I suspect someone might be feeling a bit of stress after scrambling past Partick Thistle last week and Celtic lurking around the corner.
That must be the reason for a certain Rangers manager amusingly getting his knickers in a twist over me asking a perfectly valid question. At least I think it was me he was ranting about as the worst player he ever saw at Chelsea. Who knows, maybe it was Didier Drogba.
Either way, Mick Beale – you see, it is easy to use real names – is clearly a bit touchy and I was going to hit back with a pop at his playing career. But I had a Google and it turned out I couldn’t find anything about it… Listen, a certain manager – sorry, Beale – is entitled to his opinion. But so am I. It’s my job. The great thing about football is people love talking about it and pundits are there to spark debate or take part in it.
And if simply talking about a major moment in last week’s game gets under his skin then goodness knows how he’s going to cope long term in the Rangers job. You aren’t going to survive long in Glasgow if you have skin thinner than cheap toilet roll.
In regards to the Thistle incident last week, all I asked was would Rangers gift a goal back if they were in a similar situation against Celtic. It was slightly tongue in cheek as well, but the point stands. If it’s 2-2 going into the final stages at Hampden next week and Malik Tillman makes a similar mistake, would Rangers give a goal back? I didn’t say Beale wouldn’t. I only asked the question.
And, by the way, plenty of Rangers fans this week have said no chance. But Beale has clearly got a bee in his bonnet or perhaps he is just pandering to the masses. His meltdown was quite funny though. Worst player ever at Chelsea? I can assure him I’m more popular than he is in West London these days.
Beale suggested muting me but plenty of QPR fans will have wished he had muted himself after talking about his loyalty to the club one minute and running up to Glasgow the next. Also, I thought he was all about free speech. Does that only apply when it comes to him talking about Celtic every week and passing comment about their finances and so on?
But as soon as it comes to his club, everyone in the media has to keep quiet? I still maintain sitting in the stands at Ibrox when Gio van Bronckhorst was on the brink lacked a bit of class. He might not like me saying it, but that’s hard cheese. You get judged on your actions. Which is why I was a bit confused about his claim I was talking down the Scottish game.
I get labelled a Scottish football cheerleader when I’m down south. There might be drama, controversy and all the other carry on around the game in Scotland – but at least it gets talked about. I’m constantly flying the flag for the Scottish game because, for all its faults, I still love it and have never hidden the fact.
In case Beale didn’t notice, the discussion over the Tillman incident was taking place on a national radio show. He obviously never heard the full thing either, as I was actually praising him on the airwaves. Would he rather the rest of the UK ignored Scottish football and let it slip into obscurity and irrelevance? I think it deserves a bigger platform even when plenty of folk in England might think differently.
If that Partick flashpoint happened in the Arsenal versus Man City game does Beale think we wouldn’t talk about it? Don’t be silly, of course we would. But you wouldn’t see Mikel Arteta or Pep Guardiola getting in a tizz over it. There might be some frustration at things that could be done better in Scotland, but highlighting them is not dragging the game into the gutter, as Beale suggests. No, it’s trying to pull it in the other direction.
There’s no doubt there will be Rangers fans delighted he’s came out swinging but if I was them I’d be more worried as well as a little embarrassed. Does he not have more important things to contend with right now? Like the Viaplay Cup Final next Sunday?
I think Beale has done a good job since he arrived at Rangers. He’s added a bit of backbone to the side and given them a bit more cutting edge. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but there have been promising performances and solid results, even if a couple have been slightly fortunate.
They’ve had to hang on to Celtic’s coattails with the form of Ange Postecoglou’s side, but they’ve just about managed to do it. And that’s no mean feat. He’s also made some interesting signings and will also get the opportunity to put more of his own stamp on the squad this summer.
But if you are getting all bent out of shape over a couple of innocuous comments when you are winning, what the heck is going to happen if they lose a few games? What will he be like if Rangers lose at Hampden next week? There’s already been some strange comments, like the Postecoglou lucky man stuff, and now there’s this outburst over absolutely nothing. Goodness knows what will happen when the serious heat is on. Beale can point the finger at ‘comic acts’ but losing the plot this early should be no laughing matter for Rangers supporters.
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