Scottish Premiership: Things to watch out for this weekend
- Published
Just when you thought Scottish football had perhaps levelled out a wee bit, the drama gets cranked up again.
Last time out, Celtic and Rangers both won for the first time since the opening weekend; Hibernian kept up their bright start; and last season's surprise packages of Motherwell and Livingston continued to struggle. At least we all knew where we stood.
Now, Celtic have bombed out of the Champions League, Aberdeen and Motherwell have both turned into Bayern Munich, and there is a dollop of positivity around the Scotland squad. Best go outside and check the world is still turning on its axis.
All in all, it has reminded us that Scottish football is incredibly unpredictable. With that in mind, what can we expect this weekend...?
Critical response time for Celtic
Different season, same story from Celtic so far. Dreams of a Champions League group campaign have already disintegrated after defeat by Ferencvaros on Wednesday. Neil Lennon's men looked blunt in attack against opposition that - had Odsonne Edouard been fit - would surely have been seen off.
Given that desperate night followed a spluttering and uninspiring win at Dundee United, Lennon's men must rouse themselves for a meeting with a Motherwell team who have gone from a winless league start to tanking Glentoran 5-1 in Europa League qualifying.
Watch the goals that shot Celtic signing Turnbull to prominence
The added spice comes in the form of David Turnbull, the talented midfielder who switched from Fir Park to Celtic Park on Thursday for a deal that could end up being worth £3.25m. Football has a habit of throwing up these twists of fate, and don't bet against Lennon throwing him straight in on Sunday.
Turnbull has the ability to conjure something from nothing. And while there is a nervousness about Motherwell at the back, Celtic are going to have to find their penetrative edge if they are to get back on track.
Return of Alfredo?
Alfredo Morelos was absent from the Rangers squad last weekend and Steven Gerrard certainly did not miss when calling out his striker's attitude after the victory over Kilmarnock. "I only want players who are hungry for the shirt," the manager said, while stressing it was an "easy" decision to leave out the Colombian as rumours around his future swirl.
By Friday, the rhetoric had shifted, the Rangers manager now citing a "difference in application" from Morelos this week.
Whether that is enough to earn him a place in the starting line-up against Hamilton Academical remains to be seen. In Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten, Rangers have two alternatives. Let's also not forget Morelos has only scored twice in the league in 2020. The striker is far from a sure thing.
Having the 24-year-old sitting idle on a bench suits nobody; not Rangers and not the player, should he want to get himself back in the shop window. However, will Gerrard be content to throw him straight back in for Saturday's late kick off in Lanarkshire?
Livingston life after Lyndon?
Amid Lyndon Dykes' prolonged departure for Queens Park Rangers and the 'will he-won't he' chatter about his Scotland call-up, the fact Livingston are bottom of the table seems to have gone unnoticed.
While the £2m raised from the sale of the Australian-born forward will be welcome, flogging your best asset while anchored to the foot of the table isn't likely to go down well with punters.
A cornerstone of Livingston's top-six surge last season was their robust home record. They only lost two out of 14 games in West Lothian, conceding just eight goals. In two games this term, they're already halfway to matching those tallies.
Judge me by my performances - Stokes
Gary Holt has brought in former Hibernian and Celtic striker Anthony Stokes to fill that Dykes void. The 32-year-old is a seasoned pro, but he hasn't found the back of the net in over a year.
With Ross County coming to the Tony Macaroni Arena on Saturday, now would be the perfect time for all concerned for that record to change.
Real test for Hibs
What a start it has been for Jack Ross and his undefeated group of players. It's not been perfect on the eye all the time - they were fortunate to scrape a draw with Motherwell and left it late against St Johnstone last week - but none of that matters. They are joint top after five games and deservedly so.
The inevitable - and typically tiresome - question is "when will their bubble burst?". It need not be soon. Ross has pieced together a team that can defend well and also has players in attack such as Christian Doidge and Kevin Nisbet who are fantasy football stick-ons.
But the most influential signing so far has to be Alex Gogic from Hamilton. The imposing Cypriot has been a rock in what was a timid midfield prior to his arrival in the summer.
An Aberdeen team flying high after whacking NSI Runavik on Thursday provide a tricky test on Sunday.