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.

Celtic v Inverness Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, Betting Odds SPL 11 February 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Celtic have not lost a league match since early October as they host 10th place Inverness in the Scottish Premier League. The match will take place at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday, February 11, 2012.

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

O dia 22 de Dezembro de 2001 dificilmente alguma vez se apagará da memória de Marius Niculae. Até então, o ponta-de-lança romeno estava a fazer uma época de estreia bastante auspiciosa ao serviço do Sporting, tendo marcado, por exemplo, ao FCP na primeira jornada do campeonato e ao AC Milan, na Taça UEFA.

O dia 22 de Dezembro de 2001 dificilmente alguma vez se apagará da memória de Marius Niculae. Até então, o ponta-de-lança romeno estava a fazer uma época de estreia bastante auspiciosa ao serviço do Sporting, tendo marcado, por exemplo, ao FCP na primeira jornada do campeonato e ao AC Milan, na Taça UEFA.

The SPL works off the turkey and mince pies with a full Wednesday evening fixture. The eyes of the world upon us once more. Or at least the eyes of those Sky viewers not tempted by the tungsten superheroes at the Ally Pally.
Celtic v Rangers
Apparently recent form has left some Celtic supporters confident about this one.

We're so close now you can almost smell the reindeer dung. We reach the final window in the SPL Advent calendar. Fling open the curtains and have a nosy at St Mirren.
One thing you can say about St Mirren is that Danny Lennon will do what's best for St Mirren Football Club and what's best for Danny Lennon.

We tend to be quick to condemn the managerial merry-go-round as propelled by the Largs mafia.
But we're also too often suspicious of incomers who come into the SPL with their odd ways and their funny accents.
We should embrace them. Especially if they're such a delightful puzzle as Kenny Shiels.

Carlos Bocanegra scored in Rangers' win over Inverness but both Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya were early subs in the lackluster win.

With all three of Rangers' Americans starting against Inverness, it was the defender getting the goal. Carlos Bocanegra opened the scoring in the 55th minute from the run of play, with Inverness equalizing 12 minutes later. Kyle Lafferty broke that deadlock in the 83rd minute. Lafferty subbed on for Alejandro Bedoya in the 52nd minute.

Day seven of the SPL advent. A trip to the frozen north to see how Inverness are coping this SPL season.
I find Terry Butcher something of an engima. In the past I've - not altogether seriously but not completely in jest - derided him as a bit of an incompetent.
The sort of chap that the Scottish managerial merry-go-round should really jettison for the greater good of the game.

Day seven of the SPL advent. A trip to the frozen north to see how Inverness are coping this SPL season.
I find Terry Butcher something of an engima. In the past I've - not altogether seriously but not completely in jest - derided him as a bit of an incompetent.
The sort of chap that the Scottish managerial merry-go-round should really jettison for the greater good of the game.

Is that a tangerine in your stocking or are you just pleased to see me? Through the great SPL Advent calendar window today: Dundee United.
Consistency, as Motherwell's progress this season has shown, can work wonders in the SPL.
But it eludes three quarters of the league.

Is that a tangerine in your stocking or are you just pleased to see me? Through the great SPL Advent calendar window today: Dundee United.
Consistency, as Motherwell's progress this season has shown, can work wonders in the SPL.
But it eludes three quarters of the league.

Four games in the SPL today.
But I'm distracted by Sir Alex Ferguson's upcoming 25th anniversary as manager of Manchester United. A phenomena. From Govan.
The SPL didn't even exist 25 years ago. We must have had football though, whatever they try and tell us.
Must have had it because I'm sure Alex Ferguson left a top flight Scottish club to take over a top flight English club 25 years ago.

If Neil Lennon is to wrestle the Scottish Premier League title back from rivals Rangers, then a steady central defensive pairing has to be found.

That's the brutal reality that the Celtic boss now faces after watching Glenn Loovens and Dan Majstorovic's latest car crash "performance" in the 2-0 home win against Inverness on Saturday.

Latest updates from United States National Team players both home and abroad: Goalkeepers Guzan, Brad (Aston Villa/BPL) Dressed however did not play in 1-1 draw vs. Queens Park Rangers. Dominic Cervi (Celtic/SPL) Did not dress in 2-0 win over Inverness. Hamid, Bill (DC United/MLS) Started, played full 90 and had 4 saves in 4-1 win [.

The whirligig that is international week has left me struggling for time as we approach the mundane predictability of the SPL.
So this week's SPL preview has been drawn entirely at random.
Not by me.
I've shipped in a glamorous assistant, a glamorous assistant who is the number one draw every Wednesday night at a "gentleman's club" cabaret in Newcastle.

Rangers are expected to step up their efforts to take their former player Danny Wilson back on loan from Liverpool, to strengthen the defence of the Ibrox side.
Manager Ally McCoist has been keen to secure the return of another former Ibrox hero, Carlos Cuellar, but the club has admitted that there will be no move for the injured Aston Villa player in this transfer window.

It was an up and down day for Marurice Edu as he scored a goal but also picked up a red card for Rangers in a win over Inverness on Saturday.

Having taken the early afternoon off from trying to grab a new American, Rangers' resident USMNT midfielder Maurice Edu capped their 2-0 win at Inverness by sweeping up some spot kick garbage. Unfortunately, seven minutes later, he was sent off with a second yellow card. - Greg Seltzer

Do our footballers ever ruminate on how a modern Scotland can persuade the rest of the world that it is embracing innovation and shifting away from our old "tartan and shortbread" image?
Probably not.
But at least one star of yesteryear is probably immensely relaxed about the nostalgic power of plaid and a unleavened biscuit phenomenon.

