Neil Alexander will NEVER forgive SPL chiefs for denying him a potential QUADRUPLE

[ian1964 10,626]

10 years of hurt

Former Rangers keeper Neil Alexander will NEVER forgive SPL chiefs for denying him a potential QUADRUPLE

He reckons the refusal to move Gers' clash with Dundee United cost Walter Smith's men the chance to land four major trophies

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By Alan Potts

14th February 2018, 7:53 am

Updated: 14th February 2018, 7:54 am

 

HE completed a dream move to Rangers and within five months had two winner’s medals and a European final appearance against Zenit.

But Neil Alexander will never forgive SPL chiefs for denying him a potential QUADRUPLE.

The Scotland keeper was starring for Ipswich in the English Championship when former international boss Walter Smith offered him the chance to move to Ibrox to be back-up to Allan McGregor.

It was one he was never going to turn down. But he could never have imagined the Gers No1 would suffer an injury against Celtic in April 2008 that would throw him into the spotlight.

On taking over from his Scotland team-mate, Alexander’s next four games included a two-legged Uefa Cup semi-final, an Old Firm clash and a Scottish Cup semi-final.

With the League Cup already in the bag after beating Dundee United, Rangers triumphed over Fiorentina and St Johnstone to book a Uefa Cup final against Zenit and a Scottish Cup final against Queen of the South.

But when Ibrox chiefs asked for a clash with Dundee United to be moved the SPL refused — leaving them facing SIX games in 15 days.

Alexander reckons that decision cost Walter Smith’s side the chance to land all four major trophies in a remarkable season.

He said: “In a way we could have done without the Uefa Cup run because it probably cost us.

“We never got any favours from anybody. It was like ‘you got yourselves into this mess, you deal with it’. That was how it felt.

“There aren’t many Scottish teams who get to a major final and we might not see it again so it was very disappointing. We had a great group of boys in the dressing room but it gave us a siege mentality.

“We played on the Saturday, then had the final, then we were back at Motherwell for a lunch-time kick-off.

“From there it was Monday night, Thursday night and then the Scottish Cup final on the Saturday — it was crazy. That cost us the league title.

“Zenit had games off to prepare for it and  the fact we didn’t get that took away the chance for us to enjoy everything that went with making a final. For us it was just another game in a packed schedule.

“For a Scottish Cup final you have the big build-up over the course of a week or so but for Manchester we never had that.

“It was arguably the biggest game the boys have played in their careers and not having that time to really enjoy it spoilt it a bit.

“We literally got our tracksuits on, flew down, stayed in the hotel, played and then flew home to prepare for our next game.

“We weren’t able to take as much notice of it as we should have because  we were in this cycle of games and training.

“In the end it was probably one or two games too many for us that season. We made every final that season and took Celtic to the last day.

“We could have been talking about us winning the quadruple and becoming legends for the club but it wasn’t to be.”

Alexander became a favourite of the Light Blues’ fans with his heroics in the penalty shoot-out win against Fiorentina in Italy.

Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson missed the first spot-kick before Alexander came to the rescue by saving from Fabio Liverani, before Christian Vieri blasted over.

It meant Nacho Novo could seal a famous victory and book a place in the Manchester final, but Alexander admits he had no idea it was the winning spot-kick because he was only thinking about Adrian Mutu stepping up next.

He laughed: “Everyone asks me questions about the final but I always say the semi-final was better because we won it.

“When Nacho scored I thought they had another penalty still to take. It was Mutu and I knew where he was going to take it as I’d studied him.

“When Nacho ran away to celebrate I was stood there for a second still not realising we were through.

“It was only when the guys from the bench were on the park that I realised we had won and ran over to join Nacho. The celebrations were crazy, it was a great time.”

After the highs of 2008, Alexander would secure three league championship medals, three League Cups, two Scottish Cups and a lower division title at Gers.

Following administration in 2012, high-profile players like Steven Davis, keeper McGregor and Steven Naismith quit the club, while Alexander stayed on.

He was determined to help the club back through the divisions but quit after their League Two title success. Alexander admits it was the biggest mistake he made in his career.

He said: “I wanted to stay on at Rangers and it is the biggest regret of my life leaving. A lot of players wanted to move after administration but I wanted to stay and be part of the journey through the divisions.

“I was offered a contract for one year when Lee McCulloch had been offered two years. We had been at the club roughly the same time, we were the same age, so I thought I deserved a bit of security for my family.

“I had meetings with Ally McCoist who said he thought I deserved it and he spoke to the board but it never came for some reason.

“I had an excellent relationship with Coisty and I was a little bit bitter when it didn’t happen but I have no problem with him.

“Looking back I should have signed the one year deal because if I had done well I would have probably got another year.”

