- 02/04/2024
Lewis and Ben cover everything going into this weekend's Old Firm and other games that will affect the SPFL.
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:07 Hello and welcome to Fitba Talk, your nan's favorite Fitba podcast, Ken.
00:12 It's a busy week on the show this week as we build up towards the latest
00:18 edition of the Old Firm Derby between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox.
00:22 We'll be taking a look back over the weekend's action,
00:25 both sides in winning form at the weekend.
00:29 And we'll also start our build up towards the game on Sunday.
00:34 And my guest this afternoon is Ben Banks,
00:38 my colleague, Glasgow World and across Edinburgh Evening News titles.
00:42 And Ben, we'll dive straight into the weekend action.
00:46 And we'll start at Ibrox on Saturday,
00:49 where it finished Rangers 3, Hibernian 1.
00:53 And I'm sure you saw clips of this game.
00:57 And it's certainly a pretty dominant performance from Rangers.
01:02 Hibs creating very little in the final third, but a convincing win for
01:08 Philippe Clement's side and just what they need ahead of a big week for them.
01:15 >> Yeah, I think it was.
01:17 I think obviously Hibs had their grates with a sort of penalty incident
01:23 during the first half and probably debatable and whether it is you've seen
01:28 them giving you've seen them not I suppose it comes back to that element of
01:33 consistency probably what summed up the game for Hibs was Nectar Triantis trying
01:38 to take a free kick which can and off his own players face back off another player's
01:43 face and then back on to the guy initially hit that seemed to that bizarre
01:47 incident seemed to sum up for them they just even though they had the grapes
01:52 I think they really showed enough in the game to really take anything from it.
01:54 I didn't think they were particularly poor or had an off day.
01:58 I just think Rangers were a bit there was a bit more between the teeth.
02:01 I think we Rangers they did an extended layoff from the Benfica game with the Dundee
02:05 game being called off and obviously they lost the game before that as well against
02:09 Motherwell.
02:10 So it's been a wee while even though maybe games wise it's not been a long time since
02:14 Rangers last one it's been a wee while in terms of dates since the last one.
02:18 So I think it was an important one for Rangers and yeah it bodes well for them going
02:23 into the weekend.
02:25 And rather importantly I guess for Clement was that he had some key players back from
02:30 injury a huge boost having the likes of Abdallah Seema coming back after that long
02:36 extended period on the sidelines.
02:38 He also had Ross McCausland back in there and he's got options now.
02:44 It's a really strong looking bench that Rangers have got their Dujuan Sterling another
02:48 one being brought back into it.
02:49 So how important do you feel it is having these kind of key bodies back ahead of such
02:54 a vital game.
02:57 Very important and they still get players to come back of course.
03:00 Danilo and Oscar Cortes and we did a bit last night we're probably on the sort of
03:04 what our strongest Rangers 11 looks like at the minute and you probably would say that
03:08 the strongest front three if you were saying that's probably Abdallah Seema, Danilo
03:13 and Oscar Cortes.
03:14 Abdallah Seema is probably not going to be certainly not going to be fit to play 90 minutes
03:18 he'll maybe be fit to play an hour perhaps at most.
03:21 Danilo and Oscar Cortes also.
03:23 So there's still some key injury issues for Rangers but it's certainly a lot brighter.
03:27 Red Van Jelma is probably the one fans are looking to in terms of a realistic possibility.
03:32 Can they get him back in or not.
03:33 But that said I thought Borna Barisic on Saturday was a bit more improved.
03:38 Hibs have looked very decent going forward with our January signings and Martin Boyle
03:43 of course as well coming into the game to provide a threat and he looked fairly decent
03:49 on Saturday.
03:51 So there's still issues at play but it's easing slowly perhaps not in time to fully clear
03:57 like it has for Celtic ahead of the weekend but enough that there should be a very competitive
04:02 squad put out there.
04:05 A quick look at the penalty incident obviously Hibs had their own interesting take on it.
04:10 I'm sure everyone's well aware of the tweet that they put out on their ex account over
04:16 the weekend that's kind of landed them seemingly in hot water potentially with the Scottish
04:22 FA.
04:23 So obviously Triantis penalised for a kind of flailing arm in the face of John Souter
04:30 as he attempted to head the ball clear from a corner.
04:35 Obviously a lot of toing and froing there, referee David Dickinson eventually going over
04:39 to consult the VAR monitor.
04:44 Looking back at the incident what was your take on it?
04:46 Do you feel it was a penalty based on what you saw?
