Managers face winter of discontent

0:00Welcome to the journals on PLZ Soccer's YouTube channel. We're in the Hummus studio. I'm with Graeme Magari and Gordon Parks. Thank you very much for joining us. Don't forget you can hit the subscribe button and join the football family. There's so much content on PLZ Soccer for you to enjoy. A lot of shankland faces are possible four months out where a blow for him with that hamstring managers are under pressure. This weekend it could be the cup success that eases that pressure. We'll get the thoughts of the two guys on that. Can you name the 10 best permanent summer signings in Scotland? Well, we've been looking at a little feature from a few boys who've looked at all the data and come up with the 10 best summer signings. I wonder if these guys here will be able to name them and talking of lists. Who's going to win the ball on door? Harry Kane, certainly hoping he ends a 25 year or so drought for an Englishman to actually win it. I think the last man was a

1:01Michael Owen in my memory, Sarah's me correct. So that's a few of the things that we'll be talking about. I did mention Hummel because quite simply we've done a special deal with Hummel and if you are interested in getting a kit for your men's, women's boys or girls team, then here's the details. Need a new kit for your team? Get 10% off Hummel teamwear right now. Click the link can use code PLZ soccer 10 when you order. Hummel, let's play. Not a bad deal and if you look in the comments section, we will post a link for you there and right at the top of the program as well. So great chance for you to take advantage of that special offer all the way through the season. Lauren Shanklin, four months out, that's a blow. It's massive, you know, just to start to really show I think what he's about for Rangers, he was maybe starting to grow into the jersey as they say. Although people have said he said the jersey's tight on a merry way but to be honest, thank you. A minute and a half in the program and you're just going to have

2:05a bar as you're going to be. He's taking the heat off your party. He'll be a sell. I was going to say I was going to see unfairly. I'm really, I'm really digging it out now. Bye, it's a massive blow from Lisson. As I said, he was starting to show really some good form, get a couple of goals and Rangers obviously starting to show a bit of good form along with that in terms of wins anyway. So are you blowing for having a real blow for Derek McHarris? Yeah, two centimetre Terry's in London. He'll have a scan then to assess whether they're going to let it repair itself or indeed the operation. Either way, it's a blow at the time where, interestingly enough, I was speaking to Alec Reiber. He felt as if there was sufficient cover. I'm not so sure because, you know, Nudiri is one aspect of it. You've got Kevin Kelsey as well, but you're looking at seeing yourself. Is there anybody there with a real striking prowess? Charmites on the sidelines too. The savoury did off the number nine years, isn't it? I just think you're meeting a blow. Again, this was the season. He should have come to the fore, he should have really got his stats up, getting his right shank ones. He seemed to be settling in.

3:10He seemed to be, I mean, if there was a time for this not to happen, it's now a problem. As this is a recon, if it's identified, it's the same problem that kept him out for spells last year, then you've got a vulnerability in the vulnerability in the hamstring area as players will tell you. That can become a psychological confidence problem for a striker. He's not an explosive player, he's not a sprinter, but it can have lingering consequences. Certainly people that are pulled at hamstring. Does it open it up for Alexa? Mioskies return or a Boonani, or they've just signed? Yes, somebody has to, because these boys are on good money. Mioskies are a classic example. I don't think he's face-fits. I don't think Derek sees him as a long-term viable guy that's going to get the stats, but Ringer's need to find somebody who's going to put 25 to 30 goals on the boat. If not more this season, if they're going to do what they want to do. Isn't a dearie that, man? He's not. I've watched him a lot. I don't think he's a bit caliber. I don't see what he does well. He's a worker.

4:17He's not got a definite touch. He's not got a definite finish. He read an article, I don't know who, who did it over the last couple of days, one of these former coaches. He said that he thought move to Rangers was too big for him. I think it has been. Mingers love workers. He'll run the channels. He's got energy about him. He's not physical enough. Kelsi could be the guy that comes in and fills that void, but remains to be seen. But you've got to have doubts about it. That's a massive, massive, handy capture. Meeting was a hammer blow for Derek McKinnis to lose his captain, to lose the guy who was beginning to come in the stride. Could be a consequence, he looks back at the end of his season and goes, that was a moment. Yeah, I need it like a hole in the head with regards to the weekend, because obviously Sunday, 12 noon, all of Glasgow goes into the usual divide. But nevertheless, no fans of their way supporters, there's that argument killed for the whole season. But it's really about the playing staff. You can't even look at

5:17home advantage. You're looking at yourself. That's a blow in one of the fixtures that really, it sues the mood among fans so drastically, doesn't it? Yeah, I mean, it's interesting the debate that was going on in the summer about who was going to be the Rangers captain. For me, there was no debate, because you look around that squad and you say, where are the leaders? In Lauren Shankland is a leader and he's proven it at heart before, under Derek McKinnis. And I thought it was a no brainer that he was going to get the amband with him out of the team, I'm looking around that Rangers team and I'm thinking, what if things go wrong? And Sunday, what if Celtic score a goal early? Where's the guy who's grabbing guys within the air and pulling them out at a hole? I don't see it, is it rascals? That's a big shout. But rascals, I think, that's a leadership quality, but does he have the credibility within the squad? He's falling out in managers before, he's been in and out, he's been sometimes in great form, sometimes, you know, he's been off the boil. And for all that, the Nico Raskin, I think, is a really talented player. I think the lack of offers for him in the window, tell you everything about his progress over the last

