SPL Weekend Preview: Round 18

voldemort · 12-21-2007, 07:16 AM

Saturday 22 December (all times local)
15:00 Celtic - Hibernian
15:00 Dundee Utd - Gretna15:00 Hearts – Inverness CT15:00 Motherwell – Falkirk15:00 St Mirren – Kilmarnock
Sunday 23 December
15:00Aberdeen – Rangers

Celtic – Hibernian

CelticPark has been a fortress this season, with the Hoops unbeaten here in their last five. Gordon Strachan’s men were pegged back as they lost 3-2 in Inverness last week. However, with regards to home and away form, Celtic have been two completely different teams this season.
Speaking of different teams, the Celtic defence is almost incomparable to the one that started the season. Mark Brown continues to deputise for the recovering Artur Boruc while Steven Pressley, Ryan Conroy, Darren O’Dea and Gary Caldwell are all featuring in a madcap rearguard.
Visitors Hibernian are still reeling from John Collins’ sudden departure from the Easter Road hotseat. The hotly tipped young boss abandoned the good ship Hibee just as the Edinburgh club opened their spanking new training facility. His timing couldn’t be better (or worse if you’re a Hibs fan) with the Scotland managerial post lying empty.
If that wasn’t bad enough, top scorer Steven Fletcher strained ankle ligaments in the draw with Falkirk last week and will be out for at least two months.
The Celtic defence has been woeful of late, with Hibs capable of hurting the league leaders with their pace. With in-form Aiden McGeady and Scott MacDonald, though, Celtic may have too much firepower for the gaffer-less visitors.
Prediction: 3-1

Dundee Utd – Gretna

Dundee Utd have recently been usurped by Motherwell as this season’s most hyped team. The Arabs faltered in early December, losing to Inverness and Falkirk. Both of those basement sides gained huge morale boosts for their efforts. This proves that United’s early-season form has made them a scalp for the smaller teams.
However, Craig Levein’s men got back on track with an easy win over St Mirren last week. They welcome relegation battlers Gretna to Tannadice as they complete a run of games against the wee sides.
Captain Barry Robson must inspire the 4th placed side before they slip further in a tight SPL table. Celtic, though, are reportedly waiting to swoop for the midfielder in January – a distraction Dundee Utd could do without as they try to regroup.
Gretna have covered up their lack of talent with some gutsy performances this season, with little luck coming their way. Manager Davie Irons must be getting bored of their ‘brave losers’ tag, especially after being pegged back in last week’s 3-3 thriller at Kilmarnock.
However, the rookies achieved their sole victory this season with a 3-2 shock win over none other than Dundee United.
Despite this, the home side might be too classy for the upstarts in this one.
Prediction: 2-1

Hearts – Inverness CT

Goalie Eduardas Kurskis was an unlikely Rangers hero last week after his late blunder gifted the Ibrox side all three points. Hearts have improved their performances over the last few weeks, largely thanks to the attacking prowess of Andrew Driver and Andrius Velicka.
However, Assistant Coach Stevie Frail has been browbeaten by the eerily invisible club hierarchy into making some baffling tactical decisions. For this reason, visitors Inverness have overtaken the Edinburgh men.
After a woeful start to the season, Caley Thistle boss Craig Brewster has done it again – turning the Highland side into a winning team in his second spell as manager.
Every eyebrow in Scotland was raised last Sunday when Brewster’s battling side stunned Celtic in a 3-2 home win. David Proctor scored against the Hoops, but a red card later in the match sees him suspended for the Tynecastle trip.
Both sides are capable of playing football, but one suspects the game could be a physical encounter. A draw may be the most likely result, which would suit Caley much better than 8th placed Hearts.
Prediction: 1-1

Motherwell – Falkirk

Mark McGhee must have a nosebleed after seeing his Motherwell side climb to 3rd place in the SPL. They started the season playing tidy football and defending resolutely, but have now exploded by scoring 12 goals in their last five league games.
That quintet of victories was largely inspired by their front three of Chris Porter, David Clarkson and Ross McCormack. The trio combined for 8 of the goal flurry, looking devastating in the process.
Falkirk, though, are at their rip-roaring best when faced with similarly attack-minded opposition. The Bairns have been lauded for their fine footballing displays despite 4-2 defeats at Inverness and Hearts; a 7-2 mauling at Ibrox and a 4-0 turnover at CelticPark.
However, John Hughes’ side have only lost two of their last five games – both against Old Firm opposition – and will fancy their chances against overachieving Motherwell.
Prediction: 2-2

