
Best Rangers manager fit splits the Jury as Celtic evidence condemns Aberdeen to brutal Scottish Cup Final sentence
It's Scottish Cup Final day - are Celtic Treble certainties or can Aberdeen kill off Hoops hopes of another clean sweep?
ANDY NEWPORT: The form book suggests Brendan Rodgers will wrap up the silverware with goals to spare. Of course Aberdeen have a punchers chance but they will need a flawless performance against the Hoops - something they've come nowhere near managing in recent head-to-heads.
SCOTT McDERMOTT: It's impossible to make an argument for Aberdeen. Jimmy Thelin will need to come up with a managerial masterclass just to be competitive at Hampden - and even then Celtic will probably be too good. Another Treble for Brendan Rodgers is inevitable.
MICHAEL GANNON: It's hard to make much of a case for the Dons. They have been so vulnerable of late and don't react well to setbacks. It would need a silly red card to level the playing field but if Celtic turn up, they'll stroll it.
SCOTT BURNS: You have to say Treble-chasing Celtic go in as heavy favourites. Aberdeen go into it on a poor run of form and have also lost their last four games against Celtic. But it is a one-off and anything can happen, as we have seen in finals across Europe already this season.
Steven Gerrard, Russell Martin, Davide Ancelotti - which of the managerial candidates is the best fit for Rangers this summer?
ANDY: Gerrard knows the club and the demands but given the way his recent stints at Aston Villa and in Saudi have gone, fans are right to be concerned. Martin offers a fluid, attractive brand of football and that might be enough to win over the sceptics who've seen their team stagger from one embarrassing result to another this term.
SCOTT McD: If it's going to be one of those three, Gerrard ticks the most boxes. He knows the club, the league and the Old Firm goldfish bowl. He won't be fazed by taking on Brendan Rodgers and - crucially - he knows what it takes to win a title at Ibrox.
MICHAEL: Gerrard knows the drill and would lift the fans. But Martin is an interesting one. His style of play could be ideal for a Gers side that's struggled to break teams down in Scotland.
SCOTT B: I'd go for Russell Martin. He has had success as a manager and also plays a decent brand of football. Davide Ancelotti would be too big a risk and I'm not sure going back for Gerrard is the answer.
It's all square in the relegation play-off. Has Ross County's stoppage-time equaliser at Livi swung the tie back in their favour ahead of Monday's return in Dingwall?
ANDY: I wouldn't count Livi out just yet. They have experienced campaigners like Danny Wilson and Scotty Pitman down their spine and Davie Martindale remains one of Scotland's most astute coaches. County have edged the play-off final two years on the trot but I suspect it will be third time's the charm for the Championship hopefuls.
SCOTT McD: It should do. But Livi were the better team on Thursday night and you certainly wouldn't rule them out in Dingwall. If County stick Jordan White up front with Ronan Hale performing, it could keep the Staggies up.
MICHAEL: It was a late blow for Livi but David Martindale's side looked the stronger and they have more of a cutting edge. I fancy the Lions to finish the job in the Highlands.
SCOTT B: Ross County got out of jail at Livingston. They now have home advantage and will be looking to make full use of it. Livi, though, have already won there this season and will believe they can do it again. I think the Lions might just edge it.
The first leg clash at Almondvale was overshadowed by another moment of shame in the stands - are we at the point where strict liability is the only answer to Scotland's fan disorder crisis?
ANDY: The clubs can't keep moaning about the behaviour of unruly supporters and yet do nothing about it. Some of the recent scenes - most notably the Jack McKenzie incident - have been outrageous and it's about time SPFL chairman grew a backbone and brought in proper punishments to deter this nonsense.
SCOTT McD: That can be a dangerous road to go down. But the SPFL (the clubs) and the SFA need to work together to tighten up security at grounds and put measures in place aimed at improving fan behaviour which is getting beyond a joke now.
MICHAEL: We're at the stage where something drastic is required as there have been too many shameful episodes across the country. Good luck getting strict liability past the clubs – as they know there's a chance all of them would be hit at some point.