04:52 Should it be a penalty?
04:54 I don't think so.
04:56 Is it a penalty based on what other decisions have happened this season?
05:01 Probably.
05:02 I don't think it's something I think if you give that in every game then fine.
05:06 That's what it is.
05:07 It's standard but it goes back to even with the handball and other games like Motherwell
05:12 for example at the weekend Theo Baer jumps up for the ball comes down in his hand in
05:17 an unnatural position.
05:18 There's no penalty given.
05:20 But then the week before the international break against Aberdeen there's a similar incident.
05:27 Mullal don't get a penalty.
05:30 It's very inconsistent in terms of the rulings of these things.
05:35 These grey areas if you want to call them that are just that's where the frustration
05:39 is coming in for fans I think.
05:43 That's given but say that incident happens that exact same incident happens on Sunday.
05:47 I don't think MD could say with any certainty that it's going to be a penalty either way.
05:53 So I think it probably is a penalty on the law book of this season but I think the big
05:59 issue and that's where maybe Hibbs' frustration and every other club's frustration is that
06:05 consistency of it's a penalty in this game.
06:09 Would it have been a penalty 10 minutes later?
06:11 There's no really any way you know.
06:15 Just touching on Hibbs how damaging do you feel?
06:18 Obviously a difficult place to go into Ibrox but you know they're running out of games
06:22 but you know that top six hope is kind of fading slightly.
06:28 They've got two games left before the split.
06:31 Can you see Hibbs sneaking into top six finish at this stage?
06:35 I think if you look at it via the metric of these three games as defining for Hibbs in
06:41 the top six I think you need to look at it over the course of a season.
06:44 Hibbs have been inconsistent and they probably it's not a game you would they would obviously
06:49 want to pick up points in but it's not a game going to Ibrox against a team that needs to
06:53 win for a title that you would expect Hibbs to pick up points in.
06:57 So you're really I think from a Hibbs fan I think obviously you want to get points out
07:03 of the game at Ibrox but probably the biggest result of the day is Dundee beating St. Johnson.
07:07 If that finishes a draw it keeps them level.
07:10 They now need to face out their own hands a wee bit.
07:14 I know Dundee have got the game in hand but as against Rangers at Denz Park and providing
07:18 the game isn't like Sea World again then Rangers is record and Celtics record over Dundee this
07:24 season's been pretty good.
07:25 So you would expect Rangers to win that.
07:27 So I don't think the game in hand really counts for much.
07:31 So it's interesting in terms of the way Hibbs' fixtures are.
07:34 They have got St. Johnson next.
07:36 You would expect them to win that and it could be a wee interesting quirk on the final day
07:41 matchday 33 against Motherwell.
07:43 Mullow play Dundee this week if Mullow win that then all of a sudden Motherwell are now
07:48 in this weird position of despite not having won a game for basically three or four months
07:53 they could go into the top six on goal difference.
07:56 So I think it's still Hibbs have still got a decent chance on the basis of Dundee's fixtures
08:01 because Dundee have also got to Petaudry as well which I know they've struggled but traditionally
08:06 a difficult fixture.
08:07 But if they don't make the top six it won't be defined on these three games it'll be defined
08:12 on the sticky run they had sort of between December and January and obviously the start
08:16 of the season with Lee Johnson.
08:20 Just finally I want to touch on Rangers captain James Tavenier on the score sheet again at
08:25 the weekend missed a penalty as well but made up for it moments later.
08:29 He's become the highest scoring defender in British football history and a tremendous
08:36 achievement you know we're well aware that you know for a right back his numbers are
08:42 pretty sensational.
08:43 His commitment to Rangers certainly can't be questioned.
08:47 I know there's been a lot of debate around the term legend, club legend you know based
08:54 on the lack of silverware that he's won.
08:57 Ben I know some supporters feel he's kind of heading in that direction others feel he's
09:03 miles away from it.
09:05 Where do you kind of lie in terms of James Tavenier would you say he's kind of in amongst
09:10 the greats?
09:11 I mean he's a hall of famer and that is certain.
09:17 The club made it certain last year and so I suppose my opinion doesn't really matter
09:20 but I think he is.
09:23 I mean you need to look as well you can't view for example James Tavenier's captaincy
09:28 at Rangers in the same light as you maybe do Barry Ferguson's or the sort of older timers
09:32 before that.
09:33 You can't view it in the same because the journey and the circumstances are just completely
09:38 different.
09:39 If you put the teams James Tavenier's played with at Rangers have not been great.
