Fitba' Focus : Celtic

'Throwback' winger McCourt has the talent, but does he have the time?

Guest Writer — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:04:00 GMT

Celtic's Paddy McCourt has impressed in flashes this season, William Heaney ponders whether the former Rochdale and Shamrock Rovers wide-man will ever get the chance to become a key figure for the Hoops...

The SPL isn’t exactly awash with gifted players who are capable of taking on opposing defenders and producing something just a wee bit different.

That’s why watching Celtic and Northern Ireland winger Paddy McCourt in full flow is a sight to behold.

The ‘Derry Pele’ has become something of a cult-hero with Celtic fans since joining the club from Derry City in 2008, producing a series of stunning individual goals during his time in Scotland. While not blessed with lightning speed, he is nevertheless able to glide past players with his effortless, almost lazy, running style

A player with McCourt’s ability should be the fulcrum of a side – the guy you pin your hopes on to deliver on the big occasion. Instead, he settles most weeks for a late run from the bench and while he’s often effective, you can’t help but think that a player who is able to leave three, four or five opposition players in his wake, should be capable of so much more.

The number of minor injuries picked up by the player during his Celtic career has certainly not helped his cause. Already this season he has been sidelined by neck and shoulder problems and his issues with fitness and stamina appear to be ongoing concerns.

McCourt’s contribution when he isn’t in possession of the ball has also been questioned. He does his best work in the final third with the ball at his feet, but isn’t quite so keen on tracking back.

Perhaps most telling is that most of McCourt’s magic moments have come against weaker opposition, or when the game is already won.

His goal at Falkirk last season, compared by one Scottish journalist to John Barnes’ for England against Brazil at the Maracana, was the third in a comfortable 4-0 win.

Similarly, the waltz round three Hearts defenders in September, which culminated in McCourt dinking the ball over the keeper into the net, was scored in the final minutes of the match with Celtic already two goals ahead.

Contrast that with McCourt’s record in Old Firm matches – just two appearances as a sub where he has made little or no impact. Whether that’s down to a lack of confidence, the occasion getting to him, or simply not yet having a proper chance to show what he can do on the big stage, remains to be seen.

McCourt’s international career mirrors his current situation at Celtic. With just four caps for Northern Ireland over an eight-year period, he was left out of the squad for the opening Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovenia. Manager Nigel Worthington explained his decision: "With all the craft that Paddy has, if he can get the graft side, the work ethic, what a great player he would be for us."

Whether Worthington’s comments say more about the player’s abilities or are a reflection of the modern game is debatable. While he has since returned to the squad, watching McCourt try to play a more disciplined central midfield role in the recent friendly against Morocco was a strange experience.

For anybody thinking that’s he’s a young guy with time on his side, well, he’s not. McCourt turns 27 this week, and rather than being a naive kid, it’s more a case of him being in last chance saloon.

The early promise shown by McCourt at Rochdale led to him being linked with Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers, but a move never materialised and he ended back in the League of Ireland. While trials with Norwich

City, Crewe and Motherwell failed to produce a contract, West Brom were ready to offer the player another shot at English football until Gordon Strachan stepped in at the last minute to take him to Celtic Park.

In order to become a first-team regular, it’s not just personal challenges that McCourt has to overcome. While Celtic have defensive problems, they are not short of options in the wide areas: fellow countryman Niall McGinn is younger, faster and more direct than McCourt, and seemingly preferred by Nigel Worthington at international level.

Shaun Maloney meanwhile, is producing his best form since returning to the club, and young James Forrest was arguably Celtic’s top performer in the opening weeks of the season before injury struck.

There’s not much he can do about it, but McCourt was probably born 30-40 years too late. Described by Neil Lennon as a 'throwback', he is a player who would have thrived in the 1960’s or 70’s, when ability was everything and less emphasis was placed on athleticism and conditioning – he even has the hairstyle.

Tragedy is too strong a word, but it would be a real shame if McCourt fails to progress from bit-part player to centre stage. In his defence, he conjured up the only goal at Inverness on the opening day of the season, and assists which led to last minute winners at Dundee United and St Mirren, but he has to consistently produce when it really counts.

With a manager and a fanbase who clearly believe in him, McCourt may yet prove he was worth the wait.

Referees: a strike for change, or a big hissy fit?

Craig Anderson — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 12:31:00 GMT

With Scotland's referees set to strike over their grievances, Craig Anderson wonders who's to blame – and what the endgame is

So it appears the referees in Scotland have finally had enough of all the flak that's come their way and are set to strike. But what will it achieve in the long run?

Weeks and weeks of relentless criticism have come to a head and all Category One officials have declared their intention to go on strike ahead of this weekend's schedule of games, which could decimate SPL, SFL and Scottish Cup fixtures as a consequence. Even Sunday's Challenge Cup Final between Ross County and Queen of the South is in serious doubt.

On one hand, you have to look at it and say "fair enough". When you get that level of criticism for doing what is effectively a paid hobby then you start to question if it's worth it. It's easy to forget referees love the game as well.

The public safety of officials has been cited as a reason and, as hard as it is to admit it, it can only be a matter of time before one of these refs meet the wrong kind of individual then it all gets very nasty. No job is worth that, nor is it worth risking the safety of your family.

However – and this is what many are struggling to get their heads round – what will be its ultimate achievement? Managers and players will still criticise in post-match comments and newspapers will still run critiques of referee's performances – something this writer did recently for a national tabloid when Dougie McDonald returned to action at Falkirk vs Ross County.

