Uilleam

An interesting chat between Xabi Alonso and the man from The Times. One of football's great mysteries (to me, at least) is why Rafa Benitez, at Liverpool, wished to ditch Alonso in favour of Gareth Barry. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/southgate-is-trying-to-change-england-but-the-mentality-is-buried-deep-0vl9b7s5s (Paywall) XABI ALONSO INTERVIEW Xabi Alonso interview: ‘Southgate is trying to change England but the mentality is buried deep As he heads for retirement this weekend, Xabi Alonso tells Matt Dickinson why the game is about intelligence not physicality Matt Dickinson, Chief Sports Writer May 18 2017, 12:01am, The Times There is a vintage BMW R100 motorbike sitting in a garage waiting for its owner to rev it up and ride it down the highway. Xabi Alonso is looking forward to opening the throttle. “Well, I have to pass my test first,” he smiles. “But I’ve already done the theory. I’m almost ready to go.” This weekend, almost two decades after a teenage Alonso gave up his two-wheeled machine to focus on making the most of himself as a footballer, one of the best players of his generation will ride off after 18 seasons in which he has not only won so much but accomplished it all with such class, such style. I love a good tackle, but it’s the last resort. It’s better to avoid the tackle, anticipate. How often does Busquets tackle? He doesn’t need to When Alonso decided it was time to announce his imminent retirement, he wondered which moment he would use to accompany the message on Twitter. Would it be the jaw-dropping comeback in Istanbul to win the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005? How about the celebrated La Decima with Real Madrid in 2014? Or his most recent back-to-back Bundesliga championships with Bayern Munich? But, then, how could Alonso possibly overlook the 2010 World Cup with Spain, when he started every game, which was the crowning glory of his country’s unprecedented hat-trick of international triumphs? How could one picture sum up a career? With characteristic thought, Alonso grabbed a pair of boots, wandered over to the park pitch near his home in Munich where his nine-year-old son plays at weekends. Using a phone, his wife took a black and white picture of Alonso, boots in one hand, shy little wave with the other. “Lived it. Loved it. Farewell beautiful game,” he posted. “I couldn’t pick one photo of my career,” he says. “So I thought, ‘Let’s go back to where it all started, a normal football pitch, with my boots. Let’s finish where it began, where the kids play.’ ” It was perfectly done, with no PR hullabaloo; elegant, uncomplicated. It is the same when we sit down in the sunshine at Munich’s relaxed training ground on Säbener Strasse to discuss all that Alonso has achieved, and what happens next. As Philipp Lahm chats a few yards away about his own retirement, Alonso is still not sure what emotions will hit him against Freiburg on Saturday, the last professional game of his life. But, as he counts down every training session, the finale feels right. At 35, he wanted to bow out at the top, not dragging out his career in China for any amount of money. He hoped to go out on a high — lifting the Bundesliga with Bayern is close enough to the peak. Retirement propels many sportsmen into a scary void. “I am at peace with myself,” he says. “When I have time to reflect, I know the memories will be good ones.” Regrets? Well, not quite too few to mention. “Maybe I have three,” he says. “With Real Sociedad, my club, we were one game from winning La Liga [in 2002-03]. With Liverpool we were so close to the Premier League. With Bayern, so close to the Champions League. But maybe that would be too much to ask, too perfect. If you can call them regrets . . . but that’s just football. When I look back, I can be happy that I’ve done what I wanted, dictated my path.” A new direction awaits, and one that will surely take him into coaching. If ever a man seemed hand-crafted for guiding the next generation, it is this most wise of footballers. Not so fast, Alonso says. First he wants a long break, a proper year out after so many years of physical and mental intensity. “Sometimes I think about the games too much,” he says. “I’ve lost a lot of sleep thinking about matches for days before, days after.” There is that motorbike to ride, perhaps some skiing, travel with his family. His son, Jontxu, “a little Scouser” born in Liverpool, is demanding that his father takes him to see the new main stand at Anfield. “I’ve spent my life trying to squeeze everything into four weeks in summer,” he says. “Now I don’t have to plan anything. I have weekends for the first time in 18 years. My wife is thrilled.” But you would bet a lot of money on the game drawing him back, and Alonso seeking to pass on all he has learnt from all those years as the cerebral midfield fulcrum of some of the world’s biggest clubs. Alonso is the boy from the Basque country who came to England in 2004, aged 23. His Liverpool debut came in a bruising defeat by Bolton Wanderers. “I remember [after] 15, 20 minutes I think it was a Kevin Nolan tackle, a ‘welcome to the Premier League tackle,’ ” he laughs. “Then there was [Jussi] Jaaskelainen from his kicks, not even trying to pass, just long balls up to Kevin Davies. I said to myself, ‘This is different. OK, Xabi, you want to make it here, become a pro with Liverpool you need to learn fast.’ ” He won the Champions League, unforgettably, at the end of his first season. From those five seasons at Anfield, Alonso developed a deep fondness for English football. But it is not a blind loyalty. That overt physicality still makes Alonso shake his head with bemusement. We chat about Steven Gerrard’s recent promise to knock out the “showboating mentality” among Liverpool’s under-18s. It is a matter of emphasis and Alonso’s is clear. “You need to be up for the game but, for me, it’s about intelligence,” he says. “If you are afraid of contact, for sure you won’t make it. But the most important thing is to understand the game, like why I need to play a short pass here, a longer pass there. Why take this position not that one. Try to understand the game around you. That’s my idea.” It is a reminder that he once gave an interview despairing that a young player in the Liverpool academy had cited the tackle as his greatest strength. “Tackling isn’t a quality to aspire to,” he said, in