SCOTT B: We should have had strict liability in years ago but the clubs won't vote for it. Until they do then clubs can't take the appropriate action. We need to change the rulebook and get a grip of our game.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Steven Gerrard favourite for Championship job that would see him replace former team-mate as manager
STEVEN GERRARD is the bookies' favourite to become Middlesbrough's next manager. The Liverpool legend has been out of work since leaving Al-Ettifaq in January. 1 He was linked with a return to Rangers but pulled out of the race before Russell Martin was appointed. Instead his return to management could come at Championship side Middlesbrough. If he gets the job he will succeed his former England team-mate Michael Carrick, who was sacked last week. Gerrard, 45, is the bookies' favourite to take over at the Riverside Stadium, ahead of Rob Edwards and Steve Cooper. It appears the former Three Lions star is keen on a return to the UK after an ill-fated spell in the Middle East. Gerrard lasted just 18 months at Al-Ettifaq and won 23 of his 59 matches in charge. That stint came after he was sacked at Aston Villa following a return of two wins in the opening 12 games of the 2022-23 Premier League season. His best reign came at Rangers, where he oversaw the club's first league title for nine years in 2021. He accumulated 102 points and went unbeaten in the Scottish Premier League, ending Celtic 's period of dominance. Gerrard won 65 per cent of his games in charge at Ibrox.


Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Che Adams ends Scotland drought in style as unrecognisable Steve Clarke side dismantles Liechtenstein
Our man Scott Burns was in Liechtenstein as Clarke's much-changed side returned to winning ways Scotland played in the shadows of the Alps and it was hat-trick hero Che Adams who peaked in this much-needed win over Liechtenstein. Yes, it was only a friendly but it put a win on the board and both Clarke's starting frontmen got in on the act. Adams got a treble and George Hirst netted his first for the country. Lennon Miller made his first start and made an immediate impact. He saw a shot blocked and Adams knocked in the rebound in the fourth minute. The Torino star got another in the first half, after Miller pressed, won it and fed the forward who finished with a low reverse shot. Scotland dominated. John McGinn's second half shot came off the post before Anthony Ralston put in a cross and Adams flicked it on to Hirst to score. It was a job done. Clarke was also able to give debuts to Josh Doig, Andy Irving, Connor Barron and Kieron Bowie in the closing stages. Adams claimed the matchball when he netted from a Nathan Patterson cross with the final touch of the game. Okay, the minnows were never going to offer the toughest of challenges but Scotland got the victory and a welcome boost ahead of the World Cup qualifiers - which kick-off in the next international window in September. There will be no room for error against Denmark, Greece and Belarus. This game in the Rheinpark Stadium brought some welcome positivity back after the home defeats to Greece and Iceland. It was only Scotland's second visit to Liechtenstein; the last one was a 2-1 win back in 2010. This one was as straightforward as they come. They got the win they were after. The Scotland players can now rest up after a long, hard season and focus on the real action. The one thing that is certain is that the next team they face in red and white - the Danes - will be a significantly tougher nut to crack. Ross Doohan answers SOS for Scotland debut The Celtic-bound keeper was on holiday in Turkey when he took the call to see if he would make the trip to Liechtenstein. The 27-year-old had been a Scotland under-21 regular but his last action on that front had been five years ago. Doohan had played a number of games for Aberdeen this season and got the nod because he was still training up to the Scottish Cup final. The Tartan Army encouraged his every touch. He probably couldn't have picked a better opponent. He was rarely troubled and spent most of the time as a sweeper rather than keeper. Perfect first start with a cap and a clean sheet. Lennon Miller makes first start The Motherwell youngster came off the bench to make his debut against Iceland. He was handed his full debut in Vaduz. The one thing he always tried to be was positive. He was always looking up and trying to make things happen. He played a part in two of Adams' goals. The first his shot was blocked and it was his pressing that raced Liechtenstein into the mistake for the second. The 18-year-old can be happy with his night's work. It certainly won't be his last Scotland start. Could this be his last act as a Motherwell player? Previous manager, Michael Wimmer, has predicted he would be departing Fir Park this summer. Che Adams breaks Scotland drought in style The striker had done well in his first season in Torino, finishing as his side's top scorer. He had found goals harder to come by in dark blue. In fact, his early goal was his first in over a year, since he netted in the friendly win over Gibraltar. You could see the delight in his face as he finally got back on target for his country. There was no such long, frustrating wait for his next Scotland goal. It took him 22 minutes to make it a double. He made it a treble in the final minute. It is now a more respectable nine goals in 39 appearances. He also pitched in with a neat assist for Hirst. George Hirst opens his Scotland account The Ipswich Town forward got his first start against Iceland last week and Clarke stuck by him for this game. Hirst had made cameo sub appearances. He looked half-decent against Iceland. He was in on the action in the early stages of this game too. He worked hard again and got his moment of glory when he knocked home Adams' header from close range in the 48th minute. Has he staked a claim to start in the World Cup qualifiers? Scotland's terrible friendly record improved Clarke has ordered an improvement from his players going into this double header but the first game ended in disappointment against Iceland. The national coach went into this game with just one win in his last 10 friendly games. Yes, okay a lot of them were against top opposition but there were also a few blots on the copybook, like Northern Ireland and Iceland at home. Scotland's last friendly had been over a year ago when they beat Gibraltar in a warm-up for Euro 2024. The best of the rest had been draws with Finland, Austria and Poland and a number of morale-denting defeats against Turkey, England, France, Netherlands, Northern Ireland and Iceland. It was unlikely Clarke and his team were going to come up short in this one and they didn't! Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.

