CammyF's Weekly Rants

[CammyF 6,781]

A Glimmer Of Hope

 

It appears that everything and anything that is related to Rangers at the moment is as gruesome as the plot in an Allan Guthrie novel, isn�t ironic that we have been given the kiss-of-life in our quest to regain our title for the first time in 4 years? Following the fortunes, performances and results of our beloved club usually through gaps in clenched fingers and with bated breath, isn�t the easiest at the moment (that is an understatement). Despite our, and other, results going in our favour over the weekend, the overall performance from Rangers is no better than dross.

 

However, we do have the ever improving and at times exhilarating performances of John Fleck to give us hope and some newfound confidence that the art of running at pace, pinpoint passing, guile, strength and belief in ones own ability isnââ?¬â?¢t a dead art in and around Ibrox. This was penned hours before the transfer window is due to close, so as I write this, John Fleck is still a Ranger! Iââ?¬â?¢ll touch on the off-field furore surrounding Fleck as this cannot be glossed over. Now, John Fleck wonââ?¬â?¢t have been the only 17 year old in a nightclub at the weekend, but he should know better. I hope that Walter Smith fines the lad and that the lad learns his lesson. It is also worth critiquing the coverage of this ââ?¬Ë?incidentââ?¬â?¢. When a Celtc player is accosted in public, you read about sectarian abuse, sectarian thugs, sectarian language etc. When a Ranger player is involved, this is downgraded to ââ?¬Ë?yobsââ?¬â?¢. Wonder why that is?

 

Anyway, back to the positive side of this, as yet, short success story. We have all heard, read and seen Fleck over the last couple of years and we have all been raving about this young prospect, and rightly so. It isnââ?¬â?¢t often that such a talent is unearthed, coached correctly and is able to turn promise into real class. John Fleck has all the attributes to become ââ?¬Ë?the real dealââ?¬â?¢. If early glimpses of Fleck are to be built upon, we have a lad that is destined for greatness. We all want Fleck to develop like some of his predecessors; Hutton, McGregor, Ferguson et al, rather than bursting onto the scene only to disappear like; Adam, Burke, McCormack and McLean.

 

Last seasons cameo in the Scottish Cup Final couldnââ?¬â?¢t have failed to wet our appetite for Fleck to burst onto the scene this season. He has been unlucky with injury and this meant that his opportunities were curtailed to a certain extent and we are now only beginning to see glimpses of his undoubted talent. If John Fleck can continue to mature and improve, there is no guessing on how good this player could be. He has all the attributes; fast, strong, character, awareness, guile etc. His strength of character was summed up at the penalty on Saturday. For a seventeen year old to physically out-manoeuvre and out muscle, not only the overetly physical Dundee United defence to win the award, but to out-muscle anyone who was going to attempt to stop him taking the resulting penalty. As someone near me commented; ââ?¬Ë?Baws of steelââ?¬â?¢.

 

Now that we have a genuine reason to be cheerful, I don�t want to sound negative here, but we as fans MUST allow Fleck the space and opportunity to blossom. As will be the case, he�ll have off days, he�ll miss sitters, he�ll misplace passes. When this happens, we MUST stay with him. We mustn�t get on his back (ala Burke, Adam et al) and we mustn�t expect John Fleck to carry all our expectations on such slender shoulders. John Fleck is the genuine article and we MUSTN�T ruin him before he has an opportunity to deliver on his unmistakable promise.

 

Back In The Race

 

Thanks to Aberdeen and now Inverness Caly, we are well and truly back in the title race, and with out next SPL fixture being the third old-firm game of the season, we have the opportunity to go top of the pile. There will be plenty of time to analyise the forthcoming OF game as well as the merits of differing tactics and team selection. If we prepare correctly and enter this game with correct team and tactics there is no reason as to why we can�t get the performance and result that would see is leap-frog Celtc. However, that is for another day.

 

Saturday saw us once again struggle to open up a very compact and resilient Dundee United defence. Whilst we werenââ?¬â?¢t at our best the officials once again didnââ?¬â?¢t help our cause. I thought that Grainger should have received a yellow card (at least) for his awful tackle on Nacho Novo which will see Novo miss at least 3 games (why did our medical staff allow Novo to continue for 20 minutes after being clearly in agony with this injury?). Television evidence also shows that Kyle Laffertyââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Ë?goalââ?¬â?¢ shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have been chocked off for off-side. He is clearly on-side and BOTH linesmen were quick to flag Rangers players off-side all game. The referee got the penalty award correct no matter what Craig Levin says. Looking at our performance, only Boogie, Novo (prior to injury) and Fleck rose above mediocrity and there are a few players who could and should be offering more.

