Just watched extended highlights of Saturday's match between Dundee United and Dunfermline. Oh deary me, what an absolute shambles. As they are two of the best sides in the league, I'm genuinely interested as to whether it's usually that bad, or it was just a particularly scrappy game. Perhaps @arabian_ian could shed some light?! The camerawork is pretty rancid as well!
It was awful mate. My club atm still in turmoil but standards over the past 4 years or so have plummeted. It is difficult to turn up and watch the ***** on offer. I will of course but only through habit and in hope of things improving.
Why do you think standards have dropped so much? The Scottish Premier League used to be very decent indeed in the 80's. Loads of good players, and not just for the Old Firm. Excellent European runs for Aberdeen and you guys. Where did it all start to go wrong for Scotland in general?
Money. Lack of it. And celtic hoovering up all available talent and not playing them ensuring winning the league and getting the riches that Europe provides. I'm desperately hoping AEK smash them on Thursday.
In the 80s english clubs didn't have sky money so there was a more level playing field. Scottish clubs get peanuts now in comparison to english clubs so perhaps the answer lies there.
Aberdeen lost Rooney to Salford a couple of weeks ago. Heard they offered wages of 4k a week. Cant compete with that.
I'm sure the financial gap at first team level is part of it, but that shouldn't really affect the numbers of young Scottish players coming through. Conversely it should help, as apart from Celtic nobody can really afford high quality foreign imports. In theory at least the door should be very much open to good young Scottish players coming through and playing regular first team football.
You do not understand how dire things are here financially. For instance take St Mirren. They had a good player still a bit to learn. Stevie Mallen Barnsley come along get him for a snip. Taking talent out of our game. Happens all the time as clubs need what ever money available just to survive.
If so it's a very sad state of affairs. I used to love seeing the less fashionable Scottish sides doing well in Europe, and I really miss Scotland having a decent national team as well.
Biggest joke is Celtic winning league EVERY year and most trophies to play for, how boring must that be. And Ian is correct they will get all the best players and sit them in stand rather then let them play against them, Wigan used to do it in Rugby league.
The irony is that when they are eventually pumped out of Europe they blame the fact that Scottish clubs never give them any challenge or real opposition.
It's tonight. Mon the Hoops. That's because despite loving the Queen, Rangers don't love paying her the taxes they owe her. The have a song for it. The cash my father swore was his.