6:20week. I think the big problem here, obviously, at times before we've been talking about where are they going to get the service from? Who's going to be dictating in the middle of their park? Well, you've got Raskin in Devlin who can rat about in the middle of the park. You've got now Minsu who looks, is Minsu Kim who looks as if he's a player. You're then, it rangers fans, I think, probably looking, saying, right, who's going to go on the flanks? Kisama, I think, is started to, you know, look as if he could be dangerous. You caught who's playing a bit part at the moment. But the big problems for me are indeed who's going to score the goals and also who's going to make sure that Fernandez is not prone to that blooper or that lack of concentration in Sunday's game because it's all, these are the big ones because Rangers have to go to Celtic Park as well off the back of it. It's a hassle when there's no shot. So it's fit a complage, Faris Devin, it kind of reconstructs, it's a matter of months. Who is going to score the

7:22goals? Has he identified Celtic and he can do that? We shall see. Is the middle of the park going to be a continual problem with no creative flair, no responsibility? Raskins are an agitator, not a popular play with in the dressing room. It's clear as day and it's one of the fact that's why clubs have it's cannabled to get in. Problem, is he going to change his nature? Probably not. Fernandez is appearing in a drop, we shall see so many doubts around this Rangers team. Can I get a game which again, you'll look back at some point and think, was that another moment? Yeah, there's a thing about rasking that I think is the main drive. I know you talk about it and lots of people do mention, I think they'll talk about it with the James Turn analytics, personality. It's almost that last bit where you sit in front of a manager and he has a look in the ur eye and gets a sense of what you are as a person when he's chatting to you. I think the main driving force for a lot of clubs that haven't jumped in with a big offer for

8:26rasking is quite simply, it's quite simply the stats on what he does because he doesn't grab a game, doesn't win a game with a pass. You know, you don't suddenly see a captain. If you can't see him as a captain material, right? There's one quality going. Then you're saying, well, what else does he do to grab a game by the scraper of the neck and suddenly drive them forward? Does he pick a pass that breaks the lines? I don't see it. Not now, I don't know. There was a spell where I thought he could be all those things. You know, very first came into the to rangers. He struggled a little bit and even Philip Clomont came in and everyone thought, well, this is it. He's got the compatriot there, somebody who can put the arm around his shoulder and someone who will understand them. He fell out with him as well. So, there's pirar history of this throughout rasking's time at rangers. Do you not also feel that the old firmer particular club that you have to exit personally, you have to have a real strength of character, you've got to look something more. You can't be meek. You've got to really go, Sunday about perfect example. Telltale, do you have a lot of players

9:27that have got a bit of, let me show you how good I am, the jersey, some, now I'm going to celebrate this move. There's a lot of shadows in that rangers team. I think you have to pop in a big game, yeah, I was going to say that. I don't think you can accuse rascal in that particularly because I think he does have had inflated opinion about what a player he is, you know, and I think he has shown in some old firm games that he's been quite impressive. But in other ones, as you say, Parcy, the force of the personality itself that you have over Melbourne. What does that say about the team structure then? The guy who is their best player? I mean, agree is their best player. Has a kind of side role, does no pivotal role for him? He's yet left it, he games in Europe. There's clearly a problem there. They haven't been able to move him on because he would have done. And again, he doesn't strike me as they can guide it all for the collective. Yeah, I'm just going to tell him, Peter, just a note, the last point on that is that there was always this debate about him and Arnie Engels because obviously the two of them were young Belgian guys and rascan obviously edged Engels out in that Belgium squad.

10:31And any time he does play for Belgium, he's always quite impressive. Europe is asked to do a simple thing. He's not asked to be the leader in the team. But Celtic song, however, I've get 22 million people in the angles who, you know, I know you said this before, Peter, you didn't really know why he was very good at that. Well, the West Ham fans have raving about him. A lot of the players at Celtic were talking about at the tail end of the season that he was so vital and crucial. And he was a really crucial part. But I don't know, but you listen, fair play to Celtic for getting 22 million for him because if you are suddenly getting 22 million for a guy who suddenly turns it on with seven games to go, it's not bad business, is it? I mean, I think the the fluke Tatum obviously in thought is getting physicality, he's getting dead bald or every he's got good technique. All right, it doesn't need to do it every week. Maybe we can get that out of him and that's maybe why they think he's got a higher ceiling than rascan. Yeah, that's why he's remembered as well, Graeme. And this is another thing that I think a lot of fans don't understand, don't get. And by the way, I'm going to include journalists in this as well, which is quite simply

11:33the people who play the game every week and every day of their life and have gone on to become managers and some are going on to become scouts. As well as our obsession now with data, which is absolutely a crucial element of it, managers and managers and players, no players, they know a player, they can see what they do, they know at different levels what you're capable of. So when somebody doesn't go in for a player, it's because they've turned around and said to the manager or going back to him and said he doesn't do this. These are his weaknesses, these are the things that possibly, and I include you in this, you would see things in players that possibly I would see Graeme, wouldn't see because you've played the game and you know every week what the drills are, what the disciplines are. So I think we have to hold our hands up and say when somebody doesn't rate a player or sees great potential and I think this is the angle situation, the scouts have thought, wait a minute, this guy's got it, there's something about him. Funnall, I first

