Europa disaster!

We've said it before and we'll say it again, no doubt - when the stakes are high, rookie gaffer Neil Lennon plays it all wrong.

2-0 up from the first leg, many were treating Celtic's progress into the Europa League as a given - and it probably should have been. But yet again their diabolical away form came back to haunt them, they conceded four goals to Utrecht and now they are out.

To be fair to him, Celtic had lots of defenders unavailable through injury - but that have made protecting a makeshift back four a priority. Instead Lennon picked a front two of Samaras and Fortune, plus new "wonderkid" James Forrest, plus Joe Ledley (who's not known for putting in a shift)... reckless stuff, and they paid the price.

Motherwell couldn't score the 1-0 victory that would have put them through against Odense, and Dundee Utd came close but missed the chance to progress ahead of AEK.

Both clubs acquited themselves rather better tonight than the green giant from Glasgow, however.

Where do Celtic go from here?

Dundee Utd tie finds a venue at last

Dundee Utd are in Athens tonight, trying to turn around a 1-0 deficit from the first leg that will allow them to progress to the Europa League Group Stage at AEK's expense.

But AEK's stadium isn't fit for purpose, so an alternative venue at Panionios was found. But Panionios, upset at the thought of AEK using their home, broke into the ground and destroyed the pitch.

So the tie has moved to Olympiakos' stadium. But now the fear is AEK fans will ransack the place, so they have been banned.

Dundee Utd now face the odd prospect of playing an away tie in front of 500 of their own travelling supporters, and no one else. It's going to be a weird atmosphere, that's for sure, more so if any AEK trouble makers manage to disguise themselves as Tangerines to sneak in and cause mayhem.

Anyhow, good luck tonight to the team, and to the fans who will hopefully avoid any trouble. Very much the underdogs here, maybe they can use these unusual circumstances to their advantage.

The Arabs have some difficult decisions to make this summer

Dundee Utd have enjoyed a great season. Craig Levein might have left mid-season to take the Scotland job, but after a brief wobble they overcame that and ended the season 3rd in the SPL, and winning the Scottish Cup.

No wonder the crowds were out in Dundee last weekend to celebrate, and with Peter Houston looking likely to accept the manager's job on a permanent basis, the club can look back on 2009/10 with immense satisfaction.

Gary Kenneth thinks they can improve on this, and even split the Old Firm next season. Well, sorry to burst the party atmosphere, Gary, but here's a good reason why you can't - chairman Steven Thompson has admitted that his family's support for the club is unsustainable, and players might have to be sold to balance the books.

Thompson claims that the £450,000 loaned to the club this season takes his family's total "investment" to £5m, which was generally reckoned to be the figure his dad Eddie had put in before he died.

But whatever the true figure, it seems clear that this arrangement will not continue. Dundee Utd simply have to balance the books, and that might mean selling players this summer.

Kenneth himself is seen as a likely target for English clubs (Blackpool had a bid rejected in January), while Craig Conway and Morgaro Gomis are also subjects of transfer speculation. Captain Andy Webster will return to Rangers after his loan expired.

And while the fans will have chuckled long and hard at Dundee's late season implosion which ended their promotion hopes, the Arabs could have done with those city derbies next season to help boost match day revenue. No wonder Stephen Thompson used those Cup parade celebrations to ask fans to come to Tannadice more often next season.

So much is speculation at the moment. If a bidding war develops for one or more of their players, Dundee Utd could bring in more than they could hope for this summer... but this might mean negotiating right up until the end of the transfer window. And they may well gamble on reaching the Europa League group stage and the added revenue that will bring.

How much is Stephen Thompson prepared to risk?

Stumbles of the also-rans

The SPL split has not been universally liked since its introduction, but it does add interest as the clubs move towards the end of the season.

If the first half of this campaign was all about the narrowing of the gap between the Old Firm and the rest, the second half has asked some serious questions about those pretenders to the crown. And in most cases, they are falling flat.

Hibs boss John Hughes made 3rd place an explicit target - and they are now in 5th.

Aberdeen have been inconsistent all season, so it was no surprise that just as Mark McGhee expressed the opinion that the top six was still possible, they lost to St Johnstone to make that target look very remote.

