After overdosing on Deludemol all through the summer there was a nasty reaction on Follow Follow to the return of reality.
Micky Beale’s Superstars have had a phenomenal summer, talked up at every turn with former team-mates, coaches and managers offering glowing testimonials to their ability.
The reality is that other than Danilo from Feyenoord the signings have either been free agents or strikers that were relegated last season.
No effort was made to offer new deals to Alfredo Morelos or Ryan Kent with Malik Tillman point blank refusing to come back to Ibrox after six months of listening to all of the fings that Micky Beale finks about.
There were a few signs in the pre-season matches that all wasn’t quote as rosy as the messengers were portraying it. Newcastle won in a canter, Olympiacos were streets ahead of Beale’s side with the defence badly exposed by Hoffenheim even though the match finished in a 2-2 draw.
Across the media there was barely a word of caution that it might not work out as anticipated, when the final whistle blew at Rugby Park furious bears hit the keyboard to express their anger on Follow Follow.
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Across the media there was barely a word of caution that it might not work out as anticipated, when the final whistle blew at Rugby Park furious bears hit the keyboard to express their anger on Follow Follow.
There wasn’t a single player in Beale’s squad that earned passmarks as they were outfought and outplayed by opponents that consisted of free agent journeymen knocked into shape by Derek McInnes.
For no obvious reason Beale has earned the reputation of being a master tactician, a wizard of the training ground but that was probably gained in comparison to Steven Gerrard.
Picking winning teams is vastly different to laying out the comes and bibs for Gary McAllister, today there seemed to be little shape or purpose about the way Beale’s side played.
There was no obvious wingers in the Starting XI with Kilmarnock crowding the centre of the pitch knowing that there was no threat coming in from James Tavernier and Borna Barisic on the flanks.
Todd Cantwell, the superstar of last season’s Dead-Rubbers, started the match on the bench, came on for half an hour and contributed very little- much like his performances against Celtic in last season’s meaningful matches.
There was already pressure on the side going into the Champions League qualifier against Sevette but that has been amplified after today’s defeat.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst managed to get through two qualifiers last season, if Beale fails to match that some unfavourable comparisons will be made especially after being given the funds to sign nine new stars.
Beale personally looks into the eyes of targets before deciding to sign them, taking a close look at today’s performance and the tactics from the manager at Kilmarnock might come up with some uncomfortable conclusions.
