SPL fanzone

As the supporters see it...

ABERDEEN

WHEN Jimmy Calderwood said "As for the fans, one problem we have is that some of them still think we should be up there with the giants", it was probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said about Kilmarnock and Hamilton.

For, beyond the anger and frustration of a support whose side is on the second longest losing streak in its history and propping up the SPL, there's a degree of relative calmness amongst Reds. We've been through enough of these slumps to know we'll eventually come out of it and we're still only six points away from where we expect to be come May.

However, that after five years our manager can be so ignorant about his own fans' expectations, only underlines why, for many, even winning will not be enough to save him.

All we've ever wanted is a side we can go into work on Monday and brag about, not the dysfunctional rabble we've had to date. If Calderwood fails to grasp this, then like three of his four predecessors he should expect to be 'Mutually Consented' come November.

Mark Alexander

www.aberdeen-mad.co.uk

CELTIC

A SCOTTISH team returns to Manchester for the first time since May and again there could be scenes of devastation.

However, with Celtic's Jekyll and Hyde start to the season, coupled with the fact that it is a Champions League away game, any devastation is likely to be confined to the pitch this time.

Our previous outing against Villarreal showed spells of good possession and we appeared to limit their chances to shots from distance; which, apart from one set-piece, the roly poly goalie dealt with easily. Unfortunately, we only troubled their keeper once in the 90 minutes.

That ratio of chances to minutes is not going to secure us that elusive away win.

But hey, ever the optimist, that run must end sometime. Mustn't it?

Naka with a cracka and Skippy to give it welly with the belly before big Mick punches the ball into his own net to set up a tense last five minutes and a famous 2-1 win!

Dave Devine

DUNDEE UNITED

FIRSTLY, everyone at Dundee United-Mad would like to extend their sympathy and best wishes to the Thompson family after the tragic and untimely death of Eddie's son-in-law Ken Mitchell. Coupled with Eddie Thompson's continued battle with his own illness it certainly puts football in perspective.

With Saturday's trip to Ibrox being refereed by Craig Thomson (hopefully not with Kenny Clark and Mike McCurry running the lines!), we can but hope for a level playing field this time round after some of the atrocious decisions of last season. I would've much preferred to have gone to Ibrox hot on the heels of our win over ICT and Rangers' shock loss to St Mirren, but we had to take a week off to watch our World Cup dreams shatter.

In an ideal world, Kris Boyd would rule himself out at club level, too, given his love of scoring against United.

I'd settle for a spirited performance but a lot hinges on our midfield and how well they perform on the day. Nervous but quietly optimistic.

Hamish Mackintosh

www.dundeeunited-mad.co.uk

FALKIRK

WITH my alternative navy blue fix letting me down at Hampden on Saturday, my faith in the glorious game was rekindled on Sunday as I took in the Falkirk U-19 SFA Youth Cup game against Spartans.

The 6-0 scoreline hardly flattered the young Bairns who gave a textbook display of the total football John Hughes aspires to for the club at all levels. Of course, the man who makes that desire a reality is former player Eddie May who has developed into a coach of distinction and he is a vital part of the overall masterplan for Falkirk to produce youth of the highest quality. Hat-trick hero Paul Sludden scores for fun, while in midfield we have unearthed another dynamo in Ashley Young and attacking full-back Erik Shultz-Eklund is growing with every game. The future for the Bairns looks good.

The first team face a vital ten days that could shape the season for us. First Aberdeen at home followed by the League Cup quarter-final with Inverness and then the league trip to Killie. It could be epic.

Brian Guthrie

www.bairnstrust.com

HAMILTON ACCIES

THANKFULLY the international break is nearly over. Another disappointing Scotland result and another Rangers player retires from national duty. More of the same old same old.

This Saturday, Accies need to get back on track with a win at home to St Mirren. Fair play to the men from Paisley, they recorded a cracking home win against Rangers last time out while we were humiliated by the other half of the Old Firm. Maybe the break will have ebbed away any momentum for Gus MacPherson's men!

Hopefully Billy Reid can get to grips with our problem right-back slot (with Casement or McClenahan, both recent signings and both right-backs, likely to be given a chance to show what they can do) and up front we decide on a pairing that will deliver goals. Also, look for a storming performance from young James McCarthy to silence the St Mirren boo boys who have been overly enthusiastic in their abuse for the lad recently due to his reluctance to swap Republic of Ireland for Scotland.

Mark Falconer

www.setbb.com/acciesworld

HEARTS

SO, IT'S the big one on Sunday. While a sad reflection on our current squad, the relatively minimal involvement in international fixtures should mean minds have been focused solely on the task at hand.

It will be a tough game for our young team, but often the best derby results are achieved when least expected. Hibs seem to have hit a bit of form, no doubt inspired by the return of Riordan. Hopefully some of our own flair players can turn it on, although a victory in any shape will do me.

I suppose us Hearts fans should just be glad the club is still in existence to play this game. Since Romanov's arrival, and especially since the credit crunch hit the mainstream, it's remarkable how many financial experts have come out of the woodwork.

Somehow, in the face of intense rumour, we survived last week without going into administration, despite the national guard apparently being summoned to quell impending riots at Tynecastle on Friday. Come to think of it, shouldn't the stadium have been turned into flats by now?

