The 5000th goal in the SPL's nine-year history was scored this weekend, but this arbitrary milestone was forgotten by even the SPL itself. (Check out www.5000thgoal.com for yourself to see if they've updated it yet). Instead, atention was focused on the title race, and whether Celtic might just face some competition after all.
After their miserable starts to the season, there are signs that both Rangers and Hearts are trying to learn from their mistakes, and focus on the only thing that really matters - winning football matches. Rangers are now finding some form, having won 3 times on the bounce in the SPL, and qualified for the next stage of the UEFA Cup. After fighting a battle of wills with his team selection, Le Guen has now given in to pragmatism, and is selecting the best performers for the job - even if it means most of his summer signings being left out. So, McGregor was back in goal at the weekend, and Kris Boyd started upfront, and Rangers won 3-0. They were aided considerably, though, by some inept defending from Kilmarnock, which infuriated their manager, Jim Jefferies.
Hearts couldn't manage a goal, and so had to settle for a draw with ICT. This was their 8th game in a row without a win, illustrating the serious damage recent rows have done to the squad's form. Once again, they were reliant on the brilliance of Craig Gordon in goal to get them out of trouble. Off the pitch, though, the hierachy seem keen to mend bridges. Pressley has been reconfirmed as club captain, and Vladimir Romanov returned the Scotland ahead of the weekend. He met fans' groups last Friday before travelling to Inverness for the game. Those fans seemed in conciliatory mood, too, so everyone is friends again. For now.
Mr Romanov had Valdas Ivanauskas in tow, who has resumed his duties as Hearts' head coach after his sickness absence, and claims to be fit and ready to get the team back to winning ways. Pressley may have characterised his return as "incidental" to the problems at Tynecastle, but he seems popular with the squad - even the Scottish contingent - and he is certainly better at the job than Eduoard Malofeev. According to Alex Kolovski, the Hearts Sporting Director/translator/press spokesman, Malofeev will be available by phone while he takes his UEFA Pro Licence course, but frankly Ivanauskas would get sounder football advice by calling the speaking clock.
So both these clubs are making efforts to improve their fortunes, but they will still struggle to make a significant dent in Celtic's lead. They recovered from 2-0 down to share the points against Hibs in a scintillating match at Easter Road. Armchair viewers who chose this game as a warm-up to the Man Utd-Chelsea will have been thrilled with their choice, as Hibs ran rampant against a Celtic side who had achieved that heroic win on Tuesday night. The match was, as the cliche goes, an advert for the Scottish game, with some great play in amongst the crunching tackles. There was some play-acting from Neil Lennon, too, as he incited his opponents and then
claimed to have been assaulted by them, but the referee refused to take the bait.
Ultimately, despite how well Hibs played, Celtic earned the draw, and demonstrated two strong reasons why they are still odds-on favourites to win the title come the end of the season. Their fightback from 2-0 was sparked by a refusal to accept they were beaten, the hallmark of champions. When Kenny Miller received the ball in the 70th minute and scampered off down the left, looking for an opening, his team mates rushed forward in support, and Evander Sno steered the eventual cutback into the net. Their second great strength is the depth of the squad. McGeady is a fine impact player to have on the bench, and proved it with their 2nd goal.
Also on the bench was Derek Riordan, an unused substitute. 8th in the overall SPL scoring chart, he also scored the 4000th SPL goal, back in 2003. Nowadays, despite scoring a hat-trick for the Celtic reserves in midweek, he can't get a game. Will he be playing for Celtic when the chance to score the 6000th comes along?
Motherwell 4-2 Falkirk
Dunfermline 0-3 Aberdeen
Dundee Utd 1-0 St Mirren
Hibs 2-2 Celtic
ICT 0-0 Hearts
Rangers 3-0 Killie
Monday, November 27, 2006
Friday, November 24, 2006
Rangers through to the knock out stages of the UEFA Cup
More than a few Rangers fans will have allowed themselves a wry smirk on Tuesday night, as Celtic celebrated getting through the group stage of the Champions League for the first time. Much like we did last season, they will have said to themselves - the first time ANY Scottish club achieved this feat.
Of course, Celtic won the European Cup in 1967, but it's widely accepted that the Champions League now favours the big clubs from the wealthier leagues, leaving countries like Scotland on the outside looking in.
So in the interests of impartiality, we love fitba would like to congratulate Rangers on their progress in the UEFA Cup. A 2-2 draw with Auxerre was enough to guarantee their involvement in the next round, regardless of the outcome of the final group game.
This might just provide the catalyst to turn Rangers' season. They equalised twice last night, the team demonstrating a pleasing degree of resilience which has been notably lacking up to now. And Paul Le Guen was pragmatic in his team selection, starting with two players - MacGregor and Boyd - whom he has previously shunned.
Scottish teams are starting to learn how to play European football. This can only be good news for the game as a whole.
Of course, Celtic won the European Cup in 1967, but it's widely accepted that the Champions League now favours the big clubs from the wealthier leagues, leaving countries like Scotland on the outside looking in.
So in the interests of impartiality, we love fitba would like to congratulate Rangers on their progress in the UEFA Cup. A 2-2 draw with Auxerre was enough to guarantee their involvement in the next round, regardless of the outcome of the final group game.
