Can Celtic compete in the Champions League ? The Football Show LIVE

Scottish Football

Can Celtic compete in the Champions League?  Also on The Football Show:   Ian Murray sacked by Raith Rovers after one game;  Champions Celtic defeated Kilmarnock; Hearts 0-0 Rangers;  VAR controversies this weekend; Tony Watt expected to leave Dundee United; Dundee United 2-2 Dundee Reaction to all Scottish Premiership results; Brendan Rodgers' statement on comments said in the media; Celtic FC's summer transfer window and latest rumours; Champions League Third Round Qualifier Dynamo Kyiv v Rangers preview;  St Johnstone v Aberdeen preview; The latest Scottish football news; And much more!  00:00 Intro - The Football Show 01:26 Ian Murray sacked by Raith Rovers 06:59 Scottish Premiership results 08:49 Hearts 0-0 Rangers reaction 14:20 Philippe Clement post-match interview 20:58 Steven Naismith on Connor Barron penalty decision 21:48 Celtic 4 Kilmarnock 0 reaction 23:31 Brendan Rodgers Celtic summer transfer window 32:10 Scottish football news - 5th August 2024 33:25 Dundee United 2-2 Dundee and Tony Watt's future 42:33 St Mirren 3-0 Hibs reaction 48:13 Motherwell 0-0 Ross County 51:48 St Johnstone v Aberdeen preview 53:44 Dynamo Kyiv v Rangers preview  Love Scottish football as much as we do? Subscribe now: At Youtube ‪@ScottishFootballRadioShow

Transcript

00:00On PLZ Soccer's YouTube channel, I'm Peter Martin, Alan Ruff, Alison McConnell and Tam

00:14McManus are here with me. There is so much to talk about after a weekend of some interesting

00:21stories and developments in the Scottish Premiership and beyond. It is of course time for us to

00:27digest what happened over the weekend. The champions Celtic got off to a great start

00:32thrashing Kilmarnock, unfurling the title flag from last season. Rangers dropped points

00:37against an impressive Hearts outfit. What now for Tony at Dundee United? Tony Watt could

00:42be on his way out. The Saints march all over Hibernian. We'll get the thoughts of Tam McManus

00:47on that. Raith Rovers sack Ian Murray after just one game. We thought we might actually

00:52get to 4 or 5 before we discussed a manager being sacked. VAR still at the heart of controversy

00:59although not too many managers complaining about the Conor Barron handball in the match

01:05against Hearts. You can give us your thoughts on that. We'll discuss the European draw for

01:10the Scottish clubs and if you want to give us your thoughts, you can do in the comments

01:16section below. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button and join the football family. So, lots

01:21to talk about. As far as the sackings are concerned, let's get right into it. One game

01:28Ian Murray sacked. It wasn't going according to plan since January they said. Yeah, I was

01:34absolutely stunned when I heard the news. I think everybody was raving about Ian last

01:38year where he went in there and took them to where they were in the playoffs and everything.

01:42I just couldn't see that coming. Obviously things go on behind the scenes that you're

01:46not privy to. Tam knows Ian better than me. I don't know whether he's dug his heels in

01:52and maybe he wanted some more money for players or something like that. Getting knocked out

01:57of that Premier League thing, believe it or not, is quite an expensive experience. It's

02:01about £100,000 to the clubs that don't get in. Plus, I think they're all TV televised

02:07all the time. The hospitality, you get a good draw. So maybe they've said, well, you've

02:13maybe wanted a couple of players and you've lost that £100,000 so you're not getting

02:16any. So these things go on behind the scenes you don't know about. I don't buy into the

02:21results. I think the expectations getting promoted last year were a bit high. I thought

02:26the whole place would be on a high. The crowds come back, they were good. So, absolutely

02:31stunned by it. Sam, one game, come on, it's ridiculous. The board need to have a long

02:37hard look at themselves, whether he's your pal or not. After one game, if they weren't

02:42happy with him from January onwards, they should not have even contemplated sitting

02:47down with him and giving him a new deal for a new season, a new hope. Yeah, he's just

02:53signed Hanlon and Stevenson from Hibs, two great signings. He's really pushed the boat

02:57out to get the game in. I spoke to Ian straight after I heard, I couldn't believe it. I spoke

03:01to him, it's nothing to do with anything off the pitch, according to Ian. It's a football

03:05decision from the board. He's stunned by it. He went in on Sunday morning thinking, we're

03:09going to chat to him about new players and they get sacked. You can't believe it. I'm

03:13actually in a chat with him, Alec McLeish, big Yogi Hughes, two guys that have been sacked

03:17a couple of times as well and they couldn't believe it. So, listening to Ian's a bit disappointed.

03:22I thought he'd done a great job at Raith Rovers. I think he'll get another job in the next

03:26couple of weeks. I think Sunday will take him. Stunned by it, two games away from the

03:30Premier League for the first time in nearly 30 years for Raith Rovers and then one game

03:33into the season, sacked. Absolutely nothing to do with anything off the pitch. That was

03:38the rumours. It fell out to people. As far as Ian's concerned, there was nothing to do

03:41with that. It was a football decision and he moves on. Well, he may well move on and

03:46I think there'll be a number of managers actually just starting to sweat thinking he's available

03:51as a manager because he's certainly proved his credentials. I just think it doesn't...

03:58I think it tarnishes the board. I mean, it just sends out the wrong signal. Yeah, I think

04:03it's bizarre. You signed a three-year contract just at the end of last season. It's not as

04:08if there's been any spectacular downturn across the League Cup campaign and the few

04:15games that they've played so far. I think it comes across as quite a baffling decision

04:20so early in the campaign. I think last season when you look across the Championship, one,

04:27how competitive the league is. Two, if you look at the finances and resources of the

04:31clubs, like Dundee United is the one that you would have expected to go up. I think

04:37to take them within a whisker of going back into the top flight and then to find themselves

04:41out of a job at this stage, I think it leaves you scratching your head. I think just one

04:46game of the campaign, gone one league game, I think there's a few people who would have

04:52sat up across the weekend and scratched their head about it. It's interesting to see what

04:56the supporters think. Where Ray Throver's were two years ago with the Goodwillie stuff

05:01and all the board changing and having new people coming in, where he's taken them from

05:06there to where they are now is unbelievable, as a club. I would think the supporters, it

05:11would be interesting to see what they say about it. Well the interesting part of this

05:15now is they've made a rod for their own back because they're going to have to put in someone

05:19and they've got a tough act to follow and that's the nature of it. I think we're delving

05:26into just lunacy nowadays with managers getting the sack. If you don't back them in the summer

05:33and you're clearly not happy with them, don't take them into a new season and let them think

05:37that they've got a chance to have a full season again of trying to get into the division.

05:42As you said Alison, it's a good point you make, Dundee United, does anybody expect to

05:47take them and their wage bill? We'll talk about Dundee United a little later on in the

05:52programme. I also think it's very difficult now for whoever does come in because you've

05:55lost a summer of preparation. You think if you weren't happy with where it was at the

06:00end of last season, that's the time that you make the change when you've got a couple

06:05of months to go in, assess the squad, decide what someone new, what direction they're going

06:10in, give them a couple of weeks to think about what they want to implement. Now someone goes

06:14in when everything's up and running and games are coming thick and fast. I think the timing

06:19is baffling. Before we look at all the Scottish Premiership results for the weekend, thanks

06:24to so many of you for supporting us. If you join us live Monday, Wednesday and Friday

06:31then all well and good, we are delighted with that. Lots of people catch us on the Catch

06:37Up where basically it's on our YouTube channel, you can watch it at your leisure at any time.

