Walter Smith says SPL should structure fixtures to help clubs in Europe

[ian1964 10,415]

WALTER SMITH has urged the SPL to follow Fifa's example by scheduling fixtures to assist leading clubs with their Champions League commitments.

Rangers return to domestic action with a noon kick-off against Hearts at Tynecastle today, some 62 and a half hours after the dust settled on their 1-0 win over Bursaspor at Ibrox on Wednesday night.

 

It is the first of five successive away fixtures the Scottish champions will play in the SPL immediately after being in Champions League action, with trips to Celtic, St Mirren, Dundee United and Inverness following their remaining Group C games.

 

Having seen a benefit from Fifa's decision to switch international 'double header' qualifying matches to Friday and Tuesday evenings in order to allow players more recovery time ahead of their clubs' next games, Smith believes the SPL should consider offering similar dispensation to those teams representing them in Europe.

 

"I don't want to get into fixture arguments with anyone," said the Rangers manager, "but, setting aside our own situation at the moment, they should have a look at the overall situation in regard to Scottish clubs playing in Europe to see if they could move games back a day.

 

"Valencia, for example, have managed to get their league game at Barcelona moved back a day before they play us in the next Champions League fixture. They seem to be able to do that whether it is televised or not.

 

"For us to play at Aberdeen last Sunday, then in the Champions League on Wednesday and now practically on Saturday morning certainly gives us a test, especially when other Scottish clubs are playing Saturday to Saturday with no midweek games.

 

"You have to ask an awful lot of players to get the same intensity into their game. The same applies with international games when the boys go away for what are normally high-intensity and high-profile matches. Coming back from that is not easy.

 

"From that point of view, it has been a big help having the international games a day earlier. It gives players time to recover for the following weekend with their club. That is recognition that something can be done to help clubs.

 

"I would hope in the future the SPL would do what they can to help any team in Europe. It would help all of the clubs."

 

Smith previously locked horns with the SPL on the issue at the end of the 2007-08 season when Rangers played their final six league matches in a 19-day period prior to the Uefa Cup final. He dismissed the prospect of asking the SPL to make any changes to Rangers' schedule over the coming months.

 

"We asked previously and were knocked back," added Smith. "I don't want to make a big fuss about this as it is done.

 

The fixtures are out and five of our fixtures after Champions League games are away from home.

 

"Circumstances like the ones we face this week are awkward but we just need to get on with it. Our games at Tynecastle are always high tempo and I'm sure this one will be the same. So it's a matter of us making sure we play in the same manner we have done in our last three or four games."

 

Smith's immediate concerns ahead of today's match lie in defence where both Madjid Bougherra and Kirk Broadfoot will be assessed this morning after suffering hip and foot injuries respectively against Bursaspor. Andy Webster returns to the squad as a potential replacement for Bougherra.

 

Nikica Jelavic, ineligible for the Champions League, is one player who will be untroubled by the presently hectic nature of Rangers' fixture list. The Croatian international striker is building what looks like a formidable partnership with Kenny Miller who spoke in glowing terms of his new team-mate yesterday.

 

Miller, who was named Clydesdale Bank/SPL Player of the Month for the second month in a row, said: "As much as we miss Nikica on the European nights, it's good to have him eager and hungry to get back on the pitch when the weekend comes around.

 

"He has settled in really well and got off to a good start. I feel the two of us have a good understanding already. I've been among the goals and he's scored a few already. I think the partnership can get even better.

 

"The type of player he is, he will find the SPL easy to settle into. Goalscoring is his main strength but he is also good technically and holds the ball up really well.

 

"Look at my second goal against Dundee United a couple of weeks ago, when he went through at 3-0 and no-one would have blamed him if he'd tried to score himself.

 

"But he picked the right option, cut the ball back and gave me a tap-in. I don't think Kris Boyd would have cut it back to me in that situation, although he'd probably have scored, to be fair. But it can only help me to play up front with someone like Nikica."

 

 

http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Walter-Smith-says-SPL-should.6561908.jp?articlepage=2

[Zappa 0]

Well said yet again Walter! Something isn't quite right when we've got 5 away games immediately after CL games. Of course, it's just a random coincidence!

[Gazza_8 233]

They should be looking the immediate fixtures before and after CL matches. Playing last last weekend and first this weekend is a joke.

[OnlyOneAmoruso 0]

It's ridiculous to be honest.

 

The random SPL computer gives us 5 away games out of 6 and NEVER makes Celtic play 3 games away from home against a top 6 team.

 

Common sense should prevail. We should play Saturday Wednesday Sunday or Saturday Tuesday Saturday but never Sunday Wednesday Saturday, that's madness.

[metlika 0]

It's ridiculous to be honest.

 

The random SPL computer gives us 5 away games out of 6 and NEVER makes Celtic play 3 games away from home against a top 6 team.

 

Common sense should prevail. We should play Saturday Wednesday Sunday or Saturday Tuesday Saturday but never Sunday Wednesday Saturday, that's madness.

 

Just to add its Sunday early, Wednesday quite late and Saturday early, 2 away games, against teams that are established and have been in the top 6 recently. Really is poor.

 

However you will get the moaning minnows saying that this has favoured us etc

[calscot 0]

Didn't we do this before? And didn't it help our results in Europe? Our results are definitely getting worse. As we are a small footballing nation we have the advantage of being more in a position to be able to do more for our clubs to help in Europe but instead it's the likes of Turkey and Russia who are actually forward thinking and do as much as they can.

 

We seem to be comfortable with having a league that throws up all sorts of anomalies that could be considered unfair but we can't juggle things around a tiny bit to up our Euro coefficient...

 

We should be leading the forward thinking and innovation in football but instead we're about as backward as it gets.

[OnlyOneAmoruso 0]

Just to add its Sunday early, Wednesday quite late and Saturday early, 2 away games, against teams that are established and have been in the top 6 recently. Really is poor.

 

However you will get the moaning minnows saying that this has favoured us etc

 

Yeah, exactly. If we have to play away from home 5/6 after a CL game then we should play Saturday 12pm Wednesday 7:45 and Sunday 2pm to give us maximum recovery time.

[Zappa 0]

Didn't we do this before? And didn't it help our results in Europe? Our results are definitely getting worse. As we are a small footballing nation we have the advantage of being more in a position to be able to do more for our clubs to help in Europe but instead it's the likes of Turkey and Russia who are actually forward thinking and do as much as they can.

 

We seem to be comfortable with having a league that throws up all sorts of anomalies that could be considered unfair but we can't juggle things around a tiny bit to up our Euro coefficient...

 

We should be leading the forward thinking and innovation in football but instead we're about as backward as it gets.

.

There can't 'be seen' to be any bias to one side of the 'OF'. That's what dictates this nonsense & it IS nonsense.