Rangers Struggle as Celtic and Hearts Shine in Scottish Premiership
The Scottish Premiership is only just rubbing the sleep from its eyes, but the early storylines are already sharp. Derek McInnes is still hunting a first win as Rangers manager. Celtic’s £11m striker has answered the noise. Hearts have reminded everyone they are not yesterday’s news. And St Mirren, quietly and efficiently, are looking down on almost everyone.
At Ibrox, though, it felt like last season all over again.
New face, old problems at Rangers
Derek McInnes insists Rangers “aren’t as bad as people think”. The evidence keeps arguing back.
He shuffled his back four again for Hibernian’s visit, searching for a combination that might finally settle them. Instead, the same cracks opened up. New signing Vanja Dragojevic hauled Josh Kerr to the ground for a penalty, a moment that summed up a defence still unsure of its shape and its responsibilities.
The mistakes are not isolated. They are a pattern, and the Ibrox crowd knows it.
Every misjudged tackle, every lapse in concentration, every cheap chance conceded drags the memory straight back to last season’s collapse. The frustration is starting to feel baked in. When you add the sight of Youssef Chermiti being stretchered off – after Rangers had already knocked back a big-money offer from Galatasaray – the mood dipped from anger into something closer to dread.
Across the technical area, David Gray was honest enough to admit Hibs “rode their luck” at times. They did. But they also dug in, stayed compact, and carried the belief from an impressive Conference League qualifying win into one of the most demanding away days in the country. The reward was a statement victory and a little more air around their head coach’s shoulders.
For McInnes, the wait goes on. New manager, same Rangers questions.
Hogh finds his voice in Celtic colours
Kasper Hogh did not stroll into Celtic Park quietly. An £11m fee makes sure of that. With that price tag comes judgement, and after a wasteful debut against Dundee, the Danish striker heard plenty of it.
At Rugby Park, he turned the volume down.
On Kilmarnock’s new grass pitch, Hogh needed just 35 minutes to score three times and change the tone of the conversation. His movement was sharp, his timing ruthless. He drifted into pockets of space, peeled off defenders, and made the penalty area feel like his natural habitat.
Yes, Kilmarnock’s defending was wretched. Neil McCann wants his team to be open and expressive, but when that openness turns into a gaping wound, strikers of Hogh’s quality will feast. Benjamin Nygren and Luke McCowan joined in as Celtic ran up the score and moved top on goal difference.
Nine goals conceded in two league games tells McCann exactly where the surgery is needed. If Kilmarnock do not tighten up quickly, the season risks becoming another long flirtation with the relegation fight.
For Celtic, the story is different. They already knew Hogh’s price. Now they have a clearer idea of his value.
Vrancken’s Hearts show their teeth
Wouter Vrancken has not had an easy introduction to life at Hearts. European defeats, a late collapse at Aberdeen, and a general sense that last season’s title push might have been a glorious one-off had the doubters circling early.
Dundee United arrived at Tynecastle Park at the wrong time.
Hearts needed a response after a 6-1 Europa League qualifying hammering. They produced it. In front of their own crowd, they found a fluency that had been missing, snapping into challenges, attacking with conviction and, crucially, holding their shape at the back.
Everything seemed to click in the final third. The Jambos were missing six players through injury and suspension, yet still looked like a side with depth and purpose. That matters in a season that will again stretch them across multiple fronts.
The scoreline flattered them, though. Dundee United had plenty of the ball, carved out chances, and repeatedly worked their way into promising positions. What they lacked was the final touch, the cold-blooded moment that turns pressure into points.
Hearts won. Vrancken finally had a performance that resembled the team he wants to build. It felt like the first proper step away from the shadow of last season, not just a defiant one-off.
Phillips lifts St Mirren – but for how long?
Top of the league, maximum points, and back-to-back clean sheets. St Mirren could hardly have scripted a better start.
Killian Phillips is at the centre of it. After scoring twice on the opening day, he decided the battle of the Saints in Paisley from the penalty spot, edging out newly promoted St Johnstone. His influence grows with every game; so does the interest in him.
Manager Craig McLeish has been open about the situation. Phillips is into the final year of his contract, and his boss has vowed to help him secure the best move he can. That kind of honesty is refreshing. It is also a reminder that this version of St Mirren, level with Celtic at the summit for now, may not look the same once the window closes.
On the pitch, they were clinical where St Johnstone were not. The visitors played with confidence, buoyed by a winning return to the top flight, but the sharpness deserted them when it mattered. No shots on target in the first half, a missed penalty, the woodwork rattled. The performance was encouraging; the finishing was not.
In a tight league, those are the afternoons that linger.
Dundee rise as Aberdeen stall
Seven days can twist a narrative beyond recognition. Aberdeen, hailed for their late fightback against Hearts, walked into Dens Park and stumbled badly.
They had not been outstanding against the Jambos, but they had shown resilience, staying in the contest and finding a way to turn it. Against Dundee, that steel vanished. The travelling support did not disguise their anger; the boos were loud and pointed.
Steven Pressley’s side earned a 2-0 win that felt, if anything, a little kind on Aberdeen. Dundee were sharper, hungrier, and more ruthless. Joe Bevan embodied that edge, scoring one and setting up another as they collected their first points of the season after a narrow defeat at Celtic Park.
These two will see each other again on Saturday in the League Cup. Pressley will demand a repeat. Stephen Robinson, by contrast, needs a reaction and a reset. Quickly.
Motherwell’s quiet momentum
When Jens Berthel Askou left Motherwell, anxiety followed. A stable project can unravel quickly in Scottish football, and there were fears the Steelmen might be about to slide.
Alfred Johansson has not allowed it.
Under the Swedish manager, Motherwell remain unbeaten both in Europe and at home. A clean sheet against Falkirk will not dominate headlines, but it will strengthen belief inside the dressing room that another top-four finish is not a fantasy.
Motherwell started the brighter side at Fir Park, moving the ball with purpose and pinning Falkirk back. The Bairns grew into the game, found their rhythm, and emerged with a point that felt hard-earned. For John McGlynn, who has lost key players, that display offers something to build on as they head into their first break of the season.
The early table is no more than a sketch, but the outlines are clear enough. Rangers are stuck in their old loop. Celtic’s new striker has found his range. Hearts are breathing again. St Mirren are daring to look up.
The question now is who can hold their nerve when the novelty of August gives way to the grind of autumn.
