Oh Celtic, what a chance blown!
And Man United, what a bad time to lose to a cup game!
Celtic and Manchester United’s defeats to Maribor and Milton Keynes last evening are both important watermarks for the clubs in question and they have brought up harsh lessons that both clubs need to heed.
For Celtic, the lesson to be learned is that scraping by on a bare minimum of spending and constantly selling their best players is a business model no longer compatible with any success outside of their domestic league.
Celtic were handed an amazing second chance after Legia Warsaw made a mess of some simple paperwork. They had a chance to secure a place in the Champions League Group Stages for the third season in a row. However, their performance against Maribor was simply awful. They showed no character, no heart and looked just plain toothless against a side that they should have been able to eliminate.
Not only did Celtic have the luxury of an away goal to rest on, but they were also playing the game at Celtic Park, something they hadn’t been able to do in the home leg against Legia as a result of the commonwealth games. All evidence pointed to them getting a 1-0 or 2-0 win on the night, while an animated home crowd cheered them on with vociferous zeal. But in fact, it was the exact opposite.
The Celtic home support, so often their secret weapon on big European nights, seemed nervy and flat. They tried at points in the match, but they just couldn’t get any real sustained pressure on the Maribor team. Once Maribor got their winning goal, the crowd practically fell silent. They weren’t angry, they weren’t defiant, they were simply broken by the experience. Their team had played a sloppy game that had lacked any bite or insistence. Celtic never looked like getting the goal that would have really put Maribor’s backs to the wall. The Celtic support, usually so loud and so reliable in such a circumstance, were simply not a factor in this contest.
You could argue they must shoulder some of the blame, but I mostly feel sympathy for them. Football crowds in most cases are reactive organisms. I have often said that the crowd at Goodison Park is a reactive one and not a proactive one. Many other crowds are similar. No matter how jazzed you are for a game, no matter how “up for it” you feel, if your team then goes out and enters a limp and uninspiring performance, it’s going to be hard to get yourself into it.
Celtic will win the Scottish League this year, they just will. Over the course of a full season, none of the other teams will be able to amass enough points to topple them. Celtic may have lost to Caley Thistle at the weekend, but that was an aberration. They fielded a weakened squad who still could have won the game by 3 or 4 goals had the rub of the green gone their way. Over the course of a domestic league season, they will have enough to win the title.
That will be all they win with the current squad though. I don’t expect Celtic to win either of the domestic cups and I don’t expect them to advance very far in The Europa League. The squad they have is strong enough to win a League because Leagues allow for margin of error. You can lose a few games here or there and still lift the League Title in May. Cups though are one off events and I can easily seeing Celtic slip up in the Cup Competitions, just as they have in previous seasons.
This may be one of the worst Celtic sides since the early 90’s, and at least those squads had some heart and fire to them. This Celtic team are a bunch of emotional damp squibs who seem to find it impossible to rise to the big occasions. Two seasons ago under Neil Lennon, that simply wasn’t the case. This Celtic team is a long way from the one that valiantly reached the Champions League knock out round on route to a League and Cup Double.
Yes, players have left but something else has left this Celtic side and that is their fighting spirit. They seem to crumple under any pressure. They might be able to sink teams in their domestic league most weeks, but how much pressure is on them to really do so? Teams go to Celtic Park now and treat the game as an act of damage control. They know that the real important games are against the other ten sides in the league. Draw them in a Cup though, and to the opposing team the match essentially becomes the Final, and this Celtic side have proven that they just don’t have the minerals to withstand that sort of environment.
What do the club do from here? Having no Champions League football, and also none of the 20 Million windfall that further advance in that tournament would have provided, will no doubt force Celtic even deeper into their current state of relative stagnation.
The board need to spend, that much is clear. They need to bring in one or two name players with experience of winning more than just the domestic league. They need players who can perform in the big games. They need to strengthen the squad so that it can compete in Europe and has some steel to it. This is nothing that hardcore Celtic fans haven’t been saying for years.
Yes, financial stability is important. But there is a difference between conservative spending and being downright stingy. The Celtic Board have crossed that line. They have refused to spend to the point that it has now been to clubs detriment. Celtic could have netted a sizeable chunk of much needed change if they’d spent BEFORE they started the qualifying matches. Now that they are out, more players will probably leave and it’ll be harder to get decent replacements to fill the holes in the squad. The Celtic Board have essentially gone to sea in a sieve. They’ve not so much rested on their laurels as grounded them to paste with their buttocks. They shoulder the majority of the blame here, even more so than the players or the supporters. They have fallen asleep at the wheel and have now tasted the bitter consequences.
What of Ronny Deila? I hope that he isn’t scapegoated for this result, though it would be churlish to decry him to be blameless, especially after pointing the finger at the players, supporters and board. He did his best to make Chicken Salad from you know what, but his tactics have hardly enthused, a spectacular destruction of Dundee United aside. He is still new to the job and he clearly has his hands tied in regards to finance. That being said, he must surely have known this when he signed his contract? People will now claim that he is not big enough for the job, but I think anyone would have struggled to get into the Group Stages with this Celtic team. It would have taken a Herculean Effort for even Neil Lennon to get this side through, and that’s probably why he decided it was time to go while he still had somewhat of a legacy to protect.
Deila should keep his job. To sack him over this would be terribly unfair. The full blame for this does not rest solely on his shoulders. I can’t really even blame the supporters. Yes, the atmosphere wasn’t the best I’ve ever seen for a European Night at Celtic Park, but can you really blame them? It’s hard to be enthused when what you’re subjected to is so dour and miserable.
Louis Van Gaal should also keep his job and I am generally worried for humanity that some people are suggesting he get the sack after only 3 competitive games.
Man United's performance last night was not a good one. Milton Keynes were vastly superior in all areas and they deserved their victory, even at such handsome a margin as it ended up being. They were excellent value for their 4-0 victory.
