Steve Clarke adds to the trouble on Scotland TV and says that leaving another player at home is “horrible”

Manager upset that home fans won’t be able to watch on Box

The fact that Scotland’s Nations League game against Croatia is not being shown on regular TV is making Steve Clarke very angry.

Since a friendly against Poland in Warsaw in 2014, this is the first time that a Scotland international game has not been shown in this way. It will only be shown on Viaplay’s YouTube area.

The event (or lack thereof; BBC and ITV were both supposed to bid for the rights, which are currently owned by Viaplay) shows how less interest there is in the Scotland football team since their June game against Germany to start Euro 2024.

It was hard to stay away from a screen that showed that game. But Scotland hasn’t won a competitive game in over a year, so TV companies aren’t lining up to show this doubleheader. In fact, Tuesday night’s game against Portugal at Hampden will only be shown on YouTube because of a horrible run of results.

Last month, ITV X agreed to show Scotland’s Nations League games against Poland and Portugal.

Even famous players from the other team, like Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo, haven’t been able to get stations to agree to work with Viaplay. This time, Viaplay has cut back on their football operations in the UK.

It’s even more interesting that Craig Gordon, Scotland’s oldest ever international player, is coming back at the age of 41. Clarke said that the experienced Hearts goalkeeper will win his 76th cap in the Maksimir stadium.

It was pointed out to Clarke that he would like as many people as possible to see such a beautiful feature. He replied, “You’ve got to be disappointed that nobody’s picked it up and put it on TV.” “People back home would enjoy watching the team, and I hope we can play as well as we did last month and win.”

Britain plays Finland in the Nations League on Sunday. The game will be shown on ITV 1. They lost to Greece on Thursday in a league below Scotland, who were moved up to League A in 2022. Their loss was shown on the same station.

“That’s not something I’m interested in,” Clarke said. “What I mean is that it’s disappointing.” I’m sorry about that.

Clarke really wants Scotland to win against Croatia, whether the game is shown on TV or not. In 14 games, his team has only won one, a warm-up game against Gibraltar before Euro 2024.

Celtic winger James Forrest has stayed at home. | Getty Images

He said, “It’s awful.” “It’s awful not to win games. I need to try to see the bigger picture, though. I’m not saying that this race is just a warm-up for the next qualification contest. We can use these matches to help us get ready for some parts of that, though. I’ve already said that going to a World Cup with my country is my greatest goal. My attention is now on that task.

If someone asked him if Scotland had to start winning again just for his own sake, he said, “That’s not for me to decide.”

A lot of illnesses have made it harder for Scotland to get back to winning ways, or at least stop their current streak of three straight losses. There are up to 12 players who are currently out, and James Forrest has not gone to Zagreb with the team. The Celtic winger was sent to Glasgow to take care of an injury.

“He’s not with us.” He felt something while training the other day, so we decided to let him rest at home until we could figure out what was wrong. Then we will decide, or his club will decide, whether to bring him back to Glasgow. “That’s just one more on top of the many we already have.”

Clarke knows he can rely on a steady goalkeeper when regular No. 1 Angus Gunn isn’t available. Like everyone thought, Gordon will play before Robby McCrorie and Jon McCracken. Clarke said, “It’s clear that he has a lot of experience.” “Craig comes in.” I believe John Carver talked about him at his press meeting not long ago. He knows his job and what he needs to do when he gets there, and we hope he does a great job for us.

Rangers will announce a departure this week because of “headache” behind the scenes, according to a report

According to Football Scotland, Rangers will announce that Creag Robertson has left the club this week, which will cause a “headache” behind the scenes.

The news source said on October 9 that the club needs to hire four new people because the director of football operations has left.

A new CEO, official boss, and head of school are already being looked for by the Ibrox team.

It’s also important for Rangers to bring in new people.

These jobs are very important for the club’s general security, working efficiency, and strategic direction.

A lot of things depend on the chief executive and chairman to set the club’s direction and handle the funds, which shows how important their jobs are.

The director of football operations and head of school are also very important for developing players, hiring new ones, and keeping a stream of talent going, all of which are necessary for long-term success.

Quickly filling these roles isn’t just about changing people; it’s also about giving the club new energy, knowledge, and direction.

This is especially important for Rangers because of how important they are historically and because football is a very competitive sport where managerial and strategic decisions can have a big effect on the results.

