When the full-time whistle went in Bilbao last night, a lot of dreams lay shattered on the turf where a couple of the Ibrox players fell, in frustration, in admission of defeat, and in recognition of the reality of a disastrous season.
Reading the hacks in the run-up to the game, you’d never have guessed they were playing the team sitting fourth in La Liga.
You’d never think they were up against the favourites, whose side would be playing at home if they reached the final. Take the Daily Record sports team—almost all of them picked the Ibrox club to win. Keevins has been talking about them winning the competition for months, as if that was ever remotely likely.
Last night burst the bubble these people have been living in since Queen’s Park knocked the club out of the Scottish Cup. They fell back on the same fantasy they’ve been clinging to ever since the last Europa League run—the one that only came about in the first place because, once again, they weren’t good enough to reach the top competition, the Champions League.
This run, like that run, has been massively overhyped. They drew 2 and lost 2 games in their group. The two losses? To Man United and Lyon. The draws? Olympiacos and Spurs. Their wins came against the footballing giants of Malmö, Steaua Bucharest, Nice, and Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium.
Follow the media hype and you’d think they’d bested a group of world-beaters. They beat a Fenerbahçe side led by a knackered Jose Mourinho, helmed by a 38-year-old striker, which sent optimism skyrocketing although they lost the return at Ibrox and come very close to crashing out altogether.
The draw at home against Bilbao was hailed as a masterpiece, but it was achieved without a single shot on target from the home team.
What did I say in a piece earlier this week? The myth is more dangerous than the lie. And the myth of the Ibrox club as some kind of European football force simply isn’t supported by facts. In 12 European matches this season, they won just five. On the road to the Europa League final a couple of years ago, they won one in every three. They’re not some side that’s cracked the code. They play in the second-tier tournament. On their one recent foray into the Champions League? No points in six games—the worst record in that version of competition’s group stage history.
The amazing thing about the Ibrox European myth is that there are a lot of Celtic fans who are oddly susceptible to it, and I don’t know why. I’ve watched every one of their European games this season, just as I’ve watched every one of ours. I can tell you that in Greece, against Olympiakos, they carried a lot of luck to get that draw. Against the Belgians at home, they were incredibly fortunate to win.
I’ve never seen a more inept performance from a so-called top-tier Turkish side than I saw from Fenerbahçe in that first leg—and they still outplayed the Ibrox club and should have put it out of sight in the second.
The Ibrox team have hardly set the world on fire.
Yet the myth persists. And whenever they lose, it’s backed up by a hard-luck story. Just as it was last night. The hard-luck story is all these people have left to cling to—and no-one clings to it as tightly as they do.
Another myth has grown in the aftermath of that game—the myth of Barry Ferguson, as I said it would, and as some of the smarter Ibrox fans feared it might. And since we call these pieces Fear and Loathing, let’s look at what it is they fear. It’s exactly what I said the other day: the bar for success for this guy was set so low it was virtually inconceivable that he wouldn’t get over it.
The European victory against Fenerbahçe away from home and the win against Celtic have set this guy on a course to at least make his case. The so-called “heroic” draw last week in the Europa League against Bilbao did him no harm whatsoever. And he emerges from last night no weaker for them going out, because once again he has a hard-luck story to fall back on—bad officiating, a couple of players making small mistakes, a number of injuries that went against him early in the game.
Nobody I’ve ever seen lose—and fail—as hard as he has since taking that job has ever had such a long list of mitigating factors to obscure their record.
And the handful of wins he’s secured couldn’t have come against better opponents. Everything has fallen perfectly for him. And when he sat at the press conference after the game last night and blamed the officials, and then said it would be better for everyone at the club to resolve his future as soon as possible—because of the big ticking clock in the background and all the things this blog talked about earlier in the week, about how the takeover, if it happens at all, could come too late in the day to both hire a manager and build a team—he was deploying exactly the argument I would deploy in his place.
“Not only have I gotten results against teams that prove I know what I’m doing, but I’ve also suffered some terrible luck with injuries and a handful of players we need to move on. In the meantime, decisions have to be made, and plans have to be laid for next season. You should make a decision on me now.”
And it could work. He could sell that. I’ve no doubt in my mind. Because on the surface, it makes a lot of sense. There is a case to be made for giving him the gig—to put in place one building block ahead of next season, whether the takeover happens or not.
Ibrox fans, by and large, don’t support this. But the danger is obvious. They might get stuck with him whether they want him or not. Celtic fans, by and large, didn’t want Neil Lennon to get the gig either—the first time or the second. Almost all of us expected someone else to get it. Look how that turned out.
I still don’t think Ferguson will get the job.
I’ve said this right from the start. I’d love to see it happen. I don’t think it will. Ten games. Four wins. No victories at home at Ibrox. So it should be impossible—but it’s not impossible. Ferguson still has a shot. And although that will provoke the loathing, he’ll be in the conversation right to the end.
But today, the sun sets on a campaign that cannot be labelled anything but disastrous. And the fact they’re finishing it with Ferguson at the helm shows you how disastrous it’s been. Jackson, earlier in the week, was at pains to say that Ferguson is the proof of the new direction that the club has to take.
I disagree. I think he’s proof of how far they’ve fallen.
That they went into a major European tie with a place in the semifinal at stake, with a man such as this in the dugout is the proof that that club is in a place from which it might never be able to recover.
If the takeover turns out to be a fakeover after all, then the fear and loathing that we’ve seen in the past few months is nothing compared to what’s coming.
Yet again Bilb(a)o Baggins skelps the orcs.
BTW. I hope Gollum keeps the job
It is always a double treat when they lose as it is their defeat and a Fear and Loathing article. Ab love both lol.
