So Steve Clarke has gone, drifted off into obscurity on the raft of “at least I got Scotland to both the Euros and World Cup.”
I don’t think Stevie boy was a bad manager. I mean, clearly his tactics worked at some level and we should be grateful at least for the job he’s done but the death knell sounded long before we were pumped without lube by Brazil. To scrape past the troubled land of Haiti by a solitary deflected goal the omens weren’t good and so it proved. Two further failures, and despite having signed a new contract before heading off to the US Clarke handed in his resignation and once again the good ship Scotland FC is rudderless.
So who fancies the job? Who’s willing to destroy their reputation and drink deeply the poison offered up by the SFA?
I love my country, as any patriot should, but there’s no way I’d, even if I was in a position to do so, offer up my services to be manager of the Scottish football team.
Who honestly in their right mind is going to look at the achievements of Clarke and think “I can do that and better”?
If the betting is to be believed then former Celtic, Spurs and Forest boss Ange Postecoglou is the man to take over. I suppose you could argue he was the most successful Spurs manager for years and he did a first rate top notch job at Celtic. He’s also available so it would make sense his name would come up in conversation but I don’t know. I like Ange and I’d hate to see him booed off the Hampden turf by the very fans who once held him in such high esteem.
Celtic news and finally a signing, pen put to paper and we are proud to announce - Alex Oxlaide chamberlain has signed a new one year deal.
That’s it. We’re well into July and once again the board are dragging their feet, trying hard to get players on the cheap and leaving the fans frustrated.
I don’t want to speculate on rumours. I mean, they’re just that, rumours; nothing concrete so it’s pointless, as pointless as the Salah to Rangers talk. That wasn’t ever going to happen and I don’t want to fill this column with if buts and maybes. Stick to the facts and at time of writing once again Celtic fans have little to celebrate.
Across the City, McInness' Rangers have gotten their pre-season off to a flyer with a 5-1 closed doors victory over Raith Rovers.
McInness has been busy in the transfer window, perhaps the pain of missing out to Celtic in the league last season spurring him on to better his squad. Rangers seem to be in good shape and will be a potent threat this year.
So that’s the week that was. Little for Celtic fans to get excited about green shoots of optimism for the other SPL clubs just another week in the world of Scottish football.
Perhaps next week . . . who knows.
Til next time ….
🐼 Gary Robertson is the TPQ Scottish football correspondent.
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