The Tartan Army got what they asked for

Too Many Cooks

Ah, the autumn leaves have started to fall; it must be time to sack another Scotland manager.

Our media pundits are predictably calling for Craig Levein’s head, and there’s much wailing and gnashing of teeth in Kinning Park and Central Quay as they see an all-expenses jolly to Rio going down the stank.  However, best-selling author and Motherwell supporter Quintin Jardine takes a more balanced view – he gives it to the pundits with both tackety boots– in his defence of Levein:
http://quintinjardine.me/2012/10/15/bampots-with-keyboards/

If Tom Forsyth did blogs, as the lager advert nearly says.

What makes people think that yet another change of manager will work the oracle, anyway?  History tells us that it won’t, and to be frank there’s no fairy godfather out there who’s going to come in and wave a magic wand to make everything in the garden rosy  - or should that be thistley?

Does it never occur to these latter-day tricoteuses that maybe it’s the players who are to blame, and that the manager, whoever he may be, can only work with what he’s got?  You can’t make chicken supreme with turkeys.

Don’t Do As I Say

‘Steven Fletcher must be recalled’, cried the media, supported by the fans.  So Levein brought him back into the side.

‘Kris Commons has to be in the team’, demanded the Tartan Army, backed wholeheartedly by pundits across the land.  So Levein picked the Celtic man.

‘We must put out an attacking team,’ was the clamour from supporters and media alike.  So Levein did that thing.

So we then lose to Wales and Belgium.  And the media and the fans give Levein all the blame.  Am I missing something here?

Kinky Chico

It must be confusing for some Rangers’ supporters.  On one hand they’re shouting for Craig Levein to go after a poor string of results, while at the same time they’re defending Ally McCoist against similar charges.  You know things must be bad at Ibrox when even Chick Young isn’t touting Super Ally as Levein’s successor.  Although I suspect Charles Green is.

El Chico hasn’t come out yet and said who he thinks should be the next Scotland manager.  In his opinion, though, the next incumbent should be an experienced guy who’s been over the course before and can concentrate on the big team and leave youth development etc to others.  For some reason an old Kinks’ album track keeps running through my head – ‘Do You Remember Walter?’  Maybe Chick is a Ray Davies fan.  Or maybe he’s just a sook.

Sticks and Stones

Charles Green has apologised to Aston Villa, saying that he didn’t mean to cause offence when he described them as ‘completely useless’.  Villa in turn have assured the ignorant loudmouth that no offence was taken.

Club Legends

Former Hibee Derek Riordan gets thrown out of a nightclub for calling bar-staff ‘poofs’, and Rangers’ David Templeton isn’t allowed into one for wearing earrings.  Do you think Pat Stanton or John Greig ever had the same problems?

Rings on their Fingers?

When Templeton signed for the Gers it was rumoured that he was in fact a Celtic fan.  So, were his earrings studs or hoops?  I think we should be told.

And do you think he’s just copying former Parkhead defender Pierced O’Leary?

Poles Apart

The former Poland international Zbigniew Boniek has said his grandson has a better technique and is more mobile than Andy Carroll.  Just wait until he sees Kevin Kyle.