had been given the chop by Hibs manager Alex McLeish.
A fine Hibs team that had spent the new year going off the boil were at the mercy of an exceptional Celtic team with a fine manager.
Celtic duly delivered.
Celtic's starting XI looked like this:
Robert Douglas, Johan Mjällby, Ramon Vega, Joos Valgaeren, Didier Agathe, Neil Lennon, Paul Lambert, Ľubomír Moravčík, Alan Thompson, Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton
Tommy Johnson and Tom Boyd joined McNamara in coming off the bench. Jonathan Gould and Alan Stubbs were the unused subs.
Hibs, it's perhaps forgotten, started with the briefly shining light that was Marc Libbra up front. The veteran Ian Westwater was the reserve goalkeeper.
In Motherwell's cup win a decade before only three of the starting 22 were foreigners.
Only six of the starting 22 in this final were Scottish.
Two Henrik Larsson goals finished off a 3-0 win for Celtic.
> Was it Spurs that always won stuff in years ending in one?
So do Celtic.
1910-11, 1930-31, 1950-51, 1970-71 and 2000-01 - Celtic were Scottish Cup winners.
Not that coincidence means anything.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Scottish Cup: Motherwell's Twenty Year Itch
Motherwell fans who give credence to such things as fate and coincidence will be taking strength ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final.
It was 20 years ago that Tommy McLean’s side brought the trophy back to Fir Park after that crackerjack of a game with brother Jim’s Dundee United.
An Old Firm free, Hampden belter of a game.
Twenty years ago today in fact.
The 13 Motherwell players who featured were:
Ally Maxwell, Luc Nijholt, Chris McCart, Craig Paterson, Tom Boyd, Ian Angus, Jim Griffin, Phil O'Donnell, Davie Cooper, Iain Ferguson, Dougie Arnott, Colin O'Neill, Stevie Kirk
Angus, Ferguson, O’Donnell and Kirk, from the bench, scored the goals that delivered Motherwell to the promised land after 120 minutes of drama.
More of the same on Saturday?
It was 20 years ago that Tommy McLean’s side brought the trophy back to Fir Park after that crackerjack of a game with brother Jim’s Dundee United.
An Old Firm free, Hampden belter of a game.
Twenty years ago today in fact.
The 13 Motherwell players who featured were:
Ally Maxwell, Luc Nijholt, Chris McCart, Craig Paterson, Tom Boyd, Ian Angus, Jim Griffin, Phil O'Donnell, Davie Cooper, Iain Ferguson, Dougie Arnott, Colin O'Neill, Stevie Kirk
Angus, Ferguson, O’Donnell and Kirk, from the bench, scored the goals that delivered Motherwell to the promised land after 120 minutes of drama.
More of the same on Saturday?
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Scottish Cup: Aberdeen v Celtic
Aberdeen v Celtic.
Four games so far this season and Celtic have racked up an aggregate score of 17-1. They probably just edge it as favourites today.
Coming into the weekend this was seen as the semi-final that would likely turn out the more one sided affair. Then marvellous Motherwell led the sorry Saints on a first half dance at Hampden yesterday.
Can Aberdeen offer us some nerve tingling excitement today?
It’s a tough ask. Aside from a brief revival when Craig Brown arrived as manager this has been another season of underwhelming struggle at Pittodrie.
Their last four league games have resulted in four defeats. In losing to Hibs and St Mirren they haven’t indicated an intent to rail against their lowly status by cutting a swathe through the bottom six.
I still feel that in Brown they have a manager who can bring some positive northern light to Aberdeen. But that’s in the future.
Right now they need to find a way of leaving their league form behind them and figuring out how to perform against a team that has destroyed them more than once this season.
Celtic, in a season of distraction and complication, have a simple enough task ahead of them. Win every game and a new team with a novice manager will have won the double.
It would a hell of an achievement. Delivering that will, of course, not be quite as easy, but dispatching Aberdeen today will be the removal of another important obstacle.
The last time these sides met at Hampden Celtic’s first half performance was outstanding. The pace of their play, their attacking verve showed them at their best. It was a game that confirmed the impression that the depth and quality of the Celtic squad is without equal in Scotland this season.
That the league is not yet sewn up, that a treble chance has eluded them is because their consistency has not always matched their abilities.
In recent weeks a ruthless first half dismantling of Hibs on the back of the league cup final defeat offered the most articulate example of their superiority.
Another 45 minutes like that today, in a game that doesn’t carry the tightness of the SPL’s nip and tuck battle with Rangers, will beat Aberdeen. Even an Aberdeen free from the fug of their league despondency will not be able to live with that kind of Celtic performance.
So Celtic are massively strong favourites with the ability to render even a markedly improved Aberdeen performance meaningless. The ability, in fact, to make just like Motherwell and have this game done and dusted before the first half is out.
But football often rages against the most obvious plots, the underdog occasionally destroys the script.
At this stage my mind drifts back to a very different version of Neil Lennon’s Celtic arriving at Hampden at the same stage of the Scottish Cup last year.
Ross County proved that anything can happen. That stinging experience is likely only to strengthen Celtic’s resolve today.
I’d expect - I’d hope in another semi final with a TV reach beyond our own limited border - that Aberdeen will make a game of it today.
But it’s Celtic all the way for me.
Four games so far this season and Celtic have racked up an aggregate score of 17-1. They probably just edge it as favourites today.
Coming into the weekend this was seen as the semi-final that would likely turn out the more one sided affair. Then marvellous Motherwell led the sorry Saints on a first half dance at Hampden yesterday.
Can Aberdeen offer us some nerve tingling excitement today?
It’s a tough ask. Aside from a brief revival when Craig Brown arrived as manager this has been another season of underwhelming struggle at Pittodrie.
Their last four league games have resulted in four defeats. In losing to Hibs and St Mirren they haven’t indicated an intent to rail against their lowly status by cutting a swathe through the bottom six.
I still feel that in Brown they have a manager who can bring some positive northern light to Aberdeen. But that’s in the future.
Right now they need to find a way of leaving their league form behind them and figuring out how to perform against a team that has destroyed them more than once this season.
Celtic, in a season of distraction and complication, have a simple enough task ahead of them. Win every game and a new team with a novice manager will have won the double.
It would a hell of an achievement. Delivering that will, of course, not be quite as easy, but dispatching Aberdeen today will be the removal of another important obstacle.
The last time these sides met at Hampden Celtic’s first half performance was outstanding. The pace of their play, their attacking verve showed them at their best. It was a game that confirmed the impression that the depth and quality of the Celtic squad is without equal in Scotland this season.
That the league is not yet sewn up, that a treble chance has eluded them is because their consistency has not always matched their abilities.
In recent weeks a ruthless first half dismantling of Hibs on the back of the league cup final defeat offered the most articulate example of their superiority.
Another 45 minutes like that today, in a game that doesn’t carry the tightness of the SPL’s nip and tuck battle with Rangers, will beat Aberdeen. Even an Aberdeen free from the fug of their league despondency will not be able to live with that kind of Celtic performance.
So Celtic are massively strong favourites with the ability to render even a markedly improved Aberdeen performance meaningless. The ability, in fact, to make just like Motherwell and have this game done and dusted before the first half is out.
