Latest news with #ScottishFootballPodcast
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Robbie Neilson sets Hearts a Rangers and Celtic themed task
The former Hearts boss and player has been talking all things Jambos. Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Robbie Neilson says Hearts have to show they can turn over Rangers or Celtic, as he puts down an Old Firm gauntlet to his former side. The ex Tynecastle defender and manager on two occasions has watched on amid a new era in Gorgie. Derek McInnes has arrived as head coach, overseeing a 100% record so far across four Premier Sports Cup group stage games plus Premiership victories versus Aberdeen and Dundee United. A major summer overhaul of the playing squad has been backed by Brighton owner Tony Bloom's Jamestown Analytics software, which has sparked a turn of fortunes at the Seagulls plus Belgian champions Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After buying a minority stake in Hearts, Bloom made headlines by saying he'd be dissapointed if no league title was won within the next decade. That leaves the sizeable task of toppling Rangers and Celtic, with Neilson adamant taking their game to both sides of Glasgow is what Hearts must aspire for. Robbie Neilson on Hearts versus Rangers and Celtic He told the Scottish Football Podcast: 'I think that it's now about competing against the Old Firm for Hearts. That's where I can see them. They look to be the dominant third force. The decision or the question will be can they make the step to go beyond one of them, which is obviously Tony Bloom coming in. 'That's what they're trying to do but I think it will be very, very difficult, over the course of a full season. One of the big things about Hearts is momentum, especially when you're at Tynecastle. If you can build that momentum of winning games, which they managed to do within the group stages of the cup, you then take that into the league. The first big question will be, when the Old Firm come to town, can you turn them over?' Neilson is currently an assistant coach to ex Hibs manager Lee Johnson at Belgian side Lommel SK, part of the City Group, where Manchester City are the prized jewel. That clutch of clubs show the former Jambo that video game style recruitment with softwares like Jamestown can unlock big rewards for clubs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad How Jamestown can benefit Hearts He said: 'I think it's really just learning the structure and the processes within it. Obviously, we're part of the City Group, so we've got 13 teams here. So you've got a lot of players moving about. So I think Jamestown is a little bit smaller with that side of things. We've got Union who are here, and I went to watch them a few weeks ago. Then Brighton and then Hearts within that system as well. 'I think from a recruitment process, which is probably the most important thing within football clubs, it's huge to have that network. Because I know they use the company in the background to source the players, which is very similar to here as well. So that really helps with things. It takes a lot of load off the club and the head coach. 'Nowadays, you're just saying, 'I'm looking for this type of full-back or that type of full-back.' The next couple of days, you get five or six different options and that's it. It's a bit like the Football Manager side of things, the recruitment. This is what I want, this is the type of player, you have your KPIs and then the guy turns up a couple of days later.'
Scotsman
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Ex-Hearts boss emerges as next manager contender at rival as McInnes comparison made
A former Hearts player and manager is said to be keen to take charge of Premiership rivals Motherwell. Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Robbie Neilson has reportedly declared his interest in taking charge at Motherwell after the former Hearts manager was described as a potential 'safe as houses' appointment for the Fir Park club. BBC Sport have reported the former Hearts boss is keen to return to the dugout with the Steelmen and have claimed Neilson's CV has been submitted to club chairman Kyrk Macmillan. The 44-year-old has been out of work since leaving USL Championship club Tampa Bay Rowdies in April 2025 but has spoken of his desire to get back into management ahead of the new season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Motherwell have been without a manager since Michael Wimmer left his position with the Steelmen last month after citing 'family reasons' as the reason for his decision and has now returned to Germany to take charge of third tier club Jahn Regensburg. The BBC report says a three-man sub-committee of Motherwell's executive board 'draw up a shortlist, conduct interviews and make their managerial recommendation'. Chairman Kyrk Macmillan, chief executive Brian Caldwell and digital marketing chief executive Greg Anderson will play integral roles in appointing a successor to Wimmer as they look to improve on last season's eighth place finish. 'They might not be too concerned' Former Falkirk and Dundee striker Rory Loy has told discussed the possibility of Neilson taking charge at Hearts in the near future and believes the appointment would mirror Hearts' decision to appointed Derek McInnes as their new manager. Loy described the situation following Wimmer's departure as 'quite rare' and insisted the Steelmen won't be concerned shunning a 'safe as houses' appointment and 'going a bit more leftfield again' after they appointed ex Austria Wien manager Wimmer earlier this year. "You look at Hearts, appointing Derek McInnes is probably as safe as houses in terms of the risk involved," Loy told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "I think Neilson is pretty similar for Motherwell. I don't like the cliches of 'he knows the league' and 'he knows the players', but it is relevant to an extent. And one thing he has had is success. Whether Hearts fans enjoyed how he played or his personality or how he came across, he had a level of success where they were consistently finishing in good positions in the league. The difference is, and it's quite rare, Wimmer wasn't actually sacked. Motherwell maybe like what they did and could see where it was going, so they might not be too concerned about going a bit more leftfield again." Your next football read: Scotland team v Iceland: Steve Clarke to give players a chance in predicted line-up for Hampden friendly
