BlueMeanie
Well-Known Member
ALEX McLEISH reckons there’s been a massive over-reaction to Rangers players breaching Covid rules.
The former Ibrox boss says it’s not right that some are calling for careers to be ended after five went to a party two weeks ago, including Bongani Zungu, Calvin Bassey and Nathan Patterson.
McLeish is speaking out after Patterson was dramatically brought out of the doghouse on Thursday night and helped shoot the Light Blues to the last 16 of the Europa League.
The teenage full back scored 16 seconds into the second half to put Rangers back in control of the remarkable 9-5 aggregate win over Royal Antwerp.
McLeish, talking to Ten10 podcasts, said: “Yes the lads did make mistakes but we’re in a worldwide crisis that no-one could imagine.
“Young people will do the wrong thing on occasion and I think it’s wrong to chastise them to the point where they’re going to lose their job.
“Rangers have handled it well. We don’t know exactly what’s gone on, but the players have been punished and they’ll accept that.
“I don’t think people should get in a pickle about it and make it bigger than it really is. They are young people who made a mistake.
“Patterson looks like a player in the making and it was good he was given his chance.
“Nathan looks like he has the potential to go all the way – and he will make other mistakes along the way, perhaps off the park too.”
McLeish, who led Rangers to the last 16 of the Champions League in 2006, reckons Steven Gerrard could make the last eight of the Europa but knows Slavia Prague must respected.
He said: “You just have to look at the result against Leicester.
"They are one of the strong teams in the Premier League and for them to stuff them on their own patch was very surprising, but it shows their quality
“In saying that Rangers have handled everything that’s been thrown at them so far.
"If Slavia Prague are the best team left in the tournament I’d be surprised.
“I think they’ll approach it with the same diligence as Thursday night – although it was like a five-a-side match with two teams going at it hammer and tongs.
“Rangers don’t have a game between the legs so that could be an advantage because players do tend to pick up knocks.”