If anyone can spell out the benefits, please do. Don't get me wrong, I have great sympathy and respect for the officials and the job they do, but I can't see how strike action is a good thing.

I'd go as far as to say change is definitely required somewhere – starting with the referees' fraternity themselves. Where I would start is with the resignation of the man who indirectly caused all this kerfuffle, Dougie McDonald.

That's nothing personal; he is, in the main, a decent referee. But as soon as he confessed to lying over that decision at Tannadice in October, his position became utterly untenable. The football decision was 100% correct, but concocting a story with linesman Steven Craven over how it was reached wasn't clever – and wasn't necessary.

Craven and McDonald get their story straight

Complete honesty may not be written explicitly in the criteria, but it's surely a given for a referee, who is meant to be above all the divisions. McDonald's clumsy lack of judgement has taken away his integrity as an official and the sooner he realises that the better.

For the record, he shouldn't be sacked – and he won't be: he was judged by a committee of ex-referees (another error) and all he got was slapped wrists. He should be big enough to walk away himself. And whatever the press say, whether it was a "little white lie" or not is irrelevant to the argument. He lied, and lost trust and credibility – not just for him, but by extension for all his colleagues.

END THE DALLAS SOAP OPERA
Next up would be Head of Referee Development, Hugh Dallas, who has overseen this entire farce and in every passing week has seen his jacket get that little bit more shaky on that dodgy peg. There's no questioning his ability in his days as a referee, but his patriarchal behaviour towards his successors is nothing more than sheer arrogance.

It's been suggested that "The Whistleblower" section of the SFA website, where refs were given a platform to explain decisions, was taken down at his instruction. His failure to acknowledge any refereeing mistakes has upset many and with the news that 80% of refs failed a test relating to the Laws of the Game, something's going wrong somewhere.

It's been well documented that Dallas's work in helping refs obtain optimum fitness has been superb, but has this come at the cost of what should be basic knowledge of the game? Some argue this point by asking how many drivers would fail if forced to retake their driving test, but the Highway Code isn't amended every year.

Dallas: Gamekeeper turned gamekeepers' gamekeeper

Under Dallas, there appears to be a siege mentality in place and this feeling of non-accountability for errors and poor decision-making only adds to the bad feeling between the clubs and referees. After all, if he allowed refs to explain decisions by any medium necessary, people may not agree, but at least there is some level of understanding about the decision-making process.

The removal of Dallas would lead to more transparency, and looking to get him binned over a dodgy email is like jailing murderous gangster Al Capone over a tax fiddle – the right result by the wrong means. It doesn't make his other actions right by any stretch, but there are bigger footballing issues to deal with in his department.

CLUBBED TO DEATH
Referees don't operate in a vacuum and clubs have their part to play. Celtic's behaviour since the Dougie McDonald affair has been questionable to say the least; the SFA would have been justified in charging them for bringing the game into disrepute. By failing to act, they've declared open season and Celtic have taken full advantage, whether it's been manager Neil Lennon or chairman Dr John Reid venting their spleen.

Many can understand why they were angry over what happened at Tannadice, especially since McDonald revealed he lied to Lennon over the penalty incident. But since then, Celtic lost to Rangers and Hearts – and the Hoops boss has blamed the officials both times.

Against Rangers, Kirk Broadfoot was awarded a penalty when he clearly dived, but ref Willie Collum had his back to it and only gave it based on what he saw out of the corner of his eye. Instead of slaughtering Broadfoot for diving in the first place, Lennon pointedly fumed at Collum's decision.

Against Hearts, Joe Ledley was correctly sent off for a scissors-style challenge on Ian Black. That angered Lennon, as did Celtic not getting a penalty for Ryan Stevenson's handball, but it was the manager's reaction to that got him sent to the stand. While he was well within his rights to be unhappy, his behaviour was ridiculous.

What made it even more ludicrous was Lennon blaming the officials at Tynecastle, while his captain Shaun Maloney made clear it was Celtic's poor performance that cost them, not the refs.

John Reid's comments at the club's AGM last week are believed to have been the final straw for refs considering strike action. At a time when they need support, they were kicked in the teeth by club officials happy to peddle some misguided notion that the SFA have some conspiracy against them.

Reid and Lennon in chirpier times

Dealing with angry managers is one thing for referees, but club chairmen are a different matter – especially ones that are former MPs who have the audacity to lecture on "integrity" despite having claimed parliamentary expenses for a pouffe and a black glitter toilet seat.

The SFA set a precedent when they hammered Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov over comments made about officials, so why is Romanov (slightly) lighter in the pocket while Reid remains unpunished?

REF JUSTICE
The question though still stands: what would refs get from a strike, beside an impromptu weekend off? If it's purely to make a stand then fair enough, but nothing will have changed. Sadly it may just come out as the refs collectively taking their ball home and refusing to play because they're in a huff.

Their endgame has to be something positive and if it comes out of such a turgid mess then most people will welcome it with open arms. Until then, we can only hope common sense prevails and a last-gasp agreement is worked out in the ever-decreasing time before the weekend.

No matter what the outcome, this whole sorry episode will leave a foul stench around Scottish football for a while to come.

Mark McGhee on shoogly peg as Aberdeen prepare the sack

Craig Anderson — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:16:00 GMT

It's been over 27 years since Aberdeen upset the European apple cart and beat Real Madrid to win the European Cup Winners' Cup. Now they're getting beaten 9-0 by one of the Old Firm. You really would love to know what a certain Manchester-based manager makes of it all.

