England: Drogba set to leave Euro champs Chelsea
Didier Drogba is set to leave European champions Chelsea after eight years
Didier Drogba will be leaving European champions Chelsea FC, it has been announced by the club today. The Ivorian, who signed for the West London club from Olympique Marseille in 2004-05, has scored 157 goals in 341 games for the Blues and won an assortment of medals including three English Premier League, four FA Cups, two League Cups, two FA Community Shields and the UEFA Champions League. The latter he won in Saturday’s final in which Drogba scored the equalizer in the last minute of normal time before going on to score the winning penalty in the shoot-out. It is understood that Drogba now seeks a fresh challenge elsewhere with China looking the most likely destination, having been linked strongly with Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.
England: Kenny Dalglish sacked by Liverpool
Dalglish had a difficult time at Liverpool this season
It has been announced in the last hour that Kenny Dalglish has been sacked as Liverpool FC manager after just 18 months in charge. After taking over from Roy Hodgson in January 2011, Dalglish initially steadied the ship at Anfield towards the end of the 2010-11 season but has found it much more difficult in the 2011-12 season in which his club finished eighth in the English Premier League although he did take the club to two domestic cup finals.
Dalglish came back to the job due to popular demand following a wretched six month period in which his predecessor Roy Hodgson had been in charge. With Liverpool just six points off the relegation zone when he arrived, Dalglish made an impact towards the end of the 2010-11 season by taking the club up to a respectable sixth place. Hopes had been high for the 2011-12 season after the club signed core British talent such as Jordan Henderson, Stuart Downing and Charlie Adam to play alongside those that had been signed in the previous January transfer window such as Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll. Sadly for Dalglish his signings never really imposed themselves on the pitch with £35m recruit Carrol in particular coming in for lots of criticism until he started putting in a string of decent performances towards the end of this season. One thing is for sure, the likes of Downing and Henderson, who in my opinion have been every bit as poor as Carroll ever had been, should be thanking Carroll for keeping their mostly inept performances out of the headlines.
An argument that was bandied about throughout the campaign was that Liverpool were putting in some good performances but just not getting the luck but to use such arguments would be to pull the wool over one’s eyes. The fact that Liverpool hit the woodwork 33 times throughout the season should not be defended as a sign that the club were just unlucky, it is a sign that the players were not doing enough of what they are paid to do: score goals and win games. Liverpool had only lost three games in the Premier League at the half way stage and were lying in sixth place, eleven points behind both Manchester City and United. At the season’s end the club had lost fourteen league matches out of 38 and were a massive thirty seven points behind the top two, only qualifying for European football on the back of a hard-fought Carling Cup final victory against second-tier side Cardiff City.
But it wasn’t just on the pitch where Liverpool found life difficult. The Luis Suarez race row, in which he was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, saw the club involved in many a PR disaster and Dalglish’s handling of the situation saw him brandished as arrogant and out-of-touch with the modern game. The game against Wigan Athletic in December saw the Liverpool team warming up before the match in T-shirts supporting Suarez in a move which fanned the flames before Liverpool were involved in two crucial league and cup matches against United early in 2012. After winning the cup game without Suarez in January, Liverpool then went to Old Trafford for a Premier League game in early February. Before kick-off there was controversy when Suarez refused to shake hands with Evra before the game and the move was damaging not just to Suarez as an individual but to Dalglish and his club who were always on the back foot before the club issued a long-awaited apology a week later. Unfortunately for Dalglish, in an era when football is as obsessed with public relations as it is with money, his press conferences were usually tetchy affairs which left a lot to be desired in terms of presenting the right image of the club to the wider world.
It was a culmination of on-field performances and results – barring the Carling Cup victory – and off-the-field public relations disasters that have ended up with Dalglish losing his job. Amongst the fans “King Kenny” will always be a legend, and rightly so, but it seems that a significant number of Liverpool supporters had already begun to think the unthinkable and reason that the club would be better off appointing a new manager for the 2012-13 season, a rationale that owner John W. Henry and representatives of the Fenway Sports Group concurred with after a number of meetings with Dalglish over the last 24 hours. The signs had been there in recent weeks with the sackings of director of football Damien Comolli and director of communications Ian Cotton and rumours had already been circulating on social media regarding Dalglish’s position which were then confirmed in a statement by the club which read:
“Kenny Dalglish is to leave his post today as manager after having his contract terminated. After a careful and deliberative review of the season, the club came to the decision that a change was appropriate. It is not a decision that was reached lightly or hastily. The search for a new manager will begin immediately.”
