Two-One Going on Six-One - The (Real) Hun Is On The March Again

AS Germany began to turn the screw in the final quarter of their win over a well-drilled and committed Algeria, I said to the TV: "Get Sammi Khaderi on". Sure enough, big Sammi was despatched, suddenly big Bastian Schweinstigger (whose would be the first name on the team sheet if I ever had to pick a team to go to Beechwood Park, Auchinleck and win) started to influence matters.

 

OK, they had to go to extra time to win, but, from ten minutes into the second-half of normal time, I couldn't see anything other than a German win. As WGS noted, the Germans had 30 shots on target; on another day, against a goalkeeper who wasn't having a blinder, it would have been 5-0 or 6-0 by 90 minutes - more probably too, had Miroslav Klose been deployed.

 

Germany has the top goal-scorer in World Cup history, they didn't put him on the park, and still won. This is a team which can go all the way.

 

That said, if France are at their best in the quarter-final, they will push their oldest rivals to the limit - this one is a must see.

 

France beating Nigeria was another cracking game. The standard of the knock-out phase games has already been so-high, I worry about poor wee Scotland. The stumblebums in their blazers who have held us back for years; their appointees, as managers and coaches, who tolerate players who cannot trap a bag of cement, or pass accurately to a man in the same colour shirt, have left us a long way behind nations such as Nigeria, Algeria and Chile, countries we would have expected to beat easily less than a lifetime ago, but who have done what we never have and reached the knock-out phase of a World Cup.

 

We've got Germany next-up. Let's hope they have made it to the final and are, therefore, still knackered. Or, WGS could seek FIFA approval for a chance in the Scottish formation, so we can deploy both Allan McGregor and David Marshall against the Germans!!

 

 

 

MEANWHILE, back here on Planet Unreal, the Rangers Tribute Act is about to set-off on its pre-season tour, prior to competing at the most-competitive level in Scottisdh football (probably) next season.

 

I know it's a tribute act, but, will all those ex-pat Huns acrss the pond really be impressed by Ally McCoist's new-look squad? OK, Lee McCulloch, Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd they will know; but, I hope they are not too-disappointed by what they see - this is a long way from being a real Rangers squad.

 

 

Dolly Was Great - The Penalty Shoot-Out Was Better (Just)

THIS World Cup simply keeps getting better. Sunday night's penalty shoot-out between Costa Rica and Greece was must-watch TV. I actually feared this would be a non-event: I was convinced the Greeks would suffocate the Central Americans, nick a goal and then play anti-football.

 

Thankfully I was wrong, mainly thanks to young James Rodriguez's two sublime strikes. However, the real drama was still to come, after the Costa Ricans were reduced to ten-men.

 

I honestly felt the Australian referee, who to my mind makes Willie Collum appear competent, was bending over backwards to favour the Greeks - doesn't Australia have a significant Greek community? Just asking - Any way, going down to ten-men significantly hampered the Costa Ricans, but, to their eternal credit, they held on to take it to penalties, then won.

 

I must admit I got the shoot-out wrong. I fancied big Sammy as the guy to make the fatal miss, but, Gekas beat him to that. Any way, well done Costa Rica.

 

I MISSED a lot of the Dutch game. Well, no way was I going to miss Dolly Parton at Glastonbury. The first half was a write-off, as, thanks to the teasing of the BBC, who showed Dolly's set: "as live", which isn't quite the same thing as "live", so I kept flicking back and forth between channels.

 

Then, I missed the Mexican goal - I was watching Dolly - but got back in time for the late one-two from the Dutch. I accept, that we cheating bald so-and-so Robbin went down far-too-easily for the winning penalty. However, he was unjustly denied two better calls earlier-on, so, in the end, justice was done. And, what a winning penalty, that's how to take them.

 

ANENT the penalties. When, a life-time ago, I fancied myself as a goalie, I had rather a good record as a penalty-saver. With my defences, I had to be good, I got plenty of practice.

 

Accepted wisdom these days seems to be: the taker waits for the keeper to commit either left or right, then shoots down the middle. The lesson to my fellow goalies who still can, is - stand your ground, don't dive till he shoots. Back your reflexes.

 

That said, the five Costa Rica penalties were different class - definitely five cases of: "pick that out pal"; awesome reaction to pressure from a real TEAM.

 

I look forward to discussing penalty-taking with the Master of the art, wee Johnny Hubbard, some time soon.