Such has been the Dons' decline over the past three decades that you have to wonder what their most successful manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, thought after their latest SPL catastrophe at Celtic. Bear in mind, this is a man who brought Aberdeen three Premier League titles, four Scottish Cups, a League Cup and a European Super Cup on top of the Cup Winners' Cup success.

Although current manager Mark McGhee was one of Fergie's squad on that 1983 night in Gothenburg, he hasn't won over the Aberdeen support since taking over from Jimmy Calderwood in the summer of 2009 – especially after admitting in a press conference that he would have preferred the then-vacant Celtic post.

Calderwood was sacked despite getting Aberdeen back into Europe in 2007/08 and keeping them there past Christmas. They were eventually knocked out by Bayern Munich, but Calderwood's card had been marked by far more humiliating defeats in the domestic cup competitions, notably to Queen's Park and Queen of the South.

Now they have bigger fish to fry with McGhee incurring the wrath of his understandably furious support after their 9-0 collapse to Celtic. The loss leaves them (ironically) ninth, nine points off third place and just two above the drop zone.

Alone: McGhee surveys the wreckage at Celtic Park

To use a Scottish colloquialism, his jacket is on a shoogly peg. Reports suggest anything less than a home win on Tuesday night against Inverness Caley Thistle – who haven't lost away for year – would see McGhee and assistant Scott Leitch sacked.

While Aberdeen were being torn a new one, Ferguson was celebrating a last-minute win against Wolves at Old Trafford. As fate would have it, it's 24 years ago this week that Sir Alex, or just plain Alex as he was back then, left Pittodrie to replace Ron Atkinson at Old Trafford.

The team he left behind were still very much a force in Scotland with Jim Leighton, Willie Miller, Alex McLeish, McGhee & Co. – regularly getting in amongst the Old Firm (they finished in the top two for each of the first six seasons in the 1980s), reaching cup finals and travelling Europe on a regular basis.

The decline has been a slow painful one. McGhee is the 11th manager since Ferguson headed south, and the second of that 1983 team (after skipper Willie Miller) to try the manager's seat. If anything, the result at Celtic Park will have brought back horrible memories of the Ebbe Skovdahl era, when Celtic would rack up scorelines of 5-0, 6-0 and even 7-0 with unerring ease.

But this is a new low altogether. You're talking about a team that last won the Scottish Cup 20 years ago and only made one final in 17 (a 4-0 pasting by Rangers a decade ago), while their League Cup record shows the last success 15 years ago and again a decade since the last final appearance. Expectation may not be what it once was, but that barren spell is simply unacceptable. Maybe McGhee would agree with that.

McGhee rubs Miller's head on that night in Gothenburg

It's certainly a record that would have been unthinkable in Ferguson's era. But that's not to say that he would still have been successful in Scottish football today, which has changed to a completely unrecognisable level since Sir Alex left.

McGhee has bleated over the last year or so about a lack of finances for squad rebuilding, but he's no different to any other manager in the SPL. The squad he has simply is not good enough and even the youngsters coming through may not be the answer in the long term. That may be doing them a disservice at this early stage of their career, but the Celtic Park massacre should, if anything, force them to grow up.

In the meantime, Sir Alex may have privately offered some support to his former player. McGhee could do with it: the net is closing in on the Dons boss and even the words of his former mentor may not be enough.

Whatever is said off the field - by Ferguson, McGhee, fans or the board - the manager will only be saved by a successful run on the pitch to get them back into contention for third place – starting with Inverness.

Who'd be a Scottish referee?

FourFourTwo Team — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:13:00 GMT

Although it's been largely drowned out by the clatter of Clattenburg's clanger, there's been a rather more interesting refereeing controversy north of the border, as Craig Anderson reveals...

It just doesn’t feel like a scandal unless the word “gate” is attached at the end, so thank goodness we’ve had “Refereegate” to keep us going in Scotland.

We’ve had columns upon columns of what went on in that now infamous match between Dundee United and Celtic – and THAT penalty, which led to the resignation of linesman Steven Craven and severely questioned the credibility of Dougie McDonald, the game’s referee.

Further to that, the role of Hugh Dallas as Head of Referee Development within the SFA has also been questioned, not only on the back of what happened at Tannadice, but amidst allegations of bullying by Craven in a Sunday newspaper.

Dallas, who was once a fourth official at a World Cup final, is a highly respected figure in the Scottish game, but Craven’s claims that the former ref insisted on going with the lie has also put him under scrutiny.

Of course those that know him and work with him, including the SFA, have rallied in support. However, Dallas will always back his referees irrespective of any bad decisions they may have made.

But there is no system in place to punish referees if they do make bad calls. They only get “marked down”. Now I’m not for a minute suggesting having them out in stocks with people throwing rotten fruit, but there should be at least some level of culpability on the part of Dallas, as well as the referees themselves, to help the fans try to understand their way of thinking.

As this rumbles on, newspapers are getting opinions from anyone willing to talk. One person who gave a view on the state of Scottish refereeing as a whole was Celtic striker Gary Hooper.

Hooper and Lennon celebrate, Dillon cogitates

Although the former Scunthorpe player was “fouled” in the incident, a lot of what he said could, in fairness, be easily dismissed as a hard-done-by attitude; Celtic players are somewhat suspicious of refs now.

However, one quote leapt out and could resonate with a lot of fair-minded fans over how refs seem to have it easy. If you ignore that he’s having a pop at the beleaguered McDonald in particular, in general terms he said: “If players don't perform we're out the door. Surely the same applies to referees? If he's told the papers he lied to the gaffer then I don't think he can stay in his position.”

