LMSL

Photo courtesy Martin Le Roy (via Wikimedia Commons)

Neither Aberdeen nor Heart of Midlothian has managed to impress so far in the current Clydesdale Bank Premier League campaign, and that could make for a nervous occasion when the two clubs meet at Pittodrie on Saturday.

Things have looked relatively up for both teams in recent weeks – Aberdeen earned a pair of respectable draws away to Rangers and Kilmarnock in its last two league matches, and Hearts has won two of its last three in all competitions, if you include the Jambos’ Co-operative Insurance Cup victory over Dunfermline on Sept. 26 – but neither team has really left much of a mark on the season as a whole so far.  A lot of problems may boil over, then, if either team loses in this weekend’s key match, whereas the potential victor would likely vault itself into a reasonably healthy position in the league.

Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee will likely feel that his side is the slight favorite coming into Saturday’s clash, seeing as the Dons are at home, but to say that his side has been sheepish in front of goal so far – no pun intended – would be a bit generous, and that’s something that the Dons will need to work on if they want to move up the SPL table as the season progresses.

They’ll get as good a chance as ever this Saturday, though, as they face a Hearts team that may have a decent track record when playing up at Pittodrie, but manager Csaba László’s Hearts has been similarly lacking in flair in the final third of the pitch this season, leaving the Edinburgh club in eighth place in the SPL with seven points from a possible 21.

Aberdeen has slightly less to lose from Saturday’s match, as the Dons would likely still stay ahead of Hearts on goal difference should Saturday’s visitors to Pittodrie come away with a win, but the pressure is on both teams to come up with a statement win, especially considering neither team has really broken away from the logjam that is beginning to build at the bottom of the SPL standings.

McGhee told BBC Sport that he is surprised by Hearts’ mediocre start to the season, but that his Dons should worry equally as much about their own performance on Saturday as they try and climb up the league table, which currently sees them in the sixth spot with 10 points from seven games.

“I expected Hearts to be one of the pacemakers, and certainly in the top six,” McGhee said.  “I think eventually they will re-establish themselves in the top six, and we’ve got to guard against their surge starting (Saturday).

“But I still think it’s about ourselves – if we can gel and score goals, and still be as difficult to beat. I think it’s in us.”

For information the SPL’s other matchups this weekend, follow along after the jump.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Rangers will try to keep pace with league-leading Celtic as the Teddy Bears travel to Perth to face a St. Johnstone team that earned its first victory of the season in its last match, a 2-0 win away to Hamilton Academical on Oct. 3.  Saints manager Derek McInness will try and nab the club’s first SPL victory at McDiarmid Park after seven years away from the Scottish top flight, but while Rangers has suffered some unfortunate slip-ups so far this season, ‘Gers manager Walter Smith will be keen to make sure that his team builds on the momentum gained from its victory in the Old Firm derby over Celtic two weeks ago.  Therefore, while the Perth pack may score on Saturday, the smart money isn’t on a win for the hosts.

Speaking of the Old Firm, though, Celtic has had two weeks to stew over their loss to their hated rivals at Ibrox, and manager Tony Mowbray’s men will look to take their frustrations out on Motherwell as the Steelmen come to Parkhead.  ‘Well boss Jim Gannon will be happy with his team’s performance so far this season, which currently sees the Fir Park club in fifth position in the SPL table, but Celtic will be desperate to earn its first home victory in nearly a month, having last won at Celtic Park in Sept. 20’s 2-1 triumph over Hearts.  It won’t be easy for Mowbray’s Hoops, then, given the level of competition, but with Celtic both at home and so in need of a win to stay top of the league, chances are they’ll take all three points on Saturday.

Second-bottom side Hamilton Academical faces a trip to fourth-place Dundee United on Saturday, and despite the gap between the two teams in the league standings, United manager Craig Levein may be in for a difficult game here.  The Terrors are missing a lot of players – especially in the middle of the park – due to injury and suspension, and while the Accies haven’t won since Sept. 13, Levein will have to hope that his younger players don’t squander their big chance on Saturday.  A win on Saturday for his team could put United in third behind Rangers on goal difference if other results go the Terrors’ way, so expect Levein’s men to try and make Hamilton’s trip to Tannadice as unpleasant as possible.

The only club below Hamilton in the SPL table, Falkirk will be hoping to finally earn its first victory of the season on Saturday as it welcomes seventh-place St. Mirren to Westfield.  The Bairns very clearly lack a cutting edge in front of the opposing goal, but Falkirk, which isn’t as bad a side as some SPL cellar-dwellers have been in recent seasons, has to feel that it’s due for a victory, and St. Mirren at home is as good a chance as they’ll have to pick up three points in the near future.  Nobody can argue with the Buddies’ mid-table position that Saturday’s visitors to Falkirk currently find themselves in, but St. Mirren manager Gus MacPherson will really need to keep his players on their toes if they don’t want to slip up in what is a reasonably dangerous fixture for them.

Lastly, third-place Hibernian welcomes ninth-place Kilmarnock to Easter Road on Saturday afternoon, and Hibs manager John Hughes will be looking for a win to make up for the Edinburgh club’s 1-1 draw at home against Dundee United on Oct. 3, a game that Hibs really should have wrapped up before giving up an equalizer to the visitors on 72 minutes.  Killie will feel equally unfortunate after failing to overcome Aberdeen at Rugby Park last time out, and they will be keen to try and get past a Hibs defense that, despite the club’s high place in the league table, hasn’t been entirely consistent so far this season.

Matthew Semisch