Lost its spark?

After yet another scrappy, tedious Old Firm derby the question has to be raised whether this match can still fulfil its billing as one of the greatest derbies in the world. The massive derbies in England, Spain, Italy, even Brazil must surely be taking centre stage ahead of Scotland’s ‘finest’ due to the lack of sparkle, creativity or excitement produced by both sides.

Spectator

Rightly the Old Firm contest has been put on a pedestal due to the history and passion of the two sides and I’m not for a minute saying it should be forgotten about, which it could never be. The standard of football being served up in recent times though is frankly shocking as both teams shell passes forward and try to feed off the scraps. In the latest derby, Kenny Miller, prolific this season with 22 goals before the New Year, barely touched the ball as Celtic sat in, as has become customary to do as the away side in the game. The Walter Smith approach in big games of setting out his team to see the opposing half as a minefield they don’t want to venture into, seems to have rubbed off on his counterpart across the dugout. Celtic beat Rangers at their own game, drawing them forward then countering quickly to force mistakes in the backline. While this is the benchmark for the two best teams in the country, Scotland will continue to struggle on the international stage and also to attract a sufficient audience for the domestic product to progress.

If you go back a decade ago to 2000, over the space of 5 Old Firm games there were 22 goals and 3 red cards with countless bookings, including results of 6-2 and 5-1. Contrasted with recent times there’s only been 19 goals in the previous 10. This illustrates the difference in attitude that both teams have adopted, with the fans facing a drought of thrills and the most contentious moments coming from referees. It is plain to see in the approach of both teams that they wait for the other team to make an error rather than trying to create their own piece of magic, which was in evidence at the most recent game. With a defensive Celtic frustrating Rangers, it needed a touch of class to change things which is all too rare nowadays. Gone are players like Laudrup, Kanchelskis, Moravcik, and Berkovic who could unlock the opposition with a bit of skill and the spectacle is beginning to suffer due to the lack of quality that the modern Big 2 don’t have.

The Pinnacle

The other famous derbies of the world are making to further heighten the expectations of Scottish fans and mean disillusionment won’t be far away. Watching the football produced by Spain, Holland, Germany among others at the 2010 World Cup is giving the average football fan a thirst for possession, which Scottish teams are struggling to fulfil. El Classico, in which Barcelona made the Galactico’s of Real Madrid look like a Sunday league team, was a football lover’s dream. The skills Messi, Iniesta and the like put on display was a joy to watch as the Catalan club kept the ball as if it were member of the family. This derby was one of footballing perfection, and while it might not match up in the passion stakes, in footballing terms they are in a different world to the defensive and almost scared teams that Glasgow has produced in recent times.

Passion of the Milan derby



The Milan, Manchester, Liverpool alongside Brazilian and Argentinean derbies are all at a standard which competes with the Old Firm, which could be hugely detrimental to Scottish football. We are already struggling with qualification for Europe and will be having no automatic qualifiers from next season. If the pattern of game quality continues then its unlikely Mr Murdoch will be clamouring to renegotiate Sky’s television deal, so the coffers won’t exactly be bursting for Scottish clubs to invest and get us back to a level which will allow us to compete on an even keel in Europe. Therefore it is essential the excitement is injected back into the game rather than the stilted product we have at the minute. If this doesn't happen then we could be thrown into the doldrums of European football, struggling to qualify for the groups of the Champions League rather than the last 16 which every fan craves.

Every now and then both clubs are showing flashes of good football, be it from a Paddy McCourt wonder-run or a Vladimir Weiss solo effort, but reproducing this in the biggest game of the domestic season has been a rarity as both teams cancel each other out. Overall the burning passion and desire of every Old Firm fan has to see their team succeed will mean that the significance of the occasion will never be lost, however unless the quality matches the quantity Scottish football could be in for a tough future.

The Old Firm are the lifeblood of the Scottish game and their future affects deeper than just the two clubs themselves. For all the remaining SPL clubs, the gate money they receive from clashes with the big two keeps them in business for a considerable amount of time. This is a key aspect of their finances and if the revenue from television begins to dry up, prices and costs will have to be raised meaning the purse strings will have to be tightened even more than they are already. This adds credence to the argument that the Old Firm have to address this issue immediately before the  lives of other clubs move further into danger.



A distant memory



Solutions are few and far between in the current financial climate Scottish football is facing, with the times of a £12 million player walking up the steps at Ibrox far gone from the memory and won’t be happening any time in the near future. One answer may be developing academies, be it at Murray Park or Lennoxtown, or creating new facilities which will benefit not only the domestic clubs but the international scene aswell. Barcelona is a prime example of how to create a football club using those from within. With the likes of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol among many others all graduating through the youth ranks, it shows that money is not always the answer and having fashioned a team widely-regarded as one of the best ever seen, Scotland can learn a great deal from the benchmark placed at such a high level.

