Malky's Men A Mix Of Maturity And Might Make Its

MALKY MACKAY this afternoon named his first Scotland A squad since picking-up the poisoned chalice of running the national team, in the wake of Gordon Strachan's departure. At least, unlike his predecessor, Malky has shown, he rates the talent in the Scottish League, by naming 14 Home-Scots and a mere 10 Anglos in his 24-man squad, which is:

 Malky Mackay - favours Home Scots in his squad

Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon (Celtic), David Marshall (Hull City), Jordan Archer (Millwall).

Defenders: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool), Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn Rovers), Kieran Tierney (Celtic), Liam Cooper (Leeds United), Christophe Berra (Heart of Midlothian), Paul Hanlon (Hibernian), Callum Paterson (Cardiff City).

Midfielders: Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen), John McGinn (Hibernian), Ryan Jack (Rangers), Stuart Armstrong (Celtic), Darren Fletcher (Stoke City), James Forrest, Callum McGregor (Celtic), Kenny McLean (Aberdeen), Scott Brown (Celtic), Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth), Matt Phillips (West Bromwich Albion).

Forwards: Leigh Griffiths (Celtic), Jason Cummings (Nottingham Forest), Ryan Christie (Aberdeen – on-loan from Celtic).

It's a difficult additional job for Mackay. This might well be his solitary match as Scotland boss, it comes under the heading: “meaningless friendly”, but, the Tartan Army will still demand a performance from whichever team he puts on the park.

Mackay may then, win, lose or draw, have to hand over responsibility for the national team to someone else, or, he may be lumbered with the job. I applaud the fact he has left out some almost automatic choices under WGS, who, while they never let Scotland down, were maybe capped simply because they were playing in England, and Strachan didn't really rate the domestic game.

 Ryan Christie - not good enough for Celtic's first team, but, in the national squad

I further applaud the inclusion of some new faces, younger, home-based players who have come through the Under-21 team – the likes of Kenny McLean of Aberdeen, John McGinn of Hibs and young Ryan Christie, the Celtic starlet, on-loan at Pittodrie. They deserve their chance to show what they can do, and this is the right sort of match in which to blood them.

And it is good too, to see Callum Paterson back after his injury. Kieran Tierney has done well as an emergency right back, but, Paterson is a natural fit there.

Of course, there are still some old hands in the squad to show the new boys the ropes – Craig Gordon, Christophe Berra and the midfield pillars, Scott Brown and Darren Fletcher.

But, let's not forget, this is a Scotland squad, for a “meaningless friendly”, so let's see how many changes there are between today's announcement and the team meeting-up. There may be more changes to come.

WHILE Mackay is keeper of one poisoned chalice, there continues to be media speculation as to who will get possession of the other one – the one with the nice big office at the top of the marble staircase on Edmiston Drive.

 Derek McInnes - will be stay or will he go?

The stenographers will be punting the Derek McInnes for Ibrox line for all they are worth. Ex-Rangers player, doing well at Aberdeen, natural fit and all that – except. Can Rangers afford him – compensation to Aberdeen for McInnes and those of his back-room team he would wish to take south with him, would set Rangers back nearly £2 million. Do they have that much cash floating around?

We have yet to discover if they have paid-up on Messrs Warburton and Weir, far-less Pedro and the Portugese Posse. There are reports of several millions needing to be spent on urgent renovations to Ibrox, and these issues would have to be tackled before we get round to a transfer budget for McInnes, or whoever gets the job of replacing Pedro.

If there is one thing that club needs, it is a period of stability, reflection and the implementation of a long-term plan of action – something which has been sorely lacking under the guidance of the “Concert Party” currently running things down Edmiston Drive.

Whatever they are paying him for his fire-fighting services, wee Jim Traynor is earning his corn, keeping the stenographers away from asking the questions which require to be asked of the men at the top of this distressed club.

And, for what it is worth, if I was Derek McInnes, I wouldn't touch the Rangers job with a barge pole, until there were changes upstairs at Ibrox. He's better off where he is.

