**** v Hibs

[YER SISTERS YER MAW]

That is quite true.  I actually felt a bit bad for Danny Wilson last year as he was lumped in with the likes of Kiernan and Senderos when talking about your centre-backs.  I'll echo Henrik's sentiment though that Alves hasn't looked all that convincing when it comes to defending so far.  

https://www.rangersobserver.com/views/2017/8/14/club-1872-right-on-lennon

Club 1872 right on Lennon

August 15, 2017

By Tom Macintyre | Guest Contributor

This is apparently a controversial opinion in some corners of the echo chamber that is Twitter but Club 1872 were absolutely correct to raise the behaviour of Neil Lennon at Ibrox on Saturday. The reaction of much of the Scottish press pack to the incident has completely vindicated the statement put out on Sunday despite the misgivings of some Rangers fans.

It might be helpful to establish a few facts first because, social media being what it is, some important points have been lost in the hysteria.

Club 1872 didn’t report Lennon to the police. That had already happened within an hour of the end of the game when police had taken statements from a significant number of Rangers supporters in the Enclosure and Main Stand at Ibrox.

Lennon wasn’t celebrating a goal. That’s something you do with your players, staff and your own fans. If your first thought when your team scores a goal is to turn and gesture to the opposing fans then it’s not about the goal. Had a Hibs player done exactly what Lennon did then the chances are they would have been sent off - although not perhaps if the referee was John Beaton.

The game was classified by the police as high risk due to previous issues, particularly the cup final. Lennon would have been spoken to by the police before the game. His club would also have been asked to warn their players and staff to behave responsibly. Now you can cry and moan about what on earth has football come to that this had to happen but those are the facts. It was a certainty the police would get involved after the game given their advice and concerns prior to it.

Predictably, the reaction from Hibs and Celtic supporters to Lennon being publicly called out has not been good. You can sense the horror that someone has actually had the gall to point out that Lennon spends most of his professional life acting like an idiot. Not just at Hibs, but at every club he's managed including Bolton. Guess who else didn’t like it being raised? Graham Spiers, Tom English, Barry Glendinning and Angela Haggerty. Are we seeing a pattern?

It has been the reaction of some Rangers supporters that has been puzzling and arguably incredibly naive. It is a very noble position to take - that we should all just man up and hurl abuse at each other at the football and then go about our business. Wouldn’t that be great? Sadly it totally ignores the environment in which Rangers and Rangers fans find themselves. By now, after all the concocted stories, outright lies and twisted facts you would think people would realise that.

There seems to be a school of thought that somehow Club 1872 prompted the media to defend Lennon. Or that mentioning Lennon has somehow taken away from the horrendous performance of John Beaton. Neither of these theories stands up to any scrutiny.

The Beaton issue will take care of itself. Rangers will appeal the red card and should certainly be informing the SFA of their displeasure with his inexplicably bad display. The press were never, ever going to criticise him to the same level that they have when the refereeing mistakes have been against Celtic - simply because Rangers were never going to make a public issue out of it the way Celtic have. You can argue back and forward whether that is the right approach but it’s a fact.

As far as Lennon is concerned, by Sunday morning and prior to any Club 1872 statement, Lennon was already being painted as the victim of his own actions. Derek McGregor, Mark Warburton’s favourite chew toy at the Scottish Sun, had written a back page defending Lennon’s actions and claiming that objects were thrown at him. He’d effectively accused the Rangers backroom staff of being funny foreigners who just didn’t understand Lenny’s wonderful banter with the crowd. Neil Cameron of the Herald had tweeted some justification of Lennon’s inflammatory gestures. Lennon himself had raised and justified his actions in the press conference after the game. 

Lennon, his club and his press cheerleaders knew he was in trouble. His actions were clearly inflammatory. They were always going to attract police and SPFL attention. So the deflection had begun.

From a Rangers point of view, Pedro Caixinha was the first to mention Lennon’s behaviour. There were further press reports that Rangers staff had spoken to the police about Lennon, although it appeared more that the police had been prompted to move towards the dugout by Lennon’s idiotic behaviour.

All of this happened prior to Club 1872 saying anything. And here we get to where they possibly did make a mistake. They were ahead of most people in realising precisely how this would pan out. The police complaints and Rangers’ staff reaction to Lennon guaranteed the press would cover the story. With that also came the certainty that most of them would rush to Lennon’s defence.

