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5 things we learned from Scottish football this weekend

5 things we learned from Scottish football this weekend
© Reuters
Celtic saw their title charge slowed by a goalless draw against Livingston while there more unsavoury scenes involving supporters.

Celtic's title celebrations have been put on ice after they were held by Livingston to a 0-0 draw at Parkhead.

Here Press Association Sport takes a look at five other things we learned from the weekend's Ladbrokes Premiership action.

1. Shameful scenes show no sign of relenting

Scottish football has spent too much time this season in the spotlight for the wrong reasons with a string of incidents involving coin throwing, pitch invasions and offensive chants damaging the game's reputation. Managers, clubs and the governing body have appealed to supporters to behave until they are blue in the face but it has made no difference as the shameful scenes continued on an almost weekly basis. The latest incidents saw a coconut and smoke bombs hurled onto the Tynecastle pitch during Saturday's Edinburgh derby, while 24 hours later Rangers skipper James Tavernier had to dodge a lighter thrown by a Motherwell fan. When will sense prevail?

2. Steven Gerrard must look to replicate Scott Arfield signing this summer

There have rightly been questions asked about the performance of the Rangers boss in his debut campaign at Ibrox, especially his effectiveness in the transfer market, but there can be little complaints about the signing of Arfield. The 30-year-old has contributed 11 goals so far since moving on a Bosman switch from Burnley and his first ever career hat-trick sealed a 3-0 win against Motherwell. Gerrard will hope his next batch of new recruits this summer can provide similar value.

3. Craig Levein under strain after derby defeat

Hearts boss Craig Levein came in for stick from his own side's supporters after losing to Hibs
Hearts boss Craig Levein came in for stick from his own side's supporters after losing to Hibs (Ian Rutherford/PA)

Hearts started the season like a runaway train but the Tynecastle support were not happy as their side hit the buffers against city foes Hibernian on Saturday. The 2-1 defeat to Paul Heckingbottom's men sparked a furious response from the Gorgie faithful, who have become disillusioned with the 'one-dimensional' tactics employed by boss Levein. The former Scotland manager has already stated he hopes to introduce some more flair into the side over the summer but the remainder of the current campaign could become ugly unless his team can find a way to soothe the fans' disgruntlement.

4. Anders Dreyer coming into bloom at perfect time for St Mirren

The on-loan Brighton ace has taken his time to settle in Paisley since making his January switch. But the Danish Under-21 winger made his biggest contribution so far as he inspired the Buddies to a valuable point against Hamilton, scoring their equaliser from the penalty spot. Oran Kearney's men remain four points behind Accies and outright safety after the 1-1 draw but Dreyer's emergence as a key man at the business end of the season could be just the boost they need.

5. Dundee left with little room for error

Dundee manager Jim McIntyre admits his side need four wins from their last five games to stand a chance of staying up
Dundee manager Jim McIntyre admits his side need four wins from their last five games to stand a chance of staying up (Jane Barlow/PA)

Jim McIntyre was hoping his January refurbishment would spark a revival in fortunes at Dens Park. But seven straight defeats have seen the Dark Blues slump three points adrift at the bottom. McIntyre admitted after his side's 2-0 defeat to Aberdeen that his team would likely require four wins out of their last five games if they were to beat the drop, but that looks a tall order for a team whose confidence levels have hit rock bottom.

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Rangers manager Steven Gerrard celebrates on December 29, 2018
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Gerrard urges fans to stop causing unsavoury scenes after Tavernier incident
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool33257175205582
2Manchester CityMan City32262483216280
3Chelsea33206757342366
4Tottenham HotspurSpurs322111060342664
5Arsenal32196765402563
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd32187761431861
7Leicester CityLeicester33145144644247
8Wolverhampton WanderersWolves32138114039147
9Everton33137134642446
10Watford32137124747046
11West Ham UnitedWest Ham33126154150-942
12Crystal Palace33116163943-439
13Bournemouth33115174461-1738
14Burnley33106174060-2036
15Newcastle UnitedNewcastle3398163143-1235
16Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton3196163246-1433
17Southampton3289153653-1733
18Cardiff CityCardiff3284202861-3328
RFulham3345243076-4617
RHuddersfield TownHuddersfield3335251963-4414

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