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A friend reached out to me this week and asked, “Aberdeen?�?/p>

His point was that, five matches into the Premiership campaign, the Dons sit at the bottom of the table, following four losses and a draw.

Yes, they have been even worse domestically than Rangers under beleaguered bench boss Russell Martin.

The Full Scottish

Served by Brian P. Dunleavy

Notably, though, Aberdeen, unlike the Ibrox club, have never been relegated, though, we acknowledge, there is an asterisk next to the latter’s drop to the lower leagues.

Following his side’s 2-0 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice, Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin acknowledged that he needs to “find answers quickly.�?Well, duh.

The Swede had nearly all the answers last term, with his side challenging Celtic and Rangers to start the season. Ultimately, they faded and finished in fifth�?2 points behind second-place ’Gers.

So, has this season continued that fade and marked a return to mean?

Not exactly. To be fair to Thelin, the Dons didn’t have a European campaign to contend with in 2024-25. This season, they do: Having lost in the Europa League play-offs, they are now in the Conference League.

For Scottish clubs not named Celtic or Rangers, squad depth can be an issue when it comes to competing on multiple fronts, as we were just telling Hibs�?manager David Gray the other day.

Thelin also has a squad that relies on decidedly older legs in the middle of the park, midfielders Sivert Heltne Nilsen and Stuart Armstrong (newly signed) are both well into their 30s, and running in well-traveled boots.

Same with captain and midfielder/left-back Graeme Shinnie.

At times, that experience can be helpful. However, without any depth behind them—and thus fewer opportunities to rest—it can also be a hinderance, as it appears to have been so far this season.

We have no way of knowing how the Dons will fair in Europe, but our feeling is that they won’t have to worry too much about it after the turn of the year.

In fact, some could say the same for Celtic and Rangers, which both started off their Europa League campaigns in less-than-stellar fashion—a 1-1 draw away to FK Crvena zvezda (aka Red Star Belgrade) for the former; a 1-0 loss to Racing Genk (the loan goal scored by former Celt Oh Hyun-Gyu) at home for the latter—this week.

Perhaps my friend should be asking, “Scottish football?�?/p>

Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen Struggle In Europe

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One side of Glasgow wants to “sack the board,�?while the other pushes to sack the manager. Mark Wilson and the hierarchy at Partick Thistle shouldn’t rest on their laurels. In all seriousness, Wilson, the former Celt and current manager at Championship side Partick Thistle, and his bosses have little to fear, with a 3-1-1 record in the league campaign so far this term. As of this writing, they’re looking for an upset as Celtic visit Fir Hill in the League Cup quarterfinals on Sunday.

The Full Scottish

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Wilson’s side, which sits fourth the Championship table, may be getting Celtic at a good time. The Hoops are still reeling from a disappointing summer transfer window, the results (or lack thereof) of which have supporters in open revolt and seeking change in the boardroom.

“There are some issues there,�?as former Rangers skipper and caretaker manager Barry Ferguson said on his own radio show this week.

Of course, Ferguson only made that comment after Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers defended his counterpart at Ibrox, Russell Martin, against criticism from�?wait for it�?Ferguson, an outstanding player for Rangers and Scotland who nonetheless has garnered a less-than-stellar record as a manager. His most recent foray as a bench boss? A 15-match role as caretaker at Ibrox to end last season, one that yielded a 6-5-4 record.

Celtic And Rangers In Must Win Mode

What irked Rodgers is that Ferguson still saw fit to question the tactics of his successor, Martin, who, to be fair, has yet to secure a win in the Premiership in the 2025-26 campaign. Hence the cries of “Martin out�?in Govan.

Though what Ferguson is supposed to talk about on his radio show, if not ’Gers and football, remains an open question.

Every week feels pivotal in Scottish football, but both Celtic and Rangers are in must-win mode. Failure to find the “rhythm�?Rodgers craves in the near term will only make the anti-board animus at Parkhead more intense, while Martin needs to string together a series of impressive wins just to keep his post.

It’s hard to imagine either of Glasgow’s big two essentially starting over midseason, but both need to quiet the maddening crowds—and soon.

Wilson must be relishing the relative calm at Fir Hill.

Celtic And Rangers Bosses Feel The Pressure

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Several Celtic supporters groups plan to stage a protest on Sunday when the Hoops visit Kilmarnock, by intentionally arriving late to the match.

The news marks the latest escalation in the ongoing dispute between the Celtic board of directors and a large block of the club’s most ardent supporters over perceived failings during the summer transfer window.

The Full Scottish

Served by Brian P. Dunleavy

On social media, there have been mentions of boycotting the Bhoys�?home Europa League fixtures and the club’s merchandise.

