These Cracks Cannot Simply Be Papered Over

I DELIBERATELY did not post on the blog yesterday – I thought, correctly as it transpired, after Rangers had imploded against Motherwell in the Betfred Cup semi-final, there would be enough “Jackie Baillie” sloshing around in the Interweb without me adding my twopence-worth.

 Rangers lost, so some people are cracking up

What can one say about Sunday's semi-final, other than well done Motherwell, which has not already been said. Was I alone in noticing how very little ever changes in Scottish football. A provincial side beat one half of the greatest football monopoly in history and, they don't get the credit they are due; apparently Rangers lost the game, rather than Motherwell winning it.

As I said on Sunday, Rangers had enough opportunities, particularly in the first half, to have put the game to bed, they didn't take them: Motherwell were more-clinical, off fewer opportunities, thus it is they and not Rangers who are in the final.

The cross which this current 21^st century Rangers' squad has to bear, however, is the fact, they are being judged by the standards of the Rangers of the 20^th century, the powerhouse which won 95 national domestic trophies in that century – 39% of the total. In the 21^st century to date, Rangers have won 15 of the 51 available trophies – 29%. However, that 10% drop-off rate in trophy-winning becomes a lot worse when you factor-in the point, they have not won a major Scottish trophy since 2011 – the season before it all went wrong.

I have made this point before, and I dare say, I will be required to make it again; the history of Rangers FC under the ownership of Sir David Murray, in many ways mirrors the history of Murray's MIM basketball club. OK, I accept, he built-up MIM from humble beginnings, and made them successful – he took-over an already successful Rangers FC and made them, if anything, even more successful.

The business plan, however, was similar in both cases – buy-in foreign talent in players and coaches: largely ignore home-grown talent and youth development: go for European legitimacy on top of domestic dominance: when it doesn't happen – get out, fast.

 Sir David Murray - same story, different sports

That's the MIM story, where the Rangers' story differs is, he could not off-load the football club as easily as he could the basketball one, and, when he did off-load it, it was to the wrong guy.

You could say, Murray's Rangers reached its pinnacle with the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester, after that the club fell over the cliff edge. We might presume, even as the team coach headed south, Sir David was looking for an out, the credit crash came along at roughly the same point, it all began to go pear-shaped and since then, Rangers have been rudderless, without a competent Master on the bridge able to guide the club through an iceberg-dotted sea.

So, you see, all the mouth music from a manager who looks increasingly out of his depth; all the blame the players – no, blame the manager, pieces in the dead trees press fail to address the REAL problem with Rangers.

I do not believe the players merit the description “lions”, but, the men making the decisions in the board room in recent years have certainly shown themselves to be “donkeys”.

Until Rangers find an install a real leader, a man of vision and drive, at the top of the fabled marble staircase, they will continue to be a basket case and a laughing stock. The club does not require a “billionaire with wealth off the radar”, although obviously, money would help. Football history is littered with cases of men of means squandering fortunes, buying the wrong players and backing the wrong managers in their quest for glory – it's not the money that is important, it is the direction which matters.

What the club needs is someone with vision, able to plot a course and stick to it, and able to find, direct and motivate the manager to make the off-field direction work on it. Such an individual has to be out there somewhere.

THE OTHER big talking point from Sunday's game was the standard of officiating. Maybe Steven McLean didn't have his best match as referee, however, it's a bit “off” to blame the man with the whistle when players cannot control themselves.

Steven McLean - blaming him is a bit off, he didn't kick anyone

I jump between football and rugby, and firmly believe – even though mistakes still happen with this system – football should follow rugby and make greater use of technology.

Take Sunday's big flashpoint, the coming together between Bruno Alves and Louis Moult in the second half, which sparked off a bit of playground scuffling between the teams. Now, in rugby, the referee, his two assistants plus the TV match official could have called-up the footage of the entire incident, looked at it from various angles then decided who was guilty of what, and what their punishment for their indiscretions ought to be.

That is not to say, the officials would then have got it right, but, they would have had a better idea of what had happened and what to do about it, than McLean and his team had.

Of course, SFA Compliance Officer Tony McGlennan has access to the footage and probably, even as I type, he is poring over it, but, any sanctions which McGlennan will come up with, well, it's all a wee bit late. Look at the TV footage, sort things out at the time, then review and perhaps change at leisure, that's a far-better system than what we currently have.