Alex McLeish, the Rangers manager, has become accustomed to life in the full glare of the media since leaving the relatively tranquil surroundings of Easter Road, but yesterday he felt compelled to vent his frustration at the further inconvenience caused by broadcasters' Old Firm obsession.
The CIS Insurance Cup holders took the first step towards a successful defence of their title with a hard-earned victory against Hibernian on Thursday evening, but their progression was not without its pitfalls. Having been drawn against Dunfermline in the competition's quarter-final stage, McLeish was less than pleased to discover that Five have again chosen Rangers for the full live coverage treatment.
As is their wont after investing (pounds) 1m over two years, Five have decided on Thursday evening as the best time to screen Scotland's League Cup and that leaves McLeish and his team with the prospect of yet another Sunday afternoon league kick-off.
Airing his grievance without invitation, McLeish bemoaned the increasingly fractured fixture list and suggested that the craving for television revenue by clubs was ''killing the soul of the game''. It remains unlikely that those in the corridors of power within Ibrox will react in letter form to the tournament organisers, the Scottish Football League, considering they were one of the driving forces in maximising media exposure.
Nonetheless, with the league game against Hibernian at Ibrox now requiring to be rescheduled to Sunday, November 10, McLeish opened up a can of worms regarding the future of live Scottish football. Five's CIS Insurance Cup debut was filmed against a backdrop of empty seats at Easter Road and the Rangers manager questioned the wisdom of taking the moderate cheque only to watch attendances dwindle.
''It saddens me to see that. I would have imagined that another two or three thousand fans would have turned up for the game had it not been live and that would have more than compensated for the television money,'' he argued, after little over 8000 braved the elements. ''We are trying to bring the heart back to Scottish football and I feel sorry for our fans, who were superb in filling the away end of another stadium.
''I'm not happy with playing on a Thursday again, because it also puts the league game back to the Sunday. You have to whet people's appetites to put bums on seats, but the fans are getting a raw deal.''
It should be noted that there was no such unhappiness when Thursday night UEFA Cup matches had the same effect on weekend fixtures, but McLeish's concerns about the state of the Scottish calendar received some sympathy from the SFL, who nevertheless pointed out that they have a responsibility to the tournament's sponsors. ''Obviously the congestion of the calendar is unfortunate but the offer from Five was the only one on the table and the sponsors understandably look for a return on their investment through television exposure,'' said an SFL spokesman.
Rangers take part in their fifth Sunday league kick-off against Kilmarnock at Ibrox this afternoon and McLeish is hopeful that his first-choice defensive pairing will be available. Craig Moore is certain to return after missing out in midweek, but Lorenzo Amoruso is a doubt after his late removal from the starting line-up against Hibs with a calf strain.
With Mikel Arteta nursing a bad back, it seems likely that Bert Konterman will make his first league start of the season.
An interviewer's dream - if at times a manager's nightmare - the Dutchman was his usual forthright self yesterday when pressed on the issues arising from Thursday's tie.
First up, the victimisation of countryman Fernando Ricksen. ''Fernando built up a reputation for himself at the beginning of his career here but his attitude has been brilliant when players have tried to test him. Sometimes you feel like wildlife ready for shooting.'' Quite.
Next, Alen Orman's seizure, which has been cloaked in confidentiality by his employers, with the player himself seemingly reluctant to confirm or even explain his neurological condition. ''Yes, it was an epileptic attack,'' Konterman volunteered. ''You don't like seeing that and my first thought was a stroke. I said to myself: 'Please no' but then their players told me he had taken fits 10 times before in training. I have seen it happen once before in Holland but I thought there were pills to control it. Maybe he does not use them.''
And finally . . . having played a third of the season (split excluded) undefeated, Konterman spoke confidently of the next phase, which will have a significant bearing on the destination of the championship.
''Hibs had won five games in a row and we did not make the perfect start against them but when they scored the goal I was still confident we could come back,'' he added.
''As long as we prepare the right we way could be unbeatable in Scotland but you have to be careful that confidence does not become arrogance.''
And he was on his way. If only there were more like him.
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