12:35talked to a guy Peter the other day and it's in the paper today in the Herald and he works for a company called 21st Group. Now they helped the SFA find Sebastian Poggynjoli and they were using the data models and all these current newfangled things that we hear about. But some he said to me very clearly was that that's not enough. All the best organisations, all the best football clubs in the world do not dispense with the old school methods of sitting someone down watching them play and looking them in the eye. People will scoff at that and roll their eyes at that, but he said, I will give a list of players, let's say to a team when they're doing the recruitment in the summer and the scouts come back to me and say okay, him, him, him and him, forget it because I've looked at him and he doesn't have what you think he has from that spreadsheet. So it's a guide, you know, data and all that is a guide, but once you look at these players and get your eyes on them, I think they're right, I think guys, like Park City who played the game, we'll know them better than I would. Sometimes you can try to show me players day in day out and they're excellent, exceptional. I've seen players hang their ability up in the peg in a Saturday because they can't go

13:37out and cope and there's different kind of personalities, there's opposite, there's guys that can't be bothered training and then in a Saturday they flick a switch and they get real, it comes to the four because that's a stage. James Towne at Hearts, Derek would probably want to admit this, but there's a lot of character and personality, there's a sign up on the thing, do not sign, so personality comes in and take massively and I think that's what separates quality, old fur on players that boot the fans. As an English is an interesting thing, clearly has got a lot of attributes playing in England in the championship, probably so it's better because the game is got strangled and it's got, you enjoy your balance, come up that were good effective top players at that level in England, couldn't cut it here. Engels at least has got all the elements of a modern day midfielder, technical ability, so you can see the national behind it, I agree with you were asking, I don't see the mega milleons despite the fact that he plays for a Belgian team in

14:39the World Cup which is an anomaly me. Yeah and not over and above that and I'm not having a pop at Ryan's jeans because I was calling him in the daily record while he's talking about, oh James Towne, I'm letting somebody shoot me a book now and I'm embracing it, oh that's magnificent, I mean I was really, I'm thinking to myself really, really people have been doing this for ever in a day, this is the Emperor's New Cloth Bluff, it really is, but because Derek McKinnis didn't embrace James Towne analytics in his year at heart, he may well have had players who were signed that are inherited in that short space and time, but he was using his management skills, he was using his eyes, he was using his assessment of somebody's character to go and do it, but this whole notion of, suddenly there's a database that is like the holy Bible, it's like the Grail, you know, is an nonsense because Celtic Rangers, Manchester United, all of these teams across the globe would use data, would use it through scouts, would see on wise scouts exactly what was

15:43happening with a player, they would then go and sit in the stand, sometimes managers don't get the time because of the schedule to go and sit in the stand, so they go and ask somebody who they trust, Stephen Robinson's got a guy down in England that he trusts, who knows the type of player he looks for, so this whole notion that, you know, it's suddenly come out of nowhere like, you know, AI is an oddness, it's been used before, but I mean if you watch the Marie New documentary, which was just absolutely a joy to watch the three part, he's turned around and he said, I'll tell you if he's doing the business because my eyes are telling me he's getting hooked. There's so much money involved behind it now, there's so much bluff behind it, if you pull the cup and back and let phones know it's actually a bit of a marriage or myth, that, do you know, there's set piece coaches I mentioned it before, certain nonsense right, nonsense. I think you're populating footballers brains with stats and information, which is not a good thing, I also, do you think set piece coaches are a nonsense? I think the whole thing's a complete bluff,

16:43I think there's a lot of bluffers in football, a lot of bluffers making money at a football. I think we're at point, but I think, yeah. If you go into a professional dressing room, a first-team dressing room, if you think that managers are micro-managing to the degree that the data is suggesting you're kidding yourself, it doesn't happen. Well, can I just say something to you? Here's my take on that, to disagree with you. And I'm not just going to use Austin McFee, there are others out there, but I would suggest to you that because of the workload that managers, you know, Martin, he'll come in to Celtic in 2000 and he ran the show. Yeah. He dictated everything on, but I look and I see in games, here's a free kick, it's 20 yards out, 25 yards out, and then up pops the guy who thinks, you know, he hasn't stayed behind, he thinks he's bent one round the wall and then he goes and puts it into Rozehd. Austin McFee, like what I call

17:43set piece people in American football, you see we're going to play this, this, this, this, this, the set piece people in the Chicago Bulls, when they're in the basketball, we're going to play this way. I think there is an element of it that works. Clearly, you know, you get situations where I don't know if you can cast your mind back to the World Cup when Beckham gets sent off. Do you remember the equaliser that Argentina scored when they had the ball 25 yards out and suddenly somebody peeled off the wall and then they played a quick one, boom, and it's in the ball. Nellon said one in guitar, that didn't get you, that's Argentina. Yeah, the Netherlands, I do think there's an element of you can come up with set plays that catch people out, but there's not a lot of that. You need to pay a guy to on a grant, I need to do it. Clearly, you do. I mean, I think, I think, let's see. That's what I'm saying about the whole thing. It's now business. It's a numbers game of trying to, I don't think you just want to completely buy it. It's so many keepers of secrets. You've got so many keepers of secrets that they know more than you do because a job depends on it. They have an expertise in specialised eye on things that you don't and you don't.