Therefore change is needed throughout the league system in Scotland, not just at the top, but throughout all the way down to junior level. Often the lower divisions are disregarded and not given a second thought but the expansion of the set-up will lead to a better standard of player being developed and the quality level increasing at every level. The idea of the reserve sides of the SPL playing in a lower division has often been discussed and this could be the perfect solution to giving players the chance to improve and gain real, match experience. Therefore those in the SFA will need to sit down and assess where our game is headed, with the likelihood of no Scottish teams in the top level of Europe becoming a distinct possibility.

Change is needed, and needed fast.

Over-reaction or right on the money?

Why, in this day in age, would you consider becoming a referee? Abuse, threats and questions over your integrity are thrown about carelessly by those who have never experienced the role for themselves. Sitting in your armchair with the remote control at your side, those 10 different replays prove nothing over your ability to make that split second decision. Finally it has all became too much for Scotland’s officials, having announced a strike for this weekend’s matches.

 In my opinion, they have every right to do so and, if anything, it has come later than it could have. Those supporters who sit in their local proclaiming they are over-reacting should consider how they would feel in the same situation. If you received dog’s abuse during your working day would you be saying it’s alright, this is what I get paid to do? I realise there are differences, but referee’s are paid to officiate a game however this has recently become a thankless task, as their honour is brought into question every time a throw-in goes the wrong way.



Scapegoat Dougie McDonald



The crunch point of this issue is that the strike has stemmed from a correct decision. When Dougie McDonald conferred with his assistant on a cold afternoon at Tannadice, little did he know the furore he would be causing by giving the right decision. As a young footballer you are told the referee won’t change his mind, play on. Why? Why, if that referee realises he is wrong should he not reverse the decision. After all that is what every football fan wants isn’t it, the correct decision to be made. Mr Blatter has introduced 5^th and 6^th referees;

fans want technology, the point being to get the decision right. So how has it got to the stage where we have our officials refusing to go to games in fear of their safety off the pitch?

I think even the most staunch Celtic fan would agree that it was not a penalty, which makes the reaction it has caused even more baffling. I realise that the white lies that were told are unforgivable and has brought some of the criticism on themselves, but surely this shows the fear which the match officials currently have. Afraid to look as if they are favouring one team over another, this is going to leave Scotland with no up-and coming referees as they don’t want the hassle that comes with the job.

Scottish MP Pete Wishart has come out publicly and said "I seriously do think it would be in the interests of the game if they did declare which team they support. Yes, referees are entitled to support a team. They may support one of the two big teams. But when Rangers or Celtic come to McDiarmid Park I would like to know what teams these referees are supporting”. With all due respect, go back to making a mess of our country from your publically funded property than weighing into a debate that politics has no place in. Coming out with these comments just heaps more pressure on officials, and has contributed hugely to the upcoming strike.

Now being from the blue half of Glasgow I may be biased, in fact I am biased, but the handling of this by Neil Lennon has been inexcusable. As a relatively new manager, he should be learning his trade and going about his business quietly until he establishes himself as a manager. Sprinting 25 yards down the touchline is fine if you are Jose Mourinho taking Porto to Old Trafford, but a last minute winner against a team you should be beating, does that merit the celebrations? Dundee United manager Peter Houston called it “embarrassing”, and this is exactly my point. Lennon should have his players in the dressing room telling them, well done we got the 3 points, but the performance wasn't good enough. But no, he is running around for everyone to see like a child on Christmas morning after getting the toy he was after. All in all a little respect for the men in black wouldn’t go a miss, and taking a step back, maybe following the standards set by the aforementioned Houston and other senior managers like Craig Brown, Walter Smith, Jim Jefferies etc wouldn’t go a miss either.

Lennon’s behaviour has clearly rubbed off on his players as new Celtic signing Gary Hooper commented "We are one of the biggest teams in the world and everyone wants to beat us, all the teams. The referee wants to give a decision against us so he can say something after the game. I think all the big teams get it." Wait a minute Gary; you have been in the SPL a couple of months, is that long enough to make a judgement? Stick to doing what you do best which is scoring goals, rather than giving your two cents. This is exactly the kind of thing which has caused this eruption over the issue recently. Instead of a casual “I don’t think I can comment on that”, everyone wants their say and it has finally came to a head and referee’s have had enough.

I think everyone has at some point given a referee their, point of view shall we say. But change is needed before our game is tarnished forever. While not every decision will be correct, the referees are trying their best so before you are so quick to jump out of that armchair or plastic seat at the stadium, have a second thought and get behind your side rather than on the officials back. That Saturday afternoon you enjoy so much watching your team won’t be so enjoyable if the dreaded postponed announcement comes because the referee’s have finally had enough. Fortunately foreign officials will make sure that this weekend’s games go ahead.

Let’s just hope that an Israeli official isn’t a closet Rangers fan or our recent favourite word ‘conspiracy’ will be out in force again in Sunday’s papers.