Can Celtic compete in the Champions League? Also on The Football Show:
Ian Murray sacked by Raith Rovers after one game;
Champions Celtic defeated Kilmarnock;
Hearts 0-0 Rangers;
VAR controversies this weekend;
Tony Watt expected to leave Dundee United;
Dundee United 2-2 Dundee
Reaction to all Scottish Premiership results;
Brendan Rodgers' statement on comments said in the media;
Celtic FC's summer transfer window and latest rumours;
Champions League Third Round Qualifier Dynamo Kyiv v Rangers preview;
St Johnstone v Aberdeen preview;
The latest Scottish football news;
And much more!
00:00 Intro - The Football Show
01:26 Ian Murray sacked by Raith Rovers
06:59 Scottish Premiership results
08:49 Hearts 0-0 Rangers reaction
14:20 Philippe Clement post-match interview
20:58 Steven Naismith on Connor Barron penalty decision
21:48 Celtic 4 Kilmarnock 0 reaction
23:31 Brendan Rodgers Celtic summer transfer window
32:10 Scottish football news - 5th August 2024
33:25 Dundee United 2-2 Dundee and Tony Watt's future
42:33 St Mirren 3-0 Hibs reaction
48:13 Motherwell 0-0 Ross County
51:48 St Johnstone v Aberdeen preview
53:44 Dynamo Kyiv v Rangers preview
Love Scottish football as much as we do? Subscribe now: At Youtube @ScottishFootballRadioShow
Ian Murray sacked by Raith Rovers after one game;
Champions Celtic defeated Kilmarnock;
Hearts 0-0 Rangers;
VAR controversies this weekend;
Tony Watt expected to leave Dundee United;
Dundee United 2-2 Dundee
Reaction to all Scottish Premiership results;
Brendan Rodgers' statement on comments said in the media;
Celtic FC's summer transfer window and latest rumours;
Champions League Third Round Qualifier Dynamo Kyiv v Rangers preview;
St Johnstone v Aberdeen preview;
The latest Scottish football news;
And much more!
00:00 Intro - The Football Show
01:26 Ian Murray sacked by Raith Rovers
06:59 Scottish Premiership results
08:49 Hearts 0-0 Rangers reaction
14:20 Philippe Clement post-match interview
20:58 Steven Naismith on Connor Barron penalty decision
21:48 Celtic 4 Kilmarnock 0 reaction
23:31 Brendan Rodgers Celtic summer transfer window
32:10 Scottish football news - 5th August 2024
33:25 Dundee United 2-2 Dundee and Tony Watt's future
42:33 St Mirren 3-0 Hibs reaction
48:13 Motherwell 0-0 Ross County
51:48 St Johnstone v Aberdeen preview
53:44 Dynamo Kyiv v Rangers preview
Love Scottish football as much as we do? Subscribe now: At Youtube @ScottishFootballRadioShow
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00On PLZ Soccer's YouTube channel, I'm Peter Martin, Alan Ruff, Alison McConnell and Tam
00:14McManus are here with me. There is so much to talk about after a weekend of some interesting
00:21stories and developments in the Scottish Premiership and beyond. It is of course time for us to
00:27digest what happened over the weekend. The champions Celtic got off to a great start
00:32thrashing Kilmarnock, unfurling the title flag from last season. Rangers dropped points
00:37against an impressive Hearts outfit. What now for Tony at Dundee United? Tony Watt could
00:42be on his way out. The Saints march all over Hibernian. We'll get the thoughts of Tam McManus
00:47on that. Raith Rovers sack Ian Murray after just one game. We thought we might actually
00:52get to 4 or 5 before we discussed a manager being sacked. VAR still at the heart of controversy
00:59although not too many managers complaining about the Conor Barron handball in the match
01:05against Hearts. You can give us your thoughts on that. We'll discuss the European draw for
01:10the Scottish clubs and if you want to give us your thoughts, you can do in the comments
01:16section below. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button and join the football family. So, lots
01:21to talk about. As far as the sackings are concerned, let's get right into it. One game
01:28Ian Murray sacked. It wasn't going according to plan since January they said. Yeah, I was
01:34absolutely stunned when I heard the news. I think everybody was raving about Ian last
01:38year where he went in there and took them to where they were in the playoffs and everything.
01:42I just couldn't see that coming. Obviously things go on behind the scenes that you're
01:46not privy to. Tam knows Ian better than me. I don't know whether he's dug his heels in
01:52and maybe he wanted some more money for players or something like that. Getting knocked out
01:57of that Premier League thing, believe it or not, is quite an expensive experience. It's
02:01about £100,000 to the clubs that don't get in. Plus, I think they're all TV televised
02:07all the time. The hospitality, you get a good draw. So maybe they've said, well, you've
02:13maybe wanted a couple of players and you've lost that £100,000 so you're not getting
02:16any. So these things go on behind the scenes you don't know about. I don't buy into the
02:21results. I think the expectations getting promoted last year were a bit high. I thought
02:26the whole place would be on a high. The crowds come back, they were good. So, absolutely
02:31stunned by it. Sam, one game, come on, it's ridiculous. The board need to have a long
02:37hard look at themselves, whether he's your pal or not. After one game, if they weren't
02:42happy with him from January onwards, they should not have even contemplated sitting
02:47down with him and giving him a new deal for a new season, a new hope. Yeah, he's just
02:53signed Hanlon and Stevenson from Hibs, two great signings. He's really pushed the boat
02:57out to get the game in. I spoke to Ian straight after I heard, I couldn't believe it. I spoke
03:01to him, it's nothing to do with anything off the pitch, according to Ian. It's a football
03:05decision from the board. He's stunned by it. He went in on Sunday morning thinking, we're
03:09going to chat to him about new players and they get sacked. You can't believe it. I'm
03:13actually in a chat with him, Alec McLeish, big Yogi Hughes, two guys that have been sacked
03:17a couple of times as well and they couldn't believe it. So, listening to Ian's a bit disappointed.
03:22I thought he'd done a great job at Raith Rovers. I think he'll get another job in the next
03:26couple of weeks. I think Sunday will take him. Stunned by it, two games away from the
03:30Premier League for the first time in nearly 30 years for Raith Rovers and then one game
03:33into the season, sacked. Absolutely nothing to do with anything off the pitch. That was
03:38the rumours. It fell out to people. As far as Ian's concerned, there was nothing to do
03:41with that. It was a football decision and he moves on. Well, he may well move on and
03:46I think there'll be a number of managers actually just starting to sweat thinking he's available
03:51as a manager because he's certainly proved his credentials. I just think it doesn't...
03:58I think it tarnishes the board. I mean, it just sends out the wrong signal. Yeah, I think
04:03it's bizarre. You signed a three-year contract just at the end of last season. It's not as
04:08if there's been any spectacular downturn across the League Cup campaign and the few
04:15games that they've played so far. I think it comes across as quite a baffling decision
04:20so early in the campaign. I think last season when you look across the Championship, one,
04:27how competitive the league is. Two, if you look at the finances and resources of the
04:31clubs, like Dundee United is the one that you would have expected to go up. I think
04:37to take them within a whisker of going back into the top flight and then to find themselves
04:41out of a job at this stage, I think it leaves you scratching your head. I think just one
04:46game of the campaign, gone one league game, I think there's a few people who would have
04:52sat up across the weekend and scratched their head about it. It's interesting to see what
04:56the supporters think. Where Ray Throver's were two years ago with the Goodwillie stuff
05:01and all the board changing and having new people coming in, where he's taken them from
05:06there to where they are now is unbelievable, as a club. I would think the supporters, it
05:11would be interesting to see what they say about it. Well the interesting part of this
05:15now is they've made a rod for their own back because they're going to have to put in someone
05:19and they've got a tough act to follow and that's the nature of it. I think we're delving
05:26into just lunacy nowadays with managers getting the sack. If you don't back them in the summer
05:33and you're clearly not happy with them, don't take them into a new season and let them think
05:37that they've got a chance to have a full season again of trying to get into the division.
