Let’s Jack in the constant sniping
Hibs boss hits back at Scottish game’s critics
WORLD-CLASS rammies amid second-class football? Hibernian boss Jack Ross is having none of it.
Yes, he accepts the Scottish game has a unique talent for disagreements, as his club chairman Ron Gordon is now beginning to understand.
But even an apparently endless series of dreary televised matches won’t persuade Ross that the Premiership is some uniquely sub-par competition.
And don’t tell him that, without the passionate crowds there to set pulses racing, our game isn’t worth the candle.
There has been a growing consensus that the quality of Scottish games currently being transmitted to the rest of the world — particularly Thursday night’s St Johnstone-Aberdeen game — hasn’t exactly been the best advertisement for the SPFL.
But Ross shot back: ‘What we are absolutely brilliant at doing in this country is focusing on the negative — we’re brilliant at it.
‘If we can find a way to kick our own game, we will. I’ve watched some brutal games in other leagues since they emerged from lockdown — but what they are better at is self-promotion.
‘I’ve worked in other countries and they are better at promoting their game — that’s the brutal truth of it. I’m not saying some of our recent matches have been great but we do our damnedest to focus on them, rather than thinking that there are a lot of good things about our game.
‘We’ve spoken as a team about how we can be better than we were in the last game and a bit.
‘But I think it’s important we don’t get too caught up thinking there’s not a lot of good things in our game, other than a crowd being there and folk running about at 100 miles an hour.
‘Adapting to no fans obviously has an impact on the game. There’s also the longest period of inactivity players will ever have.
‘Also more football on TV. The more games you have on, the more likelihood that you’re going to get some poorer games in amongst that. That was the same in other leagues.
‘And I suppose it’s everyone’s individual perspective on football — but I genuinely find it hard to watch a football match and never think it’s all right. I know that sounds daft but I could watch the game last night (St Johnstone v Aberdeen) and enjoy it.’
Admitting he gets annoyed by the constant criticism, Ross said: ‘It doesn’t keep me up at night but I do think, just in general, we don’t do enough. And that’s not just now, it’s been for a long time. Whether it’s what we do at club level, at governance level.
‘We just don’t talk about the good things in our game often enough — and we dwell too much on the things that aren’t good because there are negatives to every sport in every country.
‘There are downsides to the game here, but there are a lot of plus points, as well. Don’t use this as a time, when there’s no other football on, to batter us down.’
As much as he professes to enjoy any game, Ross admits to missing supporters as much as anyone. He especially feels the absence of the technical-area tormenters who choose their seats behind the dugouts in order to pass on ‘advice’ more easily. Having once famously confronted a Buddies fan who was haranguing him while he was St Mirren boss, he said: ‘There have been loads of occasions when I’ve had stick — from home and away fans. I’ve had it a long time in football now and you do miss that part of the game, that interaction. It’s an essential part of the game and people who work in technical areas will tell you that. As long as they don’t go over that line, they enjoy that part of the game, as well.’
If arguments with fans have been kept to a minimum of late, relative newcomer Gordon found himself being pilloried in print and on airwaves after his ill-judged intervention on the subject of punishment for lockdown-breaking footballers.
The US-based chairman, only just back in Scotland and out of quarantine, appeared to go along with the idea of clubs being docked points if their players were guilty of breaches.
Immediately slapped down by
Neil Lennon and Derek McInnes, among others, the Hibs owner hasn’t said much since. Ross said: ‘Probably because I don’t think he actually said exactly what people said he said, that was a nice introduction (to Scottish football) for him.
‘When you strip it back, he wasn’t as forthright as he was made out to be. As he’ll be spending more time in the country, it was a nice introduction to how things happen. We love a row, a barney, love continuing to stoke that.’
Hibs are back on the box tomorrow, playing St Johnstone in Perth live on Sky Sports.
With ten points to show from his team’s opening four matches, Ross obviously hopes for the kind of classic that will make the 1970 World Cup final look like snorefest.
Failing that, any win will do. Plus maybe a barney, just for form’s sake?