The Daily Record - Jim Mclean

Boycott Tynie

2011-11-05T06:45:41Z

The stench coming out of Hearts has nothing to do with the fumes from the old brewery next to Tynecastle.

But I'm afraid opening a few windows isn't going to solve the latest crisis at a club that deserves better.

Not for the first time we have had Vladimir Romanov bringing Hearts into disrepute by failing to pay his players and it reeks to high heaven. Okay, he finally stumped up yesterday but it was weeks late and the damage had already been done.

It's fair to say Scottish football would be well rid of him, if and when he leaves, but it's impossible to see an exit strategy that doesn't leave the Jambos fearing for their very existence.

Drastic times call for drastic measures and I believe it's the supporters who should take steps to show their disgust at what's happening to their club.

If their owner states his belief that it's not worth investing in Hearts any more then why should the fans dip into their pockets while he's in charge? A boycott is a last resort but when you have a situation where players aren't being paid then I'd suggest that time has arrived.

These are workers who have mortgages to pay and families to support.

Romanov has been lucky in his time here that the SFA have been reasonably lenient with him but a line must now be drawn. The Lithuanian has been bad for our game and has brought far more negatives than positives to the Jambos since he assumed control.

As a rule, foreigners coming into our game has never been a positive. There are no success stories that spring to mind and I doubt we will be holding up Romanov's contribution as the exception to the rule. It saddens me that one of Scottish football's greatest institutions is being dragged down by a man who doesn't appear to have any genuine feeling for Hearts.

The real power at any football club lies with the majority and that majority wear maroon and follow their team through thick and thin wearing their Hearts on their sleeves.

Let's be honest, they aren't exactly being kept on the edge of their seats this season with some of the performances and now they are watching the turmoil from within unfold.

Maybe that will change if they stay away and show who the club really belongs to.

It's a lesson Mr Romanov needs to be reminded of and quickly.

If the fans vote with their feet and find other ways to spend their hard-earned money it may send a message to the owner about their feelings.

It's ridiculous to ask players to go out and perform when they have been messed around for weeks before finally being given wages.

If Romanov was to walk away it would raise so many questions as to where the club goes from there.

The immediate future doesn't look good and I hope Hearts can reform into a club which is run locally and by people who really care.

For more than 100 years they have been a wonderful establishment within the Scottish game but are now in danger of running out of friends.

No offence Peter.. but that's for the fans to decide

2011-10-28T05:59:00Z

SELF-PRAISE is the lowest form of flattery - it's a fact in football as well as life.

And even though Peter Houston has every right to talk up his record as Dundee United gaffer, his opinion will fall on deaf ears.

The only judge and jury of any managerial reign are the supporters who dig into their pockets to support the side.

Peter's belief his record as boss is better in recent times is only bettered by my own reign at Tannadice is open to debate.

The only certainty is he won't be getting a say in the matter when his fate is decided in the coming weeks as the pressure on his job mounts.

There's no doubt he needs to get his house in order. And I'm not talking about the one he owns near Glasgow.

It's ludicrous he opts to live 80 miles away from his work.

Either his commitment is 100 per cent or not at all.

Being United boss isn't just about being committed to the club, it's just as important to being committed to the city.

It's not the people of Glasgow who are putting their hands in their pockets to support the team. That's why it's a necessity for the manger to base himself on their doorstep.

Players or a manager for that matter can't have the same enthusiasm for a club if he's jumping into a car to travel for two hours or whatever to get home after his work.

Living in Dundee is a must, especially after five years at Tannadice.

Peter will know better than anyone a manager is only as good as the results he gets. If those results aren't good enough then the inevitable will happen.

The high standard of previous managers is the standard the club expects and I'm not just talking about myself. It's the expectation of what has gone before you when you arrive as a manager. That's the benchmark by which you'll be judged.

There's no doubt the fans' expectation at Tannadice is far higher than when I took over.

They expect to be playing in Europe. When I was in charge we managed to get a run in Europe most seasons and that's the standard now expected.

And it's also a much harder job being a manager these days due to the freedom of contract issue with players.

Living in the city of Dundee is the most important factor. You cannot demand the players live in and around the city if the manager isn't prepared to.

I lost count of the amount of players I lost out on because they weren't prepared to live in or around the city.

George McCluskey and George Fleming are two who spring to mind but it was a case of moving to the area lock, stock and barrel or they could forget it.

Houston's argument he's been a success is relative.

Ivan Golac won the Scottish Cup and we had my brother Tom, who signed some great players from abroad that enhanced the club.

But losing to Falkirk in the Communities League Cup during the week hasn't helped Houston's case, that's for sure.

The biggest factor that comes with the job is supporters have every right to tell you enough is enough.

I knew I was going to work my players exceptionally hard in order to get them into the best standard of fitness possible.

I inherited guys from Glasgow, Edinburgh and elsewhere when I took over and as soon as they finished training they left the ground and stuffed their faces on the way home.

My belief was that the most important part of their work was done on the training ground and next to that it was vital to get home quickly and rest.

Now the pressure is on Peter and his role with Scotland is under scrutiny.

There is nothing wrong with a manager getting a break for a few days but when things are not going well he needs to be at the club the whole time.

He's the man who is ultimately responsible for the success or otherwise of the team.

I turned down the assistant manager job with Scotland when Jock Stein was boss and my reason was simple.

How on earth can you ask others to be fully committed when you can't show that same commitment yourself.

The press kept asking me if I was going to replace big Jock when he was ready to give up the hotseat. But my only priority was to United and I expected that commitment to be shared by the players.

Football management is about working for your club every single day.

The only people who benefited from me being away with the Scotland team were the Dundee United players who got a wee break from me.

Contrary to popular belief, football management isn't the best job in the world.

It's an occupation where a large group of people - the fans - can demand change if they're unhappy. And rightly so because they're the ones who are putting their hands into their pockets at the end of the day.

