Latest news with #ANDY
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Jury instructs Rangers fans to get on the Russell Martin train as Celtic told Daizen Maeda transfer rules
Should Rangers fans get on board with the Russell Martin appointment? ANDREW NEWPORT: They have to. Rangers have burned their way through manager after manager and the only way to stop that rinse-and-repeat cycle of sacking bosses is to back one. It will take patience - but Martin has to hold up his end of the bargain by showing progress. SCOTT BURNS: He is now their manager so they have to get behind him. He is the man in possession and the one man who can change their fortunes. It is a new start, the fans need to embrace it MICHAEL GANNON: They need to give the guy a chance, even if he wasn't the one they wanted. Rangers will have a tough enough time dealing with Celtic without supporters waiting for their own gaffer to fail. What will success look like for Martin in his first season in charge at Rangers? ANDY: A cup and to, at the very least, provide a proper title challenge to Celtic. Some fans might want more but I'm not sure that's realistic this year with so much work to be done by the new owners as they begin reshaping a broken squad. SCOTT: Rangers have to be up challenging for the title, winning cups and progressing in Europe. That is the expectation at Rangers. MICHAEL: A proper title challenge. The cups could come down to coin tosses with Celtic but it's a prolonged bid for the Premiership that is required rather than another season that's up the spout by spring. Should Celtic cash in on Daizen Maeda? ANDY: Only if they can be certain of finding an adequate replacement. They should learn a lesson from Kyogo Furuhashi's sale Adam Idah wasn't good enough to be his permanent replacement and a lack of a proper striker was a reason they missed out on the Treble. SCOTT: I think if a big enough offer comes in they should take it. He is a top player but he is getting to an age where he is getting close to his peak market value. MICHAEL: It will depend on what Maeda wants to do but there's no point in Celtic even banking £20million because he's worth so much more to the side. No man in priceless but this one is close. Will Steven Pressley crack it at Dundee? ANDY: It depends on what objectives he's set. Tony Docherty performed a minor miracle getting them into the top six but was bulleted a year later. Elvis is a good coach by all accounts but he'll be hampered by his Dens budget. SCOTT: Who knows? It is a big gamble from Dundee. A lot of the fans are already against his appointment but hopefully he can win them over and give it a good go.
Daily Record
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Jury passes Kevin Thelwell verdict as big time Rangers claim chimes with theory about Celtic dominance
ANDY NEWPORT: Yes but that's just human nature. The more something happens, the less sparkle it has. But make no mistake, Celtic have been a dazzling, dominant force for most of the last decade and deserve huge praise for that. SCOTT BURNS: He is probably right. You only have to look at the number of recent Trebles Celtic have won. Yes, it is difficult to do but it is also easier when you are lightyears ahead of the opposition. FRASER WILSON: Probably. But Celtic have a big Aberdeen sized obstacle still to overcome before they land another one. Should they do that then they deserve to be held in the same esteem as all the other Treble winning sides. In top gear this Hoops side have been sensational. ANDY: On the face of it yes but the proof will be in the pudding. Rangers' recruitment record has been abject for far too long. It's Thelwell's task now to deliver vast improvements. SCOTT: He is an experienced operator and fits the bill of what is needed. We will only see his true credentials when he is in the post because Rangers will be very different from everything else he has been involved in. FRASER: He is clearly comfortable working at huge clubs but it's the need for instant results at Rangers - while their arch rivals have a big head start - that makes this job the toughest he has surely ever faced. He needs to work wonders this summer starting with getting the right manager in place. ANDY: Hibs have the momentum and an attacking verve that Aberdeen and United can't match. I fancy David Gray's men to get the job done with games to spare. SCOTT: A lot will depend on this weekend. If Hibs beat Aberdeen then they would be clear favourites. If Aberdeen win then it is game on for them and United. FRASER: Hibs goal difference essentially gives them a four point lead and on a 17-game unbeaten run David Gray's side have all the momentum. A win at Pittodrie today would make them hard to catch. I fancy them to get the job done. ANDY: Daizen Maeda is the outstanding nominee but Parkhead teammates Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn as well as Rangers' Vaclav Cerny have had impressive campaigns too. SCOTT: Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn , Rocky Bushiri and Simon Murray. FRASER : Daizen Maeda and Callum McGregor are obvious candidates. The best of the other clubs? I'd throw in Vaclav Cerny and Martin Boyle just ahead of Simon Murray.