United looked flaccid and seemingly had no answer whatsoever for what MK were throwing at them. All four goals could have been prevented, classy and enjoyable as some of them were, and United deserved to be cast out of The Milk Cup at the very first hurdle.
Van Gaal needs to sign more players desperately. The usual counterpoint to that argument is "Well, Ferguson won the League with essentially this team. Why is so much change needed?"
People who make that argument are completely ignoring the amazing chain of consequence and madness that led to Ferguson's thirteenth title. Both Man City and Chelsea were completely off their game during the 12/13 season. Roberto Mancini somehow contrived to snatch a Premier League Title from the jaws of unemployment the previous season, which had allowed him to limp on as manager despite clearly showing that he just didn't have the right personality to manage at that level for a prolonged period of time. Had City cleaned out some of the squad and brought in a new manager after that incredible title win, they would have been in a much better position to challenge United for the title. As it was, Mancini did what he was want to do and City finished way off the pace and runners up in the FA Cup Final before Mancini was finally taken out back and mercifully put out of his misery.
Chelsea had decided to try something new and had brought in Andre Villas-Boas to clean out the dead wood and start anew. That worked about as well as you'd expect with a locker room full of such gargantuan ego's as Chelsea had at the time and Chelsea also found themselves well off the pace in the title hunt. Arsenal's challenge eventually collapsed because, well, Arsenal, and the end result was that United gleefully romped on to another Title.
So yes, a large part of this existing Man United side did win a League Title, but it took the perfect storm of madness and instability for them to do so. In a season where everyone was losing their heads, Alex Ferguson kept his and instilled a killer instinct in his squad that allowed them to be "best of the worst".
It's over a year later now and the previous sides have got their act together. Chelsea and City have both found their feet, and Liverpool and Everton have also strengthened significantly along with recruiting new managers. Where as everyone else has progressed, Manchester United have stood still. And so now we find ourselves in a situation where United could once again find themselves out of the top 4 when the season ends while Chelsea, City, Arsenal and Liverpool fight over the Title.
This defeat highlighted the situation that United are in. Yes, it was a team partially made up of young players but there were also enough veterans involved in the match that United should be worried. Fresh faces and new blood is needed if United are going to be in the mix this year.
There is still plenty of time of course. Van Gaal is a notorious slow starter when it comes to taking managerial posts. He struggled in the early days as Bayern Munich manager but once he found his feet his Bayern team swept all aside who got in their way. Patience really is the key here. Van Gaal has already said he needs at least a year to turn things around. I actually believe him.
United fans will be angry at another transitional season, but that isn't Van Gaal's fault. It was the United board who decided to take the gamble on David Moyes rather than bringing in a man of Van Gaal's pedigree right away. Had Van Gaal picked up things last August, the transitional period would have likely only last one year. Now it will last a minimum of two and could even be longer if he gets the chop after just one season in the hot seat.
Louis Van Gaal can be a successful Manchester United manager. He has had success at some of the world's most renowned and respected clubs. He has proven in the past that he can turn underperforming clubs around.
Man United are struggling, that much is clear, but they will need to be patient. Things are going to get worse before they get better. They just will. Alex Ferguson's shadow still very much hangs over this club and the success has coloured supporters minds. United fans no longer hope, they expect. That expectation might make this season a somewhat unpleasant one for them.
I still believe United can finish in the top 4. It is not beyond all reason that they can hit form at the right time, just as happened with Van Gaal at other sides he has managed, and challenge for a Champions League spot. I think the league might just be out of their grasp, but if they finish fourth this season and first the next, I don't think the supporters will mind.
Thanks for reading
Peace Out
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
Tuesday, 26 August 2014
This and That: Quick Thoughts on two Marvel Movies
Just some
quick thoughts on Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winder Soldier,
as I managed to finally watch them on Blu Ray during the bank holiday morning.
Firstly Thor. I enjoyed this quite a lot actually. There was some genuine good humour in it at points and the action scenes were fun and snappy. Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth continue to have pretty decent chemistry and Portman continues to be one of my favourite actors. It’s a shame she has Episode II really dragging down her average, but hey ho.
It was good to see Chris O’Dowd get a quick cameo and he delivered his dialogue with aplomb. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in the third one, which you know is coming. Tom Hiddlston enters another assured performance as Loki. His character is both charming and repulsive, sometimes at different points in the same scene and he really is the driving force in The Thor movies.
Anthony Hopkins is serviceable, but you don’t sense he really gives a flying fridge about the source material and has seemingly just gone into it thinking “So I’m playing benevolent old guy then? How many 0’s are on the cheque? Meh, alright. I’m not doing much that week anyway. The Cricket Season doesn’t start for a few months; I might as well do something to keep myself busy”
I found some of the humour a bit flat in this one and found Thor’s jokes to hit the mark a bit better, but it’s not like the film is terribly unfunny. The humour just doesn’t seem to hit that often for me but I do appreciate the effort.
The action and fight scenes are absolutely top notch and one of the highlights of the film. There’s an amazing fight scene between Captain America and a world renowned Mixed Martial Arts that had be marking out big time. I won’t say who it is, as I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s an awesome cameo that probably added a whole point to the movie for me.
The character of Nick Fury returns, being played once again by Sam Jackson playing Sam Jackson, and it works about as well as it has in the past. The character really fails to entice and excite me though. Anthony Mackie as The Falcon though is an excellent bit of casting. He delivers his lines with an almost childlike zeal and he’s by far one of the best things in the film.
Peace Out
Firstly Thor. I enjoyed this quite a lot actually. There was some genuine good humour in it at points and the action scenes were fun and snappy. Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth continue to have pretty decent chemistry and Portman continues to be one of my favourite actors. It’s a shame she has Episode II really dragging down her average, but hey ho.