But football often rages against the most obvious plots, the underdog occasionally destroys the script.
At this stage my mind drifts back to a very different version of Neil Lennon’s Celtic arriving at Hampden at the same stage of the Scottish Cup last year.
Ross County proved that anything can happen. That stinging experience is likely only to strengthen Celtic’s resolve today.
I’d expect - I’d hope in another semi final with a TV reach beyond our own limited border - that Aberdeen will make a game of it today.
But it’s Celtic all the way for me.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Scottish Cup: Motherwell v St Johnstone
That was the week that was.
Although, at times, we've been sadly beyond satire.
Time now to concentrate on the football, to celebrate the game's rich heritage with the first Scottish Cup semi final today.
Concentrate as much as possible anyway, doing our best to ignore that our most venerable cup competition is without a sponsor.
And doing our best to ignore the empty seats. The odd diktat that all Scottish Cup semi finals must be played at Hampden - while allowing two TV companies to show it live - will mean a ground that is less than a fifth full, carrying with it all the allure of ninety minutes spent in a wind tunnel.
The laughing stock of the world? Aye right. There's not even enough people here who care.
All of which is a shame.
A shame because the loss of magic on Scottish Cup semi finals weekend is indicative of the loss of magic throughout Scottish football.
And a shame because for Motherwell and St Johnstone this is a huge, huge game carrying the tantalising prospect of a cup final and European football.
They arrive at Hampden tomorrow on the back of different seasons.
Motherwell's campaign kicked off on the 15th of July last year with a European qualifying game.
Since then they've lost a manager in Craig Brown, found a manager in Stuart McCall, lost form, given up any pretence of consistency, lost a final and now, suddenly, clicked.
Their recent run has included putting to an end to Dundee United's cup pretensions and excellent run of league form. In their last game they emerged from Tynecastle with a draw.
Along the way they've confirmed their place in the top six and won plaudits for their reinvigorated approach.
Compare and contrast. St Johnstone might not have fully succumbed to the cliche of a difficult second season. But it's hardly been one of unadulterated joy.
Although never looking likely to drop out of the league this has been a year of frustration. A lack of goals has hamstrung them. They remain more than capable of holding their own. But they do so with a butter knife of a cutting edge.
Only Hamilton in the league and Partick Thistle and Brechin - at the second attempt - have been beaten since the start of February.
The Colin Samuel strike that finally saw off Brechin was their only goal in the last six games.
That goals are the big problem for Derek McInnes is shown by the league table. Their 18 goals mean they share with Hamilton the distinction of being the SPL's lowest scorers. Yet they're a full 18 points clear of the bottom side.
St Johnstone have plenty to offer the league. But at the moment they're too impotent to make their other strenghts count.
All of which must make Motherwell favourites today.
But semi finals have been known to shock us. Hampden's atmosphere is often odd, the wide open spaces will make it positively eery this afternoon. The pitch is taking a lot of criticism although both these clubs can lay claim to recent experience on decidedly dodgy surfaces.
It could be a strange old affair.
And maybe that will suit St Johnstone as they strive towards a first ever Scottish Cup final.
Prediction: If St Johnstone can contain and frustrate early on then it could be very tight. Motherwell in the 90 minutes. St Johnstone if it goes beyond that.
Although, at times, we've been sadly beyond satire.
Time now to concentrate on the football, to celebrate the game's rich heritage with the first Scottish Cup semi final today.
Concentrate as much as possible anyway, doing our best to ignore that our most venerable cup competition is without a sponsor.
And doing our best to ignore the empty seats. The odd diktat that all Scottish Cup semi finals must be played at Hampden - while allowing two TV companies to show it live - will mean a ground that is less than a fifth full, carrying with it all the allure of ninety minutes spent in a wind tunnel.
The laughing stock of the world? Aye right. There's not even enough people here who care.
All of which is a shame.
A shame because the loss of magic on Scottish Cup semi finals weekend is indicative of the loss of magic throughout Scottish football.
And a shame because for Motherwell and St Johnstone this is a huge, huge game carrying the tantalising prospect of a cup final and European football.
They arrive at Hampden tomorrow on the back of different seasons.
Motherwell's campaign kicked off on the 15th of July last year with a European qualifying game.
Since then they've lost a manager in Craig Brown, found a manager in Stuart McCall, lost form, given up any pretence of consistency, lost a final and now, suddenly, clicked.
Their recent run has included putting to an end to Dundee United's cup pretensions and excellent run of league form. In their last game they emerged from Tynecastle with a draw.
Along the way they've confirmed their place in the top six and won plaudits for their reinvigorated approach.
Compare and contrast. St Johnstone might not have fully succumbed to the cliche of a difficult second season. But it's hardly been one of unadulterated joy.
Although never looking likely to drop out of the league this has been a year of frustration. A lack of goals has hamstrung them. They remain more than capable of holding their own. But they do so with a butter knife of a cutting edge.
Only Hamilton in the league and Partick Thistle and Brechin - at the second attempt - have been beaten since the start of February.
The Colin Samuel strike that finally saw off Brechin was their only goal in the last six games.
That goals are the big problem for Derek McInnes is shown by the league table. Their 18 goals mean they share with Hamilton the distinction of being the SPL's lowest scorers. Yet they're a full 18 points clear of the bottom side.
St Johnstone have plenty to offer the league. But at the moment they're too impotent to make their other strenghts count.
All of which must make Motherwell favourites today.
But semi finals have been known to shock us. Hampden's atmosphere is often odd, the wide open spaces will make it positively eery this afternoon. The pitch is taking a lot of criticism although both these clubs can lay claim to recent experience on decidedly dodgy surfaces.
It could be a strange old affair.
And maybe that will suit St Johnstone as they strive towards a first ever Scottish Cup final.
Prediction: If St Johnstone can contain and frustrate early on then it could be very tight. Motherwell in the 90 minutes. St Johnstone if it goes beyond that.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Scottish Cup: All Well At Fir Park
Motherwell 3 v 0 Dundee United
Blimey.The curse of The Scottish Football Blog's predictions strikes again.
I said away win.
Instead Motherwell dominated proceedings, goals from Jamie Murphy, Chris Humphrey and Francis Jeffers sealing a place in the semi finals.
Motherwell's unpredictability is becoming a predictable cliche now. But still. It is quite remarkable.
So the Scottish Cup semi-finals are now set.
Motherwell play St Johnstone on 16th April with Aberdeen and Celtic meeting the following day.
It's an interesting line up. And not one many people would have predicted.
Tonight's attendance
Motherwell made the decision to charge only £10 and £5 for tonight's game.A welcome initiative that the fans seemed to respond to, 8,337 turning out.
I've done a very quick check and leaving out the visits of the Old Firm - who regularly bump the Fir Park crowd over 9000 - I make that the highest attendance at Fir Park since 9105 watched the 1-0 defeat to Odense back in August.
Again, leaving aside the Old Firm, only twice (Hibs in August and Aberdeen in September) have SPL opposition attracted over 5000 to Fir Park this season. 7,721 were in attendance for the European game against Aalesunds and almost 6000 for the match against Breidablik.
So congratulations to Motherwell for a brave ticketing decision and fair play to the fans for responding.