06:44The figures for the programme right across YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, the social media

06:50has been absolutely superb. The support last season and hopefully getting even bigger this

06:55season with the content we're going to bring you. We just want to say thanks to each and

06:58every one of you. It's the weekend, the first weekend of the Scottish Premiership season,

07:02here's how the results all panned out. It was Hearts nil, Rangers nil, Motherwell nil,

07:07Ross County nil. I was getting a bit worried as I headed up to Tayside for the Dundee Derby

07:13but I think I might have been a contender for Game of the Weekend. 2-2 it finished,

07:18St Mirren 3-0 against Hibs, Celtic 4-0 against Kilmarnock and St Johnson against Aberdeens

07:24on the Monday night. Thanks to so many people for posting messages. Skeeden just wanted

07:30to know why Tam is looking so sad today. Don't worry, we'll get into Tam in a minute.

07:38My mate gets sacked and I always get pumped, there you go, that's how.

07:41Yeah, I'm so much. It's been a great weekend.

07:43Have a great weekend season.

07:44You're a Jonah, you really are.

07:47Have you noticed, Ruffy, that since he's joined us, all his pals have been bumped from key jobs.

07:52I mean, he's absolutely a nightclub.

07:54He'll have guys that he's known for years, been on the phone. Don't say you know me.

07:59Don't count me for the job.

08:01Are you their tactical noose?

08:04I'm getting blocked in.

08:06Hi to Tommy who's out there in Thailand. You always support, remember Tommy, out there

08:10in Thailand. So many people near and far have stopped us and said that they watched the

08:15show regularly. It keeps them up to date with Scottish football and of course, listen,

08:21it's competition. We're out there battling against so many other platforms, programmes

08:25as well, but we'll give you an opinion and we'll give you no shortage of comment on lots

08:32of topics and the programming and the unique video content we're offering. Hopefully you're

08:36going to enjoy it. Five days a week, Monday to Friday and then Saturday and Sunday, our

08:42reporters are out at the games, bringing you all the latest news. So thank you to so

08:47many of you for your comments. We kicked off with high hopes of a cracker at Tyne Castle

08:53in the end. It was nil-nil, but I don't know about you, Rafi. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

08:58I thought it was a great game to watch.

08:59Yeah, I thought the weekend was a great advert for our game. You know, I think every game

09:03has something to offer. The Hearts Rangers started it off. Not a lot of quality in the

09:08game, but a lot of incidents, a lot of goalmouth stuff, shots at goal, two goalkeepers in outstanding

09:14form. I thought the game had a lot to offer. The only downside for me was, again, what

09:21we talk about every year, was the fans at the game. That wee segment of Rangers fans

09:26in the corner just did nothing for me.

09:27And then empty seats.

09:28Yeah.

09:29Empty seats with nobody's in.

09:30I thought it looked terrible.

09:31So did I. Honestly, it's the lunacy of it, but I don't want to go back over it like a

09:35broken record. Jock Cusick, I beg your pardon, says, nice to have PLZ back. It's going to

09:41be another painful season for most of us Rangers fans. Looking forward to getting hammered

09:46on the banter front, though.

09:48Jock, I'm going to say something to get us into the meat and bones of the game, but in

09:54fact, let's talk about the game first, because if anything, the positives would have certainly

10:00been in the Hearts camp, unless I'm mistaken. I thought they looked good as a starting eleven.

10:05And they had options on the bench, Charlie.

10:07Yeah, they did. The boy, Taylor, looked as though he really shone as well. He looked

10:11quite a find for them. Yeah, I think Steven Naismith would have been pleased with it.

10:16I think both sides could have argued. They maybe might have edged it, might have done

10:20enough to win it. I thought a draw was probably fair overall.

10:24Penalty?

10:25No. I think last season it's been given. None of us wanted it to be given for that.

10:32I think his arm is in. His elbow's tucked in. It's not what we spoke about repeatedly.

10:36He's not gone to play the ball with his hand. The key will be consistency. That's the same

10:42level now that you want to see applied across the course of the season for every game. If

10:48that was given, we're all up in arms about it being given. You did see it last season.

10:53I think Willie Collin was very clear when he spoke to the media just a few weeks ago,

10:57ahead of the new season, about what the new legislation around this would mean. I think

11:01you saw it evidenced on Saturday. So no, I didn't think it was a penalty. I don't think

11:06it should be a penalty and you'd like to think going forward it's not going to be a penalty.

11:10Penalty?

11:11No, I don't think so Peter. I totally agree with everything Alice said there. I think

11:15there was one in the Dundee derby as well. It came off a Dundee player's hand from a

11:18corner and that wasn't given. So I think that's pretty refreshing and as long as they stick

11:21to that throughout the season, unless we were all coming in here going mental about penalties

11:25or just hitting people's hands and giving penalties. Hopefully there's more of that

11:29to come Peter and they stick to that level of consistency because I don't think it was

11:32or the one that came off a Dundee player's hand.

11:34Yeah, I don't even think you should have bothered. I'll tell you the one thing that was really

11:38refreshing over the weekend. We'll hear from Stephen Naismith shortly but right across

11:43the board, you had a real positivity about managers. Okay, it's only one game in roughly

11:48but they were all positive about the communication that had happened with Willie Collin and them

11:54and an explanation of how they wanted to go forward with less hands-on VAR and really

12:01a kind of an emphasis on we're going to try and make the game flow.

12:05Yeah, as Alison said there, there's a precedent now going forward. The only fortunate thing

12:10is there's going to be an instance when somebody's going to say, that's the same as that one

12:14at Tyne Castle. Why are you giving it? I hope the referees and the VAR do have shown some

12:19kind of consistency all the way through because I think as we've just said there, we all

12:23agree that we don't want penalties given, cheap penalties for nothing. So if the hand's

12:27a way up here and it's in an unnatural position, fair enough, but not if it's down and a defender's

12:34coming out to defend and the ball hits his hand. But I thought both managers after the

12:38game came out were pretty honest about the situation. I think the Rangers manager and

12:43the Hearts manager summed up the game quite rightly. Both of them could have. Unfortunately

12:49for the Rangers, the chances all fell to deathers. I thought he did particularly well

12:54at the header. Well, everybody's having a go at him.

12:58You were lucky with the header, weren't you?

13:00I'm saying, for me, a striker, he's in there. You know, his touch that he had when the ball

13:06got put through, alright, he lobbed it over the bar, but he tried to just be a wee bit

13:10too nice, but he's in there making the attempt. I'll bet you he scores more than 20 goals

13:14this season.

13:15Yeah?

13:16More than 20?

13:17Yeah, I think so, aye.

13:18What, is that a dinner?

13:19I doubt, I'm quite happy to put up a dinner, yeah. I think he will, quite easily.

13:23Are you in for that, Tam?

13:24Yeah, I'm in for that.

13:25Yeah?

13:26I don't think he'll play.

13:27Two dinners?

13:28I think Rangers will sign a striker before the end of the window, aye, I think he'll

13:31be.

13:32Well, it's a dinner.

13:33It's not a lie. Week one and we've hooked him in already, are we?

13:37Actually, I'm in Team Ruffey, I think he'll sign that.

13:40Two dinners!

13:41You can get the starter.

13:44Yeah.

13:46That's not bad.

13:48That's not bad, Ruffey, the two of you and magic.

13:51OK, over 20 goals, we'll take that.

13:54What do you think?

13:55Do you think it was a penalty?

13:56Give us your view on that as well.

13:58We all say no, never a penalty, shouldn't have been looked at.

14:02But of course, it ended 0-0 and if anything, I got a real sense from a number of friends

14:08of mine, Rangers fans, who are looking and thinking it's going to be a painful season.

14:12There's new signings there to be added.

14:14There was only one signing that started, so it was a familiar look for a lot of Rangers

14:18fans to this side.

14:19But I think Philippe Clement himself is going to introduce them slowly but surely into the

14:25games and then they need to get up to speed according to the Rangers manager.

14:30Yeah, of course.

