Rumour Mill: Garry O’Connor | Johansen | Rangers
Garry O’Connor - ‘Fenlon was my worst manager’
MORTON striker Garry O’Connor has described Pat Fenlon as his worst-ever manager, and blamed the former Hibs boss for the side’s 5-1 Cup Final defeat to Hearts in 2012.
O’Connor told a BBC Scotland radio show: “His tactics and the way he set up that team - he killed us in that Scottish Cup Final.
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Hide Ad“I think it was the wrong decision to bring Pat in. The season I was there, the dressing room had definitely lost faith in him.” (Various)
• DEREK Riordan has claimed that no club will take him on, despite offering to play for free. Riordan said: “It could be my off-field reputation, but I’ve only ever had one breach of the peace charge.” (Mail)
Daniel Cousin ruling could hit Hearts
HEARTS’ bid to sign new players on a ‘one-in, one-out’ basis could be in serious jeopardy, due to a ruling made when Rangers went into administration.
The Sun report that clubs across the SPFL are uneasy about allowing Hearts to sign players while under a transfer embargo, having potentially set a precedent in the case of French striker Daniel Cousin.
Rangers had completed the signing of Cousin before entering administration, but were banned from registering the attacker under SPFL rules. (Sun)
Celtic’s Johansen given number 25
NORWEGIAN midfielder Stefan Johansen will follow in the footsteps of greats Shunsuke Nakamura and Lubo Moravcik when he dons the number 25 at Celtic.
Johansen completed his £2 million move from Stromsgodset yesterday, and is keen to emulate the Celtic greats.
He said: “It’s a very important number but I want to be a player who can improve my game and do my best and succeed, so I’m looking forward to wearing it.” (Record)
Rangers: Green-linked shareholder cashes out
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Hide AdRICHARD Hughes, one of the brokers involved in Charles Green’s takeover of Rangers, has been revealed as the man who sold more than two million shares in the club on Tuesday.
Hughes bought his shares in the club for 1p each, and has subsequently turned a £500,000 profit on his investment.
Read Tom English’s take on Rangers, and the challenges Graham Wallace faces to reform the club here. (Scotsman)
Mackay hits out at Hearts directors
HEARTS legend Gary Mackay has blasted directors David Southern and John Murray, after the pair agreed to take reduced pay from the stricken club.
Mackay said: “Hearts are the only club in Scottish football to have a director of football yet they can’t sign players. We have a guy who worked in PR who is now the managing director and someone who was an academy director that is now a director of football.
“Their pay cuts are too little, too late. How long have Hearts been in administration, yet they’re just taking pay cuts now? It’s a token gesture.” (Scotsman)
Wylde takes pay cut to join Buddies
GREGG Wylde has revealed that he has taken a substantial wage cut in order to join St Mirren from Aberdeen.
The 22-year-old midfielder said: “I knew I had to move to play more football. It wasn’t about money because I would have earned more if I’d stayed at Aberdeen.”
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Hide AdSt Mirren are Wylde’s fifth club, following spells at Rangers, Bury, Bolton, and Aberdeen. (Express)
IN OTHER NEWS:
• TOM Rogic has been linked with Australian side Sydney FC - Celtic’s Aussie midfielder saw a loan to Japan’s Veralta Sendai fall through earlier this week. (Various)
• ROSS County have signed French striker Yoann Arquin - the forward was released by previous club Notts County. (Sun)
• PREMIERSHIP teams hoping for a European place through the fair play rankings may need to think again - Scotland is currently ninth in the UEFA table, with the top three leagues getting an extra Europa League place. (Record)
GOALS | This weekend we had two contenders for Goal of the Month, if not Goal of the Season. Willo Flood’s strike from 25 yards against Hibernian for Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Friday night and Stevie May’s lovely curling effort against St Mirren on Saturday at McDiarmid Park.
BIZARRE | Both bizarre incidents come from two of Inverness CT’s recent home matches. The first occurred in their match against Celtic a few weeks ago, when Ross Draper takes out the referee in his pursuit for the ball. The second incident was in yesterday’s match against Dundee United, when Inverness’ goalkeeper Dean Brill nearly concedes a comical own goal.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS |