Purple-faced and incandescent, a collective paroxysm settled on Scotland this week.
Faced with a big decision the SPL scurried to find solace in their default selfishness and proposed
voting to save their own souls, even if it meant trampling over the women and children in the rush
to the lifeboats.
Ah, another week in the wonderful world of Scottish football lies ahead. Generally at this time
of year, football bloggers take a break from the keyboards and enjoy a well-earned break from the
cut and thrust of blogging about the round ball  game, but the close season so far has been
anything but closed.
Eighteen months after Aberdeen last raided Motherwell for a manager, they've decided that one is
not fit for the purpose, and have gone back to the same dealers to get a better one.
Eighteen months might not be, in the grand scheme of things, a very long time to give a manager
to prove himself, but in this instance the prevailing opinion is that the Aberdeen board showed the
patience of saints (or at least, the patience of a board who couldn't afford a big pay-off) in
giving Mark McGhee as long as they did.
"Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in."
A warm welcome back to Seb Gevers, the now retired supremo of the unfortunately defunct Inside Left
blog.
Seb continues to post about all things Aberdeen on The Offside and has kindly agreed to provide a
preview of how the 2010/11 SPL season might pan out for the Dandy Dons.
The following book review was originally published in the excellent Scotzine fanzine The
12th Man Issue 8, available from their website.
Willie Miller is the most successful club captain outside of the Old Firm, has played more times
for Aberdeen than anyone else and retired from Scotland as the third most capped player of all time
(as of current writing he is seventh equal).
The following book review was originally published in the excellent Scotzine fanzine The
12th Man Issue 8, available from their website.
Willie Miller is the most successful club captain outside of the Old Firm, has played more times
for Aberdeen than anyone else and retired from Scotland as the third most capped player of all time
(as of current writing he is seventh equal).
Jimmy Calderwood didn't get off to the best of starts as he tries to rekindle his managerial career
his Kilmarnock side went down 3-0 at home to Motherwell. We often hear about the effect that a
change of manager has on a side. For many trigger-happy chairmen, it's the main reason why they
sack their [.
Walter Smith insists the title race is still wide open, but the last seven days appear to have
cleared the way for another Old Firm assault on the Scottish Premier League.
Dundee United and Hibernian have been giving the Glasgow two a run for their money this season,
however once Rangers and Celtic get their noses in front of the rest, they tend to stay there.
At around 4.30 this afternoon Owen Coyle stood on the brink of taking Burnley into the top flight
for the first time in over 30 years.In Glasgow Jim Traynor was predicting that Owen Coyle would be
a front runner to replace Gordon Strachan as Celtic manager.Even in the insular world of Scottish
football Jim's timing seemed a little off.
At around 4.30 this afternoon Owen Coyle stood on the brink of taking Burnley into the top flight
for the first time in over 30 years.In Glasgow Jim Traynor was predicting that Owen Coyle would be
a front runner to replace Gordon Strachan as Celtic manager.Even in the insular world of Scottish
football Jim's timing seemed a little off.
At around 4.30 this afternoon Owen Coyle stood on the brink of taking Burnley into the top flight
for the first time in over 30 years.In Glasgow Jim Traynor was predicting that Owen Coyle would be
a front runner to replace Gordon Strachan as Celtic manager.Even in the insular world of Scottish
football Jim's timing seemed a little off.
One of the benefits of feeling like crap is being able to spend an afternoon submerged in Scottish
football. A small benefit to be sure, but paupers in a credit crunch can't be too choosy. So our
afternoon kicks off at Love Street where Artur Boruc, apparently no stranger to love, showed
himself to be quite street as well, avoiding a red card when many a ref would have stubbed him out
like a
Do friendlies mean anything at all? Most managers would say they're a valuable way of gauging a
team's readiness for the season ahead. If they win. If they lose they'll write them off as merely a
fitness excercise. So who knows if they do mean anything. But three events in Scottish football
show that friendlies can have a far from positive impact.
Colin Calderwood delighted as Lee Miller extends Aberdeen stay Headline from Times Online today.
Why on earth would Colin care? Glad that our paper of record has such an on the ball sports desk.