14:31You saw also with the other signing coming on, he may directly impact on the game.

14:38But he comes out of four weeks of holiday after the Euros, so he trained now three times

14:43with us.

14:44He's not in his top shape, so for sure we're going to become better.

14:49Robin Propper was also with the squad today.

14:54But if you don't train with the team, you cannot play a game.

14:58So, of course, and that's also experience to put in the squad.

15:04OK, I'm going to offer something of a perspective of Philippe Clement, because I think he's

15:11been fairly honest in his assessment of where they are, where they want to be.

15:16And you have to listen to what the chairman, John Bennett, said as well.

15:20My feelings on this, Tam, is that Rangers are going to have to short term, bear in mind

15:26he's got a four year deal now, I think Rangers are going to have to short term take the pain

15:31of not winning the league this season, maybe not winning it next season, as he tries to

15:37build something.

15:38Whether he gets the time or not, I can't put my hand out there and put my head on the block.

15:44But I think they're going to have to take pain because the chairman's backed him and

15:50he needs to be given time this season definitely to build his own team.

15:54Yeah, he does.

15:55And I think that's been seen in giving them a new contract, Peter.

15:58I think the amount of players that he's bringing in, he seems to be out with the old and in

16:01with the new.

16:02There's a lot of players that have been there for a long time that he's ushered out the door.

16:06Whether he keeps Taverny, I don't know.

16:08There's still time in the window for him to depart as well.

16:12Celtic and Rangers, it's always going to be judged against the other team.

16:16I think that's a little bit unfair.

16:17You've got a Celtic team that's been settled for years, you've got a top manager, you've

16:21got the Champions League money.

16:23I think for Rangers, it's asking a lot for Rangers to go and really compete with him

16:26for the title this season.

16:28Whether the Rangers fans are happy for them to finish 10, 15, 20 points behind Celtic

16:33this season, I don't know.

16:35In terms of short-term pain for long-term gain, I don't know, Peter.

16:39But I think they've got to give him time.

16:41I think the board are prepared to give him time.

16:43And I think as the season goes on, you'll see Rangers getting stronger.

16:47I think there's a lot of new players.

16:49And they'll take time to settle into the team, into a new system, into a new country.

16:53If they can just hang about Celtic for the first 7, 8, 9, 10 league games, then maybe

16:58you'll see them putting a challenge in.

17:00But I think it's a critical period this first month for them, with the Dynamo Kiev games

17:04coming up as well in Celtic, and the 1st of September to just try and stay on Celtic's

17:09coattails.

17:10Yeah, Dynamo Kiev is massive, Robbie, because if they could get into Champions League group

17:15stages, that's a huge financial bonus to Rangers.

17:20The second leg is going to take place next Tuesday at Hampden Park, but they're away

17:25first leg.

17:26And then they know that if they can get past Dynamo Kiev from the draw today, they'll face

17:31either Salzburg or FC20.

17:33Yeah, Clermont's been going on about the finance of the club, saying he's not getting the money

17:38for the players that he wants to buy.

17:40So getting into the Champions League would be a huge injection before the window shuts.

17:44And you would like to think the board would say, right, there's more money on the plate

17:47for you.

17:49So we'll have to wait and see who he brings in.

17:52You know, they have got some players, the new centre-half coming in, Danoli's not played

17:56yet.

17:57So there are players there who'll make the team better.

18:00I just thought at the weekend there, I thought they were lacking, what Celtic were lacking

18:06was a playmaker, somebody to get their foot in the ball and look up and make passes.

18:10They seem to be a wee bit disjointed.

18:13I think they're not a team team.

18:16When you see Celtic, they've all played with each other.

18:18They all know what they're doing.

18:19I like Barron.

18:20I thought he had a good debut.

18:21Yeah, but he's not the kind of player who's going to kill you in the latter third of the

18:24park.

18:25He is a very good workman-like player and he will score the odd exceptional goal.

18:30But yeah, I thought he did well.

18:32Yeah.

18:33Hearts.

18:34I think the Jambos certainly will be happy with what they had as a starting XI.

18:39Gerald Taylor.

18:41He looked a player and a half at the Van Aert.

18:44It was an impressive one there away to Dundee on Saturday.

18:48But they've got, you'll have to forgive me for this, Krivaz Kiriivii of Ukraine or Viktoria

18:56Pilsen in the Europa League play-off round.

19:00So that's what they're facing.

19:03And I desperately, after the disappointment of Komarnik for the Europa League, I desperately

19:08hope Hearts can get access to a good amount of money in Europe.

19:13I think it's hugely important for many reasons.

19:15Not just obviously for the club itself and the finances it brings and the space it adds

19:21to a season for everyone and the interest it generates.

19:24But also just for Scottish football as a whole.

19:26I think it's hugely beneficial to have teams competing in European competition.

19:31You have the coefficient, the spin-off that comes here.

19:34But also just raising the profile of the league, attracting better players as you go on, enhances

19:40the quality overall of the league.

19:42I think it's massively important for so many different reasons that you're in and competing

19:47and having as many teams as possible.

19:49Picking up coefficient points and going and performing well.

19:52You've obviously got St Mirren too on Thursday night.

19:55I think you want to see Scottish teams go compete and sustain themselves in European competition.

20:02Just thanks to Hugh Scott, who's just obviously been all over it as well.

20:06Tam and I didn't jump over his head too early, but Hugh has.

20:11Peter, have we signed a new player?

20:13Danoli?

20:14Classic gruffie.

20:15Clearly meaning Danilo.

20:20Hugh, I just do not know why you even bother.

20:23Because there are so many Rangers fans actually going on the message,

20:26we've signed Danoli.

20:28Where's he?

20:29I'm sitting here going, God, I've got that name right.

20:33You've never seen it.

20:34Yeah, absolutely.

20:35Anyway, fantastic.

20:37If it's near, the rule is if it's near what it sounds like, he'll fire it in there.

20:43So well worth it, Hugh, you jumping in on that one.

20:47But fair play to you, Rafi.

20:48Of course, we did mention that fair play to the managers with that communication with the SFA.

20:53Will he call him this new brush, this new attitude to VAR?

20:57Long may it continue.

20:58And great credit to the managers.

20:59Stevie Naismith didn't think the corner bar and handball was a penalty.

21:05Look, I don't think it's a penalty, if I'm honest.

21:07I think last season there was a big debate.

21:10Willy and the referees and the league have done a lot to try and clear things up

21:15and have a conscious effort to stop Hughes asking that question to write about it.

21:21So you'll stop it, you'll see it.

21:25People say it's unnatural, but if you've played the game, there's not much you can do.

21:29So I don't think it's a penalty.

21:30Yeah, well done to the manager for coming out and saying that.

21:33I think it was refreshing.

21:35And we'll hear from other managers, again, just backing the new way they're going to approach this.

21:42So let's hope that the referee gets a chance to keep the game flowing.

21:45Talking of flowing football, Celtic 4, Kilmarnock 0.

21:50Boy, did they look good, Tam.

21:52Yeah, they've just continued on from a fantastic pre-season, Peter.

21:56Scored another four goals, I think that's the last three games.

21:58They've scored four.

21:59Could have been five or six.

22:01I think they were denied a Stonewall penalty kick.

22:04I think Kyogo missed a sitter as well.

22:07It could have been worse for Kilmarnock.

22:09I thought Celtic were excellent.

22:11They seem to be playing at a higher tempo.

22:13They've continued on from the latter part of last season.

22:16I think when it started to get close, Celtic kicked into another gear.

22:19In the last six, seven league games, they've continued on this season.

22:23They've got competition for places, particularly in the wide areas, middle of the park.

22:27They've just obviously signed Bernardo.

22:29Hataki looks back to his best.

22:31I think if you're a Celtic fan watching that yesterday,

22:34you're really, really impressed with that whole performance from start to finish.