And Hearts continue in the same vein - returning Jambo Jim Jefferies was bold enough to tell us all that Mister Romanov was very happy with progress so far... and his club celebrated by capitulating to Motherwell.

Ah, Motherwell, who are now fourth, on the back of an impressive run masterminded by wily pensioner Craig Brown. Unlikely as it seemed a few months ago, you can't now rule them out for third spot.

That depends on Dundee Utd, of course, who alone amongst this gang have shown consistency all season - all the more impressive given that Craig Levein left half way through.

To really shake up the SPL, it needs not only the Old Firm to reign in their previous excesses, but at least a couple of the others to shake off previous bad habits and put a sustained challenge together. If Motherwell and the Arabs are fighting for third, then you have to say that better-resourced clubs like Hibs and Aberdeen are falling short.

Will the Jambos stand up and be counted this weekend?

Apparently, Hearts' Supreme Leader is in town this weekend for their match against Dundee Utd (a match, remember, that Csaba Laszlo has described as a "must win" fixture).

Given how irregularly Vladimir Romanov bothers to turn up in Edinburgh these days, his appearance offers a rare opportunity to the supporters to vent their frustrations. There are more questions than answers at Hearts, with millions having disappeared into dubious player acquisitions, the stadium rebuilding project now derailed, and the club being buffeted by rumours of financial problems.

Will the supporters take this chance to protest? It could be a very interesting afternoon.

EDIT (Saturday): Ouch, did we scare him off?

Mister Romanov didn't show up at Hearts v Arabs (decent point for the Jambos, by the way). Apparently, he was never going to. Instead, he was taking an "opportunity to find out how the "stukachi" on me in Scotland operate"... "stukachi" meaning secret informer.

The man is mental.

Dundee - a tale of two halves

While one Dundee club are feeling the pinch, the other is spending money.

Craig Levein hinted last week that the Arabs are experiencing financial difficulties due to the collapse of Setanta, though the chairman Steven Thompson moved quickly to alleviate concerns. "We are not going into administration", he says, although it's safe to assume that belts are being tightened all around Tannadice.

One potential way to replace that lost TV funding could come from an unlikely source - near-neighbours Dundee FC. They have proposed offering £500,000 for Scott Robertson (who crossed the road to the Arabs under freedom of contract), although Levein is not happy about that idea.

Dundee, who spent spectacularly a few years ago before going into administration and getting relegated to Division 1, and who were supposedly in sever financial difficulties just a few months ago, are now talking themselves up again.

Director Calum Melville has bankrolled fresh investment in the squad and reckons that Dundee will be the 6th biggest club in Scotland once they re-establish themselves in the SPL.

Is this realistic? Fans still remember the crazy days of Claudio Caniggia and the White Feather, elite players tempted to Scotland's East Coast by wages that looked obscene at the time and proved to be the club's undoing. This time, the spending is more constrained, but six figure transfer fees are still way beyond a Division 1 club's earnings (they've already bought Leigh Griffiths for £125,000).

Melville, though, swears that the plan is for Dundee to become debt-free and self-financing, and reckons on a five year plan to get the club back to where it belongs.

What is he up to? Is the groundshare option going to be mentioned again? Either he has a rabbit up his sleeve, or is content to fritter away some of his fortune for fun.

Winners and losers so far in the SPL

So... the transfer window has shut, we're three games in... who's hot and who's not in the SPL this term?

Looking Good...

Rangers have avoided any more departures, and that's a good thing for them. The income from the Champions League (they don't have to share any of it with Celtic now) will help with the cash flow at least, and the arrival of Jerome Rothen on loan from PSG adds experience and guile for those ties too.

Given that they are not even offering new contracts to anyone currently on the payroll (Kris Boyd is now in his final year), don't expect much business in January either, unless they sell first. They remain dependent on a few key players staying fit - otherwise, that title looks very vulnerable. For now, though, the Champions have made an impressive start.