Wigan Athletic coach Roberto Martinez has initially been installed as the favourite to take the job but a host of other names including current Swansea City boss Brendan Rodgers and former coach Rafael Benitez, who is currently without a club, are also in the frame.
England: Holders out as United triumph in Manchester derby
Wayne Rooney celebrates as Manchester United win at neighbours City
The FA Cup third round saw very few shocks this weekend but did see some interesting results and a bit of controversy along the way.
In the tie of the round cup holders Manchester City lost in the derby match against record holders Manchester United by three goals to two. The Red Devils, who were the visitors to City’s Etihad Stadium, took a 3-0 lead going into the half-time break thanks to a brace from Wayne Rooney and a super strike from Danny Welbeck. Ten man City, who saw defender Vincent Kompany harshly sent off for a two-footed tackle on Nani as early as the tenth minute, did well to pull two goals back through Alexsandar Kolorov and Sergio Aguero but the dream comeback ended incomplete as United held out to eliminate their neighbours. United will now face arch-rivals Liverpool FC in the 4th round with another away trip looming for the Old Trafford outfit.
On Friday evening Liverpool’s third round tie at home to Oldham Athletic ended in a flattering 5-1 victory over the League 1 (third-tier) side but ended on a sour note with Oldham’s Tom Adeyemi on the receiving end of some alleged abuse from a home supporter. This episode along with the never-ending row regarding the Luis Suarez/Patrice Evra affair, in which the latter accused the former of using racist language against him, continues to hang over the Anfield club who now need to move on and focus on football and regain some of the credibility which has been lost in recent weeks.
In other ties the main shocks came at League 2 Swindon Town who disposed of Premier League outfit Wigan Athletic with a 2-1 win. League 1 outfit Sheffield Wednesday got the better of West Ham United from the Championship (second-tier) with a late goal from Chris O’Grady separating the two sides. There would be no such upset at Stamford Bridge on Sunday where, in a repeat of the 2010 final, six-time winners Chelsea FC defeated Portsmouth FC 4-0 with Ramires bagging a brace for the West London side. Sunderland continue to flourish under the guidance of Martin O’Neill, this time winning away to Peterborough United. Sebastian Larsson proved influential for the Black Cats by scoring the opening goal and creating the second for James McClean as the Mackems notched up a fourth win in five games since O’Neill’s tenure began and will face a trip to nearby Middlesbrough in the next round.
It all pretty much went to form however as the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Aston Villa saw off lower league opposition in the form of Cheltenham Town, Tamworth and Bristol Rovers respectively whilst Newcastle United’s impressive season continued with a 2-1 home win against Premier League strugglers Blackburn Rovers.
FA CUP FOURTH ROUND DRAW
Brighton & Hove Albion/Wrexham v Newcastle
Sunderland v Middlesbrough
Dagenham & Redbridge or Millwall/Southampton
Hull City v Crawley
MK Dons/Queens Park Rangers v Chelsea
West Bromwich Albion v Norwich City
Blackpool v Sheffield Wednesday
Arsenal/Leeds United v Aston Villa
Stevenage Borough v Notts County
Watford v Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool v Manchester United
Derby County v Stoke City
Everton v Fulham
Macclesfield Town/Bolton Wanderers v Swansea
Sheffield United v Birmingham City/Wolverhampton Wanderers
Nottingham Forest /Leicester City v Swindon
Ties to be played on the weekend of 28-29 January, 2012.
UK: 2011 Festive football preview
Will Manchester City still top the English league after Christmas?
While the rest of European football shuts down for a well-earned break at Christmas time there is no such luxury in the United Kingdom. It has long been a traditional within the Home Nations to continue over the festive period and this season will should see some interesting action.