NO NAMES, no pack drill, but, one of the better Scottish football writers recently found the exit tunnel from his failing daily and escaped the rat race for the well-upholstered world of public relations. This meant, he could now, on a Saturday, devote his attentions to the club he loved, free from accusations of this being his “diddy” team, and, in reality he favoured one or other of the Bigot Brothers.

On Saturday, his club was entertaining their nearest neighbours, and most-deadly rivals in one of Scotland's other local derbies. And, where was our hero – why, where you would expect a high-powered pr executive to be: eating his prawn sandwiches at Old Trafford.

So much for loyalty, and bringing-up his son in the true faith.

So Much To Discuss, Let's Start With Real Fitba

WHERE to begin today, with so much to discuss: Celtic's 61-in-a-row and counting; Who's next for the poisoned chalice at Ibrox; Scott Brown – in or out against the Netherlands; Stevie Clarke's start with Kilmarnock – two points gained, or four dropped? There are no end of subjects for the dedicated blogger on Scottish football to get his teeth into.

 The Scottish Junior Cup - We've got it and we intend keeping it here

So, forgive me, dear reader, if I turn my back on Scottish Football, to begin today's dissertation with a look at REAL SCOTTISH FITBA – and the Scottish Junior Cup. Here in Nirvana, on the East Ayrshire/Dumfries and Galloway border, we are still in heaven, as we reflect on the fact, the Holy Grail, the Scottish Junior Cup, currently resides in our dear home village of New Cumnock, at Loch Park, home of GLENAFTON ATHLETIC.

It is not lonely there having the West of Scotland Superleague and the Evening Times Champion of Champions trophies for company, after the 2017-2018 season mirabalus. The Glen were not in action in yesterday's second round ties, their scheduled clash with Dalry Thistle being postponed due to a flooded Merksworth Park, Dalry.

But, there were other interesting matches among the 63 fixtures played. These games produced 381 goals, an average of 6 goals per tie, so, the fans were not short-changed. There were, it has to be admitted, the usual number of mis-matches, which were embarrassingly one-sided.

Top-scorers were SHOTTS BON ACCORD, who stuck 13 on MUIRKIRK, their visitors from Ayrshire; this was one goal more than cup contenders and 2016 winners, BEITH, who scored 12 without reply at home to INVERNESS CITY. RUTHERGLEN GLENCAIRN were the other team in double figures, 11-0 home winners against GLENTANAR.

GARTCAIRN scored nine without response at home to WHITEHILLS, while the mighty AUCHINLECK TALBOT, as expected put visitors FORRES to the sword at Fortress Beechwood, winning 8-0. Some so-called experts will tell, the team from the old Central League most-likely to end that former stronghold's lengthy wait for Scottish Cup winners is KIRKINTILLOCH ROB ROY, and the Rabs certainly began well, thumping Carluke 6-0.

There were encouraging cup wins too for a couple of new bosses of previously struggling powerhouses. Peter Leonard's reign at Townhead Park could not had a much-worse start than a defeat to ten man Talbot in his first match, but, Saturday's 5-0 Scottish Cup win at CRAIGMARK, was a much-better outcome for the new CUMNOCK gaffer.

 New Irvine Meadow boss Brian McGinty

Brian McGinty, who I first met as a young striker, out to rebuild his career at St Mirren, following his release by boyhood heroes Rangers, is the latest boss charged with bringing back the glory days to IRVINE MEADOW. A 5-2 win over Broxburn is just the start big Brian would have hoped for, I wish him well at Meadow Park. And finally, in this quick run round the Juniors, hard luck but well done to my own favourite junior side, the once-mighty LUGAR BOSWELL THISTLE. A 3-1 home loss to LINLITHGOW ROSE was a better outcome than many feared.

I HAVE long held, indeed, I discussed this very subject two or three posts ago, Scotland should have a 100,000-capacity genuine National Stadium, to be used for show-piece games by our national football and rugby teams, and this should be built on a green field or brown field site, somewhere central, with good road and rail communications.