It was good to see Chris O’Dowd get a quick cameo and he delivered his dialogue with aplomb. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in the third one, which you know is coming. Tom Hiddlston enters another assured performance as Loki. His character is both charming and repulsive, sometimes at different points in the same scene and he really is the driving force in The Thor movies.
Anthony Hopkins is serviceable, but you don’t sense he really gives a flying fridge about the source material and has seemingly just gone into it thinking “So I’m playing benevolent old guy then? How many 0’s are on the cheque? Meh, alright. I’m not doing much that week anyway. The Cricket Season doesn’t start for a few months; I might as well do something to keep myself busy”
All in all,
I thought this was an enjoyable experience and the ending made me intrigued to
see where they go with the story. The humour in Thor really does it for me, perhaps
more than any of the other Marvel movies. I actually found this more funny overall
than Iron Man 3, despite that film having an excellent comic turn from a
certain actor (I won’t spoil it in case people haven’t seen it). The side
characters, Broke Girl and some British doofus scientist, contribute quite a
few good lines and Hemsworth himself has remarkable comic timing. I personally
can never get enough of the whole “fish out of water” stuff with Thor
interacting with the human world. It was by far the funniest bit of the first
one and there’s a couple of quick gags in this film as well.
Overall, I’d
give it 7 out of 10. Good film that I’d watch again.
As for
Captain America, I enjoyed this one slightly more than Thor. Chris Evans
continues to be a sympathetic and likeable lead. His version of the character
as an understated coolness about him that really endears him to the viewer. He really
gets to flex his acting muscles at times in this one as well, especially after
making a big discovery part way through the film.
Scarlett
Johansson returns as Black Widow and retains the snarky charm that the
character is known for. We get to see her and Evans play off each other for
most of the movie and it’s generally good stuff. There’s an ongoing gag where
she’s trying to set Captain America up with people who work in The Shield
Office and it works well for what it is.
I found some of the humour a bit flat in this one and found Thor’s jokes to hit the mark a bit better, but it’s not like the film is terribly unfunny. The humour just doesn’t seem to hit that often for me but I do appreciate the effort.
This is
quite along movie and clocks in at over two hours. I did feel at times that
maybe the movie dragged ever so slightly, but then again it is telling quite a
complex and meaty story, so the run time is forgivable.
The action and fight scenes are absolutely top notch and one of the highlights of the film. There’s an amazing fight scene between Captain America and a world renowned Mixed Martial Arts that had be marking out big time. I won’t say who it is, as I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s an awesome cameo that probably added a whole point to the movie for me.
The character of Nick Fury returns, being played once again by Sam Jackson playing Sam Jackson, and it works about as well as it has in the past. The character really fails to entice and excite me though. Anthony Mackie as The Falcon though is an excellent bit of casting. He delivers his lines with an almost childlike zeal and he’s by far one of the best things in the film.
Overall, I
think this is one of the best solo character Marvel Movies so far and I’ll
happily give it 8 out of 10. When X-Men comes out on DVD, I’ll make sure to
review that as well. I might give Amazing Spiderman 2 a miss though, as it
doesn’t sound like something I’d like and I wasn’t a massive fan of the first
one, Emma Stone aside (Growl)
Peace Out
Thursday, 14 August 2014
Good luck to those at the FSF who will be marching today
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/13/supporters-group-premier-league-ticket-prices-protest-march
For the longest time now, I've been hoping that something can be done about some of the crazy ticket prices for football matches in the UK.
This is something that should be reviewed at all levels, but the Premier League especially.
I'm somewhat lucky that I support a side in Everton that has one of the lower costs for season tickets. Mine came in at roughly £600 this year. That's a fair chunk of change, as you'd imagine. The sad thing is that there are tickets that go for far FAR more than that.
I'm lucky that I'm just about able to afford a season ticket but the costs for away games are getting out of hand. An away game at Arsenal for example, even if I'm just down for the day, can come close to an eye watering £150 when you factor in travel costs and ticket prices. It would be even more if I was staying over night and had to factor in for accomodation.
I know Arsenal cop it a lot for their ticket prices, and all London clubs suffer from the travel costs, but they are by far one of the worst offenders. Everton are not completely blameless either. Yes, they may be cheaper than quite a few other clubs, but paying as much as we do to watch top level football in this country is a real sickener, especially when you consider how rich the league itself is.
Those marching today will have my fullest support!
For the longest time now, I've been hoping that something can be done about some of the crazy ticket prices for football matches in the UK.
This is something that should be reviewed at all levels, but the Premier League especially.
I'm somewhat lucky that I support a side in Everton that has one of the lower costs for season tickets. Mine came in at roughly £600 this year. That's a fair chunk of change, as you'd imagine. The sad thing is that there are tickets that go for far FAR more than that.
I'm lucky that I'm just about able to afford a season ticket but the costs for away games are getting out of hand. An away game at Arsenal for example, even if I'm just down for the day, can come close to an eye watering £150 when you factor in travel costs and ticket prices. It would be even more if I was staying over night and had to factor in for accomodation.
I know Arsenal cop it a lot for their ticket prices, and all London clubs suffer from the travel costs, but they are by far one of the worst offenders. Everton are not completely blameless either. Yes, they may be cheaper than quite a few other clubs, but paying as much as we do to watch top level football in this country is a real sickener, especially when you consider how rich the league itself is.
Those marching today will have my fullest support!
Monday, 11 August 2014
Celtic and Legia Warsaw - The bizarre story that keeps entertaining
Goodness gracious, is this a meaty storyline or what? Seriously, this whole Celtic Vs Legia Warsaw debacle is becoming more convoluted and silly each day that it develops. You couldn’t write it, because if you did people would tell you it was too farfetched.
