Barry Ferguson gave an exclusive interview to The Daily Record – who else? – yesterday in which he had a right good moan because our big Greek striker Giakoumakis called his team out for their thuggish behaviour during the weekend’s Scottish Cup tie.
Last night, even as Ferguson was moaning to his tabloid pets, Ange Postecoglou was firing back on behalf of the club, finally expressing his outrage over the tackle on Ideguchi which could have cost the player months.
It was an assault, which Don Robertson allowed to pass without showing the red card. When other clubs are sticking in official grievances because the ball blows on the penalty spot and the ref lets the goal stand, a lot of us feel we should be hauling Robertson over the coals and not just for that incident but for a litany of others in the same game.
Ferguson and his coaching buddy – the neddish Bob Malcolm – have the incredible distinction of having forced no fewer than three of our players to leave the field in a single game.
No other club, no matter their hatchet-man behaviour, has managed to do that.
It is virtually unheard of, and if it had happened in England we’d be marvelling at the fallout.
Some have accused Robertson of losing control of the game; I don’t think he did.
He was in full control, that was the problem.
He made the conscious decision to let them away with everything short of literal murder, and he probably would only have shown the yellow card had an Alloa player gone that far.
It was a refereeing performance of the most diabolical kind.
Ferguson can cry the blues all he wants because his team is being called out for its brutality. The criticism is not only richly deserved, it is necessary. Our fans want to see our club stand up for its players, because anything less is an abrogation of responsibility. Teams should not be allowed to just kick us off the park, and that was Alloa’s whole game plan.
Ferguson’s wailing is pathetic. It was perfectly clear what his team went out to accomplish, and it wasn’t to reach the next round of the Scottish Cup. He sent his team out there to maim, and I don’t care how much he denies it.
We all watched it happen.
James, what’s the chances of sugar facing Celts tomorrow night? Then going to huns 10 mins after final whistle, for an “undisclosed fee”?
soutar. HH
Baz&Bob..or B&B, billy boys- bigoted Barstewards-both brainless-boot boys.
Alloa their level.
If any of our players are injured due to the neglect of referees the sfa should pay their wages,but it does not matter what we the fans say, it is up to our board to take these matters to the clowns that run Scottish football.
Bob FTP Malcom.Barry WATP .where are you the Celtic board.
Yes the ref and match officials were poor: nothing new there then.
What is a bit concerning though, is that our players are full-time players with European / international experience. Alloa are part-timers, with a manager with limited ability. Of course they were going to try and kick CFC off the park.
Would that have been allowed to happen with Broony – or a couple of players like him – in the team?
Point is: we don’t want other teams, [like Livi], to think that our team can’t handle itself on the pitch. Bit of extra coaching required to try and counter the rough stuff?
The system’s set up for the bigots to continue their control of Scottish football.
Only an idiot fool would call the ref’s performances incompetent. Its them doing their job, they keep doing what they’ve always done and they’re very competent at it.
To call it incompetence is to allow the excuse of honest mistakes. Its deliberate as hell. HH
It was an out and out attack on the Celtic players on that field. And Mr. Thug Ferguson and his sidekick Malcolm instructed the Alloa players to kick anything Green & White in sight. Good on you Ange get after the thugs of Scotland, and start at the top and make your way to the bottom where Ferguson & Malcolm sit.
I believe its cheating not incompetence, same as I believe your not incompetent, your just an idiot. Have you got it gobshite. HH
I think Ferguson’s instructions to his players, even if his reported words were accurate, could obviously be interpreted, and I think were, to mean treat them as roughly as possible, play dirty as it’s the only way we’ll get something. Can anyone really imagine BF saying the phrase “Bite at their ankles”? I don’t think so. The over-aggressive tackles achieved what they were designed to achieve – to squash creativity and cause early substitutions. And the referee acquiesced as did the other officials.
I believe some refs are cheating. James called it incompetence, bias or something more sinister (eg cheating), and he has to worry about the law and being sued. I don’t by saying its my belief that they are cheating and I also don’t need a stain like you telling me how and what to think. I don’t need to prove cheating to believe it. You’re the one that’s wants to help hun cheats by calling it incompetence, giving them an out instead I call it as I see it. So from where I sit you’re the one showing support to the huns. Off you go. HH