It was the one thing Hooper said that actually sounded sensible. Despite his short time in Scotland he’s already identified that there's a problem with referees. If you wind the clock back 12 months, Motherwell manager Jim Gannon went on a one-man crusade against Hugh Dallas and the SFA last year.

The former Stockport manager commented after an Old Firm game: “Dallas had to defend the referee because the result of the game might have been different if he'd got his decisions correct at Ibrox.

"Celtic might look back on that result at the end of the season and decide that Ibrox in October is when they lost the league championship. There's a question mark over the standard of refereeing in Scotland and the mistakes that are being made are having an effect on the league table."

Many dismissed Gannon's comments as a guy new to Scottish football who didn't know what he was talking about. But a year on, with the current feeling about referees in general and Dallas in particular, was Gannon on to something?

Gannon vs Referees: There could only be one winner

Gannon was soon dismissed by Motherwell, and in fairness he had only highlighted a problem that we’ve all known about. But instead of giving officials a hard time, there should be more to help them.

There used to be a part of the SFA website called “The Whistleblower”, which gave refs a platform to explain a contentious decision. For some reason it was taken down – at Dallas’s instruction, it’s been suggested – but it served a purpose in giving referees a voice in explaining their thinking. You may not have agreed with it, but at least you had an idea why.

What hasn’t helped referees is, naturally, TV coverage. If anything, it's guilty of humanising the officials. Yes, they make mistakes and always have, but the world can see from a dozen different angles that you made a boo-boo and straight away you’re cannon fodder.

To use the old line, everyone makes mistakes, but the fact that there appears to be a lack of transparency only frustrates people, particularly if they see the same referees making errors over and over again.

I certainly don’t buy into the conspiracy and paranoia that’s being peddled around, so taking that way of thinking serves no purpose other than to deflect any negative attention from your team or their deficiencies.

In lying about the incident, Dougie McDonald has made people in the game doubt him. What can’t be forgotten is the fact that in the context of the game, he got his decision right. How he went about it is where he went badly wrong.

But as “Refereegate” continues to dominate Scotland’s back pages, Dallas and his colleagues are still very much in the limelight for a game that happened three weeks ago. Maybe it would be nice for some football to break out and take the heat off them. At least for a little while.

Will McGhee's transfer gamble pay off?

Danny Law — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:15:00 GMT

Unless we count Celtic's cherry picking of Anthony Stokes from Hibernian, there was no marquee deadline day transfer signing north of the border that really caught the imagination.

However the bizarre swap of Aberdeen full back Richard Foster for Rangers' Lithuanian misfit Andrius Velicka did raise a few eyebrows, particularly in the Granite City.

At first glance this deal appeared to be a better exchange for Rangers than the Dons - Foster is a decent full back blessed with fantastic pace. He is far from the finished article but can operate effectively on the right or left of defence and can also be trusted to fulfill a tireless man-marking shift in the centre of midfield when required.

On the other hand, the enigmatic Velicka is a striker that has spent far more time on the treatment table than in the penalty box of opponents since moving to Ibrox from Hearts. He undoubtedly possesses a predatory instinct in front of goal - he scored five times in his nine games for Rangers - but he has rarely featured since joining from Tynecastle. He was loaned to Bristol City a year ago but his season lasted only 11 minutes after rupturing his cruciate ligament.

The 31-year-old may turn out to be the man who scores the goals that take the Dons back to Europe or to a cup final but he heads to the Granite City with no guarantees, only question marks over his fitness. But if he can stay free from injury he would be expected to chip in with more than his fair share of goals.

The swap deal has, however, left Mark McGhee with an abundance of strikers at his disposal with summer signings Josh Magennis and Scott Vernon as well as Chris Maguire, Darren Mackie and Michael Paton all joining Velicka in the battle to start in attack.

While the Dons boss may be blessed with several striking options, his defensive cover is more questionable.

It is strange that McGhee allowed Foster and promising youngster Stirling Smith - on loan to Dumbarton - to leave Pittodrie while he was already short of defenders, particularly in the left back position.

The Rangers supporters probably won't be overly excited about the capture of Foster but he may prove to be a useful utility player for Walter Smith over the course of the season. The Dons supporters have a frosty relationship with their Rangers counterparts at the best of times so it will be interesting to see the reception Foster receives when he returns to Pittodrie with his new side later this month.

Elsewhere, Anthony Stokes' transfer from Hibernian to Celtic for a fee somewhere in the region of £1.2 million should be a good bit of business for both sides. The Irishman has a proven goalscoring record in the SPL, hitting the net 23 times for Hibs last term and netting 15 in 17 during his time at Falkirk. The money will also be a welcome boost for the Easter Road side in these perilous financial times.

Many Scottish football fans bemoan the Old Firm for 'stealing' their best players but, just as it is always better to gamble amongst your friends, it can only help football north of the border if that sort of money is spent within these shores rather than handed to foreign clubs from continental Europe.

Meanwhile, Scott Severin could prove a shrewd acquisition for Peter Houston's Dundee United. The Arabs have been leaking goals this term, including four to newly promoted Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and Severin's experience could help stem the tide.

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Celtic seal second as Rangers make it two in a row

Danny Law — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:26:00 GMT

The title race may have been over as a contest weeks ago, but Rangers completed the formalities of winning the championship with a 1-0 win over Hibernian on Sunday.

