As the sons of Pelé and Diego Maradona found out, it can be fraught filling a father’s lofty bootsMy father was a lawyer and, in my childhood imagination and so far as I can ascertain also in fact, quite a good one. From time to time, as I blundered towards adulthood with no obvious idea what to do when I got there, he would encourage me towards the law, a vocation he always found intellectually stimulating and also, serendipitously, financially rewarding. In this endeavour, alas, he had no success. Why, I reasoned, would I voluntarily enter a profession in which I would be doomed to be forever compared unfavourably with an overachieving parent? With this same logic in mind, I...
Scotland’s big two merrily portray themselves as global powerhouses so let’s leave the superlatives over reaching last 32Incongruous though it feels to state Celtic and Rangers can be happy, mutual cohabitors anywhere, the Europa League has supplied the perfect backdrop as a domestic title race – for now – rumbles on. The Old Firm’s progression to the last 32 of Europe’s second-tier domestic competition has left supporters and supposedly neutral onlookers grasping for superlatives. We’ll be subject to a few more days of this yet.Steven Gerrard can be forgiven giddy analysis, given it arrived in the immediate aftermath of Rangers’ 1-1 draw against Young Boys. It is, Gerrard insists, a “magnificent achievement” for his team to reach the knockout phase...
The Liverpool legend has given his side hope and is looking for his first trophy as a manager in the Scottish League Cup finalIt would be natural for Celtic supporters to have spent recent days in a state of apprehension. For the prospect of their domestic dominance being halted by their Old Firm rivals Rangers is galling. Were Aberdeen, Dundee United or Motherwell to end Celtic’s consecutive trophy haul, which currently stands at nine, there would be joy for the underdog and widespread shock. If Rangers break the spell, the mutual impact would be considerable. For all that Celtic should be the favourites heading into Sunday’s Scottish League Cup final, a Hampden Park showpiece likely to be more intense, and...
Hibernian and Aberdeen have also risen to the occasion as Celtic prepare to set out for an eighth title in a rowThe swagger returned to Scottish football in recent days. A close battle between Aberdeen and Burnley, Hibernian’s success over the fifth-ranked team in Greece last season and Rangers’ victory over the fourth-best team in Croatia triggered giddy excitement. Celtic had already taken a further step towards the Champions League with their defeat of Rosenborg. Glory, glory hallelujah. Related: Scottish Premiership 2018-19 preview: Celtic favourites but focus on Gerrard Related: Europa League: Burnley’s Cork and Barnes sink Aberdeen in extra time Continue reading...
The notion that players would be queuing up to play for a Rangers team on Gerrard’s watch is hilariously overplayedPerhaps Rangers and Steven Gerrard are operating on the basis of shared risk being a minimised one. There is precious little by way of alternative reasoning for this management alliance being recognised as mutually beneficial.At a time when Rangers desperately need experience, they are in danger of being blinded by a big name and the kind of desperate urge to reannounce themselves as a grand club that is undermined by a string of core details relating to behaviour and performance. Joey Barton was once part of a similar, short-lived, Rangers initiative. Related: Steven Gerrard confirms ‘positive talks’ with Rangers after Murty...