22:38Maida missed out through injury, which gives you an indication of the strength that they have.

22:43And of course, do you think it was a penalty, Alison?

22:48I think he was just taken out.

22:50And of course, over the course of this pre-season and then into the start of the league

22:57and the transfer window closes at the end of August,

23:00much has been made of Celtic's lack of any really key signings to get the support excited.

23:08And remember, again, we will fall into in this programme on a regular basis.

23:12You've got a wry smile on your face.

23:14I might as well tell you, we will fall into this category of assessing Celtic game by game

23:20and then totally readjusting your thought process when Celtic have to play in Europe.

23:26And I think this is where Brendan is going to be judged.

23:30He certainly got a little bit prickly about suggestions that he's been putting in some kind of message

23:39in his after-match comments or comments in pre-match press conferences to the board.

23:44I see these various reports that I'm sending messages or sending codes.

23:49I'll never say anything that I've not spoken to my bosses here at the club.

23:53I'm relaying my feelings, but my feelings are with them totally first.

23:57But we want to take the club forward.

24:00I don't think anybody's talking about special codes.

24:03The only thing you can deal with is the facts.

24:06If the manager's talking and he said, well, we'd like to get players in earlier,

24:11you can only take him at his word.

24:13I think sometimes you can read between the lines of what's been said.

24:16Sometimes what's not been said is just as important.

24:19I think clearly there has been a frustration from the Celtic support about the lack of incoming signings.

24:28I would qualify it personally by saying I think it can always be quite difficult on a couple of levels.

24:35One straight after a tournament, I think sometimes there's always a bit of a sluggish element to the transfer window.

24:41It tends to start moving now, really, when you're going into the latter weeks.

24:45I also think the type of player that Celtic will go to recruit,

24:49you're probably looking at maybe the £6, £7, £8 million player bracket.

24:54I think they always have options.

24:56I think you're not looking at players who are maybe a couple of rungs below

25:00and a club like Celtic comes in.

25:02You're talking about players who will have decisions to make

25:05and other leagues that might be in with contracts.

25:08I think people forget that sometimes Scottish football can be quite a hard sell,

25:12even if you've got Champions League football to offer.

25:15I think if there are other competitive leagues,

25:17particularly if you're looking at maybe down south or looking at La Liga or whatever,

25:23where people can be very competitive in terms of finances,

25:27it's not easy to go and recruit the kind of player that you want.

25:30I think Celtic will sign players.

25:32I think you'll see a couple of arrivals before the window closes at the end of this month.

25:37I think, crucially, you might also see players going out too.

25:41Yeah, okay.

25:43What's your take on that, Ruffey?

25:45Because it's early in the season.

25:49He's had a really good performance out of the players that he has there.

25:53I get the feeling Brendan's got the players now for a full season

25:56and they're suddenly responding to what he wants them to do.

26:00But the second part of it, as Ali said, is okay, there will be signings.

26:05They might come towards the end of the month.

26:07It's what calibre they are and will they improve the squad and the results in European football

26:12is the big question that I think Celtic fans will start to hammer him over the head with.

26:16Yeah, I think Celtic need a centre-forward, centre-half

26:21and maybe another player for the Scottish Premiership.

26:24That squad they've got now will win the Premiership without another two or three players.

26:29But it's what kind of player you're going to need to get to Europe.

26:32I don't think this squad will do any better than what they did last year

26:36and I don't know what kind of player you're going to bring in to make yourself better in Europe.

26:40Who are we talking about?

26:43I keep harping on about the boy Scales.

26:45Boy Scales will stroll through Scottish football like he's come on leaps and bounds.

26:49But when he goes into Europe, I don't think he's the quality that Celtic are looking for.

26:53Definitely a striker.

26:55If something happens to Diego, what do you do?

26:57It's panic stations.

26:59And that's not materialised either.

27:01I just feel it has to be a right big signing to Celtic any further in Europe.

27:08How many do you think they need?

27:10Are you talking about for the Premiership?

27:12I don't think they need that many for the Premiership.

27:14Champions League, you need another striker anyway.

27:17Centre-half, a very good international centre-half.

27:22Left-back?

27:24Taylor's always done well.

27:26Left-back.

27:28So you're saying he's not good enough for Europe?

27:30I don't think he's good enough for Champions League.

27:32I think if you want to make an impression, you need better quality.

27:35You need cover, there's no cover over there.

27:37More competition for them at least.

27:39I don't know.

27:41The type of players that are going to come in and make a difference

27:45in terms of Champions League football are elite players.

27:50What kind of elite players are going to come in and be better than

27:53O'Reilly, Hattati and McGregor?

27:55What are you going to buy to bring to somebody?

27:58I think they're Champions League quality players.

28:02You mentioned the three of them.

28:04A striker, a left-back and a centre-half.

28:06If you can improve those three areas, I think Celtic go in much stronger.

28:10I think they might feel fine for the Champions League.

28:12I think they're all very good players.

28:14Although if you take O'Reilly out of the equation.

28:17It's quite interesting actually.

28:19It's either he's aged or he's gone into overdrive.

28:22But he's been linked with Brighton, he's been linked with Chelsea.

28:25And of course, Atletico Madrid.

28:29A number of clubs all closing in.

28:31I'm going to hold off on offer.

28:37I know you're going to smile about it.

28:40I'm going to hold off because I firmly believe

28:43the one really, really positive thing about it.

28:46I think Celtic will win the league with points to spare again.

28:49But I think the team is playing far better now.

28:55That's game one.

28:57My God, to wait until three quarters of the season had gone

29:00before they actually got a half-decent game.

29:02I see when you're playing well,

29:04and they were playing well at the weekend.

29:06They were on the front foot.

29:08The pace was there.

29:09The movement was magnificent.

29:11The two centre-halves were up about 25 yards

29:15for the goal.

29:17Let's see what they're like when they play against a team

29:21who tests them.

29:23That's where you'll get the challenge of when they come up

29:27against a team that's on the front foot

29:30and they're not sitting back and letting Celtic

29:32have 80% of the possession.

29:34Then you'll see how good the Celtic team are.

29:36Just as a footnote before we get to our news,

29:38Kelly, I don't think Derek McInnes was too peeved.

29:41Obviously, he doesn't want his team to suffer an absolute

29:44doing, which is what they got in the end.

29:46I think he's looking and saying to himself,

29:48okay, it's Tromso, Thursday night, rugby park,

29:51Conference League, third qualifying round,

29:53chance to maybe redeem themselves and make sure they've got

29:58something to look forward to in European football.

30:00They've got to try and get a positive result.

30:03Yes, they're missing a few players as well.

30:05I think they've got a few injuries at the back in particular.

30:07Danny Armstrong, I think you rescued him.

30:09I think they went a little bit more solid at Parc Adid,

30:11came on late in the game.

30:13He's obviously one of their key players.

30:14He'll play on Thursday, but it's difficult when you're in a

30:17commanding size of their squad to play in Europe,

30:19then go to Celtic, then play in Europe,

30:21then play at the weekend, then play in Europe again.

30:23It's going to be difficult for them,

30:25but they've just got to suck it up and try and get through.

30:29Tromso will be difficult.

30:31They'll be a difficult tie.

30:32I think both teams have got teams from Norway.

30:34They'll be difficult, but I don't think they're unbeatable.

30:36I don't think they're unbeatable.

30:38If they can win at home, they go over to Tromso,

30:40then they've got a real opportunity.

30:42If we can get four clubs, Alison,

30:44playing in European football this season,

30:46what a huge boost that would be to our game.

30:49I think it would be enormous.

30:50I think it just lifts the whole league.

30:52I think it gives you, just from now until Christmas,

30:55January, obviously the Champions League format runs

30:57until January before the knockout stages are this term.

31:00I think it just lifts everything around it.

31:03I think it gives you something different.

