Hearts secure in 3rd as well

It was almost a night of complete closure in the SPL this evening with results tying up most of the outstanding issues and even the one remaining issue could be completed tomorrow.

Hamilton have threatened to keep themselves in the top flight but their hopes ended tonight with a defeat against St Johnstone. This meant that St Mirren didn’t have to win at Pittodrie but a cracking 1-0 away win sealed the Lanarkshire side’s fate and places the Buddies three points behind Aberdeen. The fact that Danny Lennon’s men sit just 2 goals behind Craig Brown’s team could see the Buddies leapfrog the Dons on the final day of the season.

It was a disappointing loss for Brown but he got a massive result earlier in the day when the SFA decided he was to receive nothing stronger than a censure for his behaviour on the touchline with John Boyle. Nothing is surprising anymore about the SFA disciplinary panels and reviews so no one can be shocked about Brown being let off with this, the second time the former Scotland manager has behaved in a poor manner on the touchline this season.

At Ibrox, Rangers came flying out of the blocks in Walter Smith’s last home game of his Ibrox career and buried Dundee United with a spirited opening. The game wasn’t even a minute old before Steven Naismith went down in the box, a feat he repeated moments later but the opener was to come from the £4m hit man and Rangers buy of the season, Nikica Jelavic.

Jelavic made Gary Kenneth look foolish (well, no more so than the Hills Have Eyes star usually looks) by creating acres of space in the box and directing the ball home. The lead was doubled when Rangers man for a title run-in, Kyle Lafferty neatly finished.

Knowing it was job done, Rangers downed tools, keeping a poor United side at bay without ever exerting themselves. The league could be won tomorrow night if Hearts beat Celtic but even if the hoops do avoid defeat in what will be a battle at Tynecastle, Rangers will complete the job in style at Rugby Park on Sunday.

With the P.A. system making Smith man of the match and the Rangers fans unfurling a banner declaring the boss to be a legned (sic), there were plenty of tears for the final home bow of a man who was worked wonders during his two spells at the Ibrox club.

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A massive win last week but odds still against the Accies

There has almost been an air of expectancy over Hamilton’s position in the top-flight and even though last weekend’s triumph in Paisley kept their dreams alive, the club needs to do it again and hope results go in their favour. And that is not just for this weekend…but in all the remaining relevant fixtures.

A home game versus Hibs, who lost to St Johnstone last timer around presents the Accies with the chance to go at it again and if Hamilton fans want to have a team in the top flight, they should get themselves along to the ground. Then again, if Hamilton fans cared about having a team in the top flight, they should have bothered turning up over the course, a feat all but the hard-core have failed to do.

However, now is not the time for recriminations…it is the time for a massive performance and then see what happens.

There is every chance that St Mirren will go up North and get at least a point against Caley. Some will say this is madness after Inverness’ big win against Celtic but if anything, this just makes it all the more likely that the Saints will take something from it.

Caley put everything into the match on Wednesday and as many other teams have found, it is difficult to reach that level of performance two games in a row. Beating Celtic gave everyone at Caley a massive lift but there may well be a come down to follow and Danny Lennon should have his team fired up to take advantage from any sign of lack of commitment from the home side.

It really is still against Hamilton Accies and Saturday may be the day when their battle against the drop falls away. After the previous two seasons, it has been a shame the way that Hamilton have fallen away this season but it was always a risk with the business model of the club. Hopefully the youth system at the club can bring forth another set of youngsters which will have them back in the top flight and looking to play football as opposed to the mainly turgid fare that has been delivered this campaign.

There is no suggestion that Billy Reid will be relieved of his duties if the Accies go down but you can’t help but think the manager will be rueing not moving on when his stock was high, much like some of the players he developed.

The 1st Division is not an easy league to get out of but if they are to go down, Hamilton may find that league reconstruction gives them an easier route back…especially as the opposition to the 10 team league doesn’t look like going away.

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It’s not over but Accies look doomed

Given that the Accies have not won in the SPL since October of last year, their fans must have been delirious at half-time with a 1-0 lead over St Mirren. Of course, given that the Accies have not won in the SPL since October of last year, it couldn’t have been much of a surprise when St Mirren came out in the second half and blew them away.

