Scottish Premiership supporters have been having their say about the Boxing Day fixtures.
Celtic got back to winning ways with a 4-0 defeat of Motherwell in Glasgow.
Gordy: With all the negativity around the Dundee United game, hopefully fans will realise it’s not easy to win every game. We weren’t at our best in the first half but excellent in the second half. Massive shout out to Arne Engels, who I thought was really good. Beat St Johnstone, then on to Ibrox to finish the league. Well done Brendan Rodgers.
Peter: Regardless of performance, a win and three points is all that counts. We are better off in the league now than before Christmas. Take a 12-point lead every day. Squad players getting plenty of opportunities. All good for the future. Lots of games. Big squad will pay dividends.
David: Rodgers ringing the changes using his squad, but two players seem indispensable to this Celtic team, Callum McGregor and Daizen Maeda. Game after game, they have their 90-plus minutes and they both put in a shift. That was no different. Terrific second half from both of them. Captain McGregor running the show, Maeda perpetual motion. Terrific.
Paul: Again a struggle in the first half. Second going the same way until the substitutions came on. Need to keep playing the best team and change when winning by a decent margin.
Hugh: We played better than we have for some time, though it was still short of our full potential. Motherwell did frustrate us, but our wake-up call came when they were unlucky not to equalise early in the second half. The thing I believe we have to take from recent games is our priority signing in this window has to be a striker.
Michael: A strong second-half showing, however, yet again, Celtic put themselves under pressure with a square ball inside several times. Nearly caught out like the first Rangers goal at Hampden. Looks like teams are on to that style of play.
Paul: Good result. I thought we were too slow in the first half. Passing needed to be quicker. Second half, we played with a higher tempo and we got our rewards.
It was a difficult watch for the travelling Motherwell fans.
Michael: It’s time Stuart Kettlewell stopped blaming and criticising referees. He is becoming like a broken record every week. He has to look no further than himself and the team. Six shots and one on target in the last two games. Says it all. It’s not a new phenomenon, it’s been typical of the season.
Alan: When you consider the value of both squads, Motherwell managed to do very well in the first half. However, the strength and creativity of Celtic, along with class, showed through in the second half. Given the money invested in both squads, it ends up men against boys, but credit to the Well for their effort. Financially, it’s never going to be even!
Billy: Stop complaining about the officials, it’s becoming boring. The next few games should be interesting.
David: Motherwell have punched above their weight more than anyone in Scottish football, but this result is just further evidence of the growing cavern that exists in Scottish football. No-one can compete with Celtic and their ever-increasing budget.
Andy: Zero shots and 16% possession is embarrassing. No effort at all to get something out of the game. Kettlewell has mentioned we needed to better on the ball. What is he doing about it? Feel sorry for Lennon Miller with the tactics.
Craig: Conceding the penalty on the stroke of half time never helps. Not saying it would have changed the final outcome, but it would’ve given us something to build upon going into the second half. I’ve not seen a decent replay, but there looks to be minimal contact at best!
James: Shocking penalty decision, but we were not at the races in the second half. Not positive enough. A vast improvement required.
Rangers find themselves 12 points behind leaders Celtic after losing 2-1 away to St Mirren.
Steven: Don’t even know where to start with this team. It’s one step forward and two steps back. Opportunity to narrow the gap at the top and open up some daylight between ourselves and third and they can’t take it. We simply can’t break teams down that set up to defend – hence better performances in Europe. Something has to change – starting with strikers!
Gerry: The squad beggars belief. Each game brings a different level of performance, leaving you wondering what next. That was the best Christmas present Celtic and their fans could have hoped for. We never seem to capitalise on any opportunity we get to make up the points deficit. How long can Philippe Clement keep making excuses?
Brian: Well, where do I start? Bad passes, couldn’t control a ball properly, discipline was poor, poor leadership, no structure. l could keep going. Bad – l think that’s enough. Now the league has gone, only the Scottish Cup left. Could it be three seconds this year? Sorry Rangers, not acceptable.
Mark: Some of those players definitely need to take a long, hard look at themselves and actually think what playing in the blue shirt means.
Dave: I was naively beginning to think that things were on the turn and that stability was something I could look forward to and perhaps further building in the January window. I’m now not sure if we should be giving Clement any cash in January? Write this season off and let Patrick Stewart do his job by securing investment and a manager to get us where we belong.
Ronnie: Massive let down but predictable. Just when Rangers fans are speculating closing the gap to six points after the next Old Firm, bang, Rangers once again bring those hopes crashing down. The manner of the defeat typifies our season and leaves our season in tatters. Our present Rangers does not resemble the team I have supported all my life.
