The Scottish Premiership returns this weekend with all eyes on Celtic and Aberdeen as the battle at the top of the table intensifies. Both teams are locked on points, and the question on everyone’s mind is whether either will falter and open the door for a potential shift in momentum.
Meanwhile, Rangers find themselves six points adrift, and murmurs are growing over the future of manager Philippe Clement. As Premiership action looms, speculation around Clement’s tenure and Aberdeen’s potential to challenge Celtic takes centre stage.
Brown backs Aberdeen to challenge Celtic:
There is no daylight between Celtic and Aberdeen at the summit of the table, with Rangers struggling to keep up.
Amid the pressure building on Clement’s side, discussions are emerging about whether Aberdeen could become the new threat to Celtic’s dominance in the league this season.
Parkhead legend Scott Brown, who knows both clubs intimately, has offered his insight. Now manager of Ayr United, Brown remains confident that Celtic will maintain their grip on the title, but he also believes Aberdeen are well-equipped to keep the pressure on.
Speaking to BBC Scotland, Brown praised Aberdeen’s resilience and highlighted the significance of their recent comeback against Celtic.
“Aberdeen have been doing really well. Celtic had a lot of possession on Saturday and a lot of shots, but fair play to Aberdeen in coming back after going 2-0 down. Celtic Park, when they are 2-0 up, is a hard place to go and play and have that desire to go and score two goals. But they did,” he said.
Looking at the bigger picture, Brown has no doubt about where the league trophy will end up.
“Throughout the whole season, do I expect Celtic to go and win the league? 100 percent. I think their squad and their quality in the final third is ruthless and too good for anyone in the league. Do I think Aberdeen will challenge them? Yes, I definitely do. They have a good new manager and a great fanbase up in Aberdeen.”
Clement’s future in doubt as McInnes linked to Rangers:
The pressure is mounting at Ibrox, with Philippe Clement’s position under scrutiny. A poor run of form has seen Rangers fall six points off the pace, prompting speculation that the Belgian’s time in Glasgow could be cut short.
One name being tipped as a potential successor is Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes, himself a former Rangers player. However, this isn’t the first time McInnes has been linked to the managerial hot seat at Ibrox.
Speaking to Football Insider, Frank McAvennie revealed that McInnes had previously turned down the job during his time at Aberdeen, citing concerns over the club’s direction—particularly with transfer policy.
“When he was at Aberdeen, he got offered the Rangers job, but he said no because he didn’t like the way they were talking. He had seen this coming; he wanted to bring his own players in, he doesn’t want anyone else, he doesn’t want free transfers,” McAvennie explained.
The former Celtic striker emphasised McInnes’ integrity, suggesting that the Kilmarnock boss wanted complete control over signings—something Rangers weren’t prepared to offer. “A club like Rangers needs decent players, and they’ve not got that,” he added.
“Derek is a proud man. If he’s going to have a go at it, he’s going to want to do it on his own terms, and that wasn’t on the table, so he said no. That takes balls to say no because that’s his club. It took a big set of cojones to say no—it must have been hard.”
As Clement’s future remains uncertain, and with the possibility of McInnes being reconsidered for the job, Rangers are once again in the spotlight, struggling to steady the ship while their two rivals set the pace in the title race.