31:06It just adds a bit of spice to the league.

31:09It adds a real intrigue to the opening months of the campaign.

31:12Obviously, it augurs well for the league going forward.

31:16It brings investment in.

31:18It brings finances in.

31:19That, in turn, you would hope is recycled

31:22into the quality of players that come into the league.

31:24This is PLZ Soccer on our YouTube channel.

31:28If you hit the subscribe button, you can join the football family.

31:31If you download the app, you'll get all the breaking news

31:33at your fingertips.

31:34There's lots of special content coming up for you

31:38five days a week, Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday.

31:40We're out at the games bringing you the reaction

31:43from the managers and the players as well.

31:46Monday, Wednesday, Friday, live, 4 o'clock.

31:50You can get it on Catch Up as well, the football show.

31:53Tuesday, the women's football show.

31:55Thursday, the journos.

31:57Then I'll be out there conducting more and more

32:00one-to-ones with people within football

32:02and some interesting people out with football

32:04on the programme for you to enjoy.

32:07These are the headlines on PLZ Soccer.

32:10Hi there, I'm Kerry and here is your daily news update

32:12on Monday the 5th of August brought to you by Arnold Clark.

32:15Rangers started their Premiership campaign

32:17with a goalless draw against Hearts on Saturday

32:19of which Philippe Clement believes it was a game of two halves.

32:22The first half was for Hearts, the second half was for us.

32:25We had good chances to finish off the game.

32:30Sticking with Rangers, they're preparing to take on Dynamo Kiev

32:32tomorrow night.

32:33If they're to advance through that game,

32:35it's either FC Salzburg or FC Twente.

32:37As for Celtic, they kicked off their league season

32:39with a fanatic 4-0 win over Kilmarnock yesterday

32:42at Celtic Park.

32:43And as for the Dundee derby, Jim Goodwin clarified

32:46Tony Watt's future at the club.

32:48No, Tony's still part of the squad, he's still available,

32:51he's still under contract here at Dundee United.

32:53I can only pick a squad of 20 unfortunately

32:55and Tony wasn't part of that today.

32:57It was a 3-0 win for St Mirren yesterday

32:59at the Smyza Stadium against Hibernian

33:01where David Gray believes that that sort of defeat

33:03at the start of the season is unacceptable.

33:05When you start to think about the whole overall performance,

33:08as soon as you see the result, the performance becomes irrelevant

33:10because to lose 3-0 is unacceptable for us at this moment in time.

33:14Tonight's the Johnson take on Aberdeen at MacDermid Park.

33:17To kick off their league season, we'll be keeping you up to date

33:19across all of our social media platforms.

33:21Yeah, thanks to Kerry for those headlines

33:24and you heard from Jim Goodwin there.

33:27We'll talk about that Dundee derby, it was absolutely magnificent.

33:30Loved it going to the City of Discovery.

33:32Hoping for goals and boy did we get them.

33:35It was everything that was good about Scottish football.

33:38Just on the negative side, you've got a squad of 20

33:41and suddenly Tony Watt's not there.

33:43And of course, the suggestion is that he's deleted

33:46all his social media regarding Dundee United.

33:49The alarm bells are ringing, Ruffey.

33:51Yeah, I think there's obviously things going on behind the scenes there.

33:54You know that Tony, he's a guy who's been about a lot.

34:00Whether he's fell out eventually with the team he's with, I don't know.

34:04But he seems to move about.

34:06We all thought he was going to be at Dundee United for a wee while.

34:09But he just may be that kind of player that he wants to move on.

34:12If he's not playing, he really wants to move on.

34:15As managers speak there from Jim, I don't want to discuss

34:18with that few things around here.

34:21If ever a man knows that line, he's bombed.

34:24The problem with it is, if he is indeed one of those players

34:28they want out the door for whatever reason in the background, Tam,

34:31£4,000 a week means it's going to be mightily difficult to get him out.

34:34Yeah, they're going to need to pay him off.

34:36I've been in that situation before, Peter.

34:38And I've heard managers say that I'm part of the squad

34:40where I've been training with the kids.

34:42It's just, you're right, as managers speak,

34:44I don't think Tony will play for Dundee United again.

34:46I think there'll be negotiations behind the scenes.

34:48He's got a year left in his contract on big money.

34:50So he's not going to walk away with that.

34:52I'm pretty sure he'd be prepared to sit it out for a year.

34:55He'd pick that money up. Don't think he wants to.

34:57I don't think the club want him to.

34:59So I think you'll find, as it comes towards the end of the window,

35:02you'll start to see that offer going up and up.

35:04Because Dundee United don't want to pay him for a full season,

35:06or at least to January.

35:08So I think he will eventually move on.

35:10But it's a bit of poker going on just now, I think, with Tony

35:12and his agent and the board at Dundee United.

35:14Yeah, as far as the game's concerned, Alison,

35:17what a wonderful advert for Scottish football.

35:21Because I sat down, and the first five minutes,

35:24the ball had a flight path.

35:26And then eventually, suddenly they started to get it down,

35:29and Dundee United scored two great goals.

35:32Yeah, absolutely.

35:34I think our league needs games like this.

35:36I think you've got to celebrate the derbies,

35:39the stories of two teams that are across the road

35:42from one another, going head to head.

35:44I think you've got to enjoy what that offers,

35:47what that rivalry is, and try and market it.

35:50And I thought yesterday's game was a fantastic example

35:54of what the game can offer.

35:56I think maybe not one for the purists at times,

35:58especially in the opening exchanges,

36:00but certainly I think there was a lot there

36:02in terms of excitement, and it's good to open

36:04the season with it, just to kick it off

36:06with a good vein of excitement.

36:08The one thing that struck me, Dundee United's second goal.

36:11I mean, there were patches where suddenly

36:14the ball started to get launched.

36:16But there were patches in the game where

36:18it's a beautiful surface, it's a sunny day,

36:21and Dundee tried, and Dundee United

36:23tried to play the ball on the deck.

36:25If you were a neutral watching that in another country,

36:27and you saw Dundee United's second goal,

36:30you'd think that was a thing of beauty.

36:32At one point when one of the United players

36:35picks up the ball, I can't remember for life,

36:37but I think it was world through,

36:39picked up the ball, one of the United fans

36:41shouts, hit it! But he doesn't.

36:44He looks across and plays the pass out

36:47to the right-hand side, and then it's a first-time

36:49ball in for the goal. It was just a thing of beauty.

36:51Yeah, I thought Dundee United were superb

36:53the first half. I thought they outplayed Dundee.

36:56Trapanowski obviously getting the first goal

36:58looks a real find for them. Obviously Jim knows

37:00that Macedonian mark that he's signed to.

37:02Two players for Dundee United, obviously

37:04get Mijovski in at Aberdeen.

37:06I thought Dundee United had a lot of pace

37:08and quality in the final third.

37:10And a great ball across, and the young boy

37:12Thompson came in with the back post

37:14and scored a youth product.

37:16So we've got a nice blend of foreign players

37:18and young players at Dundee United.

37:19Second half, I thought Dundee got to grips

37:21with it more, and they finished the stronger.

37:23Could have won the game at the end.

37:25I think the big boy came on as a sub

37:27for Dundee, the striker. He should have scored, Peter.

37:30And Curtis Mayne, and Simon Murray

37:33missed a chance. Good save for the goalkeeper,

37:35might have been offside. So Dundee finished the stronger.

37:37I thought, game of two halves, definitely

37:39the draw was a fair result. But I think

37:41both of those sets of supports

37:43come away from that game thinking, we've only been

37:45for a good season, we've got a good side.

37:47Yeah, absolutely. I thought the great advert

37:49for the game was the stadium being full.

37:51I thought it was great to see

37:53This is going to be your bugbear now, isn't it?

