I think what gets to me most is the accountability, or lack of it, these days. We batter into politicians for their lack of morals and rightly so. But are football managers any better, when push comes to shove?
Back in 1963, a British politician got involved with two ‘gas cookers; called Christine and Mandy. This was five years after the British public had been informed: "we’ve never had it so good."
I’m still trying to think what he (John Profumo) did wrong on a national scale? Did he hurt his wife and family? Yes, he most certainly did and brought great hurt and humiliation on them also, I’ll wager. But did he hurt the nation? No, he didn’t. His only crime as they say was in getting caught, old goat that he was.
Fast forward into the modern era and a Tory was found, deceased, with a Tangerine up his arse. And yup that certainly was by all accounts, a hanging offence. It’s all about accountability.
In November 1967, Rangers sacked Scot Symon when we were sitting at the top of the league table. Two years later, also in the month of November, and almost forty years to the day from our latest European humiliation, Rangers sacked Davie White after a 3-1 defeat at Ibrox at the hands of Gornik Zabre.
Were Rangers FC correct in getting rid of those two managers? I really don’t know. I was still a wean, but I am a keen amateur historian of the club, and looking back I can only guess at how the Rangers support of the mid to late 60s, who had dined well on the previous Baxter era, had grown just a tad frustrated. When I say a tad frustrated what I mean was it was pissed off big time.
But as much as we can argue the wheres, the what nots and the rights and wrongs of the Rangers management back then, we do have to say there were certain standards. Being horsed at home by a hitherto unknown mob from Poland being the last straw in Davie White’s case.
So where does that leave us when history peruses the present bunch of chancers who manage us in November 2009?
For those who are not aware, the home reversal at the hands of an average German mob at Ibrox a few days ago, was our fourth successive home defeat in the Champions League proper under Walter Smith. It (four home defeats on the bounce) has never happened before in our European history.
I grew up with a belief that Rangers should never lose at home, and if we did, (such as against Ajax in 1973, and yes I know that was a friendly), we’d have put up a helluva fight in the process.
Walter Smith has presided over our heaviest European defeat at Ibrox. He has, as I have said above, been 'mein host' on the last four home embarrassments. We now have a support that thinks losing 4-1 to Seville was acceptable. (Cos, they play in a pyuir dead brilliant league n’at.)
Walter Smith, for all he has done for us domestically, is a joke on the bigger stage.
Take, for instance, his recent thinking against the Romanian pub team in CL farce game number four. We are a goal up with ten minutes to play. What does he do? He brings on two forwards. It is a must win game, we have that priceless away goal and we go on the offensive with ten minutes to play, away from home? It is, it was, lunacy. It was also the antics of a manager who has totally lost the plot.
We all laughed at the despair of Timbo a few years ago, when they won their three homes games in a CL section yet still went tumbling out. Plus our annual pissout at their continual embarrassment of an away record.
However, read this again and weep. They won all their home games in one season, nine points more than we gained at home this season and as many home wins as Walter has gained in 17 years of Champions League football. For any would be Cilla Blacks out there, you still up forra laugh?
I also read a big mucker of mine saying recently that Walter Smith is up there with William Struth in terms of management at Ibrox. Because of the time of year I am tempted to say ‘Oh no he’s not’. But will instead say: like f*** he is.
Oh, Walter Smith has dignity, and he signed the three genuine world-class talents I have seen in my time at Ibrox in Goram, Laudrup and Gascoigne, but all respect I had for the man was lost last year. I’m not going to bore y’all rigid going through the back catalogue.
How many times do we need to learn from history? Baxter exhorted Scot Symon to sign Charlie Cooke. Mr Symon declined to do so. Go and ask Chelsea fans how he is still thought of down in the smoke?
For me, Walter Smith has to go. For me, he is once again not under pressure because our support is more interested in the failings of the yahoos than seeing what is unfolding in front of our very eyes.
As Alan Price once sang:
He is a lucky man.