05:42As you said Alison, it's a good point you make, Dundee United, does anybody expect to
05:47take them and their wage bill? We'll talk about Dundee United a little later on in the
05:52programme. I also think it's very difficult now for whoever does come in because you've
05:55lost a summer of preparation. You think if you weren't happy with where it was at the
06:00end of last season, that's the time that you make the change when you've got a couple
06:05of months to go in, assess the squad, decide what someone new, what direction they're going
06:10in, give them a couple of weeks to think about what they want to implement. Now someone goes
06:14in when everything's up and running and games are coming thick and fast. I think the timing
06:19is baffling. Before we look at all the Scottish Premiership results for the weekend, thanks
06:24to so many of you for supporting us. If you join us live Monday, Wednesday and Friday
06:31then all well and good, we are delighted with that. Lots of people catch us on the Catch
06:37Up where basically it's on our YouTube channel, you can watch it at your leisure at any time.
06:44The figures for the programme right across YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, the social media
06:50has been absolutely superb. The support last season and hopefully getting even bigger this
06:55season with the content we're going to bring you. We just want to say thanks to each and
06:58every one of you. It's the weekend, the first weekend of the Scottish Premiership season,
07:02here's how the results all panned out. It was Hearts nil, Rangers nil, Motherwell nil,
07:07Ross County nil. I was getting a bit worried as I headed up to Tayside for the Dundee Derby
07:13but I think I might have been a contender for Game of the Weekend. 2-2 it finished,
07:18St Mirren 3-0 against Hibs, Celtic 4-0 against Kilmarnock and St Johnson against Aberdeens
07:24on the Monday night. Thanks to so many people for posting messages. Skeeden just wanted
07:30to know why Tam is looking so sad today. Don't worry, we'll get into Tam in a minute.
07:38My mate gets sacked and I always get pumped, there you go, that's how.
07:41Yeah, I'm so much. It's been a great weekend.
07:43Have a great weekend season.
07:44You're a Jonah, you really are.
07:47Have you noticed, Ruffy, that since he's joined us, all his pals have been bumped from key jobs.
07:52I mean, he's absolutely a nightclub.
07:54He'll have guys that he's known for years, been on the phone. Don't say you know me.
07:59Don't count me for the job.
08:01Are you their tactical noose?
08:04I'm getting blocked in.
08:06Hi to Tommy who's out there in Thailand. You always support, remember Tommy, out there
08:10in Thailand. So many people near and far have stopped us and said that they watched the
08:15show regularly. It keeps them up to date with Scottish football and of course, listen,
08:21it's competition. We're out there battling against so many other platforms, programmes
08:25as well, but we'll give you an opinion and we'll give you no shortage of comment on lots
08:32of topics and the programming and the unique video content we're offering. Hopefully you're
08:36going to enjoy it. Five days a week, Monday to Friday and then Saturday and Sunday, our
08:42reporters are out at the games, bringing you all the latest news. So thank you to so
08:47many of you for your comments. We kicked off with high hopes of a cracker at Tyne Castle
08:53in the end. It was nil-nil, but I don't know about you, Rafi. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
08:58I thought it was a great game to watch.
08:59Yeah, I thought the weekend was a great advert for our game. You know, I think every game
09:03has something to offer. The Hearts Rangers started it off. Not a lot of quality in the
09:08game, but a lot of incidents, a lot of goalmouth stuff, shots at goal, two goalkeepers in outstanding
09:14form. I thought the game had a lot to offer. The only downside for me was, again, what
09:21we talk about every year, was the fans at the game. That wee segment of Rangers fans
09:26in the corner just did nothing for me.
09:27And then empty seats.
09:28Yeah.
09:29Empty seats with nobody's in.
09:30I thought it looked terrible.
09:31So did I. Honestly, it's the lunacy of it, but I don't want to go back over it like a
09:35broken record. Jock Cusick, I beg your pardon, says, nice to have PLZ back. It's going to
09:41be another painful season for most of us Rangers fans. Looking forward to getting hammered
09:46on the banter front, though.
09:48Jock, I'm going to say something to get us into the meat and bones of the game, but in
09:54fact, let's talk about the game first, because if anything, the positives would have certainly
10:00been in the Hearts camp, unless I'm mistaken. I thought they looked good as a starting eleven.
10:05And they had options on the bench, Charlie.
10:07Yeah, they did. The boy, Taylor, looked as though he really shone as well. He looked
10:11quite a find for them. Yeah, I think Steven Naismith would have been pleased with it.
10:16I think both sides could have argued. They maybe might have edged it, might have done
10:20enough to win it. I thought a draw was probably fair overall.
10:24Penalty?
10:25No. I think last season it's been given. None of us wanted it to be given for that.
10:32I think his arm is in. His elbow's tucked in. It's not what we spoke about repeatedly.
10:36He's not gone to play the ball with his hand. The key will be consistency. That's the same
10:42level now that you want to see applied across the course of the season for every game. If
10:48that was given, we're all up in arms about it being given. You did see it last season.
10:53I think Willie Collin was very clear when he spoke to the media just a few weeks ago,
10:57ahead of the new season, about what the new legislation around this would mean. I think
11:01you saw it evidenced on Saturday. So no, I didn't think it was a penalty. I don't think
11:06it should be a penalty and you'd like to think going forward it's not going to be a penalty.
11:10Penalty?
11:11No, I don't think so Peter. I totally agree with everything Alice said there. I think
11:15there was one in the Dundee derby as well. It came off a Dundee player's hand from a
11:18corner and that wasn't given. So I think that's pretty refreshing and as long as they stick
11:21to that throughout the season, unless we were all coming in here going mental about penalties
11:25or just hitting people's hands and giving penalties. Hopefully there's more of that
11:29to come Peter and they stick to that level of consistency because I don't think it was
11:32or the one that came off a Dundee player's hand.
11:34Yeah, I don't even think you should have bothered. I'll tell you the one thing that was really
11:38refreshing over the weekend. We'll hear from Stephen Naismith shortly but right across
11:43the board, you had a real positivity about managers. Okay, it's only one game in roughly
11:48but they were all positive about the communication that had happened with Willie Collin and them
11:54and an explanation of how they wanted to go forward with less hands-on VAR and really
12:01a kind of an emphasis on we're going to try and make the game flow.
12:05Yeah, as Alison said there, there's a precedent now going forward. The only fortunate thing
12:10is there's going to be an instance when somebody's going to say, that's the same as that one
12:14at Tyne Castle. Why are you giving it? I hope the referees and the VAR do have shown some
12:19kind of consistency all the way through because I think as we've just said there, we all
12:23agree that we don't want penalties given, cheap penalties for nothing. So if the hand's
12:27a way up here and it's in an unnatural position, fair enough, but not if it's down and a defender's
12:34coming out to defend and the ball hits his hand. But I thought both managers after the
12:38game came out were pretty honest about the situation. I think the Rangers manager and
12:43the Hearts manager summed up the game quite rightly. Both of them could have. Unfortunately
12:49for the Rangers, the chances all fell to deathers. I thought he did particularly well
12:54at the header. Well, everybody's having a go at him.
12:58You were lucky with the header, weren't you?
13:00I'm saying, for me, a striker, he's in there. You know, his touch that he had when the ball
13:06got put through, alright, he lobbed it over the bar, but he tried to just be a wee bit
13:10too nice, but he's in there making the attempt. I'll bet you he scores more than 20 goals
13:14this season.
13:15Yeah?
13:16More than 20?
13:17Yeah, I think so, aye.
13:18What, is that a dinner?
13:19I doubt, I'm quite happy to put up a dinner, yeah. I think he will, quite easily.
13:23Are you in for that, Tam?
13:24Yeah, I'm in for that.
13:25Yeah?