Here's the thing though: If the game had been shown on Sky and 2000 fans had turned up, Motherwell would probably have made more money than they did tonight.
As ever, there are no easy answers in Scottish football.
Scottish Cup: Motherwell v Dundee United
A bit delayed, this quarter final replay.
It was supposed to be played last night but the clubs decided the attendance would be badly hit by the first of Scottish election leader's debates on STV.
Three dull men and a scary lady.
Actually, that might not be true.
But the fits and starts of our recent scheduling have dictated that this game is being played during the international break.
That means Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan played the full ninety minutes in Northern Ireland's goalless draw with Slovenia in Belfast last night.
Goalkeeper Darren Randolph was also on international duty, risking a chill as he sat on the bench throughout the Republic of Ireland's 3-2 defeat to Uruguay in Dublin.
It ain't ideal. And, with Steven Saunders set to miss out and Stevie Hammond doubtful, Motherwell manager Stuart McCall might be facing a few problems in defence.
All of which serves to reinforce the idea that Dundee United are favourites this evening. A prediction I also confidently made before the first game when United twice had to come back from a goal down at Tannadice.
But recent form suggests that United have, as they say, got their shit together in time for the business end of the season.
Motherwell are about as reliable as Scotrail in the face of a light dusting of snow.
United never know when they're beaten, Motherwell never know what they're going to do.
Which could at least provide the right mix for an exciting night.
Away win.
It was supposed to be played last night but the clubs decided the attendance would be badly hit by the first of Scottish election leader's debates on STV.
Three dull men and a scary lady.
Actually, that might not be true.
But the fits and starts of our recent scheduling have dictated that this game is being played during the international break.
That means Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan played the full ninety minutes in Northern Ireland's goalless draw with Slovenia in Belfast last night.
Goalkeeper Darren Randolph was also on international duty, risking a chill as he sat on the bench throughout the Republic of Ireland's 3-2 defeat to Uruguay in Dublin.
It ain't ideal. And, with Steven Saunders set to miss out and Stevie Hammond doubtful, Motherwell manager Stuart McCall might be facing a few problems in defence.
All of which serves to reinforce the idea that Dundee United are favourites this evening. A prediction I also confidently made before the first game when United twice had to come back from a goal down at Tannadice.
But recent form suggests that United have, as they say, got their shit together in time for the business end of the season.
Motherwell are about as reliable as Scotrail in the face of a light dusting of snow.
United never know when they're beaten, Motherwell never know what they're going to do.
Which could at least provide the right mix for an exciting night.
Away win.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Scottish Cup: Northern Lights
Inverness v Celtic
I feel it's a waste to have written a preview of Inverness v Celtic on Sunday only to have to write another one for this evening.So I include the full preview below.
Anything to add?
Well, I mentioned the rugby in the original preview. And oddly Scotland came close to parity without relying on the weather.
Why? Because the Scottish team over performed on their season so far and the English team under performed. For periods of the game the season was turned on its head as Scotland discovered their form and England's old weaknesses haunted their play.
A blueprint for Inverness? Possibly. At times Scotland's play made England struggle. They couldn't keep it up for the full 80 minutes though.
It was a big ask for Scotland on Sunday. They came up short. It's a big ask for Inverness tonight. I'll still back Celtic.
Inverness v Celtic - The Original Preview
The second of this afternoon's games. The weather forecast indicates a crappy day if not a game threatening day. Reports from Inverness suggest a deterioration.But I'm no Michael Fish. An 8am pitch inspection may, or may not, reveal all.
Elsewhere in sport today Scotland travel to face England in the Six Nations. Which makes me wonder if football can be as in thrall to the weather as rugby often is.
Because the sort of day forecast in Inverness, - sleety, rainy, windy - is the kind of day that often grants Scotland parity with England.
Will Terry Butcher be saying a few prayers to the weather gods this morning?
Rain or shine it's a daunting task for an Inverness side who have stuttered of late facing a treble tilting Celtic team.
The home side reached the quarter finals with a functional win over Elgin and a demolition of Morton.
Celtic's campaign began with a 2-0 win at Berwick back in January and continued with two little mentioned games against Rangers.
This is the fourth clash of the season between the two. Celtic have won twice, 1-0 back in August in the SPL and a 6-0 win in the Co-operative Insurance Cup.
At Celtic Park in November Inverness charged back from 2-0 down with twenty minutes left to clinch a 2-2 draw.
At the time the result pointed to the potential of a resurgent Inverness and the brittleness at the heart of Neil Lennon's Celtic.
As things have turned out it seems that was something of a red herring.
But cup shocks, as these teams both know, can happen. And Terry Butcher has been keen to stress that his side will have nothing to lose today.
They will, as they say, be free to have a go.
The problem with "having a go" is that it can often lead to you getting walloped. Especially against a Celtic team carrying a rather potent attacking threat.
It will be interesting to see what, if any, impact the absence of Neil Lennon from the touchline has.
My instinct is to say it will have none. But each manager is different and Lennon's presence in the technical area is a hyper, vocal one. It seems hard to imagine that his players don't know he is there and respond to him in games.
In recent weeks Motherwell have taught us a couple of things about these teams.
Celtic aren't invincible and Inverness haven't completely lost the promise they showed earlier in the season.
Still, hard to see past a Celtic win for me. Despite being Lennon-less, despite the weather, despite what I would expect to be a passionate Inverness performance.
An away win for Celtic at the start of a big week.
Aberdeen v St Mirren
Some Aberdeen fans seemed a tad annoyed by Saturday's display.Rare dissent in what I take to be a rather benign acceptance of the project Craig Brown is embarking on.
I'm sure St Mirren fans have more reason to be annoyed. Take the lead, weather the storm and then, at the very death, concede the equaliser.
Have St Mirren blown their chance?
I'm a Hibs fan. I've learnt the hard way to accept the only luck you get in the Scottish Cup is bad luck.
But.
Aberdeen labour against Dunfermline in the last round and happily accept a last minute winner courtesy of an own goal.
Aberdeen huff and puff against St Mirren on Saturday and happily accept a last minute equaliser from Rory McArdle.
Eleven years ago Aberdeen drew 1-1 with St Mirren before winning a replay 2-0 and eventually progressing to the final.
I don't believe in much. But I've got a feeling the fates are backing Aberdeen to at least get to the semi final this year.
And, if I was a betting man, I'd back them to win this one 2-0.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Scottish Cup: A Biblical Epic
An itsy bitsy weekend for the top flight clubs with the Scottish Cup quarter finals spread out over Saturday and Sunday and Rangers and Kilmarnock squeezing in a league clash tomorrow.
But a day with an almost biblical narrative: Saints, David and Goliath, a prodigal son and no doubt some sinners by 5pm this evening.
Aberdeen got half a dozen against East Fife to set up a huff and puff performance against Dunfermline settled only by a 92nd minute own goal.
Mindful of that game at Pittodrie the neutral might be less than enthralled at the prospect of the BBC cameras tracking Craig Brown's every move.
Still, it could be a belter.
In the league this season the two sides have met twice and have a win each. Aberdeen did the business in a 2-0 home in January while St Mirren prevailed 2-1 in October.
Following that defeat in Paisley, Mark McGhee's Aberdeen travelled to Celtic the following week and lost 9-0.