I fear Alex Ferguson may quit after derby rout humiliation

2011-10-25T07:15:00Z

IT saddens me to say it but I wonder if my old friend Sir Alex Ferguson might be contemplating retirement in the wake of the annihilation his team suffered in Sunday's Manchester derby.

I had a strong feeling City would beat United at Old Trafford but even I didn't think it could possibly be a 6-1 win for the team Alex calls "noisy neighbours".

A result like that causes you to ponder whether it's the end of one era and the beginning of another.

And Alex's future hinges on whether he believes he's battling City on a level playing field.

They have all the money in the world because of billionaire backers from the UAE.

City were able to sign Carlos Tevez from their neighbours in a publicity coup two years ago.

And Fergie was unable to hold on to another star when Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid.

He also lost Edwin van der Sar to retirement in the summer and hasn't been able to replace him with a keeper of similar class.

All of these thoughts will be crowding Alex's mind and I have to factor in the arrival of his 70th birthday on Hogmanay.

Does he want to take on the greatest challenge of his life when he has reached that milestone? When Alex left Aberdeen to manage United I didn't think he'd still be there 25 years later.

I thought he would have been pushing grandchildren around in their prams by this time. But I have an undying admiration for what he has done at Old Trafford. Alex is the greatest football manager who ever lived.

If he wants to fight on then I hope Alex succeeds - and there are strong character traits that suggest he will battle back.

Alex is a very good friend to have on your side and a very bad enemy to make.

I wouldn't have liked to have been one of the United players who had to face their manager at training yesterday.

And I certainly wouldn't want to be in charge of Everton next Saturday when they feel the full wrath of Alex's anger. I'll leave that job to Davie Moyes.

It was sad for me, one of Alex's oldest friends, to watch what he went through on Sunday.

He will be down and has to hope his players are hurting as much as he is at this moment.

I know Alex can lift himself because football is in his blood but can his players? That's why Alex is facing the biggest decision, and the greatest challenge, of his life.

The gap between United and City is now massive and Mancini's side are favourites for the title.

Money talks and it's starting to scream out the suggestion that the balance of power in Manchester has shifted from one side of the city to the other.

United had players on Sunday I had never heard of. City had a succession of household names in their team and on the bench.

Mancini's no mug as a manager into the bargain.

The only thing that sticks at the back of my mind is that I know Fergie and how he feels.

If he can get over what happened on Sunday then Alex can turn what he called the worst day of his life into a motivation for the rest of this season. He could decide to turn a one-off result into an opportunity to show how good he really is.

This is a man whose contribution to the game was recognised by his country, a manager who fully deserves every plaudit.

But all of that will mean nothing to him at the moment.

It's Alex's watershed moment and only he can decide if he has the desire to embark on the comeback trail at an age when most people would be happy to put their feet up and reflect on an exceptional working life. The decision will rest on one word and that is "quality".

City have it in abundance and a bottomless pit of money to get more if it's required.

If Alex decides there's an imbalance that can't be corrected unless United get a trillionaire of their own it could sway him towards bringing the curtain down on a glorious career.

If he's up for a fight then anybody not pulling their weight at Old Trafford would be as well getting out of his sight while they can still run.

As told to Hugh Keevins

Team GB boss should have been Walter Smith or Sir Alex Ferguson

2011-10-21T05:20:02Z

THERE'S really only one word to describe the appointment of Stuart Pearce as manager of Team GB for next summer's Olympic Games - unbelievable.

I mean, what has he ever achieved in management? He's failed pretty much everywhere he's been.

One guy sticks out a mile for this job and that's Sir Alex Ferguson. How stupid of the organisers not to go for the greatest of them all.

Okay, I'm ever so slightly biased in that he's a friend of mine, as is another leading candidate, Walter Smith. That anyone thinks Pearce is better equipped than the likes of Alex or Walter is beyond me.

I see it as an insult that they've picked an Englishman, although if they insisted on that there are plenty better out there than Pearce. Harry Redknapp for one.

Pearce's appointment has left the fans - north of the border in particular - totally underwhelmed and I'm not surprised.

On the playing side, I don't think the SFA should be taking such a hardline stance on Scots participating in the GB Olympics team. It would be good to see how many of our players got into the side, although it wouldn't be too many.

If someone has gone to the effort of setting up a challenge like this at the London Games, we should accept it because the few who were picked would enjoy the experience of a lifetime.

It's just a pity it's coming at the worst time ever as far as we're concerned. To put it mildly, the quality in Scotland is definitely not high at the moment.

And even the good ones would struggle to make it with the England Under-21 boss in charge.

Perhaps the SFA just don't want their players involved because the number picked would be embarrassingly low.

Welsh guys like Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale would be certain to make it but we have no stick-ons, no Kenny Dalglish or Graeme Souness who would have walked into the team in their era.

Managers are a different argument. We've produced some of the best and I see another young one is going south.

I'm not at all surprised at Bristol City appointing Derek McInnes as their new boss. He's done well at St Johnstone and deserves the chance.

I had several job offers from England in my career but opted not to take them. The one that sticks out most is Newcastle United and I regret not going for it.

My stock was high at the time and the late Bobby Robson - a real gentleman - phoned me up to offer congratulations after Dundee United had beaten Borussia Munchengladbach 5-0 in Europe.

Bobby was in charge of Ipswich Town and knew I'd been sounded out about the hotseat at his hometown club.

He told me it was very hard to get players to sign if you weren't based in London and that put me off a bit.

I'd also signed players on long-term contracts at Tannadice and it would have been ridiculous of me to jump ship.

But the chance to go to England is now twice as important as it was in my day and that's why it's a no-brainer for Derek to head for Ashton Gate.

