SNN Sports Scottish Cup Quarter Final Breakdown
Ahead of the Scottish Cup Quarter Finals, here is everything you need to watch for as eight teams look to take a step closer to silverware. Game of the Round – Rangers v Celtic Unsurprisingly, all eyes turn to Govan this weekend as the country’s two major forces collide, exactly seven days after their last encounter. As if Youssef Chermiti’s overhead kick, a four-goal thriller, and last-minute VAR drama weren’t enough, the return of 7,000 Celtic fans to the Broomloan Road stand adds an extra edge to this historic derby. Last Sunday’s league clash was a fascinating two halves. Rangers flew out of the traps, racing into a 2-0 halftime lead by smothering Celtic with a fierce press and relentless tenacity. However, Martin O’Neill’s tactical astuteness shone through; his proactive substitutions salvaged a late draw. On reflection, his side might feel they could have snatched all three points. That dismal first-half showing will surely force O’Neill’s hand this time around. Reo Hatate and Sebastian Tounetki, in particular, injected the urgency required for that second-half comeback and have made themselves difficult to drop. Conversely, Danny Rohl faces a different puzzle – he must fix the second-half drop-off that saw his side surrender total control. A cauldron awaits on Sunday. With a winner guaranteed and a hostile atmosphere, expect no punches to be pulled at Ibrox. Team Spotlight – Dunfermline Athletic Neil Lennon’s side pulled off a seismic upset in the Scottish Cup fourth round, dumping his former club Hibernian out of the competition to march on. A 92nd-minute Miguel Chaiwa own goal was the ultimate reward for a tireless defensive display, one that followed a professional dispatching of rivals Kelty Hearts. Now, another mouthwatering home tie against Aberdeen awaits. Lennon was present midweek, witnessing the Dons slump to their 16th league defeat of the season against Celtic. With Aberdeen seemingly sleepwalking toward a dismal bottom-six finish, the Irishman will sense blood in the water. For Lennon, the timing could be perfect to book a ticket to the national stadium for a semi-final. Having hoisted the Scottish Cup four times during his tenure in Glasgow, Lennon’s pedigree in this competition is undisputed. The question now is whether he can inspire his determined squad to claim another top-flight scalp and return the club to Hampden for the first time since 2007. Player to Watch – Logan Chalmers Partick Thistle head into Sunday evening’s quarter-final clash against St Mirren brimming with confidence. Sitting pretty in second place in the Scottish Championship, the Jags have become a force to be reckoned with, led by a top goalscorer who continues to thrill the Firhill faithful, Logan Chalmers. The 25-year-old winger finally looks to have found his home at Maryhill. After spells with Dundee United and Ayr, Chalmers is playing the best football of his career, consistently catching the eye with his free-flowing, fearless style on the wings. Manager Mark Wilson grants his star man the tactical freedom to express himself. As the cameras turn to the SMiSA Stadium this Sunday, Chalmers’ individual brilliance will be the vital component if Thistle are to bypass the Premiership opposition and secure a famous cup upset. Scottish Cup Quarter Final Fixtures Friday 6th March – Falkirk v Dundee United – 7:45 pm Saturday 7th March – Dunfermline Athletic v Aberdeen – 7:30 pm Sunday 8th March – Rangers v Celtic – 1:00 pm Sunday 8th March – St Mirren v Partick Thistle – 7:30 pm
Regardless of what happens this season, Danny Rohl is the RIGHT man to take Rangers forward – Scott Bradley
After Rangers blew a 2-0 lead against Celtic, Danny Rohl has come under-fire from the Ibrox faithful with some having doubts if he is the right man to take the club forward. There is no doubt that the Old Firm result felt like a defeat for the Light Blues due to the comfortable position they found themselves in. Rohl’s side dominated the Hoops in the first half and it looked like they were on course to getting back-to-back victories against their bitter rivals. It was the complete opposite from the Gers in the second half as they sat off the Parkhead club and allowed them to grow back into the game with Reo Hatate scoring at the death to salvage an all important point. After the match, Rohl said he and the group were disappointed in the result but remained defiant that his players have the mentality to win the Scottish Premiership. To put it bluntly: it was a bottle job from Rohl’s men in that second half – simple as that. The Celts were wounded and were there for the taking. It was a huge missed opportunity and the Celtic boss admitted after the game when his side were 2-0 down going into half time that the title race looked rather ‘daunting’ for the Scottish champions. Rohl’s in game management has received criticism and rightly so as Rangers have failed to kill games off. The Light Blues were all over the place in the second half and couldn’t string simple passes together. It was obvious as soon as Kieran Tierney pulled one back that they were going to snatch something from the game. The decision to not bring James Tavernier on was a baffling call from Rohl. I understand that the Rangers captain can’t play every game as he is going to be 35 this year, but he’s the most experienced player at the club and knows this fixture inside out. Tavernier would have brought a calming presence to the side – something Rangers desperately needed. Youssef Chermiti bagged a brace and scored one of the best Old Firm goals of all time. However, in the second half, Rohl took Ryan Naderi off who was accommodating Chermiti excellently but after that call – he was non-existent up front. Despite some of the justified criticism Rohl has received after Sunday, he has still done an unbelievable job. Do some Rangers fans have short memories? Five months ago the Ibrox club were eighth in the table and looked dead and buried in the title race. Since Rohl’s appointment, Rangers are the most inform team in the league with 48 points and now have a great chance to win their 56th title – something that seemed impossible only a few months ago. The 36-year-old has worked wonders with a bang average squad and is getting results. He’s brought the feel-good factor back to the club and Ibrox is an enjoyable place to go to now. The title race this season has been one for the ages – it’s been box office and it’s still all up for grabs. Some of the criticism has been way over the top towards Rohl. Rohl has shown enough that he is the RIGHT man to bring the glory days back to Ibrox. Regardless of what happens this season, he deserves next season to build his own squad. It’s going to be a mouth watering end to the season and the Ibrox faithful need to fully back the team and their head coach as they need it more than ever if they are to be crowned champions this May.
Askou “not fussed” about title talks as Dens Park awaits
Jens Berthel Askou aims to give Motherwell fans “something to be proud” as they look to move within one point of Rangers in third place. Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, the manager is excited to watch his team’s progression across the remaining months of the Scottish Premiership season. “I think a very cool for us as a group and a football club that we know that we are going to compete in the top 6 after the split. The main thing for us is that it’s going to push us to our limits as a football club, and keep developing us to the maximum of our potential this season.” “We have to keep developing as human beings, as professionals, as a team, as a football club, because there’s always more until the day when we finish our careers as players or as coaches, so that is what we are looking for.” “It’s about adding details all the way, and then when we add these details, it’s about sharpening the details and being good enough at picking between these details while we keep the structure and the basis and the foundation of our game. The most important thing for us is that we want to excite people around the area, so they have something to be proud of. “ The Motherwell ranks are filled with talent, from top goalscorer Tawanda Maswanhise to midfield marshal Elliot Watt. Askou has been impressed by his squad’s growth. “We know if we want to reach out to the maximum potential for this club, we have to be good both ways, and it’s really difficult to strike that balance, especially early in the phase of development. “I am very impressed with how the players have been able to just grow and develop in both directions at the same time.” Askou appreciates that Saturday’s opponent will be no pushover for his side. “Dundee is a team that has grown and developed through the season, it’s going to be a big test, and a challenge for us to see if we can keep our form and sharpness against a team that, especially at home, has looked really good.” Dundee v Motherwell Dens Park March 7th 3pm
