2 point lead for the hoops

After Rangers won at McDiarmid Park on Tuesday night, the alleged pressure was all on Celtic as Hibs came to Celtic Park. Celtic started superbly, nearly powering their way to goal in the opening seconds of the game but it didn’t take long for a goal to come.

A through ball that was intended for Gary Hooper skidded past the English striker but it made its way to Anthony Stokes who despatched it into the back of the net. It got even better for Celtic when Scott Brown was pulled down in the box and Gary Hooper fired the penalty home. If this was the nerves showing on Celtic, their fans will be delighted if that continues for the run-in.

Re-introducing James Forrest and restoring the Hooper and Stokes partnership gave Celtic a lot more energy and vitality up top and it definitely made a big difference. There will be games when Lennon has to go with a more robust midfield but there are also times when Celtic should look to impose their play on the opposition. They did this last night and fully deserved the win, which could have been by a larger margin.

Hibs briefly rallied on the back of a few bizarre refereeing decisions but just when the Leith side may have thought a goal was coming, Celtic engineered a great opening for Gary Hooper who hammered it home to make it 3-0 Celtic at the break.

As was to be expected, Celtic took the foot off the gas a bit in the second half although Izaguirre and Commons (who came off the bench) both had great shots that just zipped by the post.

Hibs got a goal back after Charlie Mulgrew tugged at the man breaking into the box. Soft but it was a penalty kick and Liam Miller continued his scoring streak from the spot.

One annoying thing about the ref Norris came when Celtic and Hibs both had a man down receiving treatment and he sent the two of them to the sideline before play could recommence. That is not the ruling any more, if both players have a player injured in they circumstances, they can both stay on the field and it is annoying when refs don’t know the rules.

Celtic introduced Freddie Ljungberg and he won his side a penalty in the dying moments. Again, it was another soft award, more driven by the assistant referee but there is an argument there was contact on the Swede before the ball was taken. Gary Hooper stepped up to complete the hat-trick but placed the kick wide and it finished 3-1.

If there was any disappointment from the Celtic fans, it was merely that the free flowing attacking play couldn’t last for 90 minutes but it’s now the run-in and any comfortable win like that has to be warmly welcomed.

Celtic play on Saturday whereas Rangers play on Sunday so the hoops will be hoping to increase the pressure on their title rivals.

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Third victory for Calderwood was crucial

The midweek games so far this year have been absolutely engrossing and there were some big winners and losers in tonight’s SPL matches.

Hibs 2 v St Mirren 0

Life hasn’t been fun at Easter Road for Hibs fans but tonight’s win saw them grab their first goals of the year and move ahead of their Paisley rivals in the league. Two second half goals brightened up Leith and with Hibs now above St Mirren, albeit having played one game more, the Edinburgh side will be hoping this is a catalyst for the rest of the season.

If you believe the rumours, Derek Riordan didn’t bother with training for much of last week but the opening goal will surely see him back in the good books of his boss. The three points were secured for the home team when David Wotherspoon lashing home from close distance in the dying moments of the game.

With 6 new players on board at Easter Road, this win could see the team push on but there is a big fight at the bottom and it appears to be between these two sides and Hamilton.

Motherwell 0 v Kilmarnock 1

Life without Connor Sammon began well for Kilmarnock but the pain for Motherwell and Stuart McCall continues. A late goal with less than 10 minutes to go from David Silva strengthened the Ayrshire side’s 4th place in the league. Motherwell are still in the mix for a top six finish but they appear to be on a downward slide under their new boss. It would take a big collapse to see the Steelmen dragged into the relegation battle but they are looking a team devoid of confidence at the moment.

Killie were reduced to 10 men after the opened the scoring with Garry Hay being sent off but the away team held on.

Rangers 1 v Hearts 0

An early Kyle Lafferty strike was all that split these two clubs in a tight encounter with Rangers extinguishing Hearts hope of catching the Glasgow sides at the top of the table.

Man of the moment El Hadji Diouf made his debut at Ibrox, coming on for Lee McCulloch who may now be a doubt for the Scottish Cup tie against Celtic this Sunday.

