Of the two, Blinker appeared the more capable of causing defenses problems. The former Sheffield Wednesday player showed an exemplary first touch but frequently lacked an outlet when closed down Larsson’s poor touch too often saw him lose possession. The mention of Pierre van Hooijdonk, Paolo Di Canio and Jorge Cadete before a game was enough a year ago to raise the roof in anticipation. The most telling contribution of the afternoon came from the home supporters, who jeered their side in the second half.They cannot be fooled – even as the teams were announced it was clear they are unconvinced by the new signings. Thereafter, Dunfermline came close to increasing their lead before Hamish French scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 76th minute.Dunfermline’s first win over Celtic for seven years exposed the flaws in the side The defence was insecure while the front men fired blanks.

Defeat by Hibs was seen as unfortunate, the players had not adjusted to each other and there were communication problems with the tactics. But to lose to Dunfermline is unforgivable in the eyes of Celtic’s support.The Celtic defence allowed Allan Moore to elude Tosh McKinlay before squaring the ball to the unmarked David Bingham, who equalised an Andreas Thom penalty with just 47 seconds of the second half gone. Those supporters’ aspirations were as fragmented as their defence at the end of a 90 minutes which clearly demonstrated that Jansen has some way to go before he produces a side that can hope to compete for the league.
Tommy Burns paid the ultimate price for failing to beat Rangers in the title race: if he is to succeed in his first season Jansen will now do so against the handicap of losing the first two games that leaves Celtic at the bottom of the Premier Division. West Brom may yet mount a promotion challenge, even in the company of more fancied rivals. Crewe, on the other hand, will need to learn quickly, one suspects, even to stand still.Goals: Hunt (25 pen) 0-1; Adebola (35) 1-1; Rivers (63) 2-1; Hughes (85) 2-2; Hughes (90) 2-3.Crewe Alexandra (5-2-2-1): Kearton; Unsworth, Westwood, Lightfoot, Smith, Johnson; Lunt, Charnock; Garvey, Rivers; Adebola. Substitutes not used: Pope, Moralee, Street.West Bromwich Albion (4-4-2): Miller; Holmes, Mardon, Murphy, Nicholson; Flynn (Smith, 82), Sneekes (Hamilton, 65), Butler, Kilbane; Peschisolido (Hughes, 57), Hunt.Referee: A Leake (Darwen).

Bookings: Crewe Westwood; Albion Flynn, Butler, Kilbane.Man of the match: Hughes Attendance: 5,234.. As he searches for answers to his side’s disastrous start to the season, Wim Jansen, the Celtic coach, will know today that he has to move quickly to give supporters of the club hope for the future. He celebrated like one, too, as Crewe’s defence collapsed in the last five minutes, allowing him twice to shoot past Jason Kearton with an ease that left them shamefaced.Hughes thus gave Harford six points from two matches to reflect a summer of calculated squad building at The Hawthorns, where every senior player now has an understudy waiting to fill his shoes at the first hint of failing form. Kenny Lunt, a 17-year-old summoned with team-mate Seth Johnson into England’s under-18 squad last week, brought composure beyond his years to the midfield once dominated by Neil Lennon, Danny Murphy and Robbie Savage, the latest of Gradi’s Premiership graduates.Dele Adebola, his 22-year-old centre-forward, ploughed a lone furrow with tireless effort even in draining heat, and Mark Rivers, a 21-year- old who might also go on to greater things, worked a splendid goal with the help of Steve Garvey’s precise return pass.But it was another 21-year-old who stole the show. Lee Hughes, a prolific goalscorer with Kidderminster in the GM Vauxhall Conference, joined West Brom for pounds 200,000 in the summer to fulfil a lifetime’s dream as a dyed-in-the-wool Baggie. Gradi signed John Pemberton from Leeds, a player with Premiership pedigree, only to discover during a Coca- Cola Cup defeat against Bury last week that howlers are not the preserve merely of greenhorns.Even so, there were things to admire in Crewe’s game as Gresty Road witnessed its opening First Division fixture. They look uncomfortable there so far, perhaps unnerved by the intensity of competition.It poses a dilemma for Gradi, renowned master of football’s foremost finishing school.

Principles dictate that he continues his grooming of bright-eyed young men yet even Gresty Road’s educated audience will not accept failure lightly.Strength and experience keep strikers of Andy Hunt’s calibre at bay, qualities that the likes of Ashley Westwood, Crewe’s 20-year-old centre- back, will have to wait a while to acquire. Not that defenders of the necessary standard are easily found. Perennial stalwarts of the lower divisions, Gradi’s youthful side crept into the uncharted territory of the First Division through the play-offs. You’ve seen it here: we’ve never been under siege but we’ve conceded three goals You make mistakes at this level and you are punished. My under-14s would have defended the last goal better.”The level, of course, is new to Crewe. “Our midfield has been so good it has disguised the other problems elsewhere The fact is that our defence is not good enough.

Sending- off: Dundee United Malpas.Man of the match: Charnley.Attendance: 7,344.. Crewe Alexandra 2 West Bromwich Albion 3

The smiles belonged to Ray Harford, the latest manager charged with restoring West Brom’s dimly recalled past glory, and Lee Hughes, whose two late goals swung the game. But there was even the hint of one on Dario Gradi’s lips, that of a coach watching a theory proved.
“I’ve had suspicions about our defence for some time,” he said. Brian Grant touched the ball to Charnley inside the penalty area, the United defence were expecting a shot but Charnley cleverly played a reverse pass to Paul Tosh, and he drilled the ball beyond Dijkstra and in to the far corner of the net.Goals: Winters (22) 1-0; Tosh (77) 1-1.Dundee United: Dijkstra; Bowman, Malpas, Pressley, Perry, Pedersen, Winters (Olafsson, 78), Zetterlund, McSwegan (McLaren, h-t), Dolan, Thompson (Duffy, 68).Hibernian: Gottskalksson; W Miller, Adjovi-Boco, Charnley, Hughes, Welsh (Grant, 36), Dow, Power (Tosh, 73), Lavety (G Miller, 83), Harper, McGinlay.Referee: J Rowbotham (Kirkcaldy).Bookings: Dundee United Malpas Hibernian Hughes, W Miller, Lavety.