Club 1872 could probably have waited until Tuesday or Wednesday when the inevitable opinion pieces would have been out, defending ‘Lenny’ and blaming the terrible persecution he has to suffer. By that time the same Rangers accounts now criticising them on Twitter would have been screaming for someone to intervene at the injustice of it all.

Instead they quickly made the point, correctly, that Lennon’s behaviour was inflammatory and in the context of everything that had gone before, irresponsible. It wasn’t about being offended - Club 1872 never mentioned being offended - although clearly the fans who reported Lennon to the police were.

And to those who say we should just shrug at Lennon’s behaviour? Why should someone’s daughter, or wife, or child be subjected to some ginger idiot firing ‘get it up ye’ gestures into their faces from yards away. Particularly someone who has previous for acting like a ned and being censured for it. And what if someone in the crowd had reacted? It’s not like they haven’t before. Do you think there would have been any mitigation from the press that Lennon should not have been acting how he did?

In certain quarters, although by no means all, the statement has been met with a slightly hipster, ‘against modern football', stiff upper lip reaction. Well guess what, this is modern football in Scotland whether we like it or not and as soon as Lennon made that gesture this chain of events was guaranteed.

Club 1872 have to operate in that environment whether we like it or not. They at least stopped it being a completely one sided love-in about poor, helpless Neil Lennon versus the big bad Rangers support. They should be commended for stepping up to the mark and at least putting across a view that nobody was ever going to see in the Scottish press otherwise. And if you still don’t get that then where have you been the last six years? 

 

Never mind broke them, Hibs have utterly smashed them into pieces. [emoji38]

Tears and snotters everywhere. Brilliant![emoji23]

[KnightswoodBear]

1 minute ago, RussellAnderson said:

That article quotes an 800k annual salary. Last time I checked, 800/52 wasn't 58..... (I just checked now. It's around 15k. Which is still absolutely batshit mental IMO, but slightly more reasonable/believable)

Shhhhh, he's on 58k a week.  If we repeat it a few more times it'll be true.

[HaikuHibee]

7 minutes ago, RussellAnderson said:

That article quotes an 800k annual salary. Last time I checked, 800/52 wasn't 58..... (I just checked now. It's around 15k. Which is still absolutely batshit mental IMO, but slightly more reasonable/believable)

 

King said eighteen mill. That was *before* the summer. That's where it was from.

https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/statement-dave-king/

[Forever_blueco]

14 minutes ago, HaikuHibee said:

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/06/13/report-highlights-bruno-alves-58k-a-week-wages-surely-rangers-ar/

 

Anyone who believes anything from hitc needs neutered 

[HaikuHibee]

Just now, Forever_blueco said:

Anyone who believes anything from hitc needs neutered 

They're on big wages. You "hope" to finish second. That's fucking minter.

[Miguel Sanchez]

It has been the reaction of some Rangers supporters that has been puzzling and arguably incredibly naive. It is a very noble position to take - that we should all just man up and hurl abuse at each other at the football and then go about our business. Wouldn’t that be great? Sadly it totally ignores the environment in which Rangers and Rangers fans find themselves. By now, after all the concocted stories, outright lies and twisted facts you would think people would realise that.

---------------

Instead they quickly made the point, correctly, that Lennon’s behaviour was inflammatory and in the context of everything that had gone before, irresponsible. It wasn’t about being offended - Club 1872 never mentioned being offended - although clearly the fans who reported Lennon to the police were.

And to those who say we should just shrug at Lennon’s behaviour? Why should someone’s daughter, or wife, or child be subjected to some ginger idiot firing ‘get it up ye’ gestures into their faces from yards away. Particularly someone who has previous for acting like a ned and being censured for it. And what if someone in the crowd had reacted? It’s not like they haven’t before. Do you think there would have been any mitigation from the press that Lennon should not have been acting how he did?

 

[RussellAnderson]

1 minute ago, KnightswoodBear said:

Shhhhh, he's on 58k a week.  If we repeat it a few more times it'll be true.

Rangers' transfer policy has always baffled me. Signings always have to be a statement, like buying a big fake Rolex, when you're much more likely to have success with a reliable Timex. Should have signed the league's best players and cemented second before eyeing Celtic. Funnily enough Ryan Jack is the one signing who fits this mould, but he's a wee radge and has let you down already. Just wait til you start playing dross and he's passing it sideways when there's a clear forward pass on. 

