Can Hearts win the Scottish Premiership?

Hearts have had an incredible start to the Scottish Premiership season as they currently sit top of the table unbeaten. Derek McInnes joined the Jambos four months ago and has been a revelation as they’ve beaten Rangers and Hibernian already this season. The Jam Tarts are two points ahead of Celtic and 11 clear of the Light Blues as both of the Old Firm are massively under performing. As McInnes’ men are on red hot form, there’s been bold predictions from fans and pundits alike that this could be the season a team outside of the Hoops and the Gers could win the league. The last time a team outside of Glasgow’s big two won the league was Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen in 1985. The Hearts boss has played down talk of his side being potential title challengers and is just taking each game as it comes. Social media content creator and long-life fan of the boys in Maroon ‘Hearts_Enthusiast’ Graeme Duthie spoke to SNN Sports about his team’s unbelievable start to the season: “It’s been a far better start than I think we could have imagined, 12 games in all competitions and only the defeat to St Mirren in the League Cup has been the only disappointment. “I think he has changed the mentality at the club and none more so than late winners against Dundee United, Livingston and the best one being Hibs. “He is going into every game to try and win it and not setting up thinking about trying to not lose. To be sitting top after only 7 league games is beyond any Hearts fans wildest dream.” Despite the excellent start to the campaign, Duthie added that the title may be too much of an ask this season as Brendan Rodgers’ men will more than likely strengthen in the January transfer window but believes finishing second is a strong possibility: “It’s been a far better start than I think we could have imagined, 12 games in all competitions and only the defeat to St Mirren in the League Cup has been the only disappointment. “I think he has changed the mentality at the club and none more so than late winners against Dundee United, Livingston and Hibs. “He is going into every game to try and win it and not setting up thinking about trying to note lose. “To be sitting top of the league after only seven league games is beyond any Hearts fans wildest dreams.” Despite the excellent start to the campaign, Duthie added that the title may be too much of an ask this season: “I don’t mind anyone whether it’s media or fans thinking it could happen as there is nothing wrong with showing ambition. “But personally, I don’t think we will as I think consistency is really important and over the course of the season I don’t see us being consistent. “I also think Celtic will get better as the season goes on and if come January we are still there near the top Celtic will go and spend money that we just can’t compete with. “Right now we have broken our transfer record with Ageu but if Celtic go and spend £7 million or more on a player we just can’t do that. “I think with the squad we have and the manager we have there’s every chance we could finish second but I think the title is something that might be out of our reach right now.”

Jesper Karlsson in full belief the Dons can find their feet following Dundee victory

Jasper Karlsson believes Aberdeen can kick start their season after the International break. On loan Bologna winger, Jesper Karlsson believes the dons can get going after claiming their first league win of the campaign against Dundee. Despite their 4-0 win over Steven Presley’s Dundee, they remain bottom but the dons look like they’re on the rise again. Aberdeen played fantastically against Dundee in their 4-0 victory which could’ve definitely have been more in a very bright display. Aberdeen haven’t had the start they’d hoped for but a big win on the weekend restores belief within the Aberdeen side. The on loan Bologna man came up with 2 goals against Dundee as well as a goal against Shakhtar Donetsk from the penalty spot on Thursday night. Karlsson hopes to be a key player at the Pittodrie side as the Swede looks to be an outstanding capture. The Italian outfit signed Jesper from Dutch side, AZ Alkmaar for £10million and is certainly a gem of a pickup by Jimmy Thelin. Karlsson will be looking to continue to help Aberdeen as they prepare for a trip to Paisley to face St Mirren after the International break, a place where Aberdeen have found to be very difficult in past meetings. Karlsson said: “There is now a little bit more relief for the situation we are in. “We have a good team with good players and I think we just need some games to get things going. “And a little bit of luck or something, and then we will go forward.” Aberdeen’s disastrous start to the season displayed signs of turning around when narrowly losing to Shakhtar Donetsk in Europe. Jesper said: “We built on what we did in the Shakhtar game. “It was good to do that and then go on to get the win against Dundee. “At the penalty I wanted to shoot to the middle, so it wasn’t good. “However, the second goal was really good. “Adil (Aouchiche) and Emmanuel (Gyamfi) scored too, so it was very good from everyone to get goals.”

