Tom English is painfully coming to terms with the likelihood that he won’t be celebrating an Ibrox title party this year with his BBC Scotland colleagues.
Two weeks ago Philippe Clement had English a full on believer as he mulled over just when the SPFL title would be won with a victory at Celtic Park bound to send Scotland’s most successful club into meltdown.
In the absence of either an understanding of football or contacts inside the game English relies on statistics and Twitter reactions as he wings it for the state broadcaster.
Recent attempts to find a rugby job back in Ireland have met with predictable howls of laughter.
With the Six Nations egg-chasing over English has to turn his skill-set to soccer although he has carried out a fascinating and in-depth podcast with snooker player Alan McManus that only BBC Scotland are interested in. Cutting edge coverage at its best.
Comfortable point for Dundee and a totally deserved boost to their push for Europe. For Rangers, a washout, so to speak. Celtic didn’t need gifts from their rivals in order to win the league, but they’re getting them anyway. Rangers needed to be intense but were just so…blah
— Tom English (@TEnglishSport) April 17, 2024
The morning before Celtic drew 3-3 at Ibrox English shared his optimism on the BBC website.
Despite being stung by the Caixinha Caravan, Mister Gerrard, the van Bronckhorst Revolution and the smooth talking Micky Beale the chief sports writer for the BBC is easily duped by Ibrox regimes.
Partly fired by his contempt for Brendan Rodgers, English was all in for A Proper Football Manager:
Under Philippe Clement, Rangers have dropped only eight points in 22 games. Expecting them to drop five or six in what would be six remaining games is a bit of a stretch.
Clement has won 19 of 22 league games since becoming manager in October. A victory on Sunday would mean that, in the entire history of the Ibrox club, only Bill Struth (21) and David White (22) will have won 20 league games in fewer matches.
They’re seven points better off in 2024 than Celtic. In Clement, we are seeing the kind of sure touch that has been, for so long, the exclusive preserve of the manager from across town.
In his short time, Clement has shown the restorative powers of Ange Postecoglou when he took over after the 10-in-a-row-that-never-was and the feelgood energy of Rodgers in his first coming, after the flatlining of Ronny Deila’s final season.
The Belgian has brought hope when it was previously thin on the ground. He has revived players who were looking tired and added vitality with some astute new signings.
It is the hope that kills folk like English, that and the plunging sales of the BBC TV Licence.
Years of disappointment covering Celtic success from the outside looking in has increased the craving for an Ibrox title party.
December’s League Cup Final win over Aberdeen was greeted with incredible scenes of joy, outside of BBC Scotland as well, but the hope that English had on April 6 has quickly turned to despair as he shares his anger and frustration on Kenny Macintyre’s True Blue WhatsApp group with barely a message from Ann Budge to raise the spirits.
Thought they looked a very confident team tonight.
— Tom English (@TEnglishSport) April 17, 2024
rage is class Thomas
— Spam Rogic | ??????????? (@SpamRogic_) April 17, 2024
Any comment about the songbook Tom?
— The Ayrshire Separatist. (@DanielJMath1) April 18, 2024
Celtic aren’t getting gifts, rangers aren’t good enough.
Usual from you totally disrespecting county and Dundee— ? ?? Green Paradise ?? ? (@DannyBhoy178770) April 17, 2024
Like this blah blah blah Tom? pic.twitter.com/oUHfABKMCd
— The Ayrshire Separatist. (@DanielJMath1) April 18, 2024
Lol. people like English talking shite like that no wonder others call out their so called inntellgence,a nickel&dime journalist working for a nickel&dime radio and TV stations and newspaper.
He would be that easy to confuse you can say to him there are 2 shovels against that wall Tom take your pic.
If you tuned in to BBC Scotland Sportsound after the Dundee game , acting host for the night , miniscule ‘Jonners ‘ Sutherland was in such shock and disbelief at the 0-0 draw , he was talking so slowly and quietly as if he’d just dropped a pint of Guinness onto his brand new sofa ? Like listening to an old Simon Bates ‘ our tune segment on his old Radio 1 days ….pass the kleenex !
It’s great Schadenfreude John to listen in to these things after dropped points for Sevco and I missed it all on Wednesday as I was at football in Inverness but when the result came through there were plenty cheers in the supporters portacabin so the club that are as off today 11 years and 265 days old (Sevco) are not too popular up on these pro independence Jacobite shores !