This might just provide the catalyst to turn Rangers' season. They equalised twice last night, the team demonstrating a pleasing degree of resilience which has been notably lacking up to now. And Paul Le Guen was pragmatic in his team selection, starting with two players - MacGregor and Boyd - whom he has previously shunned.
Scottish teams are starting to learn how to play European football. This can only be good news for the game as a whole.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Celtic defy Utd to make history
So, Celtic are through to the knock-out stages of the Champions League, after a stunning victory over Man Utd at home. It's the first time in seven attempts that they have successfully negotiated the group stages of this competition, since the competition was created out of the old European Cup. Gordon Strachan may well go on to become of the greatest managers in Celtic's history. But after another night of high drama and frayed nerves, he has once again shown himself to be one of the luckiest.
When these two clubs met in the corresponding fixture at Old Trafford back in September, many in England rashly predicted a thrashing. Blinded by the riches of the Premiership, and Utd's recent history in Europe, they assumed the Scottish club would be unable to live with their hosts. Celtic did lose the game 3-2, but they left the field with some credit, having taken the game to their hosts. Now, in Glasgow, they needed a win - anything less, and their chances of qualification would be hanging by a thread.
The accepted approach for the underdog in this situation - and Celtic were the underdog - is to try and lull the opponent into a sense of complacency, by stressing how much stronger they are, and then attempt to surprise them on the park. Strachan did the opposite in his pre-match press conference, wrapping his club in the old Scottish perceptions of injustice and arrogance by claiming that the English "pat yourselves on the back too much", and that the gap between the Premiership and the SPL wasn't as big as people assume.
This was brave. By the end of the first half tonight, it also looked a little foolhardy. For the first 45 minutes, Celtic were all over the place, as Utd dominated possession and launched attack after attack. But once again, Strachan proved just how lucky he is. Despite getting his tactics and personnel desperately wrong, his side somehow got to the break without conceding a goal.
Strachan had made some fundamental errors in setting up his team. His first mistake was to select Evander Sno in such a high pressure game. Strachan might have been charmed by his strong performances in recent weeks in the SPL, but tonight the 19 year old looked hopelessly lost. He seemed to shy away from the ball, and when it did have it he either conceded possession or passed backwards. His other big mistake was a baffling formation that left his midfield outnumbered and overrun. Somehow, United couldn't quite make their superiority stick, although they might have had a penalty when Balde tugged at Rooney.
Two substitutions at half time turned the game. Jarosik came on for Sno, and Maloney replaced Zurawski as Celtic belatedly went 4-5-1 to match their opponents. He couldn't do much about the hapless Bobo Balde in defence, with Caldwell out and Kennedy still recovering from his long injury, but he seemed less shaky with Lennon and Gravesen in front of him. With the right footed Maloney on the left, and left-footed Nakamura on the right, Celtic now had lots of bodies competing in the middle of the park, and Utd found far less space to operate.
Then they got a fortuitous decision, Nakamura scored a wondruous free kick, Boruc saved Saha's penalty, and the game was won. Celtic deserve to celebrate this great win, but they also need to learn their lessons. Surely, their luck can't hold forever.
When these two clubs met in the corresponding fixture at Old Trafford back in September, many in England rashly predicted a thrashing. Blinded by the riches of the Premiership, and Utd's recent history in Europe, they assumed the Scottish club would be unable to live with their hosts. Celtic did lose the game 3-2, but they left the field with some credit, having taken the game to their hosts. Now, in Glasgow, they needed a win - anything less, and their chances of qualification would be hanging by a thread.
The accepted approach for the underdog in this situation - and Celtic were the underdog - is to try and lull the opponent into a sense of complacency, by stressing how much stronger they are, and then attempt to surprise them on the park. Strachan did the opposite in his pre-match press conference, wrapping his club in the old Scottish perceptions of injustice and arrogance by claiming that the English "pat yourselves on the back too much", and that the gap between the Premiership and the SPL wasn't as big as people assume.
This was brave. By the end of the first half tonight, it also looked a little foolhardy. For the first 45 minutes, Celtic were all over the place, as Utd dominated possession and launched attack after attack. But once again, Strachan proved just how lucky he is. Despite getting his tactics and personnel desperately wrong, his side somehow got to the break without conceding a goal.
Strachan had made some fundamental errors in setting up his team. His first mistake was to select Evander Sno in such a high pressure game. Strachan might have been charmed by his strong performances in recent weeks in the SPL, but tonight the 19 year old looked hopelessly lost. He seemed to shy away from the ball, and when it did have it he either conceded possession or passed backwards. His other big mistake was a baffling formation that left his midfield outnumbered and overrun. Somehow, United couldn't quite make their superiority stick, although they might have had a penalty when Balde tugged at Rooney.
Two substitutions at half time turned the game. Jarosik came on for Sno, and Maloney replaced Zurawski as Celtic belatedly went 4-5-1 to match their opponents. He couldn't do much about the hapless Bobo Balde in defence, with Caldwell out and Kennedy still recovering from his long injury, but he seemed less shaky with Lennon and Gravesen in front of him. With the right footed Maloney on the left, and left-footed Nakamura on the right, Celtic now had lots of bodies competing in the middle of the park, and Utd found far less space to operate.
