After another packed week of sporting action, Game On crunches all the major talking points – and moots another cross-Glasgow move
Game On 18/04/25 – Gers big call over Ferguson | Nicolas Kuhn – stick or twist? | Scottish Cup predictions
Are you keen to catch up on all of Scottish football’s biggest talking points, but have just two minutes to spare for each?
Well you’re in luck, because Game On from Record Sport does just that – dissecting all the major issues, but against the clock to prevent our intrepid team from rambling on too much.
This week our opinionated Record Sport duo of Graeme Young and Fraser Clarke discuss the impact of defeat in Bilbao on Barry Ferguson’s chances of becoming the Rangers boss permanently – with the Light Blues now knowing that they’ll end the season without silverware.
Across the city at Celtic, Nicolas Kuhn comes under the spotlight – with the German having struggled for form since the turn of the year after a sparkling start to the campaign. Is it time to sell, and could his replacement be someone who made the headlines on his last visit to the east end…
John McGinn starred for Aston Villa as they gave PSG a scare in the Champions League, but is he Celtic’s biggest ever transfer bungle?
Ange is cutting a confident figure after guiding Spurs to the semi-finals of the Europa League, and could still come through on his promise to always win a trophy in his second season.
It’s Scottish Cup semi-final weekend too – and both our men are predicting the same final. With Hearts boss Neil Critchley’s record under the microscope.
And don’t fear that it’s all football either. The team cast their verdict on Rory McIlroy’s chances of winning another major after his emotional Masters win.
Whilst John Higgins is also up for debate as he goes in search of a fifth world title at the Crucible – even if doubts have now arisen over whether he’ll play or not.
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Decision time – will Barry Ferguson be back at Rangers and does he deserve to be?
GY : The question is two fold, isn’t it? It felt quite final in his answer when he spoke to the media after the game. I think there’s a case to be made.
I know it’s maybe not as strong in some areas, but he’s shown enough and, with the takeover still not completed, the idea that when he arrived on a temporary basis it seemed like it was beyond logic that he would get the chance.
But he does fit what Rangers are about. He gets the game. I know he’s been criticised for the tactical change with Nsiala coming on later. But he was thinking outside the box and I think that there’s plenty to be said for that.
I think there’s been enough with him pinpointing the flaws in this Rangers team that if there is a temporary boss needed. What he has shown is that he’s a manager or nothing, so he’ll either be kept around as manager or return to an ambassador role.
FC : I think the 49ers will be breathing a bit of a sight of relief after last night. Because if he had won them the Europa League then he’d have to be appointed; no doubts, no question about it.
You experience success in Europe as a club legend, win a European trophy then there’s no competition.
I think that there have been warning signs. Four wins from 10 matches, that’s not good enough as a Rangers manager. Bump that up to six wins in 10 and it’s still not really good enough.
Even in some of those games, Fenerbahce away they were phenomenal, it was an unbelievable performance. Celtic at Parkhead, I thought they played them off the park for large spells of the game.
But they almost lost the second leg against Fenerbahce and they almost left Parkhead with just a point. I think those have to be warning signs..
What was it the management team were dubbed? The Staunch Avengers? They got the fans right back onside, everyone connected with Rangers wants it to be a success. But I think we’ve seen why Barry Ferguson hasn’t been appointed Rangers manager before now.
He’s not afraid of the big calls. But how many of those have paid off, and how often can you keep doing that? To me, it looks like a manager who is getting his starting 11 wrong and having to rectify it.
Nicolas Kuhn? Stick or twist?
GY: It’s important to caveat this isn’t just on form. Celtic are specialists in selling at the right time and Daizen Maeda is the next one who is entering the final part of his contract. But it’s quite obvious that they would love to keep him around, or get him on a bumper contract and then see if suitors come.
With Kuhn it’s a bit more complex. I actually felt that he was better than advertised at the tail end of last season, which followed in to a brilliant start. I have, as much as anyone, been shocked at the level he’s playing at currently.
It’s hard with Kuhn because when he’s off the pace then it’s so obvious. He’s weak in tackles, he likes to cut inside across the pitch and that doesn’t work.
When James Forrest is there then you know you’ll always get a level. Kuhn drops below the Forrest level, even though he’s also capable of getting to a level that James Forrest can’t get to.
I think they’ve got a big decision to make. And I would be surprised if good level European teams weren’t still interested in paying good money.
That then gives them an option. A striker needs to be sought, they still have Jota and can get a cheaper winger – and put the money into getting a central striker.
FC: Is it wrong that the first thing that popped into my head when you were talking about getting an additional winger, was Vaclav Cerny?
We’ve spoken about Greg Taylor being linked with Rangers. Could Cerny be tempted to go the other way? I think he’d improve Celtic and be a good signing for them. There would be no controversy I’m sure, it would be no bother!
But this, for me, is where Brendan Rodgers earns his corn and he needs to know Nicolas Kuhn’s character. Is he a player who will respond better to a kick up the backside, or does he need an arm round and a DVD of how good he was at the start of the season.
I think we’ll see that this weekend. Does he get thrown in from the start at Hampden? If he is then he’s the sort of player who needs an arm round him. If he benches him then he might be the type to need a kick up the backside, and there might be no way back in terms of at Celtic, if they think they can cash in and take the money while they can.
Will Ange have the last laugh at Spurs?
FC: I think he’ll win the Europa League. Watching his interview last night had me believing, and I think we saw a different sort of Spurs.
It was described on TNT Sport as the perfect European away performance. That’s not very Angeball, that’s not what we expect from the high octane Postecoglou style of play.
You look at the teams that are left; Bodo, he’ll have some bad memories there, Man United, Bilbao. There’s no reason Tottenham can’t win it, despite how hopeless they’ve been in the league.
They have some good players coming back from injury, defensively especially that will be huge for them. On their day I think they are the best side left in the competition.
Do I trust them? No, I never trust them. But watching his post-match, the players sound on board, he’s never doubted himself and the fact the club haven’t sacked him, despite where they sit in the Premier League, suggests they believe in him in Europe. Because that’s the only reason they’d keep him there.
GY: At times at Celtic he liked to keep his distance, but every so often he liked to give out an Any Given Sunday Al Pacino style speech when it really mattered.
I bet he had one last night. It felt like everyone was onboard. It’s probably a truce, isn’t it? We’ll all walk away in the summer, but lets get Champions League football and a winners’ medal.
With the level of player they have compared to the other teams, if they are on fire they are as good a bet as any.
But you’ve still got Bodo/Glimt. That would be very Ange if Bodo found a way to burst Angeball twice at different clubs. There are challenges there.
Bilbao, for all they were convincing enough against Rangers, they are not 2012 Bilbao. They are not as exciting.