Robertson Urges Scotland to “Make Home Advantage Count” Ahead of Crucial Double Header

Scotland host Greece and Belarus this weekend in the latest leg of their World Cup Qualifying Campaign, and captain Andy Robertson believes his side can lead the Tartan Army to “America, Canada, and Mexico” next summer. Steve Clarke’s side currently sit second place in Group C, collecting four points against Denmark and Belarus last month. Robertson praised his side’s performances, but also acknowledged that improvements can be made this week. “I thought we got back to our best in September, I thought the lads were good, and we got the results to match that” “Delighted with a point away to the pot 1 team, but I think all the lads were sat in the changing room thinking it could have been more, I do think we had our moments, we had our chances, we had periods of pressure where we had them where we wanted them” Robertson also paid homage to his team’s professionalism against minnows Belarus, referencing that the match “was difficult on lots of different reasons” with none of the Tartan Army present inside the ZTE Arena. Thursday’s match against Greece may spark nightmares for supporters, after a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to the Greeks in March relegated Scotland to Nations League B. Ivan Jovanovic’s side have received a major boost with the return of attacking star Konstantinos Karetsas, who originally looked set to miss the games, but has recovered from illness. The 17-year-old starred in the thrashing, adding the second goal minutes before halftime. Christos Tzolis should also play a pivotal part on Thursday night. The Club Brugge attacker enjoyed a major role in a 9-1 aggregate victory over Rangers in the Champions League Play-off Round. But Scotland will also be bolstered, and have reason to be confident. The return of Premier League stars Ben Gannon-Doak and Aaron Hickey, both injured for Greece’s last visit, will add threat in the wide areas. The captain has urged his side to produce a better performance against Jovanovic’s side tomorrow evening, “The last time we faced Greece here was obviously a huge disappointment, we’ve got to try and learn from that game and learn from our mistakes” Ultimately, it is vital that Scotland perform strongly due to the short qualifying format. With only four games left to secure automatic entry to the World Cup, Robertson admits the campaign is a “bit of a sprint”, reinforcing the importance to kick on in this latest round of fixtures. Two strong performances in Mount Florida would be a major leap towards a first World Cup appearance for 27 painful years. Scotland face Greece at Hampden on October 9th at 7:45pm, and face Belarus on October 12th at 5pm. Both matches will be broadcast on BBC Scotland.

SPFL announce record breaking payout

The SPFL have sent out a record sum to SPFL clubs. The Scottish Professional Football League have today sent out £42million across all 42 clubs in the SPFL which is an increase of 11% from last year’s £37.9million which is now sitting at £42million going up by £4.1million. The SPFL brought in a sum of £50.4million which has surpassed the threshold of £50million, making history. Money paid by the SPFL to teams in the top 4 decision has increased to £35.1million. The TV money has been the main factor for the increase which is also down to the rise of income in the deal with Sky Sports including the 5-year contract with Premier Sports which was to show 20 games a season which has went up to 22 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Another factor of the sharp rise of revenue was down to the sponsorships, licences and match data with the historic deal with the top betting company. William Hill with last season being the beginning of the 5-year contract. SPFL group chief executive, Neil Doncaster said: “We’re extremely pleased to be able to announce the strongest turnover and total group distributions in the history of Scottish league football. These figures are by some distance the best financial figures in the 12 years of the SPFL. “Against a backdrop of worldwide economic uncertainty, the strong cooperation amongst our clubs and a shared focus to continue to grow our game commercially has been vital to achieving these results. “We’ve recently reported considerably higher attendances per capita than any other European league in a UEFA report for the third year running, and these figures also reflect the high level of interest in our game from broadcasters and partners. Whilst we will never be complacent, we are proud that the league continues to make significant progress, and these financial results represent an important milestone in the history of the SPFL.” SPFL chairman, Murdoch MacLennan said: “Our latest results once again underline the strength and ambition of our game here in Scotland: “Our small but dedicated team at the SPFL is focused on driving forward the league for our 42 member clubs and we will now look to build on this momentum in the months and years ahead.” The fees will be sent out to clubs depending on where clubs finish in their respective league season. Funding will be sent to Scottish Power Women’s Premier League sides as well as prize totals in the Premier Sports Cup and KDM Evolution trophy. Payments for space will also be given in selected Scottish Premiership matches which are shown live on Premier Sports.

