Scottish Premiership picks: Hearts test for Rangers, questions for Brendan Rodgers & Tete Yengi promise
- Published
Much was made at the weekend about Rangers taking over at the top of the Scottish Premiership table with only 12 games remaining and it brought home the fact we are nearing the business end of the season.
Rangers face third-top Heart of Midlothian in one of the five Saturday games before the reigning champions visit a fragile Motherwell on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Ross County host Livingston in what is being billed as a potential decider in the battle to avoid automatic relegation, which you can read all about here.
Here's some of what to look out for this weekend:
Game of weekend - Rangers v Heart of Midlothian
Rangers in recent seasons gained the reputation of blowing it whenever they got to the top of the table or had the chance to - but that was before Philippe Clement came along.
The Ibrox squad appears to be stronger mentally under the Belgian, but Saturday is the first time Rangers' ability to consolidate their place as Premiership pacesetters will be tested on his watch.
Hearts' visit will certainly provide a major examination of their title credentials - and not just because the Edinburgh side are traditionally one of the prime forces outside the Old Firm big two.
Steven Naismith's side are 11 points behind second-top Celtic, but they have all but clinched third place already thanks to the gap of 14 between themselves and Kilmarnock amid an unbeaten run of 12 games that has included 11 wins.
Indeed, Hearts' run of eight wins in a row is only one short of Rangers' own.
It is a far cry from a couple of months ago, when the style of play under Naismith was being questioned.
Much of the credit for the improvement is being directed towards in-form Lawrence Shankland and his run of 14 goals in 12 games.
The Scotland striker could have been turning out in light blue in this game if the gossip columns were to be believed, but his much-touted January transfer to Rangers never materialised.
Instead, the 28-year-old has been the beneficiary of an improving squad that will arrive in Glasgow with high hopes of ending a run of three straight defeats this season at the hands of Rangers.
Indeed, Hearts have not beaten Rangers in 12 meetings overall and in 14 visits to Ibrox since a 2-1 success in August 2014 on the way to Hearts winning the Championship title.
However, their visit to Ibrox comes five days short of the fourth anniversary of their last victory over Rangers - 1-0 at Tynecastle on 29 February 2020. Are the visitors ready for another big leap year win?
Player in focus - Tete Yengi (Livingston)
Manager David Martindale has bemoaned his ability to strengthen Livingston's squad because of financial constraints, but the January arrival of Tete Yengi after the striker's release by Ipswich Town could prove to be a bargain.
After two substitute appearances, the 23-year-old has started the next three games, with the last two providing rare victories that have taken the West Lothian side into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals and narrowed the gap at the foot of the table to three points with Ross County.
The rangy Australian found the net in those victories over Partick Thistle and St Mirren to take his total to three goals from five games already.
After fairly barren spells at Northampton Town and Finnish side KuPS, he could be rediscovering the potency shown in his first loan in Finland with VPS - and appears to have helped fellow forward Joel Nouble find his mojo again too.
Martindale will hope the pair continue their double act as they head to Dingwall for a game it is impossible not to view as a six-pointer in their head-to-head with County to avoid the automatic relegation spot.
Manager in spotlight - Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)
It is an indication of how little room for manoeuvre there is at the top of the Scottish top flight that two draws in an unbeaten run of 10 games can induce talk of a crisis.
Such is the life of an Old Firm manager - and Brendan Rodgers is finding his second spell in charge of Celtic is not going so gloriously smoothly as his first.
Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Kilmarnock, on top of the same scoreline away to Aberdeen early in the month, means Celtic have failed to win two of their last four outings, allowing Rangers to rise to the top for the first time since August 2022.
There had already been rumblings of discontent among supporters about Celtic's performances, given unfavourable comparisons to the swashbuckling tactics and free-scoring results under Rodgers' treble-winning predecessor Ange Postecoglou.
However, it is not just about performances. While Rangers are on exactly the same points total as they were at this stage last season, Celtic are now 11 points worse off, allowing the Ibrox side their first Premiership lead for 18 months.
It led Rodgers, who has appeared frustrated all season by Celtic's transfer activity, to complain that his side had fallen below his standards "too may times" already this season and captain Callum McGregor to admit that "something's missing".
A visit to Fir Park should, though, present a good opportunity to get their title train back on the rails considering they have not lost to Motherwell in 30 meetings since December 2015.
Indeed, although Motherwell are unbeaten in their last three home games, Celtic have not lost there in 17 visits, winning eight in a row.
If that sequence is somehow broken, many more questions will be asked of Rodgers and his players.
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