Then they got a fortuitous decision, Nakamura scored a wondruous free kick, Boruc saved Saha's penalty, and the game was won. Celtic deserve to celebrate this great win, but they also need to learn their lessons. Surely, their luck can't hold forever.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Clash of the also rans
Round 15 of the SPL, and there was no question which fixture grabbed the attention: the Hearts v Rangers clash at Tynecastle. But it was not for the reasons they would have liked.
At the beginning of the season, many people thought this match would have been a battle between two potential champions. Hearts had lost 2 big players over the summer and not really replaced them, but after finishing as runners up and winning the Scottish Cup last year, their supporters believed things would just keep on improving. Meanwhile, Paul Le Guen was appointed as the messiah who would revive Rangers and bring trophies back to Ibrox.
How wrong things have gone since then. Not only are Celtic miles ahead of the sorry pair of them, they can't even put distance between themselves and the chasing pack... at kick off, Aberdeen were 2nd in the table, courtesy of their victory over St Mirren the previous day. Yes, broke, success-is-but-a-distant-memory Aberdeen. There's not so much a big 3 at the moment, as a... One.
So, this fixture was compelling not because these clubs are doing so well, but because they are doing so badly. The ongoing crises at Tynecastle and Ibrox have provided the stories of the season so far in the SPL, and are both inexplicable, in their way. On the one hand, you have Vladimir Romanov, a riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a puzzle, or whatever it was Churchill said about the Russians; a man who has claimed a grand vision for his club, but has a very strange way of trying to achieve it. Then, you have Paul Le Guen, recognised as one of the most talented coaches in Europe, who not only has failed to improve Rangers, but made them worse.
As it was, Rangers won the match, with a late goal from Nacho Novo. The wee Spanish forward is one of the few success stories for Rangers this season - all but ignored by Alex McLeish, he is playing more regularly now under the new gaffer, and scoring goals again. Barry Ferguson had one of his better games in recent times, too.
So Rangers have jumped above the Dons into second place, but time will tell whether their nightmare is over. They only beat Hearts, after all, in a poor game between two teams in poor form. The club have been heavily engaged in the darks arts of PR over the past week or so, firstly issuing a statement of confidence in the manager, and then throwing their beleaguered supporters some titbits, by leaking news of an imminent bid for a Hibernian midfielder or two. But, just because the Glasgow papers might lap it up, doesn't make it so. It is not the chairman's opinion of Le Guen that really matters, but the fans', and only a continued sequence of wins will appease them. And unless David Murray digs into his own pocket, there won't be any money for new players in January - certainly not Kevin Thomson or Scott Brown.
The best PR savvy in the world couldn't spin the Hearts story in a positive light at the moment, because the outlook is bleak. They have now gone 7 games without a win, and - like Rangers - desperately need to conjure a run of results from somewhere. But they seem utterly incapable of doing so.
It was hardly surprising they lost. The build up to the game had been dominated by speculation over whether Craig Gordon would play - or would he too be dropped, like the other members of the "Riccarton Three". In the end, he did, as did Paul Hartley, but it was hardly ideal preparation. Handing the captain's armband to Hartley on Sunday might have been seen as an attempt to heal a rift, except that Pressley is still excluded.
It was Edouard Malofeev's last game in charge, as he has now left to get his UEFA coaching badge - at the age of 64! If he waited a year, he could retire to Sochi instead. Eugenijus Riabovas was supposed to be taking over, but the BBC is now claiming he isn't after all. Meanwhile, the assistant John McGlynn, the only constant in the coaching staff over the past 2 years, and caretaker manager twice, is seemingly leaving to become the boss at 2nd Division Raith Rovers. So Hearts are currently directionless.
Bizarrely, given his hands-on management style, Vladimir Romanov wasn't in the country at the weekend, but is expected in Scotland this week. He's got plenty to keep him busy - Hartley has asked for a chat, and he will need to deal with the fall-out from the match, after director Alex Koslovski accused the fans of booing some players just because they were Lithuanian, and a group of 200 or so supporters held a protest after the game.
So, Rangers and Aberdeen are now on 25 points, with Hearts on 22 with Kilmarnock and Hibs. It is hardly where these two big spenders thought they would be at this stage of the season.
Motherwell 1-6 Hibernian
Aberdeen 2-0 St Mirren
Celtic 3-0 St Mirren
Dunfermline 2-1 Dundee Utd
Kimarnock 2-1 Falkirk
Hearts 0-1 Rangers
At the beginning of the season, many people thought this match would have been a battle between two potential champions. Hearts had lost 2 big players over the summer and not really replaced them, but after finishing as runners up and winning the Scottish Cup last year, their supporters believed things would just keep on improving. Meanwhile, Paul Le Guen was appointed as the messiah who would revive Rangers and bring trophies back to Ibrox.
How wrong things have gone since then. Not only are Celtic miles ahead of the sorry pair of them, they can't even put distance between themselves and the chasing pack... at kick off, Aberdeen were 2nd in the table, courtesy of their victory over St Mirren the previous day. Yes, broke, success-is-but-a-distant-memory Aberdeen. There's not so much a big 3 at the moment, as a... One.