a perfectly pitched challenge to English footballing culture. “It was a great controversy,” Alonso says. “And I stick with my opinion. I don’t refuse the tackle. I love a good tackle. But it’s the last resort. “It’s much better to avoid the tackle. Try to anticipate. How many times does [barcelona’s Sergio] Busquets tackle in his position? He’s so ahead of the game, he doesn’t need to. “In England you love to roar, ‘Aaagghhhh,’ it’s part of your game. But it needs to progress like we see with German players now, more adaptable, more flair. You see the success they had at the World Cup, and that was a ten-year process. England, it’s taking longer. You have good young players, [Gareth] Southgate is trying to bring a different way that I like. But the mentality is buried deep.” It would help, he says, if British players travelled more, as he has done. “Who does it? [Gareth] Bale has done it and been a big success but, in the past 20 years, how many other great players abroad? How many since David Platt? But you have everything you want in England, money, famous clubs, so players don’t try to find something else abroad,” he says. Asked to name his favourite young English player, he instantly alights on the versatility and composure of Eric Dier, who just happens to have learnt his game in Portugal. Such a fine player in his own right, with those beautifully stroked passes, Alonso insists that he was most useful for what he could bring out of others. “My job? To be a solution for my team-mates,” he says. “I wasn’t going to be the player to dribble past two opponents and strike from 30 yards. For the ones that could, I could make their job easier. “My idea was never about my game individually. It was always about that collective. If I do this, how does it help the team?” It is another reason why he seems so well suited to coaching, having spent so many years understanding how a team ticks. “It doesn’t mean I am going to be a great coach,” he says. “But will it help? You would hope so.” Additionally, he has worked under some of the most renowned coaches of the past 20 years — Rafa Benítez, José Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti — and in so many different systems, always the brain of his team. He hates to compare those managers, declining to be drawn into moral arguments about which style is better. “What mattered to me wasn’t which style they used but having a clear vision,” he says. “It’s all about making the players believe in your ideas. “Right way, wrong way? You need to know your players. With the national team, [Andrés] Iniesta, [David] Villa, [David] Silva, we couldn’t play counterattack and run 50 metres. We had to play in their half, to keep control. With Madrid, we had [Gareth] Bale, [Karim] Benzema, [Ángel] Di María and Cristiano [Ronaldo]. That’s very different.” He has not started his coaching badges but, as he moves back to Spain this summer and a life split between San Sebastián and Madrid, the Spanish federation will fast-track him. His mind whirs with ideas. “I have never used sport psychology,” he says. “Maybe it would have helped sometimes when my form was not so good or thinking too hard. That’s a part where football can really develop, in my view.” He mentions Paris Saint-Germain’s collapse to Barcelona in the Champions League, where they lost the second leg 6-1 to lose 6-5 on aggregate. “That fear of losing,” he says. “We could all see it, so, mentally, how do you prepare better to cope with that? Physically, at the top, football is so well developed. Technically, tactically too. Mentally, I don’t know exactly how we can move it on, but I’d like to explore.” Another thought process is how best to develop young players in an environment where the fame and riches grow with each year, turning heads. Alonso puts his own balance down to family. His father, who was a footballer with Barcelona and Real Sociedad, made his son finish his homework before going out to play. “Because my father was a player too it was easier for me, watching that on a daily basis, to deal with the football life. For players who came from difficult backgrounds, neighbourhoods, the transformation is so huge that I can understand that you lose your way. I have some sympathy. “That’s why the people around, an agent, staff from the club, you need to protect young players. That’s part of management. You can’t be a policeman but you have to guide. But it’s easy to talk. The best thing is to show the right way.” As a career to follow, you could not do much better than look to Alonso, though, unusually, there is no autobiography. “To write an interesting book, you need to tell too much,” he says. “Some part of me is shy as well. I like to preserve some parts for me.” It is not that he lacks opinions — far from it — but ask him to pick a best XI of team-mates over his career and he looks pained, saying that just at centre forward, it is impossible to choose between Fernando Torres, Robert Lewandowski, Villa, Benzema and more. “Imagine the texts I get,” he says. “Do I need that?” He is not interested in the froth, the superficial noise, of football but in real accomplishment and improvement. It is why he wants that proper break to recharge. His good friend, Mikel Arteta, jumped at the chance to go straight into coaching under Guardiola but despite Ancelotti offering to take him under his wing, Alonso is insistent that he will take a long pause. “Whatever I try, I want to feel it from my guts, to feel strongly about it,” he says. “I want to get it right. I won’t rush.” So he will ride off into the sunset on Saturday evening, to reflect and think. He will sort out those two big sacks of swapped shirts that have been piled up over the years. He will enjoy his break, talking about a car rally he would love to join. But one day, surely, he will be back in elite football. Alonso as the successful coach of an intelligent, passing team is not at all hard to imagine. And not a bad CV, when all is said and done. ALONSO’S ROLL OF HONOUR Spain 114 caps 16 goals Honours World Cup, 2 European championship (2) Real Sociedad 124 games 10 goals Liverpool 210 games 19 goals Honours Champions League, FA Cup, Super Cup Real Madrid 236 games 6 goals Honours League title, Champions League, Copa Del Rey (2) Bayern Munich 116 games 9 goals Honours League title (3), German Cup Would be useless at Tannadice on a cold and blustery February night, mind.