13:26I don't think he'll play.
13:27Two dinners?
13:28I think Rangers will sign a striker before the end of the window, aye, I think he'll
13:31be.
13:32Well, it's a dinner.
13:33It's not a lie. Week one and we've hooked him in already, are we?
13:37Actually, I'm in Team Ruffey, I think he'll sign that.
13:40Two dinners!
13:41You can get the starter.
13:44Yeah.
13:46That's not bad.
13:48That's not bad, Ruffey, the two of you and magic.
13:51OK, over 20 goals, we'll take that.
13:54What do you think?
13:55Do you think it was a penalty?
13:56Give us your view on that as well.
13:58We all say no, never a penalty, shouldn't have been looked at.
14:02But of course, it ended 0-0 and if anything, I got a real sense from a number of friends
14:08of mine, Rangers fans, who are looking and thinking it's going to be a painful season.
14:12There's new signings there to be added.
14:14There was only one signing that started, so it was a familiar look for a lot of Rangers
14:18fans to this side.
14:19But I think Philippe Clement himself is going to introduce them slowly but surely into the
14:25games and then they need to get up to speed according to the Rangers manager.
14:30Yeah, of course.
14:31You saw also with the other signing coming on, he may directly impact on the game.
14:38But he comes out of four weeks of holiday after the Euros, so he trained now three times
14:43with us.
14:44He's not in his top shape, so for sure we're going to become better.
14:49Robin Propper was also with the squad today.
14:54But if you don't train with the team, you cannot play a game.
14:58So, of course, and that's also experience to put in the squad.
15:04OK, I'm going to offer something of a perspective of Philippe Clement, because I think he's
15:11been fairly honest in his assessment of where they are, where they want to be.
15:16And you have to listen to what the chairman, John Bennett, said as well.
15:20My feelings on this, Tam, is that Rangers are going to have to short term, bear in mind
15:26he's got a four year deal now, I think Rangers are going to have to short term take the pain
15:31of not winning the league this season, maybe not winning it next season, as he tries to
15:37build something.
15:38Whether he gets the time or not, I can't put my hand out there and put my head on the block.
15:44But I think they're going to have to take pain because the chairman's backed him and
15:50he needs to be given time this season definitely to build his own team.
15:54Yeah, he does.
15:55And I think that's been seen in giving them a new contract, Peter.
15:58I think the amount of players that he's bringing in, he seems to be out with the old and in
16:01with the new.
16:02There's a lot of players that have been there for a long time that he's ushered out the door.
16:06Whether he keeps Taverny, I don't know.
16:08There's still time in the window for him to depart as well.
16:12Celtic and Rangers, it's always going to be judged against the other team.
16:16I think that's a little bit unfair.
16:17You've got a Celtic team that's been settled for years, you've got a top manager, you've
16:21got the Champions League money.
16:23I think for Rangers, it's asking a lot for Rangers to go and really compete with him
16:26for the title this season.
16:28Whether the Rangers fans are happy for them to finish 10, 15, 20 points behind Celtic
16:33this season, I don't know.
16:35In terms of short-term pain for long-term gain, I don't know, Peter.
16:39But I think they've got to give him time.
16:41I think the board are prepared to give him time.
16:43And I think as the season goes on, you'll see Rangers getting stronger.
16:47I think there's a lot of new players.
16:49And they'll take time to settle into the team, into a new system, into a new country.
16:53If they can just hang about Celtic for the first 7, 8, 9, 10 league games, then maybe
16:58you'll see them putting a challenge in.
17:00But I think it's a critical period this first month for them, with the Dynamo Kiev games
17:04coming up as well in Celtic, and the 1st of September to just try and stay on Celtic's
17:09coattails.
17:10Yeah, Dynamo Kiev is massive, Robbie, because if they could get into Champions League group
17:15stages, that's a huge financial bonus to Rangers.
17:20The second leg is going to take place next Tuesday at Hampden Park, but they're away
17:25first leg.
17:26And then they know that if they can get past Dynamo Kiev from the draw today, they'll face
17:31either Salzburg or FC20.
17:33Yeah, Clermont's been going on about the finance of the club, saying he's not getting the money
17:38for the players that he wants to buy.
17:40So getting into the Champions League would be a huge injection before the window shuts.
17:44And you would like to think the board would say, right, there's more money on the plate
17:47for you.
17:49So we'll have to wait and see who he brings in.
17:52You know, they have got some players, the new centre-half coming in, Danoli's not played
17:56yet.
17:57So there are players there who'll make the team better.
18:00I just thought at the weekend there, I thought they were lacking, what Celtic were lacking
18:06was a playmaker, somebody to get their foot in the ball and look up and make passes.
18:10They seem to be a wee bit disjointed.
18:13I think they're not a team team.
18:16When you see Celtic, they've all played with each other.
18:18They all know what they're doing.
18:19I like Barron.
18:20I thought he had a good debut.
18:21Yeah, but he's not the kind of player who's going to kill you in the latter third of the
18:24park.
18:25He is a very good workman-like player and he will score the odd exceptional goal.
18:30But yeah, I thought he did well.
18:32Yeah.
18:33Hearts.
18:34I think the Jambos certainly will be happy with what they had as a starting XI.
18:39Gerald Taylor.
18:41He looked a player and a half at the Van Aert.
18:44It was an impressive one there away to Dundee on Saturday.
18:48But they've got, you'll have to forgive me for this, Krivaz Kiriivii of Ukraine or Viktoria
18:56Pilsen in the Europa League play-off round.
19:00So that's what they're facing.
19:03And I desperately, after the disappointment of Komarnik for the Europa League, I desperately
19:08hope Hearts can get access to a good amount of money in Europe.
19:13I think it's hugely important for many reasons.
19:15Not just obviously for the club itself and the finances it brings and the space it adds
19:21to a season for everyone and the interest it generates.
19:24But also just for Scottish football as a whole.
19:26I think it's hugely beneficial to have teams competing in European competition.
19:31You have the coefficient, the spin-off that comes here.
19:34But also just raising the profile of the league, attracting better players as you go on, enhances
19:40the quality overall of the league.
19:42I think it's massively important for so many different reasons that you're in and competing
19:47and having as many teams as possible.
19:49Picking up coefficient points and going and performing well.
19:52You've obviously got St Mirren too on Thursday night.
19:55I think you want to see Scottish teams go compete and sustain themselves in European competition.
20:02Just thanks to Hugh Scott, who's just obviously been all over it as well.
20:06Tam and I didn't jump over his head too early, but Hugh has.
20:11Peter, have we signed a new player?
20:13Danoli?
20:14Classic gruffie.
20:15Clearly meaning Danilo.
20:20Hugh, I just do not know why you even bother.
20:23Because there are so many Rangers fans actually going on the message,
20:26we've signed Danoli.
20:28Where's he?
20:29I'm sitting here going, God, I've got that name right.
20:33You've never seen it.
20:34Yeah, absolutely.
20:35Anyway, fantastic.
20:37If it's near, the rule is if it's near what it sounds like, he'll fire it in there.
20:43So well worth it, Hugh, you jumping in on that one.
20:47But fair play to you, Rafi.
20:48Of course, we did mention that fair play to the managers with that communication with the SFA.
20:53Will he call him this new brush, this new attitude to VAR?
20:57Long may it continue.
20:58And great credit to the managers.
20:59Stevie Naismith didn't think the corner bar and handball was a penalty.
21:05Look, I don't think it's a penalty, if I'm honest.
21:07I think last season there was a big debate.
21:10Willy and the referees and the league have done a lot to try and clear things up
21:15and have a conscious effort to stop Hughes asking that question to write about it.
21:21So you'll stop it, you'll see it.
21:25People say it's unnatural, but if you've played the game, there's not much you can do.
21:29So I don't think it's a penalty.
21:30Yeah, well done to the manager for coming out and saying that.
21:33I think it was refreshing.
