- 2 days ago
Big talking points this week - from a heated Celtic AGM to Rangers’ new financial numbers, plus a look at what’s coming up in Scottish football this weekend.
In this episode, we break down:
🔥 A heated AGM that saw the Celtic board face further discontent
🔵 Rangers' financial results
💬 A look ahead to a busy weekend of Scottish football
In this episode, we break down:
🔥 A heated AGM that saw the Celtic board face further discontent
🔵 Rangers' financial results
💬 A look ahead to a busy weekend of Scottish football
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00:00Welcome to the football show on PLZ Soccer's YouTube channel. I'm Peter Martin, Alan Ruff
00:00:25and Tam McManus are here with me in the studio. Delighted you could join us. As ever, international
00:00:31football has dominated our thoughts with that fabulous result in midweek for Scotland against
00:00:38of course Denmark in World Cup qualification. Everybody getting excited about that. But
00:00:42no sooner do you finish talking about World Cup qualifiers than the madness of Scottish
00:00:47football will return and Celtic's AGM, Ruffy, obviously you're dressed in your hoodie to
00:00:52pay tribute to them. But Celtic's AGM started this morning but didn't quite reach the end.
00:01:00Obviously a number of fans have posted various little clips from it. This was just the early
00:01:06moments of it which didn't quite go according to plan for the board.
00:01:10Anyone else? Those who talk about the club not having kicked on in Europe since 2003 ignore
00:01:15the enormous change in the financial landscape of football in that period. It has created
00:01:21a gap which keeps growing.
00:01:24...show about respect. Not just, not just, not just, not just to make it, but listen, you
00:01:34don't want the web meeting to close. I tell you, we'll behave.
00:01:38Well, it descended into a farce from there on in. They didn't behave and a number of people
00:01:50held up their red cards, which is their democratic right to do if they're shareholders, and sacked
00:01:55the board wasn't too far away as a chant as well. So bearing that in mind, there was a fair
00:02:01bit of consternation. In the end, I think Peter Lowell and the board decided that enough was
00:02:07enough, and they decided that they were not going to continue. I think one of the things
00:02:13that really irked a lot of the shareholders was the statement read out by Ross Desmond
00:02:18on behalf of his father, and of course, probably Ross himself, accused some of the fans of
00:02:23being bullies. And then, of course, once he continued reading out his statement, I think
00:02:31a number of statements within it just annoyed quite a number of the Celtic shareholders who
00:02:38were generally at the back shouting their displeasure at what was going on. And in a statement shortly
00:02:46afterwards, Celtic said, such conduct is completely unacceptable and hugely disappointing. And while
00:02:51today's events are completely out with our control, clearly we regret the impact on our shareholders
00:02:56who were deprived of the opportunity to take part in an orderly and constructive meeting.
00:03:02So I think the other thing about it which really irked a lot of them is we will not be bullied
00:03:08by aggressive or irrational factions. We will not be railroaded by those whose only vocation
00:03:14in life is to be anti-establishment.
00:03:16Well, there's always two sides to every story. You know, obviously there are people in there who are not
00:03:24happy with the present board and they want them removed and they're doing everything in their power.
00:03:29We saw over the last couple of months the protests at the Games and this was an ideal
00:03:33opportunity for them to vent it at the meeting. Unfortunately, you know, a lot of people went
00:03:39along there today to ask questions and get answers and never get the chance for that to happen.
00:03:44So that's the downside of it. But it's just a terrible thing to happen for a club like Celtic
00:03:51for this scenario to keep dragging on.
00:03:54Yeah, Martin O'Neill obviously at the press conference to look ahead to their match against
00:03:58St Mirren. This is what he had to say regarding the affair. A really sad morning and I just wonder
00:04:04what the great Jock Steen would have thought of it all. He preached unity and said a club not
00:04:10United would never be successful. There's an obvious disconnect at this minute, but that
00:04:16surely can be rectified is what the Celtic manager had to say on it. Well, when you look at what's
00:04:23happening, there are two sides to every story and you've got to strike a balance with this,
00:04:30Tam. Quite simply, the Celtic boards try and highlight the fact that they have made mistakes.
00:04:38They've also highlighted the fact that they can't compete in an ever-changing market dominated by
00:04:43high rollers, clubs who can spend a fortune. And they've obviously tried to highlight the fact
00:04:49that they have got to keep some kind of kitty together for things that can happen that can
00:04:55derail aboard. And they have again gone back over this statement of they do not want to go back to
00:05:01the old days. Now, many Celtic fans see that as a smokescreen and quite a number of Celtic fans. And I
00:05:08can't quantify, you know, whether these are the sensible ones or whatever. Everybody's entitled to
00:05:15their opinion. But I think the majority of Celtic fans are looking at it and saying, what we want to
00:05:22see in their mind is change at the boardroom level. They want a change. Some of them are calling
00:05:29for a change in the owner as well, the majority shareholder in Dermot Desmond. But they want to
00:05:33see Michael Nicholson gone, Peter Lawwell gone, Chris Mackay out. And they want a fresh approach,
00:05:39a change to the recruitment, a change to the ambition in Europe. And they do not see that with a board that
00:05:46they see is, at times, you know, bordering on arrogant. There's a lot to unravel here, Peter. I
00:05:52think, first and foremost, I think Celtic are one of the best run clubs in the world. I don't think
00:05:56there's any doubt about that in terms of money in the bank. They're one of the richest clubs,
00:05:59you know, in Britain, you know, in terms of money in the bank. So they are a very well run club. I get
00:06:03where the Celtic supporters are coming from. They want to see more ambition. They had a real
00:06:07opportunity in February this year to kick on, you know, after getting to the knockout stages and playing
00:06:12Bayern Munich. They thought that they could go to the next level. But to get to the next level is
00:06:16going to take far more money than Celtic have got, I think. So I don't think that was ever going to
00:06:21happen. In terms of the supporters today at the AGM, I feel that a lot of Celtic supporters will
00:06:27be disappointed because they wanted to ask questions. They wanted real questions, you know,
00:06:31answered in terms of the board. They didn't get a chance to do that. Listen, if people are shouting and
00:06:35bawling and screaming in an AGM, you know, the board are well within their rights just to pull the plug
00:06:40and walk out. I have no problem with that. But I think a lot of Celtic supporters will be bitterly
00:06:43disappointed that they didn't get, you know, their questions answered today. So all in all, it's not a
00:06:49great look for Celtic, Peter, you know, in terms of, you know, people shouting and bawling. You know,
00:06:53they wanted to hear, you know, hear the board out, hear what they had to say. And that hasn't happened
00:06:59today. So all in all, basically just a waste of time, waste of everyone's time. And who comes out of this
00:07:05looking good? No one, to be honest. Well, a number of people, and it's only right and proper
00:07:11that we try and read out, you know, a varied opinion on this. And one of them, I think quite
00:07:18a number of them mentioned condescending millionaires telling working class fans to
00:07:24behave. The board has cut their own throats. Over and above that, the protest was an embarrassment.
00:07:29Protesters don't speak for every Celtic fan, says Brian. Other shareholders should have been given
00:07:35the respect to view their opinions at it. Joseph says it's getting out of hand. Ross Desmond was
00:07:42wrong to say that he meant the establishment, Peter. The board didn't want to be answerable to
00:07:49any questions and took the disorder as an excuse to adjourn the AGM, says John. And over and above
00:07:57that, I think Smell the Glove or whatever has clearly jumped the gun on this. We haven't even
00:08:05started talking about it yet and giving our overall opinion on it. So there's no apologies
00:08:11here. We've got to give a fair and balanced approach to the issues and try and deal with
00:08:17them. Ray says, I can't wait until the Desmonds are out. A 37% shareholder wielding 100% power
00:08:24and ranting on the club website about our last manager is a disgrace. And, you know, a lot
00:08:32of people, I think, continually are not happy with the board. Peter, this is now beyond repair.