Of course, this state of the art arena, complete with G surface, and a roof, will only be built after Scotland wins its Independence. Sadly, it will probably have to wait until the independent Scottish Government has sorted-out the nation's Health Service (even though this is in much-better shape than its Unionist critics would try to have us believe), its transport infrastructure, its housing stock, land reform, its broken industrial and manufacturing sectors and, the key to doing all this, seen us finally get some money out of all that oil we are floating in.

So, what do we do for the 100-years or so it will take our politicians to get around to building this super stadium? Well, there is, of course, a lot of posturing and jostling for advantageous positions going on, but, while I think - “It's aye been” being the default position of Scotland's football rulers – will prevail and we will stick with Hampden, what is wrong with football at Murrayfield?

 The SRU's Dominic McKay, if anyone can "sell" Murrayfield to the SFA for games, it's him

Are the SFA so well-insulated against reality they can turn down the possibility of an additional 15,000 bums on seats for sell-out matches and turn down the chance to play at Murrayfield? Money talks, and, if the canny Dominic McKay can strike the right deal, and he has a great track record on this, Scotland's football team may yet be running-out at Murrayfield sometime soon.

What's He Worse At - Refereeing Or Politics

JUST a wee post, on a subject which has been bothering me, so, please, dear reader, indulge me.

One of the implied rights of the football fan – with or without lap top is, it is always open season on match officials; whether they are right or wrong, and it needs saying at this juncture, they tend to be more-often right than wrong: we have the right to have a go at them.

 Douglas Ross MP - waving goodbye to Russia

I have recently had a wee dig at Douglas Ross – the Honourable Member of Parliament for Moray from Monday to Friday, Specialist Assistant Referee Grade One with the SFA on a Saturday. I claim my right to have a go at Douglas on two fronts. One: he is a Tory, in my view therefore the natural enemy of Scotland. And two, he's a referee.

I have not been alone in slagging him, but, the continued abuse he has been having to absorb has now meant, he is cutting back on his refereeing, to concentrate on the “Day Job” - how I wish he could persuade Ruth Davidson MSP, his supposed boss within the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party to do likewise, but, hey-ho.

This decision by Mr Ross means he will not be going to the 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia as a member of the elite Scottish refereeing team which, given the high-profile European games they had been given to officiate on, seemed likely to be going to Russia.

Willie Collum – and no sniggering at the back at this – now viewed within UEFA as one of Europe's top officials, will be going, but, there will be a change to his team, with an as yet un-named assistant coming-in for Douglas Ross.

Douglas got pelters for missing last week's House of Commons vote on Universal Credit, and, yes I had a go at him for this, but, in my defence, that was because he's a Toe rag, not because he was evil or uncaring.

For a start, rightly or wrongly, the Conservative MPs, including Mr Ross, had already been “whipped” to abstain on the vote at the end of the debate – he was never going to have a vote to miss. Also, the way the House works, his absence would already have been covered.

The House of Commons has always operated as “the best gentlemen's club in London”. It has always been run to suit the professions – the doctors, lawyers, accountants, journalists and those guys who are “something in the city”. The hours and so on are structured so that Honourable Members can feather their nests by combining parliamentary work with other, perhaps more-lucrative work in the Hon Member's particular field.

Also, there is this system, known as “pairing”, whereby a Member who has business elsewhere, such as running the line at a football match in Barcelona, can in plenty of time, go to his party whips' office and tell them: “Sorry old boy, cannot make the vote on Wednesday week, off on a nice little earner to Spain.”

Provided the parliamentary business the Hon. Member would miss did not involve say a declaration of war, or a motion of no confidence in the government, the whips' office would have a quiet word with opposition whips:

“Bit of a problem old boy, the Hon Member for Moray wants to go off and play soccer in Barcelona next Wednesday, have you got anyone on your side off that day?”

“As a matter of fact we have, the Hon. Member for Bolsover wants to sneak away for a few days to Mauritius to do a spot of fact-finding with his 22-year-old, big-boobed, blonde researcher.”