21:35And we'll hear from other managers, again, just backing the new way they're going to approach this.
21:42So let's hope that the referee gets a chance to keep the game flowing.
21:45Talking of flowing football, Celtic 4, Kilmarnock 0.
21:50Boy, did they look good, Tam.
21:52Yeah, they've just continued on from a fantastic pre-season, Peter.
21:56Scored another four goals, I think that's the last three games.
21:58They've scored four.
21:59Could have been five or six.
22:01I think they were denied a Stonewall penalty kick.
22:04I think Kyogo missed a sitter as well.
22:07It could have been worse for Kilmarnock.
22:09I thought Celtic were excellent.
22:11They seem to be playing at a higher tempo.
22:13They've continued on from the latter part of last season.
22:16I think when it started to get close, Celtic kicked into another gear.
22:19In the last six, seven league games, they've continued on this season.
22:23They've got competition for places, particularly in the wide areas, middle of the park.
22:27They've just obviously signed Bernardo.
22:29Hataki looks back to his best.
22:31I think if you're a Celtic fan watching that yesterday,
22:34you're really, really impressed with that whole performance from start to finish.
22:38Maida missed out through injury, which gives you an indication of the strength that they have.
22:43And of course, do you think it was a penalty, Alison?
22:48I think he was just taken out.
22:50And of course, over the course of this pre-season and then into the start of the league
22:57and the transfer window closes at the end of August,
23:00much has been made of Celtic's lack of any really key signings to get the support excited.
23:08And remember, again, we will fall into in this programme on a regular basis.
23:12You've got a wry smile on your face.
23:14I might as well tell you, we will fall into this category of assessing Celtic game by game
23:20and then totally readjusting your thought process when Celtic have to play in Europe.
23:26And I think this is where Brendan is going to be judged.
23:30He certainly got a little bit prickly about suggestions that he's been putting in some kind of message
23:39in his after-match comments or comments in pre-match press conferences to the board.
23:44I see these various reports that I'm sending messages or sending codes.
23:49I'll never say anything that I've not spoken to my bosses here at the club.
23:53I'm relaying my feelings, but my feelings are with them totally first.
23:57But we want to take the club forward.
24:00I don't think anybody's talking about special codes.
24:03The only thing you can deal with is the facts.
24:06If the manager's talking and he said, well, we'd like to get players in earlier,
24:11you can only take him at his word.
24:13I think sometimes you can read between the lines of what's been said.
24:16Sometimes what's not been said is just as important.
24:19I think clearly there has been a frustration from the Celtic support about the lack of incoming signings.
24:28I would qualify it personally by saying I think it can always be quite difficult on a couple of levels.
24:35One straight after a tournament, I think sometimes there's always a bit of a sluggish element to the transfer window.
24:41It tends to start moving now, really, when you're going into the latter weeks.
24:45I also think the type of player that Celtic will go to recruit,
24:49you're probably looking at maybe the £6, £7, £8 million player bracket.
24:54I think they always have options.
24:56I think you're not looking at players who are maybe a couple of rungs below
25:00and a club like Celtic comes in.
25:02You're talking about players who will have decisions to make
25:05and other leagues that might be in with contracts.
25:08I think people forget that sometimes Scottish football can be quite a hard sell,
25:12even if you've got Champions League football to offer.
25:15I think if there are other competitive leagues,
25:17particularly if you're looking at maybe down south or looking at La Liga or whatever,
25:23where people can be very competitive in terms of finances,
25:27it's not easy to go and recruit the kind of player that you want.
25:30I think Celtic will sign players.
25:32I think you'll see a couple of arrivals before the window closes at the end of this month.
25:37I think, crucially, you might also see players going out too.
25:41Yeah, okay.
25:43What's your take on that, Ruffey?
25:45Because it's early in the season.
25:49He's had a really good performance out of the players that he has there.
25:53I get the feeling Brendan's got the players now for a full season
25:56and they're suddenly responding to what he wants them to do.
26:00But the second part of it, as Ali said, is okay, there will be signings.
26:05They might come towards the end of the month.
26:07It's what calibre they are and will they improve the squad and the results in European football
26:12is the big question that I think Celtic fans will start to hammer him over the head with.
26:16Yeah, I think Celtic need a centre-forward, centre-half
26:21and maybe another player for the Scottish Premiership.
26:24That squad they've got now will win the Premiership without another two or three players.
26:29But it's what kind of player you're going to need to get to Europe.
26:32I don't think this squad will do any better than what they did last year
26:36and I don't know what kind of player you're going to bring in to make yourself better in Europe.
26:40Who are we talking about?
26:43I keep harping on about the boy Scales.
26:45Boy Scales will stroll through Scottish football like he's come on leaps and bounds.
26:49But when he goes into Europe, I don't think he's the quality that Celtic are looking for.
26:53Definitely a striker.
26:55If something happens to Diego, what do you do?
26:57It's panic stations.
26:59And that's not materialised either.
27:01I just feel it has to be a right big signing to Celtic any further in Europe.
27:08How many do you think they need?
27:10Are you talking about for the Premiership?
27:12I don't think they need that many for the Premiership.
27:14Champions League, you need another striker anyway.
27:17Centre-half, a very good international centre-half.
27:22Left-back?
27:24Taylor's always done well.
27:26Left-back.
27:28So you're saying he's not good enough for Europe?
27:30I don't think he's good enough for Champions League.
27:32I think if you want to make an impression, you need better quality.
27:35You need cover, there's no cover over there.
27:37More competition for them at least.
27:39I don't know.
27:41The type of players that are going to come in and make a difference
27:45in terms of Champions League football are elite players.
27:50What kind of elite players are going to come in and be better than
27:53O'Reilly, Hattati and McGregor?
27:55What are you going to buy to bring to somebody?
27:58I think they're Champions League quality players.
28:02You mentioned the three of them.
28:04A striker, a left-back and a centre-half.
28:06If you can improve those three areas, I think Celtic go in much stronger.
28:10I think they might feel fine for the Champions League.
28:12I think they're all very good players.
28:14Although if you take O'Reilly out of the equation.
28:17It's quite interesting actually.
28:19It's either he's aged or he's gone into overdrive.
28:22But he's been linked with Brighton, he's been linked with Chelsea.
28:25And of course, Atletico Madrid.
28:29A number of clubs all closing in.
28:31I'm going to hold off on offer.
28:37I know you're going to smile about it.
28:40I'm going to hold off because I firmly believe
28:43the one really, really positive thing about it.
28:46I think Celtic will win the league with points to spare again.
28:49But I think the team is playing far better now.
28:55That's game one.
28:57My God, to wait until three quarters of the season had gone
29:00before they actually got a half-decent game.
29:02I see when you're playing well,
29:04and they were playing well at the weekend.
29:06They were on the front foot.
29:08The pace was there.
29:09The movement was magnificent.
29:11The two centre-halves were up about 25 yards
29:15for the goal.
29:17Let's see what they're like when they play against a team
29:21who tests them.
29:23That's where you'll get the challenge of when they come up
29:27against a team that's on the front foot
29:30and they're not sitting back and letting Celtic
29:32have 80% of the possession.
29:34Then you'll see how good the Celtic team are.
29:36Just as a footnote before we get to our news,
29:38Kelly, I don't think Derek McInnes was too peeved.
29:41Obviously, he doesn't want his team to suffer an absolute
29:44doing, which is what they got in the end.
29:46I think he's looking and saying to himself,
29:48okay, it's Tromso, Thursday night, rugby park,
29:51Conference League, third qualifying round,
29:53chance to maybe redeem themselves and make sure they've got
29:58something to look forward to in European football.
30:00They've got to try and get a positive result.
30:03Yes, they're missing a few players as well.
30:05I think they've got a few injuries at the back in particular.
30:07Danny Armstrong, I think you rescued him.
30:09I think they went a little bit more solid at Parc Adid,
30:11came on late in the game.