00:08:39The board are actively against the fan base and now so far out of their depth. You've
00:08:44been vocal saying change won't happen. It simply has to happen now. Well, Patrick, I have to
00:08:50say I've given... Do you think there's a scenario where the board get fed up with this and walk
00:08:53away, Peter? Or do you think they're just going to dig in now?
00:08:55No, I think there's... I can only give you my opinion. I've been absolutely consistent
00:09:00with it, with this board. And at times, I think the board is a collective and I think
00:09:08it stems from Dermott because he calls the shots, but Peter is his general. Michael Nickerson
00:09:13is just, for me, you know, he just follows the party line and this whole, you know, triangle
00:09:22of power. But I think Dermott Desmond does call the shots. I think at times, if anybody criticises
00:09:32them, they're either banned or they try to control them. And they don't take criticism too easily,
00:09:41if at all. So there's a number of people who have fallen foul, and I include myself, but
00:09:45I stand by my own criticism of the previous manager who's now gone. But what I would say
00:09:52about them is, yes, you're right, they are a well-run club. But I maintain that they will
00:09:59not push them out. Dermott Desmond will dig his heels in and they'll ride the storm out.
00:10:04And if anything, the only thing I can see happening is that maybe there will be some
00:10:10kind of bloodletting and maybe some kind of...
00:10:15Sacrificial lamb.
00:10:17Yes. I was thinking of someone that might just say, look, I've had enough. I'm going
00:10:21to step out of the fray here and hopefully one of us going is enough to maybe save the
00:10:26others and let them go. But my personal opinion, Ruffy, is the way ahead for Celtic.
00:10:32I wouldn't like to see Dermott Desmond go. I think what he needs to do is maybe actually
00:10:40just show a little bit more humility and ability to reach out to the Celtic fan base
00:10:46and say, OK, we've all made mistakes. Let's get around the table. I do think there is a
00:10:51way back to actually getting to some kind of... It's not appeasement, it's peace breaking
00:10:57out. And I do think there's a way that they can get a strategy to move forward. I think
00:11:03some people on the board have served their time and it's time to go. Their attitude and
00:11:08the way they try to control people I think has really irked a lot of Celtic fans. I stand
00:11:15by what I said, and I don't care what he said on the board and Ross Desmond there. Since 2003
00:11:21onwards, the majority of people that have gone to put their money to see Celtic have watched
00:11:27a lack of ambition in Europe. The second part of it is this. They are a well-run club. They've
00:11:33had a few things that they've had to deal with. The Celtic Boys Club was an area where they
00:11:38had to pay out damages to certain individuals who were wronged. And they've paid that money
00:11:47out. But I do think that they need to change their approach. I think there needs to be a
00:11:52freshening up of the board. And I think Dermott needs to reach out and say, right, I've made
00:11:57mistakes. Let's see where we go. Nobody that I know of, Ruffy, and I know a lot of Celtic
00:12:02fans who have spoken to me, none of them are saying spend 10, 15 million a player. They're
00:12:07just not saying that. They're saying there needs to be a better recruitment process. And
00:12:12instead of a situation where six or seven players are rolled in and the manager clearly
00:12:17is not buying them, they want a change in that process. And they would like to see when
00:12:23you have such an impressive performance under Brendan Rodgers in the Allianz Arena, there
00:12:27was a chance to move on. I thought there was a chance to move on in 2003 at the UEFA Cup
00:12:31final. But I take the point that everybody was saying the wages were spiralling out of control.
00:12:36So they've controlled it. But I think a lot of Celtic fans would like to see a fresh
00:12:41approach, some people gone, new blood brought in, and maybe a chance to sit down with Dermott
00:12:47Desmond and say, right, how do we repair what's broken? And can you, like us, get round
00:12:55the table and just say, right, we've made mistakes. Let's move forward together. Because
00:13:00he's not budging, by the way. And I stand by it. You will not budge.
00:13:03No, I think you're right in everything you're saying. But I mean, I think the supporters, a segment
00:13:08of the supporters, you know, definitely want them out. And I think personally, if one goes,
00:13:12they'll go, right, we've got one, let's go for the rest. I don't think they'll back off,
00:13:16you know, just by getting rid of one. I think basically, I don't think there's been a good
00:13:21PR about this whole scenario between the supporters and the club. I mean, that statement that Ross
00:13:27made is a perfect example of trying to get everybody together and standing up and making
00:13:32a statement like that. That's going to irk a lot of people, you know. You want to go
00:13:37to a meeting and have a wee bit of, you know, response from the supporters and the club.
00:13:43But to start a meeting like that, you know, is always going to upset a lot of people. But
00:13:47you're right, you know, from a footballing point of view, on the face of it, the supporters
00:13:52see five or six really good players leaving the club and not the same quality coming in.
00:13:57For me, you cannot argue that they are 100% right in what's happened. The goings on of
00:14:03how you bring players in and bring them out, I don't know how difficult that is. But they
00:14:07certainly have not made the team better. And if you're a supporter and you're paying your
00:14:12whatever it is every week to go to a game, you have every right to complain about the way
00:14:16the recruitment's been in the last couple of years.
00:14:18And over and above that, Tam, over the last 20 years, it's not only about recruitment, but
00:14:23it's how they deal with players who are there, how they deal with them when they've clearly
00:14:28said something to them about moving on and it doesn't happen. And then, of course, this
00:14:33late, late signing of players right at the tail end of transfer windows. Oh, we couldn't
00:14:38get the right guy. These excuses have been rattled out non-stop. And the Celtic fans have
00:14:43heard them that much that they're saying to themselves, you know what? There's a considerable
00:14:48amount of money that the Celtic fans buy strips. One strip, two strip, third strip out. Classic
00:14:54Adidas strip comes out. Fashion wear comes out. You know, consistently having to put their
00:15:01money up for their season ticket. Then exorbitant prices in European matches. And at the end
00:15:08of it, they've said, well, wait a minute, enough is enough.
00:15:10Yeah, I think the final straw was the tail end of that window there, Peter. You know, the
00:15:15summer window where Celtic had two months, three months to get a player in, players in.
00:15:20And the last day they transferred, the last hour, they signed Iheanacho on a free. You
00:15:25know, he gets his contract cancelled and they just sold Adamida for £6-7 million down the
00:15:30road. I think that was the final straw and I think the Celtic supporters are bang on with
00:15:34that. I think it's been totally unacceptable, the recruitment policy. They're running about
00:15:38at the last minute trying to get players in. The panic stations that the club appears to
00:15:42be going in in the last day or two at every transfer window in the last few years. And
00:15:47that was the final straw, that window there. So, yeah, Celtic's recruitment needs overhauled.
00:15:52I think it's been shocking over the last few seasons. You know, the players have brought
00:15:56in, OK, they're going to point to guys like O'Reilly and Nicholas Coon who you go and get
00:16:01money for. But there's been a lot of money wasted. Trusty, Engels, you know, Adamida have
00:16:06probably got their money back. But I just think the whole recruitment policy has really,
00:16:10that's been the final straw for Celtic supporters. And this season, you look at Celtic, really
00:16:15fractured club. Rangers, for me, really fractured club. And you look at Hearts, who are top of
00:16:19the league at the minute, everyone's together with Tony Bloom, everyone's happy, the manager,
00:16:23they're all singing off the same hymn sheet. So, that's why Hearts are top of the league,
00:16:26a big part of that as well, because they're all united. And that's why Hearts have got a
00:16:29chance this season of winning the league, because Celtic, going to Rangers, obviously,
00:16:33shortly, but Celtic and Rangers are really fractured in terms of, you know, the fans are wanting
00:16:37the board out, wanting people out on the board. And that doesn't help the team. It's not a
00:16:41great atmosphere at games. Celtic have obviously banned, I think, the Green Brigade for three
00:16:44home games as well. So, you know, all in all, it's a mess for Celtic and for Rangers. And
00:16:49that's why Hearts could sneak in this season and potentially win the league, because the
00:16:53other two are a mess off the part.