We must also give Perth chairman Geoff Brown great credit as it's the second manager in succession he's now seen move on to bigger things after Owen Coyle.

I know Geoff well and he's a good guy. But where does he look to next?

Rangers' Davie Weir has been linked with the job and I've always been a huge admirer of him both as a player and a person. I'm sure he'd be a success at McDiarmid Park.

As told to Gavin Berry

I mean, what has he ever achieved in management? He's failed pretty much everywhere he's been.

One guy sticks out a mile for this job and that's Sir Alex Ferguson. How stupid of the organisers not to go for the greatest of them all.

Insult I see it as an insult that they've picked an Englishman, although if they insisted on that there are plenty better out there than Pearce. Harry Redknapp for one.

Pearce's appointment has left the fans - north of the border in particular - totally underwhelmed and I'm not surprised.

If someone has gone to the effort of setting up a challenge like this at the London Games, we should accept it because the few who were picked would enjoy the experience of a lifetime.

It's just a pity it's coming at the worst time ever as far as we're concerned. To put it mildly, the quality in Scotland is definitely not high at the moment.

And even the good ones would struggle to make it with the England Under-21 boss in charge.

Perhaps the SFA just don't want their players involved because the number picked would be embarrassingly low.

Welsh guys like Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale would be certain to make it but we have no stick-ons, no Kenny Dalglish or Graeme Souness who would have walked into the team in their era.

Managers are a different argument.

We've produced some of the best and I see another young one is going south.

I'm not at all surprised at Bristol City appointing Derek McInnes as their new boss. He's done well at St Johnstone and deserves the chance.

I had several job offers from England in my career but opted not to take them. The one that sticks out most is Newcastle United and I regret not going for it.

Credit My stock was high at the time and the late Bobby Robson - a real gentleman - phoned me up to offer congratulations after Dundee United had beaten Borussia Munchengladbach 5-0 in Europe.

Bobby was in charge of Ipswich Town and knew I'd been sounded out about the hotseat at his hometown club.

He told me it was very hard to get players to sign if you weren't based in London and that put me off a bit.

I'd also signed players on long-term contracts at Tannadice and it would have been ridiculous of me to jump ship.

But the chance to go to England is now important as it was in my day why it's a no-brainer for Derek head for Ashton Gate. We must also give Perth chairman Geoff Brown great credit as it's the second manager in succession he's seen move on to bigger things after Owen Coyle.

I know Geoff well and he's good guy. But where does he look to next? Rangers' Davie Weir has been linked with the job and I've always been a huge admirer of him both as a player and a person. I'm sure he'd be a success at McDiarmid Park.

John Greig's Ibrox exit ain't all Whyte

2011-10-21T05:16:41Z

I DON'T know what's behind John Greig's decision to quit Rangers but I do know he was one of the best players around during my time as a player and manager.

I got to know him really well as a person and I'll tell you something - he's a man who'd give you 100 per cent in anything he does. He's an outstanding person.

John was always laughing. In fact, he put me to shame because I never had a smile on my face! I have no doubts he'll be a big loss at Ibrox but new owner Craig Whyte is entitled to run the club the way he wants.

Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Regan?

2011-10-14T08:14:00Z

QUESTION Time always follows our now inevitable failure to qualify for major finals.

So I have a few of my own and here they are.

Just who is Stewart Regan? What football background does he have and what players has he helped develop? What experience in the game does he have and, while I'm at it, could someone tell me exactly why we should be listening to him.

I do know he used to be involved in cricket but Scotland are rubbish at that.

So reading his comments about football in this country left me wondering whether he's wandered into the wrong game.

A bit of research tells me he's the SFA chief executive and that he appears to be convinced the national team are showing signs of real progress.

Is he talking about our cricket team as his remarks have left me stumped? I defy anyone who is being honest about the campaign that has just finished to say they believe we are on the right road.

It's nonsense for Regan to tell us we are moving forward. We aren't.

I wouldn't argue with his belief that Craig Levein should stay.

But only because the Scotland boss now has an impossible job.

Even if we had the best manager in the world it would not make a blind bit of difference as our national side will not be going to a major finals again during my lifetime -and probably yours. Smaller nations have passed us by and we have no chance of doing anything with the current squad.

To my mind, these are the only two certainties to emerge from the dismal failure of yet another qualifying campaign.

It gives me no pleasure to say it and it will enhance my reputation as a moaning-faced git but I prefer to face facts and Regan's spin on events - as reported in this newspaper - are mere delusion.

Craig's not the best manager Scotland has had and there's no doubt he made mistakes that cost us during the campaign.

But a manager is only as good as his players and he's working with ordinary individuals who think they're far better than they are.

So changing the manager would be a pointless exercise.

But let's stop kidding ourselves on that we are on the brink of something special based on a campaign that was uninspiring and at times an embarrassment.

Our stock in Europe has fallen so low that international and club managers now rub their hands when they pull Scotland or one of our clubs out of the hat.

Our two biggest teams are Rangers and Celtic but what standing do they now have? Scottish football is desperate to grab the slightest crumb of comfort to try to convince ourselves we aren't that bad.

We have a young lad Barry Bannan coming in and suddenly we build him up as a world beater.

But the reality is he's nowhere near being a top-drawer player on the international stage.

We're so desperate for something that we are raving about Bannan and it's honestly very sad to see.

I have lived off football for most of my life and it's terrible to admit it but I wouldn't bother travelling three miles from my house to Tannadice to watch a game.

The standard is so bad in this country I'd rather sit and watch football on TV. There are no entertainers or quality performers out there enticing off my sofa.

At best, there are only ordinary footballers and that's what we are filling Scotland strips with these days. In the end, all managers are judged on results and Craig will know that better than anyone. I honestly wish him all the best.

He'll need all the luck he can get as he can't manufacture players for his squad and has to make do with what he's got.

Regan may think we are on the right path and I hope he's right.

