The Record Sport team have been assessing the big Scottish football talking points ahead of the weekend action, with Celtic's European ambitions under scrutiny and Hearts' danger man identified for the visit to Parkhead.
Celtic's Europa League hopes questioned
Martin O'Neill has claimed Celtic can still reach the Europa League knock-out stage, but the Record Sport panel are not convinced. Andy Newport said Celtic fans are rightly losing faith with this team, having been crying out for meaningful change that would further their European ambitions while watching a line-up going backwards. With Celta Vigo, Besiktas, Marseille and Union Saint-Gilloise to come, there could be more pain on the way.
Ross Pilcher said he believes O'Neill believes it, but whether it happens is another thing entirely. He noted Benfica have no business being in this competition, being a Champions League team in all but name, but the Ferencvaros game is the one that has him doubting whether Celtic can pull it off. He insisted they won't unless there's a massive improvement.
Anthony Evans was blunt: "Nope." He said getting anything against Benfica was always going to be a mountain of a task, but Celtic continue to ship goals in Europe for fun. The campaign doesn't get any easier with Celta Vigo and Besiktas up next, and it's a genuine possibility they will still be stuck on zero points after four matches. Eight points could be enough to claim a play-off spot, but it's hard to see Celtic accumulating that at the moment.
McPake tipped as Hearts talisman
On who will be key for Hearts as the Jambos seek revenge on Celtic for last year's Parkhead title decider, Andy Newport pointed to Josh McPake, who is looking more and more like Lawrence Shankland's replacement as the Gorgie talisman. He might not score the volume of goals the former skipper did, but he's the man who makes them tick. Newport remarked it's remarkable to think it's only a couple of years since he was plumbing the depths of the SPFL in League One.
Ross Pilcher agreed McPake is the main man just now and seems to be causing problems for whoever he's up against. Neither side is exactly solid at the back, so Beau Reus will likely need to have a good game, while they could do with James Wilson finding his shooting boots again.
Anthony Evans said McPake could have a big role to play on Sunday. The wide man already has three goals and five assists to his name since his arrival at Tynecastle and will fancy his chances up against Colby Donovan or Jordan Lotomba. Claudio Braga is always a live wire that Celtic will need to keep a lid on.
Rangers selection debate
Rangers will look to apply pressure on their title rivals when they head to Dens tonight, and the panel discussed what changes Derek McInnes should make. Andy Newport noted McInnes admitted after last week's Jekyll and Hyde display against Killie he should have freshened up his team after their international break exertions, so he expects to see Badredine Bouanani get a shot out wide. Tuur Rommens might also get a run out and give James Penrice a rest.
Ross Pilcher argued if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Ryan Naderi is a man in form, and based on recent results and performances, the rest of the team seems to be picking itself just now. McInnes is big on consistency and there's no reason to mix it up after a clear week while their rivals were in Euro action.
Anthony Evans said title-winning teams rarely make too many alterations, so fresh injury concerns aside, McInnes should stick with the side that has served him well in recent weeks. Kevin Kelsy and Ryan Naderi appear to have struck up a decent partnership through the middle, while Olwethu Makanya, Emmanuel Fernandez, Dan Neil and Nico Raskin are forming a strong spine behind them. He added Dundee are no mugs though and are building some momentum again under Steven Pressley following back to back wins over Falkirk and Motherwell.
Ultras groups under fire
Block 7 are the latest ultras section to fall out with club chiefs after being banned by Hibs, and the panel weighed in on whether these groups are more trouble than they are worth. Andy Newport said there's no denying the ultras have added colour to the Scottish football landscape, but far too many get ideas above their station and believe they can act without consequences. If they continue to overstep the line they will soon find out there are severe ones at that.
Ross Pilcher said it inevitably seems to end up that way. While there are good intentions at the start, bad results tend to provoke bad behaviour, and clubs can sometimes be guilty of over indulging these groups, who need to realise that actions have consequences and noise isn't necessarily the same thing as atmosphere.
Anthony Evans called it a tricky one. The ultras have certainly brought a new lease of life into Scottish football, but the game continues to be let down by a minority of trouble makers. Finding a balance is hard, but they need to be aware of the consequences before conducting their actions on a matchday.