These things either take off, or they don’t, but it’s clear the statement issued by the Celtic board on Saturday failed to quell anger.

The animosity will likely continue, particularly if the Hoops start to truly struggle on the pitch, something that could happen as soon as Sunday, given the “plastic pitch�?at Killie’s Rugby Park.

It’s worth noting that Stuart Kettlewell’s side have yet to win a match this term, accruing four draws to start the campaign. However, a fifth or, heaven for fend, a first win on Sunday and things at Parkhead could go pear-shaped—like they have in nearby Hamilton.

It’s always a bit of a stretch to compare the goings on at clubs like Celtic or Rangers with those of some of their domestic “competition,�?but it sure highlights the “different worlds�?involved.

Hamilton Drama

Hamilton Academical supporters have been in a conflict with the club’s board for months over its decision last spring to move home league matches from its own stadium to Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld (among other issues).

A protest at the new “home ground�?in August turned feisty—though NOT criminal—when Police Scotland were called in. This week, a Freedom of Information request from supporters groups confirmed the lack of criminal activity during the protest, which only raised the ire against the club’s board.

This conflict amounts to an existential crisis for a club like Hamilton, which finds itself in League One this term, after a number of years in the Premiership.

It’s hard to imagine the current state of affairs at Celtic rising to that level�?Isn’t it?

Celtic Fans Plan Day Of Unrest On Sunday

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Celtic sits at the top of the Scottish Premiership table as of this, the first international break on the schedule—the club’s player recruitment department, it seems, remains situated squarely on the fence.

At least that’s the general consensus following a summer transfer window that saw two key members of last season’s squad (striker Adam Idah and winger Nicolas Kuhn) leave with no clear replacements coming back to Glasgow.

The Full Scottish

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As the argument goes, this continues on a trend. Last summer, midfielder Matt O’Riley departed for Brighton and was ostensibly replaced by Arne Engels and Paulo Bernardo (for a combined £15 million in transfer fees). Sadly, neither Engels (still our sleeper pick for Player of the Year—we’re not hedging our bets yet) nor Bernardo has featured prominently so far this campaign, and neither has exactly shined brightly when they have made it to the pitch.

Now, Celtic have made a third attempt at replacing O’Riley—this time in the form of Swede Benjamin Nygren—but still apparently have been unable to secure a suitable (and cost-effective) replacement for striker Kyogo, who left in January.

In what was a chaotic last two days of the summer transfer window (if only Sunday’s Glasgow derby featured half as much drama), the Hoops signed two wingers, Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Sebastian Tounekti (for a combined £11 million), who have played primarily on the left so far in their careers, but no right-sided wingers like Kuhn.

The Hoops�?best attacking player, Daizen Maeda, is also a left-winger. At the same time, they rescued free agent Kelechi Iheanacho from Sevilla’s scrap heap. The Nigerian’s reward will be becoming a living testament to the Celtic board’s “woeful�?transfer record.

Indeed, players and managers routinely talk about the unique pressure playing for Celtic and Rangers: Glasgow’s big two are expected to win week in and week out. As a result, players are given little slack, even those who come to these clubs having been lifelong supporters. Idah scored 20 goals last season in a largely part-time role; still, a large segment of the Celtic support couldn’t wait to get him out the door. In the recent past, Shane Duffy and James McCarthy have arrived at Celtic with much fanfare only to (relatively) quickly become the targets of scorn and ridicule.

James Forrest has been a first-team stalwart for 17 seasons. That hasn’t merited a song from the terraces, apparently. Meanwhile, the stress of running these clubs is rarely discussed. As we have seen, though, particularly with the seemingly constant upheaval in the Rangers�?hierarchy in recent years, collective praise is rare and every mistake is magnified.

Think about it: Celtic have won the league in 13 of the past 14 seasons. Somehow, nearly every transfer window during that period has been a �?a href="//thecelticstar.com/familiar-sense-of-transfer-window-dejavu-has-settled-over-celtic/">disaster.�?/p>

Yes, we know, the proving ground for the Hoops lies in Europe, where Idah’s swansong was a missed penalty and several summer signings failed to make Brendan Rodgers�?Europa League squad. So, are the transfer window critics onto something? Undoubtedly.

But count us among those who prefer to wait until the season plays out before we cast the first stone.

Celtic Suffer Transfer Window Trauma

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The past week marked another turning point for Scottish clubs competing in Europe. On Tuesday, Celtic lost in the Champions�?League playoff to Kazakhstan club Kairat Almaty, on penalties. The spot kicks followed what was a turgid performance from the Hoops over two legs—and 210 minutes—of football.