So, this fixture was compelling not because these clubs are doing so well, but because they are doing so badly. The ongoing crises at Tynecastle and Ibrox have provided the stories of the season so far in the SPL, and are both inexplicable, in their way. On the one hand, you have Vladimir Romanov, a riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a puzzle, or whatever it was Churchill said about the Russians; a man who has claimed a grand vision for his club, but has a very strange way of trying to achieve it. Then, you have Paul Le Guen, recognised as one of the most talented coaches in Europe, who not only has failed to improve Rangers, but made them worse.
As it was, Rangers won the match, with a late goal from Nacho Novo. The wee Spanish forward is one of the few success stories for Rangers this season - all but ignored by Alex McLeish, he is playing more regularly now under the new gaffer, and scoring goals again. Barry Ferguson had one of his better games in recent times, too.
So Rangers have jumped above the Dons into second place, but time will tell whether their nightmare is over. They only beat Hearts, after all, in a poor game between two teams in poor form. The club have been heavily engaged in the darks arts of PR over the past week or so, firstly issuing a statement of confidence in the manager, and then throwing their beleaguered supporters some titbits, by leaking news of an imminent bid for a Hibernian midfielder or two. But, just because the Glasgow papers might lap it up, doesn't make it so. It is not the chairman's opinion of Le Guen that really matters, but the fans', and only a continued sequence of wins will appease them. And unless David Murray digs into his own pocket, there won't be any money for new players in January - certainly not Kevin Thomson or Scott Brown.
The best PR savvy in the world couldn't spin the Hearts story in a positive light at the moment, because the outlook is bleak. They have now gone 7 games without a win, and - like Rangers - desperately need to conjure a run of results from somewhere. But they seem utterly incapable of doing so.
It was hardly surprising they lost. The build up to the game had been dominated by speculation over whether Craig Gordon would play - or would he too be dropped, like the other members of the "Riccarton Three". In the end, he did, as did Paul Hartley, but it was hardly ideal preparation. Handing the captain's armband to Hartley on Sunday might have been seen as an attempt to heal a rift, except that Pressley is still excluded.
It was Edouard Malofeev's last game in charge, as he has now left to get his UEFA coaching badge - at the age of 64! If he waited a year, he could retire to Sochi instead. Eugenijus Riabovas was supposed to be taking over, but the BBC is now claiming he isn't after all. Meanwhile, the assistant John McGlynn, the only constant in the coaching staff over the past 2 years, and caretaker manager twice, is seemingly leaving to become the boss at 2nd Division Raith Rovers. So Hearts are currently directionless.
Bizarrely, given his hands-on management style, Vladimir Romanov wasn't in the country at the weekend, but is expected in Scotland this week. He's got plenty to keep him busy - Hartley has asked for a chat, and he will need to deal with the fall-out from the match, after director Alex Koslovski accused the fans of booing some players just because they were Lithuanian, and a group of 200 or so supporters held a protest after the game.
So, Rangers and Aberdeen are now on 25 points, with Hearts on 22 with Kilmarnock and Hibs. It is hardly where these two big spenders thought they would be at this stage of the season.
Motherwell 1-6 Hibernian
Aberdeen 2-0 St Mirren
Celtic 3-0 St Mirren
Dunfermline 2-1 Dundee Utd
Kimarnock 2-1 Falkirk
Hearts 0-1 Rangers
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Laidback Latapy still has the legs for the SPL
Now that Setanta have their feet well and truly under the SPL table, they have become bold enough to start dictating their terms to the league. Mostly, this has passed without controversy in Scotland, for one good reason - when the last broadcast deal ended, and the "SPL TV" channel failed to get off the ground, Setanta were left as the only game in town, with the 12 clubs in the top division happy to agree to just about anything so long as there was some money in it for them. In other words, they were not negotiating from a position of strength.
Televised Sunday football was the inevitable first step, and now live games on Monday nights are the new thing. There are grumbles about the impact on attendances (getting back from Aberdeen to Edinburgh at 10pm on a Monday night, for instance, is not the easiest journey in the world) but Monday nights are probably here to stay. If the SPL is to develop any kind of meaningful international audience, televised games are key.
Now, Falkirk is little more than an hour from Edinburgh, but the Hearts fans still had an unhappy trip back home last night. It seems the club are about to appoint their 7th coach in less than 2 years (there is no point in claiming the most senior role in the dugout at Hearts qualifies for the title of "manager") and it looks as though Romanov is now exacting his revenge on those players who defied him in public a couple of weeks ago. Gordon retained his place, and arguably Hartley was just rested, but Pressley had been jettisoned from the 1st team squad altogether, and has possibly lost the captaincy for good.
For all this turmoil, they would still have won the game, but for one man: Russell Latapy. At 38, and long after most people assumed he was spent as a player, the wee playmaker is by far the most influential player at Falkirk, having done more than anyone else to get them to the SPL and keep them there. His equaliser, in the 84th minute, was just reward for a battling home performance, and further vindicates the Falkirk manager's continued faith in his oldest player. At this rate, he could - like Teddy Sheringham - celebrate his 40th birthday still earning his living from the professional game. There's more than just the similarity in age, too. Like Sheringham, Latapy has something of a reputation as a playboy.
