I don't know who came up with the plan to sit Ange Postecoglou and Michael Beale together at the same table as a publicity stunt for Sunday’s Viaplay Cup Final.
I’m not even sure it was a great idea. And, given the look on the faces of the two managers – and the feeling of awkward, frostiness between them – I certainly don’t think we’ll ever see it done again. But, having said all of that, I also have to admit I couldn’t get enough of it. I’ve felt for a while now that there is a genuine, simmering rivalry growing where this pair are concerned and the way they sat there, doing their best to ignore one another in front of the cameras gave me a chuckle.
Good on them. I didn’t want to see the pair of them smiling, high-fiving one another or having a wee cuddle on a Tuesday afternoon. ‘How you doing mate, brilliant to see you!’. Not for me. Not when they’re five days away from going to war with each other.
I do believe there’s a healthy professional respect between both men but I also get the feeling there’s a bit of needle in there too. And I love that. It adds another layer of intrigue to the whole rivalry. A little sideshow to the main event.
I often felt the same way back in playing days when we were coming up against Martin O’Neill’s Celtic. There were times when I couldn’t stand the sight of the man but it was nothing personal - it was always business.
It was because he was an excellent manager in charge of an excellent team. And boy did I respect him for him it. The fact of the matter was that O’Neill stood in the way of what I wanted my club to achieve. In order for Rangers to be successful and win trophies, we had to take him down first.
It was his job to stop us. And he was annoyingly good at it. So, yes, I wanted to wipe the smile off his face. And I’m pretty sure that’s the way Beale feels about Postecoglou. Vice versa for that matter.
Which is why I have no problem if things felt a little tense when they sat together behind that desk. It was as if Beale was thinking to himself, ‘Yes, you’re a good manager and you’ve got some quality players … but I’m coming to take that trophy off you big boy!’.
Again, it’s nothing personal. These are two highly ambitious football managers who want the best for their own clubs. But that means making the other man suffer. There’s not much room for friendship when that’s what’s on the line.
Yes, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Postecoglou looked to have a much more friendly relationship. They seemed to enjoy one another’s company and that was probably a good thing for the overall image of the Old Firm. It probably even sent out a positive message to both sets of supporters.
But this is Glasgow. We’re not here for the hugs and kisses. In this part of the world, the only thing that matters is winning. Beale knows what Postecoglou has done over the last 18 months. He can see he’s up against a quality operator.
But, by the same token, the Celtic manager will have seen the momentum that Beale has built up on the other side of the city during his first three months in the job. They are a threat to each other.
And, as a football fan, that’s what you want ahead of a match like this one. You don’t want one side going to Hampden with the cigars out, 20 points ahead in the league and overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy.
And I mean it when I say, I honestly cannot wait for kick-off on Sunday because this one is shaping up to be a firecracker of a final. The sides are so close now it’s becoming almost impossible to call.
Yes, Celtic have been the best side in the country since the start of the season. I’m not going to argue otherwise. But since Beale has arrived at Ibrox the pair of them have been neck and neck.
And when I look at the group of players he has pulled together - and the way he’s got them functioning - I truly believe that they’re ready to knock Celtic off their perch. A win at Hampden on Sunday will prove it to everyone.
The Rangers back five pick themselves. The question for Beale is who makes up the numbers in midfield and attack and that’s obviously going to depend on the state of the injury list.
But when you’ve got Nicolas Raskin, John Lundstram, Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack all fighting for two places in the centre of the pitch, there won’t be a drop off in quality no matter which pair you send out. For me, it would be Raskin and Lundstram.
Further forward, I’d have Ryan Kent and Malik Tillman supplying the ammunition for a front two of Fashion Sakala and Alfredo Morelos. Again, that will depend on how Tillman comes through the next couple of days at training, but even if he’s not available, the likes of Todd Cantwell and Scott Arfield are more than capable of doing a job.
And that’s exactly why I’m so excited about this Rangers team right now. For the first time in a long time, there are plenty of very talented options all fighting to fill these key positions. If this final was eight weeks ago, that simply wouldn’t have been the case. But this is a very different Rangers now.
The improvement in Sakala is a case in point. Since the change of manager, the team has started playing to his strengths and he looks like a different player. He’s not being asked to do the things he struggles with. He’s not having to link up play or drop into holes to build moves.
He’s coming short to go long. And his pace is absolutely terrifying the defenders he’s coming up against. Add that running power into the mix on a huge Hampden pitch and with Celtic’s wandering full-backs and this guy could be a potential match winner this weekend.
But with Celtic’s attacking threat at the other end of the pitch, I have a feeling this final could be a wide open affair. A real ding-dong. And I honestly can’t wait for it all to get started.
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