 

 

Beware The Germans As Things Get Interesting

NOW that England and the other diddy teams have gone home, we can maybe start to enjoy the World Cup. Mind you, I was forced to listen to Radio 5 Live last night as I travelled by car during the Germany v USA game, and they were still reflecting what was happening on the pitch through an England prism - but, I suppose they will never learn.

 

There hasn't, as yet, been a team which has shouted out: "It's out World Cup" through the process of playing breath-taking football. Holland's destyruction of an out-of-sorts Spain was, definitely, the performance of the group stages - but - will the Dutch be able to remain united and focussed all the way to the final? Or will their demons rise to derail them?

 

I fancy the Brazilians will, at some stage, wilt under the crushing pressure of expectations, but, fancy that the combination of the wonderful Messi, Higuara and Di Maria just might be enough to counter-balance a porous Argentinian defence in which Zaballetta is emerging as the ultimate gap plugger. 

 

And, of course, there are the Germans. I would say, it will be one from these four that will emerge victorious.  I know, hardly incisive tipping.

 

 

 

I WILL be interested to see how Barry Ferguson gets on as pl;ayer-manager at Clyde. I have never deviated from my belief that he is the lesser Ferguson brother. For me, Derek was always the better player; he looked, at one time, set for a good coaching career, before being blown off-course by his travails trying to fit a full-time, professional, mind-set into working with a part-time Scottish set-up.

 

Derek has found a niche as one of the better voices on BBC Scotland's Sportsound, but,this is, to me, a severe waste of talent. I would love to see the Ferguson brothers united at Clyde, bringing one of Scotland's great wee clubs back to the top.

 

 

 

DAVID Taylor's death this week was tragic, a good man taken, far too soon. Taylor was one of the better Hampden "blazers", but, in his case, this should not be taken as faint priase.

 

He was head-hunted to UEFA, to higher things, and, how many Hampden man has that happened to? He was also a proud Tartan Army foot soldier - one of the good guys.

 

 

 

THERE are no Scottish referees at the World Cup. I cannot help but feel, some of our top guys are every bit as good as the referees in Brazil, but, they are not being picked.

 

Might this, perhaps, have something to do with the fact that Hugh Dallas was treated badly over "Popegate"!? when he was sacrificed on the altar of indignation at a wee badly-timed jest, which didn't go down well with the unco guid.

 

Hughie is still involved in refereeing at UEFA. I just wonder, if maybe the referees are getting back at the SFA for their treatment of one of their own.

England - They're As Poor As Us

I GAVE up on England last night. I watched their losses to Italy and Uruguay out of the usual Scottishness - ie, I'd have hated to think of them losing and me not seeing their distress for myself.

 

So, I felt I had to watch their final game, against Costa Rica, just in case they did the Scottish thing and went out in a blaze of glory, winning when it mattered not. However, after half an hour, I gave up - it was like watching paint dry.

 

I tried to get into the Italy v Uruguay match, but couldn't. After all, these are two of the most-cynical nations in football. It says it all, when the two memorable vignettes from an instantly forgettable match were the red card and the latest bit of madness from Liverpool Luis.

 

Senor Suarez SHOULD be told to hang-up his boots forthwith; but, hey, this is FIFA. He will get a mild slap on the wrist, nothing more - and will surely bite again.

 

I have not entirely given-up on this World Cup. It will improve once we get down to the nitty-gritty of the knock-out phase.

 

Meanwhile, England will come home to a three-day orgy of blame and introspection, from which they will probably be released by a Scotsman from Dunblane and the UK Media's obsession with winners. Then, we will go into the Commonwealth Games, which will take us through nicely to the start of the next football season.

 

Cue the drum rolls and the trumpets - the English Premiership - "The Greatest League In The World" will be back, and, provided we all buy our packages to keep the money rolling in, all will be well with the world.

 

"English" football will again rule the world - just don't mention World Cups, European Championships, or, indeed, international football involving England.

 

 

 

GOOD Luck to big Alan Stubbs, one of the good guys in football. IF the men running Hibs decide to carry-n as they have started, trying to bring through their own, home-grown talent, and playing the sort of attacking football which the very few who remember the Famous Five can relate to; then the club will rise again.

 

Stubbs, with his exposure to the Celtic and Everton ways - closely akin to the Hibs way - just might be the right man to supervise this recovery.

 

Just don't make his already difficult job more difficult by having too-high hopes or expectations. The SPFL Championship just may be the most-difficult division in all of the UK to call next season. It will be dog eat dog, but, Hibs have, I suspect, as good a chance as Hearts or Rangers of winning the division.

 

 

 

JUST had a further thought on Luis Suarez and his alleged bite in the Italian job. This could be a gift to the increasingly beleagured Sepp Blatter.

