Dundee and St Johnstone both had eye-catching results at the weekend.
Yes, Hearts were coming off the back of a Thursday night European game but it wasn’t as if they had a long journey to contend with.
It was a case of the better team winning, full-stop.
And for Saints, they haven’t been given enough credit for their performance at Celtic Park.
We all know Celtic aren’t in full flow yet but it still takes a very good team performance to stop them from scoring in about 100 minutes of football on their own pitch.
The thing I like about both Dundee and Saints is that the two managers have been bold in the transfer market.
There are new faces to Scottish football throughout their teams, not the old ones who go from club to club in our leagues.
From the Sky Blues to the Dark Blues!
Welcome Ryan Howley!#thedee pic.twitter.com/94HlYytcx1
— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) August 28, 2023
That makes them less predictable.
We’ll see if that turns out to be a good or a bad thing.
Saturday at McDiarmid Park is such an important match for both sides.
If they can win this one, you’re really starting to see things take shape.
I think both managers will see this as a big opportunity and really go for it.
It’s no surprise to see Neil Lennon as the short-priced favourite to replace Lee Johnson in the manager’s job at Easter Road.
I know that every club has its own way of going about things and its own expectations but from what I can see, Hibs are crying out for a head coach who knows Scottish football inside-out.
They seem to go for left-field candidates more than most.
But the likes of Neil, Derek McInnes and Stephen Robinson feel like strong contenders given the circumstances Hibs find themselves in.
They’ve got a lot of talented, attacking players but are too easy to score against.
Those three managers I mentioned would all help address the second part of the equation.
🗣️ "It is an attractive prospect for a lot of applicants. I'd be interested in a conversation, that's for sure."
Will Neil Lennon return to Hibernian? Who do you want to see replace Lee Johnson at Easter Road, Hibs fans? ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/aFGIm8fIe1
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) August 30, 2023
Derek and Stephen are in jobs though, of course.
So that will strengthen Neil’s hand.
He knows the club and, if he gets the job, I think you’d see a quick turn around in their fortunes.
I think deadline day is going to be a busy one.
It feels like the calm before the storm.
Joel Nouble is one of the players who was expected to have moved by now but a deal hasn’t happened.
I’m not sure what Joel’s level is but he’s now proved himself consistently in the Scottish Premiership and he’s got the physical attributes that will be attractive to a lot of clubs.
He reminds me of a couple of ex-Hearts players, Mark de Vries and Riccardo Fuller, so maybe Tynecastle would be the best move for him!
It was a special night for Eddie Annand on Sunday.
You forget what a great dressing room you’ve been part of sometimes – and getting my old First Division Dundee team back together was a reminder of that.
The memories were flooding back and it certainly didn’t feel like 25 years had passed, that’s for sure.
Hopefully plenty of money has been raised for Eddie. We’ll all be right behind him in his battle.
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