When the inevitable happens, and dear Philippe departs from Espanyol Glasgow, much of what transpired behind the scenes will undoubtedly be covered by an NDA.
One thing I WOULD like to be aired is what transpired in the final few hours of the summer transfer window.
It is no secret that the manager who was once In Brugge wanted a replacement for John Lundstram in central midfield.
Moreover, his desire for a Number Six with a defensive mindset was communicated to his recruitment chap Nils Koppen and, crucially, the Transcendental Chairman.
My information is that as the clock ticked down, Clement’s guy Koppen had sourced such a player from the Sevco manager’s home country.
There was also a kid playing at Feyenoord, a left-sided defender- who would have been a loan deal.
Instead, he was presented with an Albanian chap who plays further forward in midfield, where Clement already has a few players in that mould.
Dear reader, if there were functioning journalism on Planet Fitba, the local media would investigate why his club, Sassuolo, was willing to take a €2m hit on the deal.
Just like the recruitment under Mickey B, any players coming to the Ibrox club had some deficiency that puts them in Sevco’s price range:
Ability
Attitude
Injury.
Time will tell which one best describes the Albanian playmaker.
Some eyebrows were raised that skint Sevco had suddenly found over £3m for a transfer.
Firstly, the deal was made in euros and not Sterling.
Moreover, the first tranche paid up front was only a fraction of the quantum.
That came from what Blackburn shelled out for their new stylish influencer in midfield.
Yesterday, the champions gave Espanyol Glasgow an entirely expected spanking.
In many ways, it was a match made to measure for young Master Cantwell to make a total arse of himself as Celtic cruised to another Glasgow Derby victory.
What Sevco’s Herrenvolk customer base cannot yet accept is that what happened yesterday is normal, typical, and to be expected.
That’s because this is the end of the fabled journey that commenced in 2012.
This is it!
They’re simply the second best, although the Pittodrie chaps might have their sights set on the number two slot this season.
The events of the summer of 2012 are a forbidden subject among the local media.
They ALL know what happened, but they’ve bought into the lie that Rangers didn’t die.
Instead, fabulous fabrications were concocted on the sports desks, such as “holding company vehicle” and, my personal favourite, “engine room subsidiary.”
More fundamentally, the reason WHY Rangers died is never examined.
Post-Fergus, the new 60,000-capacity stadium meant that Celtic’s nativist neighbours had to play financial catch-up every single year.
Without the generosity of a sympathetic bank or a boost from dodgy EBTs, Sevco has to operate on the level playing field as laid down by UEFA’s FSR.
The transfer cost of the substitutes that Brendan could call upon yesterday says it all.
Undoubtedly, dear Philippe would have something to say about his up against an elite manager with massively larger resources.
However, that will also be covered by that NDA when he inevitably leaves Alex Rae behind.
In the meantime, eight days from now, the beneficent Belgian will generously take questions from a quintessentially British audience.
Here is the question that this NUJ member would ask:
Philippe, was it your decision to bring Nedim Bajrami to the club, or did the chairman do it without your initial knowledge?
I think that’s a good question.
Anybody got a ticket for big Clems Q &A? Willing to swop for an Oasis hospitality ticket??
😉
“An Evening With Philippe”
2nd Prize
Two Evenings with Philippe
Think the words need to be changed to Tina Turner’s song
Simply 4th best…
Having watched the match as a neutral ( ok, technically that’s not accurate – my 2 favourite teams are Dunfermline and whoever’s playing Sevco ), but for a bit of wastefulness in front of goal Rangers could have had a goal difference that made them simply 5th best
C’mon the Tangerines after the international break
Or “Simply Depressed”
I was thinking Simply the Bust would be appropriate.
I’m sure it was you who coined the Phrase “Espanyolification” Phil, now being widely used even in the mainstream media 👏🏼👏🏼☘️☘️☘️
Also spot on about wee Fergus, the man’s a hero who saved our club and built up the foundations for our current dominance 👏🏼👏🏼☘️☘️☘️
I make no claims apropos being the author of the term.
However, I think it is fair to say that I’ve played some part in popularising it.
To the extent that Sevconians have started using it on their FollowFollow forums.
Brilliant
Now, would that be an ecumenical question or will there be a need for Clementcy?
The weather over there is decidedly inclement.