The much-maligned figure of Kyle Lafferty – criticised by a section of his own support for his failure to deliver after coming to Ibrox for a hefty price, and derided by opposition supporters for his ability to embellish a tumble – was the unlikely hero, scoring the only goal of the game to clinch the Scottish Premier League trophy.

Rangers manager Walter Smith must have enjoyed his ninth title win as much as any previous championship successes. With the club facing financial constraints amid the uncertainty search for a successor to owner David Murray, Smith has had to yield the absolute maximum from a small band of players. Indeed, Smith hasn't bought a player since signing Maurice Edu from Toronto in August 2008.

The lack of a challenge from struggling rivals Celtic may have made Rangers' 53rd title win appear one of their easier triumphs, but the backdrop to this success should make it all the sweeter for fans.

Smith and his backroom staff have been working without contracts since January and it's unclear whether the 62-year-old will be at the helm to defend the title next term. That will depend on the direction the club's next owner wants to take the club – but few managers would have been able to achieve as much as Smith did this term with such limited resources.

Earlier in the day, Celtic had temporarily postponed Rangers' title party with a 2-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice. A Diomansy Kamara strike and a Robbie Keane penalty gave the Hoops victory in an ill-tempered match that saw United substitute Jennison Myrie-Williams sent-off for a second bookable offence.

It was Celtic's fifth league win in a row under caretaker boss Neil Lennon and ensured the Hoops would finish in the second and final Champions League spot.

At the opposite end of the table, a second-half Andy Dorman header was enough to give St Mirren a massive victory over Kilmarnock in a tense relegation battle. Gus MacPherson's men now enjoy a four-point cushion over bottom side Falkirk, who went down 1-0 at home to Hamilton Accies.

The Bairns, one point behind Killie, look favourites for relegation – although not according to boss Steven Pressley. In an extraordinary post-match press conference, a defiant Pressley took only one minute to tell a startled gathering of reporters his side would beat the dreaded drop.

“There's no way while I'm the manager of this team that we'll go under,” he roared, banging the table in front of him. “There's such a burning desire there and we'll pick ourselves up next week.” And with another bang on the table for good measure, the Falkirk manager stormed out of the press room.

Elsewhere, Aberdeen were denied a win over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park when Andy Jackson netted in the final minute to cancel out Steve MacLean's opener.

Craig Brown's Motherwell moved into fourth position with a 2-0 win away at Hearts with goals from Steven Saunders and John Sutton. The Steelmen will do well to retain the services of Jim O'Brien, out of contract in the summer, after the talented Irish winger turned in another impressive display.

Scottish Football League Round Up

Inverness Caledonian Thistle celebrated their promotion to the Scottish Premier League in style with a 7-0 trouncing of Ayr United. Terry Butcher's side are undefeated in 20 matches, while Ayr are now precariously placed a point above bottom-dwellers Airdie United, who drew 2-2 with Queen of the South.

Ross County's poor form since their famous Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Celtic continued as they went down 2-1 at home to Partick Thistle. The Highlanders have failed to win any of their three away games since their Hampden triumph.

Stirling Albion seized the initiative in the Second Division with a 1-0 win over relegated Clyde as Alloa Athletic dropped into second place following a 2-0 defeat at Peterhead – their third loss on the trot.

In the Third Division champions Livingston put five past lowly Montrose, while Queen's Park suffered a blow to their hopes of reaching the play-offs as they went down 1-0 to Elgin City.

It's been a good week for... Walter Smith. The Rangers manager celebrated back-to-back titles this weekend but will he still be at Ibrox to lead the challenge for three-in-a-row?

It's been a bad week for... Steven Pressley. Elvis must be feeling the pressure as his side sit bottom of the SPL with only three games left to play.

Tensions rise as relegation fears mount

Danny Law — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:12:00 GMT

The enormous stress suffered by those trying to guide a club to Scottish Premier League safety is beginning to show on Messrs Pressley, MacPherson and Calderwood.

Aberdeen's dramatic descent down the table had left them facing the gloomy prospect of relegation for the first time in their 107-year history but Mark McGhee's men have virtually guaranteed their own survival by grinding out a 1-0 win over Falkirk at the weekend.

Bairns boss Steven Pressley was clearly irked after losing a game of such magnitude with his side rooted to the bottom of the table one point behind Killie and the Buddies.

Elvis, as he is known, was all shook up in the post-match press conference, lambasting Aberdeen for their “spoiling tactics” during a tense, scrappy 90 minutes.

“Aberdeen scored early on and proceeded to spoil the game and waste time at every opportunity,” he moaned. The Falkirk boss will, however, have taken some solace from the fact his team's relegation rivals also dropped points.

Gus MacPherson, the St Mirren manager, was left fuming after seeing his side throw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with St Johnstone.

Referee Charlie Richmond won't be appearing on MacPherson's Christmas card list this year after awarding the Perth side a controversial penalty in injury time, coolly converted by Paul Sheerin.

Kilmarnock manager Jimmy Calderwood will also be enduring a few sleepless nights as his players continue to be plagued by their lack of firepower in attack as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat against Hamilton.

The Ayrshire side have won once in their last ten matches and need to discover some form in their four remaining matches if they are going to avoid the drop.

The game of the weekend saw Celtic comeback from 2-1 down to defeat Hibernian thanks to late strikes from Marc-Antoine Fortune and Morten Rasmussen.