00:16:55The disappointing thing for the fans who went along there the day to ask these questions
00:17:00that you've just done with, they've went there and they would have been interested to see
00:17:04what they would have said. The minority have got it cancelled. They've never got that
00:17:07chance. They've never got that chance to put the board under pressure to say, well, this
00:17:11is what happened. This is how we couldn't get that. They've never got anything.
00:17:15Yeah. And they won't get anything. I'll tell you one thing, though. The one thing that I
00:17:20think some Celtic fans are doing, which I think is having an impact, is they are not
00:17:24buying merchandise right across the board. Now, whether that's reflected in the accounts
00:17:30coming out the next time around, only time will tell. But then that can be spun while
00:17:35you're hurting the club. You know, you can see every spin that comes from it. But I think
00:17:40overall, I think they'd like to see a change. And they'd like to see a freshening up of the
00:17:45board. They'd like to see a change in attitude. And I don't think, for all the money that they've
00:17:49got in the bank account, I don't think any Celtic fan is saying, spend 20 million, buy
00:17:54exorbitant, you know, wages for players. They're saying the recruitment needs to be
00:18:00better. They'd rather have quality rather than quantity. And these projects and ones
00:18:04for the future, you know, it's all right doing that every now and then. But they need to
00:18:09look at a plan. They need to look at, and I'm led to believe that they are looking at
00:18:13some kind of similar process to Tony Bloom's Jamestown Analytics. Excuse me. And I think they
00:18:21are looking at a process that's also available that deals with that recruitment process.
00:18:26But all of these things, if they communicated to the fans, I think would be better. I also
00:18:32think every now and then, it would be good if they could get to an AGM and see Dermot
00:18:37Desmond there and actually speak to him.
00:18:40Is it an absent landlord, really?
00:18:41Yeah, but speak to him.
00:18:43He should be there.
00:18:43And also, I think, you know, maybe, you know, if he's there, he's going to be there, you've
00:18:50got to get to a situation where the people who disrupted the meeting today, you've got
00:18:55to get a representative in there and say, look, if you want to get questions answered,
00:18:59you know, put your red card up. But at the end of it, you need to shut up to try and get
00:19:03something out of this.
00:19:04Yeah, I think there needs to be probably maybe a smaller in terms of the number of people
00:19:08in there.
00:19:08Is that now what will happen now, Peter? Is it now going to a proxy sort of a meeting
00:19:13rather than a big meeting?
00:19:15But I think it would have been better had they had, you know, yes, show your displeasure,
00:19:21but then slowly but surely say, right, calm down. These people are going to ask questions,
00:19:27but we're going to have the chance and the platform to put your point across. But it didn't
00:19:31materialise. It was an opportunity lost. But, you know, listen, give us your point of view
00:19:36on it because obviously some people want change. We've offered our opinion. I don't
00:19:42think there will be change. I think Dermot Desmond will dig his heels in. And I think some
00:19:47of the others who have been there far too long who should be stepping down, I'm not so sure
00:19:54they will. You know, only time itself will take them out of the equation, but not at this
00:20:01moment. Although I don't think the Celtic fans will stop there showing their displeasure at
00:20:07matches. I think the protests will go on. I think some of the people boycotting the merchandise
00:20:11will go on. Where it goes after that, I don't know. It definitely needs a peacemaker. It definitely
00:20:16needs a mediator. And it definitely needs a change of attitude, I think, from the board.
00:20:21Anyway, that's the Celtic situation. We'll talk about their game against St Mirren a little
00:20:27later on. Rangers financial results have come out. They've posted losses of 14.8 million,
00:20:32down from 17.2 million in their accounts up until 2025. And, of course, the record revenues
00:20:42of 94.1 million are up 7% from 88.3 million posted the last time. So I think there's not as
00:20:51much of a hullabaloo, as you see all the points that they're highlighting in this report. I
00:20:58don't think there's that much of a hullabaloo about it across at Ibrox, because, quite simply,
00:21:04it's a new board who are cutting their cloth. There's not that many people from the old AGMs
00:21:09who are all in there, all with a stake, all with a voice, all battling for power. You've
00:21:14got the first real sense of, you know, this consortium now saying, right, this is how we're
00:21:20moving forward. We'll control it. We'll try and get a strategy in place for recruitment. And
00:21:26now, I think, which will make it ever so easier for them, is the fact that they've got a manager
00:21:31in place who seems to be getting things calm and in the right manner.
00:21:35Yeah, we've said it all along. The supporters basically want a good team on the park. They
00:21:41want to turn up on a Saturday. They want to see their team playing well. They want to see
00:21:44their team winning games. And over the last couple of years, that's not been happening.
00:21:49But now, as you say, they've got a new manager in. They're looking to the future, but he still
00:21:54has the pressure of winning their games. As long as you're winning games and fans are
00:21:58trunding along a game on a Saturday and walking away with a win, they're not really interested
00:22:04in what's happening in the finances of their club, you know, because they're happy with
00:22:08the way the team is progressing.
00:22:09Well, that's all right. Hugh just suggested there, you know.
00:22:14That's how the blueprint works. That's not how it works because we've just spent 20 minutes
00:22:19on a club that have won 13 out of the last 14 tackles. The fans are in disarray.
00:22:24Not at this precise moment in time. Celtic, they're judging Celtic on this year. They're
00:22:30not judging Celtic and all the leagues and the cups and all that. They're unhappy because
00:22:35the signing just now...
00:22:36No, they're not. They're unhappy because of a 20-year period where they think there's
00:22:40a lack of ambition.
00:22:41I wouldn't know the majority of them are that. At this precise moment in time, they're
00:22:45not happy because of what's happening with the club just now.
00:22:48I don't agree with you. I think they're not happy because it's actually just the tipping
00:22:53point of a domino effect of, we've heard it all before. It's constantly the same thing
00:22:58going down. And then, of course, you've been in the same movie with the same manager that
00:23:04you brought back who caused chaos in his third period.
00:23:07We never heard it, Peter, when there's trebles getting won and doubles getting won and the
00:23:13team's railroaded every team.
00:23:15I technically agree with it a wee bit. It's just because this season, they're not top
00:23:20of the league at the minute. And I think that's probably one of the reasons as well where you're
00:23:23thinking, wait a minute, we've got all this money in the bank and we're six, seven, eight
00:23:27points behind hearts. What's going on here? You know, I think that's probably why it is
00:23:30as well, Peter, and losing to Cairo at Almaty and not getting in the Champions League. So
00:23:33I think things have came to a head. But if you look at it over the last, Celtic have been
00:23:37totally dominant.
00:23:37I think that's exacerbated it.
00:23:39Well, it has. It's made it worse.
00:23:40But I think, I think...
00:23:42I don't think you've been... If Celtic were in the Champions League just now in top of the
00:23:44league, would there still be protests? Red cards today?