One of the headlines emanating from the BBC yesterday morning was that you can only have a day out at the football in Britain for under twenty quid at eleven out of 104 league clubs in England and Scotland. By a day out, the BBC talks about the entrance fee for an adult, a matchday programme, a pie and a coffee.

Another week of SPL fixtures with the sun still not set on July. An abbreviated card today and an abbreviated run through from me as babysitting duties call.
St Johnstone v RangersAfter the drama of this week's bout of Goodwillie hunting and the unfortunate reverse against Malmo Rangers get back to league business.

The GameDunfermline make their SPL return with the TV cameras in attendance for the unveiling of last season's championship flag.
I can't truthfully make a prediction without admitting that the game has already started. It's 0-0 right now.
I'll back - despite the evidence of the opening stages - both teams to score and take a point each.

Completing the triangle of opening Saturday fixtures, Stuart McCall's Motherwell host Terry Butcher's Inverness.
The gameTerry Butcher says his team aren't ready. Brutal honesty or bluffing banditry? We'll find out soon enough.
Motherwell lost a Scottish Cup final in their last competitive appearance.

Part one of an entirely prejudiced, unscientific look at 12 players I'll be keeping track of in the SPL this season. Maybe not the biggest stars but a player from each team whose progress I'm interested to follow.
Steven Naismith, Rangers
Steven Naismith turns 25 this September. No longer a kid bursting with potential but a senior member of a championship winning squad with a five year contract under his belt.

Glasgow Rangers clinched three in a row after a quickfire demolition of Kilmarnock on Sunday. Walter Smith's men were three-nil up inside 6 minutes as they clinched the SPL Trophy as the perfect parting gift to their outgoing manager in what may very well be his last game in charge.

What a difference a month makes!

The starter before the main course. The stale garlic bread with mouldy mozzarella before the Old Firm's Wagyu steak.
The bottom six chunter out of view with everything decided and nowt left to play for. Inverness are safe in seventh - and how we thank the split for making seventh place such an aspirational target - and Hamilton are doon.

In the end Hamilton had left their late rally too late. A good couple of months too late.
A season that began with back to back 4-0 defeats ended last night in relegation with a game to spare.
St Johnstone ended up the executioners. But Hamilton had were the authors their own death warrant.

The picture of Neil Lennon booting a bottle of water during Celtic's defeat to Inverness spoke volumes.
Which of his underperforming players was he metaphorically kicking up the backside?
Was this Celtic's bottle crashing?
Football teams often play badly. They often choose the worst game to show themselves at their worst.

The picture of Neil Lennon booting a bottle of water during Celtic's defeat to Inverness spoke volumes.
Which of his underperforming players was he metaphorically kicking up the backside?
Was this Celtic's bottle crashing?
Football teams often play badly. They often choose the worst game to show themselves at their worst.

Where have I been?
What have I missed?
Here and there.
Plenty. Especially last night.
Inverness continue to revel in their role of the poopers at Celtic's party.
I should register my annoyance that the game was even played last night.
If you're going to have a split you should at least split with integrity.

The 2011 Scottish Cup Semi final draw will be made on Monday, 14 March, 2011 around 1 pm UK time. The Scottish Cup semifinal draw 2011 will be conducted at the Inverclyde National Sports Training Centre. Teams involved in the draw for the 2010/11 Scottish Cup semifinal:- Brechin City/ St.Johnstone Aberdeen/St.

One word from a dozen managers to sum up the SPL this weekend:
Aberdeen 5 v 0 KilmarnockCraig Brown: "Pleasing."
Mixu Paatelainen: "Farcical."
Hearts 2 v 1 Dundee UnitedJim Jefferies: "Determination."
Peter Houston: "Cruel."
Inverness 2 v 0 St JohnstoneTerry Butcher: "Effort.

The SPL scoots from the east end of Glasgow to Paisley when the Old Firm is done and dusted. How the other half live.
How the other have live.
Eleventh versus twelfth in the SPL sounds like a relegation clash and both teams will be treating it as such.
In the last few weeks though I think the fear of the drop has been lifted from these two sides.

My predictions were made early this week to allow them to feature on The Commentary Box radio show on Monday (available for download now.)
Last Sunday evening I saw the results going this way:
Aberdeen v Kilmarnock: 2-2
Hearts v Dundee United: 2-0
Inverness v St Johnstone: 1-2
Motherwell v Hamilton: 0-0
Has anything changed?

What a week, what a seismic week.
Scotland dismantled a side ranked above them in the world rankings. Destroyed them with a goal blitz.
Who cares that the FIFA rankings are essentially meaningless or that Northern Ireland were just not very good?
Actually there was a lot to be positive about after Scotland's 3-0 win in Dublin.

Adam Rooney will remember this miss for a while but at least his team Inverness beat Morton 5-1, this was for his hat-trick could ye believe.

Last night's SPL results had ramifications for the teams battling it out at both ends of the table.
St Johnstone's 2-0 win over Hamilton means Hibs remain second bottom as they host third bottom St Mirren. Tonight's result at Easter Road could have a big, big influence on how the relegation battle eventually pans out.