 

Create enough of a media storm around this, throw Suarez to the wolves and, it just might win him enough time to sort out the rather awkward matter of the Qatar bribery allegations, while the media is concentrating on hanging the Uruguayan out to dry.

 

 

 

 

These European GAmes - We can Win

REMEMBER how we used to laugh at Europe's diddy nations, forced into European action before the big summer festivals of the Euros or the World Cup had concluded. Now, of course, we are a diddy nation, so our guys, instead of spending the Glasgow Fair at Saltcoats, are heading off to obscure European destinations in search of European qualification.

 

The qualifying fixtures were announced this morning, and, in all honesty, our European hopefuls can be, well hopeful, of extending their European seasons into our own domestic one.

 

I would be surprised if KR Rejkavik can disrupt the new Viking/Scottish management team's start at Celtic. Once upon a time drawing an Icelandic team was a chance for Scottish strikers to boost their goals-for tally; no more, this one could well be tight, but, Celtic to win.

 

I also fancy St Johnstone, against Luzern, Motherwell, against either Icelandic or Welsh opponents and Aberdeern, against the Latvians from Riga, to at least get over their first hurdles. How far they go, thereafter, is a moot point, however.

 

Of course, now we are down among the lower orders, Scottish football will have to, at long last, address our place int he world and our view of ourselves.

 

I see Campbell Ogilvie has addressed this, just this week, with his suggestion that the season's boundaries be re-drawn. Of course, this being Scotland, the ranks of the "Aye Beeners" will surely dig-in and offer up copious false reasons why this will never happen.

 

But, until we start playing football in better weather, and on better conditions, Scotland will never5 climb to the high plains where we want to be, but have only ever kidded ourselves on we were at.

 

Summer fitba - you know it makes sense.

England Are Out - Let The Witch Hunt Commence

IT has started, it being the English media's post-World Cup expulsion witch hunt. Predictably, the first target for the ire of the paper tigers is Roy Hodgson, a fine man, a good, experienced manager, asked, by the silly system of English football, to try to make bricks without straw.

 

Thankfully, Greg Dyke, the FA Honcho, has been quick to back his manager, in a statement which was emphatic and by no means the usual "chairman's 100% backing", which normally sets-off negotiations around a settlement package to lever the manager out.

 

Hodgson will be staying, which is good news for England. He has done a great job in tempering the usual: "Here we go, here we go, here we go", bullish English approach to major championships with long-overdue realism.

 

It is his misfortune to have an England squad which is composed of a few great players - on the downward slope: Gerrard, Lampard and Rooney, plus some promising kids: Sturridge, Sterling, Oxlade-Chamberlain, but lacking genuine World Class, top of their game talent.

 

I know some will insist that Rooney is World Class. I disagree. He threatened to become thus when he burst on the scene, but, he has not trained-on to become anything more than a player who operates well in the biff, bang, bosh, relatively unsophisticated world of the FA Premiership, but has repeatedly proved himself incapable of that step-up to become a genuine threat on football's biggest stage.

 

Received knowledge in team-building is - you build a strong spine: goalkeeper, central defensive and midfield organisers and a prolific striker, then you fill-in around these four key men. When England won the World Cup (what do you mean when? - Haven't you heard? They beat West Germany in 1966, but, being English, they never mention it), they had in Gordon Banks and Bobby Moore the best goalkeeper and central defence organiser in the world; Bobby Charlton was one of the three best midfielders, and Jimmy Greaves one of the three best strikers.

 

They filled-in around there brilliantly, Ray Wilson was arguably the world's best left-back, George Cohen only slightly less a defender; Jackie Charlton was a top-flight "stopper" centre-half, Nobby Stiles was probably the best manmarker around at the time, while Alan Ball and Martin Peters offered width, energy and skill, while Roger Hunt did the unselfish running and supporting for Greaves - and Hurst, who had the dream final of dream finals.

 

No wonder, with home advantage, England won - that team, under an astute manager, was always going to be in at the sharp end of 1966.

 

If you had been picking a Best of the First Division XI in 1966, Banks, Wilson, Moore, Charlton and Greaves were shoo-ins, along with George Best and four Scots from about 15. If you were picking a Best of the English Premiership XI today, not a single Englishman would make the final XI.

 

That collapse in the face of the buy-foreign policy of the Premiership clubs, is the biggest hurdle Hodgson has to fight against.

