GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Celtic's Callum McGregor celebrates scoring to make it 3-0 during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park, on September 01, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
So, the latest Scotland squad was named today, and two Celtic players immediately dropped out: Greg Taylor and James Forrest. I’m perfectly cool with that.
I have no problem with Celtic players pulling out of this particular version of the Scotland team, as this version of the Scotland team is almost unwatchably bad.
One hilarious newspaper report today talked about a “change in style” for Scotland and how a new formation will help. As far as I’m concerned, and as far as most Scotland fans are concerned, a new formation is far too little and certainly far too late.
If they wanted to experiment with new formations and a more attacking style, maybe they should have done it during the major finals that we went out of with barely a whimper.
You know, I was on the Endless Celts podcast on the night of the transfer window closing, having a long chat about Celtic, the game at the weekend, and various other things. I interjected at one moment because I had just received a message about a transfer deal that left me incredulous—I had to make a statement on it.
It was the report that Billy Gilmour had signed for Napoli and had become the second member of the Scotland midfield that flopped spectacularly in the Euros to do so. Napoli—a team that plays fabulous attacking football—had signed two members of that dire Scotland side. That is an indication that the Scotland side is a lot better than it showed in that tournament.
There’s only one man to blame for that, and although I like Steve Clarke a lot, he should have been relieved of his duties the moment that tournament finished. The fact that he wasn’t, and that he’s still in a job right now, proves how dysfunctional the SFA is.
Yet, that report about the formation change wasn’t even the stupidest thing I’ve read about the Scotland team ahead of the coming international fixture.
That honour goes to the Scotsman article on Connor Barron, which laid out the statistics to prove that he is having a better season so far than Callum McGregor. It was a pitch that Barron should be the guy to take McGregor’s place in the national side.
Now, everybody knows that I am not the number one fan of Billy Gilmour is clearly rated much more highly than Connor Barron, and Barron wouldn’t have gotten near this Scotland team, no matter how good his stats are, if he wasn’t currently playing in Glasgow.
The article is astonishing, coming just days after Barron was utterly anonymous at Celtic Park, where McGregor towered above every other player on the pitch, with the possible exception of Daizen Maeda, who I thought could just as easily have won Man of the Match.
No harm to McGregor, though; he was immense. He was every bit as good as Barron was bad. So, to publish an article like that just days after the game is absolutely damning of the standards at that newspaper and of the Scottish media in general.
This is so typical of the dire and desperate hacks who are always in a big hurry to find the next big thing, the next great white hope at Ibrox, the next player they can anoint as a successor to all those “hard men” and “real Rangers men” of old.
Pathetic, absolutely pathetic. Every single one of these guys was supposed to be “the guy”, the one who took the mantle away from a Celtic player, whether it was Scott Brown before or Callum McGregor now. It never ends. This schtick just goes on and on.
How many of them have there been now? How many over the years?
For a long time, it was Ryan Jack who was supposed to keep the flame alive. Then it was Gilmour himself, while still playing at Ibrox. Everyone was predicting big things for him. Barry Ferguson had his own fan club about being the leader of the Scottish midfield. Didn’t that end in disgrace?. I know this much; not a single one of them has lived up to a Lambert, a Brown, or a McGregor.
There was a time, not that long ago, when virtually the whole of the Scottish central midfield could have been picked from Celtic Park. Through all of that, Ibrox waited for their hero to come along, promoting all manner of bad footballers to try and take the crown. Remember all the slobbering over Ian Black and the campaign to get him into the national team from the Third Division? What a joke those who run and comment on our game are.
And now it’s just another “Connor Barron, next Scotland captain” fantasy, whatever they believe, all to prop up this phoney narrative. I went through a bunch of stats today, and those stats are preposterous when held up against the match we all watched with our own eyes.
There really is no shame in these people. It’s like they are impervious to the kind of embarrassment that would make most of us want to hide under the bed. The fact is that Barron has only been called up to the Scotland squad because of the withdrawals of Forrest and Taylor. He was a backup to the squad, not someone selected to be in it.
But you can already see how the media is dressing this guy up as the big hero. They really can’t help themselves. They’ve got to try and big this guy up. They’ve got to try and build someone up from Ibrox, and maybe it’s just that simple.
Maybe they see Barron as a possible sellable asset over there, and God alone knows they need one of those.
Earlier on, I posted that piece about how not a single member of their current squad would get into our team. I don’t know how they ever intend to make a convincing argument that Barron would get in ahead of any of our present squad, but maybe that’s the argument that The Scotsman is lining up. Maybe they’re suggesting that Connor Barron could get in the team ahead of McGregor himself. Maybe not, because surely even their writers aren’t that thick.
But this is, after all, the worst sports media in the Western world. So, you just never know.
