Scottish Premiership: Edinburgh derby tops, Rangers respond to Killy

The Edinburgh Derby, the first of the season, tops the Scottish Premiership list of matches this weekend.

Rangers under pressure after a disappointing Champions League opener, Motherwell without a manager and Celtic facing a long trip to Ross County.

Game of the Week: Hib Fighting the “Natural Order”

It’s been over four years since Hibs won the Edinburgh Derby with their own patch. Remember that game? ‘Natural Order’ Derby?

March 2018. Craig Levein’s comments on “restoring natural order” to the capital. Neil Lennon rebuke. Scott Allan caressed home with a sweet half-volley from the edge of the box. Jamie McLaren ransacked Stephen Naismith to drive the second Hibs goal. The singing section of the Easter Road unfurls a giant green and white banner painted with ‘Natural Order’.

These are John McGuinn, Dylan McGeek, gathered to savor Alan conducting the orchestra from the middle was a busy day.

Even considering the pandemic and Hearts’ year in the championship, the relatively positive Derby record enjoyed under Lennon and Alan Stubbs has since been dynamite.

Of the 13 games played since the ‘Natural Order’ incident, Hibs have won two at Tynecastle. Their latest city win was at Boxing His Day 2019.

They lost two Hampden semi-finals to Robbie Neilson and Hearts. The latter came a week after his loss at Gorgey in April, which saw Hibs move into the bottom six and eventually sack Sean Maloney.

Hib still heals a painful wound gouged by his former rival. Former Hearts midfielder Lee, who recently took over as manager of his roads at Easter, said his Johnson had a big player injured, new arrivals consolidated and his style of play taking time to take hold. .

Neilson’s side looked a little rusty against Ross County, but they were a threat in spades and scored two beautiful goals in the second half. Their derby form and pedigree make them a favorite.

No rivalry is more glamorous, but neutrals have long despaired of a football show where Edinburgh’s greens and maroons collide. Derby too often collapsed into a slagfest of debacles.

Neither team’s supporters care about attractive football as long as their team is winning. For fans, there is nothing more beautiful than winning a derby.

The sold-out Easter Road becomes the backdrop. But the “Natural Order” again favors Hart.

Player to watch: Jota

Jota started his second stint at Celtic in glorious fashion, beating out a huge long drive to take control of Aberdeen on Sunday.

After helping Celtic regain the premiership crown on loan from Benfica, supporters were desperate for his permanent return. In negotiations for a reported £6.5m transfer, Celtic retained their stellar talent and secured a significant asset for sale.

The Portuguese who shined on flag day. He took more shots, initiated more dribbles and had more touches in the Aberdeen box than any other Celtic player.

This Saturday, his creative cut could be crucial against the new-looking Ross County on the ground where Celtic had to work hard to win last year.

He also proved to be an influential presence for Malky Mackay’s usually well-organized outfits.

Jota opened the scoring for Kyogo Furuhashi before scoring the second against Dingwall in April and assisting in a 4-0 win at Celtic Park a month ago.

Gaffer Spotlight: Hammell v Davidson

It’s been a week since Graham-Alexander left Motherwell and Farr Park continue to search for a new manager to guide them through the season.

On late notice, club great Stephen Hamel stepped down from his duties as academy coach and cut short a family vacation to lead the first team on an interim basis.

After just one day on the training pitch, Hamel saw his team start the league season with a 1–0 win over St Mirren.

Hammell takes the team to his home in St Johnstone while the Fir Park board looks for a new boss.

The former left-back may have opted for a more difficult assignment as the struggling Perth side appear to be dragging on last season’s form, with survival only secured by the play-offs and into a new campaign.

A win would not only keep Wells up to 100% record and give Hammer a chance to claim the role, it would also be the club’s best start to the league after two games in 15 years.

In the dugout on the other side, Callum Davidson has to see the improvements in his men. They’re trying to shake off the fear of getting involved in another relegation dogfight.

One year ago today, the Perth club drew 1-1 against Galatasaray in the Europa League qualifier. A mild premiership campaign followed, but winning the play-offs gave hope that the 2022-23 season could be used as a clean slate.

However, an early exit from the League Cup and a loss in the league’s opening match by Hibernian did little to change perceptions.

With Rangers, Aberdeen and Hearts in St Johnstone’s next three games, there will be some concern about where the important points will come from if Lanarkshire fail to perform well.

Shock awaits or will Rangers bounce back?

Just a week into the new campaign, Rangers is already days away.

The pressure never abates when it comes to Glasgow’s big two, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s 2-0 loss to Union Saint Giroise in the first leg of Champions League qualifying followed a come-from-behind victory at Livingstone. must get the team back. tracking.

They enjoy a home advantage and the return of striker Alfredo Morelos to the squad will give Ibrox a big lift. play against your teammates.

Derek McInnes has made 10 visits to Ibrox as Aberdeen manager and won 3 times. It may not sound like much, but when you factor in the financial gap, it’s a decent result.

Another former Rangers player is looking to upset Govan as Kyle Lafferty returns to the club and becomes a fan favorite with two spells.

His goals helped Rangers win first-class titles in 2010 and 2011, the latter against Kilmarnock.