I think that PC is struggling with a group of players, a significant no of which, in significant positions, are not good enough to compete at SPL level. It is a stretch too far for them, and when you ally this to a complete change of coaching staff, and of coaching philosophies and methods, you are going to see less than optimal performances. Some might have expected that a new coach/manager would have led, automatically, to better performances (an arguable proposition, at best), but what we are seeing is merely the continuing exposure of sub par players. I think that we have to take it on the chin. Mind you, we are 3rd, completely unsatisfactory, but it could be worse, so not everything/everyone is irredeemable. Don't panic. Maybe we should look at PC's time this season as much as experimental as anything else. I think that the time to judge Caixinha is after two transfer windows, ie, more or less this time next year. I hope that I am right.

It was a very poor performance. What we are seeing is a group of players, who as a collective lack drive and will to win. The team lacks heart, and displays little aggression. Some of this will relate to confidence, or, more properly, its lack. That can change, sometimes overnight, but what is more evident, increasingly so, is that a no of experienced players are not up to scratch, not, alas, even as squad members. They lack physical and mental strength, skill, poise, game intelligence, tactical adroitness, and struggle to master some of the very basics of the game (trap, pass, move; defend, ffs!!) A lot of this is obvious, and will be even more noticeable to the coaching staff. We can hope only that PC will be able to bring in some spirited and technically accomplished players, who, and following a judicious sifting of the present staff, with a full pre-season of training and tactical instruction, will lift performances, and results. Of course, Radio Scotland last night (a pre match slaver fest of anti Rangers bitterness, of an intensity surprising even by its disgracefully low standards) was able to advise listeners that Rangers' recruitment will be from the lower leagues in Portugal, and, yes, although I scarcely believed my ears, that this kind of player will not fancy it on a wet February night in Dundee (or wherever). The national broadcaster's default position of Rangers hatred seems to have received unnecessary stimulation from the Club having the temerity to appoint a foreign intellectual as coach, and not Derek McInnes. Personally, I like to think that PC will have, by now, a fairly clear picture of what is needed, and that he will be aware that his team will have to deal with the muck and the nettles. He does not strike me as a stupid man. We await developments with interest.

Granted the Freedom of Ibrox Park.

Too many pusillanimous punters on here. A draw, is it? Indeed, sirs! Rangers 3 Dingy Dons 1 FGS: Garner, J.

Last week, recently anyway, there appeared an article on Gersnet, berating the Club's poor image and its antediluvian approach to the public and to public relations. This week, there are two threads on Gersnet, and another article, identifying difficulties affecting the supporters' organisation Club 1872; soiled linen is on open display. The fact is that the Club 1872 scenario, as evidenced, is an embarrassment; it appears, in terms of administration, governance, management, a shambles (a word I do not use lightly, unlike others); in terms of public relations, image, and marketing, a disaster. Arguably it is a minor matter, of interest only to the Rangers' support, but it does provide an amusing divertissement for our enemies, encourages the enemies of supporter ownership/control, and does little to encourage the Club's board(s) to take criticism by supporters' groups seriously. Would it be unkind to suggest "Physicians, heal thyselves"?