Comparing CalMac with Barron reminds me of when I was compared with Michel Platini. I was playing for my Primary School team, and the Coach shouted from the touchline:
“Who the f*** do ye think ye are, Michel Pla-f***in-tini!!!!
Like our own club Board whose level of ambition is to qualify for the CL,
the SFA / Clarke’s level of ambition is to qualify for a WC or Euros tournament.
No progress required thereafter.
Just qualify.
🙁
I haven’t read the article James so I can’t really comment on it or it what it’s possible underlying intention was, albeit such stories are usually to promote some sort of feelgood factor for Ibrox, BUT what I can say is that I thought Barron was (by far and away) their best player on Sunday . I appreciate that wouldn’t take much but I did genuinely notice him (c/f the rest of his team) as he was the ONLY one of their midfield three to win a tackle, to make a useful pass, to get in our faces and to try and make it difficult for us. The reason he was ultimately ineffective is that a) our midfield players are better than him and b) at times he was doing the job of three players as his two midfield teammates were nowhere to be seen. Based on what I saw I do actually think he’s decent enough without being fantastic and if (God forbid) I was the Rangers manager he would be about the only player in their squad that I would trust going forward to actually perform at the level they clearly need.
I found three whole things to compare Calmac and Barron.
They play as centermids, they are Scottish and they started the last derby.
That’s all.
Great article, john greig couldn’t trap a wet bag of sand yet was giving hero treatment. Got nearly double b murdoch all because he was ibrox hero a blot on scottish Football we should try. and stop players turning out for them.. but let’s think of jiinky his treatment y the tartan army scotlands shame
I think it was definitely the case that The Tartan Army were indeed Scotland’s shame back in The day of Jinky and Bobby Murdoch Willie but my goodness they have certainly became more mature over the years and things have certainly changed in a more positive way towards Celtic for sure…
Certainly not with The SPFL, The SFA and their Cheats with Whistles, Flags and Moniters, but with The Tartan Army it’s not a cold house for Celtic supporters or players these days thankfully…
Very Very Tragically However Scotland is still under the tyranny of The Butchers Apron which has cut £500 million from public services this very week…
Hopefully grass roots football doesn’t suffer as a result of Butchers Apron policy !
Barron has a long way to go. His main trait is energy but I haven’t seen much of the footballer yet.
Pressure at Ibrox will make or break him. I wish him all the best.
I might wish him well for Scotland JimBhoy but absolutely not at that club that’s 12 years and 37 days old as of today – They are of course called Sevco !
The usual tactic from this media, if they want tae throw in some ridiculous comparison, opinion or other, is tae put ‘according to’ some source or other. It’s always somebody else they’ve dug up. Theyre arseholes, but nae mugs. And just a wee mention. Without takin away anythin from Calmac’s performance, ah still think Bernardo deserves our motm on Sunday. Definitely for that 1st half anyway. Can split it between the both of them.
I read today that Naismith was given a new contract after thr first game of the season.
Hunlite followed their Klan brethren and gave their manager a new contract and improved terms. Any now both sets of fans despise them both….. Hunbelievable.
If Only the Celts could extend Brendan’s to 5 years.
Just the usual SMSM hype on steroids.
The did the same with Patterson.
Couple of games for the bhuns first XI and they pushed for inclusion in the
next Scotland Squad. Initially no sign of him then dropouts occurred. He was pulled into the squad due to instructions from the SFA. He needed to be the next Tribute Act’s success.
Everton had already been sniffing around the Sevco B team. Bennet or A.N Other phones SFA, SFA then yanks Clark’s chain then all sorted. A few weeks later Everton with FSR on their back still puts in an offer that Sevco couldn’t refuse. They could have but their not so friendly local Bank Manager would have been on their case in a shot.
The whole transfer was manufactured. The EPL Association were already investigating the ‘toffees’ regarding FSR Rulebreaking over transfers for the previous and then current Season. They couldn’t believe that Everton had gone ahead with the transfer while the investigation was ‘Live’. They got a severe rap on the knuckles and it played a part in the eventual fine and docking of points that nearly relegated them last season.
Just One of the Many favours the SFA have handed the Tribute Act and it’s lately deceased Daddy. Just looks like Barron is the latest SFA/ Sevco project to save ra peepol…
Lol every player they sign is always world class,with FAKE NEWS stories about other clubs throughout the world had been looking to sign the sevco player that went to ibrox but the player choose sevco himself.
Warburton the next England manager,a guy that was selling shares on the Stock Market was going to England the World Cup.
Dick Barton was coming up to Scotland to take over the SPFL only to fuck off back down the road with coffee maker between the cheeks of arse.
Barbie Cantplaywell another player to be sold for the best part of £30 million only to papped out the door like an ALKIE caught blagging a kerryoot at a New Year’s party and punted for washers on transfer deadline day while other clubs sold and bought players by the millions.
Then you get the squirrel story last week from the written press about £150 million takeover/investment in the new klub.