30:13He's obviously one of their key players.
30:14He'll play on Thursday, but it's difficult when you're in a
30:17commanding size of their squad to play in Europe,
30:19then go to Celtic, then play in Europe,
30:21then play at the weekend, then play in Europe again.
30:23It's going to be difficult for them,
30:25but they've just got to suck it up and try and get through.
30:29Tromso will be difficult.
30:31They'll be a difficult tie.
30:32I think both teams have got teams from Norway.
30:34They'll be difficult, but I don't think they're unbeatable.
30:36I don't think they're unbeatable.
30:38If they can win at home, they go over to Tromso,
30:40then they've got a real opportunity.
30:42If we can get four clubs, Alison,
30:44playing in European football this season,
30:46what a huge boost that would be to our game.
30:49I think it would be enormous.
30:50I think it just lifts the whole league.
30:52I think it gives you, just from now until Christmas,
30:55January, obviously the Champions League format runs
30:57until January before the knockout stages are this term.
31:00I think it just lifts everything around it.
31:03I think it gives you something different.
31:06It just adds a bit of spice to the league.
31:09It adds a real intrigue to the opening months of the campaign.
31:12Obviously, it augurs well for the league going forward.
31:16It brings investment in.
31:18It brings finances in.
31:19That, in turn, you would hope is recycled
31:22into the quality of players that come into the league.
31:24This is PLZ Soccer on our YouTube channel.
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31:33at your fingertips.
31:34There's lots of special content coming up for you
31:38five days a week, Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday.
31:40We're out at the games bringing you the reaction
31:43from the managers and the players as well.
31:46Monday, Wednesday, Friday, live, 4 o'clock.
31:50You can get it on Catch Up as well, the football show.
31:53Tuesday, the women's football show.
31:55Thursday, the journos.
31:57Then I'll be out there conducting more and more
32:00one-to-ones with people within football
32:02and some interesting people out with football
32:04on the programme for you to enjoy.
32:07These are the headlines on PLZ Soccer.
32:10Hi there, I'm Kerry and here is your daily news update
32:12on Monday the 5th of August brought to you by Arnold Clark.
32:15Rangers started their Premiership campaign
32:17with a goalless draw against Hearts on Saturday
32:19of which Philippe Clement believes it was a game of two halves.
32:22The first half was for Hearts, the second half was for us.
32:25We had good chances to finish off the game.
32:30Sticking with Rangers, they're preparing to take on Dynamo Kiev
32:32tomorrow night.
32:33If they're to advance through that game,
32:35it's either FC Salzburg or FC Twente.
32:37As for Celtic, they kicked off their league season
32:39with a fanatic 4-0 win over Kilmarnock yesterday
32:42at Celtic Park.
32:43And as for the Dundee derby, Jim Goodwin clarified
32:46Tony Watt's future at the club.
32:48No, Tony's still part of the squad, he's still available,
32:51he's still under contract here at Dundee United.
32:53I can only pick a squad of 20 unfortunately
32:55and Tony wasn't part of that today.
32:57It was a 3-0 win for St Mirren yesterday
32:59at the Smyza Stadium against Hibernian
33:01where David Gray believes that that sort of defeat
33:03at the start of the season is unacceptable.
33:05When you start to think about the whole overall performance,
33:08as soon as you see the result, the performance becomes irrelevant
33:10because to lose 3-0 is unacceptable for us at this moment in time.
33:14Tonight's the Johnson take on Aberdeen at MacDermid Park.
33:17To kick off their league season, we'll be keeping you up to date
33:19across all of our social media platforms.
33:21Yeah, thanks to Kerry for those headlines
33:24and you heard from Jim Goodwin there.
33:27We'll talk about that Dundee derby, it was absolutely magnificent.
33:30Loved it going to the City of Discovery.
33:32Hoping for goals and boy did we get them.
33:35It was everything that was good about Scottish football.
33:38Just on the negative side, you've got a squad of 20
33:41and suddenly Tony Watt's not there.
33:43And of course, the suggestion is that he's deleted
33:46all his social media regarding Dundee United.
33:49The alarm bells are ringing, Ruffey.
33:51Yeah, I think there's obviously things going on behind the scenes there.
33:54You know that Tony, he's a guy who's been about a lot.
34:00Whether he's fell out eventually with the team he's with, I don't know.
34:04But he seems to move about.
34:06We all thought he was going to be at Dundee United for a wee while.
34:09But he just may be that kind of player that he wants to move on.
34:12If he's not playing, he really wants to move on.
34:15As managers speak there from Jim, I don't want to discuss
34:18with that few things around here.
34:21If ever a man knows that line, he's bombed.
34:24The problem with it is, if he is indeed one of those players
34:28they want out the door for whatever reason in the background, Tam,
34:31£4,000 a week means it's going to be mightily difficult to get him out.
34:34Yeah, they're going to need to pay him off.
34:36I've been in that situation before, Peter.
34:38And I've heard managers say that I'm part of the squad
34:40where I've been training with the kids.
34:42It's just, you're right, as managers speak,
34:44I don't think Tony will play for Dundee United again.
34:46I think there'll be negotiations behind the scenes.
34:48He's got a year left in his contract on big money.
34:50So he's not going to walk away with that.
34:52I'm pretty sure he'd be prepared to sit it out for a year.
34:55He'd pick that money up. Don't think he wants to.
34:57I don't think the club want him to.
34:59So I think you'll find, as it comes towards the end of the window,
35:02you'll start to see that offer going up and up.
35:04Because Dundee United don't want to pay him for a full season,
35:06or at least to January.
35:08So I think he will eventually move on.
35:10But it's a bit of poker going on just now, I think, with Tony
35:12and his agent and the board at Dundee United.
35:14Yeah, as far as the game's concerned, Alison,
35:17what a wonderful advert for Scottish football.
35:21Because I sat down, and the first five minutes,
35:24the ball had a flight path.
35:26And then eventually, suddenly they started to get it down,
35:29and Dundee United scored two great goals.
35:32Yeah, absolutely.
35:34I think our league needs games like this.
35:36I think you've got to celebrate the derbies,
35:39the stories of two teams that are across the road
35:42from one another, going head to head.
35:44I think you've got to enjoy what that offers,
35:47what that rivalry is, and try and market it.
35:50And I thought yesterday's game was a fantastic example
35:54of what the game can offer.
35:56I think maybe not one for the purists at times,
35:58especially in the opening exchanges,
36:00but certainly I think there was a lot there
36:02in terms of excitement, and it's good to open
36:04the season with it, just to kick it off
36:06with a good vein of excitement.
36:08The one thing that struck me, Dundee United's second goal.
36:11I mean, there were patches where suddenly
36:14the ball started to get launched.
36:16But there were patches in the game where
36:18it's a beautiful surface, it's a sunny day,
36:21and Dundee tried, and Dundee United
36:23tried to play the ball on the deck.
36:25If you were a neutral watching that in another country,
36:27and you saw Dundee United's second goal,
36:30you'd think that was a thing of beauty.
36:32At one point when one of the United players
36:35picks up the ball, I can't remember for life,
36:37but I think it was world through,
36:39picked up the ball, one of the United fans
36:41shouts, hit it! But he doesn't.
36:44He looks across and plays the pass out
36:47to the right-hand side, and then it's a first-time
36:49ball in for the goal. It was just a thing of beauty.
36:51Yeah, I thought Dundee United were superb
36:53the first half. I thought they outplayed Dundee.
36:56Trapanowski obviously getting the first goal
36:58looks a real find for them. Obviously Jim knows
37:00that Macedonian mark that he's signed to.
37:02Two players for Dundee United, obviously
37:04get Mijovski in at Aberdeen.
37:06I thought Dundee United had a lot of pace
37:08and quality in the final third.
37:10And a great ball across, and the young boy
37:12Thompson came in with the back post
37:14and scored a youth product.