The club is already having trouble on the field, and that will likely continue as long as they don’t clean up their act off the field.

“Soon”—injured Rangers star gives good news about his return

Rabbi Matondo has good news about his injury as he works to get back to the Rangers first team.

Since he had to leave the game against Celtic in September because of a leg injury, the Welsh winger has been out.

The 24-year-old Matondo had already played six times for Rangers this season under Philippe Clement before he got hurt.

But the forward seems to be getting closer to playing again because he posted a picture of himself working in Rangers gear on his own Instagram account.

Matondo was seen working out with the ball at the Rangers Training Center. He had a small bandage on his knee.

The winger shared the picture on his Instagram story on Monday with just a “Soon” emoji added to it.

After Clement said that Matondo might not be ready to play again for a while, the good news came in about the player.

On Sunday, Clement was asked about the injuries of Danilo, Ridvan Yilmaz, Matondo, and Oscar Cortes. He said, “I expect to have Danilo and Ridvan in training maybe, but not yet, it’s too early for them.”

Cortes will be out of action for a long time, but Matondo seems to be making progress in his recovery.

Someone asked Clement about Cortes’ health and whether he would be out for a long time. Clement stated, “Yeah, that’s going to be longer term.”

Philippe Clement discloses Vaclav Cerny heart-to-heart as Rangers manager delivers injury update on four Ibrox players

The Ibrox manager was overjoyed with the winger’s performance, as he overcame his Lyon mistake to secure a double against St Johnstone.

Vaclav Cerny’s despondent demeanor was alleviated by Philippe Clement’s admission that the Rangers winger was able to recover from his Lyon stunner and score against St Johnstone through heartfelt conversations.

The Czech striker was the Light Blues’ Europa League downfall on Thursday night, as he was unable to capitalize on a glaring goal, resulting in a 4-1 loss to the Ligue 1 victors. However, the Wolfsburg winger, who was on loan, responded in an ideal manner, scoring a brace to secure a morale-boosting victory for Clement’s 10-man team. Notably, the team was weakened by the dismissal of returning playmaker Ianis Hagi 10 minutes before the final whistle.

The Belgian expressed his immense joy for Vaclav, as he has consistently demonstrated his dedication to the club since his arrival. He was deeply disheartened by his failure to capitalize on that opportunity on Thursday. He felt a great sense of responsibility, as he was aware that the moment was of great significance at the outset of the game. If you score at that location, your momentum is entirely altered, and the game may be entirely different. He discussed that with me, and it was a very candid and beneficial conversation.

“However, my trust in him was not diminished.” He demonstrated the behavior I desired, which was to maintain his composure and react appropriately in response to the disappointment, rather than to begin to doubt. Therefore, I am exceedingly pleased for him to have achieved two high-quality objectives.

“He will receive an increasing number of significant minutes and moments over the next few months, as he is currently in the building and is establishing a rapport with the other members of the team.” I am extremely satisfied with him, not only as a football player but also as a person.

Cerny exited with a smile, but Hagi was beset by frustration as his initial appearance in a Gers strip since August 2023 concluded prematurely. The Romanian player has been absent from the first team this season due to a contractual dispute; however, he was ultimately granted permission to rejoin Clement’s squad after forfeiting a salary increase that was due to him.

Upon his introduction at halftime, he immediately made an impact by setting up Cerny’s second goal. Nevertheless, he was issued his marching orders late in the game following a clumsy challenge on Saints striker Benjamin Kimpioka.

Ianis Hagi is shown red card after VAR review

Clement acknowledged, “It is a clear red card.” The tackle lacks intensity; rather, it is an inept challenge from a player who is fatigued at the time. Ianis did not intend to address the matter in that manner. It is a straightforward red card, but it was unfortunate.

“I am of the opinion that the suspension will not be significant, as it is not of a high intensity and is more of an unfortunate occurrence, albeit a clear one.” You can also observe that he is currently experiencing a rhythm deficiency, which is a common occurrence. Consequently, I am optimistic that he will be able to participate in the national team, regain his health, and collaborate effectively with us in the upcoming weeks and months to elevate him to his highest potential.