 

Until the FA follows the RFU's line and makes it mandatory for their top-flight clubs to have a high percentage of England-qualified players in their squads, then England will qualify. And, don't give me the old: "EU laws mean we cannot insist on English players being prioritised - it's hogwash.

 

If Rugby's Aviva Premiership, the top-flight in England, can insist on 75% of each club's squad being "England-qualified", with the result that England is today, albeit in a smaller field, the leading country in Europe, then why cannot the FA Premiership make a similar demand of their member clubs?

 

This same question, by the way, can and should be asked about Scotland.

 

Until British football starts pushing British footballers and giving them a platform on which to improve, then England - who through sheer volume of numbers, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will see their status in world football deminish.

 

Meanwhile, the World Cup goes on, and, once we get down to the knock-out phase, I will start to make-up my mind about which country I fancy to win it. As yet, it's too-early to say, other than, I fear the pressure of ex[ectation being heaped on them, may cause Brazil to implode dramatically.

They're Coming Home, They're Coming Home - England's Coming Home

IF - and, because we are Scots, it is a huge if, Scotland voters YES on 18 September, we can rise and be a nation again. One positive about this might, and hopefully will be, that we finally have a grown-up relationship with our English neighbours.

 

Having lived and worked down there, I know, on a personal level, they are no different from us. I met a lot of lovely English people and made firm friends during my spell in the south. I also met one or two right nyaffs whom I would not give house room - but, there are Scots up here of whom I could say the same.

 

Truly, we are all "Jock Tamson's bairns", even if big Jock might better have kept it zipped away some nights!

 

However, there is an element within the English-based media whom I cannot wait to see the back of - particularly at World Cup time. The on-going football fiesta in Brazil is the 17th World Cup which has had a British dimension. Sadly, after 16 previous goes, neither ITV, who broadcast last night's England v Uruguay matcvh, nor the BRITISH Broadcasting Corporation, has ever got round the relatively simple task of differentiating between Britain and England.

 

Their assumption is that everyone in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is supporting England; they see themselves as official cheerleaders for Engerlund, Engerlund, Engerlund, as they fervently wish for a repeat of the glorious deeds of 1966 and all that.

 

I suppose I am typical of most Scottish football fans: I wish no ill-will on England. I'd rather we were there too, but, in the absence of Scotland, England would appear to be the team we ought to support.

 

I want England to do well, but, after many years of exposure to the English media, and again with a nod to 1966 and all that - I don't want them to do too-well. Because, there is no happy medium with the English media.

 

It must be terrible being an English footballer, going from a world-beater to a turnip on the basis of one bad result; hyped to the heavens pre-match, then name-called on the basis on#f one error, made in the heat of a game; stumbling from "A Golden Generation" to dross with a few touches on a sub-editor's computer keyboard.

 

In the continuing absence of a Scottish team with global ambitions, relishing the English angst which follows another stumble out of the World Cup before the sharp end is as good as it gets for we Scottish football fans. And, in case any English readers have stumbled on this, don't think it is a one-way street - I had to suffer a lot of verbal stings on the back of our failure in 1978, when I was living and working in England.

 

The England squad in Brazil is a middling international side, but, it is a work in progress. That progress will be faltering and doomed to failure, however, for as long as the men at the top in the English Premiership clubs prefer to recruit and use foreign players and coaches and ignore bringing through English boys, whom they grtow into English men.

 

ITV and BBC, and Sky and BT Sport all hype-up the English Premiership as "The Greatest League In The World", forgetting, its "greatness" is under-pinned by big-money clubs trawling the globe for mainly foreign imports, a rocess which leaves poor Roy Hodgson as the latest England manager forced to cobble together, with the minimum of assistance from the clubs, an England team of players who are, by and large, not the main men with their clubs.

 

The best hope for a second World Cup win for England lies in a melt-down of the English Premiership, the loss of most of its money and a return to the top-flight in that country being a league in which the best players are British - mainly English. Such a calamity would also benefit Scotland.

 

Mind you, the fact that we are now, after the excesses of the Souness Revolution, reverting to being a Scottish League, in which the majority of the players are Scottish, has helped us regain some international credibility - there is a lesson there for the English, although I doubt if they will take it.

 

 

 

FINALLY, my mischievious side got a huge lift from the TV panning shot around the crowd in the aftermath of the Uruguayan winner.

 

There, slap bang in the middle of a block of delirious Uruguayans was a solitary Tartan Army foot soldier, resplendent in our new, quite terrible, "away" strip, waving a saltire and going just as berserk as the South Americans all round him.

 

Gaun yersel pal - we know where you are coming from. Clearly not a Better Together supporter I feel. 