But if our failure to get through the latest campaign is his yardstick then I'm afraid he's wrong. It's been so long since we reached a major finals that I'm at the stage I can't remember when it was.

The people I feel most sorry for are the Scotland fans who once again were magnificent in Spain on Tuesday night.

They deserve so much better and it would be great if they were to get the chance to follow the team to a big event.

Sadly, the standard of player being asked to deliver that dream for them just isn't high enough.

I'm not going to be critical of individuals but many of them need a good, long, hard look in the mirror.

It's no surprise to anyone with half a brain that we have failed to qualify but let's not compound matters by trying to dress up the Scottish game as something it's not.

That's just not cricket.

As told to Gordon Parks

On-form Garry O'Connor should've got a call

2011-10-07T06:29:33Z

SCOTTISH football has been engulfed by a furore over an alleged betting scam but I won't be rushing to put any money on Scotland this weekend.

Sadly the days are long gone when we could be considered certainties to beat any nation, even Liechtenstein.

We'll be hoping for a result tomorrow rather than expecting one - and that has little to do with Craig Levein.

Unfortunately the quality of player just isn't there any more and even improving on their limited talents is not enough of a priority for the modern pro.

Still, we should surely be good enough to see off Liechtenstein before turning our attention to Spain in Alicante on Tuesday.

I fear the gap between the world champions and our own will be exposed for the chasm it is but if we lose out on a play-off spot it won't be down to events in the Jose Rico Perez stadium.

If we don't make it - and I don't believe we will - we'll look back and curse dropped points in Lithuania and home and away against the Czechs as the defining moments.

Our qualification chances were always more of a hope than expectation anyway and we can only believe the squad mentality developed by Craig will stand Scotland in good stead for the World Cup qualifiers.

Players such as Barry Bannan are the exception and Craig is doing the best job possible with the quality available but has been hamstrung by an SPL that has crucified the development of young players in recent years.

We focused too much on buying foreign talent when the financial going was good and they added nothing to the national sport.

All that being said, I'm not sure Craig has given himself the best squad to pick from in this crucial double header, particularly in light of the injury concerns to Darren Fletcher and Kenny Miller.

I back the manager's stance on Steven Fletcher because I've never believed a player should dictate when he plays matches.

However, I do believe Craig has erred with his decision not to select Garry O'Connor as the Hibs striker is in a rich vein of form and should only be judged by his football ability.

I'm not saying we should cap players who are out of control but O'Connor's personal behaviour shouldn't be too much of an issue. The only factors that count are whether he is good enough and is he the best available?

The answer in both cases is yes and O'Connor carries the weight, height and goal threat to trouble Liechtenstein and maybe even the Spanish.

● As told to Gary Ralston

Cutting prices better idea than Friday night fitba

2011-09-30T06:16:00Z

GOOD luck to Aberdeen and Dunfermline as they try to draw a crowd for the SPL's Friday night football experiment.

They'll need it. The fixture chosen is an odd one given the travel problems the away fans will have in getting to Pittodrie in time for kick-off.

It is also an unfortunate choice because the Aberdeen support has declined in recent years at the same rate as the team's performances. But no matter the fixture, the bottom line is fans will not respond positively to the idea of playing on a Friday night.

When people have just finished their week's work they want to unwind with a pint rather than make a mad dash to a football ground.

The telly has also made it easier for people to sit in the house and enjoy a game.

And there's no doubt that being able to watch the likes of Barcelona has contributed towards the decline in attendances at Scottish matches.

Fans are regularly able to marvel at the talents of Lionel Messi and Co and comparisons are inevitably made with what Scottish teams have to offer.

It tends to be quality on the park that entices people to pay for their seats in the stand.

That wasn't a problem back in my day because we had top-class players at every club.

Now the combination of dwindling crowds and diminishing quality is killing the game. We are stuck in a vicious circle and rather than try to break it with Friday-night football, we should slash the cost of going to a match.

It is far better to lower prices and get a 10,000 crowd to provide a real atmosphere than it is to achieve the same sum of money from 5000 supporters.

As it is, too many fans are being priced out the game and tonight's experiment will not solve the underlying problem.

As told to Hugh Keevins

Proof that the 'wee' clubs should be at the big table

2011-09-23T07:14:03Z

It's been another week of cup shocks - but with the undoubted decline of the SPL can we really call them shocks any more? The gap in standard between the lower leagues and the top flight has never been smaller and when it comes to attitude, there is no doubt who would win every time.

Big teams? Billy big-timers more like.

Taking on a side full of fired-up underdogs, on a miserable night in the cup, is a real test for the mollycoddled modern pro - and the Aberdeen players have failed that test all too often in recent years.

In the last five years Queen's Park, Queen of the South, Raith Rovers, Dundee and now East Fife have dumped the Dons and I have to wonder what is going on at Pittodrie.

At least Hearts, who lost on penalties to Ayr in the League Cup, don't have the same history of shame as Aberdeen.

Expansion And as for Rangers going out to Falkirk, I'll get to them as well.

But I must stop to congratulate John Robertson, Brian Reid, Steven Pressley and their players for strengthening the case for an expansion of the Premier League.

The lower league teams have proved yet again they can mix it with the SPL sides.

The case for a 14, 16 or even 18-team top flight is growing and it would allow managers the breathing space to bring through their young players.

A bit like Falkirk, who showed exactly what can be achieved when you give good young talent a chance to develop in the first team.

But while Pressley deserves credit for getting his Bairns up-and-at-'em, Ally McCoist must answer for what happened at the Falkirk Stadium.

Like many before him have done, McCoist fell into the trap of believing he had to rest some of his players in the cup.

What for? It's not as if they have a big European game coming up next week - the failures against Malmo and Maribor saw to that.