37:55No, I think it was great to see a stadium

37:57on the telly with no

37:59spaces. You know, because

38:01say it wasn't a Derby game, and I say it was

38:03Dundee United versus, say, Motherwell,

38:05there'd be spaces all over the place.

38:07Or Livingston, or whoever.

38:09But to see an actual stadium, it adds

38:11to the game. You're saying the game

38:13was a bit up in the air,

38:15but with the noise and everything,

38:17and what the expectation of both sets

38:19of supporters, it was just fantastic

38:21to watch. Yeah, thanks to

38:23Errol who says, Pete, were you on the

38:25swally yesterday? You're looking a wee bit scruffy

38:27unshaven.

38:29Errol, I didn't shave

38:31because I want to go up to Dundee and look hard.

38:35I've seen asbestos in there. Yeah, absolutely.

38:37Thanks for that. Anyway, thanks to you

38:39as well, Errol. I thought

38:41it was a great game. The downside, the only

38:43downside was, I don't

38:45know what

38:47in any way

38:49some fans think it's OK

38:51to start throwing coins.

38:53And Jim Goodwin tried to put a little bit

38:55of humour in it, but he wasn't happy.

38:57Yeah, I've had

38:59three or four chucked at me during the course of the game. It's not

39:01something that I'll

39:03talk too much about. We spoke to the

39:05security guys down the stairs, and

39:07no doubt they'll stick a report into

39:09the SFA. It's disappointing. It's not the

39:11first time it's happened here with the fans behind the dugout.

39:13So,

39:15last time we were in the Premier League, Aberdeen

39:17bombarding, I got £68 worth of change

39:19that day. Went straight into

39:21the wee man's piggy bank, which was good.

39:23You know, higher value coins

39:25next time, please.

39:27I mean,

39:29he did put a bit of fun into it,

39:31but it is worrying, Ruffey.

39:33There was a player on the left-hand side

39:35who was getting pelted with coins, and I'm

39:37thinking to myself, really? I mean, is that

39:39acceptable? No, it's definitely not

39:41acceptable, but we keep saying it every year.

39:43Year in, year out.

39:45Catch them. Get them on CCTV.

39:47Coins are the

39:49people.

39:51Imagine somebody

39:53you saw them throwing the coin. Imagine you throwing the

39:55coin back at them. What would their

39:57response be?

39:59You know, I've done that.

40:01Yeah, absolutely. Listen, you hope the police

40:03catch them and they get arrested.

40:05As far as Dundee are concerned, though,

40:07I like Tony Docherty.

40:09He's one of those managers

40:11that, you know,

40:13top six finish. He might have surprised

40:15a few people, but he certainly, I think

40:17he's got the makings of a good squad there. I think he does, too.

40:19I think last season was, I think he

40:21compounded all manner of expectations

40:23after he had just come straight back up.

40:25In fact, at one point last season

40:27he was being discussed for manager

40:29of the year, given what a

40:31strong campaign they had.

40:33I think he's had a couple of good

40:35additions to the squad. I think

40:37they will fancy themselves

40:39for top six again. Yeah, and refreshingly

40:41there was a moment

40:43in the game where, there were actually

40:45two penalty incidents, but

40:47I think the managers right across

40:49the Scottish Premiership this weekend have been

40:51fairly complimentary about how the game

40:53was handled. David Dickinson was the referee

40:55up at Tanner

40:57Dice and Tony Docherty said

40:59he got the penalty call spot on with

41:01the VAR officials.

41:03Aye, yeah, yeah. I think the biggest thing was

41:05I knew it was on the offside. You know, and then when I see

41:07it back, it's a clear penalty. It's a definite

41:09penalty. So, yeah.

41:11And listen, I'm an advocate, I always say anything

41:13that can benefit the game

41:15of course, we embrace that and

41:17that's what it's done today. It's made the right call

41:19in a really, really tense derby and those

41:21moments are pivotal and it's got it

41:23right today. Yeah, full

41:25march to Tony as well. I've been interested

41:27to see who's got the bragging, who do you think is going to get

41:29the bragging rights in Dundee this season?

41:31Tam? Oh, I would have said

41:33definitely Dundee before I seen that game

41:35at the weekend. I was really impressed with Dundee United

41:37so I think it would be nip and tuck

41:39the whole way. I think it would be

41:41close between the two of them. I thought Dundee United were really impressive.

41:43He still wants a couple of

41:45signings, Tony Docherty, so

41:47interesting to see what he does. Certainly he wants to

41:49kind of add a bit of solidity to the back end.

41:51Well, he certainly knows where to

41:53get them. I mean, 11 loaned players last

41:55year. I don't know what he's got this year but he knows

41:57where to get them and tap into them so

41:59I wouldn't be surprised if they come back from

42:01England again. I think the biggest problem

42:03is I think the wee boy McCown is

42:05the next one that's going to get pinched by somebody.

42:07Yeah, McCown, Luke McCown.

42:09Don't worry, it's a letter here and there

42:11off him.

42:13Absolutely, what a

42:15gutty dislike by the way.

42:17This is Alison, just one L.

42:19McCougal? Alison McCougal?

42:21McCougal was on the show on Friday.

42:23He's unbelievable,

42:25isn't he? Anyway,

42:27yeah, well,

42:29and we're only at the first game of the season

42:31Ali, you're absolutely right.

42:33St Mirren 3, Hibs 0. Oof.

42:35I don't want to take anything away from St Mirren.

42:37They were magnificent.

42:39Yeah,

42:41I seen them last Thursday and I thought

42:43this is going to be a really difficult game for Hibs.

42:45It was never a 3-0 game, Peter. I watched the

42:47game, it was never a 3-0 game. It flattered

42:49St Mirren, more so than it didn't deserve to win.

42:51Hibs missed two or three great chances in the first

42:53half. They were the better team and if you don't

42:55take your chances, you're going to get punished. St Mirren got

42:57up the park right after half-time.

42:59Wonderful goal. Can't say great.

43:01Wonder goal. And then you're right up against it

43:03and then they get two quick ones later in the game.

43:05Hibs have not got a cutting edge.

43:07They need a striker in quickly.

43:09They've played a lot of good football but they're blunt at the top

43:11end of the park. Junior Hoyle, a good signing?

43:13Yes. Him and

43:15Big Mika, alone from

43:17Kukerevic. Kukerevic, alone from

43:19Swansea. He's got a good signings, Peter.

43:21He needs a couple others in but

43:23I think if you're a Hibs fan coming away from that game

43:25you're thinking, we actually played a lot of good stuff there but

43:27we need a striker. Dylan Venti,

43:29I don't think it's going to be the answer, Peter.

43:31He's persevering but they missed

43:33another great chance. You've seen it at a sitter at the weekend.

43:35And if Hibs don't put the ball in the net

43:37they're not likely to keep clean sheets

43:39as we've seen last season so

43:41poor start to the season. They've got Celtic

43:43back-to-back coming up as well. It doesn't get any easier so

43:45it's a wee bit depressing

43:47if you're a Hib at the minute.

43:49Funnily enough, he's put a positive spin on it by

43:51the performance, Ruffey.

43:53But the narrative

43:55out of it is...

43:57Out of one game, everybody's looking and thinking

43:59I wonder if David Gray will survive.

44:01How crazy is that?

44:03Well, I think

44:05that falls into that category.

44:07Again, somebody in a manager's job who's a legend

44:09at the club and they think that

44:11you're going to get a wee bit of time.

44:13It doesn't matter who you are now.

44:15If Hibs go into an unbelievably bad

44:17run, which I hope they don't do,

44:19he'll become under pressure.

44:21I think Tam told us on Friday that St Mirren were a big

44:23bruising team up front.

44:25Certainly, there were occasions at the weekend

44:27that Hibs boys

44:29were just bouncing off them.

44:31The two big boys up front were so strong

44:33and powerful. In set pieces,

44:35they were much stronger than Hibs as well.