00:23:49Probably not. But I think it was a collective over a longer period. Whereas now you have a
00:23:54situation where Rangers have revealed their financial figures and there's less of, I would
00:24:01say, the protests that were going on. Remember, there's a manager who was walked across the
00:24:06park into a car while the bus was actually being bombarded by a Rangers supporters who
00:24:10are watching a dismal team on the park. The problem with Rangers, which is a different
00:24:15situation from what Celtic are experiencing, is Rangers fans, some of them, not all of them,
00:24:21were looking at the 49ers and thinking, this is going to be similar to Lawrence Marlborough.
00:24:27This is going to be similar to David Holmes in charge. This is going to be similar to two
00:24:32and a half years into it. In comes David Murray. Buy anything you want. It didn't materialise
00:24:36like that. Suddenly it was a business plan and they were going to have to stick to it.
00:24:41And there was no multi-million pound superstars coming in by the busload. It was a slow process
00:24:48to, you know, a business plan from a group who are not going to spend because the club
00:24:53didn't really have huge amounts of money. They put their money in there and every part
00:24:58of their recruitment has been really analysed under a microscope because the manager wasn't
00:25:03good enough.
00:25:05You know, we are aware that there are certain players on loan that are on lots of money.
00:25:09You know, a lot more money than what other people have been getting. So they're going down
00:25:13and having, you know, bringing maybe three or four in from other clubs and obviously trying
00:25:19to obviously put in the centre forward for a large amount of money, which the fans aren't
00:25:23happy with. So they are, they do look as if they're managing their money a lot better.
00:25:28But I think January will tell the tale, you know.
00:25:31I don't think their recruitment's good, Ruffy.
00:25:34No, it's not good. That's what I'm saying. In January, I think we'll have to wait and see
00:25:37what the recruitment's like and we'll have to know what money is available. You know,
00:25:41it might be the case that the consortium have said, look, we're put in, we're 20 million,
00:25:46we're quite happy to wait another year or so as long as you keep progressing, you keep
00:25:50winning games. But at the end of the season, the tale will be told because if Hearts are
00:25:56ahead of Rangers at the end of the season, a lot of supporters won't be happy.
00:26:00Yeah, well, listen, the one thing about it with supporters is they don't let their eyes deceive
00:26:05them and they certainly won't be, you know, buying into a spin. They want Kevin Thelwell,
00:26:11you know, front and centre, out the door. They're not happy with him. They've made that
00:26:16clear. They wanted Patrick Stewart out the door. Obviously, Russell Martin, they definitely
00:26:21wanted him out the door. So now you're in a situation where the AGMs come, the figures
00:26:28have been released. The Rangers fans are now looking and saying to themselves, well, we've
00:26:32got one less guy in the firing line, which is the manager. He seems to be settling the ship.
00:26:36The rest of it has been the real crux of the Rangers' anger, I think, and displeasure.
00:26:42Their fans will be, listen, you've spent £8 million on this boy, Cermiti. He's injured
00:26:47now, but even when he comes back, he's going to have to score goals. And I think their recruitment
00:26:52has been poor and that's why they've been looking at Kevin Thelwell and been really, really
00:26:56critical of him, Tom.
00:26:57Yeah. I think when you get a situation where Kevin Thelwell's at Everton and they sign Cermiti
00:27:04for Everton for £10 million and then Kevin Thelwell goes to Rangers and then their big
00:27:09money signing is Cermiti from Everton, there's obviously a link there. It's Kevin Thelwell's
00:27:15man.
00:27:16Well, that's not unusual, is it, Tom?
00:27:18It isn't, but when you spend £8 million on a striker, he's got to be good in terms of
00:27:24Celtic Rangers. Particularly Rangers. It's a big, big buy for Rangers. Big money signing
00:27:28and he's got to be good. And if he's not good, then Kevin Thelwell's going to get it
00:27:32in the neck because it's clearly him that's spoke to the board and really pushed to get
00:27:36Cermiti in. So, yeah, listen, I think Rangers in terms of them just now, they just need to
00:27:41keep winning games. I think Danny Roll has got a system that suits him a bit better now.
00:27:46I think they're harder to break down, they're harder to beat. As I said, they've got a run
00:27:49of games coming up. I think, forget Europe, but they've got Livingston and Falkirk at home.
00:27:54Dundee United away, Kilmarnock away. Any other Rangers manager, any other Rangers fans should
00:27:59be looking at that in 12 points. And that 12 points is going to get you closer because
00:28:03Celtic have got some tricky ties coming up so far. And Kevin Thelwell will just be praying
00:28:08that Rangers keep winning games. Because if they keep winning games, they'll quieten a little
00:28:12bit the Ferrari about him. But if Rangers start dropping points again, him and Patrick Stewart
00:28:18are going to be getting even more in the neck, up in the stands. So, as I said, Rangers
00:28:23at the minute, they just need to keep winning games and to keep the fans on board.
00:28:27You couldn't make it up with these two clubs, could you? I mean, only in Scottish football.
00:28:31We've actually gone from the high of...
00:28:34It's unusual for two clubs to be slotting...
00:28:36Yeah. And now we're back at the domestic issues. And Steve Clarke has been quickly removed
00:28:42from the forefront of everybody's thoughts. Patrick says, Peter, it's a good day to bury
00:28:48bad news. And Rangers figures are exactly that. Listen, I don't think anybody's fooled by it.
00:28:54You know, I think a number of fans, whether it's Celtic Rangers or any, you know, group of
00:29:00supporters with their clubs now, they're not fooled by, you know, the constant PR spin
00:29:05on these things. A lot of Rangers fans have voiced their displeasure at the manager. He's
00:29:10gone. They're looking closely at the signings. The recruitment is poor. And I think, you know,
00:29:17they will be held accountable at some point. But I think both... Rangers board has got a bit
00:29:23of time to try and get their plan in place. Celtics is a totally different situation.
00:29:30And Ray says, Ruffy, the majority of fans are unhappy with years of poor transfer windows,
00:29:36leading to poor European results. Also stadium repair, survey results, hotel, museum, and a
00:29:43shareholder wielding 100% power. I agree with Ray. It's a collective over a long period of
00:29:49time, Ruffy. I don't think... I mean, I agree. I agree with some of it. There's no doubt
00:29:53about that, you know. But the collective has been, over the years, that they've got this
00:29:57money in the bank. And they've been... How many cups have they won in the last 10 years?
00:30:03You know, how many trophies, how many championships have they won? Yeah. Yeah, you can always disagree.
00:30:08But you can't, you know, hit them for whatever they've got in the bank. That is one thing.
00:30:13You can hit them with the recruitment. Ruffy, with all due respect, I mean, Rangers were out of the
00:30:17league. For God's sake, they could outspend anybody. It was like playing Queen's Park half the time.
00:30:22Yeah, I agree with some of that. But the trophies are still there. People, I know, talk about
00:30:27trebles and doubles and all that. That's what I support them, I think.
00:30:30Have the Celtic fans maybe got a... Do you think they've got a sense of entitlement then, because
00:30:33they're watching themselves... That's your wife at the door.
00:30:39I better go then!
00:30:42Have the Celtic fans got a sense of entitlement? Should their expectations be quashed then?
00:30:47No, not at all. In Europe? No, not at all. Should they pay top draw and watch themselves
00:30:51get spanked? No. No, I don't think they can, because obviously...
00:30:55European results have not been great, Ruffy. No, I know they've not been great, but they've
00:30:59all been... They've all turned up. They've all been there. They all... They just want to
00:31:03get there, and they've experienced getting there. They wanted to go that wee bit further,
00:31:07and that's no harm than for whatever reason. Yeah. So, I mean, but...
00:31:10But it's over a period of time where they've had a similar recruitment process, which they're
00:31:14not happy with. And Rangers fans are witnessing this as well now with...
