Uilleam

Frankly, the last few months have been an interlude of Tactical Periodisation, but, clearly, one in which I missed the essential transition, or Ne'erDay, as it is known in the trade.

Who shot the piano player?

Yes, that is likely to a problem.

I have no idea what the role is, nor what it may evolve to become. It is surely not a matter of language, as Caixinha's English is very good, perhaps better than Ferguson's. It is surely not a coaching appointment, as there is a full establishment in place, and PC has brought his trusted staff with him. It is surely not an appointment to cover scouting, recruitment or analysis, or anything that the DoF (remember him?) will cover. It is surely not an appointment to deal with the media, as, apart from any League/sponsors requirements, PC seems like the kind of guy who will wish to get his message across, and of course, there is, I am led to believe, a Media/PR department. As far as I can see, that leaves scouting the opposition, and getting the rolls in of a morning. Do we trust him to return with the correct orders? In the correct pokes? If he is appointed, and if the role is restricted, and kept within the defined limits, then why not? Day to day involvement with the players, however, might be a potentially divisive step too far.

Not for me. What's wrong with the old songs?

It being 2016, it is de rigeur to take the positives out of everything. Therefore - Pedro C. will have most of the players on the training ground, and in the analytics suite, for 10 days or so, which must be a Good Thing, for him, if not necessarily for them -defeat by Slovenia will mean, surely, that the Coach/Manager of the National XI, along with his assistants, will be bagged, which must be a Good Thing, if not necessarily for them Generally, I concede, the International Week is a right pain in the arse, particularly when the Association shoehorns a "Challenge Match" ( a Friendly, to thee and me, and thus worthless in terms of entertainment) into the schedule. This week, Scotland v Canada @Easter Road is the morsel dangled before the paying public. I believe that even the Tablecloths and Timberlands are employing the body swerve for this, inelegantly, maybe, but instructively.

It is little wonder that he continues with his cantraips, given that he has, quite clearly, carte blanche from referees and from Compliance Officer, to say nothing of his team's management, which seems to be loath to discourage them. Of course, it would help if the Scottish print and other media questioned his behaviour, or even mentioned it, passim. (Said this on the thread, elsewhere, Footie Chat, but I do love the sight of my own voice......)

It is little wonder that he continues with his cantraips, given that he has, quite clearly, carte blanche from referees and from Compliance Officer, to say nothing of his team's management, which seems to be loath to discourage them. Of course, it would help if the Scottish print and other media questioned his behaviour, or even mentioned it, passim.

I don't think that Forest will be worrying about European opposition for some time.

A chore to watch; and each game looked like a chore to play in.

So much for the Pulis jibe : 40 points and his team books holidays. Or was it more Arsenal's incompetence?

Hamilton Acas were poor, rubbish in fact, although Rangers' front foot approach did not allow them to play much, which was good. Also positive was the smartness of the passing and movement, which was done with purpose, rather than, as in much of Warburton's tenure this season, as an end in itself. Hamilton were pretty robust, I thought, and, in the absence of Andy Halliday, Jason Holt appeared to bear the brunt. The team just got on with it, thankfully. Overall, there was positivity, discipline, and confidence, resulting in some good snappy football. A fizzy -petillant- rather than flat performance. There is still room for improvement, and the fact that two of the better performances came from loanees, is concerning. Graeme Murty, who was in the dugout yesterday, deserves credit for, at very least, getting things moving in the right direction. Onwards and upwards.

The aim should be to produce players of tactical nous and sophistication, increasing the these qualities through the age groups. Producing such players would make Murray Park attractive to younger players and their parents.

The bigger problem may be in finding age group coaches sophisticated enough to teach this kind of thing to younger boys (and girls?)

I was just going to post this, but you sneaked an early goal. To a perhaps lesser extent, PC has a similar problem - getting players to adapt to methods, systems, etc, with which they may not be familiar. And, of course, even before a ball is kicked, there are those who have him hung, drawn, and divided into zones. "Sacking managers has economic consequences and makes player recruitment over the long-term chaotic." To me this is key, in the short, medium, and longer term, and, hence, I think, DK's preferrred option of a DoF operating with a coach/manager.

The appointee would have met the job spec, the person spec, performed very well at interview, and had tip top references. He's now in situ, and even the media, following his presentation and his initial press conference, are soft pedalling.

Money grubbing is always unbecoming.

I rest my case.

It's like when medical science thinks that it has eliminated a particularly pernicious malady, say leprosy, only for there to be a recrudescence of it in somewhere like The Central African Republic, or Tayport.

.. anyone but Barca. Agreed.

Well, the much feted "Rangers' Tax Case" blogger, may very well have been engaged in the illegal dissemination of illegally obtained information. Quite how that is praiseworthy, far less prizeworthy is beyond me. It does require the maintenance of anonymity, however. The blogger JJ is clearly preaching to the converted, or the brainwashed, perhaps. I have noticed, on many occasions, over many years, that those of a Romist background tend to believe that Freemasons and Orangemen are one and the same thing. (Any differences between the various Loyalist Institutions are completely outwith their purview, of course.) When confronted with this level of ignorance, I ask them to explain the prevalence of freemasonry in Southern -Latin, Catholic- Europe, and South America, and the existence of , predominantly, Jewish Lodges. They fail, as a rule.

This buffoon has a rather active imagination. He would be better employed writing romantic trash for Mills and Boon, which would be more lucrative, and less embarrassing, than exposing his pitiable fantasies and plaintive begging to public scorn on a daily basis.

Leaving aside the proof/pudding argument, for the moment, this guy sounds like a very focused, modern, hard working, professional European football coach. This is refreshing, to say the least, and not before time. (Wtf is he doing in the SPL?) It seems that the players will require to work hard, physically, and mentally, and, of course, listen. They may be likely to benefit, irrespective of ability, if they buckle down. Methodologies.....matrices.....I sense that some correspondents (M.Rousseau, perhaps) will already be in a state of some, ahem, excitement.

An extraordinary declaration by Richmond, (who was u/s himself, i I r c), following his excoriation of Jno Beaton.

Let us hope that Their Lordships don't give him the rubber ear....