By Alan Duffy

That's it, keep it on the ground son, you're rubbish in the air

Scottish football is often criticised for its lack of technical quality and while this view is often unfair, Aberdeen's Robert Milsom did little to silence the critics on Monday in the Dons' 2-1 win against Dundee United.

There's talk again about Fraser Forster leaving Newcastle for Glasgow Celtic. Fraser Forster could join Celtic in the summer It's a strange position in the Scottish Premier League at the moment, because the usually two team league, could become a one team league shortly. Rangers or Celtic have won the Scottish League since 1985-1986, after Alex Ferguson left Aberdeen to manage Manchester United.

A January weekend to cast off the shackles of league pressure and revel in the romance of what is, at this stage, the most egalitarian of our competitions.
A Scottish Cup weekend. Breathe in the fresh air of potential shocks and brace yourself butchers, bakers and candlestick makers making SPL defences look like part-time amateurs.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been given the FIFA presidential award for services to football. The United manager was presented with the award by FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the FIFA Ballon d'Or gala in Zurich.

Talking about SAF, Blatter said:

"Elite football is all about results and winning and there is no one better at it than him.

Another week spent dodging ever more dire warnings about the state of Scottish football.
This time everything's got a lot Grimmer with Aberdeen losing a lauded protégé to the mysterious land of riches that some people call England.
Highly rated youngster leaves Aberdeen area to chance his arm in England?

Rangers mainstay Maurice Edu has just buried his first goal since September, a drive from the edge of the area to pull the hosts level with rivals Aberdeen on 70 minutes.So that makes two posts with clips to come...- Greg Seltzer

A week away from the blog.
I'd like to explain my absence with exciting tales of derring do. But I can't. The most excitement I got was watching Hibs beat Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup, nailbiting to the end.
No, I've been away largely because I couldn't be arsed for the last week.

Scottish Premier League Match Predictions 11 February 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Below are predictions for all the SPL matches on February 11, 2012. Times listed are GMT or local UK time.

Scottish Premier League Match Predictions

Saturday, 11 February 2012

Dunfermline v Rangers, 12:00 Rangers wins 2-0

Celtic v Inverness, 15:00 Celtic wins 3-1

Hibernian v Aberdeen, 15:00 Aberdeen wins 1-0

Kilmarnock v Hearts, 15:00 1-1 Draw

St Johnstone v Dundee United, 15:00 St Johnstone wins 2-1

St Mirren v Motherwell, 15:00 Motherwell wins 2-1

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Scottish Premier League Match Predictions 11 February 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Scottish Premier League Recap 11 February 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Below is a recap of all the SPL matches on February 11, 2012.

Dunfermline 1-4 Rangers

Rangers get goals from four different players to keep pace in the title race. Dunfermline remains last in the table with a -30 goal difference.

I was seven when Rangers won their first league title of my lifetime.
Up until that point Celtic had won three championships. Aberdeen had matched them. And Dundee United had slipped in with their solitary league win. I seem to just about remember Jim McLean smiling that day.
There's not been much for us non-Old Firm fans to smile about since.

Scottish Premier League Match Preditions 19 February 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Below are predictions for all the SPL matches on February 19, 2012. Times listed are GMT or local UK time.

Aberdeen v St Johnstone, 12:45 Aberdeen wins 1-0

Hibernian v Celtic, 15:00 Celtic wins 2-1

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Scottish Premier League Match Preditions 19 February 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Sir Alex Ferguson, the seventy year old manager of Manchester United, said in an interview with the BBC that he intends to stay in the Old Trafford hot seat for at least two or three more seasons. He has already been in the position for more than two decades and will be close to thirty years by the time he decides to call it a day, if he even does at that time.

Sir Alex Ferguson has today claimed in an interview with Radio 5 Live that he has never discussed which manager will replace him when he's ready to retire.

"Never discussed it it is a dangerous game," said Ferguson. "At this moment in time there are about half-a-dozen managers doing very well in the Premier League, all the others are fighting for their lives.

That time of year when each paper has a riff on the same theme: "Hibs fans don't need reminding that it's been 110 years since their side won the Scottish Cup."
Well, no. We don't.
Yet everybody does remind us. Constantly.
The scraggy punchline of a 110 year joke. Mostly a joke that bludgeons you about the head with no attempt at subtlety.

Scottish Premier League Match Predictions 3 March 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Below are predictions for all the SPL matches on March 3, 2012. Times listed are GMT or local UK time.

Aberdeen v Celtic, 12:00 1-1 Draw

Dunfermline v Motherwell, 15:00 Motherwell wins 2-1

Hibernian v St Mirren, 15:00 1-1 Draw

Kilmarnock v St Johnstone, 15:00 Kilmarnock wins 3-2

Rangers v Hearts, 15:00 Rangers win 2-0

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Scottish Premier League Match Predictions 3 March 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Update: By the season's end Hibs will have endured 16 different kick off times. Here's a fresher look at the situation from 4th April - Hibs: That's Fife
Confirmation that Hibs and Aberdeen will contest the Scottish Cup semi final at 12.15 on Saturday 14th April brought forth a predictable reaction.

Below are predictions for all the SPL matches on March 24, 2012. Times listed are GMT or local UK time.

Aberdeen v Inverness, 15:00 Aberdeen wins 2-1

Dunfermline v St Mirren, 15:00 0-0 Draw

Hibernian v Dundee Utd, 15:00 Hibernian wins 1-0

Kilmarnock v Motherwell, 15:00 Motherwell wins 3-2

St Johnstone v Hearts, 15:00 Hearts wins 2-1

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Below is the SPL table through March 25, 2012.

OVERALL HOME AWAY POS TEAM P W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A GD Pts 1 Celtic 31 24 3 4 64 20 13 1 1 30 6 11 2 3 34 14 44 75 2 Rangers 31 21 4 6 60 23 10 4 2 30 13 11 0 4 30 10 37 57 3 Motherwell 31 16 6 9 41 35 8 3 4 21 16 8 3 5 20 19 6 54 4 Dundee United 31 12 10 9 51 40 6 5 5 21 14 6 5 4 30 26 11 46 5 St Johnstone 30 13 7 10 41 34 6 1 8 20 24 7 6 2 21 10 7 46 6 Heart of Midlothian 31 12 6 13 36 31 9 0 6 25 15 3 6 7 11 16 5 42 7 Kilmarnock 31 8 13 10 34 44 6 6 4 24 23 2 7 6 10 21 -10 37 8 Aberdeen 31 7 12 12 29 34 5 7 4 18 13 2 5 8 11 21 -5 33 9 St Mirren 31 6 14 11 27 41 4 5 6 14 18 2 9 5 13 23 -14 32 10 Inverness 30 8 7 15 34 50 4 4 6 15 21 4 3 9 19 29 -16 31 11 Hibernian 31 5 8 18 30 59 1 6 9 12 28 4 2 9 18 31 -29 23 12 Dunfermline Athletic 31 4 8 19 31 67 0 7 9 17 40 4 1 10 14 27 -36 20

Champions League: 1st & 2nd (qualifying)

Europa League: 3rd , 4th

Relegation: 12th

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Below are predictions for all the SPL matches on March 31, 2012. Times listed are local UK time.

Motherwell v Rangers, 12:00 1-1 Draw

Dundee Utd v Dunfermline, 15:00 Dundee Utd wins 1-0

Hearts v Aberdeen, 15:00 Hearts win 2-0

St Mirren v Kilmarnock, 15:00 St Mirren wins 2-1

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Below are predictions for all the SPL matches on April 7, 2012. Times listed are local UK time.

Kilmarnock v Celtic, 12:00 Celtic wins 2-1

Aberdeen v Dundee Utd, 15:00 Dundee Utd wins 1-0

Dunfermline v Hearts, 15:00 Hearts wins 2-0

Rangers v St Mirren, 15:00 Rangers win 3-1

St Johnstone v Inverness, 15:00 St Johnstone wins 2-1

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Below are predictions for all the Scottish Cup matches on April 14, 2012. Times listed are local UK time.

Aberdeen v Hibernian, 12:15 Aberdeen wins 1-0

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After a week of shrieking SPL outrage, the weekend positively bristles with anticipation and longing.
All eyes are on Hampden.
All stout Scottish footballing hearts are surely longing for an outbreak of football amid the stressful stramashes of the last couple of days.
I imagine there are but few people in Scotland who don't share the view that the ideal scenario for this season's Scottish Cup is for Hibs to beat Aberdeen today before going on to beat Hearts in May's final.

After a week of shrieking SPL outrage, the weekend positively bristles with anticipation and longing.
All eyes are on Hampden.
All stout Scottish footballing hearts are surely longing for an outbreak of football amid the stressful stramashes of the last couple of days.
I imagine there are but few people in Scotland who don't share the view that the ideal scenario for this season's Scottish Cup is for Hibs to beat Aberdeen today before going on to beat Hearts in May's final.

The craziest thing about Messi's goal here is his closing speed. Look how quickly he toggles the afterburners to run onto this shot. You never think you'll be surprised by Messi again, and then he scores again. Aberdeen's Rory Fallon channels Zidane on this wonder strike. A sly finish from Ganso, Neymar's forgotten transfer-rumored teammate.

As Craig Beattie set off on his mad celebratory dash around the Hampden track on Sunday the realisation dawned: not without controversy, perhaps, but Hearts were on their way to an unlikely all-Edinburgh Scottish Cup final.
Unlikely because Hearts went into the semi-final against SPL champions Celtic as underdogs.

The Portland Timbers have been in search for upgrades at the fullback positions, and the club addressed that need on Wednesday.

The Timbers signed Scottish left back Steven Smith -- Timbers forward Kris Boyd's former teammate at Rangers -- adding another option out wide defensively for coach John Spencer.

If Manchester United get a better result than City at the weekend, they will retain the title. Chances of this happening are unlikely though, considering City have QPR at home and United have Sunderland away.

What works in our favour is that QPR are fighting a relegation battle so will be desperate for even one point.

Below are television listings for all the Scottish Premier League matches on May 12, 2012. Times listed are local UK time.

Aberdeen v St Mirren, 15:00 Not televised

Dunfermline v Kilmarnock, 15:00 Not televised

Inverness CT v Hibernian, 15:00 Not televised

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One thing is for sure. At 6pm tomorrow Manchester will be awash with celebration, while in many pubs and homes some of its inhabitants will despair and wonder how it was possible for this to happen. The only thing to determine is the colour of the people celebrating but following United's recent stutter, it seems [.

This time last week Hibs were looking forward to a once in a lifetime Scottish Cup final.
Harold Wilson was a Huddersfield Town supporter so he probably knew that if a week is a long time in politics it can be an eternity in football.
A fairly miserable eternity at that.
The Hibs team that turned up at Hampden lacked belief and lacked desire.

This time last week Hibs were looking forward to a once in a lifetime Scottish Cup final.
Harold Wilson was a Huddersfield Town supporter so he probably knew that if a week is a long time in politics it can be an eternity in football.
A fairly miserable eternity at that.
The Hibs team that turned up at Hampden lacked belief and lacked desire.