Earlier today someone sent me a piece which The Daily Record published yesterday which was nothing but an advertorial for the brilliance of Phillipe Clement. Honestly, if his PR firm had written it and sent it out it could not have been more filled with slobbering rubbish.
It’s about his decision to drop Connor Goldson.
It was written by Andy Newport, and it’s about how daring and brave and visionary he is because he dropped an underperforming player. I thought that was just what managers did with footballers who aren’t on it, but to read this you would think that he was the first boss in history to do something like this.
“Big games require big calls …” this nonsense reads. “The big Belgian isn’t afraid to tinker with his team but he did something no other (Ibrox) boss in recent memory has dared to do as he dropped Connor Goldson.”
I mean what is this? Is it Goldson who holds the power at the club? Clement has done what nobody else has “dared to do”? What kind of phrase is that for a manager exercising his prerogative to run the dressing room? This is not worthy of a news story, because this isn’t news. He’s dropped a player. Wow. How many times has Rodgers done it this season?
I know they are in love with this guy, although I genuinely do not get what the big deal with him is.
But this is either finding new heights of sycophancy or new lows in journalism.
The reason Goldson is still in the team has nothing to do with managers not having the bottle to drop him; he’s never been that great a player, but he’s been hyped as one, and their transfer policy is so poor that he’s been able to keep his place because they’ve not found someone better.
There are rumours abound that Goldson and the manager have had a major falling out and that he won’t play for the club again. I doubt that’s got any foundation, but it’s an interesting tale. Whatever the facts of it, I’ll be astonished if he isn’t back in the team by the time they come to Celtic Park, because as poor as he is (he would not make our bench, even with our much-heralded defensive issues) he is still the best they have … which isn’t saying much.
This is typical of our media though.
This guy has beaten a Hearts team who haven’t laid a glove on them in no fewer than five attempts since this season started, a team they stuck five past last time they played them, and suddenly he’s the swaggering conqueror again. It’s enough to make you reach for the sick bag.
The Record rag.less and less people buying the nonsense, A horrible pulp fiction.
A lot of Hun hacks like that Newport disappeared for a full week after the Ross County game
It’s like jackson and all his wee ibrox fan boy disciples at that DR, it really is. It’s full of them.
The ‘big deal’ is exactly that.. ‘he’s on 40 grand a week phil, you better play him..’ only took the record 3 months and the village idiot to question his place on sky to realise the Silva clause. Not holding out much hope for this penny to drop
He’ll be back soon enough as ‘Goldson’s Law’ will be required when Sevco rock up to Parkhead for certain…
In fact it might be utilised as early as St. Mirren on Sunday –
Then again there’s always ‘The Souttar Rule’ to take the place of Goldson’s Law’ –
As we seen at Dens Park, Dundee on Wednesday 17th April 2024 !