“OK, that's agreed then, we “pair” Moray and Bolsover.” Job done, Mr Ross has his get out of voting chit and business carries on as usual.

That's how the system works, so, really, it was a bit of an unnecessary, media-driven storm in a tea cup, which has cost a Scotsman a probable World Cup appearance.

Pity really, but, from the way he caved-in so promptly, it shows, Mr Ross does not have the strength of character to be a good MP, or a good referee for that matter.

There's No Use Crying "No Surrender" When The Walls Are Already Falling Down

EARLIER this week, in discussing the travails of Rangers, which have since seen the departure of manager Pedro Caixinha, I referenced the barren years for Celtic – between them winning the league in 1938 and the return of Jock Stein as manager in 1965.

 Sir Robert Kelly - took the criticism, but, saw his vision realised in Lisbon

These 27-years were not entirely barren, however. There was the Scottish Cup win in 1951, the St Mungo Cup success of the same season, the Coronation Cup triumph of 1953, the league and cup double the following season, plus a couple of League Cup wins, including “Hampden in the sun – 7-1 in 1957”. But, these were years in which Celtic were a long way behind Rangers.

However, towards the end of that long spell of under-achievement, there were the first glimmers of hope, some light at the end of that long, dark tunnel. Sir Robert Kelly came in for criticism from the ordinary fans in the Jungle as the years of despair continued. Perhaps some of it was justified, he certainly seemed to be guilty of undue interference in team affairs. However, even when results were not going well for the club – Kelly was building for the future.

During those barren years: goalkeepers Willie Miller and Frank Haffey, full-backs Mike Haughney, Dunky MacKay, Jim Kennedy and Sean Fallon, half-backs Bobby Evans, Bertie Peacock, Eric Smith and Pat Crerand and forwards Bobby Collins, Willie Fernie, John McPhail, Neil Mochan, Bertie Auld and John Hughes all arrived as youngster and were developed into full internationalists.

Goalkeeper Dick Beattie, John Colrain, Bobby Jeffrey, Jim Walsh and Ian Young became Under-23 caps, while other Celtic players such as John Divers came through the ranks to win Scottish League recognition. Yet, of that list, only Auld, sold then bought back, would be a Lisbon Lion (although Hughes and Young were still with the club in May, 1967). It needed the managerial magic of Stein to work to end the long dark years, but, it should be remembered, only goalkeeper Ronnie Simpson and inside forward Willie Wallace of the Lions were bought-in – and only Wallace was a Stein purchase - the other nine were there already, members of what was known as “the Kelly Kids”.

Today, the boot is on the other foot. It is Rangers who are in a dark place, but, there is no sign of a group of, to coin a name - “King's Kids”, ready to be given their chance by a charismatic manager and to be unleashed on an unsuspecting public, to bring the Ibrox club back into the sunshine of trophy-winning.

It is a matter of fact, from Moses McNeil becoming the first Rangers player to win a Scotland cap, in 1876 for 100-years and more, Scotland never won an international without having at least one Rangers player in the team. Today, there is not a single Rangers player good enough to get into the national squad – that is how far the club has fallen.

 Ross McCrorie - will he be given the chance to realise his potential?

Rangers withdrew their Under-20 development squad from the SPFL's Development League, believing that competition was not fit for purpose. The Ibrox club has only two players, defender Ross McCrorie and forward Ryan Hardie in the current Scotland Under-21 squad, while there are Rangers Academy youngsters dotted throughout the Scotland age group squads beneath the Under-21 one. Sadly, past experience indicates few, if any of these promising young players will go on to make more than a handful of first team games for the club.

The management at Ibrox has, for years, concentrated on buying-in ready-made players, to the distress of their development squads. Celtic, in their hours of darkness, built for the future, Rangers have singularly failed to do this.

I could, at this point, type in a lengthy list, of some 50 or more young Rangers' players, starting from 1986, and the arrival of Graeme Souness, who came through the club's development system and won Scotland Under-21 honours, while fringe players at the club. Of these, just one – Barry Ferguson went on to play a significant number of first-team games for the club.

