Our top team debate the big four burning questions in Scottish football this week
Is Callum McGregor right saying people have become desensitised to the difficulty of winning a Treble?
ANDY NEWPORT: Yes but that’s just human nature. The more something happens, the less sparkle it has. But make no mistake, Celtic have been a dazzling, dominant force for most of the last decade and deserve huge praise for that.
SCOTT BURNS: He is probably right. You only have to look at the number of recent Trebles Celtic have won. Yes, it is difficult to do but it is also easier when you are lightyears ahead of the opposition.
FRASER WILSON: Probably. But Celtic have a big Aberdeen sized obstacle still to overcome before they land another one. Should they do that then they deserve to be held in the same esteem as all the other Treble winning sides. In top gear this Hoops side have been sensational.
Kevin Thelwell has been appointed sporting director at Rangers – how do his credentials stack up?
ANDY: On the face of it yes but the proof will be in the pudding. Rangers’ recruitment record has been abject for far too long. It’s Thelwell’s task now to deliver vast improvements.
SCOTT: He is an experienced operator and fits the bill of what is needed. We will only see his true credentials when he is in the post because Rangers will be very different from everything else he has been involved in.
FRASER: He is clearly comfortable working at huge clubs but it’s the need for instant results at Rangers – while their arch rivals have a big head start – that makes this job the toughest he has surely ever faced. He needs to work wonders this summer starting with getting the right manager in place.
The three-way battle for third spot cranks up a gear today but who will finish ‘best of the rest’?
ANDY: Hibs have the momentum and an attacking verve that Aberdeen and United can’t match. I fancy David Gray’s men to get the job done with games to spare.
SCOTT: A lot will depend on this weekend. If Hibs beat Aberdeen then they would be clear favourites. If Aberdeen win then it is game on for them and United.
FRASER: Hibs goal difference essentially gives them a four point lead and on a 17-game unbeaten run David Gray’s side have all the momentum. A win at Pittodrie today would make them hard to catch. I fancy them to get the job done.
As it’s awards season who would be your four-man shortlist for Premiership Player of the Year?
ANDY: Daizen Maeda is the outstanding nominee but Parkhead teammates Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn as well as Rangers’ Vaclav Cerny have had impressive campaigns too.
SCOTT: Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn, Rocky Bushiri and Simon Murray.
FRASER : Daizen Maeda and Callum McGregor are obvious candidates. The best of the other clubs? I’d throw in Vaclav Cerny and Martin Boyle just ahead of Simon Murray.
