It’s often been said that there is a tendency in this country to build ‘em up just to knock ‘em down again.
When it comes to Rangers, it’s simply knock ‘em down for many who don’t support the club.

Given that Rangers are the biggest ticket in Scottish football by a country mile, it’s natural that everything our club does is big news.

One wonders though, how long it will take to sink in with the club’s detractors that all the negativity that our enemies generate about our every move, simply envelopes our whole game.

The SFA and SPFL, while dancing to the tune of Celtic CEO Peter Lawwell, are failing miserably to build and present a strong product for advertisers, sponsors and broadcasters, and the only club who can save the whole game from ruin is vilified and attacked by small minded pettiness, jealousy and parochialism at every turn.

The Scott Allan saga may have come to an end, and one can see how his head was turned across the city with Celtic in the Champions League qualifiers, and in the midst of a title winning run facilitated by Rangers absence, however, the signing indicates a predictable approach from Celtic to focus on damaging Rangers as their core motivation, when they should be setting their sights on building a Champions League side.

I can safely say that had the tables been turned, I wouldn’t be giving Celtic a second thought, and would be thinking about facing Manchester City or Barcelona this season and preparing accordingly.

Instead, Celtic are signing a fairly promising player with the sole intention of shafting Rangers, pleasing a section of their “support” who thrive on hatred of Rangers, above support of their own team.

The deflection from their lack of Champions League ambition is working a treat, with their fans instead crowing about signing Allan.

Back at Ibrox, Rangers are getting on with business in a professional manner, with the right attitude. It’s no less than I would expect, and next weekend’s match against Hibs at Ibrox is shaping up to be the biggest match in Scotland this weekend.

The football on display by this young Rangers side is the most entertaining for many many years, and the delightful rainbow flick by Rangers loanee Nathan Oduwa is the kind of trick that will get kids away from their Xbox and outside to try it for themselves.

If this isn’t what football is supposed to be about what is it about?

The whinging from several quarters in the media about “showboating”, and about opposition players being “victims”, is absolutely shameful.

http://www.dailyreco...rangers-6264097

http://www.heraldsco...howboating_row/

For any professional to suggest a player will get a kicking for doing a trick is disgraceful, and I would suggest Hamilton, in any normal country, would be roundly criticised and charged with bringing the game in to disrepute.

Of course, as you will expect, this over the top criticism isn’t employed when it’s a Scottish player playing for a provincial club.

http://www.thescotti...ited-video.html

I’m sure Mark Warburton doesn’t need to create a siege mentality in the squad at Ibrox, but Rangers enemies across the country are lining up to give him excuses to do it.

I for one hope to see Oduwa pulls a similar trick against Hibs this Sunday in a similarly emphatic victory.

Onwards & Upwards