It’s the day for Scottish football draws

After the excitement of the Euro 2012 draw, attention returns to the Scottish Cup. Dunfermline take on Celtic at East End Park and the draw will follow on Wednesday at Hampden Park, with Sky Sports and all the usual media comedy acts probably shoe horning it in somewhere.

5 of the 7 cup matches played yesterday were concluded so the draw is certainly clearer than the last round. Only two replays are required so St Mirren, Aberdeen, Rangers and Raith Rovers all remain in the draw even though two of these clubs will progress no further than the replay.

The teams that will be involved in the draw for the Active Nation Scottish Cup 6th Round draw are:

Dundee
Dundee United
Kilmarnock
Ross County
Hibs
Raith Rovers / Aberdeen
St Mirren / Rangers

And either Dunfermline or Celtic (or both if its a draw) depending on the outcome to today’s lunchtime match

Is your team still in the cup and do you think it could be your year?

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Mowbray faced with more defensive restructuring

Yet again, Celtic will have to tinker with their defence as Andreas Hinkel and Jos Hooiveld are ruled out with the injuries they suffered at Rugby Park. Hinkel could well be replaced by Paul Caddis and Darren O’Dea should be available to come in for Hooiveld.

Lee Naylor is supposedly fit for action, news which won’t please many Celtic fans but loan singing Braafheid is back in the country and has trained with the squad. Whether Mowbray decides to change his defence even further is another matter.

As for the rest of the squad, you’d be as well sticking pins on a sheet to try and determine who will play. Shaun Maloney and Paddy McCourt are still on the injury list but Mowbray should have a full array of midfielders and strikers to choose from.

Will new captain Scott Brown be selected?

Will Robbie Keane be given his next chance to break his duck?

Will Kamara be played wide and will Aiden McGeady be given an official day off as opposed to the days off he has given himself in recent weeks?

It’s a tricky situation for Celtic. Anything other than a convincing win will earn them criticism and any draw or defeat will have the fans despairing and the knives being sharpened further for Tony Mowbray. Any win in the cup is the all-important thing but the PLC board may appreciate a draw.

After all, they still have one non-league match to provide for the season book punters.

Dunfermline will be going all out to ensure Tony Mowbray has another awful day at the office but have a number of players unavailable to them.

New signing Sam Morrow was not registered in time to play in this game and it is felt that Gary Mason is short of match fitness. This will please Celtic fans who already think there are too many masons in Scottish football.

Can the Pars shock Celtic?

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Dunfermline win appeal and get to replay their tie

With Dunfermline winning their appeal against their expulsion from the Scottish Cup, there is still a bit to resolve before all the fifth round ties are sorted but things are a lot clearer than they were a few days ago.

Dunfermline were clear winners so the expulsion (and possibly even the replay) will seem like bureaucracy gone mad for some folk. That said, it is by nowhere near the first time the Pars have messed up with the administration side but with the SFA continually letting them off the hook, where is the incentive for them to improve?

Perhaps a fairer punishment would be to put John Yorkston in the stocks and allow people to throw piping hot bridies at his face? If the money went to charity it would overtake the annual amount given to Children In Need!

Anyways, the two replays are:

Stenhousemuir v Dunfermline and
Raith Rovers v Airdrie United (this tie to be played on Monday 25th Jan)

Active Nation Fifth Round ties are:

Dundee v Ayr
Hibernian v Montrose
Kilmarnock v Inverness CT
Raith/Airdrie v Aberdeen
Ross County v Stirling
St Johnstone v Dundee United
St Mirren v Rangers
Stenhousemuir/Dunfermline v Celtic

BBC announced today that they had selected St Mirren v Rangers as their televised tie with the game having a Saturday lunchtime kick-off. This leaves Sky with a game to choose and they may well be waiting to see if Dunfermline can overcome Stenhousemuir legally to set up a tie v Celtic.

Are you still up for the Cup?

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