All seems a long time ago now.
Aberdeen will be favourites here. They were poor on Monday in losing to Dundee United but, with both top six dreams and relegations nightmares out of the way, the cup offers interest in a season that's dwindling away.
St Mirren, trapped between the safety of teams like Aberdeen and the anguish of Hamilton, still have other battles to fight.
An away win for me.
Not today though as the cathedral city bedecks itself in red and white to celebrate a Scottish Cup quarter final.
Second in Division Two, Brechin are a side whose 105 year history (following the merger of Brechin Hearts and Brechin Harps, wiki fans) has been marked by a stolid underachievement.
I don't mean that to be as disrespectful as it sounds. They are every inch the lower league side, the sort of side that helps make Scottish football what it is.
So a quarter final is a rare achievement and we should be thanking Brechin for allowing us to rediscover some of the romance of the cup in the dully predictable Scottish game.
And an added layer of intrigue offered by Brechin manager Jim Weir who spent 13 years of his playing career at St Johnstone.
Romance, David v Goliath stuff, divided loyalties. The BBC commentators might be slightly annoyed that the powers that be chose Paisley over Brechin this afternoon.
Brechin's lofty league position seems based on goals (43 in 24 games) and a solid defence. Much is also being made of their fitness which could dent one of St Johnstone's most obvious advantages.
I'm a giant feartie-cat who loves stories like this.
Brechin in a semi final, just a couple of years of being kicked out of this very competition.
Brechin in a semi final just a year or so after David Will, Mr Brechin and FIFA administrator, died.
It would all bring a tear to glass eye.
But they have to beat St Johnstone to get there. I'll back the magic to continue - if only for a bit - with a scoring draw today.
But a day with an almost biblical narrative: Saints, David and Goliath, a prodigal son and no doubt some sinners by 5pm this evening.
St Mirren v Aberdeen
Both clubs have survived scares to get this far. St Mirren quite comfortably negotiated a way past Ayr United in the last round but needed a replay to hit Peterhead for six back in January.Aberdeen got half a dozen against East Fife to set up a huff and puff performance against Dunfermline settled only by a 92nd minute own goal.
Mindful of that game at Pittodrie the neutral might be less than enthralled at the prospect of the BBC cameras tracking Craig Brown's every move.
Still, it could be a belter.
In the league this season the two sides have met twice and have a win each. Aberdeen did the business in a 2-0 home in January while St Mirren prevailed 2-1 in October.
Following that defeat in Paisley, Mark McGhee's Aberdeen travelled to Celtic the following week and lost 9-0.
All seems a long time ago now.
Aberdeen will be favourites here. They were poor on Monday in losing to Dundee United but, with both top six dreams and relegations nightmares out of the way, the cup offers interest in a season that's dwindling away.
St Mirren, trapped between the safety of teams like Aberdeen and the anguish of Hamilton, still have other battles to fight.
An away win for me.
Brechin City v St Johnstone
Brechin, I often quite cruelly feel, is the sort of place one drives through en route to somewhere else you don't really want to be.Not today though as the cathedral city bedecks itself in red and white to celebrate a Scottish Cup quarter final.
Second in Division Two, Brechin are a side whose 105 year history (following the merger of Brechin Hearts and Brechin Harps, wiki fans) has been marked by a stolid underachievement.
I don't mean that to be as disrespectful as it sounds. They are every inch the lower league side, the sort of side that helps make Scottish football what it is.
So a quarter final is a rare achievement and we should be thanking Brechin for allowing us to rediscover some of the romance of the cup in the dully predictable Scottish game.
And an added layer of intrigue offered by Brechin manager Jim Weir who spent 13 years of his playing career at St Johnstone.
Romance, David v Goliath stuff, divided loyalties. The BBC commentators might be slightly annoyed that the powers that be chose Paisley over Brechin this afternoon.
Brechin's lofty league position seems based on goals (43 in 24 games) and a solid defence. Much is also being made of their fitness which could dent one of St Johnstone's most obvious advantages.
I'm a giant feartie-cat who loves stories like this.
Brechin in a semi final, just a couple of years of being kicked out of this very competition.
Brechin in a semi final just a year or so after David Will, Mr Brechin and FIFA administrator, died.
It would all bring a tear to glass eye.
But they have to beat St Johnstone to get there. I'll back the magic to continue - if only for a bit - with a scoring draw today.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Scottish Cup: Celtic v Rangers - The Replay
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more. Yet again the game is afoot.
Old Firm clash number five this evening. The Scottish Cup replay after that thrilling 2-2 draw at Ibrox last month.
After the teams met at Celtic Park ten days ago Rangers were left looking bereft, the momentum seemingly inescapably with Neil Lennon's team.
Since then Rangers have progressed in the Europa League and brushed aside St Johnstone while Celtic have stumbled to a 2-0 defeat at Motherwell.
It is indeed, as a football bard once said, a funny old game.
Who are the favourites tonight? Is it Celtic who looked, emphatically looked, to be the better side in the last SPL clash?
Or is it Rangers who somehow found a reaction to that chastening experience and possessing the games in hand that continue to offer them the chance to reel in their rivals at the top of the league table.
An intriguing night in store, and perhaps even the tanatalising prospect of a first Scottish Cup game between these two to go to penalties.
Will this be the evening for unlikely heroes? Lukasz Zaluska will make a rare start in goal for the home side after Fraser Forster was sent off in the original tie.
David Weir, who managed to look even older than his 40 years against Celtic's pacy attack in the last league game here, returns to marshall a Rangers defence that might adopt the five man European blueprint.
Both Walter Smith and Neil Lennon will be looking for their players to react.
For Smith there has to be an improvement on the hapless performance the last time they came to call on their neighbours.
Lennon will be determined to see his players lift themselves from the Motherwell defeat and prove to themselves and to any doubters that the 3-0 Old Firm win wasn't a team hitting their season's peak.
It is Lennon who carries a 2-1 advantage from the season's first four clashes. Both managers will be keen to stress that these games are not about the men in dugout.
But Lennon will take a degree of personal satisfaction from his advantage, an emphatic two fingered salute to those who called him a mere Bhoy in a man's world.
Smith, too, in moments of vanity might wonder if trailing in this individual duel is quite the tone he wanted to set in his valedictory season.
Ah, the intrigue, the stories, the drama.
Love them or loathe them, these games have a habit of demanding your attention.
They are also notoriously difficult to predict. With home advantage, Lennon's "blood and thunder" filling the Glasgow night, I make Celtic slight favourites.
So I'll back the home win. But I don't see this being a 3-0 rout like the last Old Firm clash.
And, in predicting a Celtic win, I reserve the right to say that it would hardly surprise me to see Rangers advance.
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Old Firm clash number five this evening. The Scottish Cup replay after that thrilling 2-2 draw at Ibrox last month.
After the teams met at Celtic Park ten days ago Rangers were left looking bereft, the momentum seemingly inescapably with Neil Lennon's team.
Since then Rangers have progressed in the Europa League and brushed aside St Johnstone while Celtic have stumbled to a 2-0 defeat at Motherwell.
It is indeed, as a football bard once said, a funny old game.