Latapy arrived in Scotland in 1998, signed by Alex McLeish for Hibernian on a free transfer from Porto. Hibs had been relegated the previous season, McLeish having arrived too late to avoid the inevitable. They had been flirting with disaster for a couple of years, but ironically had been one of the main movers in favour of breaking away from the Scottish Football League and setting up the SPL. The new division had come into existence without them. McLeish's job was to rebuild the squad and get them promoted again, quickly.
Hibs ended up storming the 1st Division Championship and bouncing straight back up. Once back in the top flight, they wasted no time in proving their worth, playing some pretty football as they did so. There were a number of influential players in the team - Kenny Miller and Franck Sauzee among them - but Latapy was key. Playing in a free role behind the strikers, he was vital to McLeish's stated ethos: "play it on the fucking carpet". Hibs banished route 1 football and passed almost everything through Latapy, once the team had realised that he very, very rarely gave the ball away, and he could deliver the killer ball. He liked to score a bit, too, averaging 10 goals a season.
Season 2000/1 was even better for the Hibees. Money problems meant they had to sell Miller to Rangers for £2m, but they continued their progress. Alongside the undoubted class of Latapy and Sauzee, other, more workmanlike players - like John O'Neill - were in the form of their lives, buoyed by confidence. Hibs ran Rangers close for 2nd place all season, only just slipping to 3rd in the final weeks. More importantly, they got to the final of the Scottish Cup - a competition they had not won for nearly a century. Surely this was their year. After months of contract negotiations, it was clear that Latapy would be leaving at the end of the season, and the Cup seemed such a fitting trophy to sign off with.
On the Wednesday night before the game, however, everything went wrong. Russell Latapy was arrested for drink driving. In his BMW with him were two girls he'd been out partying with - and Dwight Yorke, whose season at Old Trafford had finished a week earlier. So he decided to come up to Edinburgh to see his mate and go out on the town.
The story got out across Edinburgh, and Alex McLeish, faced with such blatant indiscipline just days before the biggest game of his managerial career, took the only option he felt open to him - he sacked Latapy, and banished him from the club. 3 days later, Hibs barely showed up against Celtic, and they got beat 3-0. They haven't got as close to the prize since.
Financially, Latapy was barely inconvenienced by the sacking, as he moved to Rangers on a Bosman just days later. But his fresh start in Glasgow didn't last long... in October McLeish was poached from Hibs to replace Dick Advocaat at Ibrox. Not surprisingly, given the previous, McLeish had limited trust in Latapy, and he played fewer games than he might have expected to. After limited success, he went out to Dundee Utd, before accepting a drop to the 1st Division with Falkirk.
The Falkirk manager, John Hughes, was a previous Hibs player himself, and recoginsed Latapy's qualities. Cutely, though, he hired him not just as player, but player-coach. It was not for his lifestyle advice - Latapy has smoked throughout his career, and is unashamed about it - but for his technical expertise. The enhanced responsibility revitalised Latapy, and he is now enjoying a rich period in his career. He tends to play a little deeper these days, but once again he is absolutely key to the way his team plays.
He even has the experience of going to a World Cup, with Trinidad & Tobago, even though he played very little in the finals themselves. This was his own fault, in a way - after persuading his friend to come out of retirement, T&T ended up playing with Yorke, and not Latapy, in the midfield playmaker role. But he probably wasn't too disappointed - Latapy had played a large role in getting the team there, and the fans back home recognised his contribution.
He has not led a blameless life, and he is arguably a poor role model in a country that has severe problems with underage smoking and drinking. But Latapy's enthusiasm for the game, and his sublime skills, have contributed much to Scottish football. He is one of those select players - like Gianfranco Zola - that even opposition fans can admit to liking.
When Falkirk were at Easter Road in September, the home fans applauded him, despite his acrimonious departure. Despite the fact that they were losing. Latapy raised his hands above his head and clapped them in return.
It is just a game, after all. And it's there to be enjoyed.
Falkirk 1-1 Hearts
Hibs 2-0 ICT
Aberdeen 2-1 Motherwell
St Mirren 1-3 Celtic
Rangers 2-0 Dunfermline
Dundee Utd 1-0 Kilmarnock
Televised Sunday football was the inevitable first step, and now live games on Monday nights are the new thing. There are grumbles about the impact on attendances (getting back from Aberdeen to Edinburgh at 10pm on a Monday night, for instance, is not the easiest journey in the world) but Monday nights are probably here to stay. If the SPL is to develop any kind of meaningful international audience, televised games are key.
Now, Falkirk is little more than an hour from Edinburgh, but the Hearts fans still had an unhappy trip back home last night. It seems the club are about to appoint their 7th coach in less than 2 years (there is no point in claiming the most senior role in the dugout at Hearts qualifies for the title of "manager") and it looks as though Romanov is now exacting his revenge on those players who defied him in public a couple of weeks ago. Gordon retained his place, and arguably Hartley was just rested, but Pressley had been jettisoned from the 1st team squad altogether, and has possibly lost the captaincy for good.
For all this turmoil, they would still have won the game, but for one man: Russell Latapy. At 38, and long after most people assumed he was spent as a player, the wee playmaker is by far the most influential player at Falkirk, having done more than anyone else to get them to the SPL and keep them there. His equaliser, in the 84th minute, was just reward for a battling home performance, and further vindicates the Falkirk manager's continued faith in his oldest player. At this rate, he could - like Teddy Sheringham - celebrate his 40th birthday still earning his living from the professional game. There's more than just the similarity in age, too. Like Sheringham, Latapy has something of a reputation as a playboy.