Rangers set for talks with Steven Gerrard about a sensational return to Ibrox

Rangers are set for talks with Steven Gerrard this week about a potential return to Ibrox four years after departing the club. The Light Blues are on the hunt to appoint their 21st permanent manager in the club’s 153 year history after sacking Russell Martin. Gerrard appeared on Rio Ferdinand Presents and said that he has ‘unfinished business’ in football management. According to Sky Sports News, the Gers board are keen to speak with the former England international but it would not be a straightforward conversation as talks broke down in the summer before Martin was appointed. The footballing legend’s situation is complicated as his family are settled in the middle east and there may be some tax issues to iron out. Gerrard would need some reassurances before he decides to make the switch to Glasgow again. The 45-year-old is beloved by the Rangers faithful after he delivered their first league title in ten years in 2021.

‘Unfinished business’ – Steven Gerrard breaks silence on managerial return

Steven Gerrard breaks his silence regarding his managerial future as the former Rangers boss is heavily linked with an iconic return to Glasgow following Russell Martin’s sacking. Gerrard is beloved amongst the Ibrox faithful as he delivered the club’s first league title in ten years and stopped their arch-rivals Celtic from winning ten in a row. Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, the footballing legend addressed if he would make a return to management in the future: “I’d love another go at some point. “I want to change a few things and improve a few things and come back fresh. “With a few different people around myself. “I’d love another couple of challenges doing this. And that’s what I’m working on in the background at the moment. “A few different ideas, a few different people around me. “Now I’m enjoying family time and doing a lot of things that I haven’t been able to do. “Going to Grand Prix, doing exhibition games with ex-teammates and superstars, that type of stuff’s been great. “But there’s a part of me that still feels that there’s a bit of unfinished business in terms of wanting to go in and face another couple of exciting challenges. “But I want a certain type of challenge. “If in an ideal world they come available, I’ll jump at them. “If they don’t, I won’t go back in. I want to be at a team that’s going to compete to win because I think that suits me better. “I think certain jobs and certain clubs would suit my style and the way I like to go about it. “But I’ve also got time now where I’m not in a rush, where I know the right people that are out there to make me a stronger and a better coach. The former England international spoke about his time as Gers boss and how he believes him and the Govan club were the perfect match: “It was the managing side of it that I enjoyed. “The one-to-one motivating players. “Seeing that I could make a difference with a player to get more out of that individual player. Then I got the opportunity to go to Rangers and I loved it. “Rangers, I felt like it was the perfect match. And it went on from there.”

Derek McInnes would be ‘open’ to a move to Rangers

Hearts boss Derek McInnes would be ‘open’ to the prospect of replacing Russell Martin as Rangers manager. McInnes currently has the Jambos flying right now as they’re currently top of the Scottish Premiership unbeaten. The 54-year-old famously knocked back the opportunity to become the Light Blues boss eight years ago. According to TalkSport’s Alex Crook, the Scottish manager is keen on the role but won’t be actively seeking for it: “Derek McInnes is doing so well at Hearts and he’s taking them to the top of the table, and what I’m told there is that McInnes would be open to the move but I don’t think he’s going to actively tout himself. “I think Rangers would have to offer him the job rather than him applying.” McInnes took charge of the Jam Tarts four months ago but what a stunning twist of events this would be if he was to jump ship to the Ibrox club.

Sean Dyche ‘not interested’ in becoming the next Rangers boss

Sean Dyche is ‘not interested’ in becoming the next Rangers manager as the Ibrox club continue to look for Russell Martin’s successor. Dyche was one of the front-runners according to the bookies due to his previous working relationship with Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell. Reports suggested that Thelwell met with Dyche to discuss the possibility of becoming the Ibrox boss. According to Sky Sports News, the former Burnley and Everton manager is no longer in the running for the job. Derek McInnes and Steven Gerrard appear to be the Ibrox faithful’s favourites to land the role. Hearts are currently top of the Scottish Premiership and Gerrard has been out of the game since leaving Al-Ettifaqq nine months ago. Stephen Robinson and Kevin Muscat’s names have also been touted to replace Martin.