A Michael Higdon hat-trick means there is a 9 point gap between Hamilton and St Mirren and the buddies have a game in hand, so it’s not looking bright for the Lanarkshire team.

Before the split, Hamilton play Rangers at home and Hibs away. St Mirren are at home to Aberdeen and then travel to both of the Glasgow sides. These are all tricky games but St Mirren v Aberdeen looks like the one where either of these sides look most likely to pick up points so the gap could be even wider by the time the split begins.

The fact that Hamilton will welcome St Mirren after the spirit will give them hope and the Accies fans and management team will no doubt be saying this is the time to come alive and it’s not too late. However, the second half capitulation in Paisley, after going down to 10 men, was no surprise and indicative of a team who have been poor throughout the campaign.

It is easy to feel a bit of sympathy for Hamilton and Billy Reid. They brought through a lot of good players and have players progress to success down South, something which few Scottish teams can claim. The problem is though, there is still a need to put a team on the park that is capable of challenging and Hamilton have failed badly this season.

It is not quite over but it is looking increasingly likely that the Accies are heading back to the First Division and there are certainly no guarantees they will be able to bounce back in a season…

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Good wins for the Edinburgh sides

It is hard to get a good measure of the bottom half of the SPL due to the uneven nature of games that teams have played this season but even with this in mind, things are starting to look grim for Hamilton Accies. Winning their game in hand over St Mirren will push them two points behind the Buddies but on current form, Billy Reid would much rather have points on the board than the opportunity to win them.

Facing Hearts is not an easy task this season but yet again, the Accies were dismissed quite easily and with Hibs looking as though they have remembered how to win matches, it may well be that St Mirren are the only team that Hamilton will have a chance of overtaking.

These two sides don’t clash until the 2nd of April but on current form, there may not be too much of a difference in their points tally then from what there is today.

This is possibly harsh on St Mirren who once again showed battling qualities against Inverness Caley, even if they were unable to finish off their opponents. Turning around an early deficit to lead 2-1 within half an hour showed great qualities from St Mirren but chucking that lead away within three minutes is a sign of a team lacking in confidence. Caley again grabbed the lead around the hour mark only to be pegged back with 15 minutes to go.

A late winner would have meant the world to Danny Lennon and St Mirren but it wasn’t to be on another mixed day for St Mirren. Battling qualities are essential when you are near the bottom of the league and turning around deficits will breed confidence. However, continually throwing goals away is a major problem and one that St Mirren must overcome to put daylight between them and the Accies.

St Mirren need to start winning because Hibs look as though they will start moving up the table and today’s win over Killie will provide a lot of breathing space for Colin Calderwood. Hibs are now 8 points above the Accies and even though Billy Reid’s men have 2 games in hand over Hibs, you would not bank on hem taking 6 points. It is probably too much to ask for Hibs to make the top six but they should motor away from the relegation dogfight before too long.

It’s shaping up to be a tight finish for Billy Reid and Danny Lennon.

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Hamilton no answer to Rangers attacking force

With Celtic opening up an 8 point gap at the top, albeit having played 4 games more, Rangers had it all to do at home to Hamilton. The Accies were on a high after somehow scraping a point against Celtic on Wednesday night but with 5 changes made to that team, it was unlikely the Lanarkshire team would take anything from the game.

Then again, it was looking troubling for Rangers for the first 20 or so minutes but once the deadlock was broken, there was only one team in it. Vladimir Weiss drove home from 25 years to get Ibrox on its feet and the champions on their way to victory.

The Slovakian, regardless of the flags on sale outside Ibrox, then worked some magic a few moments later and was hauled down in the box. Steven Whittaker replicated his success of Monday night and rattled the ball home to double the Rangers lead.

On the stroke of half-time, Weiss scored again to finish the game as a contest and the only discussion point left was whether Rangers would push on or preserve energy for future matches.

Unsurprisingly, with the job done, Rangers took their foot off the gas and were content to see the match out. Match-winner Weiss was subbed but it was a player that came on that added the finishing touch to the match. Fan favourite Maurice Edu is finding his way back after injury and his strike will have been pleasing to the player, management and Ibrox fans.

So, the gap is down to 5 points and Rangers still have three games in hand over their city rivals. With Inverness Caley to come on Tuesday night, the gap could be down to two before the middle of the week and Rangers fans will breathe a lot more easily.