Double post.

From today's Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2017/may/17/premier-league-clubs-player-season-eden-hazard The best player from every Premier League club this season Eden Hazard – not N’Golo Kanté – was the best performer this season, closely followed by Alexis Sánchez, Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Roberto Firmino By Martin Laurence for WhoScored?, part of the Guardian Sport Network Martin Laurence Wednesday 17 May 2017 10.11 BST Arsenal: Alexis Sánchez, 7.74 The second highest rated player in the entire league, Alexis Sánchez has carried Arsenal for much of the season, scoring 23 goals and laying on 10 assists, all of which have come from open play. He is the only Premier League player to register double figures for both. His workrate has been clear to see once more, winning possession the second most times in the final third (29). Bournemouth: Steve Cook, 7.18 One of just four individuals to play every single minute for their side in the Premier League this season, Steve Cook has developed a reputation as a strong defender at this level. He has drawn admiring glances from a number of clubs, having made the most clearances in the entire division (342). Burnley: Ben Mee, 7.14 Burnley’s home form guaranteed their safety, with much of that down to the performances of Ben Mee and Michael Keane at the heart of the defence. Mee ranks second for clearances (300) and first for shots blocked (46) in the league this season, with his proactive approach to defending a vital reason why Sean Dyche’s side will be back in the league next season. Chelsea: Eden Hazard, 7.79 He may have missed out on the PFA Player of the Year award to team-mate N’Golo Kanté but Eden Hazard has been the top performer in the Premier League according to our statistical ratings. Along with 15 goals and five assists, he has completed the most dribbles (138), drawn the most fouls (98) and created the most chances from open play (75). Crystal Palace: Wilfried Zaha, 7.39 Wilfried Zaha set Crystal Palace on their way to a thumping 4-0 win on Sunday, confirming their place in the Premier League for another season. This has probably been his best season to date, with nine assists and seven goals. Everton: Romelu Lukaku, 7.50 As the top scorer in the Premier League (24 goals without a single penalty), it’s little surprise that Romelu Lukaku is Everton’s highest rated player, having also had the most shots on target this season (51). He has also laid on six assists, while completing more dribbles than any of his team-mates to ensure he is in demand once again this summer. Hull City: Harry Maguire, 7.07 There are a handful of relegated players who are likely to return to the Premier League this season and Harry Maguire is one of them. The 24-year-old has been a standout performer for Hull, having completed more dribbles than any other defender in the league. It’s no wonder a number of clubs are interested in bringing him back to the top flight. Leicester City: Christian Fuchs, 7.06 It was a disappointing title defence from Leicester City, but a top-half finish is still possible following their change of managers in February. Christian Fuchs has again enjoyed a decent campaign, ranking highly for assists (four), tackles per game (2.5) and crosses per game (0.8). Liverpool: Roberto Firmino, 7.55 He may be the least lauded member of Liverpool’s front three but Roberto Firmino has led the line well this season. A return of 11 goals may be modest but his link-up play and workrate from the front ares invaluable to Jürgen Klopp. Only Eden Hazard has created more chances from open play this season (65), while the Brazilian ranks third for possession won in the attacking third (29). Manchester City: Kevin de Bruyne, 7.49 While a goal tally of five is disappointing for a player of Kevin de Bruyne’s considerable talents, his creativity has set him apart. His tally of 15 assists is the highest in the league and only Eden Hazard and Alexis Sánchez have won more of our man of the match awards this season (eight). Manchester