The Full Scottish

Served by Brian P. Dunleavy

“We didn’t do enough to deserve to qualify,�?captain and midfielder Callum McGregor told the press after the match. “The players are probably the most frustrated out of everyone.�?/p>

Well, not quite. The large segment of the Celtic support clamoring for additions to the squad in the lead-up to the tie have taken the opportunity to scream an angry, “We told you so!�?/p>

And manager Brendan Rodgers�?post-match comments hardly diffused any concerns over a disconnect between the dugout and the club board

“The last thing you want to do in football is manufacture your own stress but all we can do now is look at where we’re at as a football club and decide where we want to go,�?the Irishman said to the gathered media moments after the defeat.

By the way, Kairat were 311^th in the UEFA club coefficient rankings before the tie against 56^th-ranked Celtic.

The feeling around the Parkhead club was hardly buoyed by the fact that two of the more expensive squad players—Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda, the latter of whom may depart for pastures new before the transfer window closes (and the former of whom some supporters wish would depart)—both missed penalties. And so, it’s on�?down�?to the Europa League for the Bhoys.

Rangers Thrashed

On the other side of Glasgow, meanwhile, Rangers until recently had been able to offset their poor domestic form by pointing to, and touting, their European feats. However, after falling behind to Belgium’s Club Brugge 3-1 at Ibrox before ultimately losing 9-1 (you read that right) on aggregate, they too have Europa League football to “look forward to.�?/p>

’Gers now head into the first Glasgow derby of the season Sunday in desperate need of a win. Then again, so do Celtic.

The side that emerges with a victory—assuming either can regroup—will restore some good feeling, at least domestically.

However, nothing will erase the European disappointment felt by both of Scotland’s big two.

The Europa League simply isn’t good enough—though it could be argued that it may be the best they can do.

Celtic, Rangers Crash Out Of Champions League

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firsttouchonline — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 19:25:32 +0000

The panic sets in early in Glasgow. On one side of the city, Rangers under new manager Russell Martin have dropped points in their first two Premiership matches and failed to look all that convincing in a 4-2 League Cup round of 16 victory against League One side Alloa Athletic.

The Full Scottish

Served by Brian P. Dunleavy

And now, Tuesday’s 3-1 home loss to Club Brugge in the Champions�?League playoff round has the collective heart rate in and around Ibrox at dangerously high levels. To be fair, the Belgians are hardly lightweights.

“I understand the intensity and emotion here but it can’t change the way we work and become a weight around the players necks,�?Martin told the media after that match. “I came to this club knowing it wasn’t going to be easy or a quick fix. I hope we’ll be judged in May and by then we’ll be in a really good place and winning stuff.�?He may not get the luxury of that much time.

Meanwhile, in Glasgow’s East End, a segment of the Celtic support is at wit’s end over what they see as a relative lack of transfer activity during the summer window, which has about two weeks to go.

This despite the fact the Hoops have brought in SEVEN new players already this summer, including returning hero Kieran Tierney (granted, on a free).

None have been “big names,�?mind, but the Parkhead side haven’t swum in those waters in some time. The modus operandi most of this century so far has been to sign younger players—like Swede Benjamin Nygren and Japanese international Shin Yamada, two of the six new recruits—and develop them before selling them on at a significant profit. Which is exactly what they have done with the likes of Kyogo last January and Nicolas Kuhn last month.

The problem, in some supporters�?eyes, is that these two players specifically haven’t been adequately replaced—and the feeling is that this disconnect may push manager Brendan Rodgers out the door when his contract expires at the end of the season.

“What I want to do is make the team the very best that we can, and I’m hoping that by the end of the window that we can be that,�?the Irishman told the media this week. “As a football manager and coach, I would want it now because I’m going into games here that mean everything for this club going forward. But if we don’t have it in the building now, then we have to work with what’s here.�?/p>

Should the Hoops fail to qualify for the Champions�?League—and that’s very much an open question after a 0-0 draw against Kairat at Celtic Park Wednesday in the first leg of the playoff—there will be a number of supporters crying, “I told you so.�?(They were saying much worse in the terraces on Wednesday.)

And should ’Gers also not qualify it will only hurt the European fortunes for future Scottish champions and runners-up.

In the all-important coefficient rankings, Scotland are currently 17^th, just behind Switzerland and Austria. The ideal placing is 15^th or higher, which would mean future domestic champions would automatically qualify for Europe��s top tournament.

However, currently at 15^th, Austria are 2.8 points ahead of Scotland, and for Celtic or Rangers to make up that gap, they would need to win seven league-phase matches in the 2025-26 Champions�?League.

