Celtic manager Martin O'Neill marked his return to the helm with a resounding 4-0 thrashing of Falkirk at Parkhead, silencing some of the critics who had questioned his credentials in the wake of Brendan Rodgers' shocking resignation. The veteran Irishman's half-time team talk appeared to have galvanized his team, as Celtic scored three goals in the second half through Johnny Kenny and Sebastian Tounekti to seal a convincing victory.
The result was all the more impressive given that O'Neill had only been installed as interim manager just hours earlier, alongside former teammate Shaun Maloney. Yet despite their lack of experience in this role, the duo seemed to have instilled a sense of confidence in their players, and it showed on the pitch.
Celtic moved six points behind Premiership leaders Hearts after drawing with St Mirren 2-2 at Paisley, but remain five ahead of Rangers who edged a narrow 1-0 win over Hibernian at Easter Road. The Hoops will be looking to build on this momentum in their Scottish League Cup semi-final against Rangers next Sunday.
Hearts' manager Derek McInnes was left to ponder what might have been after his side dropped points for the second time in the league, while St Mirren's three-match losing streak ended with a 2-2 draw. Meanwhile, new Rangers manager Danny Röhl is enjoying a perfect start to life at Ibrox, having won back-to-back league games and moved the team up to third place.
The results also brought some welcome news for Aberdeen fans, who saw their side move up to 10th with a 1-0 win over Kilmarnock. The victory was a much-needed confidence boost for Jimmy Thelin, who scored his first goal in red since September and gave the visitors a vital clean sheet.
Finally, Motherwell ensured they will head into their semi-final against St Mirren in high spirits after a convincing 2-0 win over Dundee United at Fir Park. Tawanda Maswanhise and Elliot Watt were the goalscorers for the hosts, who earned a deserved win to lift their spirits ahead of their League Cup tie.
The result was all the more impressive given that O'Neill had only been installed as interim manager just hours earlier, alongside former teammate Shaun Maloney. Yet despite their lack of experience in this role, the duo seemed to have instilled a sense of confidence in their players, and it showed on the pitch.
Celtic moved six points behind Premiership leaders Hearts after drawing with St Mirren 2-2 at Paisley, but remain five ahead of Rangers who edged a narrow 1-0 win over Hibernian at Easter Road. The Hoops will be looking to build on this momentum in their Scottish League Cup semi-final against Rangers next Sunday.
Hearts' manager Derek McInnes was left to ponder what might have been after his side dropped points for the second time in the league, while St Mirren's three-match losing streak ended with a 2-2 draw. Meanwhile, new Rangers manager Danny Röhl is enjoying a perfect start to life at Ibrox, having won back-to-back league games and moved the team up to third place.
The results also brought some welcome news for Aberdeen fans, who saw their side move up to 10th with a 1-0 win over Kilmarnock. The victory was a much-needed confidence boost for Jimmy Thelin, who scored his first goal in red since September and gave the visitors a vital clean sheet.
Finally, Motherwell ensured they will head into their semi-final against St Mirren in high spirits after a convincing 2-0 win over Dundee United at Fir Park. Tawanda Maswanhise and Elliot Watt were the goalscorers for the hosts, who earned a deserved win to lift their spirits ahead of their League Cup tie.
! Didn't see that 4-0 coming, but Maloney's experience is helping out big time 
. Hearts need a shake-up after another dropped points 
. Meanwhile, Rangers are on fire 
and Aberdeen finally get the win they needed 
️. Looking forward to Sunday's semis already 
, but I'm still not convinced about the interim setup 
. The fact that Hearts dropped points for the second time in a row is still a concern, though 
. Can't help but wonder if they're getting complacent after being top for so long 
. On a positive note, Aberdeen's win over Kilmarnock was much needed and it'll be interesting to see how they carry that momentum forward 
️. Overall, it's been an eventful weekend of Scottish football 
.
martin o'neill came in as interim manager like hours ago & already got 4-0 thrashed Falkirk!!! that half time talk must've worked lol idk how much experience shanon maloney has but the team looks super confident now 
and btw why did brendan rodgers just up & leave?? wasnt he their manager already? 
, but at least Aberdeen gettin' back into the mix is somethin' to watch 
. Can't wait to see what happens in the Scottish League Cup semi-final next week 
, and Motherwell lookin' sharp with that 2-0 win over Dundee United 
! And Shaun Maloney, they're like a dream team 
. Hearts are getting frustrated, can't get past Celtic 
now they're just one point behind Hearts in the league 
can't wait for their Scottish League Cup semi-final against Rangers next Sunday 
. So yeah, let's all just calm down and enjoy the wins, right? 
and 3 goals in the second half was insane! sean tounekti and johnny kenny are literally the real MVPs right now 
it's gonna be a sick match and i know celtic is gonna come out on top 
fingers crossed!
. The fact that they only just took over as managers hours before the game was kinda worrying, but they seem to have gotten their act together pretty quickly.
. And Aberdeen fans should be super happy with their 1-0 win over Kilmarnock - Jimmy Thelin finally got his first goal for the club 
anyway, i think the fact that he took over at hours notice is actually a good thing? its not easy to jump into this role so fast but he got his team firing on all cylinders 
The way they switched up their strategy and scored three goals in the second half was pure magic 
. And it's not just about them, all these other teams putting on great performances too is awesome 
The fact that Celtic took 6 points off Hearts shows they're not messing around 
and I gotta say, Martin O'Neill's back in the saddle and he's lookin' like his old self! That half-time team talk must've worked its magic, 'cause the lads were unstoppable in the second half 
. And it's not just Celtic doin' well, Aberdeen's movin' up to 10th after a big win over Kilmarnock, and Motherwell just took down Dundee United with a convincing 2-0 win 
and to see the team respond like that with 4 goals is amazing 
but seriously what's going on at heart of midlothian tho 
derek mcinnes needs to sort out his team ASAP 