St Mirren – Kilmarnock

St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson has been in a foul mood of late – bemoaning everything from the Paisley side’s lowly budget to the congested upcoming fixture list.
He has every reason to be unhappy, as the Buddies have failed to win in five games, undoing their decent start to the season. They have lost 11 goals in their last four at Love Street.
Striker Craig Dargo could make his long-awaited debut after an injury-plagued start to his career in Paisley.
Kilmarnock showed some character to fight back three times against Gretna last week. This is a crucial time for positioning in the table and Kilmarnock will hope to make a move soon. Injuries and perhaps some bad luck has left Killie in 10th place, with opponents St Mirren only two points behind with a game in hand.
The game may come too soon for Dargo, who is sure to be sluggish. Both sides will look to tighten up their defence, with another goal-fest unlikely in an uninspiring fixture.
Prediction: 0-0

Aberdeen – Rangers

There were shades of ’83 at Pittodrie in midweek as the Dons demolished Copenhagen to scrape through to the UEFA Cup last 32.
Aberdeen fans haven’t had a taste of Euro glory since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson and will relish hosting huge games back-to-back as Rangers visit on Sunday.
The most encouraging sign for Jimmy Calderwood would have been his side’s clinical finishing, particularly that of two-goal hero Jamie Smith, who has struggled for fitness this term.
Rangers, meanwhile, still have two games in hand over leaders Celtic. Fringe players Thomas Buffel, Chris Burke, Kris Boyd and Nacho Novo are amongst those in the Gers squad linked with a January Ibrox exit, along with star man Alan Hutton.
The Gers will play a lot of football from now until the transfer window closes. Boss Walter Smith has some key decisions to make that could make-or-break Rangers’ title hopes.
These games are always heated affairs. I doubt fatigue will play much of a part here. The midweek heroics could, in fact, provide the Dons and their supporters with a much-needed boost of confidence and adrenaline.
Prediction: 2-1