Who are the favourites tonight? Is it Celtic who looked, emphatically looked, to be the better side in the last SPL clash?
Or is it Rangers who somehow found a reaction to that chastening experience and possessing the games in hand that continue to offer them the chance to reel in their rivals at the top of the league table.
An intriguing night in store, and perhaps even the tanatalising prospect of a first Scottish Cup game between these two to go to penalties.
Will this be the evening for unlikely heroes? Lukasz Zaluska will make a rare start in goal for the home side after Fraser Forster was sent off in the original tie.
David Weir, who managed to look even older than his 40 years against Celtic's pacy attack in the last league game here, returns to marshall a Rangers defence that might adopt the five man European blueprint.
Both Walter Smith and Neil Lennon will be looking for their players to react.
For Smith there has to be an improvement on the hapless performance the last time they came to call on their neighbours.
Lennon will be determined to see his players lift themselves from the Motherwell defeat and prove to themselves and to any doubters that the 3-0 Old Firm win wasn't a team hitting their season's peak.
It is Lennon who carries a 2-1 advantage from the season's first four clashes. Both managers will be keen to stress that these games are not about the men in dugout.
But Lennon will take a degree of personal satisfaction from his advantage, an emphatic two fingered salute to those who called him a mere Bhoy in a man's world.
Smith, too, in moments of vanity might wonder if trailing in this individual duel is quite the tone he wanted to set in his valedictory season.
Ah, the intrigue, the stories, the drama.
Love them or loathe them, these games have a habit of demanding your attention.
They are also notoriously difficult to predict. With home advantage, Lennon's "blood and thunder" filling the Glasgow night, I make Celtic slight favourites.
So I'll back the home win. But I don't see this being a 3-0 rout like the last Old Firm clash.
And, in predicting a Celtic win, I reserve the right to say that it would hardly surprise me to see Rangers advance.
The Scottish Football Blog News Feed
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Scottish Cup Fifth Round: Rangers v Celtic
Time is, once again, my enemy this Sunday morning. A quick look, then, at today's games. Including the big one at Pittodrie.
Odd to see Rangers and Celtic meet so early in the cup, giving us our second of three Old Firm games before 2011 is two months old.
A look at the league table shows Rangers playing catch-up but their games in hand suggest the situation is far from desperate.
But there is a clear feeling that the momentum has swung in favour of Celtic, the team that cruised to a 2-0 win at Ibrox on 2nd January and demolished the challenge of Hearts just days after Rangers had capitulated at Tynecastle.
That makes Celtic favourites going into this one. But, and please duck if you're standing outside my flat, derbies are a time for flinging the form book out of the window.
El Hadji Diouf starts for Rangers to add an extra dimension to the usual peripheral issues that attach themselves to this game.
Leaving aside Diouf's past indiscretions - a list as long Hen Broon's arm - his signing is a signal of Walter Smith's discomfort at how this season is unfolding and what he clearly sees as limitations in the quality and depth of his squad.
There is, undoubtedly, a level of pressure on Diouf and Nikica Jelavic to make an impact and provide Rangers with a cutting edge that Kenny Miller's departure has robbed them of. It's a big ask.
Neil Lennon got his tactics completely right in the face of an underwhelming Rangers performance in the last Old Firm game.
Can he do it again?
I'm slightly surprised that he's switched back to a 4-5-1 for this afternoon with Stokes dropping to the bench and Hooper alone up front. A lot of goals to take out of the team.
It means there is likely to be a battle between two five man midfields. Might a midfield battle suit Rangers more?
Certainly their is more fluidity to this selection and it means Celtic have strength to call on from the bench. It also suggests that Neil Lennon is not yet ready to write off Rangers' challenge.
The stakes are high. A single Scottish Cup could shape this Scottish season. Rangers will be out to show they are not the mugs some have taken them for. Celtic will be hoping to press home the advantage that a strong January has given them.
A tough game to call. Form suggests Celtic. But is this Rangers squad really ready to roll over at this stage of the season?
I'm not making this prediction confidently, we might even require a replay. But I can see Rangers sneaking this one today with stubborn, obdurate performance.
Rangers:
01 McGregor
03 Weir
05 Papac
16 Whittaker
24 Bougherra
07 Edu
08 Davis
40 Ness
14 Naismith
17 Diouf
18 Jelavic
Celtic:
26 Forster
03 Izaguirre
05 Majstorovic
12 Wilson
21 Mulgrew
08 Brown
16 Ledley
18 Ki Sung-Yeung
33 Baram Kayal
15 Commons
88 Hooper
Especially a group of players who seemed to rediscover many of their old frailties in shipping seven goals in a double header against their traditional tormentors Celtic.
But Craig Brown is certainly building something different, something new at Pittodrie and beating lower league opposition is something he will expect from his players.
For their part Dunfermline are second in the first division. I worry though about their results against league leaders Raith Rovers this season.
Can we see a Dunfermline squad who struggle to cope in big games? Or might a televised clash with an SPL team free them from the worries of local rivalries and play without fear?
I suspect this might be too much for Dunfermline with Aberdeen winning by a couple of goals.
The Scottish Football Blog News Feed
Odd to see Rangers and Celtic meet so early in the cup, giving us our second of three Old Firm games before 2011 is two months old.
A look at the league table shows Rangers playing catch-up but their games in hand suggest the situation is far from desperate.
But there is a clear feeling that the momentum has swung in favour of Celtic, the team that cruised to a 2-0 win at Ibrox on 2nd January and demolished the challenge of Hearts just days after Rangers had capitulated at Tynecastle.
That makes Celtic favourites going into this one. But, and please duck if you're standing outside my flat, derbies are a time for flinging the form book out of the window.
El Hadji Diouf starts for Rangers to add an extra dimension to the usual peripheral issues that attach themselves to this game.
Leaving aside Diouf's past indiscretions - a list as long Hen Broon's arm - his signing is a signal of Walter Smith's discomfort at how this season is unfolding and what he clearly sees as limitations in the quality and depth of his squad.
There is, undoubtedly, a level of pressure on Diouf and Nikica Jelavic to make an impact and provide Rangers with a cutting edge that Kenny Miller's departure has robbed them of. It's a big ask.
Neil Lennon got his tactics completely right in the face of an underwhelming Rangers performance in the last Old Firm game.
Can he do it again?
I'm slightly surprised that he's switched back to a 4-5-1 for this afternoon with Stokes dropping to the bench and Hooper alone up front. A lot of goals to take out of the team.
It means there is likely to be a battle between two five man midfields. Might a midfield battle suit Rangers more?
Certainly their is more fluidity to this selection and it means Celtic have strength to call on from the bench. It also suggests that Neil Lennon is not yet ready to write off Rangers' challenge.
The stakes are high. A single Scottish Cup could shape this Scottish season. Rangers will be out to show they are not the mugs some have taken them for. Celtic will be hoping to press home the advantage that a strong January has given them.
A tough game to call. Form suggests Celtic. But is this Rangers squad really ready to roll over at this stage of the season?
I'm not making this prediction confidently, we might even require a replay. But I can see Rangers sneaking this one today with stubborn, obdurate performance.
