That's The Way To Do It
Hey, ain't it good to be a Bear this Monday morning?
Having sat through Saturday night and Sunday morning grinning at the league table on Teletext, I wasn't looking forward to things changing on Sunday. But of course Sellick have NEVER been able to handle Caley Thistle and, with ace marksman Kenny Miller once more firing blanks, they blew the chance to leapfrog us. GIRUY!!!
In my weekend preview, I said it was time for the Gers to stand up and be counted and the guys did just that. There wasn't a failure in the team, although I'm still a wee bit worried about Karl Svensson. It says it all about our control of the game that the Jambos were reduced to manhandling a ball boy. Well, they couldn't get close enough to any of our players so I suppose the ball boy was the next best thing. If they try that sort of trick in Athens in midweek they won't get out of the place alive!
Right from the first whistle it was clear Rangers were up for it. First to every ball, we bossed the game from start to finish and my only concern was that at half-time we were still on level terms. I worried about Hearts having more of the second half and maybe nicking something but getting the penalty within a minute of the restart, then grabbing a second goal soon afterwards, we finally put them in their place.
Kris Boyd did what he does best and Paul Le Guen's after-match comments about him having to do a wee bit more will surely keep him on his toes. With Dado playing just behind him, the Hearts defence was pulled all over the place and Jeremy Clement was immense in midfield. He looked every inch a top quality player, digging into tackles and spraying passes all around. Our midfield will be very tasty once Barry returns to full fitness. Even Brahim Hemdani is beginning to look the part.
Burke and Martin was great on the wings, with great support from Bardsley and Smith.
It was a superb team performance and one which augurs well for the future. I can't remember the last time I left Ibrox feeling so good about a game (maybe it was Porto last season). Just keep it up, Rangers!
Mind you, our wonderful Press Gang never cease to amaze me. Reading through their trash over the weekend has finally convinced me that they know sweet hee-haw about fitba. These so-called experts prattled on about PLG changing the system to a straight 4-4-2. Were they at the feckin game? In my eyes, Le Gaffer changed the personnel but the system was exactly as it had been in previous games, with Dado filling Buffy's berth and Boydie playing the main front role. Bardsley for Hutton, Burke for Sionko and Martin for Adam were straight swops.
And the clown from the Daily Rebel referred to Lee Martin being naturally left-sided. Lee certainly did a lot of damage on the left flank but he is very much RIGHT footed. A bit like Coop playing on the right and cutting inside onto his left peg, Martin tore Robbie Neilson apart by doing the opposite on the left wing and the defender was always a candidate for a card long before he lost the plot near the end.
By the time we got back to the pub, news of Falkirk losing to Killie confirmed that the Gers were in top spot but every TV and radio announcer just had to add the line ‘Celtic will go top if they win at Inverness tomorrow'. Aye, so they will! Mind you, I was pissed off when I heard they were 1-0 up but, with Super Kenny playing with his eyes shut, there was always a chance of Caley Thistle getting something and the roar from the Vic in Kilwinning was just what I wanted to hear.
So now next week's trip to Kilmarnock is shaping up to be a real crunch game. Going to the top of the heap was the easy bit. Staying there is what it is all about and I've no doubt Killie will push us all the way on Sunday but, if we are to hold our title challenge together, we must take such tests in our stride. Methinks there will be much singing and dancing in Ayrshire next weekend.
Altogether now: ‘Tell all the Tims you know…'
LITTLE BOY BLUE