Sure, there were the likes of Charlie Adam and Chris Burke, who were capped by Scotland while with Rangers, but, they were allowed to leave without making a significant number of appearances – the club preferred to buy-in ready-made foreigners.

Clearly there is a flaw in the culture of the club which allows such a bad state of affairs to run on for so long. This culture will not be changed overnight.

Bob Kelly withstood the criticism, he believed in what he was doing, would not be diverted and, while there were maybe a couple of false dawns along the way – in the end, his plan worked when the right manager, got the right group of players together and found the Holy Grail.

 Dave King - the Naked Emperor of Ibrox

The King Emperor has been found to have no clothes, just as the guy before him, and the usurper before him, while the one before that got it badly wrong.

Rangers' big need is not a new manager, it is a new supreme leader to put this lost club back on-track, and persuade the lieges putting things right will be a long term job and there will be no gain without, initially, further pain, but, in the long term, they ought to stick with him and his plan.

Is there such a person out there? And, if there is, will he be given the time to put his plans into place and bring them to fruition, or, will the fans' sense of entitlement – the “We are the people” mentality continue to be a stumbling block to the major change of direction and rebuilding which is required?

If Carlsberg Did Football Teams In Crisis

LAST evening, Celtic put second-placed Aberdeen to the sword at Pittodrie, while, at Ibrox, in spite of the normal free-gift penalty, Rangers were unable to beat second-bottom Kilmarnock, and, to add insult to Rangers' injury, it was an Ibrox outcast who scored Killie's very-late equaliser.

Chris Burke's late goal was a case of insult to injury

This morning, we read that Club Captain Lee Wallace, totemic striker, regular vice-captain and former Scotland captain Kenny Miller, along with influential midfielder Niko Kranjcar were apparently told to stay away from the ground last night. Meanwhile, manager Pedro Caixinha had to watch the match from the stand, after being sent from the technical area during Sunday's Betfred League Cup semi-final.

You know, their might be something in this: “The Old Firm is dead” malarkey after all, such is the difference between the two traditional dominant forces in Scottish football these days.

I watched the Aberdeen v Celtic game on TV, and yes, Celtic were impressive. However, such command in a domestic match merely underscores the club's big problem – such easy wins, and remember, this 3-0 victory was achieved on the home ground of their closest-challengers in Scotland, in no way prepare Celtic for the Champions League. This is Celtic's problem, how do they transfer domestic dominance into European success?

Let's be honest, the best Celtic can expect from Europe this season is to finish third in their Champions League group, and thus drop into the consolation prize of a place in the last 32 of the Europa League. Even if they were to win the Europa League, it would still only rank the club 17^th in Europe – a good place, make no mistake, but, the club officials would surely wish to be ranked higher than that.

As for Rangers, what can we say that has not already been said? Anywhere else, and most-certainly in England's top flight, the manager would have been handed his cards a couple of games ago. I would not say Pedro has: “lost the dressing room”, but, he has certainly lost – if he had ever even found – the British players therein.

Of course, if “the Donegal Blogger” as he of the four names is known in the Blue Room is correct, and in the matter of Rangers' finances he usually is, then the only reason why Pedro is still in situ is, the club cannot afford to pay him off. That said, there is a “crisis – emergency” board meeting today, so perhaps some well-heeled Rangers fan will be found, able to come-up with the cash it will take to be rid of the manager. Things are in such disarray at Ibrox, you can never say never about anything.

 Pedro Caixinha, big question for the Rangers' board: can we afford to sack him?

Well, the question I asked in that photo caption was answered fairly quicky - they have indeed sacked him - now there's a surprise.

I see more pain for no gain down Ibrox way for a wee while to come, with potentially further storms set to batter the already listing vessel.