Rangers:
01 McGregor
03 Weir
05 Papac
16 Whittaker
24 Bougherra
07 Edu
08 Davis
40 Ness
14 Naismith
17 Diouf
18 Jelavic
Celtic:
26 Forster
03 Izaguirre
05 Majstorovic
12 Wilson
21 Mulgrew
08 Brown
16 Ledley
18 Ki Sung-Yeung
33 Baram Kayal
15 Commons
88 Hooper
Aberdeen v Dunfermline
A visit from a club riding high in the first division would normally be enough to send shivers down the spines of an Aberdeen squad.Especially a group of players who seemed to rediscover many of their old frailties in shipping seven goals in a double header against their traditional tormentors Celtic.
But Craig Brown is certainly building something different, something new at Pittodrie and beating lower league opposition is something he will expect from his players.
For their part Dunfermline are second in the first division. I worry though about their results against league leaders Raith Rovers this season.
Can we see a Dunfermline squad who struggle to cope in big games? Or might a televised clash with an SPL team free them from the worries of local rivalries and play without fear?
I suspect this might be too much for Dunfermline with Aberdeen winning by a couple of goals.
The Scottish Football Blog News Feed
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Scottish Cup 5th Round Part One
News filters through that St Johnstone's fifth round clash with Partick Thistle has been postponed.
If only we had a January shut-down all these call offs and bad weather in February could be so easily avoided.
So only five games to enjoy today.
Back in the day a dash of cup romance might have provided everyone with some comfort, lifted the spirits. Now, with the financial hardships of relegation so severe, it might be that the cup just gets in the way. Nobody will admit that but it could be the case.
Anyway that won't bother the fans who will be looking for a decent performance against the cup holders. United, despite a season that has really been neither one thing nor the other, will be looking at the remaining teams and fancying another decent run.
They should progress today. Away win.
Losing at Easter Road on Wednesday, a game they never looked like winning, was evidence of how hard a slog the rest of the season is going to be for St Mirren.
This is the sort of game Ayr will relish. With the advantage of Somerset Park I'm backing them to pull off another big result. Home win.
It had looked that Buckie's last contribution to this year's tournament would be two of their players fighting with each other as they were felled by East Stirling.
And then a reprieve. We could talk long into the night about the rights and wrongs of East Stirling being tossed out of the Scottish Cup. But they were and Buckie are back to fight another day.
Brechin will be an imposing challenge, sitting third in the Second Division. But. Player fights, a late reprieve. Buckie are going Hollywood in this Scottish Cup. So my heart says a happy ending today. Home win.
I can't see Motherwell offering them quite the same largesse in front of goal so it will be up to The Blues to tighten up their own defence.
Motherwell signed Francis Jeffers this week although he won't feature it today. I mention it because it struck me more as the answer to a "where are they now" question than a transfer. It also suggests the level of Stuart McCall's frustration at his inability to strengthen in January.
What McCall wants more than anything is a run of results. He should at least get the win today. Away win.
The Scottish Football Blog News Feed
If only we had a January shut-down all these call offs and bad weather in February could be so easily avoided.
So only five games to enjoy today.
Hamilton v Dundee United
An all SPL clash. Hamilton could have moved off the bottom of the table in midweek. Instead they found themselves cast further adrift. At such times does the cup become a unwanted drain on resources or a welcome distraction from the less than glamorous business of scrapping for survival?Back in the day a dash of cup romance might have provided everyone with some comfort, lifted the spirits. Now, with the financial hardships of relegation so severe, it might be that the cup just gets in the way. Nobody will admit that but it could be the case.
Anyway that won't bother the fans who will be looking for a decent performance against the cup holders. United, despite a season that has really been neither one thing nor the other, will be looking at the remaining teams and fancying another decent run.
They should progress today. Away win.
Ayr v St Mirren
In the stunningly simplistic way that footer doesn't work we can take recent experience against Hibs and award Ayr a 3-0 win here.Losing at Easter Road on Wednesday, a game they never looked like winning, was evidence of how hard a slog the rest of the season is going to be for St Mirren.
This is the sort of game Ayr will relish. With the advantage of Somerset Park I'm backing them to pull off another big result. Home win.
Buckie Thistle v Brechin City
One man's misfortune is another man's etc etc.It had looked that Buckie's last contribution to this year's tournament would be two of their players fighting with each other as they were felled by East Stirling.
And then a reprieve. We could talk long into the night about the rights and wrongs of East Stirling being tossed out of the Scottish Cup. But they were and Buckie are back to fight another day.
Brechin will be an imposing challenge, sitting third in the Second Division. But. Player fights, a late reprieve. Buckie are going Hollywood in this Scottish Cup. So my heart says a happy ending today. Home win.
Inverness v Morton
Not been an easy run for Inverness in the league of late. Morton are mid table in the First Division but undefeated in the last six competitive games. I would still fancy Inverness to have too much today though. Home win.Stranraer v Motherwell
Stranraer's last two games have been seven goal thrillers. They beat Stenhousemuir by the odd goal in the cup but lost out by the same score to Arbroath in the league.I can't see Motherwell offering them quite the same largesse in front of goal so it will be up to The Blues to tighten up their own defence.
Motherwell signed Francis Jeffers this week although he won't feature it today. I mention it because it struck me more as the answer to a "where are they now" question than a transfer. It also suggests the level of Stuart McCall's frustration at his inability to strengthen in January.
What McCall wants more than anything is a run of results. He should at least get the win today. Away win.
The Scottish Football Blog News Feed
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Scottish Cup Week: The Saga Continues
Some wag (me) suggested on Twitter last night that this would have been a more effective Beattie to play up front for Rangers.
Not that it mattered as the home side - who were more than happy to dish out a few brutal challenges - overpowered a fairly ineffective Kilmarnock. Two cracking first half finishes from Lee McCulloch and Kyle Lafferty had all but finished the game off before Steven Whittaker's emphatic penalty removed any doubt.
Not a great game, Kilmarnock looked capable but not hugely threatening. Challenges from Lafferty, Steven Davis and Steven Naismith were rather agricultural, with Alexei Eremenko the particular target of a couple of Ron Atkinson's "early doors reducers."
Is it frightfully old fashioned and Corinthian of me to expect better of Rangers? Or of any team? Possibly.
But a deserved win for Rangers who become the sixth team to guarantee their spot in the fifth round.
Biffy Who
The draw for the fifth round will be made today and rumours abound that Biffy Clyro are to be rummaging around George Peat's balls to decide the fixtures. This seems to have caused consternation and amusement in equal measure. Unfortunately I'm not really sure who or what Biffy Clyro are so it's all gone above my ahead.Weather Permitting
And as if that wasn't enough this Scottish Cup week stretches to an eighth day with a number of fixtures to be played this evening.Amazingly Threave Rovers v Stenhousemuir, the much delayed third round replay, has been postponed again. They'll now try and play it on Wednesday. If that game doesn't end up a nine goal thriller we're all going to be hugely disappointed.
The scheduled (subject to weather, pitch inspections and alien invasions) fixtures tonight are:
Round 4
Hearts v St Johnstone
Falkirk v Partick Thistle
Queen of South v Brechin
My previews of the ties are here.
Round 4 Replay
Dunfermline v Montrose (Pitch inspection at 9.30 this morning)
I had Dunfermline down to win this one on Saturday. They didn't but I'll back them to finish the job tonight. Home win.
