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Back on top of the SPL where we belong.

Well done to Strachan for almost certainly being the October MVP. I've been one of his most vocal critics but he's managed to keep his heid above water so far.

Well done, too, to Chris Sutton and Neil Lennon. These two players have been the most consistent standouts this season for this observer. Chris Sutton is undoubtedly the best all round player in Britain, and there are few better defensive midfielders in the European game than Lennon.

Also, glad the SPL is so competitive. Is there a more competitive leagus in Europe where you have so many provincial teams challenging the top dog of Celtic?

And what of Rangers? They're fighting it out way down there with the Aberdeens of this world. Big Eck doesn't have a trophy cabinet packed at Ibrox for nothing. Rangers fans should appreciate Big Eck for all the things he's done for them.

Let us hope that Celtic don't suffer a backlash in back-to-back games against the Gers in November. Rangers are at their most dangerous and unmatchable when their backs are against the wall, the refs on their side, and the going gets dirty.

Why Rangers Need Big Eck More Than Ever

In a week where the spotlight is firmly fixed on Martin O'Neill's presence on the Celtic payroll hanging over Gordon Strachan in Paradise, Rangers have been given a relative free ride by the press in their build up to their game against Strachan's Tormentors, Artmedia Bratislava.

We were assured by footballing experts, such as Hugh Keevins, that the Slovakians were a "pub team." Keevins, speaking on Radio Clyde, said, "They are a pub team." It doesn't get any more damning than that.

So it is to today's game that myself amongst others were expecting a goal feast for Rangers by seeing the Ibrox club give the Slovakians a right good gubbing, to cement their place in pole position for moving to a higher plane of European Excellence than ever Celtic could dream of supporting.

Indeed, with Porto being pretty much out of the picture having been mugged 3-2 by Gers and Bratislava, the thought of them playing Internationale next would be like the undertaker dumping their coffin into the dug out grave.

Going into today, Rangers were in such a commanding position that it was inconceivable that they could mess up as Big Eck had played it right throughout this season's Champions League campaign. Rangers truly were surfing to be amongst the Big Guns of European football.

So to see them crumble to a humiliating 0-0 draw at home is a shock to say the least. There are no excuses tonight as to why Rangers could not put the ball into the back of the net. I counted at least 15 goal scoring opportunities and misses, saves, and bungled sitters are too easy a get out which we never see Rangers fans use as an exit strategy.

What happened tonight is that Rangers are simply a team which has ran out of luck against inferior opposition. Luck isn't a one way street and Big Eck's lucky charm must have fallen by the wayside on the bus to Ibrox before the game.

If I am honest about the Rangers team, Big Eck has had to use his wits to bring in players of the best calibre possible but they are simply lacking the talent to play at the Champions League level consistently. You must be able to play against the diddy teams as well as the big teams. Just ask Internationale's coach about that from game 2.

But Big Eck is working miracles by managing to get Rangers into this level of the competition. He is the best manager Rangers can hope to have at their current debtedness. The pie in the sky ideas of building casinos and building other tiers on top of an already crumbling Ibrox are not the type of fantasy that is going to give Big Eck any more money.

It's not the type of situation that is going to give any Big Eck successor any better potential, either. What Rangers fans should do is be satisfied to be competing at their present level and applaud Big Eck for his working against all the odds and keeping his head above water.

If Rangers did have a blank checkbook to allow Big Eck to go on a spending spree then the only players good enough to survive the cull would be the failed EPL player, Bassa Ned, and the Croation striker Dado Prso.

The rest are well below the calibre of what can allow Rangers to compete. Even Prso is a poor player in comparision to the riches at Celtic. I'm sure any bear would take a winner like Chris Sutton over Prso any day.

But all is not lost, as the failure of tonight and the success of Porto at home have added a further twist to the group, Rangers can almost be guaranteed further twists that can propell them to European Greatness again.

Big Eck has that talent and indescribable abiity to coax that from Rangers as no other would in his position. In other words, McLeash is the absolute best that Rangers can afford in their present climate and he's doing much better than Strachan can achieve with the riches he has managed to screw up.

After all, could you imagine Big Eck losing 5-0 away in Slovakia like Strachan has? Not a chance, only the Strachan-dreamers haven't figured that out yet and woken up to the fact.

Bears: Who Will *you* be supporting?

As Scotland didn't really play any international football this week, we can turn our attention to other matters at hand on the international scene.

Most Rangers fans who wear England tops to Ibrox will be cheering on their international team at Old Trafford tomorrow. Including those with gruff Scottish accents.

But, for the confused, who couldn't possibly support Team Celtic International...err...I mean Poland just who will they be hoping win tomorrow?

On the one hand, a proud Scot should never want England to win anything, but on the other hand, you've always got to boo a tim, regardless of whom he plays for.

Just ask John Hartson and the booing he had to go through at the cesspit that is Windsor Park, home of those fine upstanding footballing thugs called Linfield. Hartson did the heroic thing by facing down the bigots who booed and hissed him by taking a penalty in the runout at NornIron park.

But Celtic's two Polish sensations won't have to face such hostilities as death threats in England that have prevented Celtic players in the past from playing proudly for their country, so we can easily look forward to seeing Poland come away with at least a draw from a tim inspired display.