Cut and Paste and Twist

Being someone who doesn’t read daily papers and indeed tries to avoid the tabloids at all costs, I tend to pick up on scandal and outrage at headlines or articles through word of mouth or more often that not, the internet. While hearing it through a third party allows you to take a step back and get less involved in the emotion of it all, you do get a sense of the media tide turning from time to time.

I had mentioned to someone at the weekend that Celtic seem so strong and in the past month picked up such momentum that you will start to hear less and less indignation from the Parkhead faithful.

I certainly felt the tide turning as reports of Scott Brown given the rite of reply against El Hadji Diouf’s claims of onfield oral assault, then even widespread coverage of Neil Lennon’s comments and not in a mocking ‘the paranoid Celtic Manager’ of Diouf, Naismith, Peter Houston, and Sunday’s referee.

Another look at today’s back pages in the newsagents proved the same. Celtic are so good that they can’t find anything bad to write, or are Rangers so far on the slide with poor form, injuries, cheating players, and questionable signings and transfer policy, that they are far easier pickings from now on in.

Those who feel most sections of the media exist with an anti-Celtic sentiment may well suggest that the Celtic juggernaut is gathering so much pace, leaving very little to chance in each of the past 5 or so matches that there is almost nothing that can be thrown across the back-pages against Celtic. A bit like the late Mr Stein’s assertion that if you are good enough the referee doesn’t matter, if you are good enough perhaps the level