No Scotland - Not Much To Get Excited About

I HAVEN'T truly got into the 2014 World Cup - maybe it's not having Scotland to worry about, with each passing Jock-less World Cup, the feeling doesn't go away; I cannot enjoy it without Scotland to worry about.

Sure, Holland doing Spain was great; otherwise, by passing on the live broadcasts and watching the morning highlights package on BBC, you don't miss all that much. Of course, the over-egging of the Engerlund, Engerlund, Engerlund pudding by the EBC, and perhaps even more so by ETC, has again began to grate.

Still, wearing my ABE t-shirt, I will be rooting for Uruguay tonight!!!

Not that I am anti-English, I simply relish the wailing and gnashing of teeth, from the English media,  which will follow their inevitable early exit. Well, when you are as poor as Scotland, you have to get your kicks somewhere.

Mind you, I am not entirely confident about Uruguay's chances of beating England tonight. This one has  draw written all over it.



BRAZIL have disappointed thus far, but, their squad is really under almost intolerable pressure to win the thing, and, I think this is getting to the players. Pressure to win did for Brazil in 1950 - might history repeat itself this year?



HIGHLIGHTS, thus far, have come from the pundits. I laughed at Neil Lennon's wee aside about big Amrbose and his inability to cross the ball. Away from the Glasgow madhouse, the ginger one has emerged as a cogent and thr#oughtful voice, and, hopefully, in the process done his hopes of a good gig in the English Premiership no hard.

I laughed even more when Gordon Strachan caught himself saying "We" in the context of England's hopes, then wanted to be thrown into the sea quickly, to cool off. Nicwe wee side-step from Daily Record criticism there Wee Man.



HOWEVER, for Scots, the big football story at the moment continues to be the soap opera Edmiston Drive. Charlie Green coming back, why not also Grant Mitchell, to bump him off and do us all a favour?

It will all end in more tears.

A Wee Bit Messi - But, They Won

LIONEL Messi has had a tough season. Barcelona are apparently on the wane, all the kickings he has endured over the years are beginning to take their toll, and he missed a chunk of last season through injury.

 

He needs, therefore, a good World Cup; he has to inspire Argentina in a manner which no player has managed since the implosion of Diego Maradona. Messi, like El Diego, is a very-special player, but, it might be argued, he is not surrounded with the quality of lesser player who supported Maradona.

 

Certainly, the likes of Aguero and Macherano are still fine players, but, particularly at the back, Argentina are not what they were and Messi is being asked to operate from a place of relative weakness, when compared to the hand with which Maradon had to play.

 

So, given the pressure he was under, the wee magician, I feel, put on a good show last night. OK, as ever, his performance was a wee bit over-rated by the TV critics; he was well-handled by the Bosnians, but, in a genuine show of class, he scored with the best, maybe the only, chance he got, and, having previously weighed-in with an assist for the opener, his was a good captain's performance.

 

But, the rest of the men in blue and white stripes, will have to get closer to their skipper's standards, if they are to figure at the sharp end of the tournament.

 

 

 

THE other big talking-point from Sunday's games was the French goal, the first in World Cup history, to be awarded by the new goal-line technology. Maybe, if FIFA had explained pre-tournament, how the technology would work when it came to public consumption, the kerfuffle between the referee getting the "goal" signal and awarding the strike, might have been averted. Hopefully, they will get it more-correct the next time.

 

A mention too, for the Brazilian referee in the France v Honduras match. I refer to his great good sense in booking Pogba and his Honduran sparring partner after their coming together in the first half.

 

A lot of referees would, perhaps, have booked the Honduran, then sent-off the Frenchman for his retaliation, but, Senor Ricci used his common sense to book both and calm things down. Sadly, the Honduran defender didn't learn, had another go at the big Juventus man, conceded a penalty and copped a second yellow and then a red card - silly boy.

 

I hoped, in vain, that wee Neil Lennon would chip in when it came to discussing Izzy's yellow card. After all, had he commited that foul in a Celtic strip, in a SPFL game, he would, had he been unlucky, sustained, at worse, a stern talking-to.

 

 

 

MIND you, the refereeing decision of the night was the sadvantage which the referee allowed for Switzerland to score that late, late, winner. Very good officiating indeed. 

Let's- This Once - Not Laugh At England

I AM not going to get carried away, but, just maybe, after their loss to the Italians last night, some of our neighbours South of the Solway, will, grudgingly, concede that, when we of the Tartan Army tell them: "You're shite, but you don't know you are", we are singing from a wish to alleviate pain and suffering, not being twisted, jealous "Sweaties", merely offering significant insight.