37:16So we've got a nice blend of foreign players
37:18and young players at Dundee United.
37:19Second half, I thought Dundee got to grips
37:21with it more, and they finished the stronger.
37:23Could have won the game at the end.
37:25I think the big boy came on as a sub
37:27for Dundee, the striker. He should have scored, Peter.
37:30And Curtis Mayne, and Simon Murray
37:33missed a chance. Good save for the goalkeeper,
37:35might have been offside. So Dundee finished the stronger.
37:37I thought, game of two halves, definitely
37:39the draw was a fair result. But I think
37:41both of those sets of supports
37:43come away from that game thinking, we've only been
37:45for a good season, we've got a good side.
37:47Yeah, absolutely. I thought the great advert
37:49for the game was the stadium being full.
37:51I thought it was great to see
37:53This is going to be your bugbear now, isn't it?
37:55No, I think it was great to see a stadium
37:57on the telly with no
37:59spaces. You know, because
38:01say it wasn't a Derby game, and I say it was
38:03Dundee United versus, say, Motherwell,
38:05there'd be spaces all over the place.
38:07Or Livingston, or whoever.
38:09But to see an actual stadium, it adds
38:11to the game. You're saying the game
38:13was a bit up in the air,
38:15but with the noise and everything,
38:17and what the expectation of both sets
38:19of supporters, it was just fantastic
38:21to watch. Yeah, thanks to
38:23Errol who says, Pete, were you on the
38:25swally yesterday? You're looking a wee bit scruffy
38:27unshaven.
38:29Errol, I didn't shave
38:31because I want to go up to Dundee and look hard.
38:35I've seen asbestos in there. Yeah, absolutely.
38:37Thanks for that. Anyway, thanks to you
38:39as well, Errol. I thought
38:41it was a great game. The downside, the only
38:43downside was, I don't
38:45know what
38:47in any way
38:49some fans think it's OK
38:51to start throwing coins.
38:53And Jim Goodwin tried to put a little bit
38:55of humour in it, but he wasn't happy.
38:57Yeah, I've had
38:59three or four chucked at me during the course of the game. It's not
39:01something that I'll
39:03talk too much about. We spoke to the
39:05security guys down the stairs, and
39:07no doubt they'll stick a report into
39:09the SFA. It's disappointing. It's not the
39:11first time it's happened here with the fans behind the dugout.
39:13So,
39:15last time we were in the Premier League, Aberdeen
39:17bombarding, I got £68 worth of change
39:19that day. Went straight into
39:21the wee man's piggy bank, which was good.
39:23You know, higher value coins
39:25next time, please.
39:27I mean,
39:29he did put a bit of fun into it,
39:31but it is worrying, Ruffey.
39:33There was a player on the left-hand side
39:35who was getting pelted with coins, and I'm
39:37thinking to myself, really? I mean, is that
39:39acceptable? No, it's definitely not
39:41acceptable, but we keep saying it every year.
39:43Year in, year out.
39:45Catch them. Get them on CCTV.
39:47Coins are the
39:49people.
39:51Imagine somebody
39:53you saw them throwing the coin. Imagine you throwing the
39:55coin back at them. What would their
39:57response be?
39:59You know, I've done that.
40:01Yeah, absolutely. Listen, you hope the police
40:03catch them and they get arrested.
40:05As far as Dundee are concerned, though,
40:07I like Tony Docherty.
40:09He's one of those managers
40:11that, you know,
40:13top six finish. He might have surprised
40:15a few people, but he certainly, I think
40:17he's got the makings of a good squad there. I think he does, too.
40:19I think last season was, I think he
40:21compounded all manner of expectations
40:23after he had just come straight back up.
40:25In fact, at one point last season
40:27he was being discussed for manager
40:29of the year, given what a
40:31strong campaign they had.
40:33I think he's had a couple of good
40:35additions to the squad. I think
40:37they will fancy themselves
40:39for top six again. Yeah, and refreshingly
40:41there was a moment
40:43in the game where, there were actually
40:45two penalty incidents, but
40:47I think the managers right across
40:49the Scottish Premiership this weekend have been
40:51fairly complimentary about how the game
40:53was handled. David Dickinson was the referee
40:55up at Tanner
40:57Dice and Tony Docherty said
40:59he got the penalty call spot on with
41:01the VAR officials.
41:03Aye, yeah, yeah. I think the biggest thing was
41:05I knew it was on the offside. You know, and then when I see
41:07it back, it's a clear penalty. It's a definite
41:09penalty. So, yeah.
41:11And listen, I'm an advocate, I always say anything
41:13that can benefit the game
41:15of course, we embrace that and
41:17that's what it's done today. It's made the right call
41:19in a really, really tense derby and those
41:21moments are pivotal and it's got it
41:23right today. Yeah, full
41:25march to Tony as well. I've been interested
41:27to see who's got the bragging, who do you think is going to get
41:29the bragging rights in Dundee this season?
41:31Tam? Oh, I would have said
41:33definitely Dundee before I seen that game
41:35at the weekend. I was really impressed with Dundee United
41:37so I think it would be nip and tuck
41:39the whole way. I think it would be
41:41close between the two of them. I thought Dundee United were really impressive.
41:43He still wants a couple of
41:45signings, Tony Docherty, so
41:47interesting to see what he does. Certainly he wants to
41:49kind of add a bit of solidity to the back end.
41:51Well, he certainly knows where to
41:53get them. I mean, 11 loaned players last
41:55year. I don't know what he's got this year but he knows
41:57where to get them and tap into them so
41:59I wouldn't be surprised if they come back from
42:01England again. I think the biggest problem
42:03is I think the wee boy McCown is
42:05the next one that's going to get pinched by somebody.
42:07Yeah, McCown, Luke McCown.
42:09Don't worry, it's a letter here and there
42:11off him.
42:13Absolutely, what a
42:15gutty dislike by the way.
42:17This is Alison, just one L.
42:19McCougal? Alison McCougal?
42:21McCougal was on the show on Friday.
42:23He's unbelievable,
42:25isn't he? Anyway,
42:27yeah, well,
42:29and we're only at the first game of the season
42:31Ali, you're absolutely right.
42:33St Mirren 3, Hibs 0. Oof.
42:35I don't want to take anything away from St Mirren.
42:37They were magnificent.
42:39Yeah,
42:41I seen them last Thursday and I thought
42:43this is going to be a really difficult game for Hibs.
42:45It was never a 3-0 game, Peter. I watched the
42:47game, it was never a 3-0 game. It flattered
42:49St Mirren, more so than it didn't deserve to win.
42:51Hibs missed two or three great chances in the first
42:53half. They were the better team and if you don't
42:55take your chances, you're going to get punished. St Mirren got
42:57up the park right after half-time.
42:59Wonderful goal. Can't say great.
43:01Wonder goal. And then you're right up against it
43:03and then they get two quick ones later in the game.
43:05Hibs have not got a cutting edge.
43:07They need a striker in quickly.
43:09They've played a lot of good football but they're blunt at the top
43:11end of the park. Junior Hoyle, a good signing?
43:13Yes. Him and
43:15Big Mika, alone from
43:17Kukerevic. Kukerevic, alone from
43:19Swansea. He's got a good signings, Peter.
43:21He needs a couple others in but
43:23I think if you're a Hibs fan coming away from that game
43:25you're thinking, we actually played a lot of good stuff there but
43:27we need a striker. Dylan Venti,
43:29I don't think it's going to be the answer, Peter.
43:31He's persevering but they missed
43:33another great chance. You've seen it at a sitter at the weekend.
43:35And if Hibs don't put the ball in the net
43:37they're not likely to keep clean sheets
43:39as we've seen last season so
43:41poor start to the season. They've got Celtic
43:43back-to-back coming up as well. It doesn't get any easier so
43:45it's a wee bit depressing
43:47if you're a Hib at the minute.
