OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW - Time To Put The PLG Era To Bed

Last updated : 29 August 2007 By Little Boy Blue




All the ifs, buts and maybes of the past nine months matter not a jot as the Gers again take their place amongst the elite of European football. What if the Minted One had backed Le Gaffer against Baz, what if we had persisted with the PLG regime for a wee while longer, what if the players had been hauled kicking and screaming into a new ultra-professional outlook? What if...?

Could you put your hand on your heart right now and say you would have Champions League football to look forward to? I think not.

Put it this way, as one who was a big PLG fan and who has had nightmares about him returning to haunt us, I'm finally quite happy with how things have panned out. I don't think Speirsy's recent self-indulgent scribblings will require an 'I told you so' reprint. Aye, maybe there is a God after all!!!

Nothing stuck out more in Belgrade than the togetherness of the squad. When Whittaker overran the ball, Hutton stepped in to mop up the danger, when Thomson was caught out, there was Hemdani to undo the damage. Cueller slips up, in steps Weir, vice versa, McGregor safe as houses, JCD running his socks off up front, McCulloch mixing it with anyone who might fancy his chances, then Cousin and Beasley come off the bench to do the business.

There wasn't a failure in a blue jersey out there. How many times could we say that during the Frenchman's reign? Walter has turned the whole thing around, there is no more mileage in the 'what might have been' nonsense, this is where we are and we should be happy about it, ready to go for it in the future, rather than hum and haw about the past.

The progress the team has made is well nigh immeasurable. If we can make the same progress as a club, the date may well become one of the more significant in our proud history. Look around you, Mr Chairman, we are on the front foot again, let there be no repeat of the suicidal tendencies post-2003 Treble and Helicopter Sunday.

My one big fear is that Sir David and his well-tanned lackey again adopt the 'aye, everything's fine' approach and that magic feeling of superiority which currently has me glowing is quickly allowed to evaporate. Don't let it happen. Walter, Super Ally and Kenny McD mustn't let it happen!!! Put the pressure on now, we have taken a giant leap forward, lets build on our present position and continue to progress.

But over and above everything, we must now accept that, whatever our own personal feelings at the time, the right decision was made at the turn of the year and Rangers are better for it.

And just in case anyone has missed the point, having watched Paris St Germain on TV last weekend, struggling to snatch a draw from Lille and leaving them without a win in their first four games, Monsieur Le Guen's coat is again on a shakey nail. The Corduroy Cowbhoy's next big assignment methinks. LOL!!!

It is time to consign the PLG era to history. And not due to any great disrespect to the man, simply because the Rangers have made progress. End of…

LITTLE BOY BLUE