For The Greater Good

It’s the nature of derbies all over the world that the diddy team will get a victory occasionally or will have a run of games where they seem to have a hex over you.

Yes, I don’t like getting beat but if my team play wie passion and heart- unlike the last time we visited Mordor- then we canny ask for more. If they get beat and have just rolled over and died- like the last time- then I’m more annoyed wie ma team and not the fact that we have got beat by them.

Yes, I will have the nervous tension at 7am, when I will wake on Saturday, and yes I will probably wish I was going to support my team in what is a hostile atmosphere and yes I want to stuff them, like a big game hunter stuffs his kill and mounts them in his hallway to boast aboot when Farquar comes round for dinner, but I somehow no longer get the feeling that I’m going to be sick before these games. I now get more nervous before European nights. Maybe I now see the bigger picture.

Which, somewhat long windily, brings me to my point. I read wie interest that r*ngers are rushing back players who are injured. I hear this evening that GS says players that are not 100% fit will not be risked and I agree.

If Hesslelink, Brown, Hartley and Caldwell have any chance of being a 100% fit for the game on Wednesday in Lisboa then they must not play at Ipox. They can't take the field on Saturday only running at 60 or 70%.

Oor competing in the wider scheme of things after Christmas, in the Champs League or the UEFA Cup, could hang on getting a decent result in Lisboa. We have 28 games after Saturday and 3 of them are against oor foes. Saturday is not life threatening, maybe we will get a bloody nose but we can sort that.

Forza