The win for Neil Lennon's side denied Rangers the chance to wrap up the title during Sunday's visit of Hearts. The Gers ran out 2-0 victors thanks to a Kyle Lafferty header and a Kenny Miller penalty. Walter Smith's men can now secure the title if they beat Hibernian next Sunday – or without kicking a ball should Celtic fail to beat Dundee United earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, United booked their place in next season's Europa League with a 3-2 victory over Motherwell on the bobbly Fir Park pitch.

The Tangerines could still overtake Celtic to finish second and earn an even more lucrative Champions League spot but with an inferior goal difference and a seven-point gap it would take a massive collapse by the Hoops for this to happen.

Scottish Football League Round Up

Inverness Caledonian Thistle all but sealed the First Division title with a 2-0 home win over Dunfermline.

The Highlanders are nine points ahead of Dundee who have three games left to play and an inferior goal difference.

Terry Butcher's men should confirm their return to the top flight next Saturday when they travel to Ayr United and in so doing will become the first club in 11 seasons to win promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt.

In the Second Division, Willie Sawyers scored the fastest goal in British football this season as he took only nine seconds to open the scoring for Clyde as they went on to beat Peterhead 3-1.

Stirling Albion appear to have found form at the right time with a 3-1 defeat of Stenhousemuir as leaders Alloa suffered a second successive home defeat at the hands of Dumbarton.

Livingston were finally crowned Third Division champions thanks to a goalless draw with Berwick. Roddy McKenzie's late penalty save ensured the Almondvale side would not spurn a third opportunity to wrap up the title.

It's been a good week for... Steven MacLean. The on-loan Plymouth Argyle striker has failed to live up to expectations since joining Aberdeen but his winner against Falkirk should ensure the Dons remain in the top flight.

It's been a bad week for... Michael Fraser. The Motherwell goalkeeper made two blunders as his side went down 3-2 to Dundee United, although his efforts weren't helped by his club's patchy pitch.

Can Lennon survive after Celtic's Scottish Cup flop?

Danny Law — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:13:00 GMT

Reality may slowly be returning to Dingwall, the sleepy Highland town with a modest population of 5,000, after the frenzied excitement created by Ross County's shock semi-final victory over Glasgow giants Celtic at the weekend.

There will certainly have been more than a few locals nursing sore heads on Sunday morning after having woken from celebrating the most famous result in their club's short history.

The 2-0 win for County will also have left Celtic's interim manager Neil Lennon with a painful headache, wondering where it all went wrong. The Northern Irishman's chances of landing the Celtic post on a permanent basis have drastically diminished following the surprise defeat.

For Lennon, who as a player more than made up for his speed and skill deficiencies with buckets of passion and commitment, it must have been especially galling to see the lack of fight from his players as they exited the competition with hardly a whimper.

After seeing his side's last chance of winning some silverware disappear, Lennon said: “There was no desire. I'm sick of seeing our players fall over. I am sick of seeing strikers not wanting to go in where it hurts to score a goal for the team. We can't keep clean sheets either as we're too soft. We don't have enough winners.”

It was a damning, frank and accurate assessment. But while it may be the players who should take the blame for the defeat, it is more likely the cup upset will convince the Celtic board that a manager of more experience than rookie Lennon is required to bring success back to the east end of Glasgow.

Ross County, though, deserved their victory and their presence in next month's final provides further evidence for those in favour of an expanded 16-team SPL.

The weekend's other Scottish Cup semi-final between Dundee United and Raith Rovers would not provide a similar fairytale for the First Division side.

David Goodwillie's cool finish and Andy Webster's second half header ensured it would be Peter Houston's men who will return to Hampden on May 15 as favourites to lift the trophy.

Back in the SPL, life is becoming very intriguing at the bottom of the table. Only one point separates the bottom three sides following Falkirk's 2-1 win over St Mirren and Hearts' 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock.

Mark McGhee's Aberdeen also remain far from safe after another defeat – this time a 3-1 reverse at home to St Johnstone – and are now only six points ahead of bottom side Falkirk with the Bairns set to visit Pittodrie this Saturday.

Hamilton Accies, however, gave themselves some valuable breathing space with a magnificent 4-1 win over fourth-placed Hibernian who have now won only three matches in their previous 14.

It is hard to believe John Hughes' charges were at one stage being tipped to split the Old Firm. They may now be looking over their shoulder as Hearts and Motherwell bid to pip them for fourth spot.

Scottish Football League Round Up

Inverness Caledonian Thistle are two wins away from returning to the SPL after a 3-1 win at Palmerston Park over Queen of the South. Dundee, who defeated Partick Thistle 1-0, remain ready to pounce should the Highlanders slip up in their remaining three matches.

The champagne was put on ice at Almondvale where Livingston, only requiring a point to claim the Third Division title, were beaten 3-2 by Forfar. Alloa's Second Division title hopes were also dealt a blow with a similar 3-2 reverse at home to Brechin.

It's been a good week for... Derek Adams The young Ross County manager continues to enhance his growing reputation. It can surely only be a matter of time before he is prised away from Dingwall to take charge of an SPL side.

It's been a bad week for.. Neil Lennon. The Celtic caretaker boss may struggle to land the position on a permanent basis after Saturday's crushing cup exit.

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Aberdeen's top six dreams dashed by a familiar face

Danny Law — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:31:00 GMT

In football, fate often grants players and managers the opportunity to get one over their former employer.

Kilmarnock boss Jimmy Calderwood took full advantage of such an occasion by ending Aberdeen's slim hopes of reaching the top six.

Although Calderwood, who guided the Dons to the top six for five years in succession, will never publicly say so, his side's 2-0 victory must have brought a certain sense of satisfaction following his dismissal from Pittodrie last summer.

