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The Scottish Premiership roars back as domestic action returns following the international break.
An enthralling title race resumes with Rangers having the chance to hit spot against Dundee United on Saturday before leaders Hearts and champions Celtic play on Sunday.
We discuss the domestic action on this week’s episode of Game On while also reflecting on the international break that saw Steve Clarke hit out at the Tartan Army for booing his Scotland team, who suffered a couple of friendly defeats.
Tiger Woods has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons while darts golden boy Luke Littler was involved in a spat during the Premier League Darts in Manchester.
Every Friday we debate all the major global sporting topics in a fast-paced manner as the team gets their points across before the whistle blows. The handy segments of the show mean there’s no waffling on, we get straight to the point and you can get your fix in a quick and easy manner.
This week Record Sport duo Gavin Berry and Craig Swan sit down to tackle the big issues from Scottish football and beyond. You won’t regret taking two minutes out of your day to enjoy it. Here’s just a flavour of it. You can watch the full podcast in the player above, or listen here.
Ryan Stevenson says Hearts are two wins from the title – agree?
Craig: I love Ryan’s enthusiasm, he’s fevered for this. He really thinks Hearts are going to do it. I totally understand where Ryan is coming from. The point he’s making is if Hearts can win these next two games, they’ll be even stronger by the time the split comes with players coming back and would have momentum on the back of two wins could carry them through. Rangers have the prospect of going top on Saturday and Hearts would have to answer. Ryan hopes they do win to see how Hearts react. I can’t agree with him that it’s won if they win the two games.
Gavin: He says these two games are almost more important than the post split games but if the Old Firm win their two games and the gap is as it is going into the split then that’s when the real work starts. That’s the bit where people predict Hearts will fall as it’s unfamiliar territory.
Are Hearts and Rangers right to head out for a training camp?
Gavin: It take me back to Steven Gerrard’s time at Rangers and successive mid-season breaks which is probably giving their fans the fear of this trip to Spain. The first one they went to Tenerife and collapsed when they came back and then Dubai.
They didn’t go away in his third season and they won it but they had a huge lead. Celtic actually went away and it ended up a chaotic trip with players having to isolate on their return and photos emerging of players lying by the pool drinking beers. But in this situation can it do any harm for Hearts and Rangers to get a bit of sun on their backs and some warm weather training?
Craig: Probably not but if I was Derek McInnes I’d be trying to keep it as normal as possible and you’re building up. But maybe he’s trying to make them realise how big it is. Let’s make it special. Lads, we’re going away for a break so they know what they’re coming back to.
Gavin: Back in the day the players would have been let of the leash for a night out. Do you think there will be team bonding?
Craig: What is team bonding these days? The days of having 10 pints are long gone. A glass of wine with dinner on the first night and a couple of games of golf, maybe. You can’t go for a night out because it only takes one character with a camera phone and it will be dragged up if they don’t win the league.
Joe Ledley says Craig Bellamy would be a ‘perfect fit’ for Celtic – agree?
Craig: Chris Sutton is obviously our columnist and I remember he told me there is a real misnomer about Craig Bellamy. He said he was always first in and an incredible trainer. The standards he set. He was a workaholic. Is he the perfect fit for Celtic? There isn’t a perfect fit for Celtic. Bellamy would be a risky move as there’s no major club on his managerial CV. But when you listen to players they seem to want to run through brick walls for him.
Gavin: He was at Cardiff City’s Academy and worked under Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht. It’s an interesting route to where is now as boss of Wales.
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport’s newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
