Week 33: Krummier v. Krummier
The country is divided once more. Upstairs - downstairs. Haves - have nots. The rubbish - the rubbisher.
But at least in week 33, in the last burp of egalitarianism in the SPL before the league splits, all 12 teams were focussed, united and committed to a final collective display...of mediocrity.
"For long periods this match was a synopsis of everything that has been wrong with a low-key SPL campaign," muttered the Guardian's Patrick Glenn, after a particularly harrowing 90 minutes, where Rangers squirmed past St. Mirren for a 1-0 win at Love Street. According to poor Patrick, whose Easter weekend was further ruined by a Sunday visit to Celtic Park - "a largely tedious thirty-third outing of the season" - St. Mirren were "untidy and bereft of class" while "woefully short of spark in the final third". Qualities which should stand them in good stead for next season should Dunfermline fail to catch their basement buddies in the next five games.
The Pars certainly made their cause more attainable with a 1-0 win over Hibernian at East End Park, while fellow bottom-sixers Inverness CT and Falkirk shared the points in a largely unremarkable 1-1 draw at the Caledonian Stadium.
All this talk of the the 'split' may have inspired Aberdeen's Lee Miller to give his rear cheeks an outing after the Dons' 4-2 home defeat to Dundee United, an act which the Herald's Frank Gilfeather referred to as an "epilogue", although perhaps not in the Herman Melville tradition. At least Ewan Smith in Scotland On Sunday had a good afternoon, labelling it "one of the most watchable games of the season" although it wasn't clear if this was applicable to the game as a whole or just the final flourish.
At Tynecastle, where thankfully all arses were kept hidden from view, with the exception of [insert name here...take your pick] of course, Richard Moore of Scotland On Sunday noted the Hearts "supporters had spent much of the afternoon in various states of puzzlement, anger and indignation" which is what they pay the £20 for after all. Nevertheless the home fans 'enjoyed' a 1-0 win over Kilmarnock which Rob Robertson of the Herald thought was "scrappy" and "ill deserved", unlike Jose Goncalves' red card which was another sublime refutation of Hearts' reputation as less of a football team and more of a mob in shorts.
As touched on earlier, events were no happier at Celtic Park where the champions elect took another agonising step towards the title with a subdued 1-0 win over Motherwell. Hugh Keevins in the Daily Record witnessed a display from Celtic which was "dire and fell well beneath what should be an acceptable level of performance", while the Sunday Herald's Michael Grant thought Gordon Strachan's side were "pedestrian and unconvincing in victory". As for poor Patrick Glenn, he could only note the "general blandness" of proceedings.
At least, thanks to the split, Patrick and the rest of us have 'meaningful' games to look forward to in the final weeks of the season. Pity they're not in the SPL.
But at least in week 33, in the last burp of egalitarianism in the SPL before the league splits, all 12 teams were focussed, united and committed to a final collective display...of mediocrity.
"For long periods this match was a synopsis of everything that has been wrong with a low-key SPL campaign," muttered the Guardian's Patrick Glenn, after a particularly harrowing 90 minutes, where Rangers squirmed past St. Mirren for a 1-0 win at Love Street. According to poor Patrick, whose Easter weekend was further ruined by a Sunday visit to Celtic Park - "a largely tedious thirty-third outing of the season" - St. Mirren were "untidy and bereft of class" while "woefully short of spark in the final third". Qualities which should stand them in good stead for next season should Dunfermline fail to catch their basement buddies in the next five games.
The Pars certainly made their cause more attainable with a 1-0 win over Hibernian at East End Park, while fellow bottom-sixers Inverness CT and Falkirk shared the points in a largely unremarkable 1-1 draw at the Caledonian Stadium.
All this talk of the the 'split' may have inspired Aberdeen's Lee Miller to give his rear cheeks an outing after the Dons' 4-2 home defeat to Dundee United, an act which the Herald's Frank Gilfeather referred to as an "epilogue", although perhaps not in the Herman Melville tradition. At least Ewan Smith in Scotland On Sunday had a good afternoon, labelling it "one of the most watchable games of the season" although it wasn't clear if this was applicable to the game as a whole or just the final flourish.
At Tynecastle, where thankfully all arses were kept hidden from view, with the exception of [insert name here...take your pick] of course, Richard Moore of Scotland On Sunday noted the Hearts "supporters had spent much of the afternoon in various states of puzzlement, anger and indignation" which is what they pay the £20 for after all. Nevertheless the home fans 'enjoyed' a 1-0 win over Kilmarnock which Rob Robertson of the Herald thought was "scrappy" and "ill deserved", unlike Jose Goncalves' red card which was another sublime refutation of Hearts' reputation as less of a football team and more of a mob in shorts.
As touched on earlier, events were no happier at Celtic Park where the champions elect took another agonising step towards the title with a subdued 1-0 win over Motherwell. Hugh Keevins in the Daily Record witnessed a display from Celtic which was "dire and fell well beneath what should be an acceptable level of performance", while the Sunday Herald's Michael Grant thought Gordon Strachan's side were "pedestrian and unconvincing in victory". As for poor Patrick Glenn, he could only note the "general blandness" of proceedings.
At least, thanks to the split, Patrick and the rest of us have 'meaningful' games to look forward to in the final weeks of the season. Pity they're not in the SPL.
posted by nothing.if.not @ 2:17 PM
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