The Rangers boss has bombed out of three tournaments in his first two months on the job, and this time he only has himself to blame for resting Steven Naismith, Nikica Jelavic and Allan McGregor.

No professional player should need a rest in the third week of September.

It's ridiculous.

But, even more significantly, leaving out your biggest stars sends a message to the rest of your players, never mind the opposition who will take a lift from one look at the teamsheet.

You might be resting three players but to the regulars left in the starting 11 you are saying 'This is an easy one tonight lads,' and it breeds complacency.

I've always believed a manager should put out his strongest team every time. It never crossed my mind to leave David Narey or Paul Hegarty out just because we were playing a wee team.

Which is probably why Dundee United never suffered cup shocks in the early rounds of knockout competitions.

Leaving out your best players is not only disrespectful to the opposition but also your own fans.

If you'd paid to see Frank Sinatra back in the day you wouldn't be happy if he gave less than 100 per cent.

And you certainly wouldn't stand for a substitute strolling on stage to prevent Ol' Blue Eyes getting tired later in the tour!

No wonder paying punters are turning away from football in their droves.

? As told to Euan McLean

No fly-zone

2011-09-19T06:25:35Z

NEIL LENNON must be pulling out whatever hair he has left after his side were undone by some dreadful defending at Ibrox yesterday.

Let's take nothing away from Rangers, who were convincing winners of the first Old Firm clash of the season and dominated the match for all but the last 15 minutes of the first half.

Finishing for their goals, from Stevie Naismith in particular, was exceptional. But the Celtic back four should take a long hard look at themselves for the header that was to prove most significant.

I can't believe they fell victim to appalling marking from a corner again just three days after going a goal behind to Atletico Madrid striker Falcao in Spain.

This time it was Nikica Jelavic who pounced on a Steven Davis setpiece to nod Rangers level when a goal for Celtic at that stage would surely have put them out of sight.

It's amazing that the Croatian international was allowed to tower above Scott Brown, who already appeared to be struggling with an injury, to head his side level at 2-2.

Celtic's centre-backs appeared to be zonal marking at the edge of the six-yard box, committing what has always been a cardinal sin for me when it comes to protecting goal.

Listen, I often used zonal marking when I was a manager. However, it is absolutely imperative your defenders keep in mind they are safeguarding an area of space 10 yards in front of them and not just a spot in the penalty area.

The Celtic rearguard seemed to forget that as they stood rooted while Jelavic timed his run to leave Fraser Forster with no chance.

Defenders must be on their toes and move to attack a ball when a set-piece comes in, not taking a standing jump as the forward will always beat them to the ball.

Celtic's defending at Naismith's first was also very poor, although I must praise the Scotland striker for the quality shown with the outside of his right boot.

He was also extremely composed for the fourth but Anthony Stokes gifted him the space to run into.

Kyle Lafferty stabbed his side 3-2 in front but Celtic cannot say they weren't warned as the Northern Ireland internationalist squandered at least two gilt-edged chances before scoring as the visitors were again found wanting at the back.

While Brown has not always been my favourite there is no doubt Celtic suffered with his injury, the Scotland midfielder playing the captain's role to perfection and helping haul his side into the game after Rangers had moved in front.

Brown's reverse pass for Gary Hooper's leveller was terrific - and the Englishman's finish was sublime.

And while, Allan McGregor had no chance then, he must have been mighty relieved to see his team-mates roll over Celtic in the second half after a dreadful blunder that allowed Badr El Kaddouri a debut Old Firm goal.

Who would be a stopper? Six months ago he was being hailed a hero for the penalty save that denied Georgios Samaras a winning goal at Ibrox. And for half an hour yesterday he was on the verge of becoming the ultimate villain.

Rangers looked fresher and hungrier for the victory, especially in the second half, and certainly appeared to reap the rewards of not having an energy sapping midweek match like their opponents.

They looked a tired team after the interval and their midfield were second best to almost everything.

The dismissal of Charlie Mulgrew definitely didn't help but he was stupid to make the tackle he did after earlier being cautioned. Ref Craig Thomson was spot on and dished out few mistakes.

The same cannot be said for assistant Francis Andrews and, privately at least, he will have been glad to see Rangers earn their victory after chalking off a Lafferty goal for offside when he was clearly on.

That became just a footnote to a game in which Ally McCoist's men proved they will take some shifting as they bid to make it four in a row.

Rangers were well served by almost every player in their team, in particular players such as Davis, Gregg Wylde in the second half and Jelavic. Naismith, however, was head and shoulders above all others.

The two goals apart, he was full of energy and if he isn't scoring he is as likely to be creating. A defender cannot afford to take his eyes off him for a second as he makes such intelligent runs in behind from the middle of the park.

Anyone who knows me knows I've always had a soft spot for McCoist, so I was pleased for him to mark his managerial debut in an Old Firm game with a win. It shows how much I know because I was tipping Celtic to triumph.

McCoist was ill-served by his paymasters in the transfer window and I'm sure he would have liked at least two more big money signings. But they didn't look short facing their arch rivals.

There is still a long way to go in the season but at the moment it's Neil Lennon, not McCoist, who appears to have the most work to do on the training ground.

I hope I don't cry when they name stand in my honour

2011-09-16T06:16:00Z

MY entire Tannadice career was dedicated to building foundations. Now people are paying tribute to my achievements by naming a stand in my honour.

The Jim McLean Fair Play Stand has quite a ring to it and I hope the inward pride I feel at this moment doesn't give way to a public display of emotion tomorrow afternoon.

I tell you, I know I'll be trying desperately to gulp away the tears that are likely to come.

One thing still rankles, though, with the decision to re-brand the seating area along the touchline. And I mean this as no knock to United.

I pleaded hard for my squad to be given recognition as well but it was decided in the end that The Jim McLean and his Players Fair Play Stand was just too much of a mouthful.

