Lay Off Greegs

[ian1964 10,499]

Craig Levein hopes the Tartan Army lay off returning goalkeeper Allan McGregor in Scotland's friendly against Sweden in Stockholm.

 

The Scotland boss confirmed the Rangers number one will make his international return 17 months after he was handed a lifetime ban by the Scottish Football Association for his part in the infamous 'boozegate' incident which occurred during George Burley's tenure.

 

Levein said: "I haven't picked my whole team yet but I can say Allan will play.

 

"I'll be honest, we will need to defend well and Allan will need to be good for us to come away from here with a clean sheet.

 

"I hope the punters are good with him. He made a mistake, held his hands up and admitted he was wrong.

 

"But I asked him to come back and he was delighted. He told me he was desperate to come back.

 

"I hope he doesn't get stick from the fans but if he does then he is more than capable of dealing with it.

 

"He has been bubbly and made some great saves in training. He's got a smile on his face and he's looking forward to the game.

 

"Everyone knows what happened in the past and when he declared himself ready to come back and play he knew there was a chance that one or two fans might give him a bit of stick.

 

"But these guys who have played at Rangers are used to dealing with pressure.

 

"It was the same for Kris Boyd when he came back the last time and he got a pretty decent reception. I'm hopeful it will be the same for Allan."

[Guest Flying Hippo]

If he gets even the slightest amount of stick, he should pack in international football for good. And Miller, Naismith, McCulloch, Whittaker etc should join him

[ian1964 10,499]

If he gets even the slightest amount of stick, he should pack in international football for good. And Miller, Naismith, McCulloch, Whittaker etc should join him

 

Agreed mate, but it is the TRANNY ARMY we are talking about here,I also don't think the players would walk away for that.

[Stimpy 0]

If he played for any-other side there wouldn't be an issue, imo.

 

At times the Tartan Army comes across as an extension of the orcs.

[calscot 0]

Still don't know what he's done to get any stick...

 

Let me see - had a late bevvy and stuck two fingers up at the Sun photographers. Seems to me that if the Tartan Army are consistent in any way, he should be patted on the back for his behaviour.

 

I didn't realise they had all turned into Mary Whitehouse!

[metlika 0]

If he does well tonight then, all will be forgotten and it will be "I knew McGregor would do well" etc. Can see him getting booed but hopefully other fans say STFU and says he is the best available keeper in Scotland.

[ian1964 10,499]

THE worry was the Tartan Army were going to boo him.

 

But after last night, the Scotland fans should be CHEERING Allan McGregor.

 

In his first game in 16 months since Bevvygate, McGregor was supposed to be facing the firing squad. Thing is, the Rangers No1 thought he'd be shot down by his own punters, not Sweden's strikers.

 

But as disappointing as that first half was for Craig Levein's boys, it was a massive 45 minutes for the Ibrox keeper.

 

In my eyes, despite conceding two goals, once again he proved his class between the sticks.

 

Without him, Scotland would have been FOUR down.

 

His first touch was supposed to attract a chorus of catcalls.

 

If the Tartan Army were booing him, you couldn't hear it for the Sweden fans celebrating as McGregor's first job back as Scotland keeper was picking the ball out of his own net.

 

He was helpless for that goal, done in by the defenders in front of him.

 

They were marking space but space doesn't score goals, guys like Zlatan Ibrahimovic do.

 

But you know what, conceding that goal might just have been the BEST thing that happened to McGregor. If the jeers didn't come three minutes into his first game back and a goal down, they never will.

 

Not unless a capacity Hampden crowd decide to get on his back first time he plays there.

 

If I'm brutally honest though, there's no point. I used to go to Parkhead and get dog's abuse. It never bothered me.

 

Gazza used to get booed, Coisty used to get booed. It was water off a duck's back.

 

The reason's simple. Great players don't bother their a*** when they get booed.

 

Bad players can't bother because they KNOW they get pelters for being s***.

 

I'm sure McGregor didn't fancy the idea of getting booed by his own.

 

But he IS a great player so that sort of thing wouldn't have seen him have too many sleepless nights.

 

In any case, he's proved 100 per cent Scotland need him.

 

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There's every justification for him being No1. Craig Gordon is world class but if Gregsy got the nod he couldn't complain.

 

His saves last night proved that. Levein will be delighted with the way he played.

 

He won't be too chuffed with the rest of the team right enough. You're only as good as the players in front of you - and the boys in front of him weren't very good at all.

 

The midfielders never tracked runs and it all led to a lot of pressure put on the keeper.

 

People might criticise him for spilling that shot in the first half from Ola Toivonen. But the way he reacted to save the follow up from Johan Elmander was different class.

 

He had the reactions you expect from a top class keeper and I thought he deserved credit. His save before Bajrami hit the second was a classic.

 

Again, he was let down by his team-mates to gift the boy so much space in the first place, but it was a brilliant reaction save. It was just the same in the second half and McGregor saved his mates from a real humiliation.

 

He made two brilliant saves, the first from Elmander, the second from Christian Wilhelmsen.

 

It could have been eight or nine, I defy anyone to say he wasn't our man of the match.

 

Tell me anyone else in that Scotland side you could give that award to?

 

Levein was a rugged, no-nonsense defender. He MUST see that performance wasn't good enough and be willing to do something about it.

 

I think he'll also see he's got a top keeper on his hands who will make sure Gordon's NOT guaranteed his place back.

 

The thing that pleases me about last night was it didn't surprise me. Maybe other people were taken aback by the level of his performance, but I know what he's all about.

 

I just hope this has nailed the notion of McGregor being a Scotland villain.

 

He's done the crime but he's also done the time.

 

All the boys involved in that whole mess knew they were out of order.

 

Sometimes I just wonder if McGregor gets a rougher ride as he's the so called bad-boy.

 

Whatever's gone on in his life, I think he's proved he's back to his best.

 

Walter Smith is the best in the business at using adversity to get the most out of his players.

 

McGregor finished last season strong and he's started this campaign in the same way.

 

Once the sting of defeat fades from the Sweden game, I think he'll see last night in Stockholm closed the book on Bevvygate.

 

Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/3091849/Get-the-cheers-in-for-Allan.html#ixzz0wMwn7glL

[ian1964 10,499]

I'll bet the TRANNY ARMY were glad he was playing last night:whistle:

[metlika 0]

Playing Kenneth at the back says it all for me.