It looks as though we have a title race this season….but of course, that could all change in a number f games, such is the unpredictability of the SPL.

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12th January could turn out to be a big day in SPL campaign

Where do you start after an evening like that?

Do you begin with praising Hamilton for grabbing a point that few predicted?

The Accies were gifted a farce of a goal from the officials but once their noses were in front, they worked their socks off trying to keep it. Goals change games and the opener turned this match on its head but Hamilton then grew into their lead as the evening carried on. Hamilton were well marshalled, they had solid lines at the back and they broke forward with intelligence and pace when they could.

Do you start with criticising Celtic’s passing, passion, formation and substitutions?

Celtic were hamstrung in having to play Anthony Stokes up front by himself and this is not a position that suits him. The Irishman’s touch is abysmal which means he cannot play that role. The thing is though, he was given no support all game.

Paddy McCourt was positioned to play in the hole behind Stokes but McCourt kept dropping too deep, allowing Stokes to be isolated and outnumbered. The quality of the ball Celtic were trying to play into the box was also not suitable for Stokes. Too many whipped balls from Mulgrew and not enough cut-backs from the full-backs. Anthony Stokes never helped himself…but he never really stood a chance tonight.

Some of the Celtic subs also raised a few eyebrows with Biram Kayal once again looking like the main man in midfield.

Lennon was keen to show the midfielder that he was not subbed because of a lack of quality in his position but Joe Ledley should have been subbed for Scott Brown.

It was also a night where the enigma that is Paddy McCourt never really got going. As already stated, he dropped far too deep at times to be effective but he never got any passing going all night. Perhaps McCourt is thinking his team-mates never made a move for him and he was left with too much to do but McCourt was akin to being a man short tonight.

Do we praise Celtic for keeping going in the face of extreme provocation?

It could have been easy for Celtic to feel sorry for themselves. The opening goal of the game was an atrocious decision by the ref and linesman and the Hamilton tackling was more than robust in the first half. Celtic had most of the ball but very little chances in the first half, yet even then, they shouldn’t have been behind. Busy defending, bad luck and terrible decision making saw Celtic trail.

In the second half, even after being reduced to 10 men with the debatable sending off of Jamie Forrest, Celtic pushed at it. They left space at the back which Hamilton may have benefitted from but they kept plugging away and plugging away.

Even after Collum inexplicably booked Niall McGinn for an alleged dive in the box, Neil Lennon’s side kept attacking and pressing.

Even after grabbing an equaliser, Celtic immediately turned their attention to grabbing a winner and only the eagle-eyes of a linesman denied Celtic a winner. The ball did arc out of play so Celtic cannot have any criticism of that decision but they can question why the same level of diligence was not offered to them in the first half.

Or do we start with the abysmal performances of the officials?

You may have picked up on the subtle mention of Hamilton Accies goal being rather questionable. As said, goals change games and this invalid goal gave Accies a massive lift for the rest of the game. Who knows how the game would have panned out if the correct decision would have been made?

Jamie Forrest made a mistake in giving Willie Collum the opportunity to red card him but when compared to the non-booking challenges that Collum oversaw in the first half, it was the wrong decision. It was a forward’s challenge from Forrest and no doubt someone will be able to point to a ruling that justified the decision but few people would have argued about a booking.

Having sent Forrest off, Collum gave himself no option but to send off Hamilton’s McAllister for a late and lunging challenge.

We’ve mentioned the non-penalty award for the foul on McGinn and Collum had no option but to award Celtic a penalty for the challenge on Emilio Izaguirre. Such was the madness of the final moments, we’ve not seen the penalty incident since it occurred live, so it wouldn’t be fair to if the red was justified. We’ll play nice and give Willie the benefit of the doubt.

And there you go, we’ve spent that long wondering what aspect to tackle first, we’ve went through it all and that tells you the story. All of these stories can justifiably be the main story of the match. The celebrations of the Hamilton bench indicate Billy Reid’s pride and joy in his team’s performance. The Celtic conundrum hovers between bitter disappointment in two silly points dropped but pride in battling on and not chucking it in the face of such adversity.