18:48That's a complete bluff, but it's money-sister staying itself because there's now money behind it. And they've had a bit of, I mean, Osmick feels a great example, right? I don't think that's a bluff with Austin. He's managed to get us into a villain. I'm just going to say it. The bottom out, what is contract out for a million pounds? So maybe it's mean it's completely wrong, saying from Mike's experience and people are speaking to you within the game, they're all the right. You tell me Osmick fee is going to be a different maker. You sort these things. It's worked a guy in Saturday that played at the highest level and he said we used to sort it out ourselves. Yeah, but I think it's a sign that I was thinking about myself. If you can get an expert in there who's, I think so. I mean, you can argue about the money involved and I think probably there is an element of some clubs that are probably bluffers there. But I think Mike, I get this moment. This guy is very attractive. You can score five extra goals from a cop from corners a season, that could be a difference maker, right? It was 200 grand, they are still there. What I'm trying to say is if you pollute footballers' minds with this garbage, a lot of it is garbage. A lot of these guys haven't played.

19:51Yeah, I just have to say that there's a consensus among people that play that a lot of it is just in one year at the other. Well, that's what I think, but it's day other at SAP Scotchies. It's a bit smarter than the 7 margins. It's small margins and if something gives you that edge, now let me just back to what he's talking about, right? I've already finished this. If Austin makes feet, I'm not going to labour it because it's quick, quick, quickly. But what he's able to take apart, I have Brooks now. As soon as there's a some three-kitter corner, the big guy gets out and leans, and he shouts and confuses and all that, I think that is an absolute nonsense. And that needs to stop because people will see it for the bluff it is and they'll become redundant, aren't you shot? I don't agree with you. And I think they won't become redundant. I think there's going to be more and more of them. The only thing I would do is, sorry, I have to say one point on it. I'm sorry. Liverpool actually, last season, get rid of their SAP Scotch because they went from one of the highest scoring teams to set pieces in the league this season before that when they won the league to one of the lowest

20:53and the guy they brought in was in the cut and the mustard. So I think you can see there that it did make a material difference between the two. See, good footballers. It's all in was bad at the start. Yeah, see quality footballers. They think from so quickly and they do things quickly and they say things and they do the way they think it was up. We are doing is roboticising footballers and all that in my anger that don't like it. It might be great to talk about, it might be great to analyse and speak about things and all that, but a lot of box. Partly, do you want to tell you something? I have to say yeah, I feel as if, and not only in this point, many points are disagreeing with you in life which is great, is that I think it's passing you by. I think the whole game has moved on. There are people who are specialists who do things that give people an edge sometimes it works, but the assessment within clubs is in those margins, are we getting a percentage chance where suddenly, Austin and Villa have been able to from set pieces, from corners, from creative free kicks. Have they been able to score goals that they wouldn't have otherwise scored because some idiot lumped the ball into the park in the centre half headed away? Now, I will go back to

21:54what parks you said, which is quite simply somewhere along the line. There are elements of it that doesn't work and I'll give you my perfect example, not that there was ever a set piece coach on this right, but can you imagine? Somebody says, okay, we're playing at Bradford, right? And your man United and your Beckham, you take great corners, I want you to just actually take the corner and float it out to 20 yards out where Paul Skolz is going to volate into the back of the net. He's drifted off. And he's got himself an edge in the box. Now, the problem with that is, if you haven't got a Paul Skolz, who's got a brilliant touch, and if you haven't got a David Beckham, who can float it right on to his boots, you know, it's a false apart. It's a false apart because the one Aberdeen pan posted on Twitter the other day there, he'd watched Aberdeen go to take a corner, Stuart Armstrong technically gifted player, goes to the corner, doesn't even get it passed the first man in the mood breaks down and they break up the park. So, you know, there are always elements of it, but I do think there's a part for it, interestingly enough, we're about

22:57to embrace the data because I read something on Twitter that I think is what we all were considering, which is going to be... It's a false, a Scottish league team play. Well, which weekend in the pass and the ball, where they've got the four of the break and the pass and the ball for the back, and all that, I'm like, everything just, it can be a fad at times, right? It can be, yeah, it can be. Get the ball mate and get it up the pitch. Well, no. You know, one of the guys next to me at Far Part, let me say, there was a couple of guys I went to the European games at Far Part, and there was obviously guys who had maybe had maybe been there for a long time, and they were coming back to watch for the first time in a couple of years, and there was a guy next to me having a heart attack, he was like, get the ball, what's this tippy-taping on? Yeah. How do you think we've got to Europe mate? Because we've completely revamped this deal. And don't get me wrong. Come on. I'm not just saying something, right? The team should work in free kicks and set pieces, but don't pollute their minds with it with a set piece coach, who's anxious, looking to see if he's attented to detail, will somebody blast a free kick over the back? Okay. Get it from Nandes in the box, get it in, he's six foot four, he'll head it in the goal. He has set it. You're giving me, you're giving me two areas where I can really disagree with

24:02you, which is of course, oh come on, get the ball on public. I don't mean that, you know what I mean? Choices, and I give you St Merrin against Celtic. I was in the press box, my god, St Merrin fans don't like what Craig McLeish was doing at the back end, but he said, you know, and this is the key thing, I want my players to be brave on the ball, which is your Jens Berthal ask Alfred J Hansen's situation, but I don't want them to be stupid. And it's basically a case of making the right choices. You are a professional footballer, yes you have skills, yes you have qualities, yes you have an ability, hopefully to see what's around you, make the choice. Is it right to play in the triangle in that back third if you're being pressed in your under pressure? Is it right for the goalkeeper to take a touch and I give you the highest level where Real Madrid was able to capitalize on an Inter Milan goalkeeper who clearly thought I'll take a wee touch while this guy is like an absolute steam train coming towards me. You've got to weigh things up and make those choices, but fine margins on set pieces, I think