I cannot see him getting the job. As I said in a post on your McCoist article, the only way I can see this consortium having any hope of access to real money to recoup their investment is via the UCL on a regular basis.
Barry has got one win in four games against much lesser teams than he will ever encounter even in the UCL qualifiers. If he cannot best those quality of managers and teams in the EL then he has ab no chance when he comes up against the real cream. They just cannot afford to trust him that he will be up to that main task.
I also wonder whether the consortium are maybe dragging their feet to see if they actually do keep ahead of Hibs in the race for second as all the teams in the top six have beaten them this season.
I think they’ll give it to him if he beats Celtic at Liebrox in The Final Glasgow Derby Game…
By my goodness what a shameful day that would be for Brendan schooled twice in a row by the guy that couldn’t cut the mustard at the might of Kelty Hearts and Alloa Athletic…
But ya know what it could very very easily happen if Brendan and Fergushun just keep the same strategies…
Brendan’s only get out clause could be the cheats with whistles, flags and monitors on the day !
I hope wee baz and his clowns keep on performing for our entertainment next season.
Haven’t enjoyed that ipox circus so much,just can’t stop smiling.
Fakeover never going to happen.
Told one of my mates that the takeover will never happen.
He came out with , I kid you not, I know a guy who’s high up within ibrox and says it’s nearly there . I questioned this by stating they Need 51%, word is they have it.
Mentioned easdales 10 mullion shares . Answer is they don’t need them. So easdales stuck with them.
Must mean that parks , king and others have all sold up .
What a pile o shit ..
Magoo 10 million shares in only 2% because of the dilution
Once the fakeover dies, chest beating Baz will have a good shot at a year contract imo. If the takeover happens, no chance.
Talking about shirt tearing Cerny had a hold of a guy in midfield last night for 3-4 seconds, no free kick even given BUT Bilbao wear a castore shirt, do they get the better quality ones or does dessers put a couple of hidden holes in his shirt. Conspiracy theory you say.
Have a good Friday all.
Like everything else it’s all bluff and lies over there.
A story of Hope instead of the truth that their gullible fans are being manipulated again to believe a possible share purchase described by press and media giants such as Jackson, Keevens and Thompson as a takeover and a new ownership at a European elite club with a dynamic new management force charging onwards to a new way forward.
And yet their gullibles Hope disguised as belief, take in every word as they rush out to buy their seat tickets for the up and coming season ahead with no real evidence of anything other than downsizing ahead.
What a trophy haul we’re going to collate by the time this farce is over and the next lie starts.
Brendan and the bhoys need to put bed a myth being created over their that they have caught and overtook us and that’s the start. A tactical and format change is necessary. We should do what the SPL teams do; let their team have to come out at the midden while we sit and pounce with pace and vigour.
Only a 4 or 5 goal thriller from us will surely help them see clearly where they real future lies; under our thumbs bottom scraping beneath us
Man, the hurt is tangible. Ffs, it was the QF of the europa. We get put out by a far better CL ( that’s CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ) side, Bayern Munich, in Munich, with the last kick of the ball and the ‘credit’ we were gettin, was mostly how bad, or poor a side Bayern were. They get put out the Europa by a decent Bilbao side and as well as the deranged rants of ‘injustice’ and ‘uefa cheating’, we get this over credited, ‘glorious failure’ shite. As if they somehow deserve more credit than we did. The fact is, even if Bayern weren’t the team of previous seasons, they’re still a far better side, than the bang average dross that lot have played recently in the Europa. Same bullshit we have tae listen tae every season. Anyway, out ye’s go. Season over.
P.S. And btw, the reason it never went tae VAR, is because dessers flung himself forward. Its no as if the guy had a handful of his jersey, naewhere near it. Fingertips for a split second it looked like. The keeper was actually goin tae get there before him as well. He’s dived and both the ref and VAR team saw right through it (as well as the cheap jersey).
The rat faced wee hun has more excuses than McInnes
I’m sure they still have hope overall at Ibrox, in fact, it’s been a good season.
They staved off the challenge of Aberdeen’s strong early form to cement their place as the 2nd best side, not bad for a 13 year old team.
Their fans have celebrated more than any other club, partying before games and finding glory in a player getting capped, in drawing with Motherwell, Dundee, Aberdeen etc.
They got a proper Rainjurz man in charge that really hates Celtic.
They were just unlucky with injuries in Europe, in fact, it got so bad that they had to bring on their £20m striker.
They successfully rebuilt the stadium and have gazillions of dollars to spend next season.
Great article James, keep dispelling the myths, but not entirely correct. Including the Champions League qualifiers this season Sevco have won just 5 from 14 matches (not 12) a win rate of 36% for the coefficient kings of Europe.
They lost 5 and drew 4 in this ‘magical run’ scoring 20 and losing18 goals.
Much like the UEFA Cup myth regarding Walter’s tactical masterclass in 2008.
9 matches played 2 wins in 90 minutes, 1 win on penalties, with 5 draws and 1 loss. Goals scored in 9 matches was 5 and 4 goals against.
So why are we so poor against this awful team.?????
A very STUBBORN manager that’s exactly what Joe…
I don’t think Brendan will want schooled by Fergushun twice in two months and by thrice by a Sevco in four months and two days…
He simply HAS to adapt different tactics or it’ll be one fuckin HORRENDOUS look so it will…
But I cannot argue in any way with The League Cup in The bag, A 15 (effectively 16) point lead and Champions Elect, Elect, Elect ans A Scottish Cup Semi Final on Sunday !
10 games and down by 2 goals at some point in seven of them. That’s title winning form
I’ve heard Gerard getting the gig with greeting gub BF getting first team coach role.