KEVIN GALLACHER
Expect the unexpected as drama the only certainty in Premiership
It is one of the joys of the Scottish Premiership this season that anything can happen on any given day.
As Dundee had not beaten Celtic at Dens Park for 37 years, there would have been few who would have fancied their chances of victory this time last week.
But they won well, with Steven Pressley getting his tactics absolutely spot-on to deliver an historic success.
It is one which brought back thoughts of how James Tavernier’s late penalty in the second round of games denied the Dark Blues what would have been their first win at Ibrox for 24 years.
Also, how they had crashed
4-0 to Aberdeen at Pittodrie in their last outing before the international break.
That was against a Dons side who, up until that point, were bottom of the league and goalless.
Those are results that underline that you just never know for sure what you are going to get.
And that is something worth remembering ahead of today’s three games, which have the potential to all be crackers.
As much as Hearts against Celtic is the top-of-the-table clash, many eyes will be on Ibrox where Rangers new boss Danny Rohl will take charge of his first home game.
Kilmarnock are the visitors and Rohl goes in knowing that, after a run six draws in their first eight league games, any kind of victory will help get the supporters onside.
He had a decent reputation when he was with Sheffield Wednesday, with his departure tied up with the club’s financial problems – a situation which also allowed Rangers to pick up Djeidi Gassama.
At £2.2 million, the winger has looked like a great piece of recruitment, and the board will hope the same will be true of his former manager, whom they have been able to get without having to shell out any compensation.
I watched his interviews following his appointment and was impressed by what he said and how he came across.
It struck me he had grasped the essence of the club and the task he was being asked to take on.
He looked the part in the way he dressed and talked, in the promises of hard work and of unity, which showed me he had read the room.
I am not sure Russell Martin, who is naturally a more flamboyant character, convinced in the same way at his unveiling.
But it is results on the grass that count. That was the case for Martin and it will be for Rohl.
Where he has an advantage, it is that Rangers’ results so far this season have left plenty of room for improvement.
As I mentioned earlier, six of their first eight league games have ended in draws, a record that is no use for any club with serious ambitions to win the title.
The new manager has talked of the need for the players to get wins
over the line any way they can. That is how it must be when you are at Rangers or Celtic.
They have fallen out of the winning habit and that is the main thing he has to address.
I am not surprised he has spoken about seeing lots of potential. They have plenty of talented players.
That is not the same thing as having a good team. A good team is what Rangers need and it is up to Rohl to assemble one from the options available to him.
It will not be easy. Not today or in the weeks and months ahead.
All the teams in the league are entitled to go into games thinking this is a great time to be playing against Glasgow’s big two.
The opposite is true of Hearts, who are on a terrific run right now.
They are firing on all cylinders and fans are entitled to believe they have a great chance against Celtic.
A win would stretch their lead at the top of the table to eight points. Win again next weekend while Celtic and Rangers are meeting in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals, and it would be 11.
However, I suspect they may have to settle for a draw, not least because their visitors must make some sort of response after the defeat at Dens Park.
It would be a decent result as it would both extend their unbeaten league record and preserve their five-point lead over the defending champions.
Manager Derek Mcinnes has spoken about holding off on title predictions until after the teams have played each other home and away.
That is fine. It is the manager’s job to keep everyone’s focus on the task immediately at hand. Which is to win the next game and then the next one after that.
Privately, I am sure he is excited because all signs point to his team having a real shot at the title this season.
And, after all his years managing in the Scottish game, for so long with Aberdeen and then at Kilmarnock, that would be some feat.
What an impact that would make – not just in Scotland but also down here in England where Tony Bloom, their high-profile investor who talked of “disrupting” the game north of the border, is well known for what he has achieved with Brighton. Hearts will be attracting the backing of neutrals, but I am sure Hibs fans will have already heard enough about their neighbours’ progress this season.
Not least because their own favourites have not been too shabby this season.
One momentary loss of focus cost them their unbeaten record and all three points in the derby.
Beat Aberdeen up at Pittodrie today and they can consolidate their grip on third place.
Lose, though, and the Dons will move to within a point of catching them – a remarkable thought given their early struggles.
As I say, it is that kind of league this season. Expect the unexpected and you will not go far wrong.