In England there is the very real possibility of the top two teams pushing away from all the rest to indulge in their own private dual to win the Barclays Premier League. Manchester City (Played 17, Points 44) will top the standings on Christmas Day for the first time since 1929 but they only have a two point advantage over arch-rivals United who, as usual at this time of year, are peaking are just the right time. Having trailed City by seven points only a few weeks ago, United are now breathing down their neighbours’ necks and have dropped only two points out of the last 24 available since they suffered an embarrassing 6-1 at the hands of City in the Manchester derby.
City will hope to preserve their place at the top but will face tough challenges against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Boxing Day followed by a home tie against a Sunderland team revitalized since Martin O’Neill became their manager a fortnight ago. Roberto Mancin’s men have done well to remain at the top given all of the antics happening on and off the field. The Carlos Tevez saga has annoyed and bored everybody in equal measure whilst Mario Balotelli remains a constant source of fascination whether he is setting off fireworks in his home United, meanwhile, will play two home games, both of which look very winnable on paper. Wigan Athletic have taken points from both Chelsea and Liverpool in their last two games but recent history suggests that the Latics will do very well to take anything off United as the Lancashire side have lost every game against United in thirteen matches since they came into the Premier League in 2005. Blackburn Rovers are the visitors to Old Trafford on New Year’s Eve with Rovers fans’ campaign to get rid of their coach Steve Kean likely to take up the headlines going into that match.
In case either of the Manchester teams slip up Tottenham Hotspur are still the best placed team to take advantage despite their 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea FC on Thursday night. Spurs face two of last season’s three promoted sides in the form of Norwich City and Swansea City over the festive period. Three-time Premier League champions Chelsea hope to maintain their top four ambitions with wins in the local derby at home to Fulham FC and against struggling Aston Villa. Just outside of the Champions League places Arsenal FC have two home games against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Queens Park Rangers whilst Liverpool, who have had to contend with recent allegations of racism towards star player Luis Suarez, also have two home games with Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United providing the opposition. Nothing less than six points will do for the Reds who have struggled for consistency and dropped too many points against teams they should’ve beaten this season. If Kenny Dalglish’s men are to challenge for the Champions League spots then they really need to start a good run from here.
Will Ally McCoist be celebrating further success in the Old Firm derby on Wednesday?
In Scotland defending champions Glasgow Rangers (Played 19, Points 48) have an early kick off today away to St Mirren with three points essential if the Gers are to at least preserve their current four point lead going into next Wednesday’s Old Firm derby against eternal rivals Glasgow Celtic. Neil Lennon’s Celtic side have a home tie against sixth placed Kilmarnock today with the former having enjoyed a run of seven straight wins following a tough start to the season. Old Firm games always have something riding on them and Wednesday’s encounter will be no exception. The first meeting between Rangers and Celtic this season saw the former etch out a 4-2 win over the latter after Celtic had led the game 2-1 at half-time. Celtic, however, will have home advantage next time and go into the game in better form. Even so coach Lennon must prove that this is a Celtic team that will be capable of taking the champions all the way in this season’s title race following a three year title drought at Parkhead.
Outside of the Old Firm, Motherwell have had a great season under Stuart McCall and they hope to continue their impressive form with wins against Heart of Midlothian, who have been beset by internal upheaval with players in dispute over unpaid wages throughout the season, and Dunfermline who are currently bottom of the table on goal difference with Edinburgh side Hibernian just above them on goal difference. Speaking of Hibs they will face local rivals Heart of Midlothian in the capital city derby on January 2nd in a game neither club dare lose given their current predicaments.
In the Welsh Premier League there is currently an exciting tussle at the top with the best three sides – Llanelli AFC, The New Saints and Bangor City – all separated by just two points. With just two games left before the twelve team league is split up into two groups of six it is imperative for clubs to see out 2011 on a high. League leaders Llanelli (Played 20, Points 45) will face off home and away against fourth place Neath Athletic, who are ten points behind the league leaders, whilst The New Saints and defending champions Bangor City will also face double headers against Newtown and Prestatyn Town respectively.