Scottish Cup Fifth Round Draw
Update: The draw has been made. And we've an Old Firm clash to look forward to. Who'd have thought? That's the only finalised tie of the round so far.Aberdeen v Montrose or Dunfermline
Inverness CT v Morton or Airdrie
Hamilton v Dundee United or Ross County
Stenhousemuir/Threave Rovers or Stranraer v Motherwell
East Stirlingshire or Buckie v Queen of the South or Brechin
Rangers v Celtic
Hibernian or Ayr v St Mirren or Peterhead
Hearts or St Johnstone v Falkirk or Partick Thistle
To be played on 5/6 February.
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Friday, January 07, 2011
Scottish Cup Fourth Round Preview
Three days of Scottish Cup action to look forward to. Much talk of "cupsets" but probably not many actual upsets. And, I'd wager, a mention or two for Berwick Rangers, the most famous of Davids in Scottish football's gallery of Goliath-slayers.
Pitch inspections at a few of these games and snow falling as I write so things could be subject to change. Again.
Kick off times and weather updates can be found on the BBC site.
Threave Rovers v Stenhousemuir
And still we wait for this third round replay to be played. A pitch inspection will be needed before we know for sure. I'm not hopeful.
Fascinating Scottish Cup fact: Stenhousemuir manager Davie Irons was playing for Threave in the first game between these two, at the age of 49.
Berwick Rangers v Celtic
No surprise that this one came out of the draw. Not when we're constantly being told that Rangers v Celtic playing all the time is the only way the Scottish game can make money. It's a little known fact that Berwick Rangers beat Celtic's Old Firm rivals in a game here in the 1960s. Shame such a massive achievement for Berwick has been all but forgotten. A famous Glasgow double on Sunday. Don't bank on it. At least Celtic will finally find out what playing in England is like.
Hibs v Ayr United
To lose a derby is never good. But at least Hibs showed some ability to defend, to fight and to allow them to be organised into something resembling a cohesive unit against Hearts. That is hardly world beating stuff. But it might be enough to save them this season. A cup run would be much welcomed in Leith. I can't see that happening but they should have enough to get past Ayr tomorrow. Mind you, I said that when Franck Sauzee led Hibs into a League Cup semi final against the same opposition in 2002. Will I be wrong again?
Dundee v Motherwell
A defiant Dundee are a potential stumbling block for new Motherwell boss Stuart McCall. It's not been an easy few weeks for the SPL side. It's been an arduous, torturous, tormenting few months for the Dark Blues. A cup run might not cure all the ills at Dens Park but it would offer some comfort. And some cash. If I was going to point a game where I can see a shock coming this might be it. Home win.
Dundee United v Ross County
A re-run of last year's final. Fair to say that neither side have quite shown the form of last season. An opportunity for some revenge for Ross County against the ogres that smashed their fairytale dreams. Yes, it's an opportunity. Whether they can take advantage of it or not is another matter. I'll be keeping an eye on this one. I'm not expecting it to happen. But a shock wouldn’t completely shock me.
Aberdeen v East Fife
Is the Craig Brown revolution at Pittodrie for real? A win tomorrow won't be proof of that. But it will at least spare him the sort of embarrassing failure that has haunted some of his predecessors. There's nae way I can see the Dons losing this. No way at all. But I've been wrong before.
Rangers v Kilmarnock
The big Monday night game. A traditional kick off time for this oldest of tournaments. Rangers were woeful in the Old Firm game last Sunday. Against a Kilmarnock team that inspired gushing tributes in this week's Scottish football podcast they'll need to improve. Samaras did for the champions last weekend. Can Sammon do for them now? Stranger things have happened. But we've all been at this lark too long to write Rangers off. Killie might just secure a replay though.
Hearts v St Johnstone
Newly re-established as the third force in Scottish football will Hearts see this year as their chance to win the Scottish Cup. A second triumph for Jim Jefferies? There's a chance, friends, there is a chance. An all SPL clash on Sunday might not be the fixtures Jefferies would have wanted but recent form still heavily favours the home side. And who am I to question recent form. Home win.
Inverness v Elgin
No sooner do I anoint Terry Butcher as manager of the year and Inverness as team of the year than they start losing. I spread my miserable luck around. And now a Scottish Cup clash against not too distant neighbours Elgin. An intriguing clash but one the SPL side should negotiate easily enough. Home win.
East Stirling v Buckie Thistle
It’s the Highland League champions against the second worst team in the Scottish Football League on Sunday. This game could become the rallying call of the pyramid system supporting masses. Stirling haven’t played since they beat Spartans 2-1 in the last round. Which might be better preparation than Buckie have enjoyed after being smashed 7-0 by Deveronvale last Monday. An intriguing one this though, one to keep an eye or ear out for.
Montrose v Dunfermline
Dunfermline’s experience of artificial pitches might not be great but the First Division leaders should still have enough against Montrose. The Pars will have really felt the away defeat to Raith last week but maybe not as much as Montrose felt the 5-0 tanking by the Red Lichties of Arbroath on Sunday. Away win.
Morton v Airdrie
Morton haven’t played since the 14th of December while Airdrie came through a tough old tie against Beith 4-3 on Tuesday afternoon. Which is the better preparation? It’s second bottom of the First against sixth in the Second. Could be a tight one.
Falkirk v Partick Thistle
An all First Division clash. Neither team will be delighted by the way their seasons have gone so far but Falkirk are ten points better off in the league and the feedback suggests that all is not well at Thistle right now. Even-stevens between the two so far though with both teams enjoying 1-0 wins at Firhill. A close one? Could be a replay required.
Queen of the South v Brechin
An away defeat to Dunfermline in the middle of December is Queen of the South’s only game since they beat Cowdenbeath on the 13th of November. That the preparation for these cup games hasn’t been ideal for many clubs is becoming increasingly obvious. Brechin, second in the Second Division, finally got round to dispatching Annan in their third round replay on Tuesday evening. They’ve scored five in each of their last two games so any rustiness in the Queens defence might well be exposed here.
St Mirren v Peterhead
Eighth in the Second Division, Peterhead’s head last two games have ended with a 5-0 defeat to Brechin and a 5-1 win over Airdrie. You pick the form from those two results. St Mirren themselves search forlornly for the gift of consistency and are still not picking up enough points to be comfortable. Could be a testing afternoon tomorrow but I think the SPL side will get through.
Hamilton v Alloa
Less affected by the weather than many SFL clubs in the last few weeks, Alloa have been free scoring with 13 goals in their last five games. Two wins, two draws and a defeat in that sequence suggests that the defence might be struggling a bit. By contrast Hamilton have scored only one goal in their last five games, their only points coming in goalless draws. You would still expect the SPL side to be stronger. But a black and gold striped banana skin lying in wait?
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Pitch inspections at a few of these games and snow falling as I write so things could be subject to change. Again.
Kick off times and weather updates can be found on the BBC site.
Threave Rovers v Stenhousemuir
And still we wait for this third round replay to be played. A pitch inspection will be needed before we know for sure. I'm not hopeful.
Fascinating Scottish Cup fact: Stenhousemuir manager Davie Irons was playing for Threave in the first game between these two, at the age of 49.