And Willie Collum….well, if the SFA were a reasonable organisation, he would have been demoted long before now. The performance of the officials will no doubt be praised in the post-match report for making big decisions in a tough atmosphere but in all reality, the officials were abysmal.

One positive for Celtic from the night was the performance of Emilio Izaguirre. The player has been one of the most notable Celtic players this season but he was nothing short of incredible this evening. Hampered with having a traffic cone placed in midfield in front of him, Izaguirre was the man who dug Celtic out of troubles at the back and pushed them forward at all times. The only problem may be in whether Izaguirre stays at Celtic for too long.

As for Hamilton, Billy Reid will point to countless breaks and luck that have went against his side this season and will be looking to drum the benefits of this point into his side. Hamilton Accies need to start moving up the table and this point cannot be wasted, Billy Reid needs to have his team turning up every match. It is unlikely Accies will take anything from Ibrox on Saturday but from there on, Accies fans should feel very aggrieved if their players do not match the intensity and effort they showed tonight.

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Jim Goodwin comes from Hamilton to aid the Buddies battle

At times it feels as though there is staleness about the SPL and a lot of this is to do with teams playing each other so often. However, another reason for it is even clubs make signings, they so often just buy players from other SPL teams.

This is not to criticise the signing of Jim Goodwin, no doubt Danny Lennon feels the midfielder can do a job for the Paisley side. Goodwin himself benefits from a new contract, the security that goes alongside and on this season’s form, he is joining a club that appears to be in better position.

There is a long way to go of the 2010/11 season but St Mirren look a far safer bet to stay in the SPL than Hamilton. Mind you, give it a month and if Accies can pick up points in their games in hand, we’ll be singing a very different tune.

Players can react differently to different managers and systems but there is an air of predictability in the SPL. With so much at stake, this is probably understandable. Danny Lennon took some risks in the summer by dropping down the divisions to pick up players for St Mirren and he hasn’t fared too badly.

However, at this time of the season, you need players who have been over the course and know what the league is about. Pinning your hopes on a new signing from abroad or even down South brings other gambles so maybe the signing of Goodwin is exactly what the Buddies require at the moment.

It may not be a signing that will have the Paisley fans rushing to the club shop for a name and number on their kit but if Goodwin can provide the steel to the Buddies midfield, it will prove to be a valuable signing.

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We’d be as well Tumblin’ Dice to predict a winner in this one.

A 1-0 victory over Motherwell may not have been a true reflection of the game but try telling that to Hamilton Accies fans and they won’t listen to you! Any win is vital but a win in a local derby can be about much more than just three points. Accies go into the game in 10th spot knowing that St Mirren and Hibs now sit below them. A home game against Dundee United is not likely to be easy but the Accies players will have enjoyed their week.

The same can’t be said for all of the Dundee United squad with some players experiencing a terrible week. We expect the full story has not come out yet about the incident in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Glasgow but the most important thing for United fans is the impact it has on the team.

The scoring run that David Goodwillie has been on of late makes him United’s most important player these days but he gives the impression he will take everything in his side. It’s not as if a boy from the Raploch doesn’t have the ability to put a few scrapes and kerfuffles behind him so if selected, you wouldn’t bet against Goodwillie netting against the Accies.

Accies fans will be hoping that their new hero Hasselbaink will be able to go on a scoring run to emulate Goodwillie and the player has looked sprightly in Scotland so far. If he is scoring for Hamilton, it also means the Paixao twins and their stupid dance celebration isn’t getting an airing so everyone wins…although the home fans won’t care who nets for them…or how bad the celebration is!

Peter Houston and Billy Reid are still regarded as two of the brightest up and coming managers in Scotland but neither has started this season in the manner they would have hoped. However, there are signs that both teams may be starting to turn things around and both will be desperate for three points on Saturday to maintain that momentum.

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Shoehorned title kicks off our weekend previews

Yes, that’s a fairly awful link between the Celtic Manor golf course which was supposed to be hosting the Ryder Cup this weekend (it’ll get there eventually no doubt) and the build up for this Saturday’s matches.

Being absent from European football may have meant Celtic fans have had to watch other teams in action this midweek to satisfy their need for football but the bhoys are back in action at Celtic Park against Hamilton Academicals on Saturday.