Gaz: Wow, I’m dumbfounded, I genuinely thought we had turned a corner in the last couple of weeks, but the manager has to take the blame for selection. Take nothing away from St Mirren, but we are a complete enigma at the minute. The players have some ability, as the results in Europe suggest, so it has to be a mentality issue.
Gordon: It’s not good enough to say we had a bad 45 minutes in the first half. Clement must play his best team at the start. Once his team had the game wrapped up, he can afford to give players a rest, not before! The same lack of killer instinct in front of goal will ultimately prove our undoing again this season.
St Mirren supporters, on the other hand, are looking forward with optimism.
Chris: It felt like a bit of a stop-start season up until December, with European matches in the early stages of the campaign stretching our squad depth while our form was inconsistent. But we now find ourselves one point better off than we were at this stage last season – which was our best in over three decades – and fourth place is a realistic target!
Eddie: We are now playing our way, the players that have come into the team have taken their chance and proven they can be relied upon. We desperately need fresh signings as the small squad is being stretched to the limit. I am delighted that the two young players are almost ready.
Craig: Absolutely tremendous performance from every Saints player! A lot has been made of how poor Rangers were. In fact, Saints got in their faces right from kick-off and, despite a 15-minute period at the start of the second half, we never looked like losing it. Stephen Robinson is doing a brilliant job.
Ian: Well done the Saints. Grit and determination. Another very valuable three points. Let’s keep the form going and we’ll be safe for another season very shortly.
Neil: Delighted to get the three points. We were the better team in the first half but rode our luck in the second half. Delighted to see young Callum Penman and Evan Mooney come on – and great set up by Mooney for a brilliant strike from Caolan Boyd-Munce.
Aberdeen’s season has dipped dramatically in December and Thursday brought a 4-0 hammering in Kilmarnock.
Craig: Toothless. Lacklustre. No belief, fight or creativity. We are a pale imitation of the team at the start of the season. That long winning run papered over obvious deficiencies in the team. My biggest worry is that some players appear not to care.
John W: Time for Jimmy Thelin to stamp his authority over the playing squad. If Jamie McGrath, Jack MacKenzie and Duk are not signing new contracts then it’s better they go in January. Same applies to Kevin Nisbet, who has been a massive disappointment. In times of trouble, you need players who are totally committed to the club.
John O: Badly need Pape Gueye back. Still fully on board with Thelin’s approach, but some players are struggling with confidence and some, such as Leighton Clarkson, just aren’t up to the physicality of the Scottish Premiership. A centre-back should be first on the list of recruits, closely followed by cover for centre midfield. Let’s keep filling Pittodrie and stay positive.
Allan: We need to start to pick up points and we need to get back into the January transfer window and get new players in. We need another striker – how about Lawrence Shankland?
Graham: I am totally bamboozled! Same coaching staff and same players. Supporters left scratching their heads as to what has gone wrong. Unbelievable unexpected heavy defeats. We need to get back to the basics and play the game simply like we started off the season. Saturday’s game is turning out to be a must win to install much needed confidence for 2025.
Barry: The players are the problem. Most of the squad are the same lads that have had the last three managers sacked. Barry Robson got a bounce and great run from them then inconsistency. Now Thelin is seeing the same problems from the same players. Hopefully we can move some of these frauds on and get some new players who can provide the consistency needed.
John M: I made the point about eight weeks ago when we were still on a high – the goals we were losing were as a result of poor defending and now the defending is abysmal. Again, we had a three-on-one situation and we lost a goal. It is difficult to understand where the defenders’ heads are, confidence is poor and leadership is non-existent.
Allen: It’s just as I predicted to all my mates who laughed at me. I always felt that this team would be found out sooner or later. Aberdeen have always needed a firebrand of a manager – not a quiet individual like Thelin. I always wanted Neil Lennon but was laughed out of court. Now we see what the end result is – a pale manager and gutless team.
At least one Kilmarnock fan was ‘happy as Larry’.
Frank: An outstanding team performance from start to finish. Special mention for Fraser Murray – his best performance in a Kilmarnock shirt so far.
Andrew: Kilmarnock dominated from start to finish. Every Kilmarnock player was outstanding and very hard to pick out a man of the match. Fraser Murray, David Watson and Danny Armstrong just about edged it, but to be honest, this was a great team performance.
Anon: We played the ball on the deck and had a functioning midfield. Please let this not just be a Christmas miracle! Well done to Derek McInnes and the whole squad. The fans know we are capable of a 90-minute performance like this more often.
