So, it's back
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Glasgow
The first Old Firm SPFL game in 4 years will take place this Saturday at Lunch Time
Viewership will probably take a hit, thanks to another big Derby going on at the same time, but as enjoyable and technical a game of togger that will surely be, it just won't be the Old Firm, because quite frankly nothing is
As a fan of Fitba, I find myself feeling increasingly schizofrenic in regards to this fixture
On one hand, I detest it. The unsavoury songs from the crowd, the underlying sense of discomfort that oozes throughout it and the fact that Scottish Football as a whole is consumed by it. Despite what some doom mongers may have threatened, Scottish Football didn't in fact dissolve to nothingness once Rangers got booted down the footballing pyramid. Indeed, for supporters of clubs like St Johnstone, Aberdeen and The Highland Sides of both Inverness and Dingwall, Rangers demise led to a mini golden age where they were able to see their sides secure trophies they might perhaps not have done with the good ol' Old Firm Duopoly in place
Yet despite all the reasons to dislike the fixture, I can't deny that it is one I always look forward to. It is the ultimate mind fudge. The atmosphere, the passion and the downright nastiness on display is at times both repulsive and enticing. The sheer primalness of an Old Firm just isn't matched really anywhere else in Britain, and indeed most of Europe
It's like when a fight breaks out outside a pub. You know you should just walk away, but you just can't help watching
If anyone does choose to watch, don't do so expecting a great technical game of football, because even back in the 90's and 00's when both teams had cracking players like De Boer, Gazza, Nakamura and Larrson that rarely happened. What you can expect is plenty of needle, a sprinkling of knee high "Derby" tackles and probably one of Joey Barton or Scott Brown impaling the other on the end of their studs, while the crowd roars, boos, hisses and seethes where appropriate (Or indeed when not appropriate, as manners kind of go out the door in this fixture)
Many expect Celtic to win this, mostly on account of them have having decent attacking options while Rangers have poor defensive ones. A somewhat ambitious attempt to sign sports car tweeting Joleon Lescott fell apart when Lescott suposedly failed his medical up in Govan, meaning that Philipe "Yes, I also had no idea he was still playing either" Senderos ended up getting recruited come the close of deadline day instead (On a weekly wedge of 16K no less. Think about that, Philipe Senderos makes 832K a year before tax FFS. Football is broken)
With Leigh Griffiths, Moussa Dembele (No, not THAT one), Scott Sinclair, James Forrest and Patrick Roberts all at their disposal, it's unthinkable to imagine that Celtic won't get at least a couple against Rangers pourous back line. The question then becomes whether Celtic can sit on those goals to claim the points or whether Brendon Rodgers will once again chuck away a comfortable lead with reckless abandon
Some will probably see this fixture as the litmus test that tells us whether Rangers really are a match for their local rivals or if they really are as far behind as many assume them to be. I personally can't see past a Celtic win, but even if Celtic lose I still can't see Rangers mounting a challenge for the
title this season. Mark Warburton has got them playing some nice stuff, but the defence just isn't at the same level of the attack in front of it, which probably means they are going to ship a lot of goals while relying on the attack to bail them out. Hmm, that seems eerily familiar after the past couple of
seasons at Goodison doesn't it?
If you're watching the City/United game instead, and really who can blame you?, I'd still recommend checking the highlights of this afterward. It really is a "must-see", especially if you've never experienced an Old Firm before. For those who will be watching, here's a thread to discuss the match
Cheers Ears!
