I watched two derby matches last Saturday. In one of them the away team
matched the home team in terms of trying to win the game. In fact they were
very unfortunate that the home team robbed them of a win with a last gasp
equaliser that was actually against the run of play.
In the other derby match, played earlier on, the away team seemed quite
content to settle for a draw from the off and never made a chance worthy of
the name. Guess what away team was Rangers?
Now I know that statistics can be misleading and can be bent to suit your
state of mind. But the fact that we didn't manage to create a corner until
something like the 79th minute and were something like 11-0 down by then in
that particular contest does tend to paint a depressingly true picture of
how the match had bubbled along. We got out of that game last week at the
munky-hoose as much as we put into it.
I know that Alex McLeish was going to taste derby defeat at some point, but
doing a Walter and sitting back hoping for the best had something almost
inevitable about it.
MEMO TO FRECKLES
You do not have the players to sit back and invite incessant pressure. (Not
that last week was exactly that) Your charges give the ball away far too
cheaply and you certainly do not have a Laudrup or a Gascoigne to fashion
out that single moment of magic to get you out of jail. One can only hope
lessons have been learned.
WANTED MAN
Of course the manager's plans were left struggling almost from the off when
Ricksen got himself foolishly booked early doors and was then running a
tightrope from then on. I think I've finally sussed what makes Ricksen
behave in the way he does. He dons that Rangers jersey and he thinks he's
become the invisible man.
Well, what else can account for it then? He knows he's a marked man, pretty
unfairly for sure this season, but there you have it. As I say he knows
he's a marked man yet he still goes out and makes pretty foolish challenges.
As for those 'rabbits caught in the headlights eyes', which look round
pleadingly to the manager every time he's been done - I've seen enough of
them to last me a lifetime. Sure Lambert was lucky to get away Scot free
with a late challenge on Ricksen himself. But when oh when will Ricksen
learn that he has brought some of this, if not all, upon himself in the
previous two years?
Let's put it another way, if he's put himself in a position whereby he
cannot really commit to all in, 100% tackles in an OF fixture after the 15
minute mark because he's already been booked, then what good is he to us at
all?
Regards the performance from the referee. I thought he put in a decent
shift all told, given the circumstances and surprise surbleedinprise, he
actually had the audacity to book Sutton for persistent fouling. Still,
that's only nearly three years it's taken for a Scottish referee to cotton
on to Sutton's game. Who says we need foreign whistlers in for these
fixtures?
HARRY HILL COULDN¹T MAKE IT UP
Due to work commitments and all, I never really got the chance to comment
last week on the fact that some academic female (whose name escapes me at
the moment) saw fit to pour scorn on Glasgow District Council's study into
the evils of 'Sectarianism'.
Just where do you start? I mean it could only happen in Scotland that a
body/Council (call it whatever you like) that quite shamelessly and openly
practices sectarianism could get away with such a public con job on the
bloody subject.
Goodness knows I find the guy as funny as toothache. But I can just
visualise Harry Hill standing facing his audience on a Sunday night suited
up with his preposterous collar with that stupid grin and saying; 'Eh folks,
but you'll never guess what they get up to in Glasgow? (Wot's that then,
Arry?)
'Well, apparently the GDC, which has refused to have a Protestant Lord
Provost in the City (despite being in the majority) for fully thirty years,
which has sold off city land worth over a million pounds to irafitbaclub for
a penny, is telling us that sectarianism is very naughty.' Cue the hand
cupping his chin, the eyebrows being raised, and that stupid chuckle. I
give you the GDC, Scotland's shame.
The 'Footballer's Lives' programme this week centred on Ally McLeod, the
Scottish National team manager of the 'magic carpet' fame, or infamy if you
like. Given Scotland's less than useful record in major tournaments before
or since, how anyone can blame him single handedly for what went on in
Argentina never ceases to amaze.
Sadly, he is now a shadow of his former self and has been cut down by
Alzheimer's disease. However he is not the only person in Scottish football
that suffers from a disease of the brain which affects the memory. Witness
the countless amounts of yahoos on Follow Follow from day one who have an
amazing memory loss everytime you hit them with any fact that doesn't suit
them. The yahoos pre Stein, Maley and the case of the spilt poison at the
Accident Enquiry, the world's fastest cup final deserters, and made up
soldiers in war memorials to name but a few. Mass Alzheimer's, or
Alzheimer's goes to Mass. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
Either way, it is the medicinal phenomenon of all time.
TELL US ANOTHER, UNCLE BILL!
I had to laugh at The Sun on Wednesday. Bill Leckie, slagged off Les Dennis
for not being funny. While we're all in the mood for a gag, I'll make up an
off-the-cuff one involving both these wags. Here goes; 'There's more chance
of Les Dennis cracking a real funny than there is of Bill Leckie ever
talking about the sporting scandal of all time.' Boom Boom. And I can tell
you there's absolutely no chance of Leckie laughing at that one.
FOLLOWFOLLOW.COM¹S FIRST BABY!
Well, those of us who have known the couple since they first became an item
and have enjoyed their special company, will I'm sure raise a wee glass in
toasting FF's first baby this midweek. To the proud parents Karen and
Jamie, I wish you both and Jodi all the health and happiness it is possible
to have. And I've also got to throw in a wee mention to Karen's old man,
Alex, who I'm sure will be turning somersaults at this moment in time. And
to think, I probably got the first round in the night when they first met,
too.
Now from the sublime to the truly ridiculous. I didn't know whether to
laugh or cry at the front page of The Sun on Thursday morning as they
revealed that apparently Rangers had helped Liverpool out with videos of the
yahoos in action. However, on reading the story in full it would appear
that it was a friendly arrangement between two ex Rangers team mates, Sandy
Jardine and Alex Miller, who is now part of Liverpool's back-room staff.
I wanted to cry because it is incredible to think that there are people who
are paid a handsome wage at Ibrox who could (and would) still behave so
stupidly and in so crass a manner. I mean, if Jardine wanted to help Miller
out, and there is no reason given their closeness throughout the years that
he shouldn't have, then why wait until the eve of the game and WHY allow the
package to leave from Ibrox? I know everyone has got the right to fess up
once or twice, but do the hired help at Ibrox have to do it on a continual
basis?
I could at this point use this latest wee faux pass as an excuse to launch
into an attack on Martin Bain, Jardine etc. I won't do it of course, but
just for the record, I would love Mr Bain to go crying to his wee pal Robert
McAuley and ask if he would help smooth over the waters. You know, pull in
a wee favour that surely must be owed for giving McAuley's non story a few
months ago about FF being banned from Ibrox some credence. Go on Martin you know you want to.
So the League Cup final weekend is upon us for another season. Truth be
told, we all know the competition has been devalued so I'll keep it short
and sweet. To win the treble, you still have to win this trophy.
Just do it Rangers,
THE GOVANHILL GUB