Headlines can be misleading things.
There is not a single regular reader to whom I need to tell that. You’ve all had experience in reading the mainstream media after they’ve written a lurid headline, only to find that when you peruse the actual text of the piece that the headline itself is either a grossly distorted view of what was said or a complete invention.
Today was one of those days, when the MSM ran a headline that Brendan had said this was the strongest Sevco side he had seen. But of course, it called them Rangers. The strongest Rangers team he had seen. Which, I dunno, is quite a big statement.
It’s a statement that makes you go “wow.”
Except of course that he never did that.
Instead he said this was the best he’d seen them play since he’s been here.
He didn’t even say they’re a particularly good team; “‘They look, from what I see anyway, to have a better spirit,” is what he actually said.
And suddenly the word wow takes on a whole different connotation.
As in, “wow” the best Sevco side in a whole 18 months.
Spirited too.
Incredible, really.
And it reminds me that we’re seeing something now that’s not unlike what happened when Mark Warburton took over the club.
Remember that? Those halcyon days of his “buying British”, a fad that Murty seems to be embracing except than in he’s not actually bought many people but has a tranche of them on loan. That team was also “ready” for Celtic. They had got to a cup final after beating us, but hilariously weren’t able to win it. I said that he would be good by the New Year.
And I was right, of course, although in my wildest dreams I could never have imagined who they’d replace him with. I’m going to do a full article today on the depth of Sevco’s problems, but for now let me just say that everything we’re hearing about Murty we were hearing about that team as well. And none of it came to a damned thing.
This Sevco team is better than the one Caixinha put together, but before they go congratulating themselves on that it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are in good shape. I’ve watched some of their games and they aren’t terribly good. Teams who press them will give them trouble. Teams who attack them will beat them.
Brendan knows they are playing better. But he’s also subtly reminding them that better doesn’t necessarily mean good enough. He knows we’re the team that everyone is saying is under pressure here; he’s flipping it back to them and putting them under the spotlight.
It does the media no good to be twisting his words to get those ridiculous headlines – with Ewing Grahame’s name on them – because that removes from them any alibi for failure. Brendan made that clear too although it was excised from just about every report. He said they are the club “under huge pressure” and his comments about how good they look have to be seen in that light.
So did the hacks miss the point this morning or just distort it? Either way it doesn’t matter, neither Brendan or the team will take this game lightly, but then they never do. They give every team they play the same respect … but the psychological warfare has started and Brendan, as ever, is on top of it.
This will be an interesting week.
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