Scottish football history, at least according to the stenographers on today's sports desks, only runs from that day in 1986 when David Holmes unveiled Graeme Souness as Rangers' new player-manager – before then, apparently nothing happened – well, Celtic did win the European Cup in 1967 – but, you get my drift.

From 1938 until Jock Stein's return in 1965. Celtic were further behind Rangers than Rangers are behind Celtic today; they even flirted with relegation in 1948, but, times were different then. The football writers of those days – Rex Kingsley, Waverley, Jack Harkness and so on – were more than mere cheer-leaders for the big two. There were other teams and players to follow. Hibs, with the “Famous Five” and Hearts with their “Terrible Trio”, Dundee with their great teams – the Billy Steel-inspired one and the 1962 title-winning team, the great Kilmarnock teams that Willie Waddell and Walter McCrae built, the Motherwell sides of “Paton, Kilmarnock and Shaw” and the later “Ancell Babes”, even the terrific East Fife side which Scot Symon built, they all ensured that, even with Celtic being held back by board room interference, Rangers were challenged.

In part, this was because, with the maximum wage in England, full-time Scottish players were just as well-off staying at home, as heading south. Rangers' players were reportedly the best-paid in the UK.

 Hibs' Famous Five - these days all of them, not just Bobby Johnstone, would have been sold to England

If the wealth currently sloshing around in England had been available (even comparatively speaking from the far-lower wages of the immediate post-war era), Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond would have been sold to top English sides, as would Alfie Conn, Willie Bauld and Jimmy Wardhaugh across the city; Dundee could never have repatriated Steel from Derby County. The sides which were developed to challenge Rangers would never have been built, since the clubs would have sold their best assets to England a lot sooner.

There was always a cross-border transfer market, but, the end of the maximum wage down south saw Scottish provincial clubs lose their best players to a greater degree than before, and we have never recovered. Perhaps Independence will offer a means to counter this, I don't know, but, for as long as English football is rich and Scottish football is comparatively poor, we will struggle to compete.

In the above piece, I mentioned a Mr Graeme Souness. I see Mr Souness has a new book to sell, so, he has been giving us his unrivalled opinions on Scottish football.

For all his service to the Scotland side, I see Souness as: “A proud Scot – but”, one of those Scots who perhaps yearns to be something he can never be – English. In my view he, encouraged by David Murray, was the one man who, more than any other, ruined Scottish football. I will not be rushing out to buy his tome.

AND FINALLY, for reasons which will be quickly apparent, I call this the “Dead Donkey” segment of this blog.

 Ryan Jack: "It takes real stupidity to lose a battle of wits with Kirk Broadfoot".

Last night at Ibrox, Ryan Jack was red-carded for “pittin' the heid oan” Kirk Broadfoot, thus allowing a Kilmarnock supporter, on facebook, to hail Mr Jack as: “The only player in Scotland stupid enough to lose a battle of wits with Kirk Broadfoot.”

Ouch!!

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.

Make Your Pressure Pay - Or Pay The Price In Failure

NEARLY half a century ago, as a young wannabe, on the lowest rung of the sports-writing ladder, I was given some advice by one-time Daily Sketch sports writer and foreign correspondent Bernard Attenborough – a relation of the better-known Attenboroughs, David and Richard. Bernard had by then, for bet, written a best-seller and become novelist James S Rand, and, while doing serious damage to his liver, he was a constant presence around Ayr Rugby Club.

Bernard Attenborough/James S Rand

Bernard encouraged me to note the possession stats, insisting – the team which dominates territory and possession normally wins. He added the rider – this only counts if they make their advantage pay in terms of scoring when on top.

This advice from an old-school reporter came to mind this afternoon as I watched the Rangers v Motherwell Betfred Cup semi-final. For a lot of the game, Rangers were in-charge in terms of creating chances and forcing 'Well onto the defensive; and, as chances came and went, I began to get the feeling, Rangers are not going to win this. It is not the first game I have seen in which one team repeatedly made and missed chances – and lost. It will not, I vouch, be the last.