With 6 wins out of 6, Celtic should be confident of making it a magnificent 7 league wins at the start of the season but as always, complacency could be the biggest hindrance to Neil Lennon’s squad.

Hamilton started the season poorly, shipping 8 goals in their first two games but they were missing players through injury. Since then, they have gotten back some of the resilience which has been a major factor in their SPL survival. In fact, survival is a harsh term because the Accies have been better than merely just avoiding the drop; they have pushed to be the best of the bottom half since their return to top flight football.

There hasn’t been much news emanating from Celtic Park this week regarding the status of injured players so selecting a squad is still hit and miss at the moment. Jamie Forrest is said to be further back than expected in his comeback trail but players like Paddy McCourt, Niall McGinn, Charlie Mulgrew and Emilio Izaguirre are the more pressing concerns for Celtic. If any of these players are fit to return, especially the left-backs, the Celtic side may start to form a recognisable shape and look.

Well, you know the vast majority of Celtic fans will be heading along to Celtic Park in expectation of a few goals but at this stage of the season, Celtic just need to keep winning. The international break provides some space but after Hamilton, Celtic have two massive tests with a trip to Tannadice and then the visit of Rangers to Parkhead.

For now though…Neil Lennon must guide his team past Billy Reid’s men, who will be just as desperate for the points.

How do you see Saturday’s game going?

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Does the old school still have a place in Scottish football?

You’ve probably read this story by now but you know how it is midweek, it’s hard to stay on top of things.

Anyways, John ‘Cowboy’ McCormack and Hamilton Accies were in court recently and the full findings can be found here:
Scotcourts website

Some of the stuff we don’t want to get into, if even half of the allegations about comments and movements made towards the female physio are true, it’s fair to say that McCormack is a relic of a previous time.

McCormack will, and rightly so, point to the decision which was found in his favour but most of that is due to the Accies not following proper procedures and undertaking the right steps and processes. Such is the business world but Hamilton can have no one to blame but themselves for the finding.

However, we just want to think about the coaching stuff and the comments about the tournament in Oban seem particularly interesting!

First of all…the swearing. Yes, at a football match, whatever next!

It’s quite ironic for us because at the football match we were at this weekend, there were three ladies of a certain vintage in the row in front of us…not the sort of crowd you want in proximity when you bellow out “PLAY TO THE F***ING RULES REF!!”

Ha, a swift apology was offered up but one of the ladies was polite enough to respond “oh its okay, he deserved that, you can swear for us!

Haha but that’s the thing, football is an emotive thing and it is very easy to get caught up in it. When dealing with youth players there is a need to watch your language and try to set a positive tone. However, the Hamilton team that McCormack was in charge of ranged in age between 16 and 28 years. It was also McCormack’s first big challenge at Hamilton, and no doubt he was feeling pressure because of this.

The findings indicate that McCormack was like a different person away from the game, so it’s not as though he was a complete git…and there are many people who would be willing to speak up for a person.

The thing is, some players respond to cajoling and pressure better than others. A good manager is able to react to different players needs, knowing what one needs an arm around them, knowing what players need a rocket up their backside.

It’s like the incident in the room with the nutritionist. Taking a chair away from someone is the sort of craic and banter that many footballers say they miss the most when they retire…but then again, others will see it as childish and embarrassing.

It’s not as though McCormack’s style of management would have been a surprise to Accies, he had been in management since 1997 so there was plenty of examples they could have looked to. It’s likely that swearing and being loud would have been part of McCormack’s managerial style and surely Hamilton would have known this before they even approached him to work alongside Billy Reid.

The management style of McCormack is not the way of the modern manager (although it should be noted that he holds the UEFA professional licence and other coaching qualifications) but Scottish football has seen a renaissance from the experienced managers.

Craig Brown has been one of the biggest successes in the past season and of course, Walter Smith is still at the top of his game. Experience and traditional ways can still be a success in the modern era but a lot depends on the club and the attitudes of everyone involved.

Hamilton Accies are a modern, forward-thinking club who deserve a lot of praise for their youth academy…but maybe their way of life doesn’t suit the management style of McCormack.

So what do you think…..are managers in the style of John McCcormack out-dated or is there still room for a bit of swearing and bellowing in the modern game?

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