Mark Warburton is officially in charge at Rangers. We’ll get back to Brentford momentarily but there simply remains a final observation on the long running saga that saw Warbs, along with David Weir, sign a three year deal at Ibrox.
On giving his opening press statement, Mark showed that Rangers will present no challenge to him – certainly in his unique turn of phrase. I don’t necessarily mean the sort of straight talking we saw so much of last season. For example, “Am I the only one who thought that was a penalty? Maybe I should go to Specsavers if I am.”(after the home defeat to Norwich City).
Or “A bid is only a bid when it is at the right level, a realistic level. Quite frankly that was nowhere near our level” following one of Wigan Athletic’s many attempts to lure Adam Forshaw to their, eventual, doom.
Mark opted for ‘signing antlers’ rather than the traditional football shirt when joining Rangers
I’m talking more about the unique lines he used to drop into normal conversation. Not so much football cliché, as I’ve never heard other managers use these, but what have eventually become known as ‘Warboisms’. Certainly on our area of the terrace, where it sometimes seemed he was going toe-to-toe with Billy Reeves in a battle for most creative use of the English language (and that is fully intended as a compliment, to both).
We’ve all enjoyed the fact that “The football department is in good shape” or Josh’s “raw, blistering pace”. Indeed, the latter to be used in conjunction with “Pitch geography” to help produce end product – perhaps teaming up with “Andre Gray – the thinking striker”.
But Mark hit the ground running at Ibrox, where he told the waiting media, “You walk around the stadium, the first time for me this morning, and you smell the history.”
Smell this history. What a wonderfully evocative image. Warbs – I’ll miss you, genuinely. Good luck at Rangers and enjoy it. The fans are in for a treat.
Back at Griffin Park, ahead of Wednesday’s League fixture list reveal Brentford will today find out who we are to be pitted against in the Capital One Cup. The good news is that we are seeded so could be drawn with anybody in the other half of the draw from Martin Allen’s Barnet to the Brentford old boy’s club at Wycombe Wanderers.
The draw takes place at 10am on Tuesday morning. And once that happens, we really can start to make the first of those plans for 2015/16.
The season is getting closer. Slowly…
The draw is early on Tuesday morning – who do you want?
BrentfordFC 