United: Paul Pogba, 7.71 A controversial award, no doubt, but Paul Pogba has been influential for Manchester United in the league and in Europe this season. He has averaged the second most passes per game in the Premier League this season (73.7), delivered the second most accurate through balls (12) and also leads the way for United in both key passes (1.9) and dribbles (2.4) per game. Middlesbrough: Calum Chambers, 7.07 It says a lot when your highest rated player for the campaign is on loan from another Premier League club. Calum Chambers has impressed during his time at the Riverside, at centre-back and right-back, and he has made more clearances per game (7.2) than any other Boro player. Like Maguire, he is likely to be playing Premier League football next season, be it with parent club Arsenal or elsewhere. Southampton: Virgil van Dijk, 7.43 When Virgil van Dijk’s season was cut short in January due to a serious knee injury, Southampton fans could have been forgiven for thinking they had seen the last of him in the red and white stripes. The 25-year-old is perhaps the most in-demand defender in the Premier League and for good reason. He has been dominant in the air, winning 4.7 aerial duels per game, and calculated when stepping in to make interceptions, averaging 2.6 per game. It would be a shock if Van Dijk were still at St. Mary’s next season. Stoke City: Joe Allen, 6.94 Stoke City’s big money signing came in the form of Joe Allen and he has not disappointed, even if the team’s form has dipped towards the end of the season. Allen ranks highly for tackles (2.4) and interceptions per game (1.7), with his ball winning ability vital for Mark Hughes’ side. He is also their joint-top scorer in the league. Sunderland: Jordan Pickford, 7.05 Jordan Pickford’s form has been a shining light amid Sunderland’s dreary season. The 23-year-old will surely return to the Premier League this summer, having made more saves per game (4.5) than any other goalkeeper, with his rating of 7.05 the highest in the league. Swansea City: Gylfi Sigurdsson, 7.26 It’s no surprise to see Gylfi Sigurdsson top of the pile at Swansea. He is seventh for key passes (78), second for clear-cut chances created (16) and joint-second for assists (13) in the Premier League. A lot of clubs will be keen to sign Sigurdsson this summer, but Paul Clement really needs to retain the services of the 27-year-old. Tottenham Hotspur: Harry Kane, 7.52 Having become only the fourth player to score at least 20 goals in three consecutive Premier League seasons (after Ruud van Nistelrooy, Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer), Harry Kane took his tally to 22 by scoring Spurs’ last ever goal at the old White Hart Lane. A couple of injuries mean Kane has only started 27 times in the league but he has still mustered the second most shots on target (50) and registered a career-high total of six assists. Watford: José Holebas, 6.99 José Holebas has been a consistent performer for Watford this season, with the experienced left-back topping the assist charts for the club, with four. The 32-year-old has attacked well – he ranks high for key passes (1.1) and dribbles per game (1.3) – without shirking his defensive responsibilities, as shown by his 1.8 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game. West Bromwich Albion: Gareth McAuley, 7.11 It may seem risky for a club to renew the contract of a 37-year-old but Gareth McAuley remains a crucial player for West Brom and warranted a new deal this year. The Northern Ireland international is a fantasy football favourite, having scored six goals this season – as many as any other defender when excluding penalties. He also leads the way of the Baggies in clearances (6.3) and blocks (0.9) per game. West Ham United: Michail Antonio, 7.25 Michail Antonio was linked with a move to Chelsea earlier in the season and looked reluctant to sign a new deal but he has now put pen to paper on a fresh contract. West Ham will be relieved as he has been their top scorer this season, with nine goals in the league.