44:37You've got to take your chances

44:39but at the end of the day, St Mirren

44:41are absolutely flying.

44:43Thanks to so many people.

44:45Most of our audience offer a really balanced

44:47view on these games, Ali.

44:49Great one here from EDL who says

44:51Tam's on crack.

44:53So there you are.

44:55He's clearly not.

44:57He's not happy with your

44:59assessment of the game.

45:01Peter King says,

45:03can Hibs take Mikey Johnson?

45:05I think if Hibs get Mikey Johnson, they'd be

45:07absolutely delighted. I can't see it

45:09but they need to get players in quickly

45:11or he will be under pressure because

45:13we're living in a time, Ali, where people

45:15want, you know, you don't get a month now

45:17because somebody's calling for your head.

45:19Poor result too in the League Cup as well.

45:21I just think it invites

45:23pressure when you don't start well

45:25and then I think, regardless of

45:27the nuances of a 3-0 defeat,

45:29I think the optics of it are not

45:31good. I think it puts you on the back

45:33foot immediately but he'll know

45:35himself. He definitely needs players

45:37in. It's about the calibre now of what

45:39you can bring in and try and supplement

45:41the squad and I think Hibs have been crying

45:43out for a striker.

45:45If you are a St Mirren

45:47fan right now, you are

45:49bouncing down the

45:51middle of Paisley, having

45:53a great time, you're buying the new strip,

45:55you might even think about buying the second

45:57and the third strip, Ruffey.

45:59It's just a brilliant win

46:01over Valour and then

46:03suddenly a really

46:05comfortable win with some really nice

46:07goals against the Hibbys. Yeah,

46:09I thought they were. I mean, the first half

46:11as Tam said, I agree with him a wee bit.

46:13You know, you take your

46:15chances, you score first, sometimes

46:17changes the game but you can't take any away

46:19from them. For 90 minutes, St Mirren

46:21just dug in there and I thought they were a really big

46:23strong side who, the first goal they scored

46:25was absolute quality. I thought he looks

46:27like a player for the season.

46:29I just think that when you're on a high like that

46:31and you're in a team that's winning all the time,

46:33everybody's, the dressing room's

46:35great, the supporters are all pulling

46:37behind you and that's when you start

46:39getting results and that's what's happening just now.

46:41Yeah, and of course the difficulty

46:43now is, as Tam mentioned

46:45earlier on, is Stephen Robinson

46:47has to somehow manage

46:49this squad. They'll be playing Thursday

46:51and Sundays.

46:53The crowd are very important to us. They've got

46:55right behind us. They didn't get frustrated

46:57with the first half and that's important to remember

46:59that it takes a big physical strain out

47:01of a 20-man squad playing Thursday and Sunday.

47:03And now the hard bit is

47:05I've got to manage that for Thursday night because

47:07every league's game is as important. There's no more

47:09important games. Europe's not more important

47:11than the league because you have to do well

47:13in the league to have these experiences.

47:15It's a difficult one. People like Dennis

47:17and Roland have not played lots of football so injuries

47:19are a concern. So we have to

47:21manage that. But the club as a whole is

47:23improving. We're getting better.

47:25We're trying to be a top-six

47:27club. We're a top-six side but

47:29we need to keep building as a top-six club.

47:31Keith and the staff are really trying hard

47:33to do that.

47:35You're doing a wonderful job, Stephen

47:37Robinson.

47:39Great times there at St Mirren

47:41at the moment, Alison.

47:43Fantastic. I think you can

47:45see what confidence does

47:47to a team and to a club.

47:49He's tweaked it a wee bit

47:51in terms of personnel but by and large

47:53the spine of the team has stayed the same.

47:55I think back-to-back

47:57top-six finishes across the last

47:59two seasons and then

48:01going in and getting a fantastic European

48:03result, I think it just bodes well

48:05for them across the course of the campaign.

48:07I think St Mirren's biggest

48:09challenge, if it keeps going like this, might be

48:11keeping hold of Stephen Robinson.

48:13Absolutely. Murrell 0, Ross County 0.

48:15Murrell had two gilt-edged

48:17opportunities to him in the first half.

48:19One of them, he should have

48:21burst the net, didn't even hit the target.

48:23But in the end,

48:25apart from maybe a Ross County

48:27free-kick in the second half,

48:29not a great game. No, not a great game.

48:31Me and Peter, both of them have

48:33lost their talisman this season so it wasn't

48:35expecting a goal-fest.

48:37Theo Baird obviously leaving Motherwell and Simon

48:39Murray leaving Ross County so I think they're both short

48:41of a regular goal-scorer.

48:43Probably that draw was

48:45a fair result and on the back of hearts,

48:470-0 with the Rangers.

48:49It wasn't a great Saturday for football

48:51with obviously no goals but

48:53I think both teams were reasonably happy.

48:55Don't want to lose your first game. I think Motherwell

48:57will be obviously more disappointed being at home.

48:59Ross County, Don Cowie spoke about

49:01they have to start winning away from home

49:03if they want to try and do anything this season so

49:05it wasn't much of a game

49:07but I think they'll both improve as the season

49:09goes on and their new players bed in.

49:11Ross County's next match

49:13against Dundee United but

49:15downside for Motherwell, Sam Nicholson out for several

49:17months injured and

49:19over and above that,

49:21I think they're going to go and play a bounce game against

49:23Everton at Goodison but he'll be

49:25hoping with all the

49:27turmoil of possibly a

49:29new owner then, they blocked

49:31it and now they'll be hoping that

49:33at least with the budget that he does have,

49:35Stuart Kettlewell might be able to add a few

49:37more before that window closes.

49:39Yeah, but he's got good form as well. He's tapping into

49:41the league down in England. He's obviously

49:43got a scout down there who gives him

49:45a lot of advice but I think the good thing for Motherwell

49:47is they always seem to bring a young

49:49one through. There's always somebody for the

49:51academy comes through and like the

49:53boy Lennon, you know, they establish

49:55themselves in the team but

49:57no, I don't think Motherwell will be struggling

49:59this year, you know, but just

50:01before we get away from it, I thought Ross Lloydlaw

50:03of Ross County, goalkeeper, was

50:05absolutely outstanding. One of the saves

50:07he had would be top of the season.

50:09That's why I love you on the programme,

50:11because you do really highlight

50:13an area where... Goalies.

50:15You love goalies.

50:17I thought when the goalkeepers made it

50:19as they did at Tyne Castle, some of the saves

50:21at Tyne Castle were superb. Yeah, absolutely.

50:23That's what I paid for.

50:25I wonder what I paid for.

50:27Strikers paid for.

50:29You were paid to score goals and you let a lot of clubs down.

50:31That's fine.

50:33I'll take that on the chin.

50:35You're talking about goalies.

50:37Obviously Peter Schmeichel was spotted

50:39in the crowd watching his son Cass

50:41with Schmeichel. Peter actually

50:43probably could have gone and goal himself

50:45and not get troubled. Or been a male model.

50:47He could have been a male model

50:49as well. Yeah, I just meant in the game

50:51because there wasn't really

50:53any threat to the goal.

50:55I thought Marley had a shot that might have

50:57hit the ground first.

50:59He's just a Joe Hart

51:01replica.

51:03They look the same, the same experience,

51:05same pedigree, same CV.

51:07I don't think

51:09he'd be a good signing this year.

51:11I think that's the

51:13one bit of business so far

51:15that Celtic fans have looked and thought

51:17yep, well done with that.

51:19I think a player of that ilk,

51:21that standard, the level that he's

51:23already played at. He comes in,

51:25offers real quality, looks assured, looks very

51:27comfortable. Already looks as though

51:29Joe Hart,

51:31he had fairly big gloves to fill

51:33but he's come in and it's been fairly

51:35seamless which I think is what Celtic

51:37needed. Yeah, absolutely.