25:04there's a place for it, I think there will become more of a place for it, but we're going to look at data and see if the 10 players that we look at in the data, we'll look back midway through the season at the end of the season and see if they've actually been able to cut it, because all sorts of things come in as you know in that layer. Just out of curiosity, finish with Rangers on this, don't get your predictions on it, I don't understand the fixation, we're talking about making signings and what they're going to do and change a team, I don't understand the fixation with a story that's just brewing with Derek Ferguson talking about, Rangers are the chance to get Lewis Ferguson for 20 million, Rangers will never going to sign Lewis Ferguson, I don't care what his dad says, I don't care whether he was willing to come, I don't think the club would willing to shell out 20 million pounds for Lewis Ferguson, and the story now of you could get him in January for 15 million, when was the last club in Scotland to sign a play for 15 million pounds in January? Oh, has it ever happened? No, it hasn't, yeah. So no, I don't think that's been 20 million

26:06pounds or 15 million pounds on anyone, let alone Lewis Ferguson, is good as a player he is, he's not, he's not a match when he's not, he's not somebody who's going to kind of transform Rangers, I don't know, if you're spending 15 million pounds in Scotland, you want somebody who's going to be the best player in the country, I don't know. By way, I would be expecting Paul Gascon for 15 million on the latest situation. I mean, there's nothing down south these days, like 15 million, some of the like stoke could go and buy him for 15 million pounds, but that's the way you're not going to like one thing to say here, but if Lewis Ferguson's available for 15 million, he moves on right, and somebody goes and takes him, his club's not going to punish for them, right? As a campaign, he gets him back to Ibus, lunch by his father. There probably is, right? So, again, two-minute Lewis Ferguson's there. What's for I think? You know, so it seems to me, as if there's kind of a kind of campaign to get him back to Rangers, the prodigal son returns. The prodigal son's got other options and I think people are prepared to pay more than that probably, to get him to Imbland or even if he's going to come. He's going to come, I think it'll be even his wrong side

27:09if that he'll not be of commanding as big a transfer. Well, never mind the transfer fee. So, he wages his well? He wages it anybody. And by the way, there's a function for him at a good club because he's very good at what he does, but certainly not the prototype, the profile that Rangers require. I think it's a nonsense story. I can't understand how it managed to gather pace, it's just one of those ones you're looking at, you go really. And equally so interestingly enough, flip side to that across it. Celtic, as they get ready for this big game, it's quite simply the agent of genitis. Give you the genitis. It basically came out, you said, one unusual way Celtic got about their business. He's not the fastest. And again, smoke screen, planting stories, maybe interested, possibly interested, could be, should be, maybe. This is Celtic all over the back. This is where there's a problem with them, that club. They run it the way they want to run it, but I'll tell you, a lot of Celtic fans are not thrilled by it. They suddenly don't go to the

28:10player to agree, personal terms. They're going to the club first, which is the first thing that was the alarm bell with the agent. And then he said, a strange thing, he says, I know that after they collapsed in Austria, Martin and he went to the board and told them that if they'd signed Giverius and another player that they were targeting earlier, Celtic would now be in the Champions League. Now there's an interesting quote from him with regards to Martin and he always looking for prior to it. And by the way, genitis is not, is not at Celtic. Yeah, I'm not saying it's the same age-old problem every year. I'm at Celtic, Delhi, Dali and the transfer window, as if these qualifiers just fall from space and then suddenly they have to deal with them. They didn't know they need a striker two years ago. They didn't know they needed to bring these guys in and get them up to match speed. Guys like Bauer and Haseem, who's, you know, he's coming and he's beyond his behind story and his fitness and he couldn't contribute to those games against Lask. So it's not like new phenomenon. You read the teams that have put Celtic out at

29:15that stage. It's actually really embarrassing. It's also a vampire because negotiation or lack of the dysfunction within that pros-plus sense. Terrible. That's far reaching players and clubs in agents. I sat down in the agent to deal with that. I had an agent for me, one of the, wasn't last summer the one before, from a broad and asked who's the Celtic director who football and I was laughing at him. That's what he couldn't. He said, well, how do you speak to a player and I was like, well, take your pick for the board members because the board members are doing the negotiations and they are speaking to people about players. It's a ridiculous situation for a club at that size in this day and age to be on. And yet they've got the team for a graph out at Lennox Town the other day. They're quite simply, I can't see anybody stopping them because of the spin. Because of the spin, I say they're spending power. We all know that they haven't spent a penny. They've just got 16 out. They managed to make a 12 million pound profit again. So they've basically said to the fans, you know, you can bleed all you want. We'll do it our way and you'll just shut up. So they will get found out in Europe. I think

30:21but I can't see them getting found out domestically. That's the frustration though. At this point, Celtic have won so much over the last 15 years. The domestic glory isn't enough anymore. The circumstances are last season. Okay, because they won it in the last minute. There was a massive celebration and relief and outpouring relief and all that kind of thing. But no one was filled by Celtic are worse than the used to be, they're regressing in that in that regard. And even though it's spent a lot of money this summer, it'll be enough to win the league, probably handsomely. I don't think the fans are satisfied. Do you have got a bit more ambition? Celtic have always been a club where the used to be a club anyway, historically, who wanted to make an impression in Europe. Now the lack of ambition in that area is actually embarrassing. I think the lack of ambition for Europe ended in 2003. Yeah, Belle. As soon as the year for Cup was over, that was it. You know the condition? Two or three anomalies. Gordon Shracking. You know, Lenin. After that, nothing. As soon as a bonus, it's not seen as a 100% bit.