That's a great pity, actually, because the players were the ones who mattered most in all my time at Tannadice. A manager will never make a player but players will always make their manager.

Think about it. We only sign them because we recognise a talent that already exists.

And while managers can coach and build a player's fitness, they will only ever achieve success on the back of their own efforts.

We can only help bring out what's already there.

Still, the Jim McLean and his Players Fair Play Stand is how I'll forever think of it and there will be a lump in my throat when I'm introduced to the fans before tomorrow's game against Inverness Caley Thistle.

I'm absolutely delighted the contribution of our supporters will continue to be recognised in the decision to keep the Fair Play part of the name because it largely was on the back of their efforts that area of the ground was reconstructed in the first place.

Remember, it was funded from cash awarded to us by European football bosses for our sporting behaviour on and off the pitch during our run to the UEFA Cup Final against Gothenburg in 1987.

No one will ever forget the ovation our fans gave the Swedes when they prevailed over two legs to win the trophy - and the United squad also won recognition from the firm but fair way they competed in the tournament that memorable season.

It will be great to be among United fans at Tannadice again but I'll continue to tell them, until I'm blue in the face, they owe me absolutely nothing.

They're the ones who put their hands in their pockets season after season to support my teams.

They're the people who roared loudly on European nights and created the type of atmosphere in which it was a joy for players to perform.

They were every bit as much a part of my squad as Hamish McAlpine, Richard Gough, Maurice Malpas, Paul Hegarty, David Narey and the rest.

I created an atmosphere for the players in the dugout and the dressing room but it was nothing compared to the feeling that poured from The Shed and other areas of our ground on the days and nights that mattered most in our careers.

Increasingly, I feel for fans because too many players across the board are pulling on jerseys they have little respect for and they'll never realise how lucky they are.

Football was a part-time occupation for me until the age of 27 when I worked as a joiner and in my father's bakery, including a shift until noon most Saturdays. I hope I never lost sight of the working man who toiled so hard every week the least he could expect was to be entertained by his team.

I'll look around Tannadice tomorrow and feel enormous pride at the way the ground has developed in recent years because when I arrived at the club we had only the L-shaped stand around the tunnel and the covered area of the Shed. The rest was open terracing.

Now we have the George Fox Stand, the Eddie Thompson Stand and The Shed has been seated - much, I'm sure, to the annoyance of the thousands who used to create such a raucous atmosphere there every second Saturday.

All of it was paid for by the fans on the back of the success of our team.

United and I haven't always seen eye to eye in recent years but times change, wounds heal and bygones become bygones.

I look forward to my visit and just hope if the tears form I'll be forgiven for shedding a few in front of the United fans. I didn't half enjoy working for them.

As told to Gary Ralston

Craig Levein must take the flak because he was wrong to play one striker against Lithuania

2011-09-09T05:33:28Z

Craig Levein has been accused of being too thin skinned in the aftermath of our recent Euro 2012 qualifiers.

The Scotland boss has been smarting at criticism and claimed there was too much negativity following our 2-2 draw against the Czech Republic.

Levein has got a point - let's face it, it's always easier to be negative rather than positive and we Scots have Phds on looking on the down side of life.

Too many people doing the criticising - and I include reporters in this - wouldn't know their Arsenals from their Elgin Citys.

Take it from someone who knows, managers don't like being criticised by people we don't really respect as tacticians and have no in-depth knowledge of the character of our players.

We can accept having our work panned by the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson. We won't like it but at least we can understand it.

I still chuckle at the memory of the time I turned up at Tannadice at noon one Saturday before a game and fell into a conversation with a guy who worked in one of our pie stalls.

He asked outright: "How are you going to play it today?" I threw the question back at him, "How would you play it - and tell me the team you would play?" Well, he started at Hamish McAlpine and that was about the only thing on which we agreed. He gave me a tactical masterclass on my side only to fall silent when I pointed out he had listed 11 outfield players.

In saying that, football is a game of opinions and where would we be without fans and - keep this between ourselves - reporters to pass on the thoughts of players, managers and club officials? You also don't need to be a chicken to know when you've eaten a rotten egg, I know - and I can't believe I'm even acknowledging that after years of run-ins with the people who cover our game. In fairness, football has become so complex these days and many reporters have played the game at a decent enough level to be able to comment knowledgeably on it. Long gone are the days when it was five defenders against five attackers and shirts were numbered one to 11.

Now, we have 4-5-1, 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 4-2-4 and formations that read as if they came from the mind of a mathematician rather than the tactics board in a manager's office.

All that said, I do believe Scotland are moving in the right direction under Levein, even if I hope he doesn't mind me pointing out the error of his team selection in that dull but vital 1-0 win against Lithuania.

He definitely made a mistake in playing David Goodwillie in that solo striker role because, to the best of my knowledge, he has only ever been part of a two-pronged attack when he was at Dundee United.

I could have understood him being thrown into that role away from home when the opposition would have been more likely to attack and leave space in behind their defence for him to exploit.

But at Hampden? The Lithuanians refused to give him any space in which to work while he struggled to link up play with others around him.

No, Goodwillie is definitely at his best when sniffing around for a half chance off a tall strike partner but maybe we're being a little unfair and the boy just had a bad night. Levein found his options limited after the suspension of Kenny Miller but if the form of Goodwillie was poor then Aston Villa's Barry Bannan was terrific.

His ability to keep possession and his range of passing and delivery from wide areas were all pluses that hint at a positive future for the youngster at club and international level.

It's the development of players such as Bannan under Levein that give me some confidence for the future of the team, even if we'll now struggle to compete at Euro 2012.

The World Cup in Brazil is a realistic target and Levein appears to have fostered a strong team spirit and sense of camaraderie within the current squad and that will hopefully hold us in good stead for the next qualifying campaign.