Good news for Jimmy Calderwood though as he rebuilds for next season.
The Scottish football season finally came to a halt as Rangers win the Scottish Cup following their
1-0 victory over Falkirk last Saturday. The promotion and relegation fixtures have been played;
St Johnstone, Raith Rovers, Ayr United,
Stenhousemuir and Dumbarton are all preparing for life in a
higher division following their promotions, while for Inverness Caley Thistle,
Clyde, AirdrieUnited, QueensPark and Stranraer next season will mean having to adjust to life
in a lower league.
The Scottish football season finally comes to a halt as Rangers win the Scottish Cup following
their 1-0 win over Falkirk last Saturday. The promotion and relegation fixtures have been played;
St Johnstone, Raith Rovers, Ayr United, Stenhousemuir and
Dumbarton are all preparing for life in a higher division following their
promotions, while for Inverness Caley, Clyde, Airdrie United, Queens
Park and Stranraer, next season will mean having to adjust to life in a
lower league.
A weekend away and little in the way of football to get in the way. I was down south for the
England game yesterday but chose not to watch. I played Monopoly instead. Better a board game
celebrating capital excess than 90 minutes of watching some of our least deserving beneficiaries of
that excess fail to live up to their own hype.
Rangers are still 10 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League after a 3-0 win over
Falkirk at Ibrox. In honesty, it was a pretty flat game with the class of Steven Davis playing a
big part in deciding the result.
The Northern Irish midfielder scored the first for Rangers after 18 minutes with a superb
free-kick from 25 yards out.
Everything changes. Everything stays the same.Walter Smith in charge at Ibrox. Jim Jefferies in
charge at Hearts. Craig Brown back in the dugout. Kilmarnock turning to Jimmy Calderwood.If the BBC
was once called hideously white must we know see the SPL managerial cabal as hideously old? (And
hideously white as well, of course, but that's a whole different kettle of fish).
As Brian Glanville opined in his book on England managers, it is perhaps the toughest job in
football. As the founders of the modern day association rules football, the English national team
has a prestige and it is the manager's job to protect this; to ensure that England remains at the
top (or at least near to it) of the world game.
George Burley has been sacked as Scotland's national team manager. The former Premier League
Manager of the Year in 2001 could only muster three wins in fourteen appearances over his reign
and Scotland was unable to qualify for even a second seed playoff knockout spot in the FIFA World
Cup Qualifications this season.
Now that the bunting has been torn down from between the tenements and the houses and the last of
the party revellers bundled into a taxi for the long ride home, the mandarins at the SFA find
themselves in a situation that gets less unique with every tournament that passes Scottish football
by. But they should [.
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- Want to be quickly in the know with QPR developments? Then visit the combination news and
messageboard site: QPR Report Messageboard. With a football-only focus. No politics. No
ad-hominems. Just news; eclectic articles and hopefully, interesting perspectives!
-
- Want to be quickly in the know with QPR developments? Then visit the combination news
and messageboard site: QPR Report Messageboard. With a football-only focus. No politics. No
ad-hominems. Just news; eclectic articles and hopefully, interesting
perspectives!
- Team QPR Racing Team Rumour
- Supposed QPR Managerial Target, Jimmy Calderwood Explains Why He Left
Aberdeen
- From today's (May 26) Daily Star (via BBC Gossip:) "Former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd is
hoping to beat Jim Magilton for the QPR manager's job.
Trading Red for Red, Smith may soon make T-Dot home.
According to several overseas sources, including this BBC article, and this one in the Aberdeen
Evening Express, the Aberdeen winger could be headed to BMO Field.
Here is an excerpt from the Express:
Smith, however, looks certain to move and is understood to have already opened talks with MLS
side Toronto, who are managed by former Scotland striker Mo Johnston.
We are but a heartbeat away from the new season. So time for some very unscientific predictions:
First managerial casualty: Mixu. Almost certainly. If the rumours have an ounce of truth in them
then a humping by Clyde could mean he's away before the start of the season. To be swiftly
followed, I'd guess, by Rod Petrie.
