Scottish Football Discussion Thread 2010/11

[bAzTNM#1]

Dundee United vs Rangers on Tuesday night is postponed after failing a safety inspection..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/s...ups/9303158.stm

[GIB]

Delighted to see Smith coming out and bringing up the 07/08 season as to why it shouldn't be extened, 100% spot on. Can't have the league's integrity brought into question now, can we?

[bAzTNM Fan]

Lenny also shares the Waistcoat's opinion. Let's not forget that the SFA refused to extend the season for Celtic on our road to Seville as well, so it's hardly as if Rangers are the only ones who were hard done by.

 

Although I think the season extension should be the least of people's concerns right now and that people should be equally prepared as Neil to dismiss this fucking rubbish that is being touted by Steven Thompson about a play-off for the championship. Parochial, provincial small-minded nonsense that if it got passed would show Scotland up for even more of an embarrassment than it already is.

 

Celtic boss Neil Lennon insists he would be willing to play four games in eight days to avoid the Scottish Premier League season being extended.

SPL chiefs have not ruled out a longer season if the winter call-offs continue but Lennon is against the idea.

The Celtic manager also described proposals for a top-of-the-table play-off system as "ludicrous nonsense".

"I don't see any reason why it should be extended," said Lennon. "If we have to play four games in a week, we will."

Rangers manager Walter Smith has already said he feels the SPL cannot extend the season after refusing to do so when his side reached the final of the Uefa Cup in 2008, and Lennon insists it would require discussion between all of the league's member clubs to approve.

 

From my point of view, it's one of the most silly ideas I've heard in the last few weeks.

 

"If the eventuality comes along, all the clubs would have to sit down and discuss it," said Lennon.

"It's going to be an interesting run-in, because of the pile-up.

"The beauty of it is that's there's a freshness about my squad because they've had an enforced lay-off.

"It'll be interesting to see how they react to that over the next five or six games, because we have a lot of important games coming up."

 

Meanwhile, Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson has said he supports the idea of introducing a top-four play-off system to the SPL as part of the reconstruction talks.

The proposal would potentially result in a showpiece final at Hampden at the end of the season to determine the outright winner of the championship title, no matter which club had finished first.

However, Lennon balked at the idea and branded it one of the worst he had heard since news of league restructuring emerged.

"I don't think that's fair at all," said Lennon. "I think it's absolutely ludicrous.

"I saw the headlines and I didn't even bother reading them, because I think it's a piece of nonsense.

"If you look at the gap between first and third or fourth, it's quite big.

"So, basically, you're saying your season goes down to two or three games at the end of the season, which is absolute rubbish.

"(Play-offs for European slots) might create a bit of an interest, but certainly for the championship it's an absolute no-no.

"I don't know how it would affect the co-efficient, as there's a possibility you wouldn't have the two most consistent teams going into the Europa League, and we're always talking about how we can improve the co-efficient. I don't think that would improve the co-efficient.

"From my point of view, it's one of the most silly ideas I've heard in the last few weeks."

Meanwhile, Lennon confirmed that Celtic will lose Ki Sung-Yeung and Cha Du-Ri for a month from Boxing Day, when they line up for South Korea in the Asian Cup.

[bAzTNM#1]

Have to agree with that. They'll just get Rangers vs Celtic until the end of time, which would please the Police no end, as they go a bit "funny" about Old Firm championship deciders. 1st Place vs 4th Place, 2nd Place vs 3rd Place.

 

It sounds so stupid that no doubt they'll pass it through. Absolutely ludicrous idea.

[InvertedSmiley]

The 2007/08 season was extended.

[GIB]

Aye those 3 days or whatever it was made a massive difference. 9 games in 23 days or something if I remember right, unreal for any team.

 

And I'd have to agree Soapy, but then Steven Thompson is a fanny and has never said anything I agree with.

[bAzTNM#1]

Ultimately you got to blame whoever approved Gretna to be allowed into the SPL. They caused most of the problems that season with their carry-on.

[InvertedSmiley]

Aye those 3 days or whatever it was made a massive difference. 9 games in 23 days or something if I remember right, unreal for any team.

 

And I'd have to agree Soapy, but then Steven Thompson is a fanny and has never said anything I agree with.

Perhaps if Rangers hadn't requested that a game against Gretna be postponed, and then failed to use at least two free midweeks to re-arrange it, then they wouldn't have faced such a problem?

 

The league season was extended for the first time in its history.

[bAzTNM Fan]

It is my honest opinion that the turning point of that season was Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's last minute winner in the night-time derby at Parkhead. If you had escaped CP with a 1-1 draw, you would have gone on to win the league quite comfortably and there would have been no moaning about season extensions or fixture backlogs.

 

That goal knocked the wind out of your sails, and put it into ours.

[InvertedSmiley]

What Walter Smith said today was correct - there's no need for a league extension. There are plenty of free midweek's between now and May to play postponed fixtures in.

 

But his arguement is baffling. He said that there wasn't an extension to help Rangers in 2008 (there was) so there shouldn't be an extension which would benefit all clubs this season.

 

Absurd arguement.

[Daaaaaad!]

Not exactly absurd if you read his interview properly. He said it wasn't done to help one team in 2008, so it shouldn't be done for any team. He never said anything about 'all clubs'.

[InvertedSmiley]

Not exactly absurd if you read his interview properly. He said it wasn't done to help one team in 2008, so it shouldn't be done for any team. He never said anything about 'all clubs'.

I didn't say that he did.

 

But all clubs have been effected by postponements this winter, so such an extension would benefit every club.

 

And it was done in 2008.

[martyngnr]

Not exactly absurd if you read his interview properly. He said it wasn't done to help one team in 2008, so it shouldn't be done for any team. He never said anything about 'all clubs'.

I didn't say that he did.

 

But all clubs have been effected by postponements this winter, so such an extension would benefit every club.

 

And it was done in 2008.

Adding a couple of weeks onto the end of the season would make sense. Partly to avoid fixture congestion and to allow any postponed games to be rescheduled for a weekend. Surely it's for the benefit of the majority of teams to not have to play previously postponed games on a Tuesday night infront of much smaller crowds.

[unfitfinlay]

Have to agree with that. They'll just get Rangers vs Celtic until the end of time, which would please the Police no end, as they go a bit "funny" about Old Firm championship deciders. 1st Place vs 4th Place, 2nd Place vs 3rd Place.

 

It sounds so stupid that no doubt they'll pass it through. Absolutely ludicrous idea.

 

I think the problem isn't that it'll end up Rangers vs Celtic as much as that the fourth best team in the League could potentially end up the Champions? The Old Firm dominance might make the League really predictable but cheapening the Championship by making it easier to win won't help anything at all.

 

I can't imagine they'll pass it. Rangers and Celtic won't want to risk their seasons coming down to just two games (lets face it every other game will be pretty much meaningless) and nothing is going to pass that they don't approve of.

[FUM]

In 2001-02, the 4th place team finished on half the points 1st place did. Imagine if 4th place had won the league there. Ludicrous suggestion. Play-offs for the Europa League place maybe but for the title they can fuck off. It'd make a bigger mockery of our game.

 

As for Wattie moaning about the season extension, I'm no expert but leagues don't normally finish on Thursday nights. Besides that, there is an interview from back then on the BBC site where he says Rangers didn't and wouldn't be asking for a season extension.

 

George Peat also tried to postpone the Scottish Cup final without even consulting Queen of the South.