Kris Boyd says it as it is

[jintybear 1,447]

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/7260814/Kris-Boyd-SFA-sent-Rangers-down-and-our-Scotland-teams-are-paying-the-price-now.html

Kris Boyd: SFA sent Rangers down.. and our Scotland teams are paying the price now

Hanley's failings sum up the slide since Rangers' pressure-pot players were lost down the leagues Getty Images

By KRIS BOYD

00:01, 13 Nov 2016

comments

24

I’M not saying it’s all down to the SFA.

You can hardly blame Stewart Regan for the fact that Grant Hanley can’t defend.

But when the people on Hampden’s sixth floor offices allowed Rangers to be kicked out of the Scottish Premier League there was always going to be consequences.

And this Scotland team right now, is just one of them.

I thought it privately at the time and I’ve seen nothing to make me change my mind in the years since.

My old club should never have been treated the way they were.

But for me, there is no getting away from the fact that the national team has suffered as a direct result.

Scotland needed to have players at Rangers playing at the highest level.

Instead, the club found itself in the third division with all their top players moving on.

Since 2012 we’ve had one of our biggest clubs — in fact, to my mind, THE biggest club in the country, wasting its time.

Previous Scotland managers had a number of Rangers players to choose from and they knew what they were getting.

They were players who had a winning mentality — something which just isn’t there in that team now.

I don’t mean this as any disrespect to anyone.

Gers were forced down the leagues after 2012 meltdown

But players playing in the English Championship or wrong end of the English Premier League don’t play with the pressure of a Rangers or Celtic player.

At Ibrox and Parkhead second place is last place.

You have an expectancy you need to deal with and if you can’t handle it then you’re at the wrong club.

With Scotland now we have guys who don’t have that winning mentality because they don’t need it at their clubs.

They can play five matches, win two, draw one and lose two and their supporters will be happy with that.

Well, I’m sorry but that’s no use to anyone. Certainly not Gordon Strachan.

Like I say, it’s not the reason Scotland lost to England because that was down purely to the finishing and defending.

I actually thought the team played alright.

Managers, coaches and players will know where I’m coming from here when I say that had the game been from 18 yard box to 18 yard box and played possession — with a goal given for every ten completed passes — it would probably have finished ten each!

But we were dire at the back with big Hanley’s performance everything I feared it would be.

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I said it last week in this column, I wrote about how I was sick to the back teeth of seeing him making the same mistakes.

Well at Wembley nothing changed.

I genuinely hate to slate the big man because he’s doing his best. But frankly, his best isn’t good enough.

Is this down to the fact he’s had more minutes with Scotland recently than he has done with Newcastle?

You could point the finger at him for all three goals, he was that bad.

I predicted we’d be weak at right back if we played Callum Paterson and said Ikechi Anya should be given that role, also writing that Craig Gordon should be given the nod ahead of David Marshall.

Wallace was the man I wanted at left-back and I thought he had a good game, in fact he was my Scotland man of the match.

But it was that central position at the back which terrified me and, it gives me no satisfaction to say that’s the way it turned out.

It wasn’t much better up front.

I thought Leigh Griffiths made decisions of a player who was trying too hard to impress his manager, rather than keeping it simple.

He had that great chance to slip Robert Snodgrass in but tried a shot — all because he was desperate to make an impact himself.

Listen, who am I to criticise anyone having a pop at goal but when you make that decision you simply MUST score

That’s the harsh reality of where we are right now. We’re not good enough.

But you can’t tell me that’s down to the manager which is why I hope he decides to stay in the job.

I know some people want him out, pointing to the lack of progress.

But if the wee man walks then what changes? We still have the same players for the next guy to pick from.

We still have a lack of talent and ability coming through the ranks.

It’s worrying times for Scotland supporters but for me the country’s expectations don’t match what’s available.

If Strachan does go I don’t see it getting any better any time soon.

Who would I have IF he quits?

That’s a difficult one but put it this way, I don’t think it would be the worst thing in the world if the SFA looked abroad.

