SPL - Saturday 27th Oct Team News & Thoughts

Aberdeen v Dundee


Aberdeen


Injuries - Jack, Considine, Fallon

Available Squad - Langfield, Magennis, Robertson, Reynolds, Anderson, Osbourne, Rae, McGinn, Hughes, Fraser, Hayes, Vernon, Smith, Jordon Brown, Jason Brown, Clark, Milsom, Rogers, Shaughnessy, Naysmith

Probable XI - Langfield, Naysmith, Reynolds, Anderson, Robertson, Hughes, Rae, Osbourne, McGinn, Fraser, Vernon (4-3-3)



Dundee


Injuries - Kerr, Grassi, O'Donnell, Stewart, Finnigan, McCluskey

Available Squad - Douglas, McGregor, Lockwood, Easton, Irvine, Webster, Conroy, McAlister, Baird, McIntosh, Davidson, Reid, Cavanagh, McBride, Riley, Milne, Boyle, Nish, Toshney, Benedictus, Gallagher

Probable XI - Douglas, Irvine, McGregor, Benedictus, Lockwood, Riley, Davidson, McAllister, McBride, Nish, Milne (4-4-2)


Prediction : Aberdeen 2-0 Dundee


Dundee took a bit of a tonking last time out against Inverness losing 5-1 at home. I think Aberdeen have been waiting for a game like this to hand out a bit of a hiding to someone (Craig Brown has been dreaming of it for a while). But I dont think it will be a hiding in terms of scoreline but it might be in terms of the difference in the teams. Aberdeen still really struggle to get the goals they deserve and you've got to think Dundee have been practicing their defending all week so I think UNDER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.91 (William Hill) is worth a look in this match.




_________________________________________



Celtic v Kilmarnock


Celtic


Injuries - Stokes, Nouioui, McGeouch, Samaras

Available Squad - N/A

Probable XI - Forster, Matthews, Mulgrew, Wilson, Izaguirre, Ledley, Kayal, Wanyama, Commons, Forrest, Hooper (4-4-1-1)



Kilmarnock


Injuries - N/A

Available Squad - N/A

Probable XI - Bell, O'Leary, Pascali, Nelson, McKeown, Pursehouse, Kelly, Harkins, Fowler, Sheridan, Heffernan


Prediction : Celtic 2-0 Kilmarnock


Celtic will be feeling it after the defeat to Barcelona and the travel etc but they have a big enough squad to field enough fresh legs to still easily win this match. Kilmarnock will be more competitive now with Heffernan back to partner Sheridan up front. Still I can't see Killie getting much out of this match but its a NO BET, no value for me!




_________________________________________



Hearts v Ross County


Hearts


Injuries - Ridgers, Hammill, Carrick

Available Squad - MacDonald, R McGowan, Webster, Zaliukas, Grainger, Paterson, Barr, Taouil, Novikovas, Sutton, Driver, Robinson, Holt, D McGowan, McHattie, Stevenson, Smith, Enckelman

Probable XI - MacDonald, McGowan, Webster, Zaliukas, Grainger, Driver, Taouil, Barr, Novikovas, Paterson, Stevenson (4-4-1-1)



Ross County


Injuries - Morrow, Scott, Cooper, Corcoran

Available Squad - Fraser, Tokely, Munro, Boyd, Fitzpatrick, Brittain, Quinn, Kettlewell, Vigurs, Fotheringham, Glen, McMenamin, Dingwall, Ross, Macphee, Kovacevic, Brown, Porrit

Probable XI - Fraser, Boyd, Munro, Kovacevic, Fitzpatrick, Kettlewell, Brittain, Vigurs, Quinn, Fotheringham, McMenamin (4-5-1)