31:23What they bought into at the time was the successes they had at John Park was hailed as the guru that was able to unarth diamonds and mold the men in move on. They became addicted to that whole transfer process, that whole ideology of unearth profit, un-earthed profit, and they had a background team to do that. They've got so fuddled with the whole thing. They don't know what they are. And as you say, it's panicking every summer. Who wins? I broke. Rangers. In the game. Not Celtic out of the cup. Yes. Huge bonus for Derek if that's not massive. I think Celtic will win. I just think I've got too much about them in attacking areas. I don't know. You can get it. Celtic at the back as well. I think they're weak defensively. Yeah. Could be five more minutes. Could be. But I just thought of fancy Celtic at the five-per-week overlay. Yeah. I think Celtic I've got too much in the forward areas. But I think Rangers, if Nadiri wants to endear himself to the Rangers' support, this is the perfect

32:28back for to get at. That's my rationale behind it. I mean, I was from the home. Home in the home advantage. You watch the game in Saturday when Rangers were actually very good in the second half against Mollerl created a lot of chances. I thought they deserved to win, Graham. Oh, by me, was I thought, I'd come for a ball in the game, but the Munch. And he's the only one in the game because Mollerl golly fell over the ball. At the end of the day, so I just don't see who's putting the ball in the net. For Rangers, as we touched upon. Previous managers run the pressure and equally this weekend there's some who actually might not be able to stem the flow of Christ for them to go. Now, I think Ross County against Hibbs and of course the other match, which is Kamaruk against Aberdeen. Oh, three managers in the four teams playing. They're really under pressure. I think of all of them. I think the one that's actually possibly getting the most anger at the moment is up at Potordry. I don't know why. Yeah, yeah. I think David Grayson, a stickier spot as well.

33:30It has, but I would agree that Steven Robinson just has not been accepted by Aberdeen supporters at all. They were the worst kept called before he came in. I don't want them there because they're a style of play and everyone, obviously people bash Steven Robinson for the way he sets his teams up. Even up there. Ross, you're right. Get three tops, six finishes and a copy. Well, this is what I mean. So, but he's been up there and he's tried to, well, he's spoken, but doing things a bit differently. But to be fair, it has been a tough watch. There's also having been great. So, and he has spent a bit of money. I think, I mean, I think Steven Robinson's had a really good manager and I think given time, he will get it right up there, but it's whether he gets that time. That's a big question. What is it that you see that isn't that which look I've given you the thought he's going to get things right? He's track record. He's done it every club he's been in. He's been a top of things. He's been a trophy. He's got a trophy. It's a very manor. He's going to give you a dressing data in any of us. I'm telling you basically. You find a level. Yeah. Certainly as football players,

34:30if you're signing players, for St Mirren, Livingston, come manor, that's what you become. Now, he did a great job at Murlow because he signed physical units and pay, say, paste, and he's organisation. He's coaching is very good because he's players adhere to it. But you've basically got a cut at an amber deen, which is a middle of a table. From middle table, can I quote our players? Well, middle of the table will be not bad, but he'll be able to get it. He'll be able to get it. He'll be able to get it. He's very famous. Blueprint, as well, hasn't he? He's went to a bike for and tried to play a bit more expansively and people have always said, maybe he can he do that and it's maybe that's the issue. I'm looking at him as well as, you know, he's peace, five, six games played. You know, I mean, this is a good idea. You get a sense. I know you get a sense sometimes with people, but I get a sense of saying, give people time. If suddenly you go on a five, six game run where

35:31you just can't get it in your eyes, don't deceive you. If the players have gone, if they're not playing, if the styles rubbish, if they're not getting results and it goes four, five, six games gulped, that's not a bad news situation. You know, at the moment, they've got four points. If anything, Kelly are the ones that you'd look at. Yeah, I've watched Kelly a couple of times this season. I've thought, I can see what he's trying to do. He's just not getting it together, Neil. Yeah, defensively, they're awful. Absolute shambles, Kelly. What's shipping three, four, goes a game up until the weekend there when they went to Aberdeen falling off and be all accounts to get actually could I win that game? I didn't see the full game, but the problem that Aberdeen equals deeper in Steven Robinson, and I think this is the problem. The fans are fed up the whole thing. It's been a series of failures. As much as I think Dave Cornmix Hart is in the right place and he's money certainly has been in the right place, where I was been spent in their own place. He certainly put in the club. Well, that's fine. He's got a lot to answer for. I don't know what he does. And honestly, I don't know because if you look at the appointments now this summer, you've got Steven Robinson getting in there. To me, that's an

36:37Alan Burrow's appointment. You've got Steven Craigin getting up there for my mother-o, getting up to work with the youths. I'm not sure if it's fanning, still with him and with my weird legs. So maybe I'll let's get that wee go at it and now that it's in the take to give Alan a lot of fun. Steven Craigin wants phone make. It don't commentate at Aberdeen game and he phone me on Sunday after the comment was finished and he took actually a call on my dream. I've been getting the job is under 21 manager at Noron Island. Michael Neil who I played with and I know and I know he's a character and I've written about sometimes in football which is who you know that gets you the job. You can't just get in there. I think you're right. So Aberdeen have become that club where Chief Executive scrambled a bit for a manager. He knows he can get him. It lifts Steven Robinson at another level. Steven Robinson then goes to Clare's Etnose and he goes to Coaches at Etnose. So the whole club has begun that. I've got a great football that I sat at Queen A's South next to and I quite like to him and he carries my things. He's got a presence and all that but if you're signing