‘It’s no a brainer!’ – Ex-Rangers star issues come-and-get-me plea for Ibrox return

Rangers are now on the look out for a new manager after sacking Russell Martin after only 123 days in the dugout. The Ibrox club currently sit eighth in the Scottish Premiership with only one win out of seven league games. It’s been a shocking start for the Light Blues as they are on the hunt to appoint their 21st permanent manager in the club’s 153 year history. Former Gers boss Steven Gerrard is the bookies favourite to make a return to Glasgow four years after departing the club for Aston Villa. Gerrard had huge success at the Govan club as he won their first league title in ten years and going invincible in the 2020/2021. One player who thrived under the footballing icon at Rangers was Jermain Defoe who made 74 appearances and scored 32 goals. The former England international has completed his coaching badges and previously had a spell at Tottenham Hotspur’s Academy. Defoe has always expressed that he would be keen in returning to the club one day in some capacity. The former striker’s stance hasn’t changed as he told Sky Sports News he jump at the opportunity to go back to the Teddy Bears: “I’ve done all my coaching badges and if I got an opportunity to come back to that club to help this group of players then it would be a no-brainer.” “It’s well documented, the time I had there and winning arguably the most important league in the club’s history.”I understood when you put on a Rangers shirt you have to win and the demands and the standards.”

Russell Martin sacked: How did it all go so wrong?

Russell Martin was sacked as Rangers boss after 123 days in charge, making him the shortest serving permanent manager in the club’s 153 year history.  It was a disastrous tenure for the Englishman as he leaves the Ibrox club sitting 8th in the league table. The 39-year-old only managed to win five of his 17 games in charge with a win percentage of 29.41% – which makes him statistically the worst Light Blues boss of all time. The 1-1 draw to Falkirk was the final nail in the coffin for the former Southampton boss and things turned toxic after the game as Martin had to get a police escort from the stadium. Martin was appointed as Head Coach back in May and the common word that got used to describe his appointment was ‘underwhelming’. The former Scotland international had a brief loan spell at the Gers in 2018, which was also a complete disaster and he wasn’t coming back to the club with any credit in the bank. Martin was backed to the hilt by the Rangers board as he signed 12 players and spent an outlay of £34 million in the transfer market. After being fully supported by the Ibrox board, how did things go so catastrophically wrong? Style of play, player issues, and Brugge embarrassment The style of play was one of the main concerns the Rangers supporters had in regards to the appointment of Martin. The former MK Dons manager wants his teams to play in a possession-based style and out from the back with a high line and looking to press the opposition. Martin is set in his ways and believes in his philosophy and that was evident whilst he managed Southampton in the Premiership where he refused to change his system, which ultimately cost him his job. The football under Martin wasn’t good to watch as the Govan club struggled to score goals and defensively were all over the place. Martin’s men scored a total of 20 goals and only managed to keep a staggering FOUR clean sheets. Martin’s stubbornness and his inability to change and adapt to Scottish football is what led to his downfall. One of the biggest issues that Martin had to deal with was the breakdown in relationship with Nico Raskin, which saw the fans side with their star midfielder over the manager. Due to poor results and performances, Martin had no choice but to iron out the situation with the Belgian international and it was only fitting after being brought back in for his first game he scored in the 2-0 victory over Hibernian in the Premier Sports Cup. The moment where the supporters turned on Martin was the devastating 9-1 aggregate defeat in the Champions League to Club Brugge. If it wasn’t for Jack Butland, that result would have been double figures and in that moment – there was no way back for Martin. As much as Martin is to blame for the current mess Rangers are in, Kevin Thelwell and Patrick Stewart need to come under the same scrutiny and criticism as they were the ones who put him in the dugout in the first place. Sporting Director Thelwell, stuck his neck on the line and said Martin is ‘one of the best coaches’ he’s worked with, just for the Head Coach to be removed after 123 days. The Russell Martin experiment will go down as one of the worst decisions in Rangers’ history, but it’s crucial the higher ups at the club get Martin’s successor right or else they run the risk of enduring another trophyless and miserable season.