From today's Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2017/may/17/premier-league-clubs-player-season-eden-hazard The best player from every Premier League club this season Eden Hazard – not N’Golo Kanté – was the best performer this season, closely followed by Alexis Sánchez, Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Roberto Firmino By Martin Laurence for WhoScored?, part of the Guardian Sport Network Martin Laurence Wednesday 17 May 2017 10.11 BST Arsenal: Alexis Sánchez, 7.74 The second highest rated player in the entire league, Alexis Sánchez has carried Arsenal for much of the season, scoring 23 goals and laying on 10 assists, all of which have come from open play. He is the only Premier League player to register double figures for both. His workrate has been clear to see once more, winning possession the second most times in the final third (29). Bournemouth: Steve Cook, 7.18 One of just four individuals to play every single minute for their side in the Premier League this season, Steve Cook has developed a reputation as a strong defender at this level. He has drawn admiring glances from a number of clubs, having made the most clearances in the entire division (342). Burnley: Ben Mee, 7.14 Burnley’s home form guaranteed their safety, with much of that down to the performances of Ben Mee and Michael Keane at the heart of the defence. Mee ranks second for clearances (300) and first for shots blocked (46) in the league this season, with his proactive approach to defending a vital reason why Sean Dyche’s side will be back in the league next season. Chelsea: Eden Hazard, 7.79 He may have missed out on the PFA Player of the Year award to team-mate N’Golo Kanté but Eden Hazard has been the top performer in the Premier League according to our statistical ratings. Along with 15 goals and five assists, he has completed the most dribbles (138), drawn the most fouls (98) and created the most chances from open play (75). Crystal Palace: Wilfried Zaha, 7.39 Wilfried Zaha set Crystal Palace on their way to a thumping 4-0 win on Sunday, confirming their place in the Premier League for another season. This has probably been his best season to date, with nine assists and seven goals. Everton: Romelu Lukaku, 7.50 As the top scorer in the Premier League (24 goals without a single penalty), it’s little surprise that Romelu Lukaku is Everton’s highest rated player, having also had the most shots on target this season (51). He has also laid on six assists, while completing more dribbles than any of his team-mates to ensure he is in demand once again this summer. Hull City: Harry Maguire, 7.07 There are a handful of relegated players who are likely to return to the Premier League this season and Harry Maguire is one of them. The 24-year-old has been a standout performer for Hull, having completed more dribbles than any other defender in the league. It’s no wonder a number of clubs are interested in bringing him back to the top flight. Leicester City: Christian Fuchs, 7.06 It was a disappointing title defence from Leicester City, but a top-half finish is still possible following their change of managers in February. Christian Fuchs has again enjoyed a decent campaign, ranking highly for assists (four), tackles per game (2.5) and crosses per game (0.8). Liverpool: Roberto Firmino, 7.55 He may be the least lauded member of Liverpool’s front three but Roberto Firmino has led the line well this season. A return of 11 goals may be modest but his link-up play and workrate from the front ares invaluable to Jürgen Klopp. Only Eden Hazard has created more chances from open play this season (65), while the Brazilian ranks third for possession won in the attacking third (29). Manchester City: Kevin de Bruyne, 7.49 While a goal tally of five is disappointing for a player of Kevin de Bruyne’s considerable talents, his creativity has set him apart. His tally of 15 assists is the highest in the league and only Eden Hazard and Alexis Sánchez have won more of our man of the match awards this season (eight). Manchester United: Paul Pogba, 7.71 A controversial award, no doubt, but Paul Pogba has been influential for Manchester United in the league and in Europe this season. He has averaged the second most passes per game in the Premier League this season (73.7), delivered the second most accurate through balls (12) and also leads the way for United in both key passes (1.9) and dribbles (2.4) per game. Middlesbrough: Calum Chambers, 7.07 It says a lot when your highest rated player for the campaign is on loan from another Premier League club. Calum Chambers has impressed during his time at the Riverside, at centre-back and right-back, and he has made more clearances per game (7.2) than any other Boro player. Like Maguire, he is likely to be playing Premier League football next season, be it with parent club Arsenal or elsewhere. Southampton: Virgil van Dijk, 7.43 When Virgil van Dijk’s season was cut short in January due to a serious knee injury, Southampton fans could have been forgiven for thinking they had seen the last of him in the red and white stripes. The 25-year-old is perhaps the most in-demand defender in the Premier League and for good reason. He has been dominant in the air, winning 4.7 aerial duels per game, and calculated when stepping in to make interceptions, averaging 2.6 per game. It would be a shock if Van Dijk were still at St. Mary’s next season. Stoke City: Joe Allen, 6.94 Stoke City’s big money signing came in the form of Joe Allen and he has not disappointed, even if the team’s form has dipped towards the end of the season. Allen ranks highly for tackles (2.4) and interceptions per game (1.7), with his ball winning ability vital for Mark Hughes’ side. He is also their joint-top scorer in the league. Sunderland: Jordan Pickford, 7.05 Jordan Pickford’s form has been a shining light amid Sunderland’s dreary season. The 23-year-old will surely return to the Premier League this summer, having made more saves per game (4.5) than any other goalkeeper, with his rating of 7.05 the highest in the league. Swansea City: Gylfi Sigurdsson, 7.26 It’s no surprise to see Gylfi Sigurdsson top of the pile at Swansea. He is seventh for key passes (78), second for clear-cut chances created (16) and joint-second for assists (13) in the Premier League. A lot of clubs will be keen to sign Sigurdsson this summer, but Paul Clement really needs to retain the services of the 27-year-old. Tottenham Hotspur: Harry Kane, 7.52 Having become only the fourth player to score at least 20 goals in three consecutive Premier League seasons (after Ruud van Nistelrooy, Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer), Harry Kane took his tally to 22 by scoring Spurs’ last ever goal at the old White Hart Lane. A couple of injuries mean Kane has only started 27 times in the league but he has still mustered the second most shots on target (50) and registered a career-high total of six assists. Watford: José Holebas, 6.99 José Holebas has been a consistent performer for Watford this season, with the experienced left-back topping the assist charts for the club, with four. The 32-year-old has attacked well – he ranks high for key passes (1.1) and dribbles per game (1.3) – without shirking his defensive responsibilities, as shown by his 1.8 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game. West Bromwich Albion: Gareth McAuley, 7.11 It may seem risky for a club to renew the contract of a 37-year-old but Gareth McAuley remains a crucial player for West Brom and warranted a new deal this year. The Northern Ireland international is a fantasy football favourite, having scored six goals this season – as many as any other defender when excluding penalties. He also leads the way of the Baggies in clearances (6.3) and blocks (0.9) per game. West Ham United: Michail Antonio, 7.25 Michail Antonio was linked with a move to Chelsea earlier in the season and looked reluctant to sign a new deal but he has now put pen to paper on a fresh contract. West Ham will be relieved as he has been their top scorer this season, with nine goals in the league.