Paul: Terrific performance and a thoroughly deserved three points. No failures at all in the team. Fraser Murray was outstanding, Lewis Mayo was a Rolls Royce at the back, while Kyle Vassell and Armstrong had their best games of the season by far. Wonder if they will get credit for a change.
Sean: It was a complete team performance! We could have easily scored more than four goals as we completely battered Aberdeen for 90 minutes. I believe there is more to come from this team.
Stuart: Team got it right from the start, pressing and spreading the play. Said too often we’re a second-half team needing the team talk, but not today. Made Aberdeen look very average and they ran out of ideas very quickly.
Isobel: Excellent throughout the entire game. We have finished with 11 men, a clean sheet and four goals in the net. Starting XI were fab, subs played their part and added to our goals. Happy as Larry.
It’s not been a particularly Merry Christmas so far for Hearts fans with Hibernian taking the derby spoils at Tynecastle – a 2-1 away win.
Bryan: Neil Critchley says he did not recognise the Hearts team during the derby. That’s strange as it’s the same tactics I have been watching for the last nine years. Come down the right, go back. Come down the left, go back. Hold the ball until we make a mistake and lose a goal. Swap players rather than tactics or formation. I know what to expect on Sunday.
Chris: Every time I think the performance levels can’t drop further, they do. Virtually no players with pass marks. Even Cammy Devlin was hiding. The squad is dire, Lawrence Shankland’s form is unbelievably bad, but he has zero support and we are defensively awful. Critchley doesn’t know what to do – his subs were baffling – tombola stuff.
Tom: Again we shot ourselves in the foot with an ineffective team shape. Then, when we needed an uplift in performance after going behind, we introduce players who are best described as past their sell-by date. Clear-out required, but that will not happen in the January window. We will probably have to see out this horrible experience until May.
Duncan: I’ve been a Hearts supporter for almost 80 years. This is not a Scottish Premiership team. Relegation is becoming very close. Instead of continuing to buy lacklustre players, we should be bringing more homegrown talent from the academy into the team who want to play from the heart.
Jim: We’re not any better under Critchley than we were under Steven Naismith. That performance against Hibs was an all-time low. No drive in the middle of the park and lacklustre up front. As a team, so very slow all over the park. We’re heading for the Championship at this rate!
Pete: I’ve seen a lot of blame placed at the feet of Critchley and I do agree that his subs were the wrong call – especially Yan Dhanda for Blair Spittal. However, the squad he has to work with is terrible. No pace in any position. No players able to run with the ball. I feel sorry for any coach trying to get a result with this lot.
David: While I remain unconvinced by Critchley, the problems lie fairly and squarely with previous management and the board. Failure to move on sub-standard players, inject pace into the squad and not recognise the need for two proven strikers is costing us dearly. A successful January window is a must if we are to avoid relegation and regain our pride.
Peter: The players are losing faith in themselves and their team-mates. Only the fans can lift them out of that state of mind and we must stop the pointless booing and throwing the rattle out of the pram. Get them backed and, despite the quality of management, we will improve. Try it or shut it.
Across the city, Hibs fans are in full festive cheer.
Gordon: A huge part is that the substitutions have been relevant to what’s going on in front of the management team. In 12 of 16 previous games, goals were lost, sometimes two, after bizarre tactical changes. There are also more players on the pitch recently that can last the 90 minutes.
Scott: A month ago, David Gray was a game away from the sack and now he is probably the manager of the month. He has found a system, by virtue of a red card, that fits his players as opposed to the previous incumbent who had no flexibility in his approach. The next task is to try to make Easter Road a much harder place for teams to visit. Consistency will be key.
Pete: Even when we weren’t winning, we were playing OK, but loads of stupid mistakes were costing us big time. Now, with the change of shape and a few solid players coming into the starting line-up, we’ve really pushed on. Rocky Bushiri, Jack Iredale and Nicky Cadden have been immense. Things can change quickly, but hopefully we can keep the momentum going.
Darren: Football can be difficult to understand at times. This side seemed to be void of luck and most importantly confidence. Great credit must go to the players and especially the manager. They’ve pulled up their socks, never once felt sorry for themselves. There was only one team winning that derby!
Sandy: Time was always the factor when Gray took the job and, with an almost completely changed squad, he’s built the team into a half-decent unit. Recent wins, goals coming in threes, and the win against the Hearts that made every Hibs supporter’s Christmas. Definitely onwards and upwards. Well done to them all.
Gordon: Another good win and another big three points in what was admittedly never a classic. Apart from Rocky’s mindless swipe, the defence looked pretty solid again and Dwight Gayle’s goal was superb. Gray seems to have found the right formation and team selection and appears to have the players playing and fighting for each other. Fair play to him.
