Return Of The Rant III

[CammyF 6,883]

Here We Go Again

 

Apologies for the rant being a bit early this week nand being a short but we have the small matter of the hosting Stuttgart in the do or die Champions League game at Ibrox tomorrow evening and then (and here I lose the last shred of credibility that I have), I�m off to see Lily Allan at the SECC on Wednesday!

 

Yip, as Santa�s return hurtles over the horizon (I hope you�ve all been good boys and girls) we approach what appears to be another crucial segment of the season. If we fail to defeat Stuttgart tomorrow evening then we can kiss goodbye to European football for another season, then we face a trip to the frozen North when we visit our old friends Aberdeen in our next SPL match.

 

Lets deal with the CL initially ââ?¬â?? there is no denying that this seasons campaign has been a major let down. After securing the SPL title that guaranteed us Champions League football, we all waited on the CL draw with a sense of anticipation and a sense that we could actually make a positive impact in the group stages. Being brutally honest, the draw couldnââ?¬â?¢t have been kinder to us, unlike our last CL section that was rightly labelled the group of death whilst this season opposition should have given us an ideal opportunity to progress beyond the group stages. Instead, we face an uphill battle to finish third on the group and nothing other than a victory tomorrow will see probably end our participation in Europe. Stuttgart have themselves had a stuttering start to their domestic and European campaign but like us, will be looking at this game to kick-start their season. Our best performance of the season was arguably the 2nd half performance in Germany where we were hugely unlucky not to come away with 3 points after a very dodgy start to the game. Once we settled and imposed our game on the Germans we dominated the game and created enough chances to win the game. This form has to be recaptured starting tomorrow evening to ensure that we have something to play for in our final CL game in Seville.

 

Team selection, formation and tactics will be paramount to our success against Stuttgart, but will Walter deviate from his overtly cautious 4-5-1? I canââ?¬â?¢t decide what WS will do tomorrow. He has been hinting that Boyd will start the game, so that hints at a 4-4-2. However, there are also murmurings that Miller and Naismith (as well as Boyd) are carrying injuries and will be assessed in the morning. Boogie has finally found has way back to Ibrox (if Santa is reading, add a SatNav to Boogies Xmas List) and given the enormity of the game, it is almost impossible to see him being left out (although he deserves to be left out). This will be harsh on young Danny Wilson who has been impeccable since breaking into the team in Boogies absence. Personally, I would prefer for Weir to drop out, but again, canââ?¬â?¢t see that happening given the complicity of the game and what is at stake. For some unknown reason, I am have yet to get the usual CL ââ?¬Ë?mojoââ?¬â?¢, maybe its down to the disappointments of the previous four games, maybe its my age! But I donââ?¬â?¢t have the tingling of the spine, the butterflies in the stomach ââ?¬â?? hopefully this will kick-in tomorrow.

 

After the CL game we have a journey to Pittodrie and approach this game at the summit of the SPL thanks to Celtcs continued inability to win games. Whilst we have our problems to seek both on and off the field, our bitter rivals are suffering as much, if not more on a footballing level. We must take full advantage of this and gain momentum and a points advantage that they can�t overturn. We have slowly gotten ourselves into this position whilst not playing particularly well and with several key players missing (Boogie, Mendes & Edu) but can�t afford to let this slim advantage slip or to give Celtc any encouragement. Pittodrie is never an easy place to visit and we�ll face another tough match so the players will have to demonstrate a commitment and a will to win that ensures we leave Pittodrie with the three points and as SPL leaders. Anything else is frankly unacceptable.

 

Replacing Boogie

 

If our worst fears are realised and Boogie (and others) are sold in January, can be lucky enough to find another fantastic centre-half to replace him? David Weir is coming to the end of his career, Danny Wilson is just starting out and there are still question marks over the long term fitness of Andy Webster. Given this, if, and that�s a huge if, WS is given money to replace a departed Boogie, can he strike gold again?

 

When ââ?¬Ë?King Carlosââ?¬â?¢ was sold we thought he was irreplaceable, but along came Boogie and the King was forgotten. Boogie was the best player in the SPL by a country mile last season and it was disgusting that he wasnââ?¬â?¢t crowned Player Of The Year. All good teams are built from the back with a sound backbone through the team and Boogie certainly is a fine centre-half. We will be a weaker team without him (and even if he isnââ?¬â?¢t sold, weââ?¬â?¢ll loose him for an extended period of time due to Algeriaââ?¬â?¢s participation in the African Cup Of Nations). So if he does leave, weââ?¬â?¢ll have our work cut out to replace him.

The Luck Of The Irish Did I miss something whilst watching the ROI v France World Cup qualifiers? The furore in the media regarding Henryââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Ë?hand ballââ?¬â?¢ is nothing short of embarrassing. Yes he handled the ball, yes the goal shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have been given and yes, the Irish have been hard done by. However, these type of incidents happen every week in football and we donââ?¬â?¢t expect all these other games to be replayed. Henry ââ?¬Ë?scoredââ?¬â?¢ a goal against Rangers for Barcelona in the CL two years ago that was clearly hand ball. In fact, like last week, Henry admitted in the aftermath of the CL game that he had handled the ball. Where were the impartial ââ?¬Ë?Scottishââ?¬â?¢ media then? Why werenââ?¬â?¢t they clambering over themselves to have our game v Barcelona played again and have the initial result overturned?

 

If anyone is interested, Ireland were awarded a penalty in a qualifying game against Georgia that was never a penalty, a result that helped them qualify for the play-off against France. Should this game be replayed as the referee and his assistants made a monumental error?

 

Anyway, why are the Scottish media even getting involved in this incident? Did it have a direct impact of Scotland or any Scottish clubs? Surely there are far more newsworthy stories in Scotland at the moment that they should be concentrating on.

 

 

Cammy F

[Super_Ally 0]

For some unknown reason, I am have yet to get the usual CL ââ?¬Ë?mojoââ?¬â?¢, maybe its down to the disappointments of the previous four games, maybe its my age! But I donââ?¬â?¢t have the tingling of the spine, the butterflies in the stomach ââ?¬â?? hopefully this will kick-in tomorrow.

 

I felt a bit of a tingle just listening to the Champions League music with Rangers players on the screen as Sky advertised their up coming games this week. Bring it on.

 

Good read as ever Cammy. Sums up the on field concerns for Rangers (and Ireland ) well.

[Zappa 0]

Another good rant Cammy!