Rangers
Glasgow Evening TimesAll change in the East
Glasgow Evening Times
Celtic Park will host the opening ceremony, Ibrox will be the venue for the rugby sevens tournament, Hampden will stage the track and field athletics by ...
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David Weir is one of six Rangers players named in the Scotland team to face Lithuania in the opening Euro 2012 qualifying match in Kaunas this evening, kick-off 7.15pm
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Lee McCulloch and Steven Naismith are among six Rangers players in the Scotland team to face Lithuania on Friday.
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Does the old school still have a place in Scottish football? You’ve probably read this story by now but you know how it is midweek, it’s hard to stay on top of things. Anyways, John ‘Cowboy’ McCormack and Hamilton Accies were in court recently and the full findings can be found here: Some of the stuff we don’t want to get into, if even half of the allegations about comments and movements made towards the female physio are true, it’s fair to say that McCormack is a relic of a previous time. McCormack will, and rightly so, point to the decision which was found in his favour but most of that is due to the Accies not following proper procedures and undertaking the right steps and processes. Such is the business world but Hamilton can have no one to blame but themselves for the finding. However, we just want to think about the coaching stuff and the comments about the tournament in Oban seem particularly interesting! First of all…the swearing. Yes, at a football match, whatever next! It’s quite ironic for us because at the football match we were at this weekend, there were three ladies of a certain vintage in the row in front of us…not the sort of crowd you want in proximity when you bellow out “PLAY TO THE F***ING RULES REF!!” Ha, a swift apology was offered up but one of the ladies was polite enough to respond “oh its okay, he deserved that, you can swear for us! Haha but that’s the thing, football is an emotive thing and it is very easy to get caught up in it. When dealing with youth players there is a need to watch your language and try to set a positive tone. However, the Hamilton team that McCormack was in charge of ranged in age between 16 and 28 years. It was also McCormack’s first big challenge at Hamilton, and no doubt he was feeling pressure because of this. The findings indicate that McCormack was like a different person away from the game, so it’s not as though he was a complete git…and there are many people who would be willing to speak up for a person. The thing is, some players respond to cajoling and pressure better than others. A good manager is able to react to different players needs, knowing what one needs an arm around them, knowing what players need a rocket up their backside. It’s like the incident in the room with the nutritionist. Taking a chair away from someone is the sort of craic and banter that many footballers say they miss the most when they retire…but then again, others will see it as childish and embarrassing. It’s not as though McCormack’s style of management would have been a surprise to Accies, he had been in management since 1997 so there was plenty of examples they could have looked to. It’s likely that swearing and being loud would have been part of McCormack’s managerial style and surely Hamilton would have known this before they even approached him to work alongside Billy Reid. The management style of McCormack is not the way of the modern manager (although it should be noted that he holds the UEFA professional licence and other coaching qualifications) but Scottish football has seen a renaissance from the experienced managers. Craig Brown has been one of the biggest successes in the past season and of course, Walter Smith is still at the top of his game. Experience and traditional ways can still be a success in the modern era but a lot depends on the club and the attitudes of everyone involved. Hamilton Accies are a modern, forward-thinking club who deserve a lot of praise for their youth academy…but maybe their way of life doesn’t suit the management style of McCormack. So what do you think…..are managers in the style of John McCcormack out-dated or is there still room for a bit of swearing and bellowing in the modern game? Related posts:
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Motherwell have completed the signing of Alan Gow until January after the 27-year-old former Rangers forward passed a medical on Thursday morning
Read more [Scottish Premier League News]
Former Rangers and Falkirk forward Alan Gow has completed his move to Motherwell on a free transfer
Read more [Sky Spl]
Madjid Bougherra claims he is happy to have seen out the summer transfer window as a Rangers player.
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FORMER Aberdeen FC star Stephen Wright today claimed moving from Aberdeen FC to Rangers will be a huge test of Richard Foster’s mental strength.
Read more [Evening Express]
Loan swap with the Dons sees utility man arrive.