Prediction : Hearts 2-1 Ross County


It was back to winning ways for both these teams last week and sorely needed for both. Probably more so Ross County who hadn't won a match in the previous 6. They really have not been the same team since their long unbeaten run came to an end. All of a sudden they have become severely leaky at the back, shipping 12 goals in their last 4 games. I'm expecting Hearts to be pretty much unchanged from the win over Motherwell and with home advantage we really should be the dominant team here. County might nick a goal but I see Hearts getting on the scoresheet at least twice. HOME WIN @ 2.0 (William Hill)




_________________________________________


Inverness v St Johnstone


Inverness


Injuries - Foran, King, Hogg, Ross

Available Squad - Reguero, Meekings, Raven, Warren, Blackman, G Shinnie, Morrison, A Shinnie, Pepper, Draper, Tudur Jones, Doran, McKay, Cooper, Polworth, Oswell, Brislen-Hall, Roberts, Sutherland, Esson

Probable XI - Reguero, Meekings, Raven, Warren, G. Shinnie, Doran, Tudur-Jones, Draper, Sutherland, A. Shinnie, McKay (4-4-1-1)



St Johnstone


Injuries - Pawlett, Beattie, Adam, MacLean, Cregg

Available Squad - Mannus, Mackay, C Davidson, Wright, Anderson, Millar, M Davidson, Tade, Craig, Hasselbaink, Robertson, McCracken, Miller, Caddis, Scobbie, Tobin, Kane, Tuffey, Gray, Vine, Moon

Probable XI - Mannus, C.Davidson, Anderson, Wright,  Mackay, Hasselbaink, Millar, Craig, m.Davidson, Tade, Vine (4-4-2)


Prediction : Inverness 1-2 St Johnstone

Pretty much a bit of an OMG this....These two teams are basically the 2 form teams in the SPL at the moment, especially St Johnstone. After starting the season badly all of a sudden they are invincible winning their last SIX games on the trott! And I have no idea why!!! To be honest though, since the home win over Celtic they have had a favourable run of fixtures. Inverness also have won their last 3 in a row scoring unbelievably 11 goals in the process so I really am expecting some goals in this game and am a liitle surprised that I can get OVER 2.5 GOALS @1.91 (Paddy Power) I'll have a piece of that!




_________________________________________


St Mirren v Dundee Utd


St Mirren


Injuries - McGowan, McGregor, Adam

Available Squad - Samson, Dummett, Mair, van Zanten, McAusland, Goodwin, Carey, McLean, Guy, Robertson, Thompson, Parkin, Imrie, C Smith, Teale, Barron, P McGinn, J McGinn, Reilly

Probable XI - Samson, Van Zanten, Mair, McAusland, Barrow, Guy, Carey, McLean, Reilly, Imrie, Thompson (4-4-1-1)



Dundee Utd


Injuries - Vignal, Mackay-Steven

Available Squad - Cierzniak, Watson, Dillon, Gunning, McLean, Flood, Rankin, Ryan, Russell, Daly, Dow, Armstrong, Millar, Gardyne, Robertson, Skacel, Gauld, Douglas, Hilson, Banks

Probable XI - Cierzniak, Dillon, Watson, Gunning, Flood, Armstrong, Rankin, Gardyne, Robertson, Daly, Russell (4-4-2)


Prediction : St Mirren 1-2 Dundee Utd

Dundee Utd find themselves 2nd bottom of the league, they do have 2 games in hand but they are both tricky against Motherwell and Celtic so I dont actually think their position is that false. They have simply not produced the same performances as they achieved last year. The big news is they have managed to sign Rudi Skacel until January much to the disappointment of the Hearts fans who presumed he would rejoin at Tynecastle. I nice touch for the Jambos though is the fact he has asked for his number to be 51 after the famous 5-1 Hampden massacre he inflicted on Hibs last year.....lol   I imagine he wont start but has been training recently with Hearts so will probably feature at some point. He will be a useful fill in until Mackay-Steven returns.  St Mirren were a hopeless shambles against Celtic last week and looked a bit lost without McGowan. Peter Houstons troops need a vital win and I think they will squeeze it. DUNDEE UTD WIN @ 2.5 (Boylesports)




_________________________________________