For those not au fair with the situation thus far, I shall do my best to explain. Legia Warsaw, the Polish Champions, decimated Celtic, the Scottish Champions, in a UEFA Champions League Qualifier. Over the course of two legs, Legia defeated Celtic firstly 4-1 at home and then beat them by a further two goals in the away leg, giving them a commanding 6-1 aggregate victory. The narrative seemed a simple one. Celtic had failed to invest in a strong enough playing squad and had completely capitulated in Poland after going down to ten men. Simples. However, the narrative was soon to drastically change.
For you see, Legia had in fact brought on an ineligible player onto the field during the dying minutes of the second leg. As a result of this, UEFA declared that Celtic were in fact 3-0 winners via forfeit and that they would advance to the next round! The fact that the player in question had only played a grand total of roughly 4 minutes served to only make the matter sting that little more decidedly for the hapless Polish.
So that should have been that. Celtic advance and Legia are, perhaps somewhat harshly, denied. However, Legia decided that they weren’t going to go quietly into the night and yesterday enacted the “Jarrett/Ramon 1995 Finish”. For those not sure what I mean there, have a quick read of what happened at the end of the Jeff Jarrett Vs Razor Ramon match at the 1995 Royal Rumble. Assume that Legia are Jarrett and Ramon is Celtic. I won’t explain anymore, I’ll leave that to yourself to research. Yes, I know it’s super lame that I’m giving you homework, but hey, learning is fun right?
Legia Warsaw posted a half grovelling and half taunting message on their website, challenging Celtic to a one off game to settle the matter in an “honourable fashion”. One might argue that the honourable thing for Legia to do would have been to follow the clearly laid out rules and then take it on the chin when they broke one of them, but I digress.
I must admit that I found it especially galling that they used the example that Jock Stein would have not been able to look into the eyes of his humiliated fans if his Celtic side were to advance in such a manner. I’m pretty sure Jock Stein would be just fine with advancing to the next stage of a competition if the opposing side had broken the rules and then whined about it like a bunch of spoilt children.
Regardless of whether people think the actions taken on Legia were harsh or not, what UEFA has done is fully within the rules and is something upon which a precedent has already been set. Were they supposed to ignore that precedent just because the player only played briefly long after the game was already decided? The fact is that a rule has been broken and the punishment for breaking that rule is to forfeit the match. Legia even had two penalties in the first leg, which they subsequently missed. It just so happens that a team that forfeits automatically loses 3-0, which consequently was enough for Celtic to advance on the away goal rule. If Legia had scored just one of their penalties in the first leg, they’d be through to the next round. For them to cry foul over a mistake that THEY made, and then try and take the moral high ground over Celtic is ridiculous.
Yes, Celtic were battered, but they were battered honestly. Yes, they’re getting a second bite of the cherry despite playing awfully in the previous two games, but the fact remains that they followed the rules and the other side didn’t.
Rules are part of the game. If you want to win at football, you have to follow the established footballing rules. If you don’t like the rules then you should play another game. I’m not saying that UEFA and FIFA are perfectly clean of any rule bending, or indeed outright rule breaking, but they’ve got Legia bang to rights here.
This isn't a swerve or something concocted out of thin air to ensure the more marketable club progresses. It just so happens than the more marketable club has followed the rules while the less marketable one hasn’t.
I look forward to Celtic’s response. Hopefully they politely, yet firmly, tell Legia where to stick their rematch and we can all get on with our lives.
Peace Out
For those not au fair with the situation thus far, I shall do my best to explain. Legia Warsaw, the Polish Champions, decimated Celtic, the Scottish Champions, in a UEFA Champions League Qualifier. Over the course of two legs, Legia defeated Celtic firstly 4-1 at home and then beat them by a further two goals in the away leg, giving them a commanding 6-1 aggregate victory. The narrative seemed a simple one. Celtic had failed to invest in a strong enough playing squad and had completely capitulated in Poland after going down to ten men. Simples. However, the narrative was soon to drastically change.
For you see, Legia had in fact brought on an ineligible player onto the field during the dying minutes of the second leg. As a result of this, UEFA declared that Celtic were in fact 3-0 winners via forfeit and that they would advance to the next round! The fact that the player in question had only played a grand total of roughly 4 minutes served to only make the matter sting that little more decidedly for the hapless Polish.
So that should have been that. Celtic advance and Legia are, perhaps somewhat harshly, denied. However, Legia decided that they weren’t going to go quietly into the night and yesterday enacted the “Jarrett/Ramon 1995 Finish”. For those not sure what I mean there, have a quick read of what happened at the end of the Jeff Jarrett Vs Razor Ramon match at the 1995 Royal Rumble. Assume that Legia are Jarrett and Ramon is Celtic. I won’t explain anymore, I’ll leave that to yourself to research. Yes, I know it’s super lame that I’m giving you homework, but hey, learning is fun right?
Legia Warsaw posted a half grovelling and half taunting message on their website, challenging Celtic to a one off game to settle the matter in an “honourable fashion”. One might argue that the honourable thing for Legia to do would have been to follow the clearly laid out rules and then take it on the chin when they broke one of them, but I digress.
I must admit that I found it especially galling that they used the example that Jock Stein would have not been able to look into the eyes of his humiliated fans if his Celtic side were to advance in such a manner. I’m pretty sure Jock Stein would be just fine with advancing to the next stage of a competition if the opposing side had broken the rules and then whined about it like a bunch of spoilt children.
Regardless of whether people think the actions taken on Legia were harsh or not, what UEFA has done is fully within the rules and is something upon which a precedent has already been set. Were they supposed to ignore that precedent just because the player only played briefly long after the game was already decided? The fact is that a rule has been broken and the punishment for breaking that rule is to forfeit the match. Legia even had two penalties in the first leg, which they subsequently missed. It just so happens that a team that forfeits automatically loses 3-0, which consequently was enough for Celtic to advance on the away goal rule. If Legia had scored just one of their penalties in the first leg, they’d be through to the next round. For them to cry foul over a mistake that THEY made, and then try and take the moral high ground over Celtic is ridiculous.