09:45 They have probably only in the last maybe two or three seasons could you say that there's
09:49 been a side befitting of Rangers and the quality Rangers fans would expect because of the rise
09:56 they've had to come through from the lower leagues obviously a decade ago to where they
10:00 are now.
10:01 But he's now scored over 100 goals from right back.
10:06 He's potentially at the end of this season going to be a treble winning captain if it
10:10 all works out well for them.
10:12 He's already won a title.
10:13 He's won every major honour there is to win in Scotland and he might not have won the
10:17 trophy haul of some other captains but I think what he's had to deal with in terms of the
10:22 adversity, the criticism, the constant scrutiny is always there but he's had a lot of other
10:28 challenges to deal with in terms of that added element of coming through the leagues and
10:33 sort of dealing with it, getting back to grips with the premiership and things like that
10:37 that other Rangers captains simply haven't had to deal with.
10:39 So I think he definitely is in that sort of legendary status and Leon King came out and
10:45 said it I think in a recent press but I think Rangers fans and Scottish football will only
10:49 truly probably appreciate James Tavernier once he's gone and that sort of void in the
10:53 team is there to be filled.
10:55 So with that victory, Rangers of course moved top of the table but Celtic weren't in action
10:59 until the Sunday 24 hours later against Livingston.
11:05 Reflections on this one, Celtic running out 3-0 winners, eventually overpowering a kind
11:10 of stubborn Livingston team to move a point clear again in the title race.
11:17 Goals from, it was a Jamie Brandon on goal, Paolo Bernardo and Matt O'Reilly on the score
11:21 sheet for Celtic.
11:22 Now a huge win for Celtic I'm guessing, John Kennedy came out and spoke afterwards in the
11:30 press about how he feels the kind of squad are in the right place both mentally and physically
11:36 now to take on a Rangers side that have looked really, really difficult to beat.
11:43 What did you make of this result? Obviously we know Livingston are certainly struggling,
12:13 struggling at the bottom of the league, but Brendan Rogers not in the touch lane, of course,
12:16 was watching on from the stand in this one.
12:18 Do you think he was satisfied with his team's performance?
12:22 Yeah, I think he probably would have been.
12:24 I think we'll probably probably touched on the Rangers game more than the Hibs game because
12:27 I think everybody kind of, the way everybody expected this game, it goes kind of what happened.
12:33 You expected Livingston to sit in probably 10 men behind the ball stuff.
12:38 It'd be like an away game on their home patch because living Celtic fell three quarters
12:43 of the Almond Vale with their own fans.
12:45 And eventually that level of quality difference between the bottom of the premiership and
12:49 the top of it would show.
12:50 And that's what happened.
12:51 I think even though it was now now at halftime, I think it'd be easy to look at that from
12:55 a, if you had watched the game and sort of say, oh, you know, is this another Celtic
12:58 slip up and things like that?
13:00 But they were completely dominant in that first half that the game was only had in one
13:04 way and just some poor finishing, some good saves.
13:08 And the first half was the only thing that was keeping it for being two or three nothing.
13:11 And then in the second half, it was two or three nothing pretty comfortably.
13:14 Soon as that first goal went in, there was no doubt of that result.
13:18 I think the biggest thing, obviously, three points are good, but the biggest thing for
13:22 this is Rio Hurtado looked really good.
13:25 I think maybe some fans as well probably had the fear of him playing on the plastic park.
13:29 So soon after coming back from injury, but for the time he was on the park, he looked
13:34 like he had missed a minute.
13:35 I think at times at the start of the season, maybe his performances weren't quite at the
13:38 level that everybody's expected from him.
13:40 But he looked really good on Sunday, which bodes well, because if he puts in that type
13:44 of performance and that's him just getting back to match fitness, then he's going to
13:49 be a big player on Sunday in the derby, I would imagine.
13:53 That was a real surprise to me to see both Hatati and Cameron Carter-Vickers.
13:57 I know Carter-Vickers lasted the full game, Hatati got just over an hour, but risking
14:02 them on the surface that Roger's been particularly vocal about previously, an interesting one
14:11 that he started both of those players ahead of such a vital game the following week.
14:17 Touching on Hatati, I thought very much a timely reminder of just how important a player
14:23 he is to Celtic, hugely missed in the middle of the park.
14:27 We know Timoki Iwata, of course, has been filling in for Callum McGregor, who we think
14:33 will be back in time for this weekend.
14:37 Rogers didn't risk him over the weekend there at Amman Vale.
