Boab 73 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Rangers boss Walter Smith has responded to critics of the SPL by insisting the competition is 'as good as ever'. Scottish Football Association president George Peat recently criticised the standard of football in the SPL, but Smith has defended the league. Smith accepts the quality of individuals is not as high as in the past, but the Ibrox chief has praised the competitive nature of the division. "You can't have your cake and eat it," said Smith. "No disrespect to anybody that's playing at the present moment, Scottish football did have possibly better individuals 10 years ago playing in the country. Applauded "But I think the level of competition now is as good as it has ever been and that's a credit to the work a lot of the managers do. "We might not have the best individual players and we certainly haven't got that if you stretch throughout Europe. "But the level of competition in the Scottish game is great and that's testament to the good work that a lot of the managers and coaches do and obviously the attitude that the players have throughout the league. "So I always find it very difficult in Scotland; I find it a very competitive environment, even allowing for the fact that we used to have maybe one or two better individual players within each of the teams. "I think fitness levels are up, and the management levels, coaching levels tactically are very good. "There's a great deal of awareness of how the game should be played against each of the teams, and that makes it really difficult. "So, we have a level of competition, I think, that should be applauded." http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_5137237,00.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCartmanLee 313 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 What is this george peat story ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy 68 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 "But I think the level of competition now is as good as it has ever been and that's a credit to the work a lot of the managers do." When the you consider the gap that did exist between ourselves and the rest compared to now, this is not a credit to any Rangers manager. Quite the contrary in fact! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boab 73 Posted April 3, 2009 Author Share Posted April 3, 2009 What is this george peat story ? Mar 29 2009 By Gordon Waddell In Amsterdam GEORGE PEAT last night prepared the SFA for a war with the SPL as he told them: Your product is selling the fans short. The Hampden blazers will meet with Henry McLeish this week to set out targets for the former First Minister's root-and-branch report into Scottish football's ills. And Peat wants him to start at the top of the tree - because the games he is watching in the SPL are so bad the SFA president could play in goals in most of them! Three SPL games were 0-0 draws last weekend and Peat said: "The product at the top is not as good as it should be. "I've watched a number of games in the SPL recently where I could have played in goals - and that's sad. "I try to watch all grades in all divisions. But people go to games to see good football and goalmouth incidents. "And from what I've seen recently that hasn't been happening. "We haven't spoken to the SPL yet - we've still to agree terms of reference with Henry because within the committee we differ on what is the most urgent aspect to look at. "I think Henry should be looking at the top level while others think it should be youth level. "But the product we have just now is not good enough and that's what we should be trying to improve. "We meet this week to agree his terms. Once that's done Henry goes his own way and consults with anyone he wants. He has free rein." Privately, Peat is already believed to be sceptical of any SPL participation in the review. And he's disappointed league chief Lex Gold has put SPL2 back on the agenda before McLeish has had a chance to get his teeth into the game. He sighed: "It flies in the face of what we're doing. "I'd have thought at least letting Henry consult then report on it would have been an idea. But you know as well as I do there'll be someone who says: 'I don't fancy that.' "From day one I said I hoped people would put self interest aside and put the betterment of Scottish football as a whole first." http://www.<No links to this website>/football/spl/...86908-21249753/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SPL managers have hit back at SFA president George Peat after he claimed that the football in Scotland's elite division lacked quality. By Ewing Grahame Last Updated: 5:22PM BST 29 Mar 2009 SPL managers hit back at SFA president George Peat in quality row Goalmouth action: Celtic's Scott Brown is caught between Allan McGregor and Kirk Broadfoot Photo: AFP Motherwell's Mark McGhee and Jimmy Calderwood of Aberdeen attacked Peat for his criticism and for insisting that the think tank to be chaired by Henry McLeish should concentrate on the SPL, insisting that he isn't qualified to make that judgment. "The product at the top is not as good as it should be," said Peat. "I've watched a number of games in the SPL recently where I could have played in goals – and that's sad. "I try to watch all grades in all divisions. But people go to games to see good football and goalmouth incidents and, from what I've seen recently, that hasn't been happening." Those comments have infuriated those at the coal face. "I disagree strongly with what George has said," said McGhee. "I would also question his ability to judge the qualities in our game and the ones that are lacking from it. "We've been involved in a lot of really good games this season. Of course, there will have been some bad ones as well but this idea that ever single game in the Premiership, for example, is wonderful is a myth. "You get some bad games at every level every week so at the very least it's unhelpful for him to accuse the SPL of lacking quality and entertainment. "Three weeks ago I went to a match between Crystal Palace and Preston North End, a club which could be in the Premiership next season. "It was a poor game and two of the players I'd had at Millwall were playing in that match. Both of them are earning fortunes compared to what Motherwell can afford to pay and yet neither of them would get in my first team ahead of Paul Quinn or Jim O'Brien. "So I don't know what George's answer is to the problem he's identified, how we're supposed to make this quantum leap he seems to want. Is Henry McLeish going to put out some directive to make everyone better players? "The clubs in the SPL try to play football in a positive manner. Managers like myself, John Hughes and Craig Levein set out to try and win every single game. "Economics also comes into it. One sure way to improve the quality of football would be to give each club £10million but I don't suppose that'll be happening." McGhee also believes that the image of Scottish football could be improved if broadcasters Setanta agreed to stop covering matches at the SPL's smallest grounds. "I mentioned this at the last managers' meeting at Hampden but it doesn't help when we show live games from Inverness, with small attendances and stands missing," he said. "That also applies to games at Falkirk – and at Fir Park if we don't open one of our stands. That affects people's perception of Scottish football. "I think they should concentrate on away games for Falkirk and Inverness at places like Tynecastle and Tannadice because that would improve the quality of the viewing experience for fans." Calderwood, meanwhile, believes that Peat is guilty of double standards with his attack on Scotland's biggest clubs. "If we criticise the SFA then we're hauled up before them and fined or banned yet he can come out and have a go at us," he said. "They employ people to go through the newspapers looking for reasons to do us in and for George to come out with this just before what is a massive game for Scotland against Iceland on Wednesday is just wrong. "How can he blame the SPL? Does he think Lex Gold tells us how to play? It's really disappointing that he's come out with this. I've always thought we should have one ruling body instead of three. "I've been involved in some cracking games this season and, while there have been some poor ones as well, you've got to remember the climate we work in. "Our pitches have been hammered by the weather and that doesn't make it easy to play great football. Johan Cruyff told me that Barcelona train three times a day but there are times when we've had to chuck it after warming up. "In my time at Aberdeen I've had to abandon training all together because of the weather. Players need to work with the ball in order to improve their touch and their skills and that isn't always possible here." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...uality-row.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralCartmanLee 313 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 So as chairman of the SFA, the body responsible for grass roots football in this country, i take it Peat will be resigning for what he must recognise as his failure........ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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