Need to start this thread.
The League Cup group stage has already been completed and the last 16 drawn. There were very few surprises, Ross County were the only SPL team to not get through, and they were the weakest in the league last season finishing 10th with 11th and 12th going down. The other 5 teams are all from the Championship, and none of them got seeded.
Rangers v Dunfermline (2)
Arbroath (2) v St Johnstone
Hibernian v Kilmarnock (2)
Ayr United (2) v Dundee United
Celtic v Heart of Midlothian
Raith Rovers (2) v Aberdeen
Dundee v Motherwell
Livingston v St Mirren
SPL starts next week.
The first Old Firm is Rangers vs Celtic August 29th.
Scottish Football 2021/22
What's the point of having a League Cup if you don't give a European spot to the winner...this goes for both Scotland, Israel and Portugal.
There's enough point that unlike the English one, which does award a European place, everyone goes for it in Scotland. It's the best chance to win a trophy for non-Old Firm teams and there's no way with how fierce the rivalry between those two is that they're going to let the other one win a trophy. Only having to win 4 games, with the first a seeded tie I would think would make it an attractive proposition for them on its own merits as well.
Ross County had two 3-0 defeats awarded against them in their games against Forfar and Dundee due to Covid reasons, they'd surely have qualified without one of those forfeits.Lorric wrote: ↑Sun Jul 25, 2021 22:29The League Cup group stage has already been completed and the last 16 drawn. There were very few surprises, Ross County were the only SPL team to not get through, and they were the weakest in the league last season finishing 10th with 11th and 12th going down. The other 5 teams are all from the Championship, and none of them got seeded.
In 2016-17 the group stage section (without the those clubs in Europe) was reintroduced and is played before the league season starts so it's a useful warmup for clubs (although there's complaints about trialists not being allowed), there's a TV deal and it brings in some early season interest especially with the final in November.
The English version has two extra games for those in European competition who get to the final, and they also play an extra game in their FA Cup so it's probably why the EFL Cup isn't treated as seriously.
This is the history of European Qualification according to Wikipedia for the Scottish League Cup
Until 1995, the winners of the Scottish League Cup were granted a place in the UEFA Cup, although this privilege was rarely invoked as the winning teams usually qualified for Europe by some other means such as winning the League Championship or Scottish Cup. The most recent example was Raith Rovers who represented Scotland in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup after winning the League Cup the previous season as a First Division club. This privilege has since been discontinued due to the reduction in the number of European places granted to Scottish clubs.
Celtic's woes are continuing. They're losing 1-0 at HT at newly promoted Hearts, I've been watching. They blew a big chance and soon after Hearts scored at the other end early in the half.
Rangers meanwhile swept aside Livingston 3-0. Didn't watch, but the stats were very dominant. Livingston had just 2 off target shots.
2 other games today were ties.
Rangers meanwhile swept aside Livingston 3-0. Didn't watch, but the stats were very dominant. Livingston had just 2 off target shots.
2 other games today were ties.
Ralston slams in an equaliser.
Set piece into the box headed in by Hearts at '89!
Two huge saves by Hearts keeper.
2-1 FT. Hearts return to the league with a bang! This will spice up the cup match between these two in a couple of weeks! 
A shock, Dundee United beat Rangers 1-0. Ending a 40 game undefeated streak in league games for Rangers.
Celtic were deemed to be in Crisis after 2 defeats in 3 games, are Rangers now considered to be in a crisis? Probably not but either are Celtic. The press like to make it out like that though.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58130716
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58130716
I think it was fair to say Celtic are in crisis, though not for just the start to the season but all that's come before on top. Now, the new manager has his signings in who have already made a big impact, and the team is playing with more energy than before. The defence is still an enormous cause for concern though.Lubomir25 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 07, 2021 20:11 Celtic were deemed to be in Crisis after 2 defeats in 3 games, are Rangers now considered to be in a crisis? Probably not but either are Celtic. The press like to make it out like that though.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58130716
There is potential for Celtic to really cut loose and build a ton of momentum in the next few games. Assuming you put away Jablonec, you're going to play 5 home games in a row. Dundee, Jablonec, Hearts (League Cup), AZ Alkmaar, St. Mirren. You'll play 5 at home in a row anyway even if you drop to the ECL, but you wouldn't have momentum by getting that big advantage turned over at home by Jablonec. But after then, it's AZ Alkmaar and Rangers away...
Rangers are the opposite with a lot of credit in the bank. This Malmo game is huge. Now, they don't necessarily need to KO Malmo to stop the alarm bells ringing, they could put in a strong performance and still fail. Malmo are no joke and have a 1 goal lead. The performance here matters. A limp failure would be real cause for concern, though not a crisis. Right now it's only an away loss in Europe to a good team and another away loss that ended a 40 game undefeated streak. Didn't see the match, but maybe they were looking past Dundee United to Malmo and got burned...
Crisis hit Celtic win 6-0 against Dundee with their new signing Furuhashi scoring a hat trick. Not bad for a team with no chance of doing anything this season.
Watched Celtic just now. Thought it might be a have it going while I do other things kind of thing. It wasn't. They played gorgeous football today, beat Dundee 6-0 and could easily have had more than 10. Can't get too carried away, it's the team that came up via the playoffs at home, but Ange's team certainly seems to be coming together quickly. Massive impact by his signings again. Very interested to see how the better teams in this league can stand up to them.
That momentum I was talking about has certainly got off to a rip roaring start!
I didn't think Celtic would get above Rangers today, but they have. However the league has a highly unusual look after two games, Aberdeen and Hibernian have some momentum of their own going, 2 wins here and progressing in Europe:
Hibernian - 6
Aberdeen - 6
Hearts - 6
Celtic - 3
Rangers - 3
Dundee United - 3
St. Johnstone haven't lost yet, 2 draws and the draw in Turkey.
That momentum I was talking about has certainly got off to a rip roaring start!
I didn't think Celtic would get above Rangers today, but they have. However the league has a highly unusual look after two games, Aberdeen and Hibernian have some momentum of their own going, 2 wins here and progressing in Europe:
Hibernian - 6
Aberdeen - 6
Hearts - 6
Celtic - 3
Rangers - 3
Dundee United - 3
St. Johnstone haven't lost yet, 2 draws and the draw in Turkey.