Latapy arrived in Scotland in 1998, signed by Alex McLeish for Hibernian on a free transfer from Porto. Hibs had been relegated the previous season, McLeish having arrived too late to avoid the inevitable. They had been flirting with disaster for a couple of years, but ironically had been one of the main movers in favour of breaking away from the Scottish Football League and setting up the SPL. The new division had come into existence without them. McLeish's job was to rebuild the squad and get them promoted again, quickly.
Hibs ended up storming the 1st Division Championship and bouncing straight back up. Once back in the top flight, they wasted no time in proving their worth, playing some pretty football as they did so. There were a number of influential players in the team - Kenny Miller and Franck Sauzee among them - but Latapy was key. Playing in a free role behind the strikers, he was vital to McLeish's stated ethos: "play it on the fucking carpet". Hibs banished route 1 football and passed almost everything through Latapy, once the team had realised that he very, very rarely gave the ball away, and he could deliver the killer ball. He liked to score a bit, too, averaging 10 goals a season.
Season 2000/1 was even better for the Hibees. Money problems meant they had to sell Miller to Rangers for £2m, but they continued their progress. Alongside the undoubted class of Latapy and Sauzee, other, more workmanlike players - like John O'Neill - were in the form of their lives, buoyed by confidence. Hibs ran Rangers close for 2nd place all season, only just slipping to 3rd in the final weeks. More importantly, they got to the final of the Scottish Cup - a competition they had not won for nearly a century. Surely this was their year. After months of contract negotiations, it was clear that Latapy would be leaving at the end of the season, and the Cup seemed such a fitting trophy to sign off with.
On the Wednesday night before the game, however, everything went wrong. Russell Latapy was arrested for drink driving. In his BMW with him were two girls he'd been out partying with - and Dwight Yorke, whose season at Old Trafford had finished a week earlier. So he decided to come up to Edinburgh to see his mate and go out on the town.
The story got out across Edinburgh, and Alex McLeish, faced with such blatant indiscipline just days before the biggest game of his managerial career, took the only option he felt open to him - he sacked Latapy, and banished him from the club. 3 days later, Hibs barely showed up against Celtic, and they got beat 3-0. They haven't got as close to the prize since.
Financially, Latapy was barely inconvenienced by the sacking, as he moved to Rangers on a Bosman just days later. But his fresh start in Glasgow didn't last long... in October McLeish was poached from Hibs to replace Dick Advocaat at Ibrox. Not surprisingly, given the previous, McLeish had limited trust in Latapy, and he played fewer games than he might have expected to. After limited success, he went out to Dundee Utd, before accepting a drop to the 1st Division with Falkirk.
The Falkirk manager, John Hughes, was a previous Hibs player himself, and recoginsed Latapy's qualities. Cutely, though, he hired him not just as player, but player-coach. It was not for his lifestyle advice - Latapy has smoked throughout his career, and is unashamed about it - but for his technical expertise. The enhanced responsibility revitalised Latapy, and he is now enjoying a rich period in his career. He tends to play a little deeper these days, but once again he is absolutely key to the way his team plays.
He even has the experience of going to a World Cup, with Trinidad & Tobago, even though he played very little in the finals themselves. This was his own fault, in a way - after persuading his friend to come out of retirement, T&T ended up playing with Yorke, and not Latapy, in the midfield playmaker role. But he probably wasn't too disappointed - Latapy had played a large role in getting the team there, and the fans back home recognised his contribution.
He has not led a blameless life, and he is arguably a poor role model in a country that has severe problems with underage smoking and drinking. But Latapy's enthusiasm for the game, and his sublime skills, have contributed much to Scottish football. He is one of those select players - like Gianfranco Zola - that even opposition fans can admit to liking.
When Falkirk were at Easter Road in September, the home fans applauded him, despite his acrimonious departure. Despite the fact that they were losing. Latapy raised his hands above his head and clapped them in return.
It is just a game, after all. And it's there to be enjoyed.
Falkirk 1-1 Hearts
Hibs 2-0 ICT
Aberdeen 2-1 Motherwell
St Mirren 1-3 Celtic
Rangers 2-0 Dunfermline
Dundee Utd 1-0 Kilmarnock
Thursday, November 09, 2006
CIS Cup update
Well, the SPL title might look done and dusted already, but fortunately the CIS Cup is keeping things interesting. Celtic were already out, beaten on penalties by Falkirk on Tuesday, but that shock result has already been eclipsed by the extraordinary stories from the remaining two quarter finals last night.
One of the most pleasing developments in recent years has been the resurgence of the Edinburgh derby. The Old Firm clashes remain the biggest fixtures in Scottish domestic football, but it's healthy for the game overall that other matches now qualify for the "big game" billing. With Hibs having a terrible record against Hearts in the League Cup, and Hearts struggling at their rival's ground in recent years, last night's game promised much.
