Latest news from Hibs and Hearts’ Premiership rivals following Viaplay Cup semi-finals
This past weekend, supporters of Edinburgh football traveled to the west to witness their sides play in the Viaplay Cup semifinal. But it was not to be a successful outing for either the green or maroon supporters, as Hearts were beaten 3-1 by Rangers and Hibs lost 1-0 to Aberdeen. Though VAR intervened in both games, for better or worse, neither game was without drama.
After a five-minute VAR assessment, Martin Boyle’s goal was ultimately declared offside, while Stephen Kingsley of Hearts was able to get his red card revoked and a penalty awarded after a review.
Despite the weekend’s disappointments, both sides will now look ahead to their Scottish Premiership returns. It’s a busy week for the Hibees who will take on St Mirren on Wednesday before hosting Kilmarnock on Saturday. The Jambos, on the other hand, will head through to Fir Park for a clash against ninth-placed Motherwell.
Ex-Motherwell boss lands League Two deal
Former Motherwell boss Graham Alexander will link up with ex-Burnley team-mate and fellow Scotland international Kevin McDonald after being named Bradford City manager (The Scottish Sun). The ex-Wells man was axed after just 13 games into his season at the League Two outfit MK Dons. He was the manager of the month for August but a subsequent slump in September saw this side slide down the league he was quickly relieved of his duties.
However, the former Scotland defender did not stay out of work for long as he was recently named the new manager of Bradford City. Alexander has replaced Mark Hughes at Valley Parade, and this will now be the seventh club on his managerial CV. Alexander’s stint at Fir Park began in January 2021, and he steered the club to a fifth-place finish. He then left the club by mutual consent following the club’s elimination from the European Conference League by Sligo Rovers in July 2022.
SPL star forced to google new boss
St. Johnstone’s Dimitar Mitov had to Google his new boss, Craig Levein, but now he expects him to be every bit as good as his CV suggests (The Scottish Sun). The Bulgarian goalkeeper admitted that Levein was not a name that was familiar to him. Mitov, who arrived in Scotland ahead of the 2023 season following a five-year stint at Cambridge United, said: “I had to Google him, because obviously I have only been here a short time, so I don’t know who everyone is yet.
“Craig Levein has a great reputation. The clubs he’s been at and the fact that he managed Scotland tell you everything about him. I like the fact that he will have a winning mentality. Winning games is the most important thing in football. It doesn’t matter how we do that. We need enjoyment and positivity in training and at the football club. I feel this manager is going to do that.
“I spoke to my friend Nikolay Todorov too because he was at Hearts. He told me about his man-management skills, which are another very important quality. It feels like he’s ticking every box.”
Hoops star had Premier League shot
The Celtic star said he could have played in the Premier League during the peak of his career. Ex-Hibs star Tam McManus told Celtic’s James Forrest he could have enjoyed a wonderful career down south if he wanted. Forrest’s pace and power were said to be a real asset to Celtic when he was in his heyday. During the Invincibles season under Brendan Rodgers, the Scotland winger scored eight goals and created 13.
Speaking on PLZ Soccer, the ex-forward said, “When he was at the peak of his powers, he could have gone to England. He could have played in the Premier League, for sure. I think he’s been a brilliant servant for Celtic and his trophy cabinet must be bulging. He’s still got a bit to offer coming off the bench.”
Leave a Reply