In Northern Ireland table toppers Linfield FC (Played 22, Points 52) have a five point lead over Portadown and Cliftonville going into the festive period. Record champions Linfield, who won their 50th championship last season, will meet fifth placed Glentoran and ninth placed Glenavon over the next seven days. Should Linfield slip up then Portadown and Cliftonville will be looking to close the gap. Portadown, whose last league title came in 2002, have games against Glenavon and sixth placed Crusaders to look forward to whilst Cliftonville, whose most recent title triumph came in 1998, meet Crusaders and fourth placed Coleraine FC.
UEFA: English clubs involved in glamour European ties
Following today’s draws in the European club competitions one can’t help but feel that there could’ve been some tastier matches upon the horizon going into the knockout rounds of each competition. Nonetheless the teams that do remain in each tournament will have their eyes firmly focused on the big prize.
In the UEFA Champions League the tie of the round appears to be that between seven-time European champions AC Milan and English side Arsenal FC. The former, following a couple of lean years since they won their most recent Champions League title in 2007, are hoping to show Europe that they mean business once again. Arsenal, however, have gradually built up confidence and consistency since a terrible beginning to the current campaign and these sides look more evenly matched than in recent years. Amongst the other games there is a big welcome to Cypriot champions APOEL Nicosia who, having topped their group, will meet French side Olympique Lyonnais in the next round and SSC Napoli whose maiden Champions League campaign will continue with an interesting tie against Chelsea FC. Defending European champions FC Barcelona have been given a fairly easy tie on paper, due to go up against German vice champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 DRAW
Lyon v APOEL Nicosia
Napoli SSC v Chelsea FC
AC Milan v Arsenal
FC Basel v FC Bayern
Bayer 04 Leverkusen v FC Barcelona
CSKA Moscow v Real Madrid
Zenit Saint Petersburg v SL Benfica
Olympique Marseille v Internazionale
In the UEFA Europa League the English clubs have been given some fascinating ties. Manchester United, who will now play for the only trophy yet to be won by Sir Alex Ferguson in his wonderful career, begin their quest with a tie against four-time European champions Ajax Amsterdam. Manchester City, fresh from elimination from arguably the toughest Champions League group against SSC Napoli, FC Bayern and Villarreal CF, will meet defending Europa League title holders FC Porto. Stoke City, for whom this is a first European campaign since 1974, play 2004 UEFA Cup winners Valencia CF. Amongst the other ties 2010 Europa League winners Atletico de Madrid plays against the last ever Cup Winners Cup champion SS Lazio and last season’s defeated finalists Sporting Braga continue their Europa League odyssey with a tough encounter against Turkish side Besiktas.
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 32 DRAW
FC Porto v Manchester City
Ajax Amsterdam v Manchester United
Lokomotiv Moscow v Athletic Bilbao
Red Bull Salzburg v Metalist Kharkiv
Stoke City v Valencia CF
Rubin Kazan v Olympiakos
AZ Alkmaar v RSC Anderlecht
SS Lazio v Atletico de Madrid
Steaua Bucharest v FC Twente Enschede
Viktoria Plzen v Schalke 04
Wisla Krakow v Standard Liege
Sporting Braga v Besiktas
Udinese Calcio v PAOK Thessaloniki
Trabzonspor v PSV Eindhoven
Hannover 96 v Club Brugge
Legia Warszawa v Sporting Lisbon
UK: Shock news of Wales coach Gary Speed’s death
Gary Speed, who died today, was 42 years old
An announcement has been made by the Football Association of Wales today with the shock news of the untimely death of former Leeds United, Newcastle United, Everton, Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield United and Wales star Gary Speed. The news has shocked all of the football scene in the United Kingdom, and in his native Wales in particular, his national team he had recently led to three successive wins and had signalled a turn in fortunes since he took the job in February this year.
His greatest honour as a player came with the triumphant Leeds United First Division title winning side of 1991-92, the last season before the top-flight became the Premier League, plus he also appeared for his favourite boyhood team Everton and appeared in back-to-back FA Cup finals with Newcastle United in 1998 and 1999, albeit on the losing side on both occasions. He also became the most capped outfield player with 85 caps for his country and became the first player to clock up 500 Premier League appearances, scoring in every season in which he was a professional footballer.
