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SPL February 2011
Scottish Premier League News February 2011: El Hadji Diouf On Loan At Rangers
Ali Morrello
Celtic
It has been pretty much the perfect month for Neil Lennon's Celtic who have hit a purple patch in the SPL. The Parkhead side closed the door on January by opening up a 5-point lead on Rangers, albeit the Ibrox side have two games in hand.
Having added Kris Commons during the transfer window, Celtic have found not just balance but are scoring goals in abundance Lennon's side have gone on a 14-match unbeaten run although the Hoops boss is wary of growing expectations on his side.
"We are on a very good run and we have been playing pretty well against good opposition," he said.
"I was pleased with the progress we were making but the win at Ibrox at the start of January sort of emphasised the progress and the belief that we can go on and compete against the very best in the country.
"We have kicked on since then and the form has been of a high standard.
"But our feet are firmly on the ground and things can change very quickly."
Winger Paddy McCourt recalled that few outside the Celtic camp believed the Hoops would win at Ibrox in January when a double from striker Georgios Samaras reflected the visitors' superiority.
"We went there as underdogs and I think only ourselves and the management staff thought we could win," the Hoops' midfielder said.
"I'm sure even most fans will admit that they didn't expect us to win that day. It was a great boost. I think it gave us all a big lift and we seemed to have kicked on since then. We are on a good run at the moment but you never get complacent."
Meanwhile, Lennon backed Walter Smith's decision to snap up El Hadji Diouf.
Diouf was fined £5,000 and found guilty by a Glasgow court of spitting on a Celtic fan in 2003 during the Reds' UEFA Cup clash at Parkhead - a game that Lennon actually played in.
The former African Player of the Year also spat on an 11-year-old ball boy and a rival player during his time in English football and has been demonised by fans south of the border.
But the Hoops gaffer shied away from passing judgement on former Bolton striker Diouf's dodgy image and admitted he reckons Smith has done a neat bit of deadline day business by grabbing the player on loan from Blackburn .
Lennon said: "I think his signing could be a very shrewd piece of business by Walter Smith.
"He's a good player. He's played in the Premiership ever since he joined Liverpool . As regards his off the field stuff, I can't really comment.
"I know he was well thought of by the staff at Blackburn because I know people there and they felt he was a good guy to have around the place."
Rangers
Rangers ended the month with the controversial signing of El Hadji Diouf and Northern Irish international David Healy. And while Diouf has had the Ibrox support rubbing their hands in anticipation, opposition fans have wasted no time in offering their own particular welcome to the on-loan Blackburn player.
Diouf, though, has insisted he revels in the negative image he carries - and will welcome the jeers of opposition fans.
Celtic fans have neither forgiven nor forgotten the incident when he spat at a supporter at Parkhead during the striker's Liverpool days in a UEFA Cup clash.
"I know everywhere I go people are going to boo me, but I love that," said Diouf at his first Rangers press conference.
"I expect a tough time from Celtic fans. But people never boo a bad player. The more you boo me, the more I've got power and the more I'll show you who I am. I don't want people to love me, just respect me.
"A lot of things happened in the past between me and Celtic. I regret that. I was young and used to do stupid things. I apologise to the Celtic fans again. I joined Rangers to win the title, win a lot of trophies, and enjoy my life and enjoy the football."
Ibrox manager Walter Smith maintained he doesn't see the 30-year-old's signing on loan from Blackburn as a risk - and urged him to let his football do the talking in Glasgow .
Upon his arrival in the SPL, bookmakers William Hill immediately began taking bets on how many yellow and red cards he will land in Scotland.
Yet Smith said: "I don't see him as a risk. He maybe comes with a reputation that even the player himself might want to tidy up a bit. But that has been the case with a fair number of players and we'll just have to handle that. He has to handle that, too. I am sure he will.
"You know those things happen and we take all of that into account when we try to sign a player. Then you hope it is the football he is remembered for."
Smith was Paul Gascoigne's boss in the 1990s when the England star had a whole series of problems off the pitch and, occasionally, on the field, as well.
No stranger to controversial stars during his two spells at Rangers, including Andy Goram and Allan McGregor, Smith admitted: 'Things have happened with quite a number of players over the period.
"With all your players you just try to make sure they have an awareness of what can happen in games if they don't keep their temper. Diouf is an experienced player and he just needs to handle that and we need to help him."
Meanwhile, Lee McCulloch has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.
Scotland
Scotland fans will not waste time mourning the loss of Steven Fletcher, according to Hamish Husband, the spokesman for the Association of Tartan Army clubs.
It is understood the Wolves striker will no longer be selected for international duty while Craig Levein is manager after he declined to be involved in next week's Carling Nations Cup opener against Northern Ireland in Dublin.
And Husband said: "Craig Levein has moved on now - there are a lot of good, young players for him to choose from. It's not a disappointment for us, it would have been more of a disappointment if it was a better player. He has shown a lack of ambition and passion and the fans will have forgotten him by next week."
Levein was set to recall Fletcher after dropping him from the squad for the friendly against Faroe Islands in November, and despite critical comments made by Fletcher about the controversial 4-6-0 formation used by Scotland in the 1-0 defeat away to the Czech Republic .
When informed that he was under consideration for selection, the player sent a text message to Frank Reilly, a Scottish Football Association official, stating that he did not want to be selected and that Levein could phone him if he wanted.
Husband believes Fletcher's actions also demonstrated a lack of respect for both his manager and his country.
"Has Craig Levein done the right thing? Absolutely," said the fans representative.
"Doing what he did by text message shows a lack of passion by Fletcher. If a player is upset about something he should be letting rip, not sending a text.
"It shows a lack of respect for the manager, the fans and especially the country.
"Levein is his own man and he will pick his own players. I would hope Fletcher doesn't play again for the country. He doesn't seem to have the heart."
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