00:31:18Well, see, the Rangers one... See, that's why you have AGMs. If it was a Rangers AGM, I would
00:31:24be wanting to be sitting there going, where are we losing the £14 million? How are we losing
00:31:29£14 million? Where are we losing it? Where's it going? That's the kind of questions you
00:31:34want to ask at an AGM. You know, why? Why are we losing it?
00:31:38Yeah. Well, I think a lot of Rangers fans have expressed their displeasure at the recruitment,
00:31:43Tam, over a period of time. I mean, I've spoken to people who were actually on the board who
00:31:48said the recruitment's been awful, you know, and it was... And there were too many, too
00:31:51many chiefs on the board. Some of them had weighed in with money. Everybody wanted the
00:31:56power, but there wasn't anybody. Now there's one group in there, and they're in the door,
00:32:02and already, you know, because of the demands of winning the title, that's it. If you're
00:32:08second, you're nowhere. They're looking and they're saying, well, if we're going to win
00:32:12the title, any chance of spending £8 million on somebody who's got a proven track record
00:32:16of scoring goals?
00:32:17Yeah, it's no point in spending £20 million, Peter, if you spend it on bang average players,
00:32:22and that looks as if, at the minute, that's what Rangers have done in the summer window.
00:32:26Yeah.
00:32:26You know, OK, you know, the proof of being put at the end of the season, you've got to give
00:32:29everyone a chance. But at the minute, looking at that Rangers recruitment, you're thinking
00:32:33they've wasted a lot of money this season. And it's even more galling, I think, for the
00:32:37Rangers supporters when they see how poor Celtic have been. Because you're thinking to yourself,
00:32:40for the first time in a long while, we can actually match and outspend Celtic, which they
00:32:44have in this window, and they're still behind them. So I think that's a galling aspect of
00:32:50it from the Rangers fans as well. They're thinking if we'd have got our recruitment right,
00:32:53we'd have been top of the league just now, or matching hearts, and we'd have been ahead
00:32:56the Celtic. So, yeah, listen, I hope the 49ers have got deep pockets, because you look at
00:33:01the financial results every year with Rangers, and they lose money every year. So they've
00:33:05got to try and turn that into some sort of a profit, because if they don't, it's going
00:33:09to be a bottomless pit of money that they're going to be putting in.
00:33:11This could be the best January transfer window for a while, Ruffy. And I say that because,
00:33:17quite simply, every Celtic fan will be looking and thinking, who are you going to buy?
00:33:21Rangers fans are thinking, who are you going to buy? Because you need to close the gap
00:33:24on Hearts. And Hearts fans will be thinking, this is the best chance to win the league.
00:33:29I mean, if ever there's a chance, and it's too early to say, but I think if they can get
00:33:36to January with six points in front, it could be really interesting to see who they buy.
00:33:44Well, it's got to be interesting. It's going to be interesting for the Hearts fans, because
00:33:48they all are believing that what they've seen already can continue. And if more players come
00:33:53in, you know, obviously we have to wait and see what Rangers and Celtic are going to do.
00:33:58I mean, obviously, Celtic supporters will be wondering, are this board going to get their
00:34:03act together? Are they going to start listening to us about bringing players in at the last
00:34:07day of the signing? You know, or are they going to, you know, start bringing players in
00:34:14particularly early? So when January comes, it's going to be the best January for a long
00:34:18time for the three of us. Yeah, absolutely. We hope so. And of course, there's other issues
00:34:23that a number of other clubs, including one of your old clubs, is going to want to be in the mix
00:34:28as well. Here's how the Scottish Premiership fixtures look. Don't forget to give us your
00:34:32thoughts on the Rangers figures, Celtics, AGM, and how it descended into a farce. What's your
00:34:38thoughts on the board? Can you be objective and give us the positives? We've tried to give you a
00:34:42balance on the qualities of the Celtic board, as well as the criticisms that have been aired
00:34:49on our live feed. As far as the fixtures are concerned, Dundee United against Falkirk,
00:34:54Cibbs against Dundee, Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Rangers against Livingston, St Mirren against
00:34:58Celtic, and Aberdeen take on Hearts. So with that in mind, Rangers will have a home game against
00:35:07Livingston. Interestingly enough, you know, everybody was obviously maybe occupied by
00:35:12the figures, the AGM, but a number of people were obviously keen to get the thoughts of
00:35:18the likes of Danny Roll, the Rangers manager, who was talking about the achievement of Steve
00:35:24Clarke in Scotland in midweek.
00:35:25I walked to the fridge and I couldn't see him, but it was a good evening. I think I will never
00:35:31forget this evening because I invite my staff for a couple of drinks to have a little bit
00:35:37of the Scottish football together and it was a nice evening. So together, watch the football
00:35:42game. I think I was in the Govitz, what a story during the game. I think what you like
00:35:48as a football fan and at the end, yeah, that is fantastic to be a manager on the country
00:35:54that goes to the World Cup.
00:35:55Yeah, it's interesting to see. I mean, the great thing about it is the amount of people,
00:36:00you know, you can see pictures of Rod Stewart jumping about in front of a telly, you know.
00:36:05Interesting, Danny Roll's a neutral in these things, but you couldn't help but enjoy that
00:36:11game.
00:36:12I think anybody who's sitting watching it, as I said the other day, the whole nation,
00:36:17whether you're a football supporter or a rugby supporter or whatever, you know, it's your
00:36:22country, it's doing particularly well and I think everybody got right behind the team
00:36:26and I think it was the way we won it, you know, the late goals and everything. It's
00:36:30something you don't see very often at that level, but yeah, you're right, you know, I
00:36:35think everybody joined in and had a happy night.
00:36:37Yeah, I think it was Kevin Bridges who put out a tweet saying, you know, I don't want
00:36:42to get everybody's expectations up here, but I really think we can win the World Cup.
00:36:45Which is fantastic, just harping back to the old 70s.
00:36:53Yeah, no, I looked at, I mean, I'm not going to be as bold as that, but I looked at the
00:36:59Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4. I wasn't impressed with Pot 2. I wasn't frightened by anything
00:37:07in Pot 2. There's a few teams in there that we've already turned. Obviously the South Americans
00:37:12are unknown, but getting out of the group would be good for me.
00:37:17Yeah, absolutely. Remember, by the way, and this is just a rider of caution which we have
00:37:22to do in PLZ Soccer is, remember the last couple of minutes treat everything that Ruffy has
00:37:27said with contempt. This is a guy who ran out onto the park against Iran, was beaten
00:37:32in his near post, which is just nothing that a keeper does. And then, of course, uttered
00:37:36the immortal words, I thought you told me the number 10 couldn't take free kicks, as
00:37:40could be asked, took one with his outside of his boot and his inside, and just whipped
00:37:45him up over the wall, and the debacle just continued from there, Tom. So let's not be
00:37:50listening to Bonzo talking about Pot 2.
00:37:52Yep. I don't know if somebody will be able to tell us on the feed, has there been any
00:37:56Scottish player that's been to four World Cups?
00:37:59Yeah, that's a good shout.
00:38:00Because if we go to the World Cup and Ruffy, unfortunately, croaks it, we'll take his
00:38:05turnover. He could be the first Scottish player to have been to four World Cups.
00:38:08Well, listen, 74...
00:38:1174, 78, 82, 86. Some Scottish player must have went to the four.
00:38:15Well, I thought Joe Jordan had been there, but obviously not.
00:38:17No, Joe Jordan wasn't there. I don't think there's anybody that I can think of that's
00:38:22been to four World Cups.
00:38:23There would be nobody from 86 to 90, the 90 qualification. Nobody from that squad.
00:38:31Yeah, but it would need to have been 78 to 86. I think there's somebody.
00:38:36You think so?
