It's often seen as a very old fashioned Scottish thing...a nonsense that has been replaced by science, new technology and 'Moneyball'...the new trope if that Scottish football CAN be conquered by technique if the right players can just be found....MW and Pedro were right but just wrong personnel.
Wrong.
I am not here to say Murty and Allen have stumbled upon the secret; we could be 25 points behind by May.
But it is clear - as Arthur Numan confirms today - that it is NOT THE SAME playing for us. It isn't like anywhere else except maybe a handful of clubs. Why?
'Having bottle' is as crucial to us as technical excellence.
Wrong.
I am not here to say Murty and Allen have stumbled upon the secret; we could be 25 points behind by May.
But it is clear - as Arthur Numan confirms today - that it is NOT THE SAME playing for us. It isn't like anywhere else except maybe a handful of clubs. Why?
- Expectations...you have to WIN every home game and most away games, no excuses
- Hostility....everyone hates you; players, fans and media
- Stramash....to play your football you ALWAYS need to win every 1:1 and every battle: forget 'taking a touch' early on
- Goldfish Bowl...everyone wants a piece of you, and you can't hide
'Having bottle' is as crucial to us as technical excellence.