After all, is not the Tartan Army, through years of exposure to the stuff, the font of all knowledge when it comes to identifying shite football teams?

Those arbiters of good football sense, the English media, will, as ever, attempt to "spin" last night's defeat as, yet another, case of: "Our brave lads giving their all and coming up just short".

Pre-match, I was convinced Italy would win; this morning, I am again wishing I had the strength of my convictions and had wagered some of my hard-earned on Mario Balotelli scoring the winning goal. This outcome was, considering the torrid time the Italian centre forward endured at the hands of the Saxon "Fans with lap tops", always likely.

Similarly, given the two countries now face a "Must Win" match, in Sao Paolo, on Thursday night; regardless of the fact the odds on this evenbtually will be slashed by the bookies - I feel a small wager on Luis Suarez getting Uruguy's winner might pay dividends.

However, less any English visitor, and whoever you are, sir or madam, welcome; this particular Sweatie wishes our neighbours no ill-will. There were moments of hope amidst the disappointment of last night.

Some of the younger men in white offer hope for the future, Stevie Gerrard remains a class act, Roy Hodgson is a good manager - his team is not out of things yet.

Sure, the Uruguay game is, as I said earlier, a "Must Win" game. Furthermore, even some of the red top tabloid hacks have ratcheted back their normal "Engerlund Expects" rhetoric as a new sense of realism has struck home. But, last night's loss was not the end of the world.

Oh how I wish it had been us.

LET us now consider the other big game of last night, the Scotland women's team's loss to Sweden, at Motherwell.

Sure, it was a disappointing set back for the girls, but, as I listened to the BBC Scotland radio commentary, I was struck by how many chances we made - and missed. On another night.....

The Swedish girls are an outstanding outfit, but, we ran them close. The Swedes were always favourites, they will now probably, as expected, win the group, but, the play-off place is still up for grabs and, we can still get to Canada next year.

Scotland back at a World Cup, what an example that would set for our men. Gaun yersel hen!!

FINALLY, Costa Rica beating Uruguay last night should make us feel better. They can beat good teams too, and maybe we should give them more credit for beating us back at Italia '90.

Then, we should maybe ask - did we learn from that?

No.

Did we learn from losing to Paraguay in 1958, not scoring enough goals against Zaire in 1974, Peru and Iran in 1978, failing to beat ten-man Uruguay in 1986, not beating Norway, then losing to Morocco in 1998?

Maybe, instead of blaming Tommy Younger in 1958; Willie Ormond, Peter Lorimer, Denis Law and Joe Jordan in 1974, Ally MacLeod, Willie Johnston and Don Masson in 1978; Willie Miller and Alan Hansen in 1982; Alex Ferguson and Stevie Nicol in 1986; Andy Roxburgh and Jim Leighton in 1990; Craig Brown and Craig Burley in 1998, we ought to be blaming the men who have really held Scotland back these past 50-years or so - the Hampden blazers.

I fear, until we have a bonfire of the blazers, we will be condemned to be on the outside, looking in, on the big occasions.

The Future's Bright - The Future's Oranje - Or Is It?

WELL. Did anyone see that one coming? I refer to Holland's demolition of Spain in the outstanding game - thus far - of the World Cup. Four years ago, in South Africa, I hoped The Oranje would re-discover the flair and elan of past masters and have a go at the Spanish. Instead, they settled for a square-go, and, in every way but via goals, lost heavily.

 

Last night was retribution, in spades. Of course, the Dutch being quite simply, Scotland with skill, will probably self-destruct somewhere between now and the end of the tournament, but, Robbin and Van Persie have already left us with memories which will keep us going until 2018.

 

It was sad to see Cassillas have such a bad night. But, like poor Frank Haffey all those years ago, he seems fated to carry the can for failings in front of him.

 

Chile v Australia was another cracking game. I am enjoying this World Cup already.

 

 

 

FORTY applicants to replace Big Tel at Easter Road - just goes to show the continuing appeal of football management, as Old Big 'Ead himself - Brian Clough - said, the only occupation in which the only guarantee is the sack, eventually.

 

Leeanne Dempster will be busy sifting through the wannabees, but, it was interesting this week to see the announcement of a grassroots development agreement between Hibs and Spartans. This might not do much for whoever Ms Dempster eventually appoints, but, could have significant implications for his successor, or successor plus one.