The Dons travelled to Rugby Park on Sunday knowing they required three wins to give themselves a faint chance of pipping St Johnstone and Hearts for the final place in the top half of the Scottish Premier League.

Yet there would be no three wins in a row. There wouldn't even be one. Davide Grassi, a defender who has a CV containing references from Parma and Espanyol, has struggled to acclimatise himself to this more honest and traditional footballing land.

When the Italian defender prodded the ball past his own goalkeeper after 25 minutes there would be no way back for Aberdeen, Allan Russell's looping header in the second half merely adding insult to injury.

This is a season that has never really started for Aberdeen and Mark McGhee, and they will be glad to see the back of it at Pittodrie, where there will be plenty of comings and goings during the summer.

Kilmarnock's win was bad news for bottom side Falkirk, who themselves picked up a rare victory over Motherwell.

St Mirren could have given themselves a bit of breathing space at the wrong end of the table after being one-up against Hearts but a second half strike by Maurius Zaliukas meant Gus MacPherson's side had to settle for one point rather than three.

Further up the table there were yet more refereeing controversies at Ibrox. It was the faithful of Hamilton Accies' turn to sample the grievances felt earlier this season by the supporters of Celtic and Dundee United, amongst others, at a decision going against them at the home of champions-elect Rangers.

Billy Reid's side thought they had earned a deserved share of the points when, already one down to a Maurice Edu goal, James McArthur slotted the ball home with 12 minutes remaining only for the strike to be contentiously chalked off for offside.

In Edinburgh, Celtic's caretaker boss Neil Lennon got his second win in a row thanks to Robbie Keane's 12th goal in 12 games that gave the Hoops a 1-0 win over Hibernian.

But forget about overturning Rangers' 10-point lead at the top of the table. Lennon's real mandate between now and the end of the season looks likely to be preventing Dundee United overtaking the Celts for the potentially lucrative second Champions League spot.

Peter Houston's men are now only five points behind Lennon's charges after beating St Johnstone 1-0 on Monday evening. Both sides have six games remaining and you wouldn't rule out United catching Celtic if they can continue their recent form.

Scottish Football League Round Up

A spectacular late overhead kick from Richie Foran gave Inverness Caledonian Thistle a battling 4-3 win over Raith Rovers.

In a few weeks' time this moment of brilliance from the Irishman may prove to have given Terry Butcher's side the impetus to claim the First Division title and promotion back to Scotland's top tier.

Dundee, however, remain in hot pursuit thanks to a 3-0 victory over Ayr United while Ross County, who defeated Dunfermline 2-1, could still make a late charge for the title if they manage to win their three games in hand.

Alloa Athletic defeated East Fife to remain top of the Second Division but Stirling Albion's promotion push was dealt a blow with a 2-1 home defeat to Dumbarton.

And in the Third Division, Livingston missed out on the opportunity to wrap up the title as they lost 2-0 to Annan Athletic.

It's been a good week for... Peter Houston. The United manager has done a superb job since Craig Levein's departure with his side now unbeaten in eight matches.

It's been a bad week for... Mark McGhee. The Dons will be scrapping for survival in the bottom six as their poor season continues.

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Lennon galvanises Hoops but Gers win again

Danny Law — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:24:00 GMT

The end of Tony Mowbray's brief and unsuccessful era at Celtic arguably began with a 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock at the start of last month.

Robbie Keane was making his début for the Hoops following his loan move to his boyhood idols and the elated Celtic support began to believe that with the Republic of Ireland star in their ranks they could catch league leaders Rangers.

However such hope was short-lived with the match ending in disappointment for Keane and the Celtic faithful as another on-loan débutant Chris Maguire scored the only goal of the match for Kilmarnock to further dent the title aspirations of Mowbray's side.

With Mowbray handed his jotters following the crushing 4-0 midweek defeat to St Mirren, it seemed apt that Killie would provide the opposition for interim manager Neil Lennon in his first game in charge of the Hoops.

This time Keane's presence would not be overshadowed as the striker netted his 10th and 11th goals in 11 games to lead his side to victory. Scott Brown added a third before Craig Bryson grabbed a late and meaningless consolation for the Ayrshire outfit.

The Celts appeared galvanised by Lennon's presence in the dug-out, with his Killie counterpart Jimmy Calderwood admitting afterwards that he felt his side were “lucky to get away with 3-1.” However next week's trip to Easter Road to face Hibernian will prove a much sterner challenge for the inexperienced Celtic manager.

"Oi! Over there!"

Elsewhere, Rangers were out to rubbish the accusations that they play defensive, negative football with an all-out attacking display as they ran out 4-1 winners over Hearts. Steven Naismith continued his recent run of good form by scoring twice for the Gers, who remain 10 points ahead with two games in hand.

The performance of the day, however, could be credited to Peter Houston's Dundee United. Despite being reduced to 10 men after only 16 minutes when full-back Paul Dixon saw red, United scored three without reply against a Motherwell defence that had been breached only three times in their previous 11 matches.

Hibernian recovered from their midweek Scottish Cup exit to Ross County by running out 3-1 victors over bottom side Falkirk, while Aberdeen clung onto their faint hopes of reaching the top six with their first win in 12 matches against a jaded St Mirren.

Hamilton Accies, meanwhile, took a gigantic step towards SPL safety with a 1-0 win over St Johnstone thanks to James Wesolowski's strike to move Billy Reid's men 11 points clear of Falkirk.

