Scottish Premier League Update

Ali Hannah on booze, bollocks, and brawn

Fernando Ricksen | Alan Thompson | Shaun Maloney & Scott Brown

Fernando Ricksen: In Rehab

Paul Le Guen wasted little chance in showing his authority at Rangers after swiftly disciplining Fernando Ricksen immediately after a boozy flight to South Africa.

Ricksen was sent home in disgrace from Rangers pre-season training camp after an argument with a female flight attendant that culminated with the Dutchman throwing a glass of water over her.

The player returned to Britain and checked into the Sporting Chance rehabilitation clinic seeking help for alcohol-related problems but it appears likely that Ricksen's Rangers career is over.

"I have met people who I feel can support me through these difficult times," he said of the clinic which has also treated Paul Merson and Paul Gascoigne.

"I feel I can benefit from their counsel in relation to the incident on travelling to South Africa with the squad.

"I am convinced that, as a professional footballer, I can bounce back quickly with advice and guidance."

The decision to enter rehab could spare Ricksen from being transfer-listed or sacked but Le Guen could well already have made up his mind on the controversial midfielder who has a history of off-field problems.

While he has volunteered to undergo therapy, Ricksen has not admitted to full-blown alcoholism. The club will now monitor his progress before deciding what action to take after his gross indiscipline but Ricksen was in conciliatory mood after the incident.

"I have made mistakes, the most recent being well documented," he said.

"I would like to acknowledge that my behaviour was totally inappropriate. I apologise to the club, the officials and supporters and intend to get back playing football in the committed manner I am used to."

Regardless of the success of Ricksen's spell in the London clinic, it is still highly improbable he will have a future under Le Guen. The 29-year-old has already expressed fears that his Rangers career is over and as well as missing out on the club's pre-season preparations in Johannesburg, it is doubtful he will be fully rehabilitated in time for the kick off to the Bank of Scotland Premier league season, against Motherwell on July 29.

Rangers would be forced to accept a cut-price offer for Ricksen if they decide to transfer list the troubled Dutchman, whose contract runs until 2009. His reputation is likely to prevent a move back home to the Netherlands but a reunion with Dick Advocaat, now in charge of Zenit St Petersburg, is one possible escape route.

Ricksen's decision to seek help completes a remarkable fall from grace. He captained the team to the league title in season 2004-05, was voted joint Players' Player of the Year with John Hartson and was rewarded with a new four-year contract.

Ricksen attributed that success to a self-imposed drinking ban after a series of high-profile incidents on and off the field. Last season, though, rumours persisted that he had lapsed into his old ways again. Having been a talisman, Ricksen was a peripheral figure for most of last season amid rumours of a fall-out with Le Guen's predecessor, Alex McLeish.

Chris Burke, meanwhile, will miss the start of the season after sustaining an ankle injury during pre-season training. The winger fell awkwardly in a pothole and has played no part in Rangers’ last two friendlies in South
Africa.

Le Guen said: "We are disappointed because he was looking sharp and fit, but it looks as if he'll be out for one month or maybe more."

Alan Thompson: 'Surplus Requirements'

At the other end of the city, Alan Thompson is in a similar position to Ricksen after his Celtic career appeared to have ended in bitter acrimony.

The midfielder was sent home from Celtic's pre-season base in America with the club claiming Thompson had a thigh injury, something the players’ agent has rubbished.

The 32-year-old Englishman is in the final year of a contract worth a reported £28,000 per week and the player's representative, Tony McGill, insisted that Thompson had departed the team hotel in Boston after being told he was "surplus to requirements".

Thompson, who made just 11 starts under Gordon Strachan's management last season, has now returned to the UK and could be told to find himself a new club before the transfer window closes at the end of next month.

"Alan Thompson was not injured when he left the team hotel in America," said McGill. "So unless he injured himself carrying his luggage on to the plane then that situation is still the same."

Thompson had previously questioned the wisdom of Celtic's hectic schedule of friendly commitments, which will see a total of nine matches being played in three different continents, but McGill does not believe that was a factor in his expulsion. Instead, he inferred it had been decided to remove his client from the Parkhead wage bill.

"I think Celtic have acted unprofessionally," the agent said. "I thought that the manager wanted more experienced players within his squad and certainly Alan falls into that category.

"The manager has obviously changed his mind, or someone has changed his mind for him. I can only presume that this is more a financial decision rather than anything to do with his performances, because Alan has always tried his best for Celtic.

"I don't see how it could be related to the comments he made about the pre-season plans because the manager has come out and said practically the same.

"I just feel that Alan, with all his service to the club, should have been treated with more respect. Why could this not wait until they were back from America? Alan has reacted to it in a professional manner and we will take it from here."

Thompson cost £2.75m when he joined Celtic from Aston Villa in September 2000 and was one of the mainstays of Martin O'Neill’s Hoops side.

However, under Gordon Strachan he has struggled to stay in the first-team and it is no real surprise that his Parkhead career is over.

The player did take part in some of Celtic’s pre-season friendlies but he will now join John Hartson out of the exit door.
That would free up additional funds for Strachan to pursue his prime targets of finding an experienced striker, with Deportivo La Coruna's Diego Tristan still a possibility, and a new left-back.

Shaun Maloney & Scott Brown

Strachan, meanwhile, has expressed confidence that Shaun Maloney will soon commit his future to Celtic. The 22-year-old midfielder, the reigning Scottish Professional Footballers' Association player of the year, has entered the final year of his current contract but talks over an extension have been delayed by Maloney's change of agent.

"There will be no problem with Shaun," said Strachan.

"He's said to me that he needs to stay at Celtic to progress. Shaun is a clever wee boy. If he wants to move and play with Juventus, I don't have a problem with that, although he would maybe find he's playing in Serie B.

"He is still willing to learn and develop. He has to be successful with us before he can move on to that kind of level. I'll help him but he'll help me as well. Shaun Maloney is staying."

Hibs manager Tony Mowbray is optimistic his side can make it into this season’s UEFA Cup, despite losing the first leg of their Intertoto Cup tie against Odenese.

A soft penalty award left Mowbray seething and give the Leith side an uphill battle next week, but the Englishman remains confident.

“I have not seen the incident again but it looked from where I was sitting as a very soft penalty, one they are maybe fortunate to get but that’s football,” said Mowbray.

The Hibs manager was not so philosophical about the shortcomings of his own team, however, with Scott Brown, whose booking rules him out of the second leg, the subject of most of his disappointment. The midfielder had been warned before the game of the threat of suspension for the second leg but was his usual combative self.

“We spoke to Scott about that before the game, that's all part of his learning curve really,” said a vexed Mowbray. “It was frustration with the way the game was going that got him booked and we have to try and curb that. It makes it harder for the team, he has to control that. When you want to win big football matches you need your best players on the field.

“It was as I expected, it was a tight match. There was plenty of good play, we have lost one-nil in a tight game. We will go back to Easter Road next week with the belief we can overturn that and we will look forward to that challenge.”

Hibs will go into the match with the confidence reaped from a sporadically impressive display in Denmark. They caused the hosts problems, most notably in the opening minutes, and can consider themselves unfortunate not to have scored an away goal.