The story during the reign of Willie Waddell was that when someone phoned and asked him when the next match would be played at Ibrox he answered,
“which day would suit you?”
Regarding attendances in the early eighties, on two occasions it was reported to be below 5000 for league matches at ibrox. Journalists at the time (more independent than now) estimated that at both games the attendance was around 1500. Rangers refused to divulge exact figures.
2000 against Patrick Thistle after 10 men won the league. 🇳🇬😂🇳🇬
Directors forcing player purchases, why not bite the bullet and use Hagi even with extra cost put him in the window punt him in the January sales. Save the money outplayed on some Albanian.
Put any spare into the construction costs.
Biggest positive the rangers will have this year is putting bums on seats that were already purchased by fans. What a sh!tshow..
“….I think that’s a good question…” being shoehorned in, is marvellous fayre. Elite level trolling.
I couldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. Bella Lugosi,aka NOSFERATU wearing a rangers track suit and sitting on the The Rangers bench. That happy wee chappie is as ugly inside as he is on the outside. I think NOS. Ticks all the boxes, alongside Del as a qualified successor to Phillipe when he goes ! One of the major qualities, of a manager at Crumbledome, is the ability to talk copious amounts of merde.
What I don’t understand is that there must be a number of Sevco fans still around who experienced their struggles of the early to mid 80’s before Murray & Souness came in, back then they were languishing behind a much stronger Aberdeen, Dundee Utd and Celtic crowds were low and I’m sure they once recorded a crowd of just 8000 in a home game against Clydebank in this period, back then although they must have been disgruntled there was none of what we are seeing now which is “fans” who just can’t accept this is now where they are and rather aggressively turning on players and management in person and whoever they have it in for, as entertaining as it is will it take an assault on one of thewir own management team or players before this is called out in the media?
While their crowds were way lower than now, their ‘latent’ support remained. I read recently that during 1983/84 season – when they were absolutely hopeless, dumped Greig and we’re forced to bring back Jock Wallace after being unable to get either Ferguson or McLean to take the job – surprisingly, they actually had the highest average attendance in the country that season. Higher than Aberdeen, who ran away with the title, and us, who were runners-up in all competitions (to them in the League Cup final, scarcely credibly). One of the reasons they fell so far behind during that period was the rebuilding of ibrox in the late 70s & early 80s which cost a jaw-dropping amount at the time. That in turn meant they were the only club not rebuilding in the 90s after the Taylor Report, giving them the ability to sign Laudrup, Gascoigne and get 9IAR. The noisy “9IAR generation” are the ones in the ascendancy presently. They grew up with regular success and just can’t process the end of it.
The new incarnation of Rangers has been built on encouraging the worst elements of the support as they feared otherwise the project would collapse before it started. The club is sustainable but that’s all. Now they’re stuck with the bigotry but not the success to appease it.
I’m sure Scotland’s world class fitba’ hacks could come up with a similar calibre of question. They are all clever lads, to coin a phrase…..
In the cold light of day, Celtic were really impressive for a lot of the match. The tempo is relentless and it’s so difficult for our players to sustain it. I think when our new recruits have integrated properly that we will become even better. Atalanta are a fantastic side, they will be a real gauge of where we are. 3-0 was a fantastic result, but we could have really gone further. Is that greedy? Maybe, but by god they are awful, the worst side we ve played this season
The Great 55 Lie
No other club gives their title a number
Except Sevco the dumb and the dumber
They spout out the Great 55 lie
To convince the world their club didn’t die
They claim to be staunch.loyal and true
But they all buggered off when the tax became due
They claim the mantra of”big club status”
But didn’t pay the bird that painted their faces
They live with the horrors of year twenty twelve
While Chuckie bought newco from off the shelve
To tie up with the Cowboys his great moonbeam
While the Bhoys feasted on jelly ‘n ice cream
“Sevco” to The Rangers that is your name
As you try to survive within rules of the game
A financial strategy fraught with dangers
With total reliance on “penalty Rangers”
No more myths and fancy tax dodges
Accept the real truth in your halls and your lodges
In the stages of grief accept the real truth
You can’t claim the leagues of the bigot Bill Struth
Accept the real truth it’s down to your call
As you live in the shadows like Espanyol
Accept the real truth not The Great 55 lie
You walked away and let your club die
Sooooperb.