Of course, it was Rangers who failed, so, we will see a media shit storm this week as the stenographers rake over the ashes. I can already see the Chief Sports Subs at the Daily Rangers and The Hun calling-up the cracked crest graphic for tomorrow's edition.

There will probably be polls on Pedro Caixinha's future – assuming he has one. Although, if Rangers' finances are in as bad a state as “Phil Four Names” insists they are, the question is: can the club afford to sack him?

Louis Moult - a goal fit to win any game

As to the game, Motherwell deserved to win it, while that second, clinching goal, from Louis Moult, was fit to win any match and is a worthy addition to the litany of great Hampden goals. But, the main fall-out will be the debate over who was and was not or should have been but wasn't yellow or red-carded.

Tony McGlennan, the SFA's Compliance Officer, is clearly in for a busy week, reviewing the match video, I don't envy him his task. There are one or two controversial incidents to be mulled over, and, it has to be said, Moult's place in the final is by no means certain following his second-half coming together with Bruno Alves.

The respective managers, Pedro and Stephen Robinson, were, of course sent to the stand in the second half following a coming-together between Ryan Bowman and Fabio Cardoso and will have a price to pay for their indiscipline.

Chris Sutton, in commentary, was calling for Bowman to be sent-off for the damage he did to Cardoso's nose in the incident. I actually think, in this instance, Bowman was innocent. The ball was dropping over his shoulder, he was looking back at the ball and to my mind, had no idea where Cardoso was when his leading arm connected with his nose.

Pedro, of course, went ape-shit. He reminds me of Artie Ross, the coach of the short-lived Glasgow basketball club of the 1980s. Ross, court side, was a volcano on the verge of erupting; basketball was regularly televised back then, and one TV producer told me, he had one camera-man each Glasgow game instructed to do nothing but focus on Ross, ready for the eruption. I get the impression those instructions are now given to camera-men covering Rangers' games, while, in England, I am sure someone at each Manchester United game, is instructed to constantly monitor 'The Special One'.

Getting to the final is great for Motherwell, and I suppose nobody will be happier at this turn of events than Police Scotland's Match Commander for big games at Hampden – he and his men will not have an Old Firm final to worry about.

Nothing against Motherwell, but, I rather fancied had the final been another meeting of the Bigot Brothers, 60-years after “7-1 Hampden in the Sun”, either, a dominant Celtic would have had a right good go at replicating that iconic result, or, that would be the game when Celtic's great unbeaten domestic run ended – something which might still happen.

AT LEAST, the much-maligned “Hootsman”, when printing rumour and innuendo in football put such stories in a regular feature - “the Rumour Mill”. Some other papers simply print rumour as fact.

 Ray McKinnon

Take today's big rumour – that Dundee United are about to part company with manager Ray McKinnon, for the heinous crime of losing consecutive matches. A wee story here, The first time I ever saw actor-comedian Bobby Knutt, who died earlier this year, was at Batley Variety Club, over 40-years ago. A proud Sheffield man, wee Bobby opened with a gag: “My mate asked me what I thought of football in Sheffield – I told him, it might catch-on.”

This was a reference to the seemingly permanent travails of the two Sheffield teams, United and Wednesday. Well, today, you could almost see Dundee as the Scottish equivalent of Sheffield, when it comes to under-performing football clubs.

If Ray goes, he goes: (Edit. Which he did within an hour of this post going up). However, from the club's formation, as Dundee Hibs and the appointment of their first manager in 1909, they toiled unsuccessfully as the poor relations on Tayside for 50-years. During this period, United changed managers on average every three years. They then appointed Jerry Kerr, then Jim McLean and in the 35-years or so during which these two men guided the club, United upset the pecking order in the city of jute, jam and journalism, and won a trophy or two along the way.

Since McLean stood down in 1993, the club has reverted to giving their manager an average of three years before changing – and gone backwards. Maybe a period of stability is called for, as has happened at another club – Partick Thistle, who have stood by Alan Archibald, amazingly the self-serving Premiership manager, in spite of some poor results. But, of course, the Jags have always done things their way.