In the process, he appears to be building something of a siege mentality among his squad, a "them against us" that will have his players motivated to prove all the doubters wrong, real or imagined. Hey, if it takes us to a major championships again, even the most cynical reporters would be hard pressed to find fault with the manager's methods.

LAST FRIDAY at Dundee's Caird Hall was one of the proudest evenings of my life as 600 fans gathered for a tribute dinner to yours truly.

Former players such as Andy Gray and Kevin Gallacher, below, made the journey from their homes down south. All funds raised went back into the club's youth development programme. It was a chance for me to say thanks for the work of former players, coaches and staff.

More than that, it was a chance for me to pay tribute to the United fans.

You defend a 1-0 lead in THEIR box not your own

2011-09-05T07:38:00Z

Guest blogged by Euan McLean YOU can't do anything about a referee because they are all eejits. And there you have it. Scotland's heartache summed up in one throwaway line at the end of a fascinating afternoon in Jim McLean's front room.

Much had been learned in the three hours we'd sat there - side by side in our matching leather La-Z-boy chairs like a better-looking version of Chandler and Joey from Friends - watching the game on telly.

For a start, he's the first man I've ever met in my 35 years on this planet who does not like pizza.

Which meant all the more for me when hostess with the mostest Doris, his wife, came in with a tray full of goodies at half-time.

And while Scotland's Euro 2012 dream appears now to be up in smoke, Jim is still in with a shout of adding another massive sporting success to his CV when he competes in the men's pairs final at Broughty Ferry bowling club later this week.

Interesting details, I'm sure you'll agree, but it's when he starts talking about football that you really learn something new, which made it a privilege to be invited to his Dundee home to watch the big game unfold through the eyes of a managerial legend.

That inimitable observation about "eejit" referees was Wee Jim at his cantankerous best but don't think for a minute he was letting Scotland off with using that as an excuse for Saturday's disappointing draw.

Truth is, he'd seen our downfall coming long before blunder ref Kevin Blom's spot-kick howlers at both ends of the pitch.

His delight at seeing Kenny Miller snatch a one-goal lead just before half-time was soon replaced by grim-faced disapproval at the way Scotland meekly sat back after the break and tried to cling on to it.

He said: "The best way to defend a 1-0 lead is to play at their penalty box, not setting up camp in your own. I'd be screaming at my back four from the touchline if I saw them doing this.

"It's a fatal mistake to drop deeper but it's such a common mistake defenders make all the time.

"I've never understood the psychology of it but there's definitely a change in the way players behave when they go one-goal up.

"The team that has conceded tends to up their efforts because they realise they have to get their fingers out, that's natural. But what I don't get is why teams that have just taken the lead start thinking about defending it rather than looking to score another.

"I've always been a believer that the back four dictates how far up the park you can play and it seems to be a central defenders' default setting to drop back 10 yards when they have a lead to protect. It's suicide because it only invites pressure on you. That's why David Narey was so crucial to me at Dundee United. He organised his fellow defenders to always stand marginally further forward than him.

"That way he could keep pushing the line forward - and allowed him to decide if and when to spring the offside trap."

The more the Czechs dominated after the break, the more irate Jim became, and I started to worry he might spill his tea on the carpet - because if you think Jim's got a temper, imagine Doris' wrath if she discovered a stain on her pristine cream carpet!

When the inevitable equaliser came on 77 minutes, he bashed the arms of his chair with both fists and seethed: "That was a bloody certainty."

The mood brightened five minutes later when Kenny Miller threaded that perfect pass for Darren Fletcher to put us back in front but again Jim was bang on when he said: "Keep pushing, keep hustling them, don't sit back again.

"I always told my team the moment to start defending is 10 yards inside the opposition's half. That's where I wanted my strikers to put in tackles because it condenses the pitch and gives the other team no room to breathe."

But then came the eejit's match-changing decisions.

Blom allowed himself to be conned by diving Jan Rezek and then snubbed Scotland's far better penalty claim for Roman Hubnik's foul on Christophe Berra. "That's a disgrace," Jim raged. "That was more of a penalty than the one they got. The referee has been pathetic, the worst man on the pitch."

But when the final whistle blew, Jim's anger had turned from the ref to Scotland's negative tactics in the second half, while my eye turned towards one last custard cream.

He summed up: "The referee might have been rotten but that's not why Scotland didn't win this game. They threw it away by trying to hang on to a 1-0 lead instead of asking more questions of the Czechs. The place to hold on to a lead is in their half but our boys fell into the old trap and were always going to concede the moment they surrendered so much territory.

"I don't think there were any outstanding performances, there wasn't enough creativity and a draw is all Scotland deserved."

And with that I said my thanks and goodbyes before leaving with a stomach full of biscuits and pizza, and a head full of food for thought.

Jim McLean: This is my life

2011-09-02T05:57:23Z

THE last time I was in the Caird Hall in Dundee it was to hear Kenny Rogers tell us all that you had to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em.

Sadly, it's advice I never heeded at Dundee United - I stayed around the club far too long and should never have accepted the move from manager to chairman.

However, I'll still be delighted and a little overwhelmed to be among 600 of my ain folk tonight for a tribute dinner that is as humbling as it is touching.

I had only one request when officials from the commercial department at Tannadice approached me with the idea a few months ago. All funds raised must be re-invested in United's youth programme.

Let's face it, I made my entire career on the back of young players so it's only fitting I give something back to the new generation currently being developed by Peter Houston's coaching staff.

It was a condition the club were more than happy to accept and so tonight I'll sit among fans and friends, including Walter Smith, Sir Alex Ferguson and Andy Gray, and indulge in a couple of hours of unabashed nostalgia.

However, most of all I must thank the supporters who have paid £50 a head and who ensured it would be a sell-out by snapping up every available table place within 24 hours of the dinner being announced.

