Sink or Swim...
Thursday’s match in Tuscany was a vast result – not only did Paul Le Guen silence his numerous critics with a formation and tactical nous which justified his reputation, but the players produced a hungry performance full of desire and quality.
Both of these aspects have been flaky all season, with intermittent spells boasting them in abundance, but all too often the promise would fade away and leave us with performances and results which scraped the barrel of ineptitude.
The one exception to this inconsistency was the display against Hearts which showed how effective Le Guen and his players could be when they got it right, so it was more than pleasing to see it re-emerge at a time where it could not have been more welcome.
However, the proof of the pudding is the bread and butter of the SPL, and Le Guen knows this as well as anyone. Put simply, he must take the impetus generated by our performance on Italian soil and use it to further our lot on the domestic front.
There is little point in excelling in the luxury of the Uefa Cup yet faltering in the league.
Studious eyes will be on the formation and players picked tomorrow; will the coach opt to stand by the same eleven who served him so brilliantly at the Picchi, or will he change the system to cope with the differences the SPL presents.
Le Guen is genuinely being judged on his ability to awaken a sleeping giant and get it challenging for Scottish honours in a credible and competitive manner again. Being ten points off the lead Celtic have accumulated gives some indication of the stuttering start he has made, and there can be absolutely no doubt the match against St Mirren is our biggest and most important of the season yet.
Win this game, and win it well, and suddenly those supporters with nagging doubts about Le Guen’s credentials start to believe he might be able to sustain a convincing run in the SPL, taking Thursday’s upturn in fortunes forward.
Should we falter, however, and accusations of one-offs or flukes get levelled at Le Guen and those are claims he would find it hard to shake off or even dispute.
Support for Le Guen has returned, and faith is growing, but he has to convince where it really matters. Do that, and he’s won half the battle.
Both of these aspects have been flaky all season, with intermittent spells boasting them in abundance, but all too often the promise would fade away and leave us with performances and results which scraped the barrel of ineptitude.
The one exception to this inconsistency was the display against Hearts which showed how effective Le Guen and his players could be when they got it right, so it was more than pleasing to see it re-emerge at a time where it could not have been more welcome.
However, the proof of the pudding is the bread and butter of the SPL, and Le Guen knows this as well as anyone. Put simply, he must take the impetus generated by our performance on Italian soil and use it to further our lot on the domestic front.
There is little point in excelling in the luxury of the Uefa Cup yet faltering in the league.
Studious eyes will be on the formation and players picked tomorrow; will the coach opt to stand by the same eleven who served him so brilliantly at the Picchi, or will he change the system to cope with the differences the SPL presents.
Le Guen is genuinely being judged on his ability to awaken a sleeping giant and get it challenging for Scottish honours in a credible and competitive manner again. Being ten points off the lead Celtic have accumulated gives some indication of the stuttering start he has made, and there can be absolutely no doubt the match against St Mirren is our biggest and most important of the season yet.
Win this game, and win it well, and suddenly those supporters with nagging doubts about Le Guen’s credentials start to believe he might be able to sustain a convincing run in the SPL, taking Thursday’s upturn in fortunes forward.
Should we falter, however, and accusations of one-offs or flukes get levelled at Le Guen and those are claims he would find it hard to shake off or even dispute.
Support for Le Guen has returned, and faith is growing, but he has to convince where it really matters. Do that, and he’s won half the battle.
posted by RangersMedia @ 4:57 PM
<< Home