A tall order to be sure. And if it can’t be achieved, in 2027-28, the Premiership champions would have to face three Champions�?League qualifiers instead of the current one.

It may be time to panic after all.

Celtic, Rangers Suffer Early Season Wobbles

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Mind what you say in Scottish football. That seems to the lesson two weeks into a long season. Rangers midfielder Lyall Cameron learned it the hard way when he appeared to take a swipe at his former club, Dundee, in advance of the two sides meeting at Ibrox on Saturday.

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Here is what he said to the media in the days leading up to the match, per the BBC:

“Do I like going under the radar? Yeah, definitely. Look, I was never going to be a massive signing for Rangers, coming from a small club like Dundee,�?the 22-year-old midfielder noted.

He added, in response to a question about the expectations at Rangers, “The speed of play and the intensity and everything has been totally different. It’s almost like a different world for me, to be honest. A different job now that I’m here, like as a full-time football player, whereas it’s a bit different in Dundee.�?/p>

That the comments came from a graduate of the Dundee youth academy stirred anger Tayside. That they likely motivated his former teammates, who left Ibrox with a point after a 1-1 draw (thanks to a late penalty for Rangers) perhaps ruffled more than a few feathers in Govan.

Cameron was in the starting XI on the day, and didn’t do much to distinguish himself before being subbed off in the second half.

Online Abuse Fallout At Queen’s Park

Meanwhile, for the second time in 2025, online abuse has led to a club executive’s decision to resign his post, this time at Queen’s Park. In January, Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell opted to resign in the face of online abuse. Now, Queen’s Park have confirmed that club president Graeme Shields has resigned.

Shields claims he has been on the receiving end of “personal and online abuse�?as well, without providing details, along with others at the club. He had been at Queen’s Park since January of last year.

“I have taken this decision after much deliberation, particularly having experienced an increased level of personal and online abuse towards myself and others associated with the club in recent months,�?Shields told the press.

Strange times, indeed.

Dundee Slighted By Former Player Lyall Cameron

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firsttouchonline — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 13:32:01 +0000

Give Tony Bloom credit for one thing: He has ba�?er�?courage. The owner of Brighton & Hove Albion, who this summer invested £10 million in Edinburgh club Heart of Midlothian, has bold plans. He has given the Tynecastle side access to his Jamestown Analytics company to support player recruitment and, earlier this week, he claimed the Jambos have “a very good chance of at least being second [in the Scottish Premiership] this season.�?Then, he added, Hearts can even win the league title within the next decade.

Wow!

The Full Scottish

Served by Brian P. Dunleavy

For the uninitiated, such statements are big news because Aberdeen are the last team not named Celtic or Rangers to win Scotland’s top flight—and they did so in the 1984-85 season. So yes, it’s been more than 40 years.

Hearts last won the league in 1959-60, and they most recently were runners-up in the 2005-06 campaign, pipping a struggling Rangers side by one point.

The only other time Celtic and/or Rangers didn’t finish one-two in the league was in the early 2010s, when the Ibrox side were relegated due to financial difficulties and had to work their way up through Scotland’s lower leagues for several seasons. In other words, history doesn’t exactly support Bloom’s argument.

However, as brash as the Brighton owner may be, we applaud his ambition. Frankly, knowing that history—not to mention the wide budgetary gulf between Glasgow’s big two and the other teams in Scotland—most club executives haven’t even bothered to aim so high.

Ambitious Hearts

Indeed, as “big�?as Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibernian and, perhaps, Dundee United may be in Scottish terms, none have ever declared their intent to finish anywhere higher than third in the Premiership table (at least with Rangers in the top flight)—usually, even before the season begins.

For more than four decades, the plan has been to qualify for Europe (and flame out ever so quickly) and hope to upset either Celtic or Rangers on their way to a domestic cup, as Aberdeen did in the Scottish Cup final last term.

We can’t help but think that lack of ambition (and, well, money) discouraged more than a few players from signing with Scottish clubs not playing in Glasgow.

So, is this the dawn of a new era? New Hearts head coach Derek McInnes is a believer.

“You want your owners and people that you work for at the club to have that ambition,�?he told the press this week. “There’s a clear ambition from everybody at Hearts �?to try and drive the whole thing forward here.�?/p>

We’ll see where that drive takes them.

Can Hearts Really Conquer Scotland?

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The 2025-26 Scottish football season is (finally) upon us and, unless you’re a Celtic supporter in agony over the (relative) lack of transfer activity during the summer window, you’re likely thrilled about it.

