If you are a bear of a certain vintage you will be
experiencing a sense of déjà vu this morning. A few weeks ago I noticed a considerable
shift in the support for Ally, with Sunday’s result, but in particular our performance,
being the final straw for many. It’s a horrible scenario to be in, and some of
us have experienced it previously – the last days of John Greig’s tenure as
manager were deeply uncomfortable for many of us. How do you say to a man who has given his all
to the club that he is just not good enough ? But if we believe that no man is
bigger than the club then that must be without exception – even John Greig or
Ally McCoist.
There were many who believed starting off at the bottom
would allow us to build afresh, a team built around youth perhaps reminiscent
of a certain Manchester United squad whose potential was never fully realised, tragically due to the Munich Air Crash. Maybe
not quite Busby’s Babes but more Ally’s Apprentices. But of course it never happened that way, much
to the disappointment of many, myself included. The cobbled together squad and
less than impressive performances, were allowed considerable leeway due to
factors such as no pre-season and lack of familiarity. It wasn’t pleasant to
watch but eventually Stage 1 was completed.
However this season should have been completely different
with a new fitness coach, pre-season
training and Ally able to secure certain targets to boost the squad. Instead, despite the completion of Stage 2,
that pre-season optimism has all but evaporated. Instead we have been subjected to
one-dimensional football ,with the long ball game being not so much the favoured
option, but often alarmingly, the only option. When Daly was substituted
against Albion Rovers and Mohsni thrown
up front, it only served to confirm our total reliance on this type of
football. Is it any small wonder the
Raith Rovers game plan was simply “to defend the long ball” ?
Those making excuses for Ally do our club no favours with
their well intentioned but nonetheless misplaced sense of loyalty to Ally. We
have a full time squad of players the quality of which makes our peers in the
league look on with envy, the best training facilities in the country and we undergo
pre-match preparations which other clubs can only dream of. So you have to honestly
ask - where does the buck stop ?
Those who cite the need for Ally to stay in view of the fact
a relatively unknown board are running our club – did Ally being manager help
prevent the chaos and damage inflicted by Whyte or the avarice of Charles Green
?
Even out with the Ibrox faithful questions are being asked
of Ally’s ability. His Cup Record alone, highlighted by Tom English and others
recently, would have seen previous incumbents dispatched.
Which all in all creates a huge problem for our current
board. Will they have the mettle to remove
such an iconic figurehead ? Albeit one who appears to be underachieving in his
current role. Or has the fear of further fans backlash rendered them impotent
in making the critical decisions which affect our club’s future ? As I warned several weeks ago writing in WATP
magazine, militancy may be a new weapon in the Rangers supporters’ armoury –
but it has to be used responsibly. When a guy like Dave King suggests that some
Rangers supporters are looking for a fight – perhaps it’s time to check your
own actions and motivations.
Perhaps in the days and weeks to come, remembering that no
man is bigger than the club, may prove to be an essential navigational tool.
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