Our Performance of the Week nominations are also out, so keep reading to find out who you can vote for, and we launch our Ask Inside Left feature, where you get the chance to ask those things you've always wanted to know about Scottish football but where afraid to ask. But we begin today's round-up down in Dumfries, where last night Queen of the South received two bits of good news.
Gordon Chisholm's men beat Partick Thistle yesterday to register their first win of the season over a Thistle side looking to leapfrog their way into the top position in the league. A Steve Tosh penalty was followed by a Stephen Dobbie strike after a slip-up by Thistle's Ian Maxwell. The final score (2:0) will certainly lift The Doonhamers in their preparations for the return leg at Danish side FC Nordsjælland which, following some degree of pressure from a lot of important people in the game will now be shown live on the telly by BBC Scotland, on the radio and online. It's slight overkill we feel, seeing as how Queens have hee-haw chance of getting through, but at least its better than having to sit through yet another re-run of the Two Ronnies. The game is played on 26th August, so make sure you get yourself down to Aldi's for the beer and family-pack cheesy Wotsits and settle in for a cracking night of European football. Possibly.
Craig Levein was once again left fuming at another refereeing 'interpretation' of an incident involving his club. The Dundee United gaffer felt that Roy O'Donovan was tripped by Celtic's Gary Caldwell in yesterdays fixture at Tannadice. Now, take your mind back to last season when Levein went the colour of his teams shirt following two disastrous mistakes by Mike McCurrie in their defeat to Rangers. As chronicled earlier, Levein received a hefty fine for his outburst following that incident, while McCurrie got a wage rise. No doubt careful not to push the referee's over yet another expensive income tax threshold, Levein has chosen his words of criticism wisely. "If it was a stonewall penalty" says Levein, expertly side-stepping another inquisition by the SFA, "which everybody says it is, then I feel really harshly treated". Levein said he has nothing against referee Charlie Richmond, and that he could understand "people make mistakes". Hmmmm. Perhaps Levein wasn't too bothered because at least this time United got something out of the game but judging by that reaction, he must have gotten some panelling by the SFA the other week, or owner Eddie Thomson is no longer paying Levein's fines.
It wouldn't be another roundup without a story about Hearts would it? We're only two weeks into the season and already we have the first rumours emerging from Gorgie Road about who really picks the team. Last week Hearts signed young Slovak keeper Marian Kello from FBK Kaunas. Now, unless you've been in outer space or living on the Outer Hebrides for the last few years or so, FBK Kaunas, like Hearts, are owned by Vladimir Romanov, a man who has been known to dabble in team affairs over the years. Just today, news has emerged that Romanov addressed the Hearts team following their defeat at Rangers to let them know that goalkeeper Steven Banks, like Pressley and Webster before him, "could no longer be trusted" to play for the club; Banks was the last of the remnants of George Burley's reign at Tynecastle and his sidelining removes a player that Romanov has always treated with suspicion. Manager Csaba Laszlo has denied that Kello was a Romanov signing, claiming he decided to buy him on the basis of his performance against Rangers. All of which may well be true, but where there's smoke there's fire and for the new manager to even come out and say this so early in the season suggests that the defeat to Rangers at the weekend cost Laszlo more than just three points. The real test of who is in charge at Tynecastle will come in the next few weeks before the transfer window closes: if the next purchase is either Hungarian or Ugandan, then Laszlo is the boss; if he's Lithuanian, then Hearts should start looking for a new manager now.
Scotwatch
Preston North End's Barry Nicholson scored in his new sides 2:0 win over Crystal Palace, that also featured Callum Davidson. Nicholson signed over the summer from Aberdeen. Gary Naysmith played in Sheffield United's 3:0 win over QPR and Stephen Caldwell hit the post as his Burnley side went down 0:3 at home to Ipswich. Fellow Scottish international Graham Alexander was also in the starting line-up. Garry O'Connor and James McFadden both played the full 90 minutes for Alex McLeish's Birmingham City in their win over Southampton. Ross McCormack, formerly of Motherwell got on the score sheet for Cardiff City in their 1:1 draw with Doncaster. Former Aberdeen defender Kevin McNaughton also played in that game, but was substituted towards the end. Kris Commons, recently called up by George Burley played well in Derby County's 1-1 draw with Bristol City. Two of Scotland's goalkeepers where also in action in England over the weekend: Craig Gordon was well beaten by a Fernando Torres strike 7 minutes from time as Sunderland went down 1:0 to Liverpool, while Graham Marshall played for Norwich City in their 1:1 draw at Blackpool. Darren Fletcher scored Manchester United's goal in their disappointing draw with Newcastle (1:1) and James Morrison was in the West Brom side that lost to Arsenal.
The Week In Football
Two games for you to put in your diary. On Wednesday, Scotland play Northern Ireland at Hampden. Five players have already withdrawn from the Scotland squad through injuries, making this game something more along the lines of the Burma Railway rather than an international friendly. Celtic's Paul Hartley and Gary Caldwell, Cardiff's Gavin Rae and Kevin McNaughton, and Preston defender Callum Davidson withdrew from the squad after weekend matches. Kick off is at 20:00 in that game. Also that night, the postponed fixture between Dunfermline and Queen of the South in the ALBA Challenge Cup takes place, kick off there is at 19:45.
Performance of The Week
In the first of a regular Off The Ball feature, our three nominations for Performance of the Week go out to:
The new boys, Annan Athletic and Hamilton Accies, who still sit proudly atop their respective divisions, much against the expectations of most pundits, this one included. Annan came from behind to beat East Stirlingshire while Accies beat Inverness Caley away from home. OK, so it's only the start of the season and we doubt either side will last the pace (just wait until the injuries start hobbling in), but while it lasts, enjoy seeing someone else at the top of the league instead of the usual suspects.
Sir David Murray for the dramatic arrival of Maurice Edu in the midsts of the protest against his running of the club before Saturdays game. It was a piece of drama that pretty much said "get tae fuck" to the crowd that had assembled in front of the ground. Following Cuellar's departure, Sir David has not been shoddy in getting new players to the club and with Pedro Mendes' impressive debut on Saturday, the arrival of Spanish midfielder Aarón Ñíguez on loan (with an option to buy) and Maurice Edu and Steven Davis still to join, things are starting to look Sunny D over in Govan. And to think he once came within hours of selling the club ...
Dunfermline, for keeping their amazing record against St. Johnstone intact. The Saints simply cannot buy a win at home against The Pars. Saturday's 3:0 win was Dunfermline's twelfth win at McDairmid Park in thirteen years.
You can vote by leaving a comment. Right, that's it for now; we're back on Wednesday with the midweek action.
Got to be Annan and Hamilton, who'd have thought they'd start their seasons that well.
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