37:40players for Livingston, Co-Marlett and Muller in St. Manon, why are you bringing a guy for the other side of the globe? What's he bringing to you? I don't know why he stands. So that's a problem for me. Dave Cormack as well he has put his money for his mouth as well but these are decisions which don't don't found him in me and Aberdeen should be far far better than that. I can't call this one. It's so tough to call. If anything, if anything I'm going to go with the Kelly to Egypt. Yeah I think they've improved a little bit. As you can see you can actually see what he's trying to do when they half the ball. Yeah. Aberdeen I'm not so sure. I fancy I fancy a big result for new mechanics here as well of course. I've got a big massive branch at your hand and that one of those managers will be pulling on because this could be you know what? It's good if you save your or absolute. I mean it is too early to agree with you. You need to give everybody time but this could be a crossroads game. But often you talk about different clubs as well. I don't think at the feet here is catastrophic for Neil McCann. I don't think you would know. He's also got a chairman that's going to less you know, he's kind of

38:42thinking so much. Exactly. He's out there but I think for Steven Robinson it got a long way back. Yeah I think you need strong board members. I think you just need to have a cam head and try and ride out some of the store on it. And again equally so the Hubs fans are not easy to please. And they need Ross County to look all in the head. They haven't lost a game. Yeah so I mean for me if you look at it over the peace David Gray has been a really good Hubs manager. I think he's probably the best record since Neil Lening was up there in terms of points per game and league finishes. What's he finished? Topped in fifth. Obviously a very difficult start and incredible turn around after that when he changed things up but I've been at a few games Easter road recently and there's this it's almost intangible but you can sometimes just smell it when the ends near for a manager and I'm smell it by Easter road just now because there's an apathy towards it. It's went beyond anger and a lot of ways and the last couple of games that have been there I've really noticed that the fans are just switching off with what they're seeing in front of them in the pitch and it doesn't help them that hearts are so exciting you know

39:44because obviously the last season they did a title challenge and I know I was at a last game the season last year and the Hubs fans are obviously whipping it up because the rivals have lost illegal in the last couple of minutes. Now fair enough but they were also getting popped off the part between Manmullerl to finish fifth. Yeah you know and I think Hubs as a club are too big for that they should be beyond that and they should be looking at their own aspirations but Hubs fans are looking across the city they're seeing exciting things happening they're looking clubs like sitting in Manning Mullerl who do not have anywhere near the budget and resource that they've got and their teams are exciting Hubs it's just all up it. Yeah it's a bit big grey. Yeah absolutely I'm taking that because of Ross County score first I can see Ross County knocking him out. Yeah I think so that where's the reaction coming from in that Hubs team I just don't see it. I really worry for David and I want to say thank Ross County I probably the favour is kind of that game that's how that's how it's about it. You think if he loses that game he's gone. I think he is. I think he is. I think the Gordon's won't want his accum you know they won't want to

40:45but there comes a time when you've got a balance what's the greater thing are you going to tarnish this club legends legacy by leaving them there because a longer is there and if things go the way they are where they have a wee step forward like they win it dundee and then you have two steps back again I thought the performance in Sunday when they needed their reaction after the Darby was pathetic frankly it really was and it was really worrying and it stuck to me as if it was a team that I've switched off with their manager. Steiner's Mure Hartz fair play to Marvin Bartley again you know they haven't lost the game all season he's getting he's getting the pull of this they've knocked out mother will but I think he's about to find out the jug of knock that's harsh it's just going to I can't see them anything other than Hartz running right over the top of them. See if you can transport your mind to Okovir. Hartz coming out a team against a team which by the way is littered with guys that have played at a good level that rise to the occasion I was at the mother will game I saw exactly what Steiner's Mure can do to you. I don't agree with you I think

41:45your shock at Okovir I think they have got physicality to have got a real you can see the team that's been together for a while you can see how good how well organised they are. The legacy I got in Asmith prevails at Steiner's Mure and Marvin's getting the benefit of that he's managed to continue it but honestly transport your mind to that game you've got the fans all tight you've got a terrible plastic pitch. Hearts won't like that and they won't like players smacking at them I think you've got potential there. Ok the good thing is game we've got you know long memories here we'll be back next week exactly I'm going for Hartz to win. I don't think Hartz will make the mistake the mother will made Alfred Johansson hasn't made many mistakes so far about the chocolate five kids in that game as well as a young goalie and they got bullied so as part I say is the pitch I don't have a labour point but it's awful one of the worst I've ever seen in the country but Steiner has made use of it they play it to their advantage you know they're writing your face as part I

42:46say they're physical they made it really difficult for a mother to go at you they do they do they do they do they do they do they do they do they do they do they do they do they do they do but I just think listen Hartz will look at what they did to mother when go right I don't think about it for I can do with Alfred Johansson did I think they won if you look for a shock anywhere it's going to be a team that hasn't got the right attitude and application on that day and if they had hoped don't have to go out okay we you've called it so we'll take it at that we've given you our predictions give us yours as well a couple of things to finish in the journals I hope you enjoy it don't forget to hit the subscribe button on PLZ soccer YouTube channel it's always good to get to people joining us and basically watching as much content as possible two things one of them was and I've got to give these guys some credit here they're called the data boys I think as a group of Celtic fans it's at Scottish football dot info and basically the guys have taken all the data and they've looked at the stats wise scout as well and and and the data surrounding all these players and they've looked at the permanent signings in Scottish football now can I just

