A supporter wants to see his team competing; not going through the motions, avoiding tackles, giving less than 100% and with that vital competitive edge missing. Naturally, clubs want to avoid injuries in these so-called uncompetitive fixtures, but they have a duty to both sets of supporters to go for victory, just as in any other match.
When the "customer" is required to pay entry to witness a friendly game, he has the right to expect his team to go for broke, but if the outcome disappoints, a procession of club excuse-makers will be on hand to declare that "the result wasn`t important" because "it was just a friendly".
Rangers are about to face AC Milan, a genuine star turn in the football world, but ticket sales have been less than encouraging even although several celebrity players will be gracing the Ibrox turf. This is disappointing in some respects, but it is healthy too.
Supporters have learned from bitter experience that games of an uncompetitive nature are frequently boring, too often an exercise in self-indulgence and usually a needless waste of money. It was Jock Stein, of all people, who contributed to this flawed thinking in the sport when his Scotland side faced England before a World Cup and he made much of the performance being important, but not the result.
Since then, the football industry, to its own detriment, has asked its public to turn out for friendly games and then made light of a defeat or humiliation, citing the game`s friendly status as a convenient get-out clause for failure. I don`t buy it, and an increasing number of other supporters, not just Rangers fans, don`t buy it either.
This pompous and arrogant thinking in football has to end. The term "friendly" should be binned for good and genuine challenge matches should take their place, and with something worthwhile at stake. Rangers could have made the Walter Tull Trophy available for this game, but doubtless they have forgotten that it even exists, even although it nestles securely in the Rangers Trophy Room.
I should be relishing a contest between Rangers and AC Milan, but in my heart of hearts I know that it won`t be a contest at all. If I thought that the two teams were going to lock horns and set about each other with a competitive ferocity, I`d be there in an instant, but experience suggests otherwise and I`m reluctant to pay good money to fund a high profile training game.
When the sport can convince me that managers and players want to win these games as much as supporters, I`ll be back, but if half-hearted showboating continues to be the norm, I`ll be washing my hair when these games take place.
Should Rangers decide at this late stage to put the Walter Tull Trophy up for grabs in this fixture, I`ll happily buy a ticket, but if it`s just another excuse to see famous players going throught the motions, I`ll pass.
Make it happen, Rangers.