A year ago, Derek Riordan returned to Hibs from Celtic for a rumoured £400,000 (big money these days for a non-OF outfit), and the Edinburgh club's chief executive described the deal as a "statement of intent". This summer, they've invested a similar sum in Anthony Stokes. Hibs now have lots of options up front and John Hughes has done some fairly radical reshaping of the rest of the squad, with Liam Miller the latest to join. It might take time to gel, but Hibs are looking promising.

So are the Arabs, with Craig Levein again pulling a rabbit out of the hat with Danny Cadamateri. Who knows how, but the well-travelled and wayward striker has hit the ground running. Dundee Utd have started well and still have a number of injured players to come back into the team. These two clubs are surely favourites for third place.

Motherwell will be pretty happy with a top six finish, but that looks on the cards following a decent start. Jim Gannon is living up to his reputation, and he's been given some money to bring in much needed strength in depth.

St. Johnstone, meanwhile, managed well-earned draws against Motherwell and Hearts, but got thumped by Celtic. That's a tough start for a promoted team, even if Hearts aren't anywhere near as good as they'd like to be, so probably a job well done. And they are scoring goals, which is crucial for the confidence.

Steady as she goes...

Neither wonderful nor woeful, St Mirren and Kilmarnock have both made respectable starts, and have legitimate reasons for optimism. As both clubs are vulnerable to being dragged into a relegation scrap, any early points are a bonus.

Early signs of shakiness...

After being dumped out of the Champions League, there were rumours that a few Celtic players might be on their way, but in the end they've all stayed. Things should be pretty peachy at Parkhead, yet somehow problems seem to be surfacing early in Tony Mowbray's tenure. The bad natured and narrow win at Hibs looked ugly, with Mowbray first orchestrating a "huddle" at the end of the game and then refusing to accept that McGeady dived (he did, and everyone knows it). A siege mentality at the end of August - is that really healthy?

Still, at least they are winning games, which is more than can be said for Hearts. Manager Csaba Laszlo has been spilling the beans about his difficult relationship with Vladimir, and we all know that Mr Romanov does not tolerate insubordination. Is his employee asking to get sacked? Hearts had a woeful summer, the new signings (much hyped by some supporters) have looked substandard so far, and Larry Kingston is stirring the pot, too. Oh dear.

Things aren't much happier at Aberdeen, where the manager also seems content to moan about his squad in public. Best get your excuses in now, Mark McGhee, because those fans who were so excited about your arrival in the summer might just be having second thoughts.

And so to Hamilton and Falkirk. Both managers were sounding very optimistic during the summer, but that optimism has looked seriously misplaced so far. Falkirk have, at least, held on to Darren Barr and Scott Arfield, two vital players. They are going to need them, while Hamilton look well short of the required standard.

SPL 2009/10 - how's it's going to pan out

The new SPL season is about to kick off, so it's time to put our money where our mouth is and predict who's going to win it... and where everyone else will finish too. Firstly, a health warning: with the transfer window still open until the end of August, there's still time for players to come and go. If Rangers, for example, decide to spend a little of their Champions League windfall (unlikely, we know), then they could still improve their chances of retaining the title.


But this is We Love Fitba's season preview:

1. Celtic will be champions. We might have got it wrong in backing them last season, but we'll do it again this time around. A new management team, new players and the breaking of their European away day hoodoo have all brought optimism to Parkhead this summer. That victory over Dinamo Moscow reinforced the feeling that Tony Mowbray is the right man at the right time, able to inject some verve and flair into the side. With Nakamura and JVH gone and a few new faces, Celtic have refreshed a decent squad and will play with more pace this term.
   
   Key man: Aiden McGeady. Looked like he was on the verge of leaving the club in January, the girl-faced Irishman is an unquestioned talent. If Mowbray can get him back to his best, Celtic will be too strong for everyone else.
   


2. Rangers. Celtic might have thrown away a position of strength last season but Rangers deserve credit for winning the title. Walter Smith has helped to keep the wolf from the door, but there are still clear financial problems at Ibrox. So far this summer, players have gone but none has arrived. Fans can reassure themselves that their club has probably got the best years out of Barry Ferguson, and Birmingham have done them a favour (cheers, Alex McLeish), while Charlie Adam and Alan Gow weren't involved last season anyhow. But Celtic have got stronger while Rangers have stagnated. The squad is looking too thin to defend their crown.
   