I said this last week: I am inclined to ignore -completely- reports of transfer targets who appear to be players in whom we may have been interested, if our Manager was not a Portuguese intellectual with only a handful of games in Scotland under his mortar board. I stand to be corrected, of course, but it seems to me that the football media speculate, ironically firing blanks to avoid, well, blanks, the latter anathema in their world. It is the journalistic equivalent of talking for talking's sake.

He is foreign - he doesn't understand Scottish fitba'. He is an intellectual - he doesn't understand Scottish fitba'. He is inclined to state his views candidly, and to explain his reasoning - he (certainly) doesn't understand Scottish fitba'. I am disinclined to rush to judgement on Caixinha, whose greatest transgression (oxymoron alert!) in the minds of the Scottish fitba' intelligentsia, is that he is Manager/Head Coach of Rangers. The time to form an opinion will be up to a year hence: only then, ie this time next year, and barring disaster, will we be able to take a measured view on his recruitment, training, coaching, discipline, and all the associated and ancillary stuff that go to make up a modern management regime, at a modern football club.

Oh Cherlie Shaw, he never saw Whaur Alan Morton pit the ba' And when the ba' was in the net Oh Cherlie Shaw he sat and gret (My grandfather's song.)

Part 1: 41mins https://www.acast.com/thebiginterviewwithgrahamhunter/waltersmith-allroadsleadtorome Part 2: 38mins https://www.acast.com/thebiginterviewwithgrahamhunter/waltersmith-gazza-laudrupandtherangersrevolution

The play off system is worth supporting, if only because it produces the only important decisions in Scottish fitba' which are not made in the boardroom of the piggery.

This season has seen Kenny Miller shoulder the burden of a position that many believe does not exist: Defensive Midfield Striker

Congratulations to Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The boy done well..... Feyenoord won their first Dutch title since 1999 thanks to captain Dirk Kuyt's hat-trick in their win over Heracles Almelo on the final day. Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side needed to win, with Ajax one point behind them, and nerves were settled when 36-year-old Kuyt pounced on a defensive mistake to score the opener after 38 seconds. He headed in his second in the 12th minute and scored a penalty late on before Peter van Ooijen's consolation. Ajax won 3-1 at Willem II,and finished 2nd. Note the following Their manager Peter Bosz fielded the youngest starting XI in Eredivisie history for the game, with an average age of 20 years and 139 days. Captain Davy Klaassen, at the age of 24, was the only player over 21 starting. But goals from Kasper Dolberg, Davinson Sanchez and Klaassen proved to be in vain for their title hopes.

A bit light in the loafers all round.

Are we sure that it is Hertzken, with 10 men?

I think that he might still be a boy!

Yes, but investments can go down as well as up. If Gilmour netted a hat trick against the fhilth, he would be able to dine out on that for the rest of his natural life, and would never have to buy a drink in this city again.

Give Pedro Caixinha that Chelsea squad and you would see wonders.

