Scottish Football

[Neeranam]

Congratulations to Celtic for reaching the last 16 of the champions league. Raangers could well join them too.

Scottish football is becoming a world force again. Bring on ManU and Arsenal!

[mrtoad]

[Jockstar]

Congratulations to Celtic for reaching the last 16 of the champions league. Raangers could well join them too.

Scottish football is becoming a world force again. Bring on ManU and Arsenal!

I think its a good thing Celtic have now got to the next round and it will be good for the Scottish game if Rangers can follow suit. If you look at both Celtic and Rangers you will see their teams are made up of more Scottish players now than a few years back. Hence why the national team has improved over the last few years. It is indeed a good thing.

[johnh101]

And Aberdeen can still make it in the UEFA Cup...............................God what an emarassment that could turn out to be !

[Jockstar]

And Aberdeen can still make it in the UEFA Cup...............................God what an emarassment that could turn out to be !

All good for the Scottish game.

[game4shame]

If you look at both Celtic and Rangers you will see their teams are made up of more Scottish players now than a few years back. Hence why the national team has improved over the last few years.

correct. I certainly noticed rangers (under walter smith/mccoist) play alot more scots than recent years.

7 old firm players in the starting 11 against italy - hutton, mcmanus, weir, brown, hartley, ferguson & mcculloch. a few others on the bench too - boyd, mcgregor, caldwell etc.

[Spit the Dog]

If you look at both Celtic and Rangers you will see their teams are made up of more Scottish players now than a few years back. Hence why the national team has improved over the last few years.

correct. I certainly noticed rangers (under walter smith/mccoist) play alot more scots than recent years.

7 old firm players in the starting 11 against italy - hutton, mcmanus, weir, brown, hartley, ferguson & mcculloch. a few others on the bench too - boyd, mcgregor, caldwell etc.

The Old Firm may have a lot of Scottish players but the majority of them have been bought from other Scottish teams. It's not good for the smaller clubs when Celtic and Rangers sign up their best players. How are they expected to challenge the Old Firm? If you look at the 2 Edinburgh sides now you will see that the majority of their players are foreigners because they keep losing any decent Scottish players that they produce.

[game4shame]

The Old Firm may have a lot of Scottish players but the majority of them have been bought from other Scottish teams. It's not good for the smaller clubs when Celtic and Rangers sign up their best players. How are they expected to challenge the Old Firm? If you look at the 2 Edinburgh sides now you will see that the majority of their players are foreigners because they keep losing any decent Scottish players that they produce.

true. hibs in particular have lost alot of good young scottish players to the old firm in recent years. hearts also lost the experience of hartley & pressley to celtic.

there's still a huge gap between the old firm and the rest - even though some of the clubs are keeping up with them in the league - and tbh I think it will be like that for years to come.

celtic and rangers are pulling in home crowds of 40-60000. take aberdeen for example - sometimes lucky to get 15000 at pittodrie. the other teams can't compete financially so inevitably they lose some of their best players to the old firm.

I'm sure the players who move to the old firm are more than happy to do so - pay rise + trophies + champions league + better chance of getting in the national team.

and the other clubs - who in the main are far from wealthy - are happy to take the old firm pennies to keep the club going.

it's a vicious circle.

[Jockstar]

And Aberdeen can still make it in the UEFA Cup...............................God what an emarassment that could turn out to be !

All good for the Scottish game.

Congratulations to Aberdeen on getting the result they needed to progress. Report below from soccernet.

Aberdeen 4-0 FC Copenhagen

PA

A Jamie Smith double fired Aberdeen into the last 32 of the UEFA Cup as the Dons secured European football beyond Christmas for the first time in more than 20 years with a 4-0 win over FC Copenhagen.

GettyImages

Aberdeen's Jamie Smith smashes the ball into the net for his first goal.

Smith lit up a tight contest with a superb 25-yard strike two minutes into the second half and soon ran beyond a static defence to make it 2-0.

The Danes folded and an own goal by Mikael Antonsson and Richard Foster's strike rounded off a memorable night at sold-out Pittodrie.

Aberdeen needed their first win in the competition this season to pip Copenhagen to third place in Group B and continue their best run in Europe since they reached the European Cup quarter-finals in 1986.

And Smith, who played in Celtic's 2003 UEFA Cup final defeat by Porto, proved the catalyst.

