Ex-Rangers man takes on English Championship manager job, Celtic and Ibrox stars named in stellar XI

Scottish Cup action takes centre stage this weekend as Celtic face basement side St Johnstone in an all or nothing semi-final at Hampden Park.

The Hoops are the runaway leaders of Scottish football, the holders of the League Cup and the defending champions of the Scottish Cup while the Saints are battling for their life at the bottom of the league table.

Celtic are the clear favourites to come out on top but as history as proven in years gone by form can often go out of the window in cup football, and St Johnstone will be buoyed by the fact that they actually beat the leaders in their most recent meeting at the start of the month.

The Bhoys in Green are aiming to win the Scottish Cup for a record-breaking 43 times while St Johnstone have only won two major honours but did achieve the feat of an impressive double during the 2020/21 season against the odds. Celtic will look to end the season on a high while Rangers have nothing remaining to play for after their Europa League exit other than delaying their fierce rivals’ title party.

Former Rangers midfielder takes on first managerial role

Ex-Rangers midfielder Aaron Ramsey has agreed to take on the Cardiff City’s manager job for the remaining three games of the season as he looks to steer his boyhood club away from the Championship drop zone.

The former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder arrived on loan with great expectations in 2022 but struggled for form in his 10 appearances, scoring just two goals and contributing one assist. He’s best remembered for missing the decisive penalty in the shoot-out loss to Frankfurt in the Europa League final and subsequently had his contract terminated in Turin before joining Nice for one season.

Ramsey has made 21 appearances in total since joining Cardiff and has struggled for fitness at Championship level but now takes on the challenge of replacing Omer Riza who was sacked with the club in 23rd position and one point off safety with three games to spare.

He works alongside ex-Wales international Chris Gunter, Joe Ralls, Tom Hutton, Matthew Bloxham and Gavin Ward in the technical area, with games against Oxford, West Brom and Norwich City on the horizon. Cardiff last played in the third-tier in 2002/03 and were competing in the Premier League as recently as 2019.

Celtic and Rangers stars included in dream team

The PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year for the 2024/25 season has been confirmed and it features a total of six Celtic stars and two Rangers players. Summer signing Kasper Schemichel is selected between the posts, after recording the best defensive record in the division at this stage. Meanwhile, full-back Alistair Johnston and Cameron Carter-Vickers are also credited with their contributions in what has been a formidable backline both in the league and domestic competitions.

John Souttar of Rangers has enjoyed a consistent campaign at the back and is included in the centre-back position while Hearts ace James Penrice also earns a spot in defence. Nicolas Raskin is the only other Rangers player to get a mention at the heart of midfield as he’s paired alongside Hoops skipper Callum McGregor and the ever-reliable Reo Hatate who has been consistent throughout the season.

Daizen Maeda naturally starts in attack after topping the goalscoring charts in recent months. He plays alongside Sam Dalby, whose been an inspired signing for new boys Dundee United along Nicolas Kuhn, who has lived up to the hype after arriving in January 2024.

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