All To Play For, But, Should We Be Surprised?

CELTIC'S Champions League ambitions are nicely balanced as they head for Norway and next week's second leg of their third qualifying round tie against Rosenborg.

With the tie still 0-0 at what is effectively “half-time”, it is all to play for in Norway, even if, in boxing parlance, Celtic are behind on points. Thankfully for the Hoops, there are no points decisions in football – it is the knock-out blows, putting the ball in the opposition's net more-often than they put it in yours, which count.

So, Celtic have a puncher's chance – provided they can get one of their strikers fit and onto the park next week; otherwise, Oh Dear – Disaster for Scotland! Again.

On paper, Celtic ought to win; they are ranked 64^th in Europe, Rosenborg are ranked 154^th. That's via the club co-efficients. When it comes to the association co-efficients, Scotland is ranked 26^th in Europe, Norway 27^th. So, the two clubs are a lot closer when it comes to the standard of the leagues they play in; in which case, the fact that the Norwegians are already well into their season, while Celtic are still getting up to speed, is significant.

This blog has pointed-out before. The Scottish football season has, seemingly for ever, operated on the basis of an August to May season – a ten-month campaign max. The reality today is, with our lowly club and association co-efficients meaning we are down among the diddy nations, the old certainties no longer apply; Scottish football must adjust and setting ourselves up for an August to May season does not work when we have to be in-action one month earlier.

Brendan Rodgers

What's that old homily, beloved of coaches who learn from a book: “Fail to prepare – prepare to fail. I would never accuse Brendan Rodgers of failing to prepare his side, but, maybe Brendan- and the other Scottish managers, need to look a fresh at how they do things and amend their preparations.

I accept the sheer physical demands of their game are harder, but, I would bet the rugby players of Glasgow Warriors work harder and longer than do the footballers of Celtic and Rangers. I also believe the sports science back-up, the strength and conditioning regimes and the player welfare provisions at Scotstoun are better than at Lennoxtown and whatever Rangers' training ground is called these days.

For instance, and again I accept the collisions are harder, the knocks more-extreme in rugby, but, Warriors' players, particularly their internationalists are bound by a five-game maximum rule. They play five games, they have to sit-out the sixth.

Scott Brown doesn't have to face the physical challenges 

OK, Scott Brown is not going to be immediately flattened by an angry 18-stone Tongan or Fijian every time he wins the ball, but, he does not get the built-in rest periods in his season that the likes of Finn Russell enjoys. Warriors' coaching staff know what is their best team, they also know what are the big, most-important games and their planning for the season is based around having the top guys fit and raring to go for when they are most needed.

 Finn Russell has to try to avoid

Can Celtic and our other top sides make this claim? Is Scottish football as far into squad rotation as Scottish rugby? I fear not.

Our rugby players are no different from our footballers – they are being paid to do something they love, play the game. They would most-probably play for nothing, but, their ability allows them to have the best of both worlds. But, our rugby players know, the SRU values them, has a duty of care to them and has built-in protocols which will enable them to play the game they love for perhaps longer than players from less-scrupulous nations.

The SRU – which owns the two professional clubs – fights hard to keep our best young talent in Scotland, but, when our talented players are established and at, or hopefully just past their peak, the SRU has no objections to the players cashing-in via a big money move to the richer pastures of England and France, as a means of securing their long-term future.

In football, too-often, the clubs rush to cash-in on still developing talent, with players not yet ready, leaving Scotland and failing. This, by the way is no new development, it has been going-on for generations.

So, you see: maybe I am counting two plus two and getting five, but, Celtic's struggle against Rosenborg is, I believe, the latest example of how behind the times we are in Scottish football.

Scots may have: “built the modern world”; Scotland may have developed the beautiful game, but, we are falling behind and if we do not, quickly, absorb the lessons of these early-season European travails, the gap between Scotland and the best will only grow.

I KNOW, given the fact some Tartan Army foot soldiers still turn-up at the now occasional Scotland v England matches bearing banners saying: “Remember Bannockburn”, and that the followers of two of our more-prominent clubs fondly recall battles fought in 1690 and 1916, Scottish football fans have long memories.

For this reason, the events surrounding Rangers FC between 2012 and 2016 will never be forgotten. Our still unborn great-great-grandchildren will, if football lasts that long, still be debating the issues in 2112, of that I am certain.

So, we might as well, now, let matters rest and drop this absurd vendetta, designed to have Rangers stripped of the trophies and titles they won during what will henceforth be known as: “the EBT years”.

It isn't going to happen, so, save your money, don't subscribe to the crowdfunder for a legal challenge. The titles and trophies will remain, for one simple reason – to remove them would mean the SFA and the other Hampden blazers having to admit, they made mistakes and got some things wrong – and that is never going to happen.

Donald Findlay QC - a top talent who charges top whack

Also, have you any idea what top court-room (rather than barrack-room) lawyers can charge? Donald Findlay doesn't come cheap. As Chairman of Cowdenbeath, be presumably puts money into his club – how absurd would it be if the Blue Brazil and the other wee clubs, all of whom are struggling financially, had to dip into their funds, to pay Donald's fees for defending Scottish football against a bunch of fans determined to embarrass Rangers and the SFA even further than they have already embarrassed themselves since 2012.

Some times the hardest thing is letting go, as regards this whole Rangers issue – now would be a good time to let go.