Yes, Celtic were battered, but they were battered honestly. Yes, they’re getting a second bite of the cherry despite playing awfully in the previous two games, but the fact remains that they followed the rules and the other side didn’t.
Rules are part of the game. If you want to win at football, you have to follow the established footballing rules. If you don’t like the rules then you should play another game. I’m not saying that UEFA and FIFA are perfectly clean of any rule bending, or indeed outright rule breaking, but they’ve got Legia bang to rights here.
This isn't a swerve or something concocted out of thin air to ensure the more marketable club progresses. It just so happens than the more marketable club has followed the rules while the less marketable one hasn’t.
I look forward to Celtic’s response. Hopefully they politely, yet firmly, tell Legia where to stick their rematch and we can all get on with our lives.
Peace Out
Sunday, 10 August 2014
The Big Match of the Week - Rangers Vs Hearts. 10th August 2014
Rangers and Heart of Midlothian ’s
first meeting of the 2014/2015 was certainly not without it’s excitement and
surprises. It took the match nearly the full 90 minutes to finally take off,
but the final 6 minutes were certainly exciting stuff.
Going into stoppage time, Hearts were 1-0 up and a mere 6
minutes away from achieving an unexpected victory. The large amount of injury
time was a result of Hearts keeper Neil Alexander having to be carried off the
field around the 65 minute mark. He was taken to the hospital with a possible
fractured cheek.
By this point Hearts were already 1-0 to the good, the goal
resulting from a Danny Wilson header. Wilson
could hardly believe his luck when a relatively poor corner sailed over the
hapless Rangers defence onto his obliging head. The fact that Wilson used to play for Rangers, no doubt
made the goal hurt just a bit more than usual for the stunned home support.
It was a lead as unlikely as it was sudden. Rangers had been
the better side up to that point and had dominated most of the first half, but
now they found themselves on the back foot as their home support muttered in
derision.
On more than one occasion, Hearts were forced to thrash the
goal from their very goal line as The Ger’s upped the pressure, but still a
goal could not be found. That was until the very beginning of stoppage time.
The Hearts defence were caught wanting and Nicky Law slotted one away, to the
delight of the home support.
It was a goal that had likely been coming and was probably
deserved based on the balance of play. Law had in fact just been announced over
the stadium tannoy as the man of the match, something which had attracted a
rigorously negative response from the stands. You had to think they felt a lot
better about the announcement once the ball had crossed the line.
With momentum now in Rangers hands, it was expected that the
game would now have a winning goal and indeed it did. But the scorers of that
winning goal were playing in maroon. Almost from the kick off, Osman Sow found
himself hurtling towards the Rangers goal. Zalukas attempted, and failed, to
stop his shot and it trickled almost in slow motion into the back of The
Ranger’s net.
Hearts were able to close the game out and earned themselves
an impressive 3 points. The Rangers supporters made sure to let their
displeasure be known with a cavalcade of boo’s to their beleaguered home team.
It seems like Glaswegian sides are having a tough start to the season at all ends
of the city. Partick Thistle best beware!
Of course, before anyone starts thinking this is the end for
Rangers, it’s important to understand that this is just one match. Hearts and
Hibs will both drop points in other fixtures this year, fixtures that Rangers
will likely win. Rangers will still be the bookies favourites to capture the
league title after this result and I don’t see that changing very soon.
Ally McCoist has been no stranger to criticism since taking
on the manager’s seat at Ibrox and maybe now we’re seeing some of that
criticism prove itself to be valid?
Hearts squad is a mostly young one. It is made up of players
who faced trial by fire last year in the Premier division. Rangers squad is one
made up mostly of journeymen and veterans with a few younger players sprinkled
in.
The younger players in Hearts squad look hungry. They feel
like they have something to prove. If it hadn’t been for a 15 point deduction,
this Hearts squad could have very likely stayed up last year. The attack of Sow
was the attack of a player who was hungry and wasn’t afraid to take a chance.
Rangers young players by contrast looked cowed. They look
worried that if they slip up, they’ll be out of the squad. McCoist publicly
stated that the reason younger players weren’t getting games was because they
weren’t good enough. He’s made it very clear that he’ll play the kids because
he has to.
Gary Locke played kids last year because he had to, but he
was always prepared to defend them. McCoist is only looking to defend himself.
He’ll have to start doing a lot more of it if he isn’t
prepared to give youth a chance.
And your G1 Climax Final is......
Nakamura Vs Okada
I just do not get the love for Nakamura at all. Aside from his weird Anime Villain-esque look, I see nothing about him that I find interesting. It irks me quite considerably that guys like Goto and Shibata have been looked over in the past in favour of him. I honestly think it would be a waste of a tournament if he wins it.
I prefer Okada a lot more, but for me the Final should have been Tanahashi Vs Okada, with Tanahashi winning and going on to face AJ Styles at The Tokyo Dome in January. I know we've seenTanahashi/Okada a bunch of times, but it's never not been excellent and it would produce the marque 5 Star match that this tournament deserves.
Okada will be the one I cheer for, if only to avoid Nakamura in a Dome Main Event again.
It's a shame they didn't go with Naito again and actually have him win the Title match this time, but he's still young and has time I guess
Now I look forward to the big Rangers Vs Hearts match later today at 1PM. Should be a cracker!
I just do not get the love for Nakamura at all. Aside from his weird Anime Villain-esque look, I see nothing about him that I find interesting. It irks me quite considerably that guys like Goto and Shibata have been looked over in the past in favour of him. I honestly think it would be a waste of a tournament if he wins it.