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'The myth' about Russell's tactics
Russell Martin struggled in the Premier League - but how much will that matter in Scotland? [PA Media] What is the "myth" about new Rangers head coach Russell Martin's tactics? Scottish coach and analyst John Walker feels there is a misconception with how people view former Swansea City and Southampton boss Martin's possession-based style, insisting it doesn't just mean the ball is just "passed about the back". Advertisement "Martin's football is possession based, but it's attacking football," Walker said on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "If he can get it forward in two passes, it's going forward in two passes. "People keep coming at me with the same thing, 'he's never played against a low block'. He's played against a low block loads because teams were scared of how his teams were playing. "If teams want to drop into a low block and fear Rangers, that suits Martin. That's what Martin wants. That's where Rangers will see a lot of goals being scored. Advertisement "The flipside of that is there'll be a high defensive line, there'll be high risk, there'll be one-v-one defending at the back. And that's where you see Martin's horrendous goals against stats." Do the Premier League struggles of Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou prove managerial performance in England and Scotland's top flights is incomparable? Large numbers of Rangers fans appear to be underwhelmed at the appointment of former player Martin as their new head coach. That is somewhat fuelled by the ex-Scotland defender's gruelling experience as a manager in England's top tier. Advertisement Southampton won just once in 16 games before sacking Martin in December, but Walker feels the Premier League is "just not a comparable metric for how successful you can be in Scotland". Despite winning the Europa League, Postecoglou, a hugely successful Celtic manager, oversaw Tottenham's worst ever Premier League season last term, with the team finishing 17th. In the 2022-23 campaign, Celtic boss Rodgers had Leicester heading towards relegation when he departed in the April. The Foxes ultimately went down. Rodgers' next move would be a return to Parkhead, where he has resumed cleaning up domestic prizes. Advertisement "Martin's Southampton experience rubs people the wrong way," said Walker. "Rodgers had good seasons in England, but he also had bad seasons. With Postecoglou, league wise, this is a terrible time at Tottenham. "But he dominated and revolutionised Scottish football for two years, so there just is no comparison."
Daily Record
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Incoming Rangers boss handed stark Celtic warning with one exception to the rule
It looks like a straight shootout out between Russell Martin and Davide Ancelotti with an appointment to come very soon Rangers' managerial hunt is fast approaching its end game with an appointment expected within days. All indicators are pointing towards a straight shootout between Russell Martin or Davide Ancelotti as the long wait for a permanent successor to Philippe Clement comes to an end. The San Francisco 49ers Enterprises are in the door officially and already making changes with Nils Koppen heading out the door and Dan Purdy in alongside Kevin Thelwell - who has officially started his role. The next job is a manager and former striker Rory Loy has named one glaring concern if it is to be either Martin or Ancelotti taking over the top job in Govan as they bid to challenge rivals Celtic and boss Brendan Rodgers. Speaking on the Scottish Football Podcast, he explained: "My concern if I was a Rangers fan would be that these managers want to come in and try out-football Brendan Rodgers and Celtic. "That is going to be extremely difficult to do in a very short space of time. Ange Postecoglou did do it. But he's the exception to the rule in my opinion. "Whoever comes in is going to have to come in and win games of football. People underestimate flipping between this formation and that formation. It takes a lot of work, time and effort. "Six weeks of pre-season go into building what we want to play and whoever comes in is going to have to do that in six weeks or the longer it takes, less and less. And try and come in and play a style of football. "In my opinion Russell Martin and Davide Ancelotti will want to play the ball on the ground and pop it around. "At this moment in time, Rangers are nowhere near at the stage of competing against Celtic in that department. "It is going to be interesting to see how they start and how long the fans stick with them if they do, do that. "I don't see one of these guys coming in and being able to take the bull by the horns and win game after game after game if that is going to be their uptake. They need to find a way to win games first."
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Steady Kettlewell will be hungry for success after tough spell'
Does Stuart Kettlewell's Scottish Premiership experience make him a shrewd and steady Kilmarnock appointment? The former Motherwell boss' move to Rugby Park has been met with mixed reviews from fans of the Ayrshire club. Kettlewell led the Steelmen to seventh and ninth-placed finishes in his time at Fir Park before departing with the team in fifth in January. The ex-Ross County manager's Well exit came amid a run of one win in nine games, with the 40-year-old citing fan abuse as the reason for his resignation. Despite a bottom-six finish, Well scored the third most goals in the league in the 2023-24 season under Kettlewell. But a shift in playing style earlier this campaign prompted criticism from the support even though the team were competing for a top-half spot. Could Kettlewell's experience of that scrutiny benefit Kilmarnock? The Scotman's sports editor Mark Atkinson believes so. Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, he said: "I think it's a steady appointment. Kilmarnock fans might take umbrage at that, but I think it's not a bad choice. "I think he'll do a really good job because he's so experienced. I think when you get a manager that's come out of a really difficult period, they're going to be even hungrier for success than some others."
