Well, Friday has birled round again. It wasn’t that long ago that we were going to sleep on Sunday night and dreading the prospect of Monday morning yet here we are, already worrying about that impending Sunday night feeling again with Monday looming menacingly on the horizon even though Friday is but a few hours auld. Whoever coined the phrase ‘Thank God it’s Friday’ clearly didn’t worry as much about Monday mornings as this correspondent. In the world of sport, meanwhile, it’s just another day. So here’s today’s dispatches from the front.
Today's top tales
- Kevin Gallacher blames Dundee United players for club's collapse
- Criticism of Deila only makes him stronger, says John Collins
- League Cup final revamp will see final played in November
- Plastic pitch blamed for Waghorn's injury woe
- Soothing hands give Celtic a helping hand
- Van Gaal feeling the heat as Manchester Utd flop in Europe
- Thistle looking to jag Aberdeen's title hopes
- McInnes tells Dons to come out fighting
- Townsend confident Warriors will be playing on plastic next year
Radio Blah Blah: The word on the wireless
06.05 Radio Scotland sport headlines
Dundee United head coach Mixu Paatelainen has a chance to react to club chairman Stephen Thompson's strong statement later this morning ... Louis Van Gaal's reputation suffered another blow as Manchester United lost to Midtjylland ... Australia's Nathan Holman was leading the European Tour's Malaysian Open.
06.35 Radio Five Live sport headlines
Louis Van Gaal said everything that could go wrong did go wrong as Manchester United lost to Midtjylland ... Tottenham will take an away goal into their second leg with Fiorentina after a 1-1 draw ... Valencia manager Gary Neville celebrated his birthday with a 6-0 win over Rapid Vienna ... Dean Holdsworth's consortium is on the verge of taking over Bolton Wanderers ... England's women cricketers beat South Africa by 15 runs in their opening T20 match ... Defending champion John Higgins was knocked out of the Welsh Open snooker championship ... Rory McIlroy is four shots of the pace in the PGA Tour's Northern Trust Open
Pointing the blame
Dundee United great Kevin Gallacher blames players for dismal demise
Taking the flak
John Collins insists that Ronny Deila can handle the brickbats
November gain
The Scottish League Cup final will be held in November this year
Life's a pitch
Rangers blame Kilmarnock's plastic pitch for Waghorn injury
Stretching the legs
Injury prevention helping Celtic stride to Scottish title
Fiendish Freddie
Freddie Frans wants to put another dent in Aberdeen's title tilt
Galling for van Gaal
Louis van Gaal endures another torrid night as Man Utd flop in Europe
Not Don and dusted yet
Derek McInnes wants his Aberdeen players to step up to the plate
Plastic surgery?
Gregor Townsend makes his pitch for plastic at Scotstoun
Grandstanding: Today's sports comment
Some may have thought the IAAF had reached rock bottom but in her Friday column in The Herald, Susan Egelstaff highlights the fact that there could be a few more fathoms to plumb yet.
In the Evening Times, meanwhile, Davie Hay says the loss of a Scottish Champions League placing would be a disaster - but Celtic need to make the most of this summer's chance to make it into group stages.
The former Celtic manager also has his say on fan flares and plastic pitches
In the blue half of Glasgow, Derek Johnstone has a good pop at the greedy European elite
Sporting Twitteratti
Ah the good old days, when you’re skin still fitted your body and fitba’ shorts were tighter than a Croydon facelift. The return of the Scottish League Cup to a pre-Christmas finale has seemingly sparked a tidal wave of nostalgia that could cause coastal erosion. The Tweeters are already twittering with excitement. If we can have a League Cup final in November again, then why not revive the Tennent’s Sixes they say? They’ll be wanting Fine Fare back as top flight sponsors next. 33 years on, and we still hanker for the joy of six.
Falkirk host sizes showdown #Tennents #Match 1983-11-26 pic.twitter.com/UdWCRyYc0K
— Scots Footy Cards (@ScotsFootyCards) February 18, 2016
Nostalgia part two. It’s lucky for Spurs when the year ends in one, warbled those cockney purveyors of Rockney, Chas & Dave. Ok, so it’s 2016 but there’s still a one in there. Hot shot Tottenham last won the league in 1961 (which is basically 16 swapped about) and the FA Cup in 1991 (and that’s like 16 turned upside down and tossed around to make sure it ends in one). Tenuous? Why, of course it is. But ahead of FA Cup weekend down south – Spurs are up against Crystal Palace on Sunday - it gives us a chance to use this picture……
@ChasnHodges #COYS pic.twitter.com/IaId5XUIiO
— Bawky Donkins (@binkydawkins) February 2, 2016
That's it for the week. Thanks for reading and join us again on Monday morning for a quick squint at the sporting scene.
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