I prefer Okada a lot more, but for me the Final should have been Tanahashi Vs Okada, with Tanahashi winning and going on to face AJ Styles at The Tokyo Dome in January. I know we've seenTanahashi/Okada a bunch of times, but it's never not been excellent and it would produce the marque 5 Star match that this tournament deserves.
Okada will be the one I cheer for, if only to avoid Nakamura in a Dome Main Event again.
It's a shame they didn't go with Naito again and actually have him win the Title match this time, but he's still young and has time I guess
Now I look forward to the big Rangers Vs Hearts match later today at 1PM. Should be a cracker!
Saturday, 2 August 2014
This and That - Season Preview for Scotland
Scottish Championship
At a first glance it looks like The Championship will be far more interesting than The Premiership this upcoming season. Hearts, Hibernian and Rangers are all realistically in with a chance of winning the league, with one of the others getting promoted through the play offs. Out of the three, I’m surprisingly leaning towards Hibs strangely enough, which is a big jump from where I was at the end of last season.
Hibs relegation last season was as painful and infuriating as I could have imagined. Terry Butcher’s insipid run as manager produced few thrills as he somehow contrived to take a side who were in relative comfort in lower mid table and drop them a division lower. What’s telling is that Hibs would have actually been bottom of the league if it hadn’t been for Hearts 15 point deduction. This was a Hearts side completely depleted due to financial instability essentially playing hungry youngsters and journeymen. Do one Terry Butcher, just do one!
However, I’m starting to think that Hibs might have a decent chance this upcoming season. I’m not overly excited to see Alan Stubbs as the manager, but anything would be a step up from Bleedy Butcher at this point. What’s more, Hibs have had a clean out and are looking to start a fresh. Extending Jason Cumming’s stay at the club is an excellent piece of business and also signing Scott Allan out from under Ranger’s nose seems like a real statement of intent. There’s also the chance that with Stubbs now the manager that some of the younger lads in Everton’s squad might get a chance to come over for a loan period.
This will benefit Hibs to have some extra legs but it will also help Everton as it will give the youngsters a chance to play in a title chase with actual stakes while also getting a chance to play in big games as Tynecastle and Ibrox. I’m certainly feeling slightly more confident for Hibs now than I was before Butcher was removed. As a plastic Hibee, I’d be very pleased to see them come straight back up, either directly or via the play offs. Here’s hoping Stubbs knocks it out of the park on his first attempt.
What about those Jambo’s over in Midlothian? Hearts, with the future of their club seemingly now financially secure, Hearts can now focus on what’s happening on the pitch as opposed to worrying as much about what is happening off it. It says a lot about the player’s hard work and the diligent management of Gary Locke that they amassed such a point’s haul last season. Doomed to relegation from the beginning of the season thanks to a hefty point’s penalty and no money to invest in players, Heart did an admirable job by never giving up and avoiding the ignominy of being relegated by Hibs at their own stadium.
It sticks in the craw somewhat that Locke was turfed following the season, especially when he had done so well and seemed like a decent bloke. It should never be forgotten that Hearts would not have finished bottom of the table if it hadn’t been for the point deduction. For such an inexperienced and small squad, that is a genuinely impressive achievement and it seems spectacularly unfair that Locke wasn’t given another season to try and get them out of The Championship. The fact that his replacement is Craig “If it’s me and a wet dish rag in a Charisma Competition, the ref would decide it to be a no-contest” Levin doesn’t exactly give cause for optimism, but you’d have to think even he’d struggle to mess this up. Let’s wait and see
Now, what of THE Rangers? What can we expect from them this season? I’m very interested to see whether they top the league or not. You’d have to think that they would be the official favourites to win, especially have walking League One and Two, but I’m of the belief that they’ll find The Championship a completely different animal than the two previous divisions. For one, the calibre of side will be a jump. Ally McCoist has gone for experienced hands in Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd rather than relying on the younger players. This may in fact gain Rangers promotion, but it seems like quite a short sighted stance to take.
You’d have to question how long Ranger’s can keep putting off developing youngsters and buying themselves out of bother, especially when the next financial nightmare could be waiting round the corner. You’d think that it would be in their interests more to give the youngsters games, let them improve and then sell them on. Dundee United have had decent success with that model, so you’d think that it would benefit Rangers. It would also strike me personally that it would be more advantageous to Ranger’s to play the younger players now, when sides like Hearts and Hibs will be doing the same, rather than chucking them in the deep end should they make The Premiership.
Even if Ranger’s do get promoted this year, which is highly possible, is McCoist really going to be able to make the signings he needs to keep the club competitive? Daly, Miller, Black, Boyd and Co will all be a year older by then. It just seems to me that McCoist is focusing too much on the present and not 3-5 years in the future. With Celtic likely now missing Champions League, they’ll probably have little to invest themselves, but there’s no way that McCoist could have known that at the time. Ranger’s business model just seems to remind me of TNA Wrestling’s, and we all know how that’s turning out at the moment.
I have a feeling that The Championship is going to provide an engrossing climax this season if nothing else. There could be three or even more sides in the chase as the season comes to an end. I think The Championship might actually do better TV ratings than the Premiership this season. I look forward to seeing how it plays out
Scottish Premiership
I think we all know that Celtic are going to win it this year, but at least a couple of factors have come along that might make it a little bit closer than usual.
Firstly, Celtic’s seeming early elimination from The Champions League will give them little to spend and will likely lead to players like Frasier Forster and Virgil Van Dijk leaving the fold. It’s not impossible that The Hoops can claw their way back into the tie, but it’s certainly unlikely. This will have a two-pronged effect of giving Celtic less money to spend on transfers but also one less front to fight on. You’d have to think that even with the distraction of European Football, Celtic could have used the 20 Million windfall to strengthen sufficiently enough to maintain their league dominance. Without that money, you would still have Celtic as favourites but it will be a real blow to them to lose the income and will almost certainly lead to player sales. It will also be a shame lose the spectacle of Champions League nights at Celtic Park. Regardless of your opinion of Celtic or The Old Firm in general, whenever they play a big team at home in Europe it’s always worth watching for the atmosphere alone.