It didn’t work when Berti Vogts was appointed but I think we’re more likely to accept new ideas now.

I was at Rangers when Paul le Guen was manager and in all honesty, as players, we weren’t open enough to the things he wanted to do.

He had bold ideas and it seemed so far removed from the norm that it was frowned upon.

Now a few years down the line, I think players are more receptive to different ideas.

Even at my club Kilmarnock we have a manager who has completely altered when we train but everybody has bought into it.

So maybe this is the time to go back down the road of appointing a foreigner.

But that’s only if Strachan raps it and I really hope that doesn’t happen.

[K.A.I 8,592]

I like the cut of his jib and fair play to him for speaking out but if we never got sent down then McCoist would probably still be in a job and we would still be in ruins on the footballing side.

The SFA, Scotland in general, the media, the other football teams and their fans are all scum bastards to me but Scotland getting beat off England at Wembley isn't entirely down to us getting put down the bottom tiers. It might not help but I don't think it does our problems and injustices any justice to blame the national team being shite on us getting shafted ... if anything it gives the rest of Scotland another excuse to have a pop, an unwarranted pop.

[RFCRobertson 3,310]

Fucking good on ya Kris.

I remember him coming out and saying about the slow midfield earlier this year and comparing it too last seasons midfield. Kris doesn't fuck around and does say what a lot of Rangers fans are saying,

[BridgeIsBlue 9,693]

Nope,still can't find the fuck that I give.

[dummiesoot 2,295]

Very honest bringing up the le guen time as well.

[cr3_bear 2,370]

It's a decent opinion to bring up but it can be dismissed by the simple fact that Scotland were still continuously shite even when us an Celtic were going toe to toe for the Title all the way through the noughties

[Reformation Bear 2,170]

A bit of plain speaking from Kris. Good for him. No-one from Ibrox, or who used to be at Ibrox has been prepared to say it in direct terms as they see it. All the stuff coming out of Ibrox in the early days of being in lower divisions about not forgetting has been quietly dropped and put behind them in favour of ......no comments. Seems that SPL and SFA and treatment by the so-called 'active harm' clubs is being deliberately shunted into the deep recesses of the collective Ibrox memory never to be raised in public again.

Warburton talks often about the need for the current squad not to take the Support for granted. And that's fine to say so and even finer to demonstrate it by winning games. But on a wider front and with the events of the last 4 years still leaving a deep scar it seems the Board want to take the Support for granted by electing to keep firmly schtum. Have they no public view to offer on the treatment of Rangers by the SFA, SPL and 'active harm' clubs? Or must we wait a while longer and with more of the dust to settle before the club leaders feel they can speak out about the matters we had to endure. Or leave it to former players to do the speaking for them.

The Support carried the Club through these times. A wee bit of telling it as it actually was / is and resulting current consequences for the game in Scotland from Directors might become overdue. It's not as if they haven't had enough time to get the facts and form a view. Maybe they have no view......or at least no view they are prepared to share. Same goes for McCoist who was there throughout it all, at the meetings and hearing first hand what they all had to say.

I know, I know....in due course when the dust has settled a whole lot more and the scars have receded a bit in the collective memory of the Support there will be a book telling all from the corporate Rangers point of view. Written no doubt by Traynor and with McCoist prominent and it'll be a best seller.

[pollok-bear 353]

Well said boydy couldn't agree more.

[centenarystand 1,341]

The tartan army and the haters might not agree with him but there is a lot of truth in what he says and it has had an effect.

As a hater of the national side get it right up yeez you reap what you sowed.

The bastards never thought of the greater good of Scottish Football.

[born a blue nose 2,860]

I know im in the minority but i like boyd. Comes across as a bit of a wind up merchant too think he would have been a laugh in the dressing room.

Last spell with us was gash though

[Vwbear 326]

Wish he would have put half this effort to get fit 2 years ago he puts into running his mouth off this season!

