Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Monday Jury

Will Rangers beat Aberdeen and did Jim Goodwin deserve radio roasting? Monday Jury

Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin was lambasted on the radio by club legend Willie Miller for the tactics he employed against Celtic on Saturday. Did Miller have a point?

KEITH JACKSON: He certainly had one more than Goodwin managed to get out of it and that's ultimately the bottom line. If Aberdeen had held on for a 0-0 then the manager's eye bleeding game plan would have been at least partly vindicated. But, in the end, they got what they deserved which was nothing at all.

DAVID McCARTHY: I thought the criticism was slightly over the top but it was strange that Goodwin didn't send his team out to have more of a go at a Celtic team that hadn't played for a month. Ultimately, he and his team got what they deserved.

SCOTT BURNS: I was at the game and Aberdeen's performance was eye-bleeding. The fans had every right to have a go because they never looked like scoring. It is a team that was expensively assembled in the summer and has ambitions of third place but they need to be offering so much more.

CRAIG SWAN: Yes and no. You can understand the home fans wanting more, but opening up against Celtic is very risky. Lee Johnson did at Parkhead and Hibs lost six.

Rangers go to Pittodrie on Tuesday. Will they get the result they need to keep their flickering title hopes alive?

KEITH: It could depend on what tactical approach Goodwin takes into this one. If Aberdeen have a go against a vulnerable looking Rangers defence then they might get some festive joy. But Michael Beale will be pinning his hopes on his own attacking threats. It could be a fascinating, high scoring affair.

DAVID: It's really hard to call. Dons adopted a positive attitude at Ibrox and got smashed 4-1, so will Goodwin adopt Saturday's tactics again and sit in? The most likely result is a draw and that will do Rangers no good whatsoever.

SCOTT: If Aberdeen approach the game like they did against Celtic then there will only be one winner. Jim Goodwin has to come up with a game plan to try and take something, which is something he has struggled to do against Glasgow's Big Two in his current job.

CRAIG: Rangers showed good mentality against Hibs on Thursday and took the Dons to the cleaners at Ibrox. So yes.

Now that the World Cup is over, name one player who you were relatively unaware of who really caught your eye in Qatar.

KEITH: Morocco's shaven headed midfield assassin Sofyan Amrabat was the stand out performer in a team packed full of them. But an honourable mention too for Canada's Stephen Eustaquio who kept his team ticking in the group stages.

DAVID:
Now that Keith's nicked the player I was going to pick, I'm going for Jasko Gvardiol at the heart of Croatia's defence. The kid was hardly an unknown, having played against both halves of the Old Firm for RB Leipzig, but I didn't realise just how good he was.

SCOTT: I would go for Josko Gvardiol. I knew he was from his time at Red Bull Leipzig but he seemed to take his game to a whole new level. The 20-year-old was a rock at the back for the Croatians and a big player in them claiming third place.

CRAIG: Hearts fans knew Fiorentina's Sofian Amrybat having faced him in Europe, but the Moroccan was unknown to a few and shone for his nation.

Ayr United's defeat at Firhill means only five points separate the top five. Who is going to finish top of the heap at the end of the season and why?

KEITH: Dundee are ticking along nicely in second spot and starting to build some serious momentum. They look the best bet to go back up as champions.

DAVID: Dundee have the momentum but I'm not ruling out Queen's Park, who are playing some great stuff and have an excellent manager in Owen Coyle at the helm.

SCOTT: I would have to say Dundee. They have too much quality and Gary Bowyer seems to have got his team to click now. I would be surprised if the Dark Blues weren't heading back to the Premiership.

CRAIG: Dundee look like ones who could go on a sustained run and grab an advantage at the summit.

READ NEXT

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.