00:38:3774 to 86, kind of leash, no?
00:38:38Somebody will mention it to us. No, because he was injured for the 86 and wasn't available
00:38:45to play. And I think he was actually at the end of his playing career then. So, no. Unless
00:38:52somebody's going to tell us. Listen, it could be the case. Talking of which, we mentioned
00:38:56Danny Roll there watching the Scotland game. Danny Roll has got to get his side firing.
00:39:01in all cylinders. Getting the wins that Ruffey was talking about there. There are a number
00:39:05of games coming up that they might consider themselves in a good place to win them. But
00:39:10he's got six players out injured. Tam Suter out. Mikey Moore out. Derek Cornelius out.
00:39:16Bailey Rice. Cermiti and Kelly's out as well.
00:39:20Yeah, I think the two centre-halves will be a problem. Listen, no disrespect. They're playing
00:39:24Livingston at home. They should be fine in terms of defensively. But that's probably our
00:39:28two starting centre-backs, isn't it? Suter and Cornelius have been playing at the
00:39:31back. Jigga might come in. Fernandes might come in from Siberia. If he's fit. But there's
00:39:39a lot of players there. I think that Rangers should still have enough to beat Livingston
00:39:43at home. Mikey Moore, I thought, have been starting to pick up and show a bit of his ability
00:39:50that we've not really seen. So he'll be a wee bit of a miss. But I don't see any problems
00:39:54issues with the Rangers getting three points from that game anyway.
00:39:57Yeah, Livingston at the foot of the table. And suddenly you're looking rough. And I'm
00:40:03thinking, Kilmarnock, Dundee and Livingston and St Mirren still not. In fact, it's so tight
00:40:09at the bottom there. You're talking six points between Dundee United in seventh and Livingston
00:40:15and twelfth, as you can see in that table. It is oh so tight as ever.
00:40:19Yeah, I think Falkirk will put the fear of death into everybody. Falkirk are not going
00:40:26to be in the bottom two. No, but I think initially Falkirk, everybody thought Falkirk were going
00:40:32to be one of these ones. But now, because Falkirk are doing particularly well, it's put some
00:40:37other teams a bit of pressure that they didn't think they would be at this British moment in
00:40:42time. I thought Falkirk were going to be in the bottom three. Yeah, I thought it would
00:40:46be Dundee, Livingston and Falkirk. Your bottom three now are going to be scrapping
00:40:50out all season, Peter. Well, let me tell you this. Come on, Dundee, Livingston, that's
00:40:53your three. That's going to be two out of three. Yeah, and I think out of the three, there's
00:40:57only two of those managers under pressure. Which is quite simply Stuart Kettlewell and Stephen
00:41:02Presley. Because I think David Martindale, the expectations there are not as high as the
00:41:09other two clubs. So I think he's got an unusual situation where I think the board like him
00:41:15and the expectations for what he has available. And listen, Davey as ever can pull a rabbit
00:41:22out of the hat. He's lost Ryan McGowan for a good period of time. So maybe when he gets
00:41:27him regularly in the side alongside Danny Wilson, things could change. But OK, give me
00:41:31your prediction. Rangers 3-0. 3-0 for me, yeah. Yep. OK, I'll go a couple of goals for
00:41:39Rangers to win that one. Rather obscure time to kick it off. St Mirren against Celtic is
00:41:448 o'clock on the Saturday night before even Aberdeen and Hearts lock horns on the Sunday.
00:41:53And of course, never too far away from giving his opinion. Stephen Robinson was talking today
00:41:59about VAR. And since it's been introduced in Scottish football, he doesn't believe it's
00:42:05fit for purpose. You asked me about separate incidents. I won't talk about separate incidents.
00:42:10In terms of VAR itself, it's been three and a half years now. I don't see an improvement
00:42:14with it. For me, VAR isn't fit for purpose in the form that we have it in this country.
00:42:20When it comes to minuscule and small, small decisions, I don't believe the system's accurate
00:42:24enough. We have, as a club, been explained about some of that decision and other decisions.
00:42:32For me, we're paying for a product that isn't delivering. If you've done that in any other
00:42:37walk of life, you'd take the product back. So that's probably all I need to say on it.
00:42:41I don't believe that the system's working. Scottish football fans, Scottish clubs are
00:42:45paying for it. It's not free. Ultimately, you have to ask yourself, is it making Scottish
00:42:49football better? No.
00:42:51Do you agree with them?
00:42:53Yes. I honestly agree 100% with them there. I think the VAR's not the problem. It's the
00:42:59actual version of VAR that we've got. In England, they've got all these camera angles for offsides.
00:43:05They've got goal line technology in terms of balls over a line. Very, very quickly, they
00:43:12can get four or five angles to a referee or a VAR assistant and they can come to a conclusion
00:43:16straight away. We've got one. There's been two goals in recent weeks.
00:43:19Peter, the Bowie goal at Livingston, which was very, very tight, and the St Mern goal
00:43:24against Hibbs, the cross that came in. I can't remember who scored the goal. And both of them
00:43:28are very, very, very tight. And I know for a fact that Hibbs asked, well, they call them
00:43:33in the SFA for a conclusive angle, another angle, and not the one that was, and he said,
00:43:38no, that's the one we've got. He was offside. So it's unacceptable because there's no clear
00:43:42angle that would show that those two goals are offside. You know, you can slow down and
00:43:47you can, I believe that they drew another red line on the second one, you know, the
00:43:51St Mern goal. So I don't believe VAR's fit for purpose in the current Scottish Premiership.
00:43:56If you're going to have VAR, you have the full lot. You have every angle that they've got
00:44:00in England. You pay for it or you don't have it at all.
00:44:02Well, I think that's going to be very difficult. I think the horse has bolted as far as that's
00:44:07concerned. The money's been paid. They're not going to go back the way. I don't see them
00:44:10ditching it at all. I think we're just going to have to grin and bear it. But I'm thinking
00:44:14of it.
00:44:15Now, the SFA will surely get money for going to the World Cup.
00:44:18Yes.
00:44:18Is that not a possibility that they chip in for a better version of VAR?
00:44:23Well, I think what you would have as an argument over what's the distribution of the SFA money
00:44:27for? Is it for the betterment of grassroots football in Scotland? And is the SPFL as a
00:44:35group responsible for the technology that will determine goals in their league? That's
00:44:42the biggest problem when you're suggesting the SFA should foot the bill. The other aspect
00:44:47of it, if I was looking at a league table on the clubs that have been wronged the most,
00:44:51boy, Stephen Robinson's got a real case by the way of Ruffey.
00:44:54Yeah, I think as far as VA is concerned, I think all credit to Willie Column coming out
00:44:59and admitting they were wrong. But I thought the reason we had VAR was to no be wrong.
00:45:06You know, they shouldn't have been getting it wrong.
00:45:08No, the introduction of VAR was to increase the percentage of getting it right.
00:45:14Yeah, but if they're looking at the screen, they should be getting it right. Okay, they
00:45:18can get the interpretation of the laws wrong. But there have been a number of occasions where
00:45:24everybody that's looked at it and went, how? How can you be wrong? How can you? Like
00:45:31the Falkert one. Falkert-Dundee. Dundee are winning one-nothing. The Falkert player just
00:45:37halves the boy in the penalty.
00:45:38Still more penalty.
00:45:39Now, I think anybody watching that would go, how can the people up there, that shouldn't
00:45:45be getting wrong.
00:45:47Yeah, I still think there's a strong case here for the referee to try to the best of
00:45:53his ability, which he's there for, is to the best of his ability to make the call. And
00:45:58then from there, when he's aided by VAR, he has a period of time where he sees the situation
00:46:05and he makes the call. He still is in control as the referee. If there are clear and definitive
00:46:11statements that VAR has to call, then all well and good. But the problem with that is
00:46:16what Tam's just highlighted. We don't have enough technology to make those definitives.