 

 

 

MY SECOND daughter is a chartered librarian, who seems determined to augment my small knowledge of football. For Father's Day, as well as a nice bottle of something fruity and red, she presented me with 'The Numbers Game', sub-titled: "Why everything you know about football is wrong".

 

This book, by Chris Anderson and David Sally is, according to the plugs on the cover: "A must read" - 'Moneyball's' Billy Beane; "The book that could change football for ever" - 'The Times'; and, "Makes the beautiful game even more beautiful" - Malcolm Gladwell.

 

It is a smashing read, thus far, and I still have a long way to go, since it isn't "holiday" reading, but requires time and thought. However, already, it is clear, that luck and happenstance has arguably more relevance in the game than skill and tactics. Fascinating stuff.

EARLIER this week, self and some other coffin dodgers were on a night-out with the gentleman's club to which I belong. As we came away from the sports centre we had been at, an Under-10s boys team was in training.

 

Their coaches, looked to be stereotypical of their breed - they had the kids working hard on running, with narry a ball in sight.

 

One of our group, a man with many years' experience of the old pre-Top Ten, Scottish First Division, looked on, then pontificated.

 

"There' the future of Scottish Fitba for you - they'll be able to run all day, but unable to trap a bag of cement".

 

Ah, the wisdom of the ages.

  

Even The Ayrshire Faithful Are Starting To Lose Faith in Rangers

DOWN here, in God's Orange County, NOT being a Rangers' supporter is grounds for being dubbed: "The Only Gay In The Village". For instance, when I say "The Sash" was my school song - I am not completely kidding.

 

The on-going stooshies in the script of Edmiston Drive, that long-running football "soap", which has, these past two and a bit years, been far-more entertaining than River City, continues to exercise minds down here.

 

Just this week, I found one of my friends, a retired polis, almost in tears as he considered the awful truth - the current tribute act could well go the way of real Rangers (1872-2012). This prospect is, to him and many others around here, very real.

 

At least, it helps keep our tortured Scottish minds off our nation's absence from the World Cup.

 

 

 

NOT that all is sweetness and light in the East End of Glasgow. On paper, their new manager seems like the same sort of Scandinavian, left-field recruit as The Magnificent Seven proved to be back then. There is a lot to be enthusiastic and excited about in his CV.

 

However, managing Celtic is not quite like managing a provincial Norwegian team - not lerast when it comes to meeting the expectations of the fan base. Still, Peter Lawwell hasn't made too-many mistakes thus far, so, we wish Ronald well.

 

More-worrying, perhaps, was that the Celtic big bosses felt it necessary to recruit the Blessed Bunnet to try to engourage the natives into buying season tickets.

 

 

 

IT WILL be interesting to see who gets the Easter Road gig. The Championship is already shaping-up to be THE division in Scotland in the new season, and, IF, after so-many recent bad appointments, Hibs get it right, they will, at the very least, be looking at a promotion play-off place.

 

Real Stars Don't Join Tribute Acts

THE thing about tribute acts is, they fill a need. The real Rangers probably died when Sir David Murray and Graeme Souness decided to sign Mo Johnston - the first openly acknowledged Roman Catholic to play for the club.

That SHOULD have drawn a line under the old archly-Protestant Rangers Ra Peepul. Triumphalist, underlining the "right" of the skilled pro-Unionist Presbyterian Scot to rule the roost up here, at least in football.


Post-Mo, things started to change. Of course, some die-hards objected and are still objecting, to what they saw as the death of one of their club's "traditions" being under-mined. Yes, of course, there have been changes - for instance some old Rangers men probably burled in their graves when Lorenzo Amoruse, an Italian Roman Catholic was appointed Rangers manager. But, today, there is still a hard core of "traditionalists" who would far rather watch a Rangers team of 11 Protestant Scotsmen than the current multi-national team. Others might not be happy with Roman Catholics, or Muslims, wearing the famous blue strip, but, as long as Rangers keep winning, they will put up with things.


On the opposite side, there are Celtic supporters who view the signing of Mo-Jo as pandering to a "traitor", and who see the all-embracing Rangers of today as window dressing. They still hate Rangers, as Rangers supporters hate Celtic, but, they would maybe hate them more if they were still the Rangers of old.


Other Celtic supporters take every opportunity to rubbish the continued use of the Rangers name. "Your team's deid", they tell the continuing Peepul.


That may be correct, however, if it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck and quacks - the chances are, it's a duck. By that yard stick, the "Rangers" which will play in the SPFL Championship next season can be regarded as Rangers-continuing. Certainly, they are keeping the Rangers brand alive.