source:goal.com

12-21-2007, 07:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
voldemort Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 8,202	SPL Weekend Preview: Round 18 Saturday 22 December (all times local) 15:00 Celtic - Hibernian 15:00 Dundee Utd - Gretna15:00 Hearts – Inverness CT15:00 Motherwell – Falkirk15:00 St Mirren – Kilmarnock Sunday 23 December 15:00Aberdeen – Rangers Celtic – Hibernian CelticPark has been a fortress this season, with the Hoops unbeaten here in their last five. Gordon Strachan’s men were pegged back as they lost 3-2 in Inverness last week. However, with regards to home and away form, Celtic have been two completely different teams this season. Speaking of different teams, the Celtic defence is almost incomparable to the one that started the season. Mark Brown continues to deputise for the recovering Artur Boruc while Steven Pressley, Ryan Conroy, Darren O’Dea and Gary Caldwell are all featuring in a madcap rearguard. Visitors Hibernian are still reeling from John Collins’ sudden departure from the Easter Road hotseat. The hotly tipped young boss abandoned the good ship Hibee just as the Edinburgh club opened their spanking new training facility. His timing couldn’t be better (or worse if you’re a Hibs fan) with the Scotland managerial post lying empty. If that wasn’t bad enough, top scorer Steven Fletcher strained ankle ligaments in the draw with Falkirk last week and will be out for at least two months. The Celtic defence has been woeful of late, with Hibs capable of hurting the league leaders with their pace. With in-form Aiden McGeady and Scott MacDonald, though, Celtic may have too much firepower for the gaffer-less visitors. Prediction: 3-1 Dundee Utd – Gretna Dundee Utd have recently been usurped by Motherwell as this season’s most hyped team. The Arabs faltered in early December, losing to Inverness and Falkirk. Both of those basement sides gained huge morale boosts for their efforts. This proves that United’s early-season form has made them a scalp for the smaller teams. However, Craig Levein’s men got back on track with an easy win over St Mirren last week. They welcome relegation battlers Gretna to Tannadice as they complete a run of games against the wee sides. Captain Barry Robson must inspire the 4th placed side before they slip further in a tight SPL table. Celtic, though, are reportedly waiting to swoop for the midfielder in January – a distraction Dundee Utd could do without as they try to regroup. Gretna have covered up their lack of talent with some gutsy performances this season, with little luck coming their way. Manager Davie Irons must be getting bored of their ‘brave losers’ tag, especially after being pegged back in last week’s 3-3 thriller at Kilmarnock. However, the rookies achieved their sole victory this season with a 3-2 shock win over none other than Dundee United. Despite this, the home side might be too classy for the upstarts in this one. Prediction: 2-1 Hearts – Inverness CT Goalie Eduardas Kurskis was an unlikely Rangers hero last week after his late blunder gifted the Ibrox side all three points. Hearts have improved their performances over the last few weeks, largely thanks to the attacking prowess of Andrew Driver and Andrius Velicka. However, Assistant Coach Stevie Frail has been browbeaten by the eerily invisible club hierarchy into making some baffling tactical decisions. For this reason, visitors Inverness have overtaken the Edinburgh men. After a woeful start to the season, Caley Thistle boss Craig Brewster has done it again – turning the Highland side into a winning team in his second spell as manager. Every eyebrow in Scotland was raised last Sunday when Brewster’s battling side stunned Celtic in a 3-2 home win. David Proctor scored against the Hoops, but a red card later in the match sees him suspended for the Tynecastle trip. Both sides are capable of playing football, but one suspects the game could be a physical encounter. A draw may be the most likely result, which would suit Caley much better than 8th placed Hearts. Prediction: 1-1 Motherwell – Falkirk Mark McGhee must have a nosebleed after seeing his Motherwell side climb to 3rd place in the SPL. They started the season playing tidy football and defending resolutely, but have now exploded by scoring 12 goals in their last five league games. That quintet of victories was largely inspired by their front three of Chris Porter, David Clarkson and Ross McCormack. The trio combined for 8 of the goal flurry, looking devastating in the process. Falkirk, though, are at their rip-roaring best when faced with similarly attack-minded opposition. The Bairns have been lauded for their fine footballing displays despite 4-2 defeats at Inverness and Hearts; a 7-2 mauling at Ibrox and a 4-0 turnover at CelticPark. However, John Hughes’ side have only lost two of their last five games – both against Old Firm opposition – and will fancy their chances against overachieving Motherwell. Prediction: 2-2 St Mirren – Kilmarnock St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson has been in a foul mood of late – bemoaning everything from the Paisley side’s lowly budget to the congested upcoming fixture list. He has every reason to be unhappy, as the Buddies have failed to win in five games, undoing their decent start to the season. They have lost 11 goals in their last four at Love Street. Striker Craig Dargo could make his long-awaited debut after an injury-plagued start to his career in Paisley. Kilmarnock showed some character to fight back three times against Gretna last week. This is a crucial time for positioning in the table and Kilmarnock will hope to make a move soon. Injuries and perhaps some bad luck has left Killie in 10th place, with opponents St Mirren only two points behind with a game in hand. The game may come too soon for Dargo, who is sure to be sluggish. Both sides will look to tighten up their defence, with another goal-fest unlikely in an uninspiring fixture. Prediction: 0-0 Aberdeen – Rangers There were shades of ’83 at Pittodrie in midweek as the Dons demolished Copenhagen to scrape through to the UEFA Cup last 32. Aberdeen fans haven’t had a taste of Euro glory since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson and will relish hosting huge games back-to-back as Rangers visit on Sunday. The most encouraging sign for Jimmy Calderwood would have been his side’s clinical finishing, particularly that of two-goal hero Jamie Smith, who has struggled for fitness this term. Rangers, meanwhile, still have two games in hand over leaders Celtic. Fringe players Thomas Buffel, Chris Burke, Kris Boyd and Nacho Novo are amongst those in the Gers squad linked with a January Ibrox exit, along with star man Alan Hutton. The Gers will play a lot of football from now until the transfer window closes. Boss Walter Smith has some key decisions to make that could make-or-break Rangers’ title hopes. These games are always heated affairs. I doubt fatigue will play much of a part here. The midweek heroics could, in fact, provide the Dons and their supporters with a much-needed boost of confidence and adrenaline. Prediction: 2-1 source:goal.com