   Key man: Kevin Thomson. Talented but fragile, the oft-injured midfielder has a vital role to play this season. With Ferguson gone, Rangers need someone to anchor the midfield and control games. It's telling, though, that Thomson has barely played for Scotland, despite his talent - he needs a solid, uninterrupted season to make his mark.
   


3. Hearts. On the basis that they finished 3rd last time, and no one else looks better placed to challenge them, the "Best of the Rest" title is theirs by default. They have steadily improved throughout pre-season and they seem to have brought in some decent replacements to cover departures. But Bruno Aiguar will be a big loss, and they still need a decent striker. And of course, the swirling rumours about financial problems and Vladimir Romanov's crazy unpredictability threaten to capsize the boat at any moment. Hearts better hope that Lithuanian bank holds out, because it's the only thing stopping them from following Livingston into crisis.
   
   Key man: Andy Driver. If Hearts continue to play with a fence post upfront, then the winger's attacking threat will be even more vital. An injury during the summer probably rules out his transfer this summer, a boost for the team if not the bank balance back in Vilnius. He could well go in January, though.



4. Hibernian. Another new manager for Hibs, and one that Falkirk fans weren't exactly sorry to see go. John Hughes certainly likes his teams to play well, but his results at Falkirk, plus the sales of Rob Jones and Steven Fletcher, suggest little more than top-6 anonymity this time around. However, there is a feeling, just like Mowbray at Celtic, that Hughes is the right man for the job, and that this appointment could work out very well indeed. After all, it was Hughes who got Falkirk to the SPL and kept them there, and got them to the Scottish Cup Final in May as well. He seems to know what's doing, and his roots with the club are doing him no harm at all. And, of course, the Hibs academy just keeps on churning out promising looking players, seven of whom have been promoted to the senior squad.
   
   Key man: Merouane Zemmama. Hibs will still rely on prodigal son Derek Riordan to score the goals, but it's the little Morrocan who Hughes will build his team around. If it works, Hibs could be looking to take 3rd from Hearts.



5. Dundee Utd. As Director of Football, Craig Levein has been busy restructuring the club's academy, admitting that it was not fulfilling its function. A smart move, but not one that's going to have an immediate impact on the first team. As manager, Levein once again traded to try and replace decent players who have gone. The Arabs will be tough competitors but it's hard to see them improve much on last season.
   
   Key man: Morgaro Gomis. That Levein signed the Senegalese midfielder from Cowbenbeath shows the global reach of the game these days. That Roy Keane has offered £800,000 for him shows yet again Levein's eye for a player. With money tight, though, can they hold on to him?
   
   
6. Motherwell. New man, fresh ideas, and a few new faces from the English lower leagues for fans to get used to as well. Jim Gannon is by all accounts a talented manager, and - crucially - used to operating at the "value" end of the transfer market. Motherwell have sold most of their assets and need a manager who can spot a bargain, but Gannon also likes his teams to pass the ball, which the Well fans will lap up. This just could be an inspired appointment.
   
   Key man: Stephen Craigan. With all the youthful enthusiasm ahead of him, the Well skipper could do with a nice, consistent, mistake-free season to show leadership to the young charges and keep the goals against tally respectable.
   
   
7. Aberdeen. The Dons were delighted to get Mark McGhee, who of course was part of the increasingly distant mid-80s glory years, after becoming so exasperated with the two Jimmys. But they've lost Scott Severin and Jamie Smith, the squad looks thin, and pre-season has not gone well. Without more investment, Aberdeen have to be realistic about their prospects. And could it be that Messrs Calderwood and Nicholl actually knew what they were doing? This season may be one to forget for the Dons, while inertia elsewhere leaves the club in seemingly perpetual limbo, wondering whether they are going to leave Pittodrie or not.
   
   Key man: Zander Diamond. Without a prolific striker, Aberdeen need to be tight at the back. Diamond's progress has been erratic but he's shown signs of maturing into a consistent centre-half.
   