I tend to treat this Rangers as a tribute act. They dress the same, they play in the same stadium, but, I don't think they had the standards and ethos of the pre-SDM Rangers, good and bad though these standards might have been.


However, one thing you never see with a tribute act is, one of the originals still playing. While there may be litigation and arguments along the way, were Sir Paul McCartney and/or Ringo Starr to go back on the road as "The Beatles", nobody would see the group as anything but The Beatles, even though there is no way John Lennon or George Harrison could be up there. In pop music, unless two memebers of the originals are fronting competing groups, under the same name, the group with the foremost original member still strutting his stuff is seen as the real thing.


That's how it works on the live entertainment, recording, side of the entertainment industry. It's not the same on the football side of things. So, bringing back Kenny Miller (again), to my mind, does not give legitemacy to the Rangers tribute act.


They wear the same strip, they play in the same stadium, they still attract much the same level of committed supporters, but, for me: until they get back to being an essentially Scottish team, bringing through Scottish-reared players, this currnt Rangers will not be the real thing, and, bringing back Kenny Miller, who, for all his talents, is yesterday's man. doesn't make them any more legitemate.






WHILE Rangers are looking backwards, Celtic are looking ahead, with Ronald Dhal (I think) seemingly set to be the next manager at Parkhead. Well, it's a good choice - much of the Celtic Family's back story has been distorted by fairy tales and distortion.


He's certainly a left-field appointment, but, the new guy, should he take the job, brings an impressive CV, a good track record and, he should be good for the club and hopefully for Scottish football.






MEANWHILE, elsewhere, maybe the Hibs fans should re-think their plans to get rid of Rod Petrie. He has made a good appointment in taking Leann Dempster to Easter Road, just as, in the past, he has appointed some (on paper) good managers at the club, with devastating lack of results.


Petrie has, for my money, been a good steward at the club. However, that's what he is, a steward. The real power in Leith resides with my old mucker Tommy Farmer.


Shouting "Petrie Out", no matter for how long and how loud, will not move Tommy. For as long as TF has faith in Petrie, Rod is safe.


IF the Hibs fans genuinely want rid of Rod, they have to persuade TF that there is someone out there who could do a better job. And, that will not be easy, and perhaps not possible.

We Lost - Blame Me

THAT'S it - I have been telt by some of the field officers of the Afton Army: I am banned from attending future Glenafton Athletic Junior Cup Finals. The Glen have now been in five Junior Cup Finals, I have witnessed the four they have lost - to Irvine Meadow in 1962, Auchinleck Talbot in 1992, Largs in 1994 and Saturday's loss to Hurlford United. I missed the only one they have won, against Tayport in 1993.

So, the troops have decided, I am a jinx and I have now been banned, sine die.

Big Ryan McChesney's inexperience was exposed when he gave away the first penalty, after two minutes. I thought Ross Robertson was already on the way down when McChesney helped him on his way. The fact the 'Ford front man was heading away from goal, only makes big Chessy's poor decision-making worse.

I thought Chessy was hung out to dry with his second penalty concession and red-carding. I thought at the time, any contact was outside the box. Eldest daughter, watching back home in New Cumnock, says there was no contact.

However, referee Colin Steven, who gave the Glen nothing, from start to finish, was seemingly looking for an excuse to red-card Chessy, and duly did. The referee was a disgrace; it was a case of - a Glenafton player fouls a Hurlford one, free-kick and yellow card. A Hurlford player fouls a Glenafton one, possibly a free-kick, and a: "don't do it again" lecture.

If this is the standard of referee the SFA is promoting, we are all doomed.

That said, the better team won. Even had Glenafton kept all 11 men on the park, and had the hapless official been a bit more even-handed in his officiating, 'Ford would still have won.

I am delighted for Darren Henderson, who, in spite of all the furore about his pre-season switch of clubs, remains a thoroughly-likeable guy, who said and did all the right things.

Tommy Bryce, to be fair, lacks the Henderson chutpah, but, is a thoroughly solid and dependable operator. His rebuilding of Glen this season has been remarkable and, I am sure, the club will do well again next season.

Finally, I understand Sunday's final was the last for SJFA assistant secretary Joe Black, who is finally retiring, with Ian McQueen, big Gordon's elder brother, taking-up the dual role of SJFA assistant secretary and treasurer.

Joe should have been put out to grass years ago. He was an example of the arrogant, old school Hampden blazer - the game is better without him. I shall not miss him and his petty, nit-picking arrogant ways.

ROY Keane has, apparently, knocked back the chance to manage Celtic. I think the Celtic Family dodged a bullet there.