00:46:21So if you don't have a decisive one, the referee is just going to have to make that call and
00:46:26we're just going to have to put up with it. It's not going to be taken out of the equation.
00:46:30We're not going back the way. It's in. The only thing that will happen as we move forward
00:46:35is somebody is eventually going to have to say, listen, we're going to have to bite the
00:46:39bullet financially and buy the rest of the equipment. That's the next process. It's not
00:46:44let's take it, chuck it back to the team that made it. It's about trying to come up with money
00:46:51to try and get it to a level, which I think a lot of countries will find great difficulty
00:46:55in trying to get it to a level that the English Premier League, which is just awash with cash.
00:46:59So it's a tough one. I'd love to know what the percentage is of the referee when he's
00:47:05been called to the screen has went, no, I don't agree with you. I'm sticking with my
00:47:10decision. I'd love to know how many times a referee has looked at it and went, yeah,
00:47:15I'd love to know what the percentage of it is against, yeah, I agree with you.
00:47:19Another thing we've got to change, by the way, never mind the VAR part of it, we really
00:47:22have to look at the handball situation. It's been consistently something that causes a lot
00:47:29of grief. Anyway, St Mirren, at this moment, you just look at St Mirren in the table and
00:47:34you say to yourself, listen, they're sitting in ninth, they'll finish up fifth. Because
00:47:40he does, he just manages to pull it out every season, doesn't he?
00:47:43Yeah, I think they'll climb the table. They're obviously in the cup final as well, which there's
00:47:49places up for grabs, but I thought Hibs deservedly beat them just before the break there, 3-0.
00:47:54I thought Hibs played really well and I thought St Mirren were obviously unlucky with a couple
00:47:57of VAR decisions that went against them, but I didn't think they would look too clever at
00:48:00the back against Hibs. So I think that Celtic will win this. It'll be tight, it'll be hard
00:48:06fought. Do you think Martin O'Neill will be at the cup final as the manager?
00:48:10It's looking more and more likely it will be, Peter.
00:48:11It is, because you get a situation, and this is the funny thing about, and by the way, I
00:48:16include everyone, all broadcasters, all written press, you know, trying to unearth the exact
00:48:24story on things is more and more difficult to get a nod, a wink, a line out of other countries
00:48:33or definitives on it. You have people going, oh, Wilfred Nancey, it's advanced stages, they've
00:48:37had talks, he's coming in. Next minute you've got Columbus Crew going, there's no contact
00:48:42here. So the whole thing is mixed messages. Managers are tapped up, we know that, Ruffy,
00:48:46but I think Martin might be there for the cup final as well. But right now, to his credit,
00:48:53he's got Sean Maloney in there, Mark Fotheringham, and they're just getting on with the job and
00:48:57saying, OK, what's going on in the AGM and what's going on in the background with the
00:49:02fans unrest? We've just got to keep winning games to keep them happy of what's happening
00:49:06on the park. I think this one in particular is a wee test for them. I think if you're
00:49:12a St Mirren player, you're in that dressing room, and you're going to go to the game,
00:49:16and you want to make a statement, that cup final is coming up. We're going to make sure
00:49:21that today, you're going to be in a game, and when that cup final comes, this is what
00:49:25you're going to get. So I think it's going to be a difficult afternoon for Celtic. I agree
00:49:30with Tom. I think they will just win. They will just win. There won't be by much. I
00:49:36would say maybe 2-1 or something like that, but I think it's going to be a really good
00:49:40game.
00:49:412-1 Celtic.
00:49:42Yeah, gnarly. 2-1 Celtic. OK, so that's the Mirren Celtic. Let's talk about the Champions
00:49:49elect.
00:49:50All the good noise up, Tom, but up at Bataudry. Aberdeen against Hartz. Derek McInnes, as
00:49:59ever, still undefeated in 10 games. People are thinking, you know, this is where they're
00:50:04starting to slip up. But they're against a downside who are 19 points behind them. They've
00:50:11won one game in the last five. So let's look at this situation here. The only good thing,
00:50:19I think, for Aberdeen's point of view is...
00:50:21That's a terrible record. Well, 13 visits and they haven't managed to get the win.
00:50:26It's another wee test, you know, but it's always the same when, say, Rangers and Celtic
00:50:31are fighting it out and they go up to Aberdeen. You go, oh, this could be a wee slip up here.
00:50:36This is a moment when if Hartz were to go up there and beat Aberdeen very convincingly,
00:50:42I'd say, I mean, 2-0, something like that. You've got to start, you know, looking at them
00:50:47and going, this is the real deal. You know, I just, in the back of my mind, I keep thinking
00:50:52of the Hartz-St. Myrne game when St. Myrne should have been winning 3-1, you know, and
00:50:57won that game. So this is the kind of game they've got to go up and convince everybody
00:51:01that we are title challengers if they beat them 2-0.
00:51:04I think they've got to win. The problem is, Halk, it's out, but Frankie Kent might come
00:51:11back in. But the one thing that they do have is they have a captain who can walk out with
00:51:15his chest out, score from a yard out, scoring goals for fun, top goal scorer in the Premier
00:51:19League, Lauren Shanklin.
00:51:21Yeah, he'll be high as a kite going in there. Hopefully he's sobered up for the midweek.
00:51:25But listen, all those players going back to their clubs will be high as a kite at the minute.
00:51:30You know, they'll be full of confidence after getting potential.
00:51:32And so will their teams. When you go back to your team, they embroider everything that
00:51:38you've done and they get the kick for it as well.
00:51:40Yeah, so, listen, I think this is a tough, Aberdeen are a hard one to call. I thought
00:51:44they were under real pressure. They got a great result down at Camarnet just before the break
00:51:48won nothing. Hartz have got a poor record up there. You know, these are the games, listen,
00:51:53Hartz, if any aspirations of winning the league, they've got up there and won. I think it'll
00:51:57be a draw. I'm going to go for one each. I think that Aberdeen will get a draw
00:52:00like that. I honestly think that this is where...
00:52:03I think Alcott's a massive... I think they're going to be reeled in shortly, Ruffy.
00:52:09I don't think it'll be at the weekend. I agree with you. I think Aberdeen are always tough
00:52:14to beat. I think it'll be a draw up there as well, wouldn't it?
00:52:16So they're going to be reeled in?
00:52:18Well, it depends what the others do. There's no guarantee, so...
00:52:21You've already predicted...
00:52:22Yeah, no, we're predicted, but that's...
00:52:24You're going to be reeled in then?
00:52:25Yeah, if that happens, yeah, I agree with that. But I don't know, guarantee...
00:52:28I think Aberdeen have too many good players, I think, to be loitering around about the
00:52:32bottom. You know, I look at guys like Stuart Armstrong and Nisbet and Carlson and Clarkson.
00:52:37Well, they've got too much quality in there. I just think they need a little bit more
00:52:39steel. You know, Shinney may be coming back into the middle of the park. I know he's done
00:52:42against Camarnet. They need a bit of steel in the middle of the park, because I think
00:52:45they've got plenty of abilities in the wide areas as well.
00:52:48Yeah, Kelly against Motherwell. If you're talking about managers that are under pressure,
00:52:52is Stuart Kettlewell under pressure? Because five straight defeats, and I'm looking at where
00:52:58they are on the table. You know, all that good feel-good factor from him at the start
00:53:04when he surprised a few people with some of the results is gone.