Stoppage Time would like to send its condolences to his family and friends at this most traumatic time.
UK: Wonder goal helps Coleraine to victory (+video)
A wonder goal from Johnny Black helped Coleraine FC win their latest match at home to Portadown FC in the Northern Ireland Premiership.
His goal helped restore parity to the game after the visitors took the lead through Kevin Braniff in the fifth minute of the game. Following Black’s wonder goal in the 17th minute Tim Mouncey put Portadown back in front with just three minutes of the first half remaining only for the home side to equalize in stoppage time through Shane Jennings. The game continued in topsy-turvy fashion after the break as Coleraine took the lead for the first time midway through the second half thanks to Stephen Lowry but Portadown would ensure a grandstand finish as Jamie Tomelty made it 3-3 with five minutes to play. The winning goal in this entertaining contest came with two minutes left on the clock as Lowry bagged his second goal of the game to seal all three points for the home side who now lie in seventh place in the twelve team Premiership.
For Portadown they were left to rue the dropped points as perennial champions Linfield FC moved three points ahead at the top of the table thanks to a 2-1 away win at Ballymena whilst Cliftonville moved above Portadown into second place with a narrow 1-0 win over Glentoran which was secured in the last minute through Ryan Catney.
England: London pride dented by cream of Manchester
Pre-season expectations have been dampened in North London as both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC succumbed to heavy defeats by Manchester clubs City and United respectively with the two northern giants beginning to look the most likely candidates to fight it out for the English championship crown.
Tottenham Hotspur began the weekend at the bottom of the Barclays Premier League table but they had only played one game due to their opening home match of the season against Everton FC being called off due to the recent rioting that affected England’s capital city. Despite performing well in the UEFA Europa League qualifying stages, Spurs’ first match of the domestic campaign saw the White Hart Lane club lose 3-0 away at champions Manchester United while yesterday’s 5-1 hammering at the hands of Manchester City compounded the misery further for coach Harry Redknapp and his club whose ambitions to fight for the title already look shattered even at such an early stage of the season.
The only consolation for Tottenham was that their bitter rivals Arsenal FC have had just as traumatic an opening to the new season. Before yesterday’s soul-destroying 8-2 defeat to Manchester United, Arsenal had only picked up a point from their opening two Premier League games away at Newcastle United and at home to Liverpool. Despite the consolation of scoring their first Premier League goals of the season reality is surely hitting home for coach Arsene Wenger who increasingly looks ill-equipped to do anything about the situation.
Indeed it’s been a difficult summer for both Redknapp and Wenger, both of whom have had to deal with a deluge of questions regarding want away players such as Luka Modric, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. Modric started for Spurs in yesterday’s defeat and it has emerged that the player himself had asked before the game not to be featured. With the transfer window due to finally close on Wednesday it is looking like Modric’s proposed departure to Chelsea would be best for everyone concerned. Arsenal’s enforced parting of Fabregas (FC Barcelona) and Nasri, who linked up well with Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko in his first game for Manchester City yesterday, have shown that Arsenal are yet to do anything about addressing their major weaknesses. The sad fact of the matter for Wenger, however, is that he has continually sold some of his club’s best players in recent years without finding adequate replacements. It was obvious to everybody last season that the club lacked quality at the back and a leader in the midfield and these concerns still remain in the air and is beginning to make many Arsenal fans doubt Wenger’s ability to carry on in the job.
At the top of the table the two Manchester clubs continue to go from strength to strength and they are the only clubs in the English Premier League to have a 100% record after three games. Manchester United got most of their pre-season targets and the likes of Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David de Gea are starting to fit in nicely at Old Trafford. Manchester City, meanwhile, have spent countless millions on propping up an already talented squad of players and with new signings Kun Aguero and Samir Nasri featuring so prominently already in their fledgling City careers then it is clear to see that the future looks bright for the Eastlands club. The two Manchester giants won the league (United) and the cup (City) between them last season, the first time this had occurred since 1955-56, and with the talent and the money at both clubs’ disposal then the immediate future looks bright for them and seemingly bleak for everybody else. Even Chelsea and Liverpool, who have both started off well with two wins and a draw in their opening three league games, still seem a bit off the pace but those clubs do at least have more reason to be optimistic than the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham at the moment in light of recent performances.