Berwick Rangers v Celtic
No surprise that this one came out of the draw. Not when we're constantly being told that Rangers v Celtic playing all the time is the only way the Scottish game can make money. It's a little known fact that Berwick Rangers beat Celtic's Old Firm rivals in a game here in the 1960s. Shame such a massive achievement for Berwick has been all but forgotten. A famous Glasgow double on Sunday. Don't bank on it. At least Celtic will finally find out what playing in England is like.
Hibs v Ayr United
To lose a derby is never good. But at least Hibs showed some ability to defend, to fight and to allow them to be organised into something resembling a cohesive unit against Hearts. That is hardly world beating stuff. But it might be enough to save them this season. A cup run would be much welcomed in Leith. I can't see that happening but they should have enough to get past Ayr tomorrow. Mind you, I said that when Franck Sauzee led Hibs into a League Cup semi final against the same opposition in 2002. Will I be wrong again?
Dundee v Motherwell
A defiant Dundee are a potential stumbling block for new Motherwell boss Stuart McCall. It's not been an easy few weeks for the SPL side. It's been an arduous, torturous, tormenting few months for the Dark Blues. A cup run might not cure all the ills at Dens Park but it would offer some comfort. And some cash. If I was going to point a game where I can see a shock coming this might be it. Home win.
Dundee United v Ross County
A re-run of last year's final. Fair to say that neither side have quite shown the form of last season. An opportunity for some revenge for Ross County against the ogres that smashed their fairytale dreams. Yes, it's an opportunity. Whether they can take advantage of it or not is another matter. I'll be keeping an eye on this one. I'm not expecting it to happen. But a shock wouldn’t completely shock me.
Aberdeen v East Fife
Is the Craig Brown revolution at Pittodrie for real? A win tomorrow won't be proof of that. But it will at least spare him the sort of embarrassing failure that has haunted some of his predecessors. There's nae way I can see the Dons losing this. No way at all. But I've been wrong before.
Rangers v Kilmarnock
The big Monday night game. A traditional kick off time for this oldest of tournaments. Rangers were woeful in the Old Firm game last Sunday. Against a Kilmarnock team that inspired gushing tributes in this week's Scottish football podcast they'll need to improve. Samaras did for the champions last weekend. Can Sammon do for them now? Stranger things have happened. But we've all been at this lark too long to write Rangers off. Killie might just secure a replay though.
Hearts v St Johnstone
Newly re-established as the third force in Scottish football will Hearts see this year as their chance to win the Scottish Cup. A second triumph for Jim Jefferies? There's a chance, friends, there is a chance. An all SPL clash on Sunday might not be the fixtures Jefferies would have wanted but recent form still heavily favours the home side. And who am I to question recent form. Home win.
Inverness v Elgin
No sooner do I anoint Terry Butcher as manager of the year and Inverness as team of the year than they start losing. I spread my miserable luck around. And now a Scottish Cup clash against not too distant neighbours Elgin. An intriguing clash but one the SPL side should negotiate easily enough. Home win.
East Stirling v Buckie Thistle
It’s the Highland League champions against the second worst team in the Scottish Football League on Sunday. This game could become the rallying call of the pyramid system supporting masses. Stirling haven’t played since they beat Spartans 2-1 in the last round. Which might be better preparation than Buckie have enjoyed after being smashed 7-0 by Deveronvale last Monday. An intriguing one this though, one to keep an eye or ear out for.
Montrose v Dunfermline
Dunfermline’s experience of artificial pitches might not be great but the First Division leaders should still have enough against Montrose. The Pars will have really felt the away defeat to Raith last week but maybe not as much as Montrose felt the 5-0 tanking by the Red Lichties of Arbroath on Sunday. Away win.
Morton v Airdrie
Morton haven’t played since the 14th of December while Airdrie came through a tough old tie against Beith 4-3 on Tuesday afternoon. Which is the better preparation? It’s second bottom of the First against sixth in the Second. Could be a tight one.
Falkirk v Partick Thistle
An all First Division clash. Neither team will be delighted by the way their seasons have gone so far but Falkirk are ten points better off in the league and the feedback suggests that all is not well at Thistle right now. Even-stevens between the two so far though with both teams enjoying 1-0 wins at Firhill. A close one? Could be a replay required.
Queen of the South v Brechin
An away defeat to Dunfermline in the middle of December is Queen of the South’s only game since they beat Cowdenbeath on the 13th of November. That the preparation for these cup games hasn’t been ideal for many clubs is becoming increasingly obvious. Brechin, second in the Second Division, finally got round to dispatching Annan in their third round replay on Tuesday evening. They’ve scored five in each of their last two games so any rustiness in the Queens defence might well be exposed here.
St Mirren v Peterhead
Eighth in the Second Division, Peterhead’s head last two games have ended with a 5-0 defeat to Brechin and a 5-1 win over Airdrie. You pick the form from those two results. St Mirren themselves search forlornly for the gift of consistency and are still not picking up enough points to be comfortable. Could be a testing afternoon tomorrow but I think the SPL side will get through.
Hamilton v Alloa
Less affected by the weather than many SFL clubs in the last few weeks, Alloa have been free scoring with 13 goals in their last five games. Two wins, two draws and a defeat in that sequence suggests that the defence might be struggling a bit. By contrast Hamilton have scored only one goal in their last five games, their only points coming in goalless draws. You would still expect the SPL side to be stronger. But a black and gold striped banana skin lying in wait?
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Thursday, January 06, 2011
Scottish Cup Week: Preamble
A cruel accident of birth dictates that I celebrate my birthday just as the big beasts of Scottish football enter the Scottish Cup.
Thus each year my birthday marks the start of another failed leg of Hibernian's apparently never ending Scottish Cup odyssey. If the jinx hadn't begun more than 70 years before I was born I'd consider myself a bit of a Jonah.
Anyway, a full preview of this weekend's cup action to come. But it's been remiss of me not to mention the two Tuesday third round replays. Two seven goal thrillers.
In the Tuesday afternoon game Airdrie raced into a four goal lead before Beith hit back with three goals in 17 minutes, forcing Airdrie to endure a nervy final ten minutes.
On Tuesday evening Brechin's over powered Annan by five goals to two. That, incidentally, was Annan's first match since the original game ended in a draw over six weeks ago.
So it's old and maybe not as glorious as it once was but the Scottish Cup can still put on a show. Let's hope for more of the same this weekend.
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Thus each year my birthday marks the start of another failed leg of Hibernian's apparently never ending Scottish Cup odyssey. If the jinx hadn't begun more than 70 years before I was born I'd consider myself a bit of a Jonah.
Anyway, a full preview of this weekend's cup action to come. But it's been remiss of me not to mention the two Tuesday third round replays. Two seven goal thrillers.
In the Tuesday afternoon game Airdrie raced into a four goal lead before Beith hit back with three goals in 17 minutes, forcing Airdrie to endure a nervy final ten minutes.
On Tuesday evening Brechin's over powered Annan by five goals to two. That, incidentally, was Annan's first match since the original game ended in a draw over six weeks ago.
So it's old and maybe not as glorious as it once was but the Scottish Cup can still put on a show. Let's hope for more of the same this weekend.
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