Re-Hiring Eck Would Be A Backward Step For A Club Which Already Dwells Far-Too Long In The Past

I CAN see the attraction to Ra Peepul of returning big Alex McLeish to the manager's office at Ibrox. He had a fairly-successful time when last there: a domestic Treble in 2003 and a League and League Cup Double in 2005. Overall, in his spell as Rangers' manager, he enjoyed a 66% win rate.

Alex McLeish, this week's hot tip for Rangers boss from the Lap Top Loyal; but, could he bring back the glory days, such as this, when they won the League in 2005?

But, that was back in the: “spend, spend, spend” days of: “If Celtic spend £5, we will spend £10”. We all know how that ended. Certainly, Eck inherited a good Scotland squad and enjoyed a 70% win rate there, but, he didn't actually qualify us for either of the big tournaments. Then, back in club management, it has been a case of a downward spiral of results.

Eck, nice big guy though he is, is now closer to 60 than 50. Apart from Kenny Miller, none of the players he would be dealing with at Rangers were alive when Miller and McLeish were arguably the best pair of central defenders in the world.

Sure, he's a “Real Rangers Man”, he has been out of work for a wee while, and will thus not come with the need to pay another club compensation, but, I don't think he would be a good fit for the current cash-strapped, desperate for even three wins on the bounce, diminished Rangers, watching helplessly as Celtic make their warp drive progress into a different galaxy.

Actually, what Rangers need is a solid, experienced manager, good at working on a limited budget and persuading average players to consistently produce above-average performances. With the ethos of the club, being as it is, there is a presumption towards one of their own, either as a life-long fan, or having played for the club.

 Ian McCall - getting results at Ayr United on a limited budget

One guy, who I reckon would be a reasonable fit for that club, at this time, would be wee Ian McCall, who is doing well at Ayr United right now. Getting McCall in as a “fireman” to steady the ship, while allowing Graeme Murty and his team to do what they seem to do best – and bring through the next generation, might be a good move for the club. But, Rangers have not made many good moves in the last decade, so, that is maybe asking a bit much. OK, he is a contemporary of McLeish, but, he has a lot-more experience in managing clubs in financial difficulties, and, right now, I could see him lifting Rangers.

ENGLISH football, particularly at the top level, is hyped to high heaven. I accept, for the money they are paid, there are, at the upper level of their Premiership, some exceptional players, who produce breath-taking football. Some of the stuff we saw at the top of Saturday night's Match of the Day was absolutely top drawer, for instance.

But, further down the self-styled: “Greatest league in the world”, there is just as much mince as we see on a weekly basis in oor ain, wee, haund-knitted Premiership north of the Solway and Tweed.

And, for all the boy Lineker and his team rave about some of the goals they see in England, that free-kick which Leigh Griffiths produced at Dingwall on Saturday, was as good as any.

WHEN your decision-making processes are tempered by: “Will Wullie, Shuggie and Senga from the Council's Labour Group even understand why I am doing this,” you understandably tend to err on the side of caution.

So I was not surprised at how there was an element of: is it off or on, about Sunday's Hearts v Partick Thistle game at the re-developed Tynecastle. The Edinburgh Council officials who had to pass the ground and issue the Safety Certificate, were always going to want things right before they gave the go-ahead.

The new stand, picture during Sunday's game

But, the fact they allowed themselves to be kept away from the fleshpots of Leith on a Saturday night, should have indicated, close-run thing though it might be, the presumption was always in favour of issuing the certificate and the game going ahead.

Of course, yer average fan wants clarity – but, yer average fan also prefers games to start at 3pm on a Saturday, and how often, certainly at the top level, does this happen today. But, I felt the normally well-balanced and reasonable Jags fans were a wee bit carried away, perhaps channelling their inner Old Firm, in complaining at the somewhat late decision to go-ahead.

You start from the assumption – the game is ON, until we hear it is OFF. That's normal. There could have been a sudden and dramatic overnight freeze in Edinburgh, which forced a call-off on Sunday morning after all.

Still, the stand looks good, and will do wonder for Hearts when it is eventually finished next year. But, the important thing for the club is, they can return to Tynecastle and, hopefully, get further up the league than they currently are.

I WAS naturally disappointed in Glenafton's failure to even score a goal, in losing 0-2 at Livingston in Saturday's William Hill Scottish Cup, third round clash. But, while we are all in mourning up here in New Cumnock, elsewhere, the diddier teams gave the diddy teams a few frights.

The calm before the disappointment, the Glenafton squad pre-game at Livingston

Result of the day was surely Brora Rangers' win at Stranraer – after that trip, the length of the country, that was a fantastic outcome for the Highland League outfit. But, kudos too to Cover Rangers, who put out Airdrie and Formantine United, who did for Forfar. I know, there were a couple of predictable hammerings, on-form Ayr United thumping Banks o' Dee in Aberdeen, and St Mirren going through to Edinburgh and putting seven on Lothian Thistle-Hutcheson Vale, but, in other games, the Senior team had to struggle to overcome lower-ranked opponents.

Received wisdom is that in a one-off cup-tie, anything is possible, but, over a whole league season, the Senior teams would come out on top. I hae ma doots about this wisdom. I firmly believe, the “tail” on the senior football “dog” in Scottish football is too long and needs docking.

If we reformed to a 20-club “Senior” game, in a PRO14-style two-conference format, with certain requirements as to club establishment – full-time for a start, and everything below that was part-time, regionalised leagues; I think we would see a healthier, better entity in Scottish football. Some long-established “Senior” clubs have done little or nothing for Scottish football for years, and are no-better than our top Junior and non-league Senior clubs.

But, this is Scotland, it has “Aye Been”, at least since 1890 or thereabouts. It is long past time for real rather than cosmetic change to the game up here.