Three days left before the transfer window closes for business. Is there a shock coming and from where?
KEITH JACKSON: All eyes will be on Ibrox where Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent are entering the final year of their contracts. Morelos might be more trouble than he’s worth. But Kent could prove impossible to replace.
DAVID McCARTHY: The last few days always throws up something so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Rangers, in particular, do business with some of the Champions League money they’ve earned. I reckon a midfielder and/or striker will come through the door.
ANDREW NEWPORT: Rangers have cash to play with now after their Champions League qualification success but it wouldn’t surprise me if they opted to call it a day with Alfredo Morelos after his fall-out with GVB and look to reinvest elsewhere. Antonio Colak is doing the business now so they’re no longer reliant on their controversial Colombian.
FRASER WILSON: One, if not both of the Old Firm will raise eyebrows with a late swoop. It’d be more of a shock if they didn’t given the Champions League millions they’ve guaranteed. Celtic might want to bolster their midfield while another striker wouldn’t go amiss at Ibrox.
Do Celtic and Rangers have any chance of making it out of their Champions League groups?
KEITH: A third place finish and a parachute into the Europa League should be the first target for both clubs. Anything better than that would represent an astonishing achievement.
DAVID: Tough for both of them but they have a realistic chance of finishing third and dropping into the Europa League. Rangers and Ajax could be fighting for that spot, while Celtic can finish above Shakhtar and will have a go at Leipzig.
ANDREW: Celtic look to have the slightly easier group but their European form will have to improve substantially if they’re to progress. Rangers have repeatedly shocked the continent but with three genuine heavyweights in their groups, Van Bronckhorst’s team will have to climb even higher mountains. Third place may be the best both can hope for.
FRASER: Both do although the fact they were both in Pot 4 means the odds are stacked against them. But take Real Madrid and Liverpool out the equation and why should our top two be fearful of what’s left? Especially given Rangers results in Europe over the past two or three years.
Was Malky Mackay right to insist James Sands deserved a red card at Ibrox on Saturday?
KEITH: He was spot on. Sands should have been shown a straight red and even Giovanni van Bronckhorst acknowledged afterwards the American dodged a bullet. But Rangers were well worth the three points regardless.
DAVID: Absolutely. There’s an argument that it was a straight red as it could have been deemed as preventing a goalscoring opportunity. But it was definitely a yellow, and as he was already on one, he had to go.
ANDREW: Yes. The young American has slotted in at centre-back superbly given he’s not a natural there but there are rough edges to his game that regularly put him in trouble and he was far too tight to his man not once but twice in the early stages. If it wasn’t a straight red for denying a scoring opportunity it was certainly a second yellow.
FRASER: He was completely correct. Some might argue Sands got his head on the ball but all he did was lay it on a plate for Jordy Hiwula before wrestling him to the ground. The foul started before Sands made contact with the ball and continued after and it was a stone wall red.
Aberdeen’s thrashing of Livingston has them sitting pretty in the table after five games. Are they already nailed on for a third place finish?
KEITH: It’s shaping up to be a proper battle between them and Hearts. With the Jambos having one eye on the Europa Conference League Jim Goodwin will fancy his chances of knocking Robbie Neilson off his domestic perch.
DAVID: Hearts will have plenty to say about that, but the Dons look far better than they did last term and will fight it out with the Jambos for third. Still fancy Robbie Neilson’s men, though.
ANDREW: Not yet, no. Hearts are still my slight favourites to finish best of the rest but Aberdeen have certainly started the season well, aside from their Motherwell hiccup. Jim Goodwin has signed smartly over the summer and the Pittodrie faithful can rest assured they won’t suffer a repeat of last year’s nightmare campaign.
FRASER: No. Hearts will rightly claim they’re still favourites for the best of the rest tag but Aberdeen are showing plenty of signs they’ll make it an exciting battle thanks to their summer recruitment.
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