Obviously this team was put together three years ago by Gerrard. It was a complete rebuild so it began then. But where was it born?
If I give you an example of what I mean. For me, Walter's 9iar side was effectively born years before on the night we won the Scottish Cup Semi at Hampden after Davie Robertson was sent off. That was a huge psychological moment and showed that team's mentality for that core of players to go on over the next few seasons to amazing success.
Smith's second spell team were really born in the one season they didn't win the title- 2007/08 with the UEFA Cup run again showing we had that mentality.
In my opinion, two games really stand out as being the birth of this team and they were early in Gerrard's reign.
The first was UFA away. That was an early catalyst for our changing European mentality. A moment where you saw the will to go the extra yards for teammates.
And the second night be a surprising one but it's the defeat at the piggery a few months after that when, despite having ten men for the majority of the game, we took the game to them, equalised and were very unfortunate not to win. I felt that, more than the Jack goal v them a few months before hand, really showed that we had turned the tide v them in the way we had zero fear anymore. I feel that game is responsible for the success of our two visits to the midden since.
Honourable mentions for the Jack game, the Tav/Arfield game and some of our fine Euro performances but I think those two games were key to giving this current team, with a few new additions of course, the springboard they needed to become what they have become.
If I give you an example of what I mean. For me, Walter's 9iar side was effectively born years before on the night we won the Scottish Cup Semi at Hampden after Davie Robertson was sent off. That was a huge psychological moment and showed that team's mentality for that core of players to go on over the next few seasons to amazing success.
Smith's second spell team were really born in the one season they didn't win the title- 2007/08 with the UEFA Cup run again showing we had that mentality.
In my opinion, two games really stand out as being the birth of this team and they were early in Gerrard's reign.
The first was UFA away. That was an early catalyst for our changing European mentality. A moment where you saw the will to go the extra yards for teammates.
And the second night be a surprising one but it's the defeat at the piggery a few months after that when, despite having ten men for the majority of the game, we took the game to them, equalised and were very unfortunate not to win. I felt that, more than the Jack goal v them a few months before hand, really showed that we had turned the tide v them in the way we had zero fear anymore. I feel that game is responsible for the success of our two visits to the midden since.
Honourable mentions for the Jack game, the Tav/Arfield game and some of our fine Euro performances but I think those two games were key to giving this current team, with a few new additions of course, the springboard they needed to become what they have become.
