Former Hibs star delivers Celtic and Rangers title verdict, Dundee boss slams 'unfair' pitch claims

A roundup of the latest headlines in the Scottish Premiership.

The Scottish Premiership action will return this weekend as we inch closer to the end of the 2023/24 season. Last time out, Hearts fought back from 2-0 down against Livingston to win 4-2, while Hibs were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw after Motherwell’s Shane Blaney hit a stoppage time equaliser at Fir Park.

The drama at the top of the table continues as well, with Rangers due to finally play their game in-hand against Dundee this evening. However, a defeat to Ross County at the weekend has handed the advantage back to Celtic in this nail-biting title race.

Let’s dive into some of the latest headlines around the Premiership.

Former Hibs star delivers title verdict

Tam McManus has given his verdict on the Premiership title race, following Rangers’ frustrating loss to Ross County. After forcing Celtic to settle for a thrilling 3-3 draw, Philippe Clement’s side were unable to build on the momentum.

After losing 3-2 to the Staggies, Rangers’ hold on the Hoops has faded, even with their game in-hand still to play. McManus has predicted a tough uphill battle for the Light Blues, with an Old Firm clash at Parkhead still to come before the season closes.

Speaking to PLZ Soccer, McManus said: "That’s the little cushion that they had, they had the draw in their pocket until this game [at Ross County], they had the draw, if they could go to Parkhead and not get beat they were still in the driving seat. It gives Celtic a massive advantage. They’ll know if they can beat Rangers at Parkhead, they’ve all but won the title.

“It’s a shocker, it really is, and it puts Rangers well up against it now.”

Docherty hits back at Dundee pitch claims

Dundee have come under fire recently over the quality of the pitch at Dens Park. Rangers have had their clash with the Dee postponed twice due to an unplayable surface, and Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell recently hit out at the club, suggesting Dundee have prioritised higher player wages over investing in stadium standards.

Pundits have echoed similar sentiments but Dundee manager Tony Docherty insists this is absolutely not the case.

“To imply money has gone into the squad instead of the pitch is wholly inaccurate and unfair,” he said. “People who have said that should know better. It does a real disservice to the squad and the staff for the work that has gone in here.

“The reality is, we are punching four or five places above our weight in this league and that has been down to hard work. That’s hard work from the staff and the players. We had to build from scratch in the summer — we had three signed players.

“We built a squad and built a staff, then improved along the way. So for people to imply what they have is inaccurate and unfair. It does a disservice to the football department.”