   
8. Kilmarnock. Everyone knows that Killie don't have a pot to piss in, and the last couple of seasons have had fans biting fingernails at some point as relegation fears bubble up again at Rugby Park. But Jim Jefferies knows what he's doing and Killie also have the habit of stringing a set of results together when needed. Given the circumstances, they've done well to keep the squad more or less together and - you never know - Mark Burchill might announce his return to Scottish football with goals aplenty. Or not.
   
   Key man: Mehdi Taouil. The Morocco midfielder has tricks and talent, and is just plain good. He should be the difference between Kilmarnock and the teams below them.
   
   
9. St Johnstone. Gretna apart, the promoted club has tended to survive their first season in the SPL, and St Johnstone should do at least that. A well-run club with a solid support, the Saints have been waiting to get back to the top flight for a long time, and finally have their chance. Manager Derek McInnes is both realistic and ambitious, a nice combination to have. They've added a bit of depth to a squad that already looked pretty solid.
   
   Key man: Paul Sheerin. Craft and invention in Perth.
   
   
10. St Mirren. They've not been in the SPL long enough to feel completely secure, but the Buddies should be ok in their first full season in their new home. Gus MacPherson seems to have strengthened the squad, with Michael Higdon from Falkirk earmarked as the man to help score more goals than last season.
    
    Key man: Andy Dorman. Struggled last term, but if he returns to his best then he will make the Buddies tick.
    
    
11. Hamilton. Second Season Syndrome might hit hard at Hamilton, especially having seen James McCarthy and Brian Easton go for big money down South. But Billy Reid has been given some of that cash to rebuild the squad, and has made some big changes to freshen things up. More youthful exuberance/naivety this time around, but it should still be enough.
    
    Key man: Tomas Cerny. To balance out all that youthful inconsistently, an experienced pro between the sticks. A good keeper makes the difference, you know.
    
    
12. Falkirk. Apologies to the Bairns, but their time might be up. Escaped relegation on the last day of last season, and while Eddie May talks a good game (and has the odd pop at previous gaffer John Hughes while he's at it), he also lacks experience. The fans seem optimistic, though, so they won't be bothered by others backing them for the drop.
    
    Key man: Danijel Marceta. The striker has been signed on loan from FK Partizan's academy, which sounds like plenty enough pedigree for the SPL. If he's another Anthony Stokes, then Falkirk may well be laughing in the face of relegation threats.

SPL predictions 08/09

The 08/09 SPL season starts tomorrow, so it's time for we love fitba to stick it's neck out again. No comprehensive preview here - just opinion - but if it's facts you're after, the Beeb have come up with a pretty comprehensive preview this time around

Alternatively, Inside Left have previewed all the weekend's games, and have got more predictions on their site too.

So here's how its' gonna pan out:

1. Celtic, obviously. 3 in a row, and although they were very, very lucky last time, they should have enough in the tank to make it 4. Strachan has won over more of the doubters with that last-gasp title clincher, by proving that even if some of the fans don't believe in him, his players surely do. Holding onto McGeady and Boruc will help, as will the form of Hartley and Robson at the end of last season. Surely Celtic will have a more coherent midfield this season?

The only doubts might arise if Celtic get into a European final, and become as distracted as Rangers did. But it's looking good for the team in green.

2. Rangers. What is Watty Smith up to? He had lots of strikers, so he's gone and bought 3 more, yet forgotten about his midfield entirely. Madjid Bougherra is presumably a replacement for Cuellar. It may all make sense come the end of August (will Real Madrid panic buy Lee McCulloch for £30m to get over being jilted by Ronaldo) but it doesn't right now.

3. Dundee Utd. Craig Levein is not just the manager at Tannadice, but he sits on the board too. The trust he enjoys there seems to be transmitted to his players, and he's done well in the transfer market, getting Willo Flood to return for another season's loan and strengthening upfront to make up for Noel Hunt's departure. Good work.

4. Hibs. Everyone's written off Hibs, who have had a shocking pre-season. Yet radgy manager Mixu Paatelainen has already shown he can mix it in the SPL, with decent results if not performances. Now he needs to step up, by proving he can beat the Old Firm occasionally as well, and get the team playing better football. He's not a great tactician, mind.

