Ferguson, Cameron and Dundee Utd v Hibs in spotlight

Game of day - Dundee United v Hibernian

Having overtaken a faltering Aberdeen and with nobody else seemingly capable of mounting a challenge for third spot behind Celtic and Rangers, it was all looking rosy for Dundee United - until a few weeks ago.

But the Dons have stopped their rot while Hibs have also come up on the rails to make it a three-horse race.

Now David Gray's Leith side head to Tannadice on Wednesday unbeaten in 13 games, their latest being Saturday's commendable 2-1 home win over leaders and reigning champions Celtic.

Six of those games - three of them wins - have come on the road and their five-match unbeaten run away from home in the league is their longest since a stretch of nine in 2017.

Another victory on Tuesday would take them above their hosts on goal difference.

Despite Saturday's 1-0 win at home to struggling Motherwell ending a four-game losing streak, United already find themselves back behind Aberdeen by a point.

Manager Jim Goodwin, though, has won each of his last four Premiership home games against Hibs - two with Aberdeen, two with United – his longest such run against any side in his managerial career.

Overall, United are unbeaten in six meetings between the sides, winning their three at Tannadice and drawing the others, since a 3-1 home defeat in December 2021.

However, Hibs are a different beast since their 3-2 defeat at Tannadice in October and a 1-1 draw at Easter Road in November.

Considering the two sides have not finished 0-0 in the league since August 2007, we should be assured of at least a goal or two again.

Player to watch - Lyall Cameron (Dundee)

While his future team-mates at Ibrox are in turmoil with the loss of their manager, Lyall Cameron's job until joining Rangers in the summer is to help Dundee out of the relegation play-off spot.

Their visit to Motherwell is crucial considering Wednesday's hosts are one place and four points above, but it should be one for the 22-year-old midfielder to relish.

Cameron has scored five goals in his five Premiership appearances against the Steelmen – the only opponent against whom he has scored more than twice in the top-flight.

He also has the added burden of having to impress a new manager given he thought he would be playing under the now-departed Clement at Ibrox come next season.

Cameron will be keen to make sure Michael Wimmer suffers a second successive defeat since taking over as Well manager - the side's sixth in a row overall and seventh without a win.

Dundee themselves have only won once in five, losing the other four, but will be aiming for a hat-trick of wins over Motherwell this season.

That includes October's win at Fir Park, where - you've guessed it - Cameron scored the only goal of the game before a double in their 4-1 at Dens Park in December.

Manager in spotlight - Barry Ferguson (Rangers)

It was no surprise to hear Barry Ferguson admit that he thought his dream of becoming manager of his beloved Rangers had long since gone.

The 47-year-old has been out of football management since resigning as boss of part-time Alloa Athletic nearly exactly three years ago.

Ferguson's managerial journey started promisingly when he helped Blackpool avoid relegation from the Championship as caretaker player-manager, but it stalled when Clyde lost a promotion play-off final to Queen's Park and he left the following season with the Bully Wee sitting eighth in Scottish League 2.

He resurrected his reputation by leading Kelty Hearts to the Lowland League title then a play-off win over Brechin City that took the Fife club into the Scottish Professional Football League for the first time.

However, rather than seek a further promotion, he jumped up a league and moved the 19 miles along the road to Recreation Park only to resign before the end of his first term with Alloa sitting eighth in League 1.

Ferguson's Rangers role has more recently been as a club ambassador and appearances for legends teams in charity games, but now he has been thrust back into the spotlight as head coach until the summer.

Speaking on Rangers TV, publicly at least, he seemed to accept his role was merely to steady the ship until a permanent successor to Clement is chosen.

However, deep down anyone in his position, especially someone who was so adored at Ibrox as a player, will be hoping to be such a success that he forces the board, or the potential new owners negotiating a takeover, to think again.

In former team-mates Neil McCann and Billy Dodds, he has certainly surrounded himself with assistants with more experience of managing at higher levels and is already promising changes to make Rangers more attack-minded.

Indeed, their first game in charge brings them head-to-head with another former Rangers player who has long been linked with the Ibrox job - Derek McInnes.

McInnes has won two (and lost two) of his home games against Rangers as Kilmarnock boss, while the Ayrshire side of have won six of their latest 12 home games against the Glasgow side, losing only five.

The latest victory was by a single goal in October and they go into Wednesday's game having won five of their latest seven home games overall.

However, Rangers gained revenge by thrashing Kilmarnock 6-0 at Ibrox in December and Ferguson will be hoping to match the 3-1 wins on their latest two Premiership away days to cast off the blues that followed Saturday's defeat by St Mirren and led to Clement's departure.