43:49Funnily enough, he's put a positive spin on it by
43:51the performance, Ruffey.
43:53But the narrative
43:55out of it is...
43:57Out of one game, everybody's looking and thinking
43:59I wonder if David Gray will survive.
44:01How crazy is that?
44:03Well, I think
44:05that falls into that category.
44:07Again, somebody in a manager's job who's a legend
44:09at the club and they think that
44:11you're going to get a wee bit of time.
44:13It doesn't matter who you are now.
44:15If Hibs go into an unbelievably bad
44:17run, which I hope they don't do,
44:19he'll become under pressure.
44:21I think Tam told us on Friday that St Mirren were a big
44:23bruising team up front.
44:25Certainly, there were occasions at the weekend
44:27that Hibs boys
44:29were just bouncing off them.
44:31The two big boys up front were so strong
44:33and powerful. In set pieces,
44:35they were much stronger than Hibs as well.
44:37You've got to take your chances
44:39but at the end of the day, St Mirren
44:41are absolutely flying.
44:43Thanks to so many people.
44:45Most of our audience offer a really balanced
44:47view on these games, Ali.
44:49Great one here from EDL who says
44:51Tam's on crack.
44:53So there you are.
44:55He's clearly not.
44:57He's not happy with your
44:59assessment of the game.
45:01Peter King says,
45:03can Hibs take Mikey Johnson?
45:05I think if Hibs get Mikey Johnson, they'd be
45:07absolutely delighted. I can't see it
45:09but they need to get players in quickly
45:11or he will be under pressure because
45:13we're living in a time, Ali, where people
45:15want, you know, you don't get a month now
45:17because somebody's calling for your head.
45:19Poor result too in the League Cup as well.
45:21I just think it invites
45:23pressure when you don't start well
45:25and then I think, regardless of
45:27the nuances of a 3-0 defeat,
45:29I think the optics of it are not
45:31good. I think it puts you on the back
45:33foot immediately but he'll know
45:35himself. He definitely needs players
45:37in. It's about the calibre now of what
45:39you can bring in and try and supplement
45:41the squad and I think Hibs have been crying
45:43out for a striker.
45:45If you are a St Mirren
45:47fan right now, you are
45:49bouncing down the
45:51middle of Paisley, having
45:53a great time, you're buying the new strip,
45:55you might even think about buying the second
45:57and the third strip, Ruffey.
45:59It's just a brilliant win
46:01over Valour and then
46:03suddenly a really
46:05comfortable win with some really nice
46:07goals against the Hibbys. Yeah,
46:09I thought they were. I mean, the first half
46:11as Tam said, I agree with him a wee bit.
46:13You know, you take your
46:15chances, you score first, sometimes
46:17changes the game but you can't take any away
46:19from them. For 90 minutes, St Mirren
46:21just dug in there and I thought they were a really big
46:23strong side who, the first goal they scored
46:25was absolute quality. I thought he looks
46:27like a player for the season.
46:29I just think that when you're on a high like that
46:31and you're in a team that's winning all the time,
46:33everybody's, the dressing room's
46:35great, the supporters are all pulling
46:37behind you and that's when you start
46:39getting results and that's what's happening just now.
46:41Yeah, and of course the difficulty
46:43now is, as Tam mentioned
46:45earlier on, is Stephen Robinson
46:47has to somehow manage
46:49this squad. They'll be playing Thursday
46:51and Sundays.
46:53The crowd are very important to us. They've got
46:55right behind us. They didn't get frustrated
46:57with the first half and that's important to remember
46:59that it takes a big physical strain out
47:01of a 20-man squad playing Thursday and Sunday.
47:03And now the hard bit is
47:05I've got to manage that for Thursday night because
47:07every league's game is as important. There's no more
47:09important games. Europe's not more important
47:11than the league because you have to do well
47:13in the league to have these experiences.
47:15It's a difficult one. People like Dennis
47:17and Roland have not played lots of football so injuries
47:19are a concern. So we have to
47:21manage that. But the club as a whole is
47:23improving. We're getting better.
47:25We're trying to be a top-six
47:27club. We're a top-six side but
47:29we need to keep building as a top-six club.
47:31Keith and the staff are really trying hard
47:33to do that.
47:35You're doing a wonderful job, Stephen
47:37Robinson.
47:39Great times there at St Mirren
47:41at the moment, Alison.
47:43Fantastic. I think you can
47:45see what confidence does
47:47to a team and to a club.
47:49He's tweaked it a wee bit
47:51in terms of personnel but by and large
47:53the spine of the team has stayed the same.
47:55I think back-to-back
47:57top-six finishes across the last
47:59two seasons and then
48:01going in and getting a fantastic European
48:03result, I think it just bodes well
48:05for them across the course of the campaign.
48:07I think St Mirren's biggest
48:09challenge, if it keeps going like this, might be
48:11keeping hold of Stephen Robinson.
48:13Absolutely. Murrell 0, Ross County 0.
48:15Murrell had two gilt-edged
48:17opportunities to him in the first half.
48:19One of them, he should have
48:21burst the net, didn't even hit the target.
48:23But in the end,
48:25apart from maybe a Ross County
48:27free-kick in the second half,
48:29not a great game. No, not a great game.
48:31Me and Peter, both of them have
48:33lost their talisman this season so it wasn't
48:35expecting a goal-fest.
48:37Theo Baird obviously leaving Motherwell and Simon
48:39Murray leaving Ross County so I think they're both short
48:41of a regular goal-scorer.
48:43Probably that draw was
48:45a fair result and on the back of hearts,
48:470-0 with the Rangers.
48:49It wasn't a great Saturday for football
48:51with obviously no goals but
48:53I think both teams were reasonably happy.
48:55Don't want to lose your first game. I think Motherwell
48:57will be obviously more disappointed being at home.
48:59Ross County, Don Cowie spoke about
49:01they have to start winning away from home
49:03if they want to try and do anything this season so
49:05it wasn't much of a game
49:07but I think they'll both improve as the season
49:09goes on and their new players bed in.
49:11Ross County's next match
49:13against Dundee United but
49:15downside for Motherwell, Sam Nicholson out for several
49:17months injured and
49:19over and above that,
49:21I think they're going to go and play a bounce game against
49:23Everton at Goodison but he'll be
49:25hoping with all the
49:27turmoil of possibly a
49:29new owner then, they blocked
49:31it and now they'll be hoping that
49:33at least with the budget that he does have,
49:35Stuart Kettlewell might be able to add a few
49:37more before that window closes.
49:39Yeah, but he's got good form as well. He's tapping into
49:41the league down in England. He's obviously
49:43got a scout down there who gives him
49:45a lot of advice but I think the good thing for Motherwell
49:47is they always seem to bring a young
49:49one through. There's always somebody for the
49:51academy comes through and like the
49:53boy Lennon, you know, they establish
49:55themselves in the team but
49:57no, I don't think Motherwell will be struggling
49:59this year, you know, but just
50:01before we get away from it, I thought Ross Lloydlaw
50:03of Ross County, goalkeeper, was
50:05absolutely outstanding. One of the saves
50:07he had would be top of the season.
50:09That's why I love you on the programme,
50:11because you do really highlight
50:13an area where... Goalies.
50:15You love goalies.
50:17I thought when the goalkeepers made it
50:19as they did at Tyne Castle, some of the saves
50:21at Tyne Castle were superb. Yeah, absolutely.
50:23That's what I paid for.
50:25I wonder what I paid for.
50:27Strikers paid for.
50:29You were paid to score goals and you let a lot of clubs down.
50:31That's fine.
50:33I'll take that on the chin.
50:35You're talking about goalies.
50:37Obviously Peter Schmeichel was spotted
50:39in the crowd watching his son Cass
50:41with Schmeichel. Peter actually
50:43probably could have gone and goal himself
50:45and not get troubled. Or been a male model.
50:47He could have been a male model
50:49as well. Yeah, I just meant in the game
50:51because there wasn't really
50:53any threat to the goal.
