Gazza_8 233 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 GRAHAM SPIERS January 04 2007 I have to admit that, in this whole palaver surrounding Paul Le Guen and Rangers, I have found it impossible to dislike the Frenchman's approach and demeanour. Once again this proved the case when Le Guen, being mobbed by hacks like me, stood his ground at Fir Park on Tuesday. Here was a guy whose team had been playing poorly, who are 17 points behind Celtic in the league, and whose very professional existence seems in peril, having the bravery to axe his most skilful player in Barry Ferguson on a point of principle. At Fir Park I turned to a colleague and said: "If this isn't having guts, what is it?" In recent days we've been subjected to some tear-jerking stuff about Ferguson planning his cremation with his Rangers kit in the coffin beside him. From such bulletins you'd be forgiven for thinking there had been a bereavement in the family - or perhaps a Hamilton earthquake - as a sobbing Bazza consoles himself "with his loved ones gathered around him". Aye, right. In contrast to such tosh, we've had the elegant and dignified Le Guen referring to Ferguson as both a "massive player" and a "great player", but also as one whose dressing-room antics could be tolerated no longer. Even when specifically asked to cite some of these subversive deeds by hungry newspapermen, Le Guen remained gracious, saying: "I could, but I don't want to." What has been intriguing amid all this has been the response of Rangers supporters to this elusive but highly-likeable Frenchman. Despite the dreadful position of Rangers in the SPL and some woeful signings, a healthy core of Ibrox fans remain behind Le Guen, because they know of his past football deeds, they admire his decorum, and they want to give him a fighting chance at Ibrox. It is an utterly laudable stance. Even more intriguing, to my mind, is our media's attitude to Le Guen. In the main, we generally like him, admire him, and want to see him do well in Scottish football. Indeed, why shouldn't we? Le Guen brings class and some European gravitas to the very scene we cover. In this context it is pertinent to note, as someone did last week, that had a Scottish manager - say an Alex McLeish - made the sort of mess that Le Guen has of Rangers' campaign, he'd have been hounded in the media. Yet Le Guen, for the most part, has not faced the sort of opprobrium that his team's performances might have merited. I was tickled when a spokesman for the ever conspiracy-driven Rangers Supporters Trust accused me and other journalists of wanting Le Guen "hunted out of the country". Only the RST, with its endless media conspiracy-theories, could produce such a daft line. In truth, I've always really liked Le Guen and, strangely, following this Ferguson saga, I admire him even more. Ultimately, Le Guen may fail at Rangers. But he is a good man, and he has guts. What does everyone make of this? A good read IMO. It's not often Spiers comes out in the press and backs a Rangers manager. Pity he had to have a dig at the RST though. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Don't think there is much substance to his article to be honest. We all knew PLG had guts for making the decision he did and that is pretty much the only thing Spiers is saying, aside from his dig at RST. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,450 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I just canny stand the c**t, so it doesn't matter to me what he says 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 He's the one saying Le Guen will be sacked sooner rather than later. He's just being a sanctimonious ****. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ascender 352 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Nothing too controversial or newsworthy in that article. I have to say though, I'm starting to become alarmed at the amount of fans who believe there's some great media agenda against us. I used to think it was only the Celtic support who thought everyone was against them, but we seem to be just as bad now. There's lazy journalism, but somehow despite slagging off all the papers, we keep reading them and then getting wound up about all sorts of nonsense. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wija 0 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 The guy is a pr1ck. He is clearly having a go at the support - Which in many ways is agreed by myself as I feel the way PLG was treated on Tuesday was a disgrace. PLG can hold his head up high and I wish every success, but he underestimated Scottish Football. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calscot 0 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 He got it well wrong. And reading it now makes it look like PLG has no guts at all... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisabeer 409 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 spot on calscot. hes just made a right prick of himself...again! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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