As it currently stands, it looks like St Johnston and Aberdeen will also by crashing out of Europe as both lost their opening leg matches. Aberdeen are the side probably most likely to mount a challenge to Celtic this season, and even then it probably won’t be for the duration of the season. Having the distraction of European games would have almost certainly affected The Don’s domestic form but the added increase of revenue could have led to them picking up an extra player or two who could make a real difference in a season or two.
Aberdeen’s only real hope though is to push Celtic perhaps as far as April in the title picture and win a domestic cup. They are currently 2-0 down against Real Soceidad and I sadly can’t see them over turning that. I’d be delighted if they did though. It’d be nice to see a Scottish side do well but it would be equally nice to draw The Don’s in the Europa Group Stages as it’s a relatively easy journey to make and the atmosphere at both games would be cracking. Even without further investment, Celtic are a stronger side than Aberdeen and I expect them to win the league with a month or so to go, which is a slight improvement than it’s been the past couple of seasons.
Motherwell and Dundee United could potentially be in the chasing pack as well but I’m still hedging my bets on both of them, United especially. Ryan Gauld may only be the start of a possible exodus from United as the sharks circle their side. United have done spectacularly well to develop a host of very promising young players who will likely all grow into very good mature ones, and I hope they stay and develop at United as long as possible. Having one more side in the mix is imperative to The Premiership at the moment and these young lads will have a much better chance of regular games if they stay within the fold for now. I’ll be keeping a close look out for Gary McKay-Steven, who I see as a future Everton target one day. He’d be a great addition and I’m sure Roberto Martinez would love him.
Motherwell is a side where I sadly must plead ignorance, much as it annoys me to do so. I really don’t know what entirely they are capable of as I just haven’t watched enough of them, which is a real shame as the few times I have watched they have impressed. I’m sure a lot of supports of The Well will be thinking that they should be considered favourites to be Celtic’s top challengers this year. I just feel that Aberdeen have the momentum from last season. Winning that League Cup and also stopping Celtic’s invincible run seems to have made the whole area start believing again. The delighted street parades after the Cup win creates a feeling of a team and a local area that have had a taste of success and who aren’t ready to let it go just yet.
It’s a shame that watching a side force Celtic to take a little longer to win the league than usual is something to look forward to, but that’s the Scottish Premiership right now. However, what it does show is how the sides below Celtic, bit by agonising bit, are starting to gradually catch up. It could be that not only are they improving but that Celtic are getting actively worse as well.
Celtic should win the league this year, they just should. However, it won’t be quite as easy as it’s been recently and I’ll take what I can get at this point. I believe that this league and the Scottish Team can dig itself out of the rut it’s found itself in but it’s going to take time and the people who run the Scottish game are going to have to commit to trying to keep the league as competitive as possible. If in a couple of years we’re back to the same duopoly as before, all the good work will have been for naught.
Here’s hoping that this isn't the case.
Peace Out
At a first glance it looks like The Championship will be far more interesting than The Premiership this upcoming season. Hearts, Hibernian and Rangers are all realistically in with a chance of winning the league, with one of the others getting promoted through the play offs. Out of the three, I’m surprisingly leaning towards Hibs strangely enough, which is a big jump from where I was at the end of last season.
Hibs relegation last season was as painful and infuriating as I could have imagined. Terry Butcher’s insipid run as manager produced few thrills as he somehow contrived to take a side who were in relative comfort in lower mid table and drop them a division lower. What’s telling is that Hibs would have actually been bottom of the league if it hadn’t been for Hearts 15 point deduction. This was a Hearts side completely depleted due to financial instability essentially playing hungry youngsters and journeymen. Do one Terry Butcher, just do one!
However, I’m starting to think that Hibs might have a decent chance this upcoming season. I’m not overly excited to see Alan Stubbs as the manager, but anything would be a step up from Bleedy Butcher at this point. What’s more, Hibs have had a clean out and are looking to start a fresh. Extending Jason Cumming’s stay at the club is an excellent piece of business and also signing Scott Allan out from under Ranger’s nose seems like a real statement of intent. There’s also the chance that with Stubbs now the manager that some of the younger lads in Everton’s squad might get a chance to come over for a loan period.
This will benefit Hibs to have some extra legs but it will also help Everton as it will give the youngsters a chance to play in a title chase with actual stakes while also getting a chance to play in big games as Tynecastle and Ibrox. I’m certainly feeling slightly more confident for Hibs now than I was before Butcher was removed. As a plastic Hibee, I’d be very pleased to see them come straight back up, either directly or via the play offs. Here’s hoping Stubbs knocks it out of the park on his first attempt.
What about those Jambo’s over in Midlothian? Hearts, with the future of their club seemingly now financially secure, Hearts can now focus on what’s happening on the pitch as opposed to worrying as much about what is happening off it. It says a lot about the player’s hard work and the diligent management of Gary Locke that they amassed such a point’s haul last season. Doomed to relegation from the beginning of the season thanks to a hefty point’s penalty and no money to invest in players, Heart did an admirable job by never giving up and avoiding the ignominy of being relegated by Hibs at their own stadium.