00:53:08Yeah, it has, and he's come up against his old club, Motherwell. You know, he didn't leave
00:53:12there in great circumstances. I'm sure the Motherwell fans will be desperate to put another
00:53:15nail in the coffin in terms of his job, but you look at it and you go, you're what?
00:53:20Twelve games into the season, managers are under pressure. That's just the world we live
00:53:24in now. You know, five straight defeats, six straight defeats, I think they would be
00:53:28under pressure. I think Motherwell are a club who have had a lot of plaudits this season.
00:53:33I've seen them a few times. They play a lot of great football. A wee trickier on that pitch
00:53:37down there, but again, I just think Camarnet might eke out of a draw and stop the rock.
00:53:42I'm a big hit of one-each draw. I think that's a very close one as well, one-each.
00:53:46Yeah, you're going for quite a few draws. I'm going to go for Motherwell to win it 2-1.
00:53:50I don't think Billy Bowie is the kind of guy that would ditch his manager, a new manager
00:53:55in there. I think he's quite loyal in five defeats, isn't he, at the end of the world
00:54:00in our league, because his team's went more than that and they're still in a job.
00:54:04Still enough about Jimmy Tillene.
00:54:05I think Camarnet will win this. I don't know why. I'm going to go Camarnet to win 2-1.
00:54:12Right, OK. What about the Hibbies, Tam? Because the one thing that David Gray's been talking
00:54:16about is, you know, obviously it's such a good run of form until they come up against
00:54:22Rangers, but he's just basically like probably every manager saying, listen, there's a couple
00:54:26of players in here. You should be thinking about the World Cup and Ciaran Bowie's one of them.
00:54:31Yeah, absolutely. I think when you look at the game the other night, when Gannon Doak
00:54:36went off, we didn't have an outball, we didn't have anyone running behind. Ciaran Bowie's
00:54:39a big, powerful, quick player and I think it would have been ideal for him the other night
00:54:43coming on. You know, London Dykes, we know what he can do. You know, he's up there, puts
00:54:47a shift in, but Ciaran Bowie has got all the attributes to go and play as a lone striker
00:54:51for Scotland in the World Cup, but he's got to produce better performances for Hibs.
00:54:55He started off the season in flying form and scored a couple of goals against Undie up there,
00:54:59two great goals, scored a wonderful goal against Partizan, got in the Scotland squad
00:55:03and he's off the boil the last few weeks. But again, this is a perfect opportunity to
00:55:08me as a Hibs striker, a team coming in Dundee, not one at Easter Road in over 20 years, you
00:55:13know, loiter near the bottom of the league. I think this is a real opportunity for me going
00:55:17to get a couple of goals today and get myself back in the reckoning for that Scotland squad.
00:55:21So, yeah, I do, I think Hibs will win this comfortably.
00:55:24I think you're picking yourself to start, like, to get your two goals.
00:55:29The thing about it is, Ruffy, you know, I say it regularly, right, I sit and I try and
00:55:34do as much research as possible and Tam just reads every stat that I've got in front of
00:55:39that computer there. And he sounds as if he's one of the most intelligent pundits.
00:55:42No, I knew that anyway, Peter. I remember playing in a Hibs team, we were 4-1 up against
00:55:47Dundee at Easter Road, just before I left Hibs to go to Dundee, we drew 4 each. And then
00:55:51I went back to Easter Road as a Dundee player and we got hammered 4-0 a couple of weeks later.
00:55:54Where did he get more loyal left, Dundee or Hibs?
00:55:57Eh, Hibs. Aye. I think Hibs will win this comfortably, I'm going to go for 3-0.
00:56:01Yeah, and by the way...
00:56:02Mulligan's another one. Mulligan, I think Hanley's a stick on if he's fit. I think he's
00:56:06a great servant and a Steve Clarke favourite. Josh Mulligan, if he keeps playing the way
00:56:10he's playing, he could force his way in as well.
00:56:12Dundee, second bottom, five of the last six games have lost.
00:56:15It's just not happening for me, they're going to be down there most of the season. I think
00:56:19Hibs will win quite comfortably as well.
00:56:21OK, Dundee right here against Falkirk. One defeat in the last five, but three draws in
00:56:26there for United. Three wins in the last five for the Bairns. And the only defeat, of course,
00:56:33was to Celtic.
00:56:34Yeah, and I spoke to an old friend of yours, Peter Brown, who's a big Falkirk supporter,
00:56:39loving every minute of it. Stadium's full, excitement, fans turning up, everything's going
00:56:45well. And he keeps getting results. You can't take it away from him. I think it'll be difficult
00:56:49at Dundee United. But imagine if they go up there and they win that and all. I don't think
00:56:55they're now in the category of relegation of play-off.
00:56:59OK, what's your prediction?
00:57:01One each.
00:57:02One each?
00:57:03Tam?
00:57:03I'm going to go for 2-1 to Falkirk. Small upset here. I've been really, really impressed
00:57:07with Falkirk.
00:57:08You're just talking up all your ex-teams.
00:57:10I haven't. I've been really impressed with them. I think in the last five games, I think
00:57:14obviously the way to Celtic got hammered, but the rest of the games, every game they've
00:57:17been competitive in, then I believe that they are good enough to go up there and win.
00:57:21I'll go for 2-1 to Falkirk.
00:57:21Brian Graham?
00:57:23Yeah, Brian Graham getting back to Dundee United.
00:57:25McIver.
00:57:25Yep, I think it will be 1-1. A couple of minutes to go. I have to say to you, thank
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00:58:25Champions League final by clicking the link in our bio.
00:58:31Just one little footnote roughly before we go. Quite a few licenses have been granted for
00:58:35controlled sale of alcohol at the Premiership matches for home and away fans. It could be
00:58:40a big test.
00:58:42It is a test, you know, for the supporters who have been given that privilege. I hope they
00:58:46don't let everybody else down because obviously the police and everybody will be watching,
00:58:50you know, to see what happens. I think in general, supporters will behave. You know, there is
00:58:55the odd minority, but let's just hope they behave themselves.
00:59:00Yeah, if they do behave themselves, Tom, it could be really the forerunner for clubs starting
00:59:05to look at making it a whole match day, experience the full day.
00:59:08Yeah, I think it would be fantastic, Peter. You're just hoping that the minority don't
00:59:11spoil it for the majority because the majority of people are sensible, can go and have a
00:59:15couple of pints, a couple of glasses of wine, enjoy the football, go home. You've got the
00:59:18Egypts who want to go and get 10 pints and cause havoc. Hopefully that doesn't happen
00:59:24because it's an extra finance for clubs as well, Peter. You know, if they can go and open
00:59:28a pub or a bar before the game, they'll get extra money into the club as well. So I think
00:59:33hopefully it goes okay without any hitches and the clubs can crack on and really make
00:59:38money out of it.
00:59:39Yeah, absolutely. And don't forget also, we're delighted that throughout the whole season
00:59:43we are partnering with our official charity partner, Maggie's Cancer Centres. And if you
00:59:49are in any way affected by cancer, all you need to do is go www.maggies.org and you can
00:59:56see on their website the fabulous work they do, the support they offer you if you are affected
01:00:02in any way by cancer and you want to find out, you know, what type of support is available
01:00:06to you, then it's well worth going on to their website.
01:00:10Good to chat, as ever. Scottish football is back, domestic scene. Tam's got a smile on
01:00:15his face. Some fans are unhappy. Will peace eventually break out? Only time will tell.
01:00:21Don't forget, right across the weekend, keep right up to date with what's happening across
01:00:25Scottish football on our platforms, on YouTube and especially across all the other social media
01:00:31platforms. We'll be back on Monday with Alec Ray in tow to digest the scorelines. Thank
01:00:37you for listening and watching.
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