WELL, the intellectual giants of the Scottish Football Writers Assocaition got their wish, when Aberdeen sacked Barry Robson. Then the Pittodrie board doubled down, by making the SFWA even-happier and appointing Neil Warnock as Interim Boss. The other winner from all this will be whoever the club employs as interpreter, to translate Doric into a form of English which the new Yorskhire-born boss can understand. (Don't laugh, I once had to interpret between a Scouser and a guy from the Broch.)
I have long wondered about the English football media's love affair with Warnock. He's had literally “more clubs than Tiger Woods” - Aberdeen is his 19th managerial role, but, even allowing for any doubts about the source, according to Wikipedia, in two weeks shy of 43 years in management, he has only once, over a four-game spell with Queen's Park Rangers, achieved a 50% winning record.
Overall, over 1952 games in the hot seat, he has a 40% winning record and, his first win with the Dons will be his 800th win. In all that time, he has never won a major trophy. OK, to be fair, perhaps an old-school, experienced hand on the tiller is just what the club needs and to be fair, he has a better managerial record than the guy he is replacing, but, he has no experience of the strange world that is Scottish Football; he's strictly a short-term fix.
Warnock has, it must be admitted, a good track record in getting teams promoted in England via their play-off system. That's the consolation prize for the clubs not quite good enough to go up as of right, by finishing first or second.
Well, since Received Wisdom in Scotland has it that the Twisted Sisters/Bigot Brothers in whatever order, are going to finish first and second, maybe a man with a shed load of bronze medals for finishing third is the perfect choice as Manager.
I get the impression, from watching club supremo Clarkson in action of late – I reckon he's making it up as he goes along. Being Aberdeen, they just might go out there and beat Rangers tonight, but, I fear things could just as easily go pear-shaped between now and the end of the season.
Still on the subject of “The Dandies” - wasn't it typical of them that they sack their manager, then go out and draw with Celtic – a result which hasn't half upset the more-hysterical septs in the Celtic Family.
If Rangers win tonight, they will go level with Celtic at the top of the table, indeed, if the Ibrox side beat Aberdeen by three clear goals, they will go top of the table, in which case, Chris Sutton might just flip completely, while whichever Daily Rhebel journalist pulls the short straw and is on phone-in duty post match and on Wednesday is in for a rough ride, as the forces of the More-Entitled Celtic Fans vent their collective spleen and demand Wee Brendan Rodgers' head on a plate.
Either way, we've got a real title fight on our hands for the remainder of the season.
ENOUGH TALK os what passes for elite football in Scotland, whit aboot real fitba, as practiced here in the West of Scotland, and in particular in God's County. The PDM Huws Gray Premier Division of the West of Scotland Football League is currently very interesting, with something of an upside-down look to the standings.
Irvine Meadow are, as has been the case all season, propping-up the table, with a mere 8 points from 17 games.
Just above them, with 11 points from 15 games are Arthurlie.
Third bottom, on 12 points from 15 games are Glenafton Athletic.
These are three teams we normally expect to be challenging at the head of the field, and certainly in-contention in the cup competitions, so, it is indeed strange to see them struggling, with Meadow's position looking increasingly vulnerable.
Not that long ago, Auchinleck Talbot and Cumnock were also down in the dumps. However, since changing managers (again), the 'Nock have climbed to fourth place in the 16-club division, while the 'Bot are lying seventh.
This is a very-competitive league, so anything caould happen between now and the end of the season, but, the three fallen giants in the basement really need to start putting together a survival run very quickly.
Mind you, should survival pass the bottom three bye, there are a trio of fallen giants eager to replace them, with Petershill, Kilwinning Rangers and Blantyre Victoria leading the promotion charge.
RUMINATING on the lingering effects of relegation on clubs, I chanced to take a glance at the Lowland League standings, where we find those clubs who have recently dropped through the trapdoor at the bottom of League Two of the SPFL into the 18-club Lowland League. Not one of them is in the top half of the table at the moment.
Cowdenbeath lie tenth, one place above Berwick Rangers. Albion Rovers are in 13th spot, with East Stirlingshire in 16th position. Indeed of those clubs who lost their long-held status as “Senior” clubs through the formation of the Scottish Pyramid, only Brechin City, four points clear at the top of the Highland League, appear to be making a fist of getting back into the Senior ranks.
Interestingly, Heart of Midlothian B are fourth in the Lowland League table, while Celtic B are in seventh position. Celtic list a 41 player B team squad, if they are only seventh in that league, you have to ask – have they stopped recruiting along Quality Street and gone for a “Never mind the quality, feel the width” scatter-gun approach to young player recruitment?
Mind you, Celtic list 40 players (29 with the club, 13 out on-loan) in their First Team squad, plus those 41 in the B team squad. That, to me reeks of overkill. Maybe if they paid-off a few of the fringe players from both squads, they could afford the better-quality player who could make a real difference in Europe.
For the sake of balance, I should report, the other lot get bye with a 30 man First Team Squad, and a 23 man B team squad, which still appears too-big to me, given, particularly in Europe this season, both clubs have demonstrated, they've got a lot of players who are simply not Celtic or Rangers' class.
But, that appears to sum-up your average decision-maker at the top of football clubs today – more money than sense and unable to keep their managers/coaches in-check.
