
Rangers and Hibs lead coefficient turbo boost and Jury fancies Dundee Utd's chances too
How do you now rate the Euro qualification chances of Rangers, Hibs and Dundee United?
CRAIG SWAN: Surely Rangers and Hibs have done enough with their superb first-keg displays. United are still in a dogfight, but what a wonderful chance they have given themselves after a superb effort in Vienna.
FRASER WILSON: A strong chance for a co-efficient turbo-boosting triple. And what a shot in the arm that would be for Scottish football. Rangers should ease through in Plzen and Hibs will have the know-how to finish off Partizan in Leith. The big question is can Dundee United beat Rapid Vienna at home over 90 minutes? The evidence of Thursday's first leg suggests they have a great chance.
SCOTT BURNS: Rangers and Hibs will definitely go through. Hopefully, Dundee United will make it the perfect hat-trick. Their tie is still in the balance and we saw what happened to Hibs after a good result in the away leg.
Do Rangers have to keep hold of Cyriel Dessers?
CRAIG: The Nigerian international has proven himself at Ibrox and, as well as goals, he has the strength and link-up play to bring flying wingers into the game. Yes.
FRASER: Unless they bring in a new goal threat then absolutely. From the early season evidence he remains the best striker at the club - and that from just one start.
SCOTT: I would take the money, if it was right. Yes, he scores goals but he also passes up too many chances. He is also getting to an age where they have to maximise his value.
Does Luke McCowan deserve a Celtic start at Aberdeen?
CRAIG: The midfielder is building a happy knack of making a real impact from the bench in terms of assists and goals. It's a tricky call for Brendan Rodgers. McCowan is worthy to start, but his ability to influence late is also key.
FRASER: Probably after last week's match winning appearance off the bench. But a knee-jerk reaction to one average performance on match day one might not be right here. McCowan could be useful as an option off the bench again if things aren't going Celtic's way at Pittodrie.
SCOTT: The midfielder is always there or thereabouts. This is the type of game where he could easily make an impact, but if I was a betting man I would say he will be on the bench.
Tony Bloom says Hearts will win a title within ten years... Is he right?
CRAIG: It is hard to argue against an individual with such an impressive track record in all walks of his life. One thing is for sure, it would breathe serious life into Scottish football.
FRASER: No. But it's great to hear ambition. Hearts will strengthen and appointing Derek McInnes as manager is every bit as important as Bloom's arrival. They will win silverware. But the league? Celtic and Rangers will strengthen over the same time frame so it's just too big a leap unfortunately.
SCOTT: We all love a bit of belief and confidence. The neutral would love to see them smash Celtic's monopoly. I am not convinced, but it would be great for our game, if it was to happen.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Rangers goal was the best of Dundee star's career but he reveals he's haunted by the chance he didn't take
Ryan Astley netted the goal of his life at Ibrox - but was devastated he didn't bag a famous winner for the Dark Blues Ryan Astley scored the goal of his life at Ibrox - but was still devastated he didn't bag a winner for Dundee. The Welsh defender was outstanding in their 1-1 draw with Rangers on Saturday and gave Steven Pressley's side a shock lead with a second-half header. Astley hailed it as the best goal of his career so far and was able to celebrate it with family in the Dark Blues away end. But after James Tavernier had levelled for Gers with a late penalty, incredibly, Astley had a golden opportunity to grab victory for the Dens Park side. His effort flashed wide at the death and the 23-year-old admits he was gutted not to seal a memorable three points for Dundee. Afterwards, he said: 'I know, I had the chance to win it. I'm going to watch that back - I still feel I should have scored so it's quite disappointing. 'The goal was definitely the best of my career so far. It felt so good because when I scored, I could see all my family who were here today. 'It was a special moment, I enjoyed it. They were stood right at the back of the Dundee end, so I'll always cherish that one. 'It was a tough game and we needed everyone to put a shift in. 'But it says a lot that we're slightly disappointed with the draw. 'When you come to Ibrox, everyone needs to work hard - do a job and a half - and I think we did that. 'I'm proud of everyone in that changing room because it was a real team performance. 'Are we disappointed not to win? Look, that's football and decisions like that happen, where you can't help it. 'But overall, we're really happy with the team performance.' It was an outstanding defensive display from Dundee, led superbly by Astley and skipper Clark Robertson at the back. Pressley's appointment at Dens was met with derision from the Dark Blues' support and they got off to a nightmare start - being knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup and losing to Hibs on the opening day of the Premiership season. But the draw at Ibrox with Rangers - their first point in Govan since 2001 - should give them encouragement for the season and Astley insists his gaffer is the right man to lead them. He said: 'Saturday was down to the work we put in on the training ground as the gaffer's drilled us really well. 'We knew we weren't going to have much of the ball against Rangers so it was all about concentration and sticking together. 'When it feels like everyone's on top of you, you defend well and stay focused. 'We're a threat from set-pieces because we work on them and one came off for us on Saturday. 'Hopefully we can keep progressing now and win our next game. 'From day one when the manager came in, all of the players bought into it straight away. 'We knew what he wanted us to do and we believed in it. Eventually, I'm sure you'll start to see positive results.'


Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Scottish Cup loss to poor Aberdeen side is still eating away at Celtic, writes Bill Leckie
BRENDAN RODGERS should have sat his players down in the Pittodrie dressing room today and congratulated them on a job well done. Then followed up by asking the question that's been on countless lips since back in May. 3 Aberdeen lifted the Scottish Cup when they beat Celtic at Hampden in May Credit: PA 3 The Hoops beat the Dons comfortably in league action this weekend Credit: Kenny Ramsay 3 Bill Leckie believes Brendan Rodgers' men are still struggling to get over the slip-up Credit: SNS Group How the hell did you blow the Treble to THAT lot? Every single Celtic fan is desperate for the answer. Ditto everyone connected with Hibs, seeing as covered their road to Europe with broken glass and potholes. In fact, for all that they still haven't stopped celebrating an incredible achievement, I'm guessing there will even still be Aberdeen diehards who can't quite believe they got away with it that bizarre day. In writing this, I mean no disrespect to Jimmy Thelin, his players or anyone else who loves the Dons. As a lover of the underdog, you'll never hear me downplay a win for anyone over either of our big two. But let's look at the bare facts. Which tell us that, either side of the Scottish Cup Final, they've now lost six competitive games on the spin – two of them TO Celtic, by an aggregate score of 7-1. Let's remember that, since losing 6-0 to the Hoops in the League Cup semis last October, they've only won SEVEN of THIRTY games against Premiership opposition. So it must have eaten away all summer at Rodgers and his players that one of those wins came on a day that even as-yet undiscovered tribes in the Amazon Basin believed would end with them completing a clean sweep of domestic trophies. I was talking to a couple of Hibs fans in Belgrade during the week who were cursing Celtic upside down for what happened that day, for what they described as them – them for losing, not Aberdeen for winning – robbing David Gray and his players of the chance to join the Europa League at the play-off stage and at worst be guaranteed Conference League group football. You can understand why it continues to p**s them off this badly, because right now, I'd say the Hibees are far more ready for that level of competition than an Aberdeen side who have offered next to nothing in their latest losses to Hearts on Monday night and Celtic. The way Gray has improved the players he inherited, the levels of confidence he's instilled and the maturity they showed in that 2-0 win away to Partizan Belgrade on Thursday night are all hugely impressive. FOUR new Celtic signings could be on the way but 'waiting game' could risk it all Then you look at Thelin and the Dons. And I'm afraid it starts to look more and more as if that incredible run of 15 wins and a draw after he took over last season really was a freak – because since then they've only once managed as many as three victories in a row. Or, as my colleague Robert Thomson reminded the world at full time, they won as many games between August 5 and September 14 last year as they have in the whole of 2025 so far. Considering all the investment sugardaddy Dave Cormack's piled in, considering the constant turnover of players, considering the levels of expectation flooding through their fanbase from the moment Graeme Shinnie lifted that trophy towards the Mount Florida skies, those are hugely worrying statistics. On Monday night and again this weekend, they looked utterly punchless going forward. Summer signing Kusini Yengi – not a single goal for Portsmouth last season – was a lost soul in both games, his touch awful and his finishing worse. Just about the only time they opened Celtic up, he managed to get in the way of his own team-mate's shot. Which just about summed up the lack of cohesion in their ranks. At Tynecastle, new Hearts boss Derek McInnes was constantly proactive in the way he tinkered with his shape and tactics. Thelin, meanwhile, just seemed to react to that the guy in the other dugout did - and he was no more aggressive in his decision-making against a Celtic side who were miles below what they should be capable of. Take away a quite wonderful second goal from Reo Hatate, one touch to take the ball out of his feet and the second smashing a shot than curved round Shinnie and in off the underside of the bar, and it was all very ho-hum, an exercise in ticking off the kind of wins they know they SHOULD be ticking off. Sure, Rodgers keeps making the point to anyone who'll listen the board's failure to sign the level of quality he demands is forcing him to operate with one hand behind his back. But that's an argument for when they start fighting for a place in the Champions League. On days like today? I'm afraid it's a red herring, because he already has the strongest squad in the land and he should be getting more out of them than he did in last week's last-gasp win over St Mirren or in this often-pedestrian display. Which is why I really do wonder how much that cup final collapse took out of them mentally and how much the manager himself has allowed the experience to live rent-free in his head. Going on their holidays as Treble-winners would have brought them all back in for pre-season feeling magnificent about themselves. Instead, they slunk away on a downer from which – six points out of six or not – it still doesn't seem they've fully emerged. And I'm not sure Rodgers constantly reminding them that he doesn't think they're good enough for where he wants to be is helping their mood. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers pleads with irate Ibrox supporters to stay behind struggling team and manager Russell Martin
Cyriel Dessers has pleaded with angry Rangers fans to stay behind the team and head coach Russell Martin in the wake of their shambolic start to the Premiership season. The Ibrox outfit have recorded two 1-1 draws in their opening two fixtures with Motherwell and Dundee and were booed off the field after scraping a late point at home against the Dens Park outfit on Saturday. Martin and players Kieran Dowell and Max Aarons were singled out for criticism during the match, with Dessers insisting the only way the new manager's reign can get on track is if supporters show the kind of unity they did during last week's 3-0 Champions League qualifying win over Czechs Viktoria Plzen. 'We're all in this together,' said Dessers. 'The team, the club, the fans — and we need each other. 'It maybe sounds weird but we need the fans to give us, maybe not the patience or the time, but to help us when we give a difficult pass or we try to dribble or we try a shot. To encourage that and appreciate that, because we do it with a goal (in mind). 'But. yeah, it's also nice for us on a night like we had (against Plzen) during the week to give something back to these fans, give a good performance, give a good win. Dessers was left frustrated as Rangers fell to a second consecutive draw to open the season Manager Russell Martin was tearing his hair out on the touchline as fans turned their ire on him Dessers thought he had scored a dramatic late winner, only to see it disallowed for offside 'This is the only way that this can grow again. Ibrox was rocking (against Plzen). It's unbelievable — and we need to go to that place as well in the 'eague games. To have Ibrox rocking as well.' Asked specifically if Martin is capable of making it as a Rangers boss, Dessers replied: 'I'm very convinced, because I see him in the building every time, how he is on the pitch, how he is in the video meetings. 'He tries to transfer that to us as a group as well. Obviously, that cannot happen in one week, but I think we've already seen some flashes of that — for example, against Plzen. But, you want to see that twice a week.' Dessers did concede that the players need to show greater courage on the field. Down to 10 men after Nasser Djiga was sent off on Saturday, Rangers only got going in the latter stages of the game with Dundee — substitute James Tavernier cancelling out Ryan Astley's opener via a penalty in time added-on. 'I think we need to be more aggressive,' said Dessers. 'If you can do it in the last 30 minutes, with one man down, then you should be able to do it as well when it is 11 v 11 in the first half. Rangers drew level thanks to a controversial late penalty after Gassama was fouled by Wright 'If you're talking about percentages, I think it's only about five or six or seven per cent, just a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more at it, sometimes just having the courage to play the difficult ball instead of the same ball again. 'At the end, we did it with 10 men, so it is in the team., but we have to be more consistent and also do it from the beginning of the game. 'There's no time at this club. Not a lot of patience, which everybody knows when they play here, and that's okay, that's fine. We're fine with that. 'But, somewhere inside yourself, you need to find that confidence and the courage to make the pass, make the dribble, try the shot, and just create something for the team.' Meanwhile, Rangers said the club were 'devastated' after a 70-year-old man died after falling ill at Ibrox during Saturday's game. The supporter was treated in the stand but later lost his fight for life. A club statement read: 'Everyone at Rangers is devastated to have learned of the passing of one of our supporters at yesterday's match with Dundee. The thoughts of the entire club are with their family and friends. We will be reaching out to the family to offer our support at this deeply sad and difficult time.' A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Officers were made aware of a 70-year-old man taking unwell. He was taken to hospital where he later died. Next of kin is aware. There are no suspicious circumstances.'