50:55I thought Marley had a shot that might have
50:57hit the ground first.
50:59He's just a Joe Hart
51:01replica.
51:03They look the same, the same experience,
51:05same pedigree, same CV.
51:07I don't think
51:09he'd be a good signing this year.
51:11I think that's the
51:13one bit of business so far
51:15that Celtic fans have looked and thought
51:17yep, well done with that.
51:19I think a player of that ilk,
51:21that standard, the level that he's
51:23already played at. He comes in,
51:25offers real quality, looks assured, looks very
51:27comfortable. Already looks as though
51:29Joe Hart,
51:31he had fairly big gloves to fill
51:33but he's come in and it's been fairly
51:35seamless which I think is what Celtic
51:37needed. Yeah, absolutely.
51:39St Johnson and Aberdeen will
51:41lock horns on Monday night and then of course
51:43as the week progresses
51:45we'll maybe have a chance on Wednesday
51:47certainly to get an
51:49assessment of the Dons and where
51:51St Johnston are. I think
51:53there's a lot of pressure, Ruffey, on
51:55what Aberdeen are going to produce.
51:57They really have to
51:59I think get a half
52:01decent start this time so that there's a bit
52:03of positivity around them.
52:05Yeah, they need to hit the ground running.
52:07I think the supporters had a horrendous season last
52:09year, home and away. There was
52:11no consistency at all.
52:13The expectations up in Aberdeen
52:15are that they should be in the top
52:17three. So a lot of pressure
52:19on the manager coming in but they
52:21really need to start the game with a win.
52:23Yeah, I mean they've got St Johnston,
52:25then St Mirren, then Kilmarnock, Ross County,
52:27Motherwell and Dundee so
52:29they've got a run of games
52:31where they haven't come up against
52:33a Harps, a Rangers, a Celtic,
52:35a Hebs. Yeah, they've got
52:37a great opportunity, Peter, to get off to a flying start.
52:39I think that'll be a full house
52:41tonight. I think there's
52:43St Johnston are saying thanks to Geoff Brown.
52:45I think there'll be a full house.
52:47Aberdeen are obviously away supporters
52:49travelling numbers so it should be a great atmosphere.
52:51Looking forward to seeing both clubs. Really looking forward
52:53to seeing how Aberdeen do. I thought they underachieved
52:55massively last season for the
52:57quality of player they've got. Mijovski's
52:59been on the bench in the
53:01League Cup games. Will he start tonight?
53:03I know there's obviously stuff behind the scenes
53:05about a transfer fee but it'll be interesting
53:07to see if he starts because he hasn't played in the League Cup
53:09but I think Aberdeen
53:11might go and edge out tonight.
53:13Yeah, they've had a good start
53:15of the four games they've played.
53:17St Johnston, I worry about them.
53:19Again, Ali, as ever, if you
53:21ain't got a goal scorer,
53:23Nicky Clarke won't make it tonight,
53:25Ike Piazzu won't make it.
53:27If you ain't got a goal scorer that gets you 10-15
53:29goals, suddenly you can find yourself
53:31rooted in the bottom half.
53:33I think I would
53:35fear for St Johnston again
53:37this season. I think they'll be
53:39thereabouts when it comes to the end of the campaign
53:41in terms of fighting for their survival.
53:43Are you optimistic about
53:45Rangers getting past Dynamo Kyiv?
53:47Because the first leg this week is crucial.
53:49I think it'll be a
53:51very tough challenge for Rangers
53:53to get past them.
53:55Also too, obviously first leg's away
53:57and then they're back at Hamden, you don't
53:59have Ibrox. It's an
54:01unusual situation that you're
54:03going back to the National Stadium and not obviously using
54:05a ground that's been a bit
54:07of a fortress for them in European competition
54:09across recent seasons. I think you'll
54:11look at that win on aggregate,
54:13a 9-2 win on aggregate that they had.
54:15I think just
54:17based on the early evidence of the
54:19season, I think that's a monumental
54:21challenge for Rangers to try and get
54:23through it. Yeah, Robbie?
54:25Yeah, I think the away game's always important. I think
54:27again, Jack Butland will be a
54:29big player for them. If they could come
54:31back, maybe a draw,
54:33one each or something, or even one down, you're still
54:35in the game. You would
54:37expect them, with the crowd behind
54:39them at Hamden, that they might just
54:41scrape through.
54:43No, I fancy Deane will care strongly.
54:45From the turn of the year, I was having a look
54:47this morning, I think they've only lost one game
54:49this year.
54:51I think they'll beat Rangers. I think
54:53Rangers will get into Europa League. Yeah? Yep.
54:55Is that where they should be?
54:57Currently, I think so. I think they're a Europa League level
54:59team. I think they'll be more competitive in that. You can see
55:01the same about Celtic, to be honest.
55:03I think that Rangers, even if they get
55:05through this, the next tie looks
55:07tough as well. Dutch team, maybe, or
55:09Salzburg. I think Deane
55:11will care. I think Rangers are still in the transition
55:13at the minute, Peter, with new players and a new system.
55:15I think Deane
55:17will care. We'll beat them over
55:19two legs. Just as a footnote to that, I
55:21think that's the worst possible
55:23thing that can happen for Philippe
55:25Clameau, as well as trying to
55:27get the new signings in
55:29and making a contribution.
55:31I don't know, I may be wrong, but I think the Rangers fans
55:33will hate Hampden. It's
55:35not a stadium I like.
55:37I always say that
55:39when Scotland play international
55:41games there, when other Cubs come,
55:43they're not under the
55:45pressure that you're talking about.
55:47They're not under the crowd, right up against them.
55:51Continental teams seem to come and just
55:53stroll about, because it's a big pitch.
55:55There's bags of area in there, so
55:57that might go against them, but I'm sure the Rangers
55:59supporters will make it a night to remember.
56:03Lots of people giving us their thoughts on their
56:05favourite team. You can continue
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56:33Over and above that,
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56:39the football family. The figures for last season
56:41were absolutely superb,
56:43and we will try and offer you
56:45our honest opinion, as ever.
56:47Sometimes it gets us in trouble,
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56:55not only to watch, but we want you to engage
56:57with us this season too.
56:59Don't forget, on Wednesday,
57:01our new signing Scott Allen will
57:03be there in the chair,
57:05and also Ryan McGowan on the Fridays.
57:07Are you happy with the Aussie, Tam?
57:09Yeah, the two of them seem
57:11pretty knowledgeable
57:13about football, and hopefully they'll come out of their shell
57:15more in the weeks to come. Yeah, absolutely.
57:17I don't know about you, just as we...
57:19Yeah, I got it.
57:21And on that point, I was just about to say to you,
57:23but I think you've had a fallout from
57:25Germany, you know, that kind of a
57:27cheeky chappy, or is it that you're a year
57:29older and wiser and more mature? I'm getting older now, Peter,
57:3143 now, so I've not got the same energy levels
57:33as I used to have, so
57:35I need to relax. We're meeting Riley
57:37for this season.
57:39It's difficult when everybody's having a go at you,
57:41and don't like you. Yeah. That must affect you,
57:43you know.
57:45Yeah.
57:47It's the
57:49Monday morning blues, Peter. The weather and everything,
57:51it's murder. August, the summer's over.
57:53Absolutely. Listen,
57:55we love our football. Hopefully, you will
57:57join us on the programme on a regular basis.
57:59If you don't catch it live,
58:01then you can, of course, catch up at
58:03any time on the YouTube
58:05channel, and of course, there's lots of
58:07social media clips for you to enjoy
58:09of managers, players, and some of our
58:11special guests that we've got coming up.
58:13Thank you very much to Ruffy,
58:15to Alison, and to Tam McManus.
58:17And from myself, Peter Martin, hit the
58:19subscribe button on our YouTube channel,
58:21and thank you for listening and watching.