The issues facing the Scotland national team don’t really impact on Rangers in the grand scheme of things. Some fans enjoy the Tartan Army doing well and others couldn’t care less.
When it comes to the treatment of players though, we should keep a close eye on things, especially when it could have an effect on the fitness of call-ups from the Gers squad.
There’s a worrying report in today’s Daily Record that points to something approaching chaos when it comes to the management of international stars, in this specific case Robert Snodgrass.
Keith Jackson paints an unhealthy picture of painkilling injections and late-night training sessions that Rangers should take notice of.
Writing in today’s Daily Record, the journalist reports:
Rumours abound that Snodgrass was treated shabbily after joining up with the squad for the last double header against Israel and Portugal.
There’s a suggestion the West Ham man was encouraged to take a painkilling injection in order to declare himself fit for the hammering in Haifa – then left to watch it from a seat in the stand, not even listed among McLeish’s substitutes.
That Snodgrass subsequently withdrew from that squad before asking not to be selected this time adds substance to that theory. It also adds another layer of chaos to a very confused Scotland picture.
That ill-fated trip to Israel was also horribly put together. A five and a half hour flight the day before the game and a training session at half past 10 at night, less than 24 hours before kick-off?
Rogue injections will make everyone a bit nervous about sending players to be taken care of under the watchful eye of the SFA and rightly so.
That kind of gossip makes me feel very happy that Ryan Jack decided to withdraw from this international break, despite being a late call-up. We don’t need our players exposed to bizarre decision making like that at a critical stage of the season.
The UEFA Nations League may have major tournament qualification benefits, but it’s not the most prestigious of events on the footballing calendar.
Club football, and especially Rangers, comes first.
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