LightBlues areoffcolour –butstill top

IT should come as no great surprise to see Rangers at the top of the Premiership.

However, there have been complaints from their fans about the current performances of the Light Blues compared to last season.

But this has happened to many leading teams in the past. For whatever reason, the players who performed so well in the previous campaign can find it difficult to replicate that form in the following season.

There is no definitive way to bring back that form. Sometimes, new faces are required. At other times, a new style of play has to be adopted, one that suits both the new men and the old regulars.

If drastic measures have to be put in place, a new manager might have to be drafted in. On the other hand, just allowing the players to get over what might be regarded as a bad spell could be the answer. And even if this season’s form is not quite as good as last term, the Light Blues are still in first place.

From the point of view of Scottish football, it is good to see Hibs, Hearts, Motherwell and Dundee United in the chasing position.

Aberdeen lie in seventh, having won only two matches out of seven. It is early in the campaign but the Dons have had major changes in both management and players in the close season and I would be surprised if their fans were happy with the return they’re getting.

In sixth spot are Celtic, their current form also not to the liking of their fans, especially when their heroes had a Europa League group stage tie against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday.

First up though were Rangers, who found Sparta Prague just a little too strong for them. The loss of Glen Kamara to a second yellow card was probably a deciding factor in the 1-0 defeat.

Celtic struggled to contain Leverkusen, who won 4-0 at Parkhead. It was a disappointing night for Celtic. But was it also an example of the difference in quality between the Premiership and the Bundesliga?

But the pressure is still on Glasgow’s Big Two at the weekend. Celtic make the journey to face Aberdeen at lunch-time before Rangers meet their nearest challengers Hibs at Ibrox.

I would suggest every player involved makes the most of the opportunities offered in these contests. Trust me, you will miss them in the years ahead!

Players who performed well in the previous campaign can find it difficult to replicate in the next