Scottish Football League Round Up
Inverness Caledonian Thistle claimed top spot in the First Division with a fine 1-0 win over Partick Thistle. Ross County did their Highland neighbours a favour by scoring a late equaliser against Dundee, who are now a point behind Terry Butcher's pacesetters.

Stirling Albion got themselves back into the Second Division promotion race by handing Cowdenbeath their first defeat in eight games. League leaders Alloa Athletic also stumbled at Gayfield Park with a goalless draw against Arbroath.

Livingston's march towards the Third Division title continued with a 1-0 win over Queen's Park. The Livi Lions only need six points from their remaining eight matches to secure the title.

It's been a good week for... Terry Butcher. Not so long ago it looked like nobody could catch Dundee in the First Division title race but Inverness have toppled the Dens Park side as the league draws to an exciting climax.

It's been a bad week for... Tony Mowbray, obviously. A disastrous 4-0 defeat to St Mirren ended Mowbray's time in charge at Celtic Park and it is now up to interim boss Neil Lennon to rouse the Hoops.

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The runners and riders to replace Mowbray

Danny Law — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:34:00 GMT

When St Mirren's Steven Thomson smashed the ball past Lukasz Zaluska to net his side's fourth and cap a famous victory over a woeful Celtic, Tony Mowbray must have known his time was up.

The 4-0 defeat to the Buddies was Celtic's worst in Scotland, outside Old Firm derbies, for 30 years. And it only added insult to injury to recall that rivals Rangers had just beaten Gus MacPherson's side with only nine men in a cup final.

FEATURE: Buddies' cup dreams shattered by nine-man Gers

The Mowbray experiment has been a massive failure at a huge cost to Celtic. West Brom were paid £2million compensation when he joined the club last year and a further £12million was handed to Mowbray to build a team capable of winning the SPL and competing in Europe.

The Hoops missed out on the £15million Champions League pot of gold when they crashed out of the competition during the qualification stages to a slick Arsenal side and with Rangers destined to retain their title, the Hoops look set to miss out on the financial benefits of playing in Europe's premier club competition once again. Even the arrival of Spurs striker Robbie Keane, reportedly on wages of £65,000 per week, was not enough to stem the tide.

Mowbray won only 17 of his 30 league games and departs with the side trailing league leaders Rangers by 10 points having played two games more. Admittedly, luck was rarely on Mowbray's side during his brief spell but the SPL is an unforgiving environment for an underachieving Old Firm manager.

"Oh no..."

Former players Neil Lennon and Johan Mjallby have been enlisted as the caretaker team to bring some pride back to a calamitous season on a game-by-game basis.

But who will be the permanent successor to Tony Mowbray?

The Likely Lads
Should Neil Lennon and Johan Mjallby manage to galvanise the Celtic players then there is no reason why they couldn't be handed a longer term deal. The likelihood is the pair will be given until the end of the season and winning the Scottish Cup will be their ultimate aim. The Celtic board may be willing to look past their lack of managerial experience if they manage a cup win and a decent run of results in the league.

Paul Lambert has worked wonders at Norwich City but has already said he would not be interested in replacing Mowbray. However, the former captain may find the opportunity too much to resist should Celtic come calling.

Willie McStay, currently in charge of Hungarian side Ujpest Dozsa, also has very close links with the club and is likely to be in the thoughts of the Celtic board. Former players Roy Keane and John Collins would also be expected to appear on any shortlist.

Worth a Flutter
Mark Hughes would be a relatively popular choice amongst the Celtic faithful. The former Manchester United star played his testimonial match against the Hoops 16 years ago but he would perhaps prefer to take the reins at West Ham should under-fire manager Gianfranco Zola be given the boot.

The more likely Hughes to get the Celtic job could be Hibernian's John Hughes, although his stock has plummeted following his club's recent poor run of form that culminated in a Scottish Cup exit to First Division Ross County earlier this week.

With Portsmouth destined for Premier League relegation, Avram Grant is another manager who may fancy a change of scenery north of the border. He would be an intriguing appointment, although what the Israeli's knowledge and opinion of Scottish football is remains to be seen.

Outside Chance
Henrik Larsson, currently managing Swedish side Landskrona, is idolised by the Celtic faithful and would be given a hero's return to Parkhead. However the former striker is still cutting his teeth as a manager and the board would probably prefer a safer pair of hands to steady the ship.

Out-of-work duo Alan Curbishley and David O'Leary may be considering dusting off their CVs, while Scotland manger Craig Levein and Wolves boss Mick McCarthy could be sounded out but are unlikely to leave their current posts.

Other names in the frame include Jose Mourinho's former assistant Steve Clarke (currently on Zola's coaching staff at West Ham), MK Dons boss Paul Ince and Twente manger Steve McClaren, who would certainly need to pack his brolly if he fancied making the switch to Glasgow.

Slim to None
Everton boss David Moyes, who played for Celtic once upon a time, would be the No.1 choice amongst the majority of the club's support but it would be astounding if he opted to risk his blossoming reputation by returning to his homeland.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle was offered the Celtic job before Mowbray but is also unlikely to fancy the unenviable task of restoring some pride back in the east end of Glasgow after a season of discontent.

Clearly there are no shortage of candidates and in the coming weeks expect everyone from Gerard Houllier to Phil Brown to throw their names forward. It will be an onerous task to find a suitable replacement that will appease the disenchanted Hoops support.

The Celtic board have failed once with Mowbray – they won't want to get the wrong man again.

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