The National
an hour ago
- The National
Every Scotland player rated after Liechtenstein triumph
Here is how every player wearing dark blue rated. Ross Doohan - 6/10 Debutant goalkeeper had very little to do between the sticks. You could count on one hand the number of forays forward Liechtenstein made throughout the evening. Doohan had the proverbial cigar out for the majority ahead of his impending return to Celtic to replace Scott Bain as the third-choice behind Kasper Schmeichel. Read more: Anthony Ralston - 7/10 A 21st cap for the full-back who you can count on always giving his all. That was once more the case on Monday night as Ralston motored up and down the right-hand side with ease. Celtic stalwart remained switched on when others didn't to play a fine ball into the box in the lead up to his nation's third of the night. Jack Henry - 6/10 Centre-half came in for his first Scotland appearance since that fateful evening in Stuttgart against Hungary almost a year ago. Had little to do at the back, although if being overly-critical, he should've done better to shut down Ferhat Saglam as the Liechtenstein forward drove forward before flashing an effort just wide of Doohan's goal. Scott McKenna - 7/10 Much like his central defensive partner in crime, McKenna had little to do in the way of stemming any threats from Liechtenstein. Replaced the injured Kieran Tierney in the team and put in an adequate performance at the back on his 38th appearance for his country. Was handed the captain's armband after usual skipper Robertson came off. Andy Robertson - 6/10 Scotland captain was given a noticeable amount of space to attack the opposition, particularly in the first half. Robertson forayed up and down the left-hand side throughout his time on the park, whipping several crosses into the box before he was replaced by Sassuolo's Josh Doig just before the hour mark. Billy Gilmour - 6/10 A 40th cap for Gilmour in the Central European Alps. Wearing the number eight, he played as the deepest of Scotland's midfielders, looking to get on the ball. Would've been ambitious to hit a first-time volley after a corner was floated out to him on the edge of the Liechtenstein box. Lewis Ferguson - 6/10 Coppa Italia winner played on the right side of Scotland's midfield quartet. Popped up in the box on a few occasions, proving the goal threat he has continually shown throughout his time at Bologna. Came off for Kieron Bowie with just under a quarter of an hour to go. Lennon Miller - 8/10 A productive evening for the teenager on his first Scotland start. Miller never hid, constantly showing for the ball and attempting line-breaking passes, the majority of which came off. Did well in the press to regain possession deep in Liechtenstein territory for Che Adams' second of the night. Miller remained composed after winning the ball back before playing it to the striker, who did the rest. 18-year-old is now just one Scotland cap behind his old man, Lee. John McGinn - 7/10 Aston Villa skipper looked much more energetic in Vaduz than he did at the end of last week against Iceland at Hampden. Made several characteristic driving runs forward, and forced a fine save out of opposition goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel at the end of the first half after chopping inside on his weaker right foot. George Hirst - 7/10 Could, and probably should, have had his name on the national team scoresheet for the first time last Friday night. It ultimately wasn't to be for Hirst, who on Monday was handed a strike partner in the form of Adams. The pair linked well at points, and Hirst's hunt for a maiden Scotland goal ended at the beginning of the second half, as he tapped into an empty net at the back post following Adams' knock-on. Was replaced by Tommy Conway was just over 20 minutes to play. Che Adams - 9/10 Granted, Liechtenstein are ranked as the world's sixth-worst national team by FIFA, Adams' display was one of his finest in a Scotland jersey. Striker slammed home from the second phase of a corner on three minutes. Adams then doubled his and his country's tally not long after, finding the bottom-left corner after Miller found him near the edge of the box. Completed his perfect hat-trick in the dying embers with a clinical header. Subs Josh Doig (Robertson 59') A Scotland debut for the next in the country's seemingly never-ending production line of talented left-backs. Tested substitute Liechtenstein keeper Justin Ospelt with a driven effort from close range that was diverted out for a corner. Andy Irving (McGinn 59') Irving showed up adequately on his first cap off the bench. Patterson (Ralston 67') Everton man replaced his ex-Glasgow rival and didn't put a foot wrong. Conway (Hirst 67') Forward was disappointed with fellow youngster Doig when he didn't square it to him for a tap-in not long after he was introduced. Barron (Gilmour 77') A Scotland debut for the Rangers midfielder. Bowie (Ferguson 77') Promising Hibernian forward finally played for the senior national team for the first time after impressing for the under-21s on several occasions.