Graham Hunter interviews Walter Smith From today's Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/i-heard-a-quad-bike-and-suddenly-there-was-paul-tfz8g7t90 (Paywall) ● The full interview can be heard on Monday’s episode of The Big Interview with Graham Hunter. Search for this and archive interviews on iTunes, all podcast apps and other online platforms WALTER SMITH INTERVIEW ‘I heard a quad bike and suddenly there was Paul’ In an exclusive extract from The Big Interview with Graham Hunter podcast, Walter Smith explains how he persuaded Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne to move to Glasgow May 13 2017, 12:01am, The Times There are two players, in particular, who played fantastic football for you: Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup. How did you sell them the package of playing for Rangers? “We had a team which had played exceptionally well for three years before I took over as manager, but Graeme [souness] and I were in the process of changing the team. When Graeme left I continued that process and I started to say that we had to find an extra spark. So I looked around and, all of a sudden, I read in a newspaper that Gascoigne was leaving Lazio. “I had met him on holiday the year before, in Florida; he was in the same hotel. He didn’t know who I was, but that was Paul. I had my two boys with me and they obviously knew who he was. He had been wandering about the beach and started to play football with the kids, so I got to know him. “I sat down with the chairman [David Murray] and said that I had an opportunity to sign Gascoigne. He was coming back so I said that we should have a look at him. It was just after the mid-90s when English clubs started to get away from us in terms of finance, but clubs like Rangers and Celtic could still compete. The chairman got in touch with the president at Lazio and said that we were interested in signing Gascoigne. He said OK, that was fine. There were a number of English clubs interested and Lazio were going to transfer him at the end of the season, so the chairman asked if we could speak to Paul and they said OK. “It was the end of the season; I got on a flight to Rome and the people at Lazio gave me his address. He stayed in the hills outside Rome, so I got in a taxi and went up. I doorstepped him.” I didn’t realise that. I thought the process of signing a player like Paul Gascoigne would have been a lot more complex than simply turning up at his front door. “It wasn’t even a matter of watching Paul Gascoigne play, because he was injured. He had been out with a broken leg for most of that season. “So, I went up and chapped on his door. I heard the quad bike — I didn’t know that’s what it was at the time, but I heard this machine coming up — and suddenly there was Paul. He looked at me and said: ‘What are you doing here?’ And I said: ‘I’m here to try and get you to sign for Rangers.’ He said: ‘OK.’ I’m not kidding. That’s what he said: ‘OK.’ “I asked if the people at Lazio had told him that I was coming over to speak to him but he hadn’t been told. I was actually very fortunate because I had gone there the day before he was going away on holiday. So we had a very interesting day at his place, then I got in a car, went to the airport and flew back. “His agents at the time wanted him to go to an English club but, true to his word, he said that he was going to sign for Rangers. And he stuck it out. It was great.” When I spoke to Chris Waddle, he spoke about sharing a room with Paul on England trips and talked about Paul’s throwing arm. Apparently, if the hotel was in a public area, Paul would buy boxes of eggs, sit by the window and pick people off like a sniper. When it came to managing a character like him, you must have needed a lot of patience. “When you take Paul Gascoigne, you take him knowing what he is like. There is no use complaining about it. You sit the other boys down and say: ‘Look, he will probably get away with more than the rest of you will, but he will win us football matches.’ “He was never bad; it was stupid things. They would just happen to him. They would just come into his head and the repercussions were always left to me or whoever, and I must say that [Rangers assistant manager] Archie Knox handled him fantastically well and kept him well out of my road on the majority of those occasions. “I would put an arm around him. But I also had to be the other way with him. That would work for a while and then he would lapse back into the way he was, but nobody can take away the fact that he was one of the most instinctively talented players of that generation. “I met Billy Connolly once and he asked how I was getting on with Gascoigne — and, as usual, at the mention of the name you start to laugh. Billy said to me: ‘Walter, always remember that you have to live with the genius. The genius will never live with you.’ I have always remembered that statement. That was Gazza. “Everybody has had to live with him, on his time. But what he brought to us, in terms of his football, was fantastic.” And what about Brian Laudrup? You actually played against his father, Finn, in 1977, in a match between FC Copenhagen and Dundee United. You came across the son 17 years later. How did that come about? “When we signed Brian … you couldn’t have two more different types of people than Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne. Brian was unhappy in Italy because of the way of life, the intensity of it all. The fans were on top of the players all the time, everywhere they went. That was something which Brian didn’t like. “One of our scouts had told us about Brian Laudrup and said that he was going to be available. Brian had been at AC Milan, on loan from Fiorentina — he was going back to Fiorentina, but he didn’t want to. We thought: ‘Well, why not?’ So, again, we got in touch with the club and Fiorentina gave us permission to talk to him. I went and met Brian, sat down and spoke to him. He said that he wanted to come to Scotland to see what it’s like and where he would live. “He came to Helensburgh. Brian was a home-loving, quiet guy and he enjoyed it in Helensburgh because he could go home and nobody bothered him. He was just allowed to go and play his football, and he had a fantastic input for us. He was great. “Brian enjoyed the freedom to play which we gave him and he paid us back with a number of goals and fantastic performances. He could do anything. He could have been a defender if he wanted to. He could tackle. You never saw the tackling aspect in the games because that wasn’t his forte, but you could see it in training. He also had fantastic skills, he could pass, he could dribble: he was brilliant.” There have to have been days when you are sitting on the bench, no matter what way the game is going, and you think: ‘I signed that guy and that’s the right guy for this team. That’s beautiful football.’ That must have been how you felt about each of those players. “There are few players who, as a manager, you always hoped would get on the ball. I would hope that those two, Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup, would get on the ball, because they would do something which you didn’t know was going to happen. “They brought a spark to a team which badly needed it and they saw us through some difficult years in the end to try and win nine in a row. That was a big thing: to equal Celtic’s achievement.” ● The full interview can be heard on Monday’s episode of The Big Interview with Graham Hunter. Search for this and archive interviews on iTunes, all podcast apps and other online platforms

The most obvious connection I can make with General Lee is that we have been watching the Dukes of Hazard, in defence, too often this season (Daisy Duke, mind, Daisy Duke....That's all....)

Well said, PC. Now what about those pesky boardroom 'revelations'?

I am inclined to ignore -completely- reports of transfer targets who appear to be players in whom we may have been interested, if our Manager was not a Portuguese intellectual with only a handful of games in Scotland under his mortar board. I stand to be corrected, of course, but it seems to me that the football media speculate, ironically firing blanks to avoid, well, blanks, the latter anathema in their world. It is the journalistic equivalent of talking for talking's sake.