Yes Walter, 'No Surrender', Not 'all defenders'.
Let's not beat around the bush here, last week's second half performance was utterly ridiculous as well as disgusting. To sit in and try and defend against 10 men whilst utilising a counter attacking ploy, was simply unacceptable. We were at home against our biggest rivals and after a decent first half, in spells, sat pretty at half time a man to the good. Our rivals were there to be attacked and punished but instead we meekly sat back and when the inevitable happened we had no answer.
The management trio stood in shock on the sidelines searching Kenny's clipboard for the answer but no solutions could be found. It was the third time this year that Rangers have been found wanting come big game time. Twice our rivals have embarrassed us at home and twice we have looked powerless to stop it. Away to Hearts we suffered a lack of luck and in those freak events in football despite all the pressure Rangers actually lost the match. Now most can accept that these things happen, what we can't accept is cowardice in defeat by our biggest rivals.
It's been quite a few months since I last scribbled something for the fanzine or the FF boards, indeed our situation has changed quite some since. Trailing in the league only due to postponements, we are still in the hunt for two domestic trophies and also still the Europa League to look forward to in the coming weeks also. When you write it down and look at it like that then it really doesn't seem so bad. However for the Bears watching we know that it doesn't quite tell the full story.
Rangers have succumbed in games this year that in the last few years we have managed to grind out. As a support we are now questioning the set up we believed to be so solid over the last few years. Walter Smith who has been walking on water these last few years, probably quite rightly also, is beginning to be questioned and when you look at how the games have been going even the most optimistic can realise that we have seen this all before. Yes that's right, this season is developing into a painful action replay of the failed 10 in a row disappointment.
Walter's insistence on putting the shackles on our team is making us tedious to watch but more worryingly is that teams are starting to get the better of us and are even starting to beat us. Where is the free scoring performing team that performed so well for the first 9 games of the season?
Those who have been all too dependable for us are now starting to fail us ever so worryingly. This small squad of close-knit players have been picked at by the banks once to often, thanks largely due to the severe mismanagement by our absentee landlord. Our leading striker has been off loaded in January and it looks like it has been the final blow the squad has been able to take. Players look tired and unable to make that 50/50 challenge: there is nothing worse than seeing a player shite out of a challenge and its even worse when its against our rivals.
I sincerely hope the management have hammered home to the midfield that they need to stop being so cautious and actually make a tackle. Most worrying for me is the fact that Davie Weir looks every bit a 40 year old man leading our back line; we are painfully deep, in fact we are so deep I worry the team will shortly need Season tickets for the stand as we are practically sitting on the goal line. You have no doubt read that last statement again and thought hold on a minute here - criticism of Davie Weir?! Yes that's right oh worthy reader, even I, Davie's biggest fan, can see that now is the time to move him aside for the good of the team. But it won't happen just like it didn't happen almost 15 years ago.
It is this loyalty that Walter has held which I pray will not be the downfall of our team once again. It was so painfully obvious to watch on Sunday during that second half that it is only natural that one should actually doubt the management know what they are doing, because when you take into account what happened during that 45 minutes you really do begin to wonder. As I listened to howls of derision from support, grown men frantically trying to tell the management we needed to push up and offer Jelavic support as early as 52 minutes on the clock, I knew the outcome was inevitable. During that 45 minutes the season confidence that I had seemed to drift ever so despondently away.
But hold on a minute, what happened to the article title? The cry was 'No surrender'? Well that happened come around Tuesday time after reading and listening to two days of absolute mince from our rivals. If Rangers ever needed encouragement or ever needed that physiological kick up the backside to make them mad then it has surely come this week. Just how much are we expected to take before our squad and management fight back? I've had enough with all that dignified bollocks, its about time we said just what was what. Yes you read that correctly also. I've had enough of all this pussy footing around, just when are we going to get mad and just when am I going to attend a game and see it all fall into place? The answers we will learn in the coming weeks.
When we do learn them it will tell us how exactly our season is going to pan out. Surely the players must be determined to bite back and prove the champions title belongs at Ibrox? How much motivation do they need than to look across and see the utter crap that those gremlins have been spouting and those that wait to acclaim their failure. Get mad Rangers and start hitting back, I sincerely beg you. Players are going to have to really stand up and show their mettle in the coming weeks and prove that they are the best. The management are going to have to put loyalties aside and everyone is going to have to make a contribution. We can only hope that we will see a reaction on the pitch.
We will be there, as defiant as ever but how will the players and management display their reaction? We will find out soon. I just hope the squad and management are as angry as I am right now. Yours,in a sincerely pissed off fashio.
SCCGERS