43:50quantify this because I know we live in a world where somebody will say whoa Celtic fans it's going to be heavily biased towards them these are just a group of Celtic fans who are there I say at a home not being dismissable or derogated towards them geeks basically love figures great anyway I love geeks and people will love figures great well for it so I'm saying you know a tip of the hat to the boys well done and for what you're doing they've put all the data and looked at it and said okay we've got the 10 best permanent signings I wonder if you can gain any of the 10 can you fire in a couple of what you think okay Camilo Deran's got to be up there somewhere by the way somebody arrangers fan or a rubber dinner a hearts fan are we going I'll be stacked for a Celtic fans this is a biased thing no it's not there's one Celtic player in it right and it's Camilo Deran Camilo Deran he's not even at the top because they've taken into consideration the money that clubs have had the data around the player where they've come from the performance rating what they're good at and all he is does Josh Fowler come into the equation just saying the jarley and all

44:54in the January so he won't you've got the winger St. Johnston that's come in the account and remember he's the name to hearts to St. Johnston go on can't remember he's not having the heart swung James Penra's in it the hearts one will be Josh McPake yeah you're right yeah he's top top yeah yeah because of all the ratings and I'll give you them because it could we could labour the whole point yeah there's no point in doing that because parts he's just resorted to what I call arrofism yeah the big guy something a point that I was going to make but I haven't really got the start so you know so with that in mind based on where there were signed from and the ratings Josh McPake came out top I'ma do be bassy is second I'm not so sure about that one Lauren Mendy is up there because of what he's achieved in his stats either Pandor the rangers goalkeepers in there and again you know these boys have said listen we're we are open to maybe some

45:56criticism based on we don't know what the rangers fans perception is of them but these are the stats on the things that he's good at Camilo Durán the other one that I have a worry about is J.J. Williams because he's come from lower league American football and boy I'm looking and wondering if you'll get a game for Duke LaPomperson he's got a long side does Aaron Benjaminson is a young boy Ryan Carr who obviously had a nightmare against Celtic and then Jacob Chapman also it's sent Mirin and then Zan Bessier who gets sent off or Dundee at the weekend so that's a collection of some of the players that they've picked in that top 10 based on their stats it'll be interesting I'm not seeing it's a definitive great well done guys it'll be interesting to see how many of them actually cut it yeah one is I mean there's a name jump and out at me there as well they vote on their whom other will brought in yes and he played a half and a friendly I was there and again I said

46:56after half a hoot before before half time by the day and since then he's not done much else very less than he might come good I don't know but I don't know what he's done to deserve I think there's a great example of never let it out to see it yeah Camilla Duran is the only one in the top 20 there isn't a Celtic player until you start going down to Joe Van Dundberg and Kasper who and they've got ratings of 0.5 65 and the ratings are five anything between dot 0.5 and dot 0.6 is decent up above that you've got you know very good and then 700 it's elite so the only one is got their elite category so far as Josh McPake and Josh McPake's hit the ground running so it's not one of these guys or groups of Celtic supporters who've been biased they've looked all the daytime fair play to them it's a good what's no what it is it's a good pub judge yeah I wouldn't say as don't pay them to just share no no no absolutely not no because we're good by two life folks never let your eyes deceive you never he'll be sure listen to if can him soon as

47:56saying George W.A. is brother for Southampton that's true I know I know nothing can happen but listen I thought it was a similar thing the first time I laid eyes and the bold will leave unfortunately but listen as I say he's actually got at least a pedigree though I'd but so far yet too short let's just put it politely and last point on this and I just need a name from you but of the people at the real top end to the cream who are in for the 2026 ballon door I personally hope Harry Kane wins it but because it's a heavily European influence decision I think the ballon door down through the years has been waited towards anybody who plays in central Europe to the detriment of you know sometimes Scottish players when you're talking about the early 60s and the 70s definitely English players in the 80s and the 90s I'm a bit like the Eurovision song contest it is it is actually I think so at times but right now I really I think Harry Kane's just been absolutely magnificent it has been but I actually agree with what

48:57Killing and Bapay was saying about himself the other day a top scorer and the league a top scorer at the World Cup what more do you want good point good point this is a great thing about it is a good point in the highlights from Bapay and Dianne. 15 angles and 15 in appeals and by the way you know let's not rule out that you know a Rodri or a Ferran Torres because they won the World Cup suddenly and Rodri was a player of the World Cup judge by FIFA anyway yeah who are you going for? I'm going to Bapay I agree with you I would love to see Harry Kane Harry Kane has been the best back to gold striker in the world in my just exceptional Bapay will win it I think I think I think you're right I don't think you can argue either we I think both of them are strong and I agree it's just a Bapay factor isn't it yeah absolutely well listen this this drum was has been dominated by stats yes you know what does it say? like a analyse yes the test yes the test yes the test yes the score tell one or it wasn't for the mini scouts you know yeah is that where we're going?

50:00um we're starting to end there a controversial note yes anyway listen it's all about opinions who wins a ball on door who do you think is going to be who's the best summer signing for you? all of these topics are worthy of your opinion as well don't we get to take advantage of that Hummel code if you want to buy a set of strips for your team men women boys girls there's actually a great section on it where you can actually you can actually design your own strip as well put your own logo on it it's absolutely fantastic um hopefully you've enjoyed the program great to have Graham with us and Gordon Parks and from a self-pita Martin thank you for listening thank you for watching