Having already focussed on the Scottish game here and here , I'm returning to it again before the bigger leagues (i.e. the richer ones) kick off in the coming weeks and the more glamorous teams hog the headlines again.
Celtic walked away with the title last year 17 points clear of Hearts in second place. Rangers finished one point further behind in third - failing to even get in the qualifying round of the Champions League, unthinkable for a side of their stature in a league that has been a two-horse race since the mid-80s.
Rangers are one of the big two sides in Glasgow (the other being Celtic) and are known rather incongruously as the Teddy Bears by those who support them and disparagingly as the Hun by those who don't (the rest of Scotland).
After their dismal showing last season, the Ibrox Park board sacked coach Alex McLeish and replaced him with young French manager Paul Le Guen. This was a bit of a coup for the Gers (and Scottish football in general) as Le Guen is one of the hottest of properties in management and had led Lyon to four consecutive French league titles before taking a year off from the game.
In that time he was linked with just about every top club in Europe before surprising all and sundry by deciding to take the trip up to Scotland. What was also of note was that Le Guen is the first Roman Catholic manager of Rangers - which sadly is a big deal in Glasgow.
One thing to remember about Scottish football is the hatred between the two Glaswegian sides is more than just sporting but religious as well - Rangers are the Protestant side associated with loyalty to the British Crown while Celtic are the Catholic side associated with immigration from Ireland - hence the charming chants about the IRA and wading in Fenian blood when the two sides face each other - a merciless four times in the league and usually in at least one of the two cup competitions that run north of the border.
Things haven't gone brilliantly for Le Guen in his brief Rangers career so far - even before a ball was kicked in anger, an air stewardess nearly was by troublesome and troubled Dutch midfielder Fernando Ricksen on a flight to South Africa where the Scottish club were to conduct a pre-season tour. Ricksen was sent home to a clinic to deal with his anger problems and is now on loan in Russia with Zenit St Petersburg.
Once the football actually got under way back home, Rangers started the season with a 2-1 win over Motherwell, a result that failed to reflect their superiority. Unfortunately they followed that up with a 2-2 draw at home with Dundee United, needing two goals in the last half hour to rescue a point.
On Sunday, Rangers travelled to East End Park to face Dunfermline Athletic and ended up with another draw. Rangers had the majority of play in the first half but failed to convert their chances until Thomas Buffel fired them ahead midway through the second half. Unfortunately for the Gers, Dunfermline proved more competitive than the Glaswegians were expecting and Owen Morrison took advantage of a fumble by new goalkeeper Lionel Letizi to get an equaliser. Dunfermline's Phil McGuire deserves a mention for his doughty defending all game, epitomising the Pars' unwillingness to be upstaged by the Glaswegians at home.
Rangers could have done more damage if their final ball hadn't been so woeful all match - Libor Sionko, another of their new signings, was particularly wasteful down the right but at least they found new impetus in the last twenty minutes when on-loan Manchester United winger Lee Martin came on.
That leaves Rangers sixth in the twelve-team Scottish Premier League on five points. Hearts are the early pace setters on seven points although they could only draw 0-0 at home with second-placed Falkirk on Saturday. Celtic lurk one point behind in third after beating St Mirren 2-0.
Next week Rangers face Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday in another big match early in the Scottish season. It should overshadow the start of the new English season, which begins on the same day, but of course it won't.
Incidentally, the first Glasgow derby is on Saturday, 23rd September. I can't vouch for the football but the atmosphere will be poisonous. If Hearts can keep their form going then even by that early stage both teams could need a win to keep pace with the nouveau riche team from Edinburgh.
My advice is to keep an eye on the competition north of the border this season, it could well be more competitive than what goes on south of the border. Just don't expect to hear much about it once the English Premiership gets going.
