Normal Service Has Been Resumed

NORMAL service has been resumed in Scottish football, following Celtic's ascent to the peak of the SPL following yesterday's win at Fir Park. This result ratchets up the pressure on the other clubs, who will now have to attempt to prevent the Hoops from rolling away into the distance, to a situation whereby they have the title won with weeks to spare.

 

It also produces a challenge for Neil Lennon. Now his men are where everyone expects them to be, the manager has to guard against complacency and possible slip-ups. Always in the past, the manager of whichever side of the two-headed Glasgow football monster was in the lead, knew the other half were waiting to pounce on any slip-ups.

 

One head having been lopped off, the brain in the other head has to keep the body focussed without the usual challenge.

 

Football historians such as I have long pointed out, perhaps the best era in Scottish football was in the 20 years BS - before Jock Stein assumed control at Parkhead. Back then Celtic, whilst still attracting big crowds and capable of the odd morale-boosting season, were arguably the closest they have ever been to being: "just another club", with the Hibs of the Famous Five, Tommy Walker's great Hearts team of "The Terrible Trio", Dave Mackay, John Cumming and Alex Young and Willie Waddell's first great Kilmarnock team offering the biggest challenge to the Ibrox juggernaut.

 

Two bullies are one too-many for Scottish football, a single bully can be contained, so, until The Rangers get back to the top-flight, it's up to the rest to keep the pressure on Celtic. If they can, this may yet be a vintage season.

 

 

 

MEANWHILE, The Rangers got yet another set of lukewarm reviews from their latest date in their provincial tour - a less-than-scintillating win at Forres. I doubt if even the bluest-nosed bears now approach any date in their club's current tour of Scotland's "village hall" type grounds with any confidence of seeing a wonderful performance. The Rangers have been taken out of their comfort zone, and are, well, very uncomfortable away from Ibrox.

 

However, such uneven performances are to be expected when you are trying to integrate new players into a well-oiled system, more-so when the cast includes some youngsters. Alan Hansen wasn't the first football man to opine: "You win nowt wi' kids", I dare say he will not be the last.

 

I can think back to the final days of the Struth era and to Scot Symon's early years. Back then, in the mid-fifties, Alex Scott, as successor to Waddell, was just about the only Rangers player who was a first-team regular as a teenager.

 

Sure, the likes of Eric Caldow, Ralph Brand and Davie Wilson all received early exposure to the first team, but then spent a season or three in and out of the team before cementing their places.

 

Celtic's "Kelly Kids" gained a reputation for early exposure to the first team, but aside from Bobby Collins (somewhat earlier), goalkeeper Dick Beattie and Billy McNeill - at right back rather than centre half - few were regulars before their 21st birthday.

 

Today's Rangers squad has a handful of teenagers involved every week, which is a most un-Rangers like state of affairs. Kids plus newcomers, still learning the Rangers way of doing things, is a sure-fire recipe for inconsistency in my view.

 

That said, uncertainty is surely more-exciting than seeing a predictable series of results leading to a predictable sharing-out of the trophies, enjoy it while it happens.