Record Sport's Monday Jury panel has weighed in on the biggest talking points in Scottish football, including Celtic's decision to let Stephen Welsh leave, Rangers' Nico Raskin transfer dilemma and Stenhousemuir's remarkable start to the Championship season.
McBurnie's Scotland goal drought
Oli McBurnie's wait for a first Scotland goal continues after Saturday's match, but the panel is split on whether he represents an upgrade on Lyndon Dykes.
Keith Jackson acknowledged that even McBurnie's harshest critics would admit he put in a shift and a half, but noted that Dykes also offered a cast iron guarantee of hard work. Jackson said McBurnie will be kicking himself over the chances he missed to prove he can be a difference maker inside the penalty box, but added that he will get more chances in the coming games.
Scott McDermott believes McBurnie is an upgrade, pointing to his better link-up play and more natural finishing ability despite his lack of goals for Scotland. McDermott noted that McBurnie should have scored against Slovenia when Jan Oblak denied him and was unlucky with a point-blank header, but insisted he will score if he keeps getting chances.
Ryan McDonald said McBurnie is desperate to break his duck but it is too early to write him off after a five-year exile. He highlighted McBurnie's scoring record down south and similar physical attributes to Dykes, and said the Hull striker deserves a run of games in Sebastien Pocognoli's system before any snap judgments.
Welsh's Celtic exit questioned
Stephen Welsh impressed on his international debut, prompting questions over whether Celtic were too hasty in letting him go.
Keith Jackson described it as a case of curious decision making, noting Welsh was a stand out at Motherwell last season and now has a Scotland cap to his name. He said Celtic's recruitment department obviously didn't see any of that coming.
Scott McDermott disagreed, arguing Welsh arguably stayed at Celtic for too long. He said Welsh came into his own during his loan spell at Motherwell and is now operating at a good level for Swansea in the Championship, which earned him the Scotland call-up.
Ryan McDonald called Welsh arguably the top defender in Scotland last season and said Celtic let him go for free, describing it as baffling. He said Welsh would walk into that backline now, but that leaving Parkhead will prove to be the best decision of his career, as he is flying with Swansea and has already landed his first cap.
Raskin's Rangers future
The panel also debated whether Rangers should sell Nico Raskin in January after he admitted he wanted out in the summer.
Keith Jackson said if Raskin is pushing for a move in the January sales then Rangers will be open to offers, but described the Belgian as a huge player for Derek McInnes. He added that if Raskin believes he might finally be part of a title winning side at Ibrox, he may be in no rush to quit halfway through.
Scott McDermott said that depends on how Rangers are looking in the title race, but Derek McInnes certainly won't want to lose him until next summer at least. Raskin has been terrific in Rangers' recent run of form, including the two Old Firm wins, and if he does go, Rangers would need a Lewis Ferguson-level replacement.
Ryan McDonald said money talks and Raskin's value is plummeting as he enters the final 18 months of his deal. He said if Raskin isn't willing to sign an extension, Rangers should look to cash in and reinvest, adding that while Raskin is a key player for McInnes, he isn't irreplaceable in the engine room.
Stenhousemuir's surprise charge
Stenhousemuir are eight points clear at the top of the Championship, and the panel considered whether the part-timers could really pull off the unthinkable.
Keith Jackson said they're certainly Scottish football's biggest surprise package already this season and, after Hearts came so close to winning last season's top flight, Marvin Bartley will quite rightly believe anything is possible in the second tier.
Scott McDermott said why not, noting Stenhousemuir have now won seven Championship games on the spin and conceded just one goal. He called the job Marvin Bartley has done so far incredible and said it's a tough ask to keep it up for an entire campaign, but you wouldn't back against them.
Ryan McDonald said a penny for Livingston's thoughts as Marvellous Marv continues his heroics with Stenny. He referenced Arbroath coming agonisingly close to a fairytale promotion a few years ago and said there's no reason to say part-time Stenhousemuir can't dare to dream, but added there's a long way to go.