He returned from a hamstring injury to partner Lee Miller up front as Jimmy Calderwood made three changes following Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Motherwell, with Andrew Considine and Sone Aluko forming a new left flank.

Former Chelsea winger Jesper Gronkjaer overcame a hamstring problem to start alongside former Rangers pair Jesper Christiansen and Libor Sionko for Copenhagen, who beat Celtic and Manchester United in last season's Champions League.

The Danes looked susceptible at long balls from the start and they were caught out by a simple ball over the top by Zander Diamond in the fifth minute.

Miller found himself clear as Copenhagen looked for the offside flag but the striker dragged his shot badly wide from 16 yards.

Copenhagen enjoyed the majority of possession in the opening half but were mostly reduced to long-range shots, which failed to trouble Jamie Langfield.

Copenhagen skipper Michael Gravgaard was booked for going through Miller as Aberdeen tried to break but while the Dons were winning the first ball at set-pieces and long balls, they were unable to capitalise.

Gronkjaer got his first chance to use his pace in the 27th minute when Hjalte Norregard sent a ball down the right, but Langfield was comfortably behind his low drive.

Langfield soon caught a Hutchinson header after a long throw and he remained the busier goalkeeper, with Gronkjaer shooting into the side netting in space on the right side of the box.

Aberdeen were in need of inspiration and Smith provided it 90 seconds after the restart when his first-time strike from 25 yards swerved into the top corner after Miller had won a high ball.

Moments later Diamond volleyed into the side-netting after bringing down Considine's long free-kick.

Smith doubled the lead in the 55th minute when he ran onto Miller's lob over the top and fired into the bottom corner with his left foot.

The Danes brought on striker Ailton Almeida for midfielder Wurtz, while Calderwood responded by taking off the lively Aluko for Foster.

Smith should have netted his hat-trick in the 65th minute after Michael Hart had won the ball in the Copenhagen half and threaded him through but he shot wide with only Christiansen to beat.

After bringing on midfielder Michael Silberbauer, Copenhagen made their final change in the 68th minute when Morten Nordstrand replaced Gronkjaer.

But the game was beyond them two minutes later when Antonsson turned Miller's low cross into his own net as Smith waited to pounce.

Ailton struck the post after a good run from Sionko but Aberdeen were in command and Foster made it four with eight minutes left when he converted fellow sub Chris Maguire's low cross at the back post.

[chavy]

On the other side of the coin I see John Collins has resigned at Hibs because he can't have a decent transfer budget.

Collins for the national job anyone ???

[game4shame]

On the other side of the coin I see John Collins has resigned at Hibs because he can't have a decent transfer budget.

Collins for the national job anyone ???

I'm thinking the same - his sudden departure is a bit fishy.

tbh we could do a lot worse than john collins. v good player and proved himself to be a decent manager at hibs. takes no bull5hit either.

Aberdeen 4-0 FC Copenhagen

special mention should go to the dons for last night. great win.

they get a 3-0 pasting at motherwell then beat an ex-champions league side 4-0. textbook dons.

[Jockstar]

On the other side of the coin I see John Collins has resigned at Hibs because he can't have a decent transfer budget.

Collins for the national job anyone ???

Good chance i think. Not the worst choice. I think it might happen.

[game4shame]

On the other side of the coin I see John Collins has resigned at Hibs because he can't have a decent transfer budget.

Collins for the national job anyone ???

Good chance i think. Not the worst choice. I think it might happen.

I've just heard lawrie sanchez has been sacked at fulham. whispers in the media that collins (an ex-fulham player) is being lined up as their next manager.

wait and see......

[scousemouse]

On the other side of the coin I see John Collins has resigned at Hibs because he can't have a decent transfer budget.

Collins for the national job anyone ???

Good chance i think. Not the worst choice. I think it might happen.

John Collins for Fulham

[chavy]

On the other side of the coin I see John Collins has resigned at Hibs because he can't have a decent transfer budget.

Collins for the national job anyone ???

Good chance i think. Not the worst choice. I think it might happen.

John Collins for Fulham

Fits very nicely doesn't it

Bayern Munich v Aberdeen great tie for the "dons" Is it a home & away'er

[game4shame]

Bayern Munich v Aberdeen great tie for the "dons" Is it a home & away'er

first leg at pittodrie on 13th or 14th february. return leg in munich a week later.

zander diamond will put luca toni in his place.