Gers are currently in the international break; however, Clement anticipates that several of his injured players will be able to return when they visit Kilmarnock on October 20. He also stated, “I anticipate that Danilo and Ridvan Yilmaz may be included in the training session, but the two others [Rabbi Matondo and Cortes] are not yet available; it is too early for them.” “That will be a longer-term situation with Oscar.”

Simo Valakari, the new manager of the Saints, was present in the stands. However, stand-in manager Andy Kirk believes that the Finn will have been satisfied with the performance of the struggling Perth team.

He stated, “We were confronted with an exceptionally formidable team.” The players were aware that the new manager was in the stands, so it was evident that they were also attempting to impress.

“We can certainly derive positives from that game, and the new manager will be able to work soon. He will have the opportunity to observe the players’ lives and the tasks he must complete, and we are optimistic that we will be able to improve.”

Aberdeen support tifo celebrations near anniversary of brutal challenge on Rangers legend

Aberdeen has openly supported a special tifo honoring Neil Simpson on the anniversary of his fatal challenge on Rangers icon Ian Durrant.

The Aberdeen Fans initiative will reveal the contentious Neil Simpson tifo during the club’s Scottish Premiership match against Hearts at Pittodrie this afternoon (06/10).

Tomorrow we honour the local loon who lived the dream.

The Fans Project have organised a Tifo tribute for Neil Simpson ahead of Sunday’s match.

Please ensure you’re at your seat by 2.45pm to welcome Simmy onto the pitch.
@NeilSimmy8 pic.twitter.com/pxEo609rq1

— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) October 5, 2024

This tifo has also been approved by Aberdeen, who have pushed the contentious decision on their official club social media accounts and even invited Neil Simpson to the field.

8 APR 1995: IAN DURRANT OF GLASGOW RANGERS IN ACTION DURING THE GLASGOW RANGERS V ABERDEEN SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH AT IBROX IN GLASGOW. Mand…

Rangers supporters have criticized the Dons for glamorizing one of the most horrific episodes in Scottish football history.

Aberdeen Ian Durrant tifo coincidence.

While Aberdeen make no mention of the challenge on Ian Durrant, which cost the brilliant Scotland midfielder three years of his promising career, the tackle’s anniversary falls on the same day.

On October 8, 1988, Neil Simpson delivered a brutal tackle on Ian Durrant, causing the Aberdeen player to damage the ligaments in the Rangers’ knee.

The event is inscribed into the annals of the Rangers-Dons rivalry, and it left an everlasting imprint on Ian Durrant’s career.

Around 30,000 Rangers fans reportedly went out for a reserve game to watch Durrant make his comeback in January 1991, and the midfielder also began a dramatic ‘winner takes all’ league tie against the Dons at the conclusion of that season.

Rangers beat the Dons 2-0, with Mark Hateley scoring both goals to win the club’s third championship in 9IAR.

Ian Durrant also sued Neil Simpson for the aggressive challenge and paid for damages in 1993, claiming the challenge was a ‘act of great irresponsibility’ (Independent).

Almost 40 years later, the nasty tackle has further fueled animosity between Rangers and Aberdeen supporters.

It also revolutionized the career of one of Scotland’s most gifted young players.

Rangers must make their sentiments clear to Aberdeen.

While Simpson had a successful Aberdeen career in both the local and foreign leagues, the timing of the tifo is unclear and has created huge worries in Rangers circles.

The picture of Simpson flying into Durrant’s knee is widely used to goad Rangers fans and represents the degree of ill-feeling some Dons supporters have with the Ibrox.

Songs about the tackle continue to ring out on Aberdeen’s terraces, with the violent challenge being celebrated by some of the northeast club’s supporters.

Aberdeen’s excuse of ignorance about the date is an insult to fans’ intellect.

Rangers fans have called on the club to respond to this decision and support Ian Durrant.

Rangers supporters are outraged and believe the action is deceitful of Aberdeen as a football club, whether by refusing to welcome Aberdeen directors or making a public show of solidarity.

It’s difficult to disagree.

The celebration of the challenge is very vulgar and has no place on the terraces or in sport, and rather than criticising it, the Dons seem to be encouraging it.

We’ll have to wait for a reaction from the Rangers boardroom, which must be outraged that this has been allowed to happen and Aberdeen has given it its official support.

It’s classless at best, cruel at worst, and we believe any convivial atmosphere inside the boardrooms will vanish with the tifo’s introduction this afternoon.