THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
Theatrics won’t cut it for Old Firm
I am cheerily analogue in a digital world.
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp going down all over the world on Monday night, in what was apparently known as a ‘major tech outage’, meant absolutely nothing to me.
I’ve a twenty quid Nokia that doesn’t even display emojis.
I cling to the old- fashioned ways, including a belief that it’s acceptable to have an opinion of my own without requiring the permission of any football club to be independent of mind.
For instance, I think celebrating a win at the end of a football match is never inappropriate but it can occasionally be disproportionate.
At Ibrox last Sunday Steven Gerrard put as much effort into a post-match show of delight as he did when he was captain of Liverpool that night in Istanbul when AC Milan were defeated in the European Cup final.
But his Rangers team had just scraped by 2-1 against a Hibs side who had played, through their own fault, with 10 men for two-thirds of the game.
And inside a ground where Hibs weren’t allowed a single travelling fan to provide the vocal support that can sometimes provide the adrenal ine to help overcome the fatigue that accompa n ies such a numerica l disadvantage.
Wins are too hard to come by to be dismissive of them, but there are degrees of satisfaction at the same time.
And I had to wonder what Gerrard saw in his team’s performance to e voke such a delirious response. One man’s show of emotion is another man’s playing to the gallery, if you ask me. Ange Postecog lou engaged with the travelling support at Pittodrie earlier the same day in a way that was a marked departure from the norm for the characteristicallyreserved Celtic manager.
On to the pitch at time up, over to the supporters while beating the club badge on his chest for dramatic effect.
This was after a narrow, and belated, win over a team who had won none of thei r previous eight games in all competitions.
A first away win of the season, adequate without being
take can’t and You ing pump to fist beatin g chest but you bank the depos it can ts resul
breathtaking, which ensured Celtic stayed in sixth place in the league table.
In both cases, Gerrard and Postecoglou were indulging in audience participation for theatrical purposes.
When I ventured the opinion that Rangers’ win had in fact been no different f rom several other bang average performances in the league this season, one radio caller’s defiant take on the situation was that Rangers were: “Bang average top of the league.”
And there we have it, so far as I’m concerned.
In our insular wee world it doesn’t matter what it looks like so long as you retain bragging rights over the other lot.
We’re in a competitive environment where the quality of the football isn’t as important as the value of the results for a large percentage of Old Firm fans.
But the rest of this month will require an upgrade in performance for the pair of them, domestically and in Europe.
If teams from France, Spain and Germany are too much for the Old Firm in the Europa League, as they have been so far this season, surely Ferencvaros and Brondby are second favourites against teams f rom Glasgow with home advantage, bigger budgets and no points as yet?
If not, why not?
If Pittodrie was really a turning point for a previously lacklustre Celtic they’ll need to prove it on the road against Motherwell and
Hibs, as well as St Johnstone at home – or else the month of October could seriously damage their credibility.
Likewise Rangers will need to prove the win over Hibs was a launchpad for the rest of their season when they face Hearts and
Motherwell either side of games against St Mirren and Aberdeen.
You can’t take fist pumping and chest beating to the bank but you can deposit results while upping your game.
Even if the end simply justifies the means for some supporters.