51:39St Johnson and Aberdeen will

51:41lock horns on Monday night and then of course

51:43as the week progresses

51:45we'll maybe have a chance on Wednesday

51:47certainly to get an

51:49assessment of the Dons and where

51:51St Johnston are. I think

51:53there's a lot of pressure, Ruffey, on

51:55what Aberdeen are going to produce.

51:57They really have to

51:59I think get a half

52:01decent start this time so that there's a bit

52:03of positivity around them.

52:05Yeah, they need to hit the ground running.

52:07I think the supporters had a horrendous season last

52:09year, home and away. There was

52:11no consistency at all.

52:13The expectations up in Aberdeen

52:15are that they should be in the top

52:17three. So a lot of pressure

52:19on the manager coming in but they

52:21really need to start the game with a win.

52:23Yeah, I mean they've got St Johnston,

52:25then St Mirren, then Kilmarnock, Ross County,

52:27Motherwell and Dundee so

52:29they've got a run of games

52:31where they haven't come up against

52:33a Harps, a Rangers, a Celtic,

52:35a Hebs. Yeah, they've got

52:37a great opportunity, Peter, to get off to a flying start.

52:39I think that'll be a full house

52:41tonight. I think there's

52:43St Johnston are saying thanks to Geoff Brown.

52:45I think there'll be a full house.

52:47Aberdeen are obviously away supporters

52:49travelling numbers so it should be a great atmosphere.

52:51Looking forward to seeing both clubs. Really looking forward

52:53to seeing how Aberdeen do. I thought they underachieved

52:55massively last season for the

52:57quality of player they've got. Mijovski's

52:59been on the bench in the

53:01League Cup games. Will he start tonight?

53:03I know there's obviously stuff behind the scenes

53:05about a transfer fee but it'll be interesting

53:07to see if he starts because he hasn't played in the League Cup

53:09but I think Aberdeen

53:11might go and edge out tonight.

53:13Yeah, they've had a good start

53:15of the four games they've played.

53:17St Johnston, I worry about them.

53:19Again, Ali, as ever, if you

53:21ain't got a goal scorer,

53:23Nicky Clarke won't make it tonight,

53:25Ike Piazzu won't make it.

53:27If you ain't got a goal scorer that gets you 10-15

53:29goals, suddenly you can find yourself

53:31rooted in the bottom half.

53:33I think I would

53:35fear for St Johnston again

53:37this season. I think they'll be

53:39thereabouts when it comes to the end of the campaign

53:41in terms of fighting for their survival.

53:43Are you optimistic about

53:45Rangers getting past Dynamo Kyiv?

53:47Because the first leg this week is crucial.

53:49I think it'll be a

53:51very tough challenge for Rangers

53:53to get past them.

53:55Also too, obviously first leg's away

53:57and then they're back at Hamden, you don't

53:59have Ibrox. It's an

54:01unusual situation that you're

54:03going back to the National Stadium and not obviously using

54:05a ground that's been a bit

54:07of a fortress for them in European competition

54:09across recent seasons. I think you'll

54:11look at that win on aggregate,

54:13a 9-2 win on aggregate that they had.

54:15I think just

54:17based on the early evidence of the

54:19season, I think that's a monumental

54:21challenge for Rangers to try and get

54:23through it. Yeah, Robbie?

54:25Yeah, I think the away game's always important. I think

54:27again, Jack Butland will be a

54:29big player for them. If they could come

54:31back, maybe a draw,

54:33one each or something, or even one down, you're still

54:35in the game. You would

54:37expect them, with the crowd behind

54:39them at Hamden, that they might just

54:41scrape through.

54:43No, I fancy Deane will care strongly.

54:45From the turn of the year, I was having a look

54:47this morning, I think they've only lost one game

54:49this year.

54:51I think they'll beat Rangers. I think

54:53Rangers will get into Europa League. Yeah? Yep.

54:55Is that where they should be?

54:57Currently, I think so. I think they're a Europa League level

54:59team. I think they'll be more competitive in that. You can see

55:01the same about Celtic, to be honest.

55:03I think that Rangers, even if they get

55:05through this, the next tie looks

55:07tough as well. Dutch team, maybe, or

55:09Salzburg. I think Deane

55:11will care. I think Rangers are still in the transition

55:13at the minute, Peter, with new players and a new system.

55:15I think Deane

55:17will care. We'll beat them over

55:19two legs. Just as a footnote to that, I

55:21think that's the worst possible

55:23thing that can happen for Philippe

55:25Clameau, as well as trying to

55:27get the new signings in

55:29and making a contribution.

55:31I don't know, I may be wrong, but I think the Rangers fans

55:33will hate Hampden. It's

55:35not a stadium I like.

55:37I always say that

55:39when Scotland play international

55:41games there, when other Cubs come,

55:43they're not under the

55:45pressure that you're talking about.

55:47They're not under the crowd, right up against them.

55:51Continental teams seem to come and just

55:53stroll about, because it's a big pitch.

55:55There's bags of area in there, so

55:57that might go against them, but I'm sure the Rangers

55:59supporters will make it a night to remember.

56:03Lots of people giving us their thoughts on their

56:05favourite team. You can continue

56:07in the chat, as ever. If you want

56:09to download the app, you'll get

56:11all the breaking news at your fingertips, and there's a content

56:13section where you can actually post

56:15your messages as well. You can actually

56:17record a video as well, and we can put you on

56:19the show. If you want to brush

56:21your hair, make yourself look smart, maybe

56:23shave, I'll do that for Wednesday's programme.

56:25Then we'd

56:27love to put your video on the programme as well,

56:29because in the app, you have

56:31the perfect chance to do that and record yourself.

56:33Over and above that,

56:35if you hit the subscribe button on PLZ

56:37Soccer's YouTube channel, you'll join

56:39the football family. The figures for last season

56:41were absolutely superb,

56:43and we will try and offer you

56:45our honest opinion, as ever.

56:47Sometimes it gets us in trouble,

56:49but nevertheless, we will call it as

56:51we see it, and there's lots of

56:53unique video content for you,

56:55not only to watch, but we want you to engage

56:57with us this season too.

56:59Don't forget, on Wednesday,

57:01our new signing Scott Allen will

57:03be there in the chair,

57:05and also Ryan McGowan on the Fridays.

57:07Are you happy with the Aussie, Tam?

57:09Yeah, the two of them seem

57:11pretty knowledgeable

57:13about football, and hopefully they'll come out of their shell

57:15more in the weeks to come. Yeah, absolutely.

57:17I don't know about you, just as we...

57:19Yeah, I got it.

57:21And on that point, I was just about to say to you,

57:23but I think you've had a fallout from

57:25Germany, you know, that kind of a

57:27cheeky chappy, or is it that you're a year

57:29older and wiser and more mature? I'm getting older now, Peter,

57:3143 now, so I've not got the same energy levels

57:33as I used to have, so

57:35I need to relax. We're meeting Riley

57:37for this season.

57:39It's difficult when everybody's having a go at you,

57:41and don't like you. Yeah. That must affect you,

57:43you know.

57:45Yeah.

57:47It's the

57:49Monday morning blues, Peter. The weather and everything,

57:51it's murder. August, the summer's over.

57:53Absolutely. Listen,

57:55we love our football. Hopefully, you will

57:57join us on the programme on a regular basis.

57:59If you don't catch it live,

58:01then you can, of course, catch up at

58:03any time on the YouTube

58:05channel, and of course, there's lots of

58:07social media clips for you to enjoy

58:09of managers, players, and some of our

58:11special guests that we've got coming up.

58:13Thank you very much to Ruffy,

58:15to Alison, and to Tam McManus.

58:17And from myself, Peter Martin, hit the

58:19subscribe button on our YouTube channel,

58:21and thank you for listening and watching.

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