Charlie Nicholas has branded Allan McGregor’s antics “pathetic” after his attempts to stop Scott Tiffoney scoring for Patrick Thistle after Michael Beale’s sporting instructions.
Rangers had gone ahead when Malik Tillman either ignored or didn’t realise that Partick Thistle were trying to give them possession back from a throw-in. After Jags players reacted angrily, Beale told his player to let them score unchallenged from kick-off to level the score. Tiffoney ran through and met no resistance…until he got to McGregor. The Gers keeper wasn't exactly trying all that hard, but didn't simply stand still and let the Thistle man do his thing either.
And Nicholas reckons it left a bad taste in the mouth after McGregor’s manager had done the right thing. He wrote in his Daily Express column: “What was Rangers keeper Allan McGregor looking to achieve by half-heartedly trying to stop Scott Tiffoney from scoring on Sunday? Ibrox manager Michael Beale had already told his players to step aside and let Partick Thistle equalise after the mix-up with Malik Tillman's goal.
“Tiffoney ran unopposed up the pitch until he got to McGregor, who decided to make life as difficult as he could for the striker to net past him. Why did he have to go through the whole rigmarole? Some people might have found it funny but I thought it was pretty pathetic from McGregor, above.
“Credit has to go to Beale for letting Thistle score their goal (mostly) uncontested. He quickly accepted the misunderstanding with Tillman, who had been stricken on the deck when his team-mates kicked the ball out of play for him.
“It was a great gesture from Rangers but some of the gloss was taken off by McGregor's antics. It was also very harsh for Partick boss Ian McCall and his backroom staff to lose their jobs after the game.”
Elsewhere in Glasgow, Nicholas doesn’t believe Ange Postecoglou is at Celtic for the long haul, but he’ll be able to hand pick a better job than the ones he’s been linked to so far when he does leave. The Aussie has been linked with the vacant post at Leeds United, while SOuthampton are also looking for a manager.
But Nicholas in convinced that the Celtic boss will have his pick and won’t have to embark on a Premier League rescue mission when he does move on from the Premiership champions. He said: “When Ange Postecoglou leaves Celtic, he will be able to hand pick his next job.
“He will be in a position to go to a club that is absolutely right for him. I am in no doubt about that. Leeds United have been linked with the Aussie, while Southampton are also looking for a new manager.
“A lot of the teams who have been connected to Postecoglou are battling to stay in the Premier League. They would still have more financial pull than Celtic but I don’t think any of them would be big enough to convince Postecoglou to even engage in a conversation.
“I’m sure there are approaches for him all the time. WIll there come a time when he gets frustrated with things in Glasgow? Possibly But I don’t think Postecoglou has a huge ego. I also doubt if money has ever been the main motivating factor for him. He seems to be the type of manager who likes to come in and build things up. He wants to forge relationships and work with people he feels are on the same wavelength as him.
“There will come a time when a project or an approach sufficiently floats his boat to tempt him away from Celtic. I said in this column last week that Liverpool could be an interesting one if Jurgen Klopp decides it’s time for a change. That job would be hard to turn down, especially as there is an emotional pull with Postecoglou having supported the Reds growing up.
“People are mentioning potential opportunities in England, but clubs in mainland Europe will have taken note of the job POstecoglou is doing. Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan need sorting out, while a few Bundesliga clubs must be looking at the Australian and admiring his work at Celtic.
“There will be chairmen thinking they could do something similar with their clubs over a three-year period. I don't see Postecoglou being at any club for much longer than three years.
Given the way his teams play, what he demands and turnover of players he wants, there’s always going to be a breakdown somewhere. It’s just the way he works. It is also the harsh reality that if he continues to do well then he will move on.
“Postecoglou is not going to stay at Celtic for the long term. Every Hoops supporter knows that.”
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