As it was, Hibs won with embarassing ease, and will wonder this morning how the final score was only 1-0. They were good, taking control of the game after a typically frenetic opening 15 minutes, but they were helped by an abject Hearts performance. Once again, their tactics and line-up was baffling, with no Brellier in the squad and no threat up front. The baggy-shorted Hartley roamed all over the pitch to try and get his team going, but eventually he faded after being asked to do too much on his own. Meanwhile, Hibs realised early on that they could simply feed the ball to Ivan Sproule any time they wanted to, and let their winger run at a hopelessly exposed Jose Goncalves at left back. Goncalves was - along with Hartley and Craig Gordon, again - Hearts' best player, but he had no support from Mikoliunas ahead of him or anyone else. By the time Mikoliunas was replaced, on 65 minutes, Hearts were ragged and looking beaten.
At Ibrox, meanwhile, Rangers were dumped out of the cup 2-0 by 1st Division St Johnstone. If the crowd of just over 30,000 was a worry to those in charge, it was nothing compared to the way the stadium emptied before the final whistle, as the fans left in disgust. A few hundred stayed on to stage a protest outside the ground, but many others probably decided there was no point. The manager is admitting he has serious problems, the chairman David Murray wants out, and the fans aren't turning up in the usual numbers. Le revolution is going badly wrong.
All this means that Hibernian are now being proclaimed as favourites for the League Cup, but this is being disrespectful to Kilmarnock, who are the other club through to the Semis. They have been more consistent than Hibs this season, and will fancy their chances in this competition. Either way, a club outside the top 3 is going to win a trophy this season.
One of the most pleasing developments in recent years has been the resurgence of the Edinburgh derby. The Old Firm clashes remain the biggest fixtures in Scottish domestic football, but it's healthy for the game overall that other matches now qualify for the "big game" billing. With Hibs having a terrible record against Hearts in the League Cup, and Hearts struggling at their rival's ground in recent years, last night's game promised much.
As it was, Hibs won with embarassing ease, and will wonder this morning how the final score was only 1-0. They were good, taking control of the game after a typically frenetic opening 15 minutes, but they were helped by an abject Hearts performance. Once again, their tactics and line-up was baffling, with no Brellier in the squad and no threat up front. The baggy-shorted Hartley roamed all over the pitch to try and get his team going, but eventually he faded after being asked to do too much on his own. Meanwhile, Hibs realised early on that they could simply feed the ball to Ivan Sproule any time they wanted to, and let their winger run at a hopelessly exposed Jose Goncalves at left back. Goncalves was - along with Hartley and Craig Gordon, again - Hearts' best player, but he had no support from Mikoliunas ahead of him or anyone else. By the time Mikoliunas was replaced, on 65 minutes, Hearts were ragged and looking beaten.
At Ibrox, meanwhile, Rangers were dumped out of the cup 2-0 by 1st Division St Johnstone. If the crowd of just over 30,000 was a worry to those in charge, it was nothing compared to the way the stadium emptied before the final whistle, as the fans left in disgust. A few hundred stayed on to stage a protest outside the ground, but many others probably decided there was no point. The manager is admitting he has serious problems, the chairman David Murray wants out, and the fans aren't turning up in the usual numbers. Le revolution is going badly wrong.
All this means that Hibernian are now being proclaimed as favourites for the League Cup, but this is being disrespectful to Kilmarnock, who are the other club through to the Semis. They have been more consistent than Hibs this season, and will fancy their chances in this competition. Either way, a club outside the top 3 is going to win a trophy this season.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Is it all over then?
We love fitba was created to do two things - give existing followers of Scottish football an alternative perspective on the game, and encourage supporters of other leagues to keep an eye on developments up here. After all, the SPL 05/06 was an absolute rollercoaster of a season, so much more intriguing than, say, Chelsea's march to another Premiership title.
But here we are, in early November, and while Chelsea face a genuine threat to their 3-in-a-row ambitions, Celtic look home and dry already. 13 points clear of Hearts, 15 between them and Rangers, can anyone catch them?
As posted on here recently, Celtic have been far from perfect over the first quarter of the season, but they have been lucky. Gary Caldwell's horror show against Benfica mid-week will not have surprised any Hibs supporters, who became used to their old captain's inexplicable losses of concentration at key moments, but the fact that this beating has not fatally undermined them in the Champions League group is something of a blessing. Similarly, Celtic have been pushed to the wire several times in the SPL this season, but time and again key moments have gone their way and they've walked away with the 3 points. Arguably, they should never have been allowed the late winner against Hearts at the weekend - but the goal stood, and with it came the victory.
Gordon Strachan deserves some of the credit, though. Other than find a use for Derek Riordan, he has managed integrate his many new players into the first team squad, which should see them well-placed over the winter, when injuries and suspensions can threaten to derail a title bid. The midfield, in particular, has looked tasty for a while (which is why Riordan can't get a game), with Sno and Jarosik making contributions when Nakamura, Maloney, McGeady or Gravesen need a rest. He could even push Caldwell forward to deputise for Neil Lennon if need be, which might be his better position anyhow, with cover at the back. Either way, it would be a surprise if they get to January without still having a healthy lead over the chasing pack.
Paddy Power has already paid out on Celtic taking the title. It's a neat ploy to win the Oirish custom of course, but maybe they also want to encourage their punters to place another bet - out of Hearts and Rangers, who's gonna implode first?
