Barry Golf Day
Under-20s game. O’Halloran will be feeling hard done to. From what I hear, it seems the whole thing was a bit of a mix-up with communication.
But Pedro has clearly chosen to put the foot down here and he’s sending out a message to the rest of the squad. He’s going to run things with an iron fist.
That’s his prerogative but he has to keep in mind that he’s dealing with modern-day players who don’t always react well to this sort of treatment.
Players have friends inside the dressing room. They have feelings. They talk among each other. They react to ON Wednesday I was very proud to take part in Elite Collaboration’s inaugural Celebrity Golf Day – as patron of a charity which means a great deal to me.
Elite Collaboration has been set up to help tackle mental health issues in children and adults, conditions which are caused by bullying and various other factors.
The world of football has had a lot to say about mental health over the last few days and I’m very happy to add my voice to the debate. Neil Lennon, among others, has talked openly about it and a lot of great work is being done to try to remove the stigma.
We had a terrific turnout at Cathkin Braes Golf Club and I’d like to thank everyone who helped make it such a successful event.
Hopefully it’s the first of many and the more big names who come out and speak about their experiences, the more it will encourage those suffering to reach out for the help they need. situations in the workplace just like normal human beings.
And if they think the boss is being unfair on them or one of their pals then it does not create a healthy dressing-room environment. He needs to tread a thin line between laying down the law and running the risk of losing their hearts and minds.
He simply can’t afford for that to happen because – until his recruitment is completed – he’s going to need them on his side.
As far as O’Halloran’s early-morning sessions are concerned, I’m not overly worried. I have friends who work in the real world, on the roads and building sites, and they don’t mump and moan about a 6am start so why should a professional football player?
I’ve served more severe punishments during my own time at Ibrox. As a kid, I was once told to take a black bin bag to the back of the Govan Stand and was not allowed to leave until I had picked up every single piece of rubbish.
I was an apprentice at the time on £70 a week. There was no point in fining me because the money was not why I was there. I was there to play football so the best way of teaching me a lesson was to find a way to keep me off the pitch.
If that meant being a binman for the day – or spending a week with the groundstaff – then so be it. On another occasion I was taken in a van to Archie Knox’s house and told to mow his lawns and rake up every single leaf in the garden. I hated every minute of it.
There were other punishments which I won’t even tell you about but the bottom line is the world has moved on since then. Today’s players are like a protected species by comparison.
But the most painful part of it was when they took football away from me and I like to think it’s the same for anyone who has not had a kick for more than a month.
But, while Caixinha will think the player deserves it, he also has to be wary about alienating the rest of the squad. He needs to strike the right balance between keeping them on their toes and turning them against him.
If he can do that then some of these players will realise they’ll have to work very hard to stay at a club as big as Rangers. They may never get another chance like this for the rest of their careers so they should do all they can to grasp it.
And if they can do that then maybe there will be plenty more celebrations with the manager still to come.
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