14:41 How big an influence is he going to have?
14:45 Obviously, missed the recent Scotland games during the international break, but it sounds
14:51 like he's just giving them as long as possible to make sure he's fully up to speed going
14:56 into this game at the weekend.
14:58 Yeah, he'll be huge.
14:59 I think it'll be the first time since October if Hatati starts again, which you would imagine
15:03 he would.
15:04 I don't think many people would have expected Hatati to start against Livingston, but maybe
15:07 a chance for Rangers.
15:08 The fact he did start against Livingston would suggest to me anyway that it'll be that midfield
15:13 three of McGregor, Hatati and O'Reilly.
15:15 I don't think they've started a game together since Atletico Madrid in the Champions League
15:19 in October.
15:20 Even at that, Hatati came off the park after seven minutes.
15:24 The last real game they played was the big one at Tyne Castle earlier in the season.
15:28 I think it was 4-1 that day.
15:30 So that's the midfield three.
15:32 I think Celtic fans would class as their strongest midfield three.
15:37 So to get that back in order for going to Ibrox and as well as that, the post-split
15:43 Derby game as well is obviously going to have a massive bearing.
15:45 It's kind of like a two-parter, this.
15:48 Which will be interesting to see how that works and how they sort of blend together
15:54 because it has been so long since they all played with each other.
15:58 So to see if they've still got that rhythm and Kyle McGregor especially is sort of the
16:02 conductor of that.
16:03 I think in the Scotland games, he falls into that James Tavernier category of maybe when
16:09 he's playing, you're like, oh, he's not really doing a lot.
16:12 But when he comes out of the team, you actually see all the sort of hidden stuff that he does
16:16 is so important for the team.
16:18 So I think he will be a big return as well as Hitachi being in alongside him.
16:24 And just finally, just touching on Livingston, do you feel they are kind of doomed for relegation
16:29 at this moment in time?
16:30 I know there's still 10 points adrift at the bottom.
16:34 Can't seem to buy a win.
16:35 Martindale's talked about how every match is now a must win.
16:39 They've got Aberdeen and Hearts up next before the splits.
16:44 Don't really see where many of the goals are coming from.
16:46 I think they'd only scored nine goals at home in the last 15 league games or something.
16:54 It's certainly worrying.
16:55 Do you think they're just too far adrift at this stage to avoid the dreaded drop?
17:01 Yeah, I think they were going before Sunday's game, to be honest.
17:05 They've won, I think it's three games out of 30 and there are 10 points, I think, now
17:11 adrift at the bottom.
17:12 And I mean, do the maths, it's not going to happen.
17:17 If they only win, if they double their wins tally inside eight games, there's still not
17:22 going to be enough to save them.
17:23 So for me, that's a certainty.
17:26 It's just a case of when now for when Livingston, the more interesting thing when it comes to
17:29 the relegation playoffs is going to be whether it's, I think Aberdeen with a win over Ross
17:33 County have probably pushed themselves out of that territory.
17:35 But the interesting thing now is going to be is it whether it's Ross County or St.
17:40 Johnston who are on an alarming slider for them now, what one of them is going to be
17:44 in 11th.
17:45 Because I think Livingston are already down.
17:50 And looking ahead then to this Sunday's potentially season-defining Old Firm contest at Ibrox.
17:58 Ben, at the time of recording, this is Tuesday morning.
18:03 We've just found out that John Beaton has been confirmed as the referee for Sunday's
18:10 game.
18:11 Obviously, his performance is almost certain to come under scrutiny at some stage.
18:19 Well versed to an Old Firm fixture, he's taken charge of many over the last couple of years.
18:29 Just want to get your take on predicted teams ahead of this weekend.
18:33 We obviously don't know what the kind of latest injury situation is, but from a Celtic point
18:40 of view, can you see Rodgers making many changes from the team that started there against Livingston
18:45 on Sunday?
18:46 Can't imagine so.
18:49 I think obviously John Beaton's being named referee is interesting a couple of weeks after
18:55 Brendan Rodgers called him incompetent and things like that.
18:59 So that's a wee added quirk to that.
19:01 But I think it'll just be the same for Celtic.
19:03 It'll be Hartingal, Johnston and Taylor at right and left back.
19:07 It'll be Carter-Vickers, Scales, centre-back Perham.
19:11 If McGregor's fit to start and Atahi's fit to start again, it'll be those two with O'Reilly.
19:16 Maida and Kiyoko.
