Time to learn to play the modern game

[calscot 0]

The Rangers team and management have been highly criticised for quite a few years now, yet ironically the biggest losers at Ibrox actually “stand” in the stands. Contrastingly, while the team keep winning and drawing games, albeit without the greatest of panache, and bring the trophies home, there are those so called fans who just keep losing game after game after game while acquiring a great infamy first in the British Isles and now being pummelled in Europe. Their record now, no matter how unjustified, looks shameful to anyone who cares to look.

 

The rules of the game of football change over time and often changes are unpopular with many and are sometimes seen as emasculating the game - like the outlawing then eventually a sending off for a tackle from behind for example. Other rules are more obviously for the good of the game - like the banning of simulation, but when players insist on doing it again and again, they are going to be very unpopular and receive no sympathy when they are punished.

 

If you don’t adapt to the rules, no matter how much you disagree or dislike them, you are not going to win through sheer belligerence and “proudly” and flagrantly disregarding them. When you have a third man sent off in the same game for an illegal tackle, you’re going to lose again and again. When half your first team players are banned, what price is the championship title? More like relegation time.

 

This is the position the fans have put themselves in. While there is no doubt that there has been a very uneven hand applied to the rules, when the opposition are more clever at sneaky tackles and well disguised dives, while you are blatantly transparent, you are the ones who will suffer again and again. However, like an undisciplined player who keeps letting his team down almost every week, sometimes you have to forget about how you are a target for the refs, look yourself in mirror, get real, and sort out your behaviour.

 

Yes, the opposition deserve to be sorted out too but when they are out maneuvering you and sprinting past you and taking the mickey out of you in every game then there is obviously something wrong with the way you are playing and to continue to play the same way while whinging that you are badly treated is not a high odds way of getting back in the game. There is a time to get out of denial and look at the stats which show you are not as good as you think you are. it’s like a bunch of cloggers getting thrashed by a slick passing European outfit who also know how to con the ref.

 

The fans need to first learn the rules of the game otherwise they look like Ross playing Chandler at “Cups” in Friends - and are going to be trounced. The opposition seem to know them and how to play by them as well as highly manipulate them and even flaunt the loopholes in front of the regulators faces, and all the while, they are doing very nicely it seems. The fans need to play by the rules and learn the skills that that flourish within them and once adept at that, they may have enough sophistication to start bending the rules and manipulating them to their advantage.

 

I would say the time has also come to ditch anachronistic tactics completely - just like the 2-3-5 formation, and adapt to the modern game and rules. Forget living in the past and focus on the present reality. We need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century; anti-catholic songs in any form are now outed and the clever money says it’s time to ditch them. References to country of origin are on dodgy, sensitive ground so using them even ironically and humorously is like a Mancunian comedian making scouser jokes in Liverpool, it’s going to bomb big time.

 

Before we can even compete again we have to clean up our act and get our reputation back. Sing Rangers songs and if you’re going to be derogatory, do it about the other teams and just about the teams. 99.9% of other teams fans seem to get by on this for decades so it can’t be that hard. Players have to swallow stuff to keep them healthy and at peak fitness - there’s some stuff our fans need to swallow.

 

Once we establish our credentials as nice, law abiding citizens, it’s time to go on a campaign against the criminals in our midst. You don’t ask for a clean up of the game when your one of the filthiest around, even if there are others as bad as you. But when you’re squeaky clean on the highest of ground, you’re in a great position to attack the filthy bastards below.

 

Time to clean up our act and start playing cleverly and skillfully - Rangers deserve a world class team in the stands as well as on the pitch. Let’s bring as many trophies home as the team.

Edited April 15, 2011 by calscot

[Frankie 8,186]

I share most of the sentiments but you must remember that 5 years ago we did clean up our act. TBB and FTP disappeared almost overnight.

 

To that end, one must ask whey they reappeared? The answer is clear - because the same rules are not applied to others so until they are then while we should remove contentious stuff that alone will not result in the eradication of sectarianism in football.

[calscot 0]

I agree with you, but it seems obvious the way to fight back is not to score own goals, it's to attack the opposition while defending yourselves well.

 

While our act is clean we can go after them.

[calscot 0]

PS What you say is the kind of stuff that our defenders against UEFA need to know and stress. Sometimes I wonder if the board understands what it's all about.

[Jim1955 12]

What songs should we be singing? I have been thinking about this but admit I'm stumped. West Ham do a nice little number in "I'm forever blowing bubbles", ignoring the tame reference to the late Michael Jackson's pet monkey there is nothing to offend. Unfortunately I don't see "Teddy Bear's Picnic" catching on.

[calscot 0]

What songs should we be singing? I have been thinking about this but admit I'm stumped. West Ham do a nice little number in "I'm forever blowing bubbles", ignoring the tame reference to the late Michael Jackson's pet monkey there is nothing to offend. Unfortunately I don't see "Teddy Bear's Picnic" catching on.

 

That's a bit of a sad question really - not the asker, just that it might need to be asked at all. There are plenty of Rangers songs which you could even call, "traditional" that have no religious intonations. Surely in a somewhat secular society we can make up songs and use old ones that don't reference any worship of deities or other invisible friends?

 

There are even plenty of songs that just require a few word changes - probably back to the original ones, which could be just as encouraging or just as hateful as needs be.

[Jim1955 12]

I don't disagree with you. I just think that we need some new songs, songs that anyone could struggle to complain about. I want us back on the high ground on all levels.

[calscot 0]

Part of the problem is that plenty of people are only interested in songs that will make other people complain. They think it is too goody-goody and boring to do otherwise.

 

Singing more positive songs about the team may actually help them get to a higher ground. Somehow, I can't see songs about sashes, famines and fornicating with a religious leader all that inspiring. 12th man we're not due to a completely irrelevant agenda.

[ian1964 10,457]

I agree there are certain songs that the Rangers fans should not be singing,however it is only because of the MOPES that they are now illegal,also make no mistake here that a lot of this happened because Rangers FC has allowed these songs to be banned,what songs will the MOPES be offended by next??,again a real question as they will not stop until they have done as much damage to Rangers FC as they possibly can due to their sad,bitter existence. I do wonder what they would be complaining about if Rangers were non existent. Now is the time to start a real fight but sadly we as Rangers fans can't agree on the colour of shite,so hopefuly Rangers FC wake up and smell the coffee otherwise we will continualy be hunted until we have no songs left to sing.

[Tumshie RFC 0]

When you see clubs and fans across Europe getting away with murder it's hard to comprehend the severity of what our punishments could be. Having said that i agree with Calscot's sentiments that TBB, famine Song, FTP and No Pope of Rome must be consigned to history. It gives me no pleasure in saying that but fans have to be of the mindset I'm a Rangers supporter first and foremost over anything else.