5. Motherwell. Did brilliantly by finishing 3rd last season, but the squad looks weaker without Ross McCormack, and manager Mark McGhee is not known for his consistency.

6. Falkirk. Slowly, slowly inching their way up the League, and play decent football too. This could be their season to break into the top 6. Their worry will be that another club finally realises what a fine job John Hughes is doing, and nicks the gaffer.

7. Aberdeen. Some characteristic wheeling and dealing from Jimmy Calderwood this season, but hard to say if the squad is any better. And the fans really don't like him at all, despite the UEFA Cup heroics last season. The wheels might be about to come off.

8. Hearts. They might have a manager at long last, but they've only made one signing so far, and that's just not enough. All the talk of unity and togetherness just rings a little hollow, too... this is Hearts we're talking about, after all. Expect the next crisis sometime before November, as Vlad re-asserts his authority and starts faxing through the team sheets again. Jambos believing that they are going to finish 3rd are living in dreamland.

9. Kilmarnock. Shocking last season, but the shock should jolt them into a (slight) improvement this time around.

10. St Mirren. Steady as she goes at Love St. Wait, not Love St, that'll be a building site come the end of the season.

11. Hamilton. They're young, untested at this level, and should go straight back down again. But that's no fun! Let's go crazy and predict a stirring start for the new boys, until reality and injuries kick in and they sink to a still-respectable finish.

12. Inverness Caley Thistle. Really not great last season, and with Niculae gone, it can only get worse. Will be hoping that Hamilton get put in their place early on.

Rangers still hoping for a party

As things stand, Manchester Utd won't be allowed to parade the Champions League trophy from the top deck of a bus. The trouble in the streets following the UEFA Cup final has scuppered that idea. It would be ironic, no, if Rangers find themselves driving around Govan in the next few days, with potentially 3 domestic trophies to show off.

So to tonight's decider, with Rangers off to Aberdeen and Celtic at Tannadice. A helicopter will be hovering above the North East, ready to swoop down with the trophy as soon as the destination of the title is decided.

We love fitba declared for Rangers some weeks ago, back when they had a 7 point lead, 1 game in hand, and looked unassailable. This may have been premature. Their subsequent wobble (and Celtic's 6 wins in a row) has put the ugly sisters level on points, but Celtic's superior goal difference makes them favourites.

Of course, everyone's assuming Aberdeen and Dundee Utd will just roll over and get beat, but Craig Levein has been particularly outspoken on this issue. Jimmy Calderwood may struggle to motivate a squad he has publicly criticised more than once, but the Arabs are making all the right noises about putting up a fight.

If that happens, Celtic could find themselves with the trickier encounter this evening. And Rangers could still win the title. We've not got it wrong yet.

Old Firm tied at the top of the SPL as Rangers beat Celtic again

Rangers won the first Old Firm clash of the season on Saturday, an impressive 3-0 win that puts the Old Firm level on points again at the top of the SPL. After two seasons of not mounting a decent challenge for the title, this season's battle already looks like it could go down to the wire.

Gordon Strachan admitted that Rangers deserved to win, and he will be used to it by now - since Walter Smith returned to Ibrox, they've won all three Old Firm clashes. To be fair, Celtic weren't helped by a nasty head injury to captain Stephen McManus, especially as Gary Caldwell is such an inferior defender. With the games now coming thick and fast, Celtic still need to learn how to stop conceding cheap goals or their season could unravel.

Elsewhere, Hibs' unbeaten start to the season was ended by impressive Motherwell, but John Collins praised his players for their performance: with Hibs only a point off the leaders, he claimed there is a "huge amount to feel positive about". Mark McGhee was naturally pleased with the win, but was also full of praise for Collins' passing football philosophy. These two teams are arguably the ones a neutral would choose to watch this season.

Hearts were undone by Dundee Utd, and Aberdeen beat ICT. Kilmarnock and Falkirk shared the points, while St Mirren beat Gretna to move away from the foot of the table.