By no stretch of the imagination could Ricky Foster be described as a quality player. However, as a squad player, he could have a role in getting Rangers over the line in certain games. In the 90s, it’s easy to recall names like Laudrup, Gascoigne or Albertz ad helping Rangers clinch title after title. A utility player like Neil Murray, youth team recruits like McSwegan or Pressley and guys that knew what Rangers is all about like John Brown all played huge roles. It’s the squad that wins the league and Foster is another name in that squad who has top flight experience. As a player, we don’t think Foster is very good. Much like Celtic’s signing from last season’s Aberdeen defence, it indicates the downsizing for the big two. It can also be looked at on another way though. Swapping Velicka on loan sees Rangers free up the wages of a player unlikely to see much game time and are now paying less money to a player that should see more action. Foster will have better players around him which can often bring improvement in a player and maybe the challenge will see Foster reach a level of consistency he has never managed before. If Foster is rubbish, Rangers haven’t lost much and can wash their hands of him in the summer. If Foster does a job, Rangers have won a watch. Related posts:
Quality not quantity has been the Ibrox mantra up until now this summer but that appears to have been broken by Rangers last signing of the transfer window.
It’s not a bad position to be in…
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How are Celtic sitting now the window has been carefully shut? With the exception of maybe picking up a few players currently without a club, the SPL squads are in the position they are going to be until January. The biggest movers and shakers have been Celtic, which is unsurprising given they have a new boss and how poor they were last season. With many in and many out, it is still hard to properly judge the strength of the squad as the jury remains out on many players. Then again, no one does a knee-jerk reaction like a Scottish football fan so let’s review Neil Lennon’s team. Goalkeeper Definitely weaker. Artur Boruc had his critics but it is easy to overlook the fact he had a good season last year. Injuries blighted him and some people could never bring themselves to give him credit but he is a big loss. Boruc is unlikely to get back to his prime of 2008 but it’s worth remembering strong performances at Ibrox and Easter Road last season, scenes of previous Boruc howlers. Lukas Zaluska, for us, lacks the presence to be the number one at Celtic and his summer form so far backs that up. Fraser Forster, a loan signing from Newcastle, made his debut at Fir Park but went largely untested. Many Celtic fans appreciated the punch he delivered to the head of Glen Loovens but the 6′ 7″ keeper is still very much under the spotlight. We can’t imagine anyone would strongly argue that Celtic look weaker in the goalkeeping department. Defence Tentavitely stronger…but is definitely up for debate The long-term injury picked up by Andy Hinkel (who was likely to be sold) means that Cha Du-Ri is the chief right back for the hoops. The South Korean looks capable when bombing forward but has looked suspect at the back. In reality, he is a more cost effective Andy Hinkel. Such is the downsizing of Celtic. Where Cha has looked most suspect is defending crosses with an attacker coming across him on his blind side. It may be that the South Korean’s awareness at the back could be an Achilles heel for Celtic. If Cha is unavailable, Celtic will turn to injury-prone Mark Wilson or will draw Mexican Efrain Juarez out of midfield. This would limit the options of Celtic on midfield so would not be the preferred option. At left-back, Celtic lost the services of World Cup final star Edson Braffheid and the maverick Lee Naylor. Add this to the quick in and out of Danny Fox and you can see why some Celtic fans were crying out for the capture of ANY left-back. As is so often the case, the arrival of Charlie Mulgrew left many choking on their words. Mulgrew has the ability to make Celtic fans daydream of the halcyon era when Mo Camara roamed the left flank with a smile on his face and a bandage on his arm. The capture of Izaguirre, the Honduran international, came as a relief and like Forster, made his debut at Fir Park. As first games go, it was well received with even Motherwell boss Craig ‘Big Bad Leroy’ Brown praising him highly. The early performances of Lee Naylor also looked good so there is no need to get carried but there is hope Izaguirre may solve Celtic’s left back options. If the Honduran is out, his position could be filled by dropping Joe Ledley in, by giving a full debut to Hoopy the Huddle Hound or at a last resort, Charlie Mulgrew. What about the middle of Celtic’s defence? Well, from the squad that finished last season, loanees Darren O’Dea and Josh Thompson have been replaced by Dan Majstorovic. This is an improvement. However, there hasn’t been enough improvement in this area. If Thomas Rogne could avoid injury, Celtic would have the look of a decent duo at the back. Then again, that looks like one of the biggest IFs in the Scottish game. This leaves Neil Lennon to choose between Loovens and Jos Hooiveld. You can see why this is not a good thing. One more centre half, one with a bit of pace, could have transformed the Celti backline but the failure to do so could be costly. We think the new starting defence for Celtic is an improvement but is only an injury or two away from a new crisis. Which could be argued is the case for many clubs. So that is the Celtic defensive positions examined….and its a lengthy article, so we will return to the midfield and attack later on. How do you feel about Celtic at the back? Three clean sheets in the SPL – indication of strength or no guarantee of future success? Related posts:
The sieve was back for Celtic last season and even a January overhaul failed to improve matters.
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