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/2226729/neil-alexander-rangers-spl-chiefs-quadruple-never-forgive/

[der Berliner 3,571]

First, I hope the Russians send them packing, along with the odd "knock" to this or that key player.

 

Second, of ever there was a fraud in the Scottish football, it was the run up to this final and the finish of the league season that year. It still beggars belief that the club's high up's allowed this to happen ... for I doubt there weren't options available. That the Yahoos were against it should have been irrelevant, as league titles et al have been decided long before a season ended, with or without the winning team participating on the day. There was no reason whatsoever not to allow postponed pictures to be played after the cup final, not least when the teams involved would have agreed. Their main reason, i.e. the trip to Japan should have been laughed out of the SFA offices ... and that it never happened was the ultimate icing of this fraud cake. They are sure laughing their heads off at that.

 

Methinks that was also the season where they had one game postponed because of the death of a former player (O'Donnell or Burns, or Boyd can't remember), while another team weren't granted that option. But when another chap (same list, methinks) passed away, they couldn't care less. Simply because in the first instance their team was down on personal due to injury and suspension, while that wasn't the case with the second instance. And the media up to this day is silent ...

Edited February 14, 2018 by der Berliner

[ian1964 10,626]

Lifted from FF:

 

We played games on;
May 1st Fiorentina (a) UEFA Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg,
May 4th Hibs (a),
May 7th Motherwell (h),
May 10th Dundee Utd (h),
May 14th Zenit St Petersburg UEFA Cup Final,
May 17th Motherwell (a),
May 19th St Mirren (a),
May 22nd Aberdeen (a) and
May 24th QOTS (SC Final)

We had also played 8 games in the previous month;
Apr 3rd Sporting Lisbon (h) UEFA Cup Quarter-Final 1st Leg,
Apr 6th Dundee Utd (a),
Apr 10th Sporting Lisbon (a) UEFA Cup Quarter Final 2nd Leg,
Apr 13th. Partick Thistle (a),
Apr 16th. Celtic (a),
Apr 20th St Johnstone (SC Semi-Final),
Apr 24th Fiorentina (h) UEFA Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg,
Apr 27th Celtic (a).

[compo 6,605]

Some day we will get our own back on the conspirators .

[StuGers 477]

2 hours ago, der Berliner said:

First, I hope the Russians send them packing, along with the odd "knock" to this or that key player.

 

Second, of ever there was a fraud in the Scottish football, it was the run up to this final and the finish of the league season that year. It still beggars belief that the club's high up's allowed this to happen ... for I doubt there weren't options available. That the Yahoos were against it should have been irrelevant, as league titles et al have been decided long before a season ended, with or without the winning team participating on the day. There was no reason whatsoever not to allow postponed pictures to be played after the cup final, not least when the teams involved would have agreed. Their main reason, i.e. the trip to Japan should have been laughed out of the SFA offices ... and that it never happened was the ultimate icing of this fraud cake. They are sure laughing their heads off at that.

 

Methinks that was also the season where they had one game postponed because of the death of a former player (O'Donnell or Burns, or Boyd can't remember), while another team weren't granted that option. But when another chap (same list, methinks) passed away, they couldn't care less. Simply because in the first instance their team was down on personal due to injury and suspension, while that wasn't the case with the second instance. And the media up to this day is silent ...

It was O’Donnell.

 

They allowed Celtic to postpone as he was a past player.

 

They didn’t let Motherwell postpone even though he was their player and died on the field of the same players.

 

Spot the difference.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

It was O’Donnell.
 
They allowed Celtic to postpone as he was a past player.
 
They didn’t let Motherwell postpone even though he was their player and died on the field of the same players.
 
Spot the difference.

Motherwell wanted to play as they werent at it.

But rangers agreed to this we were daft. We should have refused or insisted mcgeedy not play in the re arranged game.

[DMAA 3,613]

The consistency Walter Smith got out of his team was nothing short of miraculous. And even with the most exhausting fixture list in history he only just missed out on the title. Don’t think we’ll ever have a manager like him again. 

[pete 2,499]

3 hours ago, DMAA said:

The consistency Walter Smith got out of his team was nothing short of miraculous. And even with the most exhausting fixture list in history he only just missed out on the title. Don’t think we’ll ever have a manager like him again. 

Every period throws up people we call good managers. Hopefully rangers will go on for 1055 and have many good managers. They may be watching robots then right enough.

[stewarty 1,928]

16 hours ago, the gunslinger said:

Motherwell wanted to play as they werent at it.

But rangers agreed to this we were daft. We should have refused or insisted mcgeedy not play in the re arranged game.

I think the mistake was assuming that others would act with the same amount of decency and respect, and would look upon other situations with at least a modicum of fairness, rather than blatant self-interest.