The pressure is growing on Philippe Clement after Rangers defeat to Aberdeen. Is he the man to take them forward?
CRAIG SWAN: At this precise moment, it’s hard to see Clement recovering, but the Belgian at least needs to steady the ship for now.
ANDY NEWPORT: Circumstances right now with no CEO or permanent chairman in place mean he’ll likely be allowed to stay on for the time being but the fans are quickly running out of patience and you only have to look to Gio van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale to see what usually happens in that situation.
SCOTT BURNS: I have serious doubts. The team is going backwards under him. He can’t afford to lose any more ground in the Premiership and if he loses in the semi-final that could well be the final straw.
Is there any chance of Motherwell ramping up the pressure on Rangers by causing a Premier Sports Cup semi-final shock?
CRAIG: You can never say never. Motherwell have to try and exploit the fragility around Rangers at the moment. They must score first.
ANDY: You’d be daft to write off the possibility given Rangers yo-yo form levels. One way or another, I can’t see Sunday being a comfortable afternoon for Clement and his team.
SCOTT: You would have to fancy Rangers. Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell will have to be more cavalier with his team selection than he was against Celtic last week.
Can Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen continue their unbeaten run and take out Celtic in today’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final?
CRAIG:Celtic have the quality to end the Dons’ fabulous record under the Swede and are likely to do so.
ANDY: Again, only a fool would write them off given the stunning start the Dons have made to the season. But I do get the feeling they are operating at their absolute maximum.
Just how long they can sustain that is the one big question this team still has to answer.
SCOTT: If there is ever a time that Aberdeen are going to beat Brendan Rodgers’ side then it has to be now. They are on-form and unbeaten but Celtic is always a formidable force at this stage.
Hearts and Hibs occupy the bottom two spots. Is there the genuine possibility one or both Edinburgh sides could end up in a relegation fight?
CRAIG: How can you say no given the way they’ve both started the season. It’s unlikely, but not out of the question at this current rate.
ANDY: Recent history shows it’s very much on the cards for the capital clubs when they lose their way. The saving grace is that both have time on their hands but you only have to look back to 2014 when both went down and again in 2020 for the Jambos to see what happens when results are allowed to spiral.
SCOTT: I do think Hearts will climb the table. I am not so convinced by Hibs, as it stands. Both have the capability to get right up the table but need to put more wins on the board.