[Dudu Dahan pal]

On 8/10/2017 at 09:10, BobWilliamson said:

Of course you will.

 

I'm glad you agreed, telts and boabies dished out all over the place as i said.

[Rugster]

13 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

Is Tom McIntyre not the Rangers TV commentator?

Nah, the commentator is a fat bigot called Tom Miller.

[Forever_blueco]

2 minutes ago, HaikuHibee said:

They're on big wages. You "hope" to finish second. That's fucking minter.

You could just state we have the second highest  paid squad in Scotland .which is true . This is why we should be expecting second place .and I would have agreed with you to an extent 

 

 Putting up links from sites such as hitc a well known source of utter pish does not help prove your point . 

[HaikuHibee]

7 minutes ago, Forever_blueco said:

You could just state we have the second highest  paid squad in Scotland .which is true . This is why we should be expecting second place .

 

 Putting up links from sites such as hitc a well known source of utter pish does not help prove your point . 

Says the lads who say "I can see some improvement" post blowing millions.

[Forever_blueco]

1 minute ago, HaikuHibee said:

Says the lads who say "I can see some improvement", after blowing millions.

It's not hard to see an improvement on last season 

[shootingboots]

11 minutes ago, Rugster said:

Nah, the commentator is a fat bigot called Tom Miller.

Every time I hear his voice I'm reminded of his hilarious pre match ditty running through old co's honours, prior to a defeat in Inverness. 

[williemillersmoustache]

6 minutes ago, Forever_blueco said:

It's not hard to see an improvement on last season 

Quickly someone show Beaker from the muppets strolling past your ££s new signings to roll the ball at walking pace past Fodso.

 

[Boostin' Kev]

20 minutes ago, The Ginger Prince said:

European championship winner with 91 caps.

Some say he's still running now.

Would love to ken what distracted his attention from The Goal Machine burying another ball into the back of the net there.

[Lebowski]

It's not hard to see an improvement on last season 

Well Hibs are in the league and could quite plausibly finish ahead of you. You're no closer to Aberdeen than you were, and Celtic might regress a bit but they'll still win the league by a distance.

So would finishing lower in the league be an improvement?

[Arnold Layne]

45 minutes ago, Forever_blueco said:

To be fair if you round 8 to the nearest 20 . You get twenty 

No. If you round 8 to the nearest 20 you get 0.

[s_dog]

15 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

That's a good parallel to draw.

Halliday got booked for what he did.  Because it was his second one, he got sent off.  The Rangers fans on here were absolutely furious about it.

Lennon did behave like a bit of a dick the other day.  Obviously it's funny, but it is irresponsible and like in Halliday' s case, probably is deserving of some mild penalty.  For certain Rangers fans though, this needs to be treated as a criminal matter.

It's hilarious that they miss the contradictions.

Lennon did act like a bit of a dick with the geritupye gensture, he could have wound them up just the same by just turning round and grinning at them. They hate him so much that would have been enough. Though I guess we'd have missed the police complaints if he just done that.

[coprolite]

From what I've seen so far we're a better team than last season.  We look stronger in the center of defense and stronger in the center of midfield, which were two places that we got totally dominated last season.  We still are short of backup in most areas, which is a worry.  I'm hoping that we bring in another couple of bodies to support the squad before the transfer window closes, whether it's signings or loans.
Are we anywhere near Celtic?  No.
Are we good enough to finish 2nd?  I hope/think so.  Now, i've not really paid much attention to what Aberdeen have done so far, I'm basing my prediction on the fact that I don't see us dropping as many points as we did last season.  That might be wishful thinking on my part, but I'm basing it on what I've seen so far from us.

i haven't seen your mob yet, so I'm a bit concerned that you think you've strengthened. Based on your results, the improvement isn't obvious. I hoe it's wishful thinking from you.

[Glenconner]

1 minute ago, s_dog said:

Lennon did act like a bit of a dick with the geritupye gensture, he could have wound them up just the same by just turning round and grinning at them. They hate him so much that would have been enough. Though I guess we'd have missed the police complaints if he just done that.

True enough, death threats and assaults over the years should be completely ignored.