Rangers Frailties Exposed Again as Hogh Shines and Vrancken's Hearts Respond
Derek McInnes walked into Ibrox talking about standards, structure and a fresh start. Two league games in, the scars of last season are still on full display.
Rangers were turned over by a Hibernian side that had already emptied the tank in Europe in midweek. McInnes shuffled his back four again, but the reshaped defence never settled. The key moment summed it up: new signing Vanja Dragojevic lost his bearings, grabbed Josh Kerr and hauled him down for a penalty. Another soft concession. Another self-inflicted wound.
McInnes insists Rangers “aren’t as bad as people think”. The evidence keeps arguing back. The same lapses, the same lack of consistency, the same restless murmur from the stands growing into open anger.
Then came the image that cut deepest. Youssef Chermiti, the striker Rangers had just refused a big-money offer for from Galatasaray, being stretchered off as Ibrox fell silent. A bad performance, a damaging result, and now the prospect of losing a key forward.
Across the technical area, David Gray admitted Hibs “rode their luck” at times. They did. They also showed resilience, discipline and a willingness to suffer that backed up their impressive Conference League qualifying win. That’s two big results in a row for a coach who was under scrutiny not so long ago.
For McInnes, the wait for a first win goes on. The problems he inherited have not yet been coached away.
Hogh answers the noise
Kasper Hogh arrived at Celtic with an £11m fee around his neck and all the expectation that comes with it. His debut against Dundee only turned up the volume: chances missed, groans from the stands, questions about whether the price tag matched the product.
Rugby Park gave him his reply.
On Kilmarnock’s new grass pitch, Hogh exploded into life. Three goals in 35 minutes, each one a little lesson in movement and timing. He peeled off markers, drifted into pockets of space, and punished a Kilmarnock defence that simply could not cope.
The Dane didn’t just score; he read the game a step quicker than everyone around him. His hat-trick set the tone as Celtic tore into Neil McCann’s side, with Benjamin Nygren and Luke McCowan also cashing in during a ruthless attacking display that sent the champions to the top of the table on goal difference.
For Kilmarnock, the numbers are grim. Two Premiership games, nine goals conceded. McCann wants his team to be open, expansive, easy on the eye. Right now, they are easy to play through. If that back line doesn’t tighten up quickly, another season of looking over their shoulders will follow.
Celtic, by contrast, looked like a team that had found its spearhead. Hogh walked off with the match ball and, for now, his critics behind him.
Vrancken’s Hearts finally show their teeth
Wouter Vrancken has barely had time to unpack in Edinburgh, yet already the questions had started. Early European exits, a collapse at Aberdeen, and a team that looked a shadow of the one that went so close to the title last season.
Then came Dundee United at Tynecastle – and a very different Hearts.
Stung by a 6-1 Europa League qualifying hammering, the Jambos needed a response. They delivered it with a performance that felt like a release. In front of goal, everything clicked. At the back, they stood firm. The aggression, the intensity, the conviction that had been missing suddenly returned.
All this with six players out through injury and suspension. That matters. Vrancken has been trying to rebuild rhythm with half a squad; here, at last, he saw a version of Hearts that matched his ambitions.
Dundee United will feel the scoreline flatters the hosts. They saw plenty of the ball, worked openings and forced chances, but the final touch deserted them. Possession without punishment rarely wins games at Tynecastle. They found that out the hard way.
For Vrancken, it was more than three points. It was proof that the doubts about his appointment can wait.
Phillips driving Saints – but for how long?
St Mirren are level with Celtic at the top of the table. Two games, two wins, two clean sheets. It is early, but it is also impressive.
At the heart of it all is Killian Phillips. After his opening-day double, the midfielder settled the “two Saints” clash in Paisley from the penalty spot. One chance, one cool finish, and another match decided by his composure.
His form has not gone unnoticed. Interest is building as he moves into the final year of his contract, and Craig McLeish has been open about helping the player secure the best move when the time comes. That kind of honesty is refreshing. It is also a reminder that St Mirren might be enjoying the Phillips effect for only so long.
St Johnstone, newly promoted and buoyed by a winning return to the top flight, played with belief. They just could not turn it into anything tangible. No shots on target before half-time, a missed penalty, the woodwork rattled. The effort was there; the cutting edge was not. In this league, wastefulness tends to be punished. St Mirren did exactly that.
Dundee rising as Aberdeen stall
Seven days changed everything for Aberdeen. From spirited comeback heroes against Hearts to a side booed off after a limp display at Dens Park.
Steven Pressley’s Dundee did not just win 2-0. They controlled the game to a degree that made the margin look kind. Aberdeen, who had dug so deep late on against Hearts, never found that extra gear. When the travelling support voiced their frustration at full-time, it was hard to argue with them.
Joe Bevan was the standout. A goal, an assist, and a performance that bristled with confidence. After pushing Celtic close at Parkhead in a narrow defeat, Dundee now have their first points on the board and a result that suggests they can do more than just survive.
The two sides meet again on Saturday in the League Cup. Pressley will want the same aggression, the same clarity, the same belief. Stephen Robinson, by contrast, needs a reaction. Quickly.
Motherwell steady under Johansson
When Jens Berthel Askou left Motherwell, there was a sense of unease. A good project, disrupted. A squad that had bought into a style, suddenly facing change.
Alfred Johansson has calmed those nerves. Quietly, efficiently.
Motherwell remain unbeaten under the Swede, in Europe and in the league. A goalless draw with Falkirk extended that run and brought another clean sheet, another small building block in a season where they again aim for the top four.
The Steelmen started the brighter at Fir Park, dictating the early tempo. Falkirk, though, grew into the contest, shaking off their initial hesitancy to earn a point that will feel valuable. John McGlynn has lost key players, yet this display – organised, competitive, resilient – will give his side something to cling to heading into their first break of the campaign.
Across the division, the storylines are already stacking up: a giant still stumbling, a champion sharpening its edge, a new manager finally exhaling, and a surprise leader wondering how long it can keep this pace. The season has barely started. The questions are already biting.