Sandy Leonard

www.jamboskickback.co.uk

HIBERNIAN

ONLY a few days until the first derby of the season and it's one that everyone should be looking forward to. With the game live on the telly, both teams will be looking to claim the honours and it's sure to be a blood and thunder occasion if not a footballing spectacle.

Neither team are setting the heather on fire of late, though both are scraping the odd win here and there to keep themselves in the top half of the table, but with home advantage, Hibs will be looking to claim the three points this time around. We certainly seem to have more attacking options and with Derek Riordan getting fitter and finding his shooting boots, Steven Fletcher looking hungry and Colin Nish always a threat, most Hibs fans are reasonably confident that we will find the net and often on Sunday.

Whether we can hold it together in midfield is another matter. We are still searching for a formation that will work. Get that right and there will be dancing in the green streets of Leith on Sunday evening!

Eddie Henderson

www.hibs.net

INVERNESS CT

THE SPL break gave us a chance to reflect on the season so far and the question whether we are better or worse than last season. Bearing in mind we haven't played the big two yet, after eight games we are only four points better off. From what we've seen on the park, we believe the team are better than last season but only slightly.

Many had grave fears for us this season and these fears, although allayed at the moment, may still return. Our next three games are against Celtic (h), Motherwell (h) and Rangers (a). Brewster's tactics and his hooking (and dropping) of players for 'non tactical' reasons is a big worry.

Our defence continues to make silly errors which have cost us goals and our strikers are finding it hard to find the back of the net. We do have new faces in the team from last season and it will take time for them to gel. After eight games, though, we should be seeing some reward. Maybe that will come on Saturday.

Dave 'Gringo' Wilson

www.caleythistleonline.com

KILMARNOCK

DESPITE there being no first-team fixture last week, the Killie fans still had the chance to shout on the mighty on Sunday. Our Under-19 team travelled down to Ayr to take on our seaside rivals in the youth cup, and quite a few fans made the trip following rumours that it could be our last chance to ever see a derby fixture at Somerset before it is torn down.

The local newspapers were advertising the fixture as Ayr fans' final chance to see them put Killie out of a cup at their home ground, but the boys in blue and white (well, purple actually) had the last laugh with a penalty shoot out win after a 2-2 draw. It must have been a novelty for a whole new generation of Killie fans who have only known SPL and European football to see some of the veterans get excited about a trip to a ground that should have been knocked down years ago, but some of us can remember when Ayr United could actually give us a game.

It's about time they got their act together so we can have a real Ayrshire derby back.

Barry Richmond

www.killiefc.com

MOTHERWELL

AFTER the latest international break, we resume domestic football at Rugby Park this Saturday. While neither Motherwell or Kilmarnock can claim to be giants of the Scottish game, they are both respectable clubs and the clashes at Rugby Park frequently throw up games to remember.

The best memory arguably came way back in 1996 when both sides were struggling against the drop. A wonderful hat-trick from Tommy Coyne, including a delightful chip from 35 yards for the last goal, gave us a 4-2 win and eased the relegation worries, albeit briefly. Another high-scoring success came in August 2002 when Terry Butcher's young side recorded their first win of what turned out to be a difficult campaign. Dougie Ramsey, Stephen Pearson and James McFadden scored in a 3-0 win, with three home dismissals adding to the fun.

Killie are a much tougher prospect now than last season but we know another victory will really get us back in the hunt for Europe.

Derek Wilson

www.firparkcorner.com

RANGERS

WITH no SPL fixtures, attention centred on the 2008 agm at Ibrox. This occasion provides a rare opportunity for supporters to question the Rangers Club Board and peek into the boardroom mindset.

Since 2003 the Q&A session gets shorter each year and this time John McClelland attempted to bring proceedings to a halt after barely 35 minutes. After a bit of people power was exercised, Sir David over-ruled him and on we went for an hour.

Most media attention centred on a subject the chairman returned to three times: his strange reluctance to deal with unreasonable criticism of the club and support and instead attack 'bile' posted on the internet. It appears Sir David prefers unity rather than taking issue with those trashing the club's reputation and caricaturing Rangers supporters as bigoted thugs.

Hopefully Dundee United's visit on Saturday won't feature either major refereeing errors or a subsequent witchhunt.

Stephen Smith

www.theRST.co.uk

ST MIRREN

THE international break has given me an extra week in which to bask in the glory of the superb win over Rangers.

I've lost count of the number of times I've seen Stephen McGinn's goal, and the media coverage of the match was better than normal. It was almost as if we were a Third Division side that had knocked Rangers out of the cup, rather than an SPL team taking three points. The break has also given me a chance to look at the result in the cold light of day. It was a superb win and three much needed points. However, that's all it was – three points. We need to build on this result and get some more wins on the board, starting with Saturday against Hamilton, and get ourselves up the table a bit. Time will tell if this result is the start of something or just papering over the cracks.

It was good to see our former player Chris Iwelumo making his Scotland debut on Saturday. He left us a decade ago, but it seems he learned from the strikers we had then what to do when presented with an open goal.

Stuart Gillespie