Big Amo's last game for Rangers, he was sure to make his mark on the
Scottish Cup Final, whether it be with a horrific mistake, a brilliant
tackle, a free-kick hoofed towards the Fenwick Moor or, the best of all
options, the one and only goal of the game. Ye-e-e-e-esssss! What a way to
go, big man!
But does it really have to be this way? The clearest message I can get from
all the Amo Œexclusives' is that he doesn't want to go. All of which is
very understandable. He knows when he is well off, both on and off the
park, and despite all the hype about the FA Premiership being the best
league in the world (check out Serie A, La Liga and the Bundesliga!), there
is no way Blackburn Rovers can be seen as a bigger club than the famous
Glasgow Rangers.
Of course, Scotland's wonderfully talented sportswriters (?) have become
self-appointed financial experts and we are told the transfer fee plus his
removal from the wage bill is worth three million quid to Rangers. But he
has to be replaced, his replacement must be paid for and, while I don't
suppose Zurab Khizanishvili will be on the same sort of shekels as Amo,
given the extent of the club's debt, I don't see the saving making any
significant difference to our accounts. And if the big fella is missed and
we start leaking goals, it will be economy at a cost, a price certainly not
worth paying.
So if he has to leave Ibrox, it must be a football decision, a move
considered and approved by Alex McLeish and Alex McLeish alone. Martin Bain
and the other bean-counters in the boardroom cannot be allowed to stray into
Big Eck's domain and weaken the team, regardless of the grim financial
position. They must find money from other sources because, without a team
capable of matching and surpassing the achievements of the past 18 months,
Rangers' debt will become even more unmanageable and the spiral of decline
could be traumatic, tragic even.
But Big Eck is no mug. I reckon he has had a good look at the situation
and, knowing Amo could walk for sweet FA next year, he has decided now is
his time to go. In Khizanishvili he has found a younger man to fill the
void and, once he settles, he could be around The Brox for a long time to
come. The alternative scenario is not acceptable. If the directors are
calling the shots, the manager must face up to them, make it clear Amo is a
valued player (despite his occasional brainstorms, he is!) and any attempt
to push him, or any other prized asset, towards the exit door must be
resisted. Without wishing to be too dramatic, it should be a resignation
issue.
As for Amo, his Ibrox career has been a love/hate white-knuckle ride. His
first year was a write-off and most of us were tempted to dismiss him as a
conman who had fast-talked his way to a lucrative contract while knowing he
was nursing a serious injury. But an impressive debut as a sub in a 2-1 Cup
semi-final victory over Sellick at their place got him into the good books,
although we got a sneak preview of the other Amo when he was sent off at
Sheepietown, then fell asleep in the Cup Final and allowed Stephane Adam to
get behind him for the Jambos' crucial second goal.
However, he clearly clicked with Tricky Dicky, became the Caat Man's
captain, and for much of the past five years he has been a big favourite.
Let there be no doubt about it, as a no-nonsense centre-half he is in a
class of his own and even 'him-wi-the-tongue', the falling-down artist some
would have you believe is the best striker in Europe, has taken very few
liberties with Amo. And in Europe, hardly our most successful hunting
ground, the big man has shone, showing himself to be more than capable of
strutting his stuff at the highest level.
But he has also had his 'other' moments. When Amo the centre-half decides
he wants to be Lorenzo, the new Bobby Moore-Franz Beckenbauer clone, he is
an accident waiting to happen and, sadly, we have all witnessed more prangs
than we'd care to remember. If he does go to Blackburn and indulges in his
delusions at Ewood Park, it does not take the most vivid imagination to
picture a certain Mr Souness engaging in a frank exchange of views across
the dressing-room floor. Don't say you weren't warned, Amo!
If he is to be on his way, all True Blues will wish the big guy well. Over
the piece, he was an excellent Ranger and he will certainly be missed, at
least until the new man finds his feet, but Alex McLeish knows a thing or
two about defending and will surely have reached a calculated decision.
Anyone with any sense knows this is the only way it can be. It is all a
matter of trust, of the board's trust in the manager and of his in them, and
that faith must percolate through to the players. Any action which breaks
that bond is a self-destruct policy sure to reap a grim harvest.
Rangers fans' belief in Big Eck is total. Any attempt to impose unwanted
measures on how he goes about his business will have an adverse effect on
the stature of the club, the credibility of the manager and the strength of
the team...and the mood of the fans.
It must not be allowed to happen.
LITTLE BOY BLUE