Angus: The board at Hibs have shown very little patience in recent years, but hopefully they’re now seeing the benefits of not jerking the knee at the first opportunity. Gray is clearly trying to craft a brand of football that keeps Hibs on the front foot and exposes our opponents while being pragmatic about the tactics and physicality of Scottish football.
Brian: There was a total change of character from this Hibs side. Looked dogged and determined. Playing better football and trying to play to our strengths. Didn’t let the setback hamper us and eventually ran out deserved winners. Time to start looking up the table.
Dundee United fans are buoyant after their team defeated St Johnstone 2-1 in Perth.
Kieran: We got the Christmas present all United fans were wishing for. A thoroughly deserved three points and back into fourth. With two massive games coming up against Aberdeen and Dundee – and with players starting to come back from injury. Dare we start dreaming of European football next season?
John: While Jack Walton, Sam Dalby, the defence and the incredibly hardworking midfield get plaudits, we have to acknowledge Jim Goodwin and his coaches for the cohesion and team spirit. Great stuff, again. Now get the cheque book out and get these guys signed up ready for Europe next year.
Ross: I thought in the first half we were excellent in build-up with no end product. Second half, we were brilliant and fully deserved the three points. Great atmosphere from the fans. Good win going into an important run of games!
Jamie: I hold my hands up. Glenn Middleton has turned things around in tangerine. I was very vocal about his performances in the Championship, where he looked disinterested and out of shape. But boy has he proved me wrong so far this season. All our best work goes through him and his goal was a moment of magic after Saints snatched the lead undeservedly.
Ross: United were ahead in every department except goals at half-time. Only to easily sweep aside the Saints in the second half. The Declan Gallagher red was the only blemish on a classy showing. Three points on Sunday against the Dons will end any talk of a relegation dogfight – quite the opposite in fact. The top six, nay Europe, might now be a distinct possibility.
It’s looking bleak for bottom side St Johnstone.
Dunc: If Celtic score less than 10, we will have done well. We are awful. Doomed.
Mikey: Lose matches from winning positions regularly. Gutless squad who have no interest in digging in to do the hard yards and hard tackles. United time wasted a lot, but we accepted it without a whimper. Naivety all over the pitch. Simo Valakari wants fans to attend and watch, not like this. Failure to do the simple things means relegation is imminent.
Ally: Absolutely shocking display. That squad should hang their heads in shame and the manager has talked a good game up to now. Time to stop talking and start delivering.
Roy: I’m not sure if the film about St Johnstone’s season is still being made. If it is, at the moment it feels like the bit in the Shawshank Redemption when the tunnel is being crawled through. That film ended well. My fear is that, by the end of the campaign, our film will be more suited to the horror channel.
Dundee are struggling to match the heights of last season and lost 3-0 at home to Ross County.
Alan H: Ross County was a must-win game. We could do with an inspirational signing or two in the transfer window. Our defensive frailty has been a constant problem since Joe Shaughnessy injury.
Martin: It’s going to be a long season for Dundee fans. In the last four games, the team has managed to have 86 shots against and a mere 29 for. On those stats, you will not win many games. Relegation fight is looking ominous.
Steven: What an utter shambles. Time for Tony Docherty to go. I could write a book on that embarrassing display. Who knows who’s playing where, every game is different. The only crack of light was the appearance of Sean Kelly. He actually looked like a professional footballer.
Alan W: Dundee were dire against Ross County. We were overrun again in midfield, far too slow and ponderous in our build-up and showed very little fighting spirit. Tactically, we were a mess and the manager’s second half changes had no impact on the game. I hate to say it, but Dundee must now be strong candidates for relegation.
Carl: The natives are restless at Dens – and no small wonder. A display of complete dross with no obvious leadership on or off the pitch meant the post-match pint conversation heard the word relegation mentioned more than a few times. Time for a change of formation Mr Docherty?
Boab: Absolutely horrific. No-one seemed interested and one of the worst performances in my near 55 years at Dens. Docherty says he takes full responsibility, so surely he must see that three at the back doesn’t work. Gutted.
Adam: Dundee are the Spurs of Scotland. At least other teams think that as guaranteed to score. Good work spoilt by sloppy passing. Often by the same players who get a game most weeks.
Arthur: In my 70 years I’ve seen some rubbish Dundee teams, but this is not one of them. We have decent players, but it’s a case of lions led by donkeys. Time for a new management team as the current one don’t know you can change the game from the sidelines.
County fans were obviously left speechless by their side’s first league win away from home in 481 days!