19:17 And then the interesting one's probably at left wing, who, because that's probably the
19:21 position this season for Celtic, that's been a bit inconsistent, chopped and changed.
19:25 If Palma's injured, then it'll be Nicholas Kuhn.
19:29 I don't see James Forrest starting.
19:31 Brocovat is obviously a youngster.
19:33 He won't start.
19:35 So I think it'll be pretty self-explanatory for the Celtic team.
19:39 I wouldn't imagine there'd be too many shots.
19:41 I would probably, I know you're going to speak about the Rangers team, but I would imagine
19:44 the Rangers team is probably the one that has got more options in some places and very
19:50 limited options in others.
19:51 Yeah, yeah.
19:52 It's an interesting one, isn't it, with the Rangers?
19:55 Because we know Felipe Clamont has been well used to heavily rotating his team over the
20:02 last couple of months.
20:03 You'd imagine Redvan Yilmaz will probably, if he is fit, he'll come back into the team
20:11 to replace Borna Barisic at left-back.
20:13 That'll be a fairly settled back four with Jack Butlin and Gold Tavenier, Goldson Suter
20:19 and Yilmaz potentially.
20:21 In midfield, too, you're probably again looking at Diamandie and Lundstrom.
20:25 They seem to be the preferred pairing at this moment in time.
20:28 Raskin can't really seem to get much of a look in.
20:31 And of course, Ryan Jack, his days at Ibrox are very much numbered.
20:37 Potential changes, I guess, coming in the forward line.
20:42 I thought Cyril Dessers on Saturday there against Hibs led the line terrifically well.
20:48 I must say, I thought his hold-up play, his ability to drag others in around him, hold
20:56 the ball up, I thought he was really, really good.
20:58 And obviously, he marked it with a goal as well.
21:02 I think he'll continue to deputise in the number nine position.
21:05 I think Todd Cantwell was probably all of Rangers' most creative attacking play came
21:12 through him at the weekend.
21:14 I can't see him being dropped personally.
21:16 I think he'll be given an odd, even though Tom Lawrence has been in terrific form this
21:21 season.
21:22 I'd be questioning whether or not Scott Wright keeps his place.
21:26 I know he started the game on Saturday quite well, but then really faded out of it as the
21:33 half wore on and was eventually replaced early in the second half.
21:38 Might Ross McCausland come back in there on the right-hand side.
21:42 I think he's obviously was given the last 25 minutes or so at the weekend to build up
21:49 his fitness.
21:50 He'd be certainly one that you'd look to potentially come back in.
21:55 I guess Fabio Silva on the left has looked more comfortable out on the left.
21:59 Would that be fair to say, given he's so versatile, he can play as a number nine, but can also
22:08 play out wide.
22:09 He's looked more comfortable on the left, hasn't he?
22:11 I think in the Benfica game in particular, whether he was just a former Porto player
22:16 just wanting to prove a point or not.
22:18 I thought that game in particular off the left looked very good.
22:22 So it'll be interesting.
22:23 That'll be probably one of the more intriguing battles.
22:26 And this is sort of the fullback versus wingers area because Greg Taylor's probably won at
22:32 Celtic this season.
22:33 He's come under a wee bit of criticism.
22:35 Alistair Johnson's been fairly steady.
22:37 So whoever comes out, whoever starts at left wing for Rangers coming up against him, that'll
22:41 be a tough test.
22:42 And then the right wing as well.
22:45 It's one of them.
22:46 Obviously, we've got Scott Wright as well.
22:47 Sort of like one of these players.
22:50 He just doesn't seem to want to ever go away.
22:53 People keep writing him off.
22:54 He's not good enough.
22:55 He's this, he's that.
22:56 But he's still there and in the mix for these big games.
23:00 So it's an interesting, I think, as we've touched on, I think it is the forward line
23:04 for Rangers.
23:05 That's the big thing out of probably both teams, to be honest.
23:08 I think Celtic, you can predict their 11 pretty comfortably and get 9 or 10 out of 11.
23:13 But the Rangers forward line really could look like anything.
23:16 You've still potentially got Ross McCausland or someone like that.
23:20 If they come back in, do John Stirling's played there as well.
23:25 So there's a number, there's probably none of the first choice options, but a lot of
23:30 square pegs for round holes that could all fit.
23:33 And it could be a range of different possibilities.
23:36 And I'm guessing hugely important for Clermont.
23:40 Well, that's all we've got time for on today's show.
23:42 Many thanks to my guest, Ben Banks.
23:44 Stay tuned for the next episode of Football Talk.
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