There are 35 games to go and fortunes can turn around quickly in football. However the minimum that both north London clubs want at the end of the season is to qualify for the UEFA Champions League but with decline seemingly setting in at Arsenal and the increased competition for the top four spots for the likes of Tottenham to worry about, things are definitely looking better if you’re a Mancunian rather than a Londoner at the moment.
Premier Leagues under way in all four corners of the UK
Steven Reid's own goal helped Manchester United to a 2-1 win
All of the four major championships in the United Kingdom are under way for the 2011-12 season. The big kick-off took place in the English and Welsh Premier Leagues on Saturday whilst the Northern Irish championship and Scottish Premier Leagues are two and four weeks old respectively.
It may only be the opening weekend but The Barclays Premier League saw, just like in previous seasons, yet another round of games in which champions Manchester United enjoyed a late win whilst many of their title rivals dropped points to lesser teams. Sir Alex Ferguson’s United were being held 1-1 by West Bromwich Albion before a Steven Reid own goal gave the Red Devils three points with eight minutes remaining. This happened on a weekend in which Chelsea (0-0 v Stoke City), Arsenal (0-0 v Newcastle United) and Liverpool (1-1 v Sunderland) all faltered early on to ensure that the Premier League kept up its tendency to allow perennial champions United the opportunity to take advantage of opposition ineptitude. Bolton Wanderers take the plaudits for their 4-0 thrashing away to newly-promoted Queen’s Park Rangers whilst Wolverhampton Wanderers came from behind to defeat Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at Ewood Park. There were opening day draws for Fulham (0-0 v Aston Villa) and Wigan Athletic (1-1 v Norwich City) whilst Manchester City begin their campaign at home to Swansea City on Monday night. The game between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, scheduled to be played at White Hart Lane on Saturday, was postponed due to the recent rioting that affected the area last week.
The Welsh Premier League also began this weekend with a win for the champions Bangor City. In a highly entertaining game Bangor gained some revenge for their Welsh Cup final defeat last season to Llanelli AFC by defeating the same opponents by three goals to two. Alan Bull scored twice including the winner in the 85th minute to ensure that the champions got off to winning ways. The biggest winners of the opening weekend were Neath Athletic for whom Lee Trundle scored twice in a 4-2 win over Aberystwyth Town. Elsewhere the other two teams enjoying a winning start to the new season were Newtown AFC (1-0 v Carmarthen Town) and Prestatyn Town (1-0 v Afan Lido) whilst five-time champions The New Saints could only draw 1-1 to Bala Town which was the same score line seen at the Airbus UK versus Port Talbot Town fixture.
The Carling Premiership sees familiar faces at the top of the table with both Linfield FC and Glentoran FC as the only teams to enjoy a 100% record after two matches. Defending title holders Linfield FC put five past Donegal Celtic this weekend with Philip Lowry getting on the score sheet four times in their 5-0 win. Glentoran FC scored both goals in their 2-0 win over Dungannon Swifts in the first half as an Adam McMinn own goal and Darren Boyce strike sealed the three points for the home side. Elsewhere Ballymena United and Cliftonville followed up opening day wins with closely fought draws with the former involved in a thrilling 3-3 at home to Glenavon and the latter saw a first half lead equalized midway through the second half by a Leon Knight goal in a 1-1 draw.
The Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League began a couple of weeks early this season and, having played four matches so far, Motherwell FC are currently enjoying life at the top of the table. They sealed their third win of the season this Saturday when defeating St Mirren 1-0 thanks to a Tom Hateley free-kick in the penultimate minute of the match. Both of the Old Firm also enjoyed wins as Glasgow Celtic thrashed Dundee United 5-1 while Glasgow Rangers made hard work of a 2-0 win away at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. With the Old Firm having a game in hand Motherwell may not find themselves in first place for very long. At the bottom of the table Aberdeen FC find themselves struggling along with Inverness and Perth-based St Johnstone as the only clubs in the league without a win. It is a blow for former Scotland coach Craig Brown who left Motherwell FC in controversial circumstances last season to take up the job at Pittodrie which has become something of a poisoned chalice in recent seasons.
