I HAVE long opined: the problem with elite football in Europe is, the players are now so technically-proficient, the games are boring. Drop down a couple of tiers or so, to something like Scottish Fitba, and, with less-proficient players, making more mistakes, you get a better game to watch.
OK, maybe it would be good for the game if we managed to get rid of the old (and cynical) description of a “gifted” Scottish footballer: “he can miskick with either shin”; but, for me, it would be even better if we got rid of the multitude of non-Scottish players, who are only better in that they can: “miskick with either foot”.
My two favourite Premiership clubs are Kilmarnock – I've been a Rugby Parker since my first game, in 1959 - and St Mirren – after an entertaining decade or so covering the club for the Paisley Daily Express. So, I was delighted to see the two clubs producing a minor classic on Saturday, with the Buddies running the show and going two goals up in the first half, before, after what I presume was a paint-stripping half time pep talk from Paisley-born Derek McInnes – Killie hit back with five second half goals, scored in jig-time, to take the points and climb above their visitors into fourth place in the top flight.
Then, with Dundee v Rangers called-off after a Tayside monsoon, Celtic went back to the top of the pile, keeping the heat on what was already a gripping fight for the title.
I actually think Phillipe Clement was quite happy at the call-off. His team has a long history of not hitting their straps in the first domestic match after a midweek European game and, following their loss to what was a very-good Benfica team, on Thursday night, a Sunday off was perhaps good for his squad.
Notwithstanding my aversion to our clubs preference for cheap foreign imports to home-grown Scottish talent, I reckon we will, years from now, look on this season's Premier Division campaign, as one for the ages.
OK, the Brothers Grimm are going to fight it out for the title (again); Hearts are probably safe in third, but, the battle for the fourth and final European place next season will be epic. At the other end of the table, Livingston appear to be doomed, ten points off the relegation play-off place and eleven off the safety of not having to contest those fraught play-off games.
But, between the extremes at both ends of the table, we're in Cole Porter territory.
IF THE top-flight is exciting, it pales into boredom when compared to events in the Championship. The title fight between Dundee United and Raith Rovers may lack the glamour of the tussle between the two cheeks of Scottish Football;s erse, but, it is every bit, if not more-intense.
With seven games to go, there they are, locked together, separated only by goal difference; it's the very essence of “squeaky bum time” - anything can and probably will happen on the run-in.
The fight to get into the promotion/relegation play-offs is almost as intense. OK, backing Partick Thistle is always a risky business, but, they have enough guys in their squad to ensure, they will finish third, but, that fourth place, well it will probably go to time added-on in the final games of the regular season, before we know which club will fill the position.
Airdrie, Morton, Dunfermline Athletic, Ayr United and Queen's Park, half the clubs in the division, are all in the dog fight, and, I wouldn't rule out a Duncan Ferguson-inspired Inverness Caledonian Thistle going on a late run to challenge for that final spot.
UNFORTUNATELY – the League One sides have not managed to keep to the script. Falkirk are two wins away from clinching the title, while Hamilton Academical and two from Alloa Athletic, Montrose and Cove Rangers will occupy the other places in the play-offs.
At the bottom, Edinburgh City's disastrous season has already seen them condemned to relegation, however, four teams are involved in the battle to avoid the relegation play-off games. These clubs are the two Solway Coast clubs – Annan Athletic and Queen of the South, Stirling Albion and Kelty Hearts. Their battle will be intense.
THE BBC SHORTBREAD Sport website lists each club's last five results at the end of their league table. Stenhousemuir are, on current form, sixth-equal in the ten-club division. However, with a 15 point lead over Peterhead, who are also sixth-equal on current form, The Warriors do have a comfortable cushion in the title race.
Dumbarton (second-equal on current form) also look good for the play-offs, but Spartans' current-form ranking of eighth could leave them vulnerable to a late run from East Fife, the form team in the division, with 11 points from their last five games.
The real interest in the bottom half of the division is the suggestion, from recent results, that that old fox Ian McColl could be about to pull-off one of his famour turnarounds.
When he took over Clyde they were lagging badly in the race to avoid the play-off to stay in Senior Football. They are still bottom of the pile, but, on current form they are joint-second, having taken 9 points from their last five games.
The Bully Wee still trail second-bottom Stranraer by three points, but the Galloway Irishmen are, on current form, justifying their ninth place and it might take more than the occasional wonder goal from Finn Ecrepont to save them.
By the way, seeing as his grand-father is a long-time friend of mine, can I just say, young Finn should never have been allowed to leave Ayr United. He is the sort of talented home-grown Honest Man that club needs more of.
FINALLY – I see Crawford Allen is stepping down from his role as Head of Referees at the SFA, and the inference is, he's had enough of SFA in-fighting and lack of support for our match officials and their support of the introduction of VAR.
The trouble there is, the top teams, and two in particular, appear to think they should not have decisions given against them. So, where do Hampden find a successor?
I reckon the ideal candidate is already in there.Douglas Ross could well lose one of his three jobs later this year, come the UK General Election. In his other “Day Job” as leader of the Scottish Conservatives, he already has ample experience of doing a job in which everyone hates him -DRoss is the ideal candidate, no matter how often things go wrong, it will not bother him one iota.
Since Alasdair Jackass has already bagged the ermine jaiket and the lifetime seat in "The Other Place" Wee Dougie, minus his £86,584 pa Westminster salary could well need a wee top-up to his meagre £67,672 pa Holyrood stipend, so, a wee sinecure at Hampden might be a good fit.
Come on SFA, you know it's time to promote The Linesman to the top match officiating job at Hampden.
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