With things kicking off this weekend, we here at the Full Scottish thought we’d share some predictions for the coming campaign:

The Full Scottish

Served by Brian P. Dunleavy

Your Premiership champions will be�?CELTIC. Yes, the Hoops will take home the title for the 14^th time in 15 seasons, but they will not do so with the same ease as in 2024-25. Parkhead bench boss Brendan Rodgers has practically been begging for squad reinforcements in the press and some have arrived—most notably, the triumphant return of Kieran Tierney. Celtic likely have enough to win the league now but�?/p>

RANGERS will be better, under new manager Russell Martin. As Glasgow’s big two always serve as each other’s measuring sticks, the Ibrox side not only have a new gaffer, they also have new ownership (49ers Group) and, thus, a new infusion of cash. Nine new first team signings (compared with four, or five, at Celtic, to date) should make for a better squad, one that will challenge for the league until the end of the season and, perhaps, net the League and/or Scottish Cup.

The improvement at Ibrox isn’t the only reason ’Gers are a lock for second, of course. Once again, the rest of the top flight hasn’t exactly set the world on fire in terms of bringing in impact players, due largely to cash constraints. HIBS, DUNDEE UNITED and ABERDEEN will duke it out to finish a distant third, and our money is on the DONS this time around.

Relegation Battle

The battle for relegation will be much more interesting. On paper, newly promoted LIVINGSTON and FALKIRK look the favorites to return to the Championship at season’s end, but we at the Full Scottish think highly of their respective managers, David Martindale and John McGlynn. Conversely, MOTHERWELL may be in trouble with Scottish football newbie Jens Berthel Askou and the fact that the best player for the Steelmen, LENNON MILLER, is halfway out the door won’t help. The Fir Park side will go down.

Similar, past Premiership stalwarts ST. JOHNSTONE (under U.S. owner Adam Webb) and ROSS COUNTY could be in line for a quick return to the top flight, but AYR UNITED, under manager (and former Celtic skipper) Scott Brown will beat one of them to the punch.

In terms of individual recognition, Celtic’s DAIZEN MAEDA is a shoe-in for Player of the Season (again), if he stays healthy (and in Scotland until the end of the season) but big things are expected of his teammate, ARNE ENGELS, and we think he’ll deliver this time around.

And we can’t wait to see it.

Scottish Football Season 2025-26 Preview

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firsttouchonline — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 23:04:41 +0000

With the season done and dusted, it’s time to present our annual awards for achievements in Scottish football. Some echo other plaudits received by the respective parties, but we’ve veered in some places as well.

The Full Scottish Awards

Served by Brian P. Dunleavy

Player Of The Season

Daizen Maeda, Celtic

Yes, the Japanese winger/striker missed two gilt-edged chances in the Cup final against the Dons, but his goal return (36 across all competitions) and astounding work rate make him second to none in Scottish football. He’ll have plenty of suitors this summer, so the Hoops we’ll need to keep him happy to keep him in Glasgow.

Young Player Of The Season

Lennon Miller, Motherwell

Hard to argue with arguably the hottest young commodity in Scottish football. Miller plies his trade at Fir Park�?for now. He’ll be moving to pastures new soon.

Team of the Season

Celtic

Yes, the Hoops fell short of a domestic treble, but a domestic double, a respectable European campaign and a 17-point cushion at the top of the Premiership table are all worthy of recognition.

Manager of the Season

Jimmy Thelin, Aberdeen, and David Gray, Hibs

If Scottish football had an apertura and clausura, a la the South American game, Thelin’s side may have won the former and Gray’s the latter. Thelin also secured Aberdeen’s first Scottish Cup in 35 years. Yes, a treble would have given Celtic’s Brendan Rodgers the nod here.

Story of the Season

Scots in Italy

Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay made history this season when they led Napoli to the Serie A title. They became the first Scots to play on a Serie A-winning side. And neither were passengers. Both played key roles and turned their respective careers around in the process.

Bummer of the season

The sacking on Tony Docherty at Dundee

Not sure what the expectations are at Dens Park. Granted, they don’t have to look far to see how their city rivals United are doing, but it seems like the club’s ambitions may not be realistic.

Biggest Question

What does the future hold at Ibrox?

By the time the 2025-26 season starts, Rangers may be under new ownership (US-based 49ers Group) and will definitely have a new manager (former Ajax coach Francesco Farioli is the latest reported candidate). How will these changes affect the ’Gers�?squad heading into next season? Will they be able to mount a serious challenge to Celtic?

One of many reasons to look forward to the next campaign in Scottish football.

Have a great summer everyone.

2025 Full Scottish Football Awards