 

However, three points is three points and coupled with Celtc�s inability to defeat ICT (even after another incorrect off-side decision going their way) has allowed us to close the gap and given us another opportunity to get back into pole position in the SPL title race.

 

State Of The Nation

 

It isn�t often that I deviate from Rangers in my rants, but a couple of incidents that occurred on Saturday, coupled with the economic down-turn has moved me to discuss the dwindling state of this once great nation.

 

On Saturday evening, a man was murdered in my street, allegedly knifed to death by a 16 year old youth over an argument relating to volume of music being played at a party (this wasn�t late, 10:30PM). The Mobile Police Incident Unit sitting round the corner the only reminder of this incident. Whilst discussing this with a friend yesterday, he told me about an incident that he witnessed on returning from the football on Saturday. He was walking towards Paisley Road West and saw a young Rangers fan being threatened and chased by knife wielding thugs (sounds like a headline from the rags). Now, after doing some investigation, it appears that this isn�t abnormal behaviour in and around that area.

 

This really saddens this ââ?¬Ë?old-timerââ?¬â?¢ who whilst being able to remember gangs et al, canââ?¬â?¢t remember them carrying knifes as freely and readily as the youth of today. Is it now the norm to complain about noise level and get knifed for your troubles? Is it the norm for gangs of youths to chase down kids whilst wielding (not necessarily using) knifes? If so, our country is further in the shit that even this old cynic believed it was.

 

 

Cammy F ââ?¬â??

[pete 2,499]

Agree totally about Fleck, he will have bad times as well as good. We really have to be patient with him.

[Gribz 743]

Yip Fleck looks to me Rooney-Esk. Same build, same aggresive play, he is direct, fast, skillful.

 

The kid has all the ingredients to go on and be a star, but he could be done with a similar player in the team to take pressure and expectation off him. Step forward Aaron!!!

 

I think Aaron could be every bits as good as Fleck has been, so Imagine how good these 2 could be in the same team on either flank!!

[Jon 0]

Would love to see the two of them have a chance in the same team but I just cant see WS dropping any of Fergie, Mendes or Davis and has already said with regards Fleck that he has to be careful and maybe rest him at times.

[Gribz 743]

The thought of Fleck and Aaron actually excite me again as a fan. Its been a long time since we had a few players who can get the ball and do something different. Mendes possibly fits the bill aswell. But a team with those 3 pulling the strings appeals to me hugely. If we can get Edu fit and playing then he could do a job sitting and allowing those 3 to play there game.

[Jon 0]

Where will Fergie and Davis fit in then?

 

I'm not disagreeing with you at all, but Aaron is still unproven and we have only had a brief glimpse of what he could offer (an looked the part) but it was all to brief

[Gribz 743]

Fergie wouldnt play for me. But Davis would still have a part to play somewhere, possibly next to Mendes as the Gordon Durie is still out on Edu.

 

But this is what WS does, he accomodates players just to give them a game which upsets a system. And until this changes we wont see good flowing football

[Jon 0]

I agree again, we looked a better team when we had Thomson and Mendes in the middle.

 

I cant see how we can fit 3 CM into the middle two tho and why I think Davis will remain out on the right. If WS is going to rest Fleck at times, I'd love Aaron to be his replacement, certainly moreso than McCulloch

[Gribz 743]

Yeah not only can you not fit 3 into 2 but you cant put square pegs into round holes. - Something WS doesnt know.

 

To fit 3 central players in a system you need to pick a formation that allows it like 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 then you can still have wider players. But to throw a central player on the wing isnt right.

 

I genuinely believe we have the squad capable of going on and walking the league but WS needs to stop being scared of opposition and being positive with the cards he has been dealt with

[Jon 0]

When was the lastime we went 3-5-2?

 

My first thought was Advocat but sure he was strict 4-4-2

 

I wonder if WS has actually tried a 3-5-2 in training?

 

I'm now trying to think of how many teams play 3-5-2 but my minds gone blank.