[markem 1,465]

I have been quick to criticise Boyd over the years and whilst his comments don't shift where I personally feel he let himself and the club down it has to be said he is bang on there and deserves credit for telling the truth on a subject where only lies will typically do.

[AlCapone 3,130]

So if we needed rangers players in the Scotland squad to show the winning way, how come Scotland never qualified for anything for the previous 14 years?

[dummiesoot 2,295]

4 minutes ago, AlCapone said:

So if we needed rangers players in the Scotland squad to show the winning way, how come Scotland never qualified for anything for the previous 14 years?

I believe the point is, it is even worse now.

[AlCapone 3,130]

1 minute ago, dummiesoot said:

I believe the point is, it is even worse now.

That's subjective, after Boyds waste of his own talent not really for him to be bumping his gums

[ForeverAndEver 3,271]

1 hour ago, Vwbear said:

Wish he would have put half this effort to get fit 2 years ago he puts into running his mouth off this season!

His goal scoring record in his first spell mean fuck all then?

[dummiesoot 2,295]

7 hours ago, AlCapone said:

That's subjective, after Boyds waste of his own talent not really for him to be bumping his gums

He did enough in his first spell to...

Fuck it this is not a thread about Kris boyd's talent fitness or otherwise.

[Garnock Blue 90]

im sure he will be happy to admit he failed last time around and let everyone down...but he speaks as a fan here...and voices many of the points we would..so we should maybe back him up instead of arguing amonst ourselves...

[Laudrup1984 3,628]

Agree with most to be fair and it's nice of him to be so honest about not fully embracing what PLG was trying to implement into our culture. Interesting to see.

Although it's never nice to see in print couldn't agree more about his views on Hanley. Harsh to be aired so publicly but someone has to say it. The boy is woeful. Don't agree with Gordon being Number 1, Anya starting was questionable and I also think he could and probably should have been more critical of Strachan. Whilst Scotland are not great Strachan's management, selection, tactics, communication and PR style are leaving a lot to be desired to say the least. Scotland should be doing better than they are and Strachan should be gone. He is a major reason why Scotland are doing so poorly IMO.........

[the goal machine 3,019]

15 minutes ago, AlCapone said:

That's subjective, after Boyds waste of his own talent not really for him to be bumping his gums

Boyd's had a great career considering his limitations.

[5*RFC 27]

He should focus on a more realistic looking toupée. Scotland were trash even with the pick of our old teams. Embarrassing.

[cr3_bear 2,370]

1 hour ago, dummiesoot said:

I believe the point is, it is even worse now.

Is it though? just seems on par these days with vogts and Levien time in charge of Scotland , the smith and mcleish years raised hopes that a major tournament was round the corner for the tartan tadgers but apart from that it has been same old same old for the last 18 years

[Sasa'onlyPLGsuccess'Papac 276]

Aye good words Boyd. But do you know what? You personally had the chance to do something about it. And you literally did fuck all second time round.

You can talk the talk . But look at Miller still banging in the goals this season. Could've been you Kris but we're too interested in taking the easy wages and putting in zero amount of interest.

Lost all respect for the guy when he chucked it in the January of breaking the spl record and decided to join Middlesbrough.

Your record since then (apart from the bsnk balance obv) shows you fucked upbig time on the footballing career.

[MasterD 2,063]

6 minutes ago, Sasa'onlyPLGsuccess'Papac said:

Aye good words Boyd. But do you know what? You personally had the chance to do something about it. And you literally did fuck all second time round.

You can talk the talk . But look at Miller still banging in the goals this season. Could've been you Kris but we're too interested in taking the easy wages and putting in zero amount of interest.

Lost all respect for the guy when he chucked it in the January of breaking the spl record and decided to join Middlesbrough.

Your record since then (apart from the bsnk balance obv) shows you fucked upbig time on the footballing career.

😭

[ritchieshearercaldow 2,965]

No matter what Boydy says, the reason why Scotland as a team is shite is because Scottish football is shite, it started before we were sent down but it didn't help that we were.

Sir Walter brought back a bit of pride but we were losing ground anyway.