Philippe Clement set season-saving Rangers target by Saturday Jury as Celtic set to become Invincibles again
Will the 4-1 Europa League win over Nice finally kickstart Rangers’ season?
ANDY NEWPORT: Listen, no-one would be surprised if this side messes up at McDiarmid. Clement may argue differently but there’s little doubt Gers are more at home on the continent facing teams who have a go. It’s against the Premiership’s stuffy battlers that they struggle to break free.
FRASER WILSON: Strap in for a rollercoaster if you’ve not already. It was another thrilling high in Europe for Clement and his players but their domestic form has fallen through the floor and shows little sign of picking up. Maybe Igamane’s emergence can give them a jolt.
SCOTT BURNS: It was a good European result. The issue for Clement, though, hasn’t been in Europe but domestically. They have to win their next three Premiership fixtures against St Johnstone, Kilmarnock and Ross County. If they don’t they can write off their league campaign.
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Celtic are now 12 games unbeaten. Do you think we could be looking at another Invincible season?
ANDY: There’s still a long way to go before we can be certain of that but Celtic have shown an ability to win even when they are struggling. It’s down to the rest of the league to match their lofty levels.
FRASER: Yes, I really do. Celtic are streets ahead of the rest and if they can steer clear of major injuries and manage not to allow complacency to creep in then there’s nothing to stop them becoming Invincibles again.
SCOTT: Aberdeen went 11 games where they had 10 wins and a draw and Celtic were still ahead of them. I think the gap between Celtic and the rest is massive and if they continue like they are then I can’t see them retaining their Premiership crown without a major blemish.
Lawrence Shankland missed a penalty and was booed by the Hearts fans. Should Neil Critchley stick by him against Aberdeen?
ANDY: He looks like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders - and a few extra pounds around his waist. Shankland needs to sharpen up stamina wise if he’s to rediscover his scoring touch.
FRASER: Shankland cut a seriously dejected figure as he left the park on Thursday. The abuse from the stands was way OTT.
His confidence looks shot. But who do Hearts bring in if he was to be left out? The lack of a new striker in the summer has left them choosing between 17-year-old James Wilson and untried Musa Drammeh.
SCOTT: I feel for Shankland. He is trying but maybe too hard. There is no doubt he will get back scoring goals for fun but maybe taking him out of the firing line and bringing off the bench against Aberdeen could reignite him.
Aberdeen have picked up one point from the last six. Is their season beginning to wobble?
ANDY: It was always to be expected. It’s been a remarkable run under Jimmy Thelin but the Dons don’t have the squad depth to keep it going. But expect them to bounce back as Thelin’s a boss going places.
FRASER: They were always going to hit a bump and the big question is how do they react? We’ll have our answer in the next two games against Hearts and Celtic. The Dons are still well placed to go on and finish second if they react positively.
SCOTT: Tynecastle has been a traditionally difficult venue for the Dons. If they could win there on Sunday then it could be massive in terms of their season. Teams are now beginning to figure Aberdeen out but I would still expect them to finish in the top two or three.