Hearts were full of indignation at Celtic's controversial, and very late, winning goal, enabling them to dust down one of their favourite subjects: refereeing bias towards the Old Firm. But they had a legitimate case, and the 2-1 scoreline was not a fair reflection on the match. There was still no space for Brellier in the starting line-up (although he was on the bench) alongside 4 Lithuanians - suggesting Romanov is still choosing the team, despite Malofeev's protestations -but they played a lot better, and Velicka is justifying his place on his performances rather than his passport. Steven Pressley was missing, but apparently genuinely ill, and not dropped. It would seem from the outside, then, that everyone at the club has agreed to calm down and settle their differences after the mayhem of a week ago, but things will go off any day soon. They can't help themselves.
Rangers are just an abject shambles. Manager Paul Le Guen found it "unbelievable" that they lost at the weekend, and seeing as they were playing Dundee Utd, he had a point. But this is new, improved Dundee Utd, under yet another manager, and Craig Levein made sure they didn't roll over as usual. Charmlessly, Barry Ferguson was back to his old self after the match, putting in an instensive shift with the journalists to make sure they all knew how disappointed and hurt he is by Rangers' plight. He's not conceding the title yet, either. It's possible that one day he will, as captain, accept some responsibility for the team's failings and his own lacklustre displays, but don't hold your breath.
The chairman David Murray is both loyal and stubborn, so Le Guen won't get sacked. But the squad is no stronger than it was under McLeish, and quite possibly weaker, and complete disgust from the stands is only being averted by decent results in Europe. If they slip any further behind, though, things might turn nasty. Rangers are used to not winning anymore, but they won't tolerate being humiliated for much longer.
Celtic 2-1 Hearts
Dundee Utd 1-2 Rangers
Hibs 2-2 Kilmarnock
Inverness 1-1 Aberdeen
Dunfermline 0-3 Falkirk
Motherwell 0-0 St Mirren
But here we are, in early November, and while Chelsea face a genuine threat to their 3-in-a-row ambitions, Celtic look home and dry already. 13 points clear of Hearts, 15 between them and Rangers, can anyone catch them?
As posted on here recently, Celtic have been far from perfect over the first quarter of the season, but they have been lucky. Gary Caldwell's horror show against Benfica mid-week will not have surprised any Hibs supporters, who became used to their old captain's inexplicable losses of concentration at key moments, but the fact that this beating has not fatally undermined them in the Champions League group is something of a blessing. Similarly, Celtic have been pushed to the wire several times in the SPL this season, but time and again key moments have gone their way and they've walked away with the 3 points. Arguably, they should never have been allowed the late winner against Hearts at the weekend - but the goal stood, and with it came the victory.
Gordon Strachan deserves some of the credit, though. Other than find a use for Derek Riordan, he has managed integrate his many new players into the first team squad, which should see them well-placed over the winter, when injuries and suspensions can threaten to derail a title bid. The midfield, in particular, has looked tasty for a while (which is why Riordan can't get a game), with Sno and Jarosik making contributions when Nakamura, Maloney, McGeady or Gravesen need a rest. He could even push Caldwell forward to deputise for Neil Lennon if need be, which might be his better position anyhow, with cover at the back. Either way, it would be a surprise if they get to January without still having a healthy lead over the chasing pack.
Paddy Power has already paid out on Celtic taking the title. It's a neat ploy to win the Oirish custom of course, but maybe they also want to encourage their punters to place another bet - out of Hearts and Rangers, who's gonna implode first?
Hearts were full of indignation at Celtic's controversial, and very late, winning goal, enabling them to dust down one of their favourite subjects: refereeing bias towards the Old Firm. But they had a legitimate case, and the 2-1 scoreline was not a fair reflection on the match. There was still no space for Brellier in the starting line-up (although he was on the bench) alongside 4 Lithuanians - suggesting Romanov is still choosing the team, despite Malofeev's protestations -but they played a lot better, and Velicka is justifying his place on his performances rather than his passport. Steven Pressley was missing, but apparently genuinely ill, and not dropped. It would seem from the outside, then, that everyone at the club has agreed to calm down and settle their differences after the mayhem of a week ago, but things will go off any day soon. They can't help themselves.
Rangers are just an abject shambles. Manager Paul Le Guen found it "unbelievable" that they lost at the weekend, and seeing as they were playing Dundee Utd, he had a point. But this is new, improved Dundee Utd, under yet another manager, and Craig Levein made sure they didn't roll over as usual. Charmlessly, Barry Ferguson was back to his old self after the match, putting in an instensive shift with the journalists to make sure they all knew how disappointed and hurt he is by Rangers' plight. He's not conceding the title yet, either. It's possible that one day he will, as captain, accept some responsibility for the team's failings and his own lacklustre displays, but don't hold your breath.
The chairman David Murray is both loyal and stubborn, so Le Guen won't get sacked. But the squad is no stronger than it was under McLeish, and quite possibly weaker, and complete disgust from the stands is only being averted by decent results in Europe. If they slip any further behind, though, things might turn nasty. Rangers are used to not winning anymore, but they won't tolerate being humiliated for much longer.
Celtic 2-1 Hearts
Dundee Utd 1-2 Rangers
Hibs 2-2 Kilmarnock
Inverness 1-1 Aberdeen
Dunfermline 0-3 Falkirk
Motherwell 0-0 St Mirren
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