It sticks in the craw somewhat that Locke was turfed following the season, especially when he had done so well and seemed like a decent bloke. It should never be forgotten that Hearts would not have finished bottom of the table if it hadn’t been for the point deduction. For such an inexperienced and small squad, that is a genuinely impressive achievement and it seems spectacularly unfair that Locke wasn’t given another season to try and get them out of The Championship. The fact that his replacement is Craig “If it’s me and a wet dish rag in a Charisma Competition, the ref would decide it to be a no-contest” Levin doesn’t exactly give cause for optimism, but you’d have to think even he’d struggle to mess this up. Let’s wait and see
Now, what of THE Rangers? What can we expect from them this season? I’m very interested to see whether they top the league or not. You’d have to think that they would be the official favourites to win, especially have walking League One and Two, but I’m of the belief that they’ll find The Championship a completely different animal than the two previous divisions. For one, the calibre of side will be a jump. Ally McCoist has gone for experienced hands in Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd rather than relying on the younger players. This may in fact gain Rangers promotion, but it seems like quite a short sighted stance to take.
You’d have to question how long Ranger’s can keep putting off developing youngsters and buying themselves out of bother, especially when the next financial nightmare could be waiting round the corner. You’d think that it would be in their interests more to give the youngsters games, let them improve and then sell them on. Dundee United have had decent success with that model, so you’d think that it would benefit Rangers. It would also strike me personally that it would be more advantageous to Ranger’s to play the younger players now, when sides like Hearts and Hibs will be doing the same, rather than chucking them in the deep end should they make The Premiership.
Even if Ranger’s do get promoted this year, which is highly possible, is McCoist really going to be able to make the signings he needs to keep the club competitive? Daly, Miller, Black, Boyd and Co will all be a year older by then. It just seems to me that McCoist is focusing too much on the present and not 3-5 years in the future. With Celtic likely now missing Champions League, they’ll probably have little to invest themselves, but there’s no way that McCoist could have known that at the time. Ranger’s business model just seems to remind me of TNA Wrestling’s, and we all know how that’s turning out at the moment.
I have a feeling that The Championship is going to provide an engrossing climax this season if nothing else. There could be three or even more sides in the chase as the season comes to an end. I think The Championship might actually do better TV ratings than the Premiership this season. I look forward to seeing how it plays out
Scottish Premiership
I think we all know that Celtic are going to win it this year, but at least a couple of factors have come along that might make it a little bit closer than usual.
Firstly, Celtic’s seeming early elimination from The Champions League will give them little to spend and will likely lead to players like Frasier Forster and Virgil Van Dijk leaving the fold. It’s not impossible that The Hoops can claw their way back into the tie, but it’s certainly unlikely. This will have a two-pronged effect of giving Celtic less money to spend on transfers but also one less front to fight on. You’d have to think that even with the distraction of European Football, Celtic could have used the 20 Million windfall to strengthen sufficiently enough to maintain their league dominance. Without that money, you would still have Celtic as favourites but it will be a real blow to them to lose the income and will almost certainly lead to player sales. It will also be a shame lose the spectacle of Champions League nights at Celtic Park. Regardless of your opinion of Celtic or The Old Firm in general, whenever they play a big team at home in Europe it’s always worth watching for the atmosphere alone.
As it currently stands, it looks like St Johnston and Aberdeen will also by crashing out of Europe as both lost their opening leg matches. Aberdeen are the side probably most likely to mount a challenge to Celtic this season, and even then it probably won’t be for the duration of the season. Having the distraction of European games would have almost certainly affected The Don’s domestic form but the added increase of revenue could have led to them picking up an extra player or two who could make a real difference in a season or two.
Aberdeen’s only real hope though is to push Celtic perhaps as far as April in the title picture and win a domestic cup. They are currently 2-0 down against Real Soceidad and I sadly can’t see them over turning that. I’d be delighted if they did though. It’d be nice to see a Scottish side do well but it would be equally nice to draw The Don’s in the Europa Group Stages as it’s a relatively easy journey to make and the atmosphere at both games would be cracking. Even without further investment, Celtic are a stronger side than Aberdeen and I expect them to win the league with a month or so to go, which is a slight improvement than it’s been the past couple of seasons.
Motherwell and Dundee United could potentially be in the chasing pack as well but I’m still hedging my bets on both of them, United especially. Ryan Gauld may only be the start of a possible exodus from United as the sharks circle their side. United have done spectacularly well to develop a host of very promising young players who will likely all grow into very good mature ones, and I hope they stay and develop at United as long as possible. Having one more side in the mix is imperative to The Premiership at the moment and these young lads will have a much better chance of regular games if they stay within the fold for now. I’ll be keeping a close look out for Gary McKay-Steven, who I see as a future Everton target one day. He’d be a great addition and I’m sure Roberto Martinez would love him.
Motherwell is a side where I sadly must plead ignorance, much as it annoys me to do so. I really don’t know what entirely they are capable of as I just haven’t watched enough of them, which is a real shame as the few times I have watched they have impressed. I’m sure a lot of supports of The Well will be thinking that they should be considered favourites to be Celtic’s top challengers this year. I just feel that Aberdeen have the momentum from last season. Winning that League Cup and also stopping Celtic’s invincible run seems to have made the whole area start believing again. The delighted street parades after the Cup win creates a feeling of a team and a local area that have had a taste of success and who aren’t ready to let it go just yet.
It’s a shame that watching a side force Celtic to take a little longer to win the league than usual is something to look forward to, but that’s the Scottish Premiership right now. However, what it does show is how the sides below Celtic, bit by agonising bit, are starting to gradually catch up. It could be that not only are they improving but that Celtic are getting actively worse as well.
Celtic should win the league this year, they just should. However, it won’t be quite as easy as it’s been recently and I’ll take what I can get at this point. I believe that this league and the Scottish Team can dig itself out of the rut it’s found itself in but it’s going to take time and the people who run the Scottish game are going to have to commit to trying to keep the league as competitive as possible. If in a couple of years we’re back to the same duopoly as before, all the good work will have been for naught.
Here’s hoping that this isn't the case.
Peace Out
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