Scotland: Same old names favourites for the title
Ally McCoist (right) has now taken over predecessor Walter Smith at Rangers
The Scottish Premier League (SPL) returns to action earlier than usual having been brought forward by three weeks. The feeling is that an earlier start to the season will help those clubs who are to represent Scotland in UEFA club competition be more prepared from a fitness point of view as well as make fixture congestion less likely to occur later on in the campaign. This move follows last season’s chaotic finish due to the harsh winter that affected the league midway through the campaign.
Champions Glasgow Rangers are looking forward to a new era under the guidance of club legend Ally McCoist. The former Scotland international striker will be fighting it out, although one hopes not literally, with his counterpart from arch rivals Glasgow Celtic Neil Lennon who, in his second full season, will expect to go one better than last season and win the SPL title. There is no love lost between the two managers who are both strongly associated with their clubs from their playing days. The two almost came to blows after a fiery Scottish Cup match last season with the rivalry between the two clubs reaching boiling point as they met seven times in all competitions. Last season saw Rangers clinch a record extending 54th Scottish championship by just a single point following a last day 5-1 victory away at Kilmarnock.
But now that Walter Smith has finally left the Ibrox club it is hoped by fans of the Hoops that Lennon may just have his turn to win the title for Celtic which would be their first championship in four seasons. But the clubs will have to make do with most of last season’s squads as neither club has had a lot to play with in the summer transfer window. It says much about the parlous state of Scottish football that even the Old Firm clubs are reduced to signing players on a limited budget. Victor Wanyama and Juan Manuel Ortiz, Celtic and Rangers’ most expensive signings this summer respectively, were signed for the modest sums of £1 million and £500,000 whilst all of the other SPL clubs have had to offload players before they can buy or have made the most out of free transfers and loan deals in the summer period.
Neil Lennon won the cup with Celtic last season. Will he win the SPL this time?
In the annual race to finish best of the rest the usual suspects such as Heart of Midlothian and Dundee United will be prominent in the fight for third place and maybe one of the cup competitions although both teams have been very limited in adding to their squads thus far. The likes of Aberdeen and Hibernian, both of whom would normally expect to finish in the top six, struggled last season with respective finishes of ninth and tenth. Both Colin Calderwood (Hibernian) and Craig Brown (Aberdeen) joined their clubs as manager in 2010 so have only been at the helm for just over half a year and will hope that their squad changes will herald better fortune. Motherwell have shown some consistency in recent years having finished in the top six three times in the last four seasons and will hope to continue such form under Stuart McCall who replaced Craig Brown at Fir Park last season whilst Kilmarnock hope to progress from their fifth place finish in 2010-11 and compete for a European place.
Amongst the likes of St Johnstone, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and St Mirren the realistic target at the start of the new campaign will be to preserve their Premier League status. All of those clubs finished comfortably ahead of Hamilton Academicals at the end of last season but won’t know what to expect from newly promoted Dunfermline Athletic this time around. Last season’s First Division champions Dunfermline have recruited mainly from the lower leagues but hopes are high at the club that manager Jim McIntyre can surprise a few people and help the club remain competitive throughout the season.
Dunfermline Athletic are back in the SPL following their promotion
On the opening weekend of the season Glasgow Rangers will perform the traditional unfurling of the championship flag at home to Heart of Midlothian on Saturday lunchtime with Aberdeen meeting St Johnstone and Motherwell playing Inverness CT later that day. Another clash of Scotland’s two biggest cities happens on Sunday when Edinburgh club Hibernian meet Glasgow Celtic at Easter Road with Dundee United having a home tie against Kilmarnock on the same day. The final match of the opening round will take place on Monday night as Dunfermline will unfurl the First Division championship flag at home to St Mirren.
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