They have been asked to put their hands in their pockets when they owe me nothing. After all, it was their financial commitment that kept me and my players in our jobs for so many years.

People used to crucify me for offering young players long-term contracts but my first loyalty was to the fans who paid the salaries at the club - and they were good ones when we were winning.

Only if they were satisfied could I stay in my post.

They were the people we sought to impress by playing a winning and entertaining brand of football.

And yet to think it could all have been so different as I still maintain I really should have been boss of Dundee.

However, the chairman Jimmy Gellatly would have chosen anyone in the world but me to replace John Prentice back in the early 1970s.

I'd been first-team coach at Dens Park under John for 18 months when he announced via the press that he was emigrating to Canada - it was the first I knew about it and his announcement didn't half make me feel vulnerable.

I was beginning to forge a reputation as a coach but the relationship between me and Dundee had been uneasy as they were the only club I played with where my goals weren't appreciated by the fans.

I was leading goalscorer when I played at Dens but it mattered not a jot to the supporters who were constantly on my back and, in truth, I was a little scared and intimidated by them.

Manager Bobby Ancell bought me in the mid-sixties but admitted one day he couldn't list me in the team as the supporters would only slaughter me mercilessly when I ran down the tunnel. Enough was enough.

I demanded a move and was sold to Kilmarnock before returning as coach to Dens a few years later, older and certainly wiser.

Old man Gellatly knew nothing about football and had he offered me the job as Dundee coach then, players such as David Narey and Davie Dodds would have been turning out in dark blue, not tangerine, and the success in my career would have been achieved at Dens Park, not Tannadice. But Gellatly and I never got on and he went instead for ex-Rangers boss Davie White.

Life has a funny way of dealing its fates and good fortune and it was around this time Dundee United decided Jerry Kerr had run his race and offered him a position upstairs, freeing the manager's job for a new breed of coach.

Former Courier journalist Tommy Gallacher tipped off United chairman Johnston Grant that I was the best man for the job - I didn't know he had made an approach - and before long I was being spirited off to a meeting in St Andrews with directors and offered the position. The rest, as they say, is history.

When I arrived at Tannadice in 1971 at the age of 34 we had two S-form signings and half-a-dozen players, most of whom were older than me, including former Rangers winger Davie Wilson and United stalwarts Dougie Smith, Dennis Gillespie and Jimmy Briggs.

The next 30 years were a roller-coaster of emotions and I only hope we gave United fans more good times to remember than bad.

I think that was the case - and there's no place I would rather be than the Caird Hall tonight as we share our memories together.

Blarney rubble

2011-08-27T05:33:51Z

Eyebrows were raised a few years ago when Tommy Burns claimed Scottish football was on the brink of becoming another League of Ireland.

Now we should hang our heads in shame that the prophecy of the former Celtic boss, who was then in charge of Kilmarnock, has come to pass.

No, let's take Tommy's claim a stage further - we're now even worse than the League of Ireland.

After all, Shamrock Rovers have qualified for the Europa League group stage while Scottish clubs are all out on their ears before the end of August.

Where the bloody hell has it all gone wrong and how do we set about fixing the mess our clubs have created? The standard of Scottish football has never been so low, so let's take radical action and rip the whole thing up and start again.

The only way we are ever going to breed quality players again is to give youngsters the chance to perform and we should think long and hard about how we facilitate that in the SPL.

Our top-flight league is made up of too many mediocre journeymen earning too much money.

In addition, our top clubs have been to quick to raid the loan market south of the border when they should be looking to promote young players from within.

First things first. I'm embarrassed when I look back at the basic wage we used to pay players such as David Narey at Dundee United.

However, he still earned a healthy salary because he had to satisfy the support by winning to secure his victory bonus.

If Frank Sinatra at his peak walked on to the stage at Caesar's Palace and refused to sing a note there's not a chance he would have earned.

Why do our clubs persist in paying top dollar to players, irrespective of whether or not they perform? Let's introduce a more incentivised pay structure and at least make them win for their money.

Given the fact almost every club in the SPL is straddled with debts they could not pay if they were called in by the banks tomorrow, let's take it a stage further.

Dundee United are the latest club to admit feeling the pinch financially after revealing the bank are holding on to the transfer money received from David Goodwillie. They'll not be the last.

Our biggest clubs have proved they cannot control their own finances so let's tell them squad salaries cannot exceed a certain percentage of their turnovers and make them live within their means.

Scottish clubs have put themselves in the grubber and what for? So fans can watch absolute rubbish.

Are the players currently turning out in the SPL worth the debt their clubs have put themselves in over recent years? Absolutely not. Youth must be the way forward and I'd even encourage the SPL to have a look at introducing some form of system where a set number of starters in every team must have emerged through a club's academy ranks.

Let's be honest, the kids couldn't do any worse - and the only way managers will find out if a youngster is good enough is by giving him a go in his team and keeping him there, through good performances and bad.

However, SPL managers are under too much pressure to deliver because the current league is too restrictive and the price of failure far too high.

At the moment, a manager cannot afford to blood a promising youngster for the five or six games he needs before judgment can be made on his ability to hack it at first-team level - and that's a crying shame.

It's a damning indictment of the people running our game that their house is burning and they're still arguing about whether to fit an extension and what measurements it should be.

If results in Europe this week have not stiffened the resolved of SPL chairmen to sit round the table and knock their heads together on the best way forward for their operation, nothing will.

It's time clubs and players in the SPL are given more space to breathe and that means increasing the number of clubs in the top flight to at least 14 in the first instance.

My greatest bugbear about the decline in standards is that it's linked to the Bosman Ruling and freedom of contract.

Players are better paid than ever before but don't deserve the money they are taking home.

Agents have become an all too powerful force in the game and have taken too much money from clubs that will never be re-invested in the sport.

It's time we seriously focused on the future because this failure is utterly unacceptable and cannot go on.