It was a game of few chances but incredibly, 6 yellow cards for Hearts who looked poor once again with Jim Jefferies tactical stance coming up short once again. Rangers thought they had made it 2-0 late on but Steven Davis was flagged offside when he netted after Kello spilled a Diouf shot.

As you were at the top of the SPL after big midweek games but Hibs grabbed a vital points at the bottom of the league.

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Hibs are in a sorry state

Rangers may have been better at Tynecastle on Saturday but their comfortable 2-0 win over Hibs was exactly what Walter Smith and his men required to get themselves back on track. Hibs have been deplorable of late but there was still a job to do and it was concluded by half-time with Rangers taking their chances.

Madjid Bougherra opened the scoring with a fantastic volley, showing what the centre half can add to the team in an attacking sense. This hasn’t been Bougherra’s best season in a Rangers jersey but he is still an important player. When opposition teams are playing with tight defensive and midfield lines, his rampages up the right wing can create space and confusion which Rangers capitalise on. It doesn’t always work but this goal, as well as goals against Stuttgart and Dundee United showed, when Bougherra has the chance to finish, he can do it with aplomb.

The game was over as a contest when Hibs debutant Richie Towell played a horrendous backpass which allowed Nikica Jelavic to round Smith in goals for Hibs and slot home to make it 2-0. The goal will do the confidence of Jelavic the world of good but couldn’t have done much for young Towell.

The rest of the game was mainly playing out time although Jelavic should consider himself very fortunate not to have been sent off in another major decision that at the very least, shows there is a big lack of consistency by officials in Scottish football.

Jelavic also has his opponent to thank for not collapsing under the weight of intent, other players may not have been so lucky with the number of players seeking to gain advantage and get their opponents sent off. As both Rangers and Hibs can testify, when the breaks are going for you, they keep going for you and when they aren’t, they most definitely aren’t.

There is talk that Arsenal scouts were watching McGregor and Bougherra but neither had much of an opportunity to impress at the back although the forward touches showed by the Algerian defender would have been worth a few comments and notes. Walter Smith indicated it is unlikely there will be any new faces in before the transfer window shuts but that is quite often the line spun to the media.

Even on current standings, Rangers will look to bring a loan singing or two in before the chance passes them by. If Arsenal do spring a shock move for either of the players, Smith will hope it was sooner….in an attempt to have money to strengthen or much later….in the summer.

A good win to get back on track and Rangers are set up nicely for the League Cup semi-final against Motherwell on Sunday. As for Hibs, it is hard to say where they go from here!

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On loan player could do his parent club a big favour

A lot of Hibs fans have considered throwing in the towel this season but it appears that Colin Calderwood has beat them to it. The Leith club captured Celtic midfielder Richie Towell on loan and the suggestions are that he could be in line to make his debut tonight against Rangers. Towell has appeared once for Celtic in the SPL this season and any appearance tonight is likely to be cheered by the home fans and jeered by the away fans.

It will be a strange evening for Hibs as they enter this game on a horrendous run of form but facing a team they defeated 3-0 earlier in the season. That Ibrox game appears to be a one-off and with Rangers keen to bounce back after Saturday’s defeat to Hearts, a re-run of the earlier Easter Road game, which also resulted in a 3-0 away win could be the outcome tonight.

All three of the Rangers goals that struck by Kenny Miller and of course, the striker is no longer at Ibrox. A blank at Tynecastle means the focus will be on the Rangers strikeforce this evening but Walter Smith appears ready to unleash £4m striker Nikica Jelavic from the start tonight. The striker came close to salvaging a draw for the champions with a strike that crashed off the bar and Rangers hopes will rest with him tonight.

Going on form, Rangers should have no difficulties with the game tonight. They passed up a hatful of chances against an organised and disciplined Hearts side at the weekend and if they play like that, they will grab a goal or two this evening. With Hibs yet to score this year, it would be a shock if the Leith side took anything from the game.

However, records are there to be broken and Hibs, further buoyed with the capture of Martin Scott from Scottish Cup finalists Ross County and Matt Thornhill from Nottingham Forest, will be hoping for a result that can kickstart their season. Neither side can afford to lose this evening so it should be a game of huge interest but we expect goals in this one.

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A few really important matches tonight

The last two midweeks have featured action in the SPL and there has been no shortage of interest or intrigue in these games.

Two weeks ago, Celtic travelled to New Douglas Park and once again the Parkhead club were on the receiving end of a number of mystifying decisions. Celtic eventually salvaged a point in the match but it was definitely two points dropped for a club with ambitions for the title.

The following week, Rangers were at home to Caley Thistle and once again, the referee was at the centre of the post-match discussions. Terry Butcher was raging at the performance of the officials and pointed out that Rangers winning goal stemmed from a blatant foul on one of his players. There was a lot of work to do before Steven Davis slammed the ball home for the only goal of the game but Butcher made a very valid point.

Hearts also managed a late win at Rugby Park which set them up nicely for a weekend win over Rangers and the Jambos are in the spotlight again tonight, with their match at Celtic Park being the pick of a bunch of interesting games.

Celtic v Hearts
Hibs v Rangers
Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Aberdeen
St Johnstone v Motherwell
St Mirren v Dundee United

With bottom club Hamilton not in action until Saturday when they will face Kilmarnock, there is a chance for St Mirren to put further space between themselves and the bottom of the SPL. Dundee United have been in up and down form recently but given that they went through a long period of inactivity, this is maybe not a surprise. The game at New St Mirren Park could certainly go either way but you would expect United to be the more likely team to grab a goal.

Stuart McCall grabbed his first win as Motherwell manager against hapless Hibs at the weekend and he will be keen to build on this win, especially with a Cup semi-final looming at the weekend. St Johnstone lie five points behind the Well but with a game in hand, a home win at McDiarmid Park would give Derek McInness great belief in overhauling the Steelmen and breaking into the top six.

Inverness Caley have struggled for wins at home of late and the resurgence of Aberdeen under Craig Brown has been well documented. An away win tonight will put Aberdeen 6 points behind Caley but the Dandy Dons will also hold two games in hand over their Northern rivals.

Rangers head back along the M8 again but there is surely no chance of the champions losing to Hibs?

The Easter Road side caused the shock of the season with a 3-0 win at Ibrox earlier in the campaign but Hibs have really struggled under Colin Calderwood, including an embarrassing cup exit at the hands of Ayr United. Rangers will think they should have won the match at Tynecastle on Saturday and will be out for all three points tonight.

The match at Celtic Park is the game of the evening and you would not be shocked at any outcome.

This will be the most confident Hearts will have ever felt on a trip to Glasgow and if they can avoid defeat tonight, they will consider themselves in the mix for the title. It is easy to say that Hearts will eventually flag in the title race but that is only surmising. The historical evidence may suggest they will tail off but there is no reason why Hearts cannot keep going.

Celtic are of course the league leaders and even though they face a defensive crisis for the match tonight, they should be up for the game. A home win will see Celtic take a lot of confidence and could provide a huge boost for their title aspirations.

Midweek match seem to have an edge and the fixture list for this evening throws up some cracking matches.

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Late Win and Cup Misery For City Rivals

We may as well cut to the chase for Hearts fans and let them gloat about Hibs being dumped out of the Scottish Cup by Ayr United. Most people would sit back and say to Hearts fans, “You guys went out of the Cup last week, what are you laughing at?” However, that’s not how football works!

We must now be at the stage where there is nearly no one left who was alive when Hibs last won the Scottish Cup and for that reason alone, Hearts fans will be chortling for weeks ahead. We are not quite at the stage where there is no one left but we are not too sure if Eunice Sanborn, born in Louisiana in 1896 has too many memories of that match, the ESPN coverage was quite patchy back in the day! Anyways, Hearts fans are happy and they will also be able to add another number onto their songs of joy.

There was also joy for Hearts fans when they grabbed a late winner against Kilmarnock, keeping the Gorgie side firmly ensconced as the third force in Scottish football. It didn’t look good for the Jambos when the home side took the lead before twenty minutes. Rui Miguel opened the scoring but the rest of the night was to be about Stephen Elliot.

The striker was a replacement for the ineffective Novikovas and he grabbed the equaliser on 72 minutes. More was to come from the striker when Killie keeper Cammy Bell blundered, allowing Elliot’s shot to squirm home and give the visitors the lead.

You get the impression some Hearts fans may be delaying their journey home from Rugby Park in order to let their Leith chums catch them up on the roads back to Edinburgh. After all, the Gorgie supporters at least have a tilt at the top to look forward to, all Hibs fans have left is a relegation dogfight.

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Hibs were lucky to get 0

For 40 minutes on a field of grass 22 men wandered about looking lost. It would be a stretch of the imagination to call those wearing green or fluorescent yellow and black tops footballers because there was no football on show.

Just when you were beginning to give up hope of seeing a football match, Daniel Majstorovic missed a sitter with a free header from yards out. It was no surprise that the Swedish stopper’s only Celtic goal came when he had time to volley the ball home against Berwick.

This miss galvanised Celtic and the hoops had another chance when Biram Kayal fed in Hooper but the striker smashed his chance off Mark Brown. To be fair to the Israeli, he had a fair opening period and withstood a power of abuse, just like he did on Wednesday at Hamilton.

And just when Hibs were breathing a sigh of relief, Hooper was fed in again and made no mistake this time to open the scoring. Over the course of the 45 minutes, it would be hard to argue either team deserving a lead but Celtic deserved it for eventually shaking the game to life.

No doubt Colin Calderwood impressed the need for a solid start but the Hibees crumbled from the first whistle of the second 45. Celtic were looking as though they could walk through the Hibs backline at will and it was no shock that another away goal came.

It came from the penalty spot when Stokes was bundled over. The Irishman dusted himself down and rolled the ball down the middle, doubling Celtic’s lead and taking some of the pressure off Stokes. The forward wasn’t at his best for Celtic in midweek or this game but getting on the scoresheet in both matches will hopefully offer Stokes a boost in confidence.
Hibs eventually came to life but a great Fraser Forrster stop and a Daniel Majstorvic block was all that Hibs had to show for it.

The third goal would kill it and it was a stunning finish from Stokes.

As Hibs lined up to defend a corner, Stokes dropped off into space and demanded the ball. The once again brilliant Emilio Izaguirre found Stokes who controlled it and then hit an overhead kick that looped into the corner if the net. 3-0 Celtic and game done.

The rest of the game was keep ball for Celtic and the Hibs players just wanted to slide off the park and hide. A good win for Celtic after the midweek controversy but problems are mounting for Hibs.

The expected clash between Neil Lennon and Willie Collum never came but there was one funny moment in the first half. Celtic stopper Majstorovic made another mess of a clearance which put the ball straight out for a Hibs shy and Lennon was quick to show his unhappiness with the defender. The innocent souls behind the dugout leapt up and tried to draw attention to Lennon, who they thought was remonstrating with the officials. It just shows that Neil Lennon is a marked man even when he does nothing wrong.

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WeKnowSFA has been around for just over a year now and we’ve managed okay, had some highlights but there is a need to kick on further. Started by a couple of mates whose distrust of the ruling body overcame differences in the choice of clubs supported, the plan was to put the boot in when it was called for.

A year on and time constraints means the team is dwindling so the time is right for a revamp.

That’s why we’re looking for writers from teams from all of the SPL clubs in an attempt to broaden the scope of review. We’ll be the first to admit we’ve not covered as much of the league as we would like but doing so would have seemed a bit plastic or condescending.

The removal of John Hughes from the Hibs hot-seat was largely welcomed by the Hibs faithful but the appointment of Colin Calderwood came as a bit of a surprise. The results under CC have been up and down with the 3-0 triumph at Ibrox being the obvious highlight. Will 2011 finally be the year Hibs lift the Scottish Cup? If you want to bang the drum for Hibs chances of Hampden success, why not tell us.

So – what do we want?

Fans with a passion and with something to say. If you fancy knocking out some articles – between 250 and 600 words is usually more than sufficient – on the goings on at your club, now is the time. Drop us an email to : youknowsfa@hotmail.co.uk giving us your name, who you support and an example of the sort of article you’d like to write.

So – what are we going to do for you?

If you’re reading this, you’ll know the exposure we have and this can get your thoughts and opinions to a wider audience. We’ll stick your real name or pseudonym on every article you write, so you can quickly build up a portfolio of writing in no time at all.

Whether you want to gain some experience for future writing adventures, write to gain some exposure for yourself or perhaps another blog / website you run or just mouth off about the rights and wrongs of Scottish football, we can help you get your message across.

And if you are looking for experience and you manage to provide regular articles, we’ll certainly help you out with a reference along the way.

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Two games don’t make a manager but it’s a start

The knives were already out for new Hibs boss Colin Calderwood before he took his side to Ibrox but a storming 3-0 win has certainly bought the new boss some time. Another win today over high-flying Motherwell may not have Hibs hurtling up the tabley just yet but things are certainly looking brighter for the Leith club.

As much as many people would be looking towards the home spice to see if they were up for continuing their Ibrox form but the main spotlight of the game was falling on Dougie McDonald. Yes, Dougie Dougie, the SFA’s favourite liar was back in the big league for what some were predicting would be his final match.

This ties in with the practice of the SFA allowing an outgoing referee to select their final match with Hibs fan McDonald appearing at Easter Road.

He may be a Hibs fan but the first big incident for McDonald to deal with saw him presenting Craig Brown’s side the perfect opportunity to take the lead. Midweek hat-trick hero Nigel Blackman opened the scoring but Hibs were soon on level terms when the returning Derek Riordan fired into the corner of the net to grab his first of the game.

Riordan’s second came before half-time when he took advantage of a big mistake from Stephen Craigan to blast the home side into the lead.

That may have been the end of the scoring but the action continued in the second half with the officials once again in the middle of a controversial decision. Motherwell looked to have made it 2-2 but Steven Saunders shot was flagged offside. This decision looks very debatable but no doubt McDonald and his assistants will have their story straight with regards the decision.

The only downside for Hibs fans was the fact that city rivals leaprfrogged Motherwell into 3rd place but aside from that, two league wins in a row will be very pleasing for the Easter Road faithful.

Is Colin Calderwood becoming the man for Hibs fans?

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Colin not Jimmy tasked with bringing sunshine back to Leith

Hibs have pulled another left-field management appointment out of the bag with the announcement that Colin Calderwood is to be the Leith side’s new manager.

His track record may not be the most exciting but perhaps Hibs require a more disciplinarian manager to get the most out of their squad. Hibs are certainly not short on talent but perhaps a lack of application or work-rate has been their downfall.

If Calderwood can install more of a backbone into the Easter Road side, Hibs may have a team that can compete all season.

Calderwood has shown himself to be a capable manager at League One and Two level in England but failed miserably in the Championship. You would have to imagine that the Hibs board believes he can do a job in the SPL and perhaps he interviews well but his managerial CV doesn’t look the best.

We’re also not sure what to make of Colin Calderwood the man. At times he has come across as an absolute prickly character but then again, at other times he seems not too bad.

Calderwood sparked outrage and disgust amongst some football fans when he criticised the minutes silence that was being held up and down Britain to honour the life of Phil O’Donnell. Nottingham Forest never held a minutes silence and this was due to Calderwood’s insistence.

“I didn’t particularly want a tribute. Sometimes I don’t think it’s appropriate to have them for every tragedy that happens. The fact that it was a boy in Scotland, does that make it any different to a boy in Colombia?”

For a former Scottish internationalist who had picked up 36 caps, it can be seen why some fans would not have been happy with his comments. Then again, Calderwood is as entitled to his opinion as much as the next person.

In contrast though, Calderwood did a lot of good for a local Nottingham charity when he put his Manager of the Month award up for auction on eBay. A sum of £2,000 was said to have been raised from this auction, which is a tidy sum and perhaps an indication that the guy ain’t all that bad.

Colin Calderwood has guaranteed himself a baptism of fire in the SPL and Hibs next five games look particularly mouth-watering:

Away to Aberdeen
Away to Dundee United
Home to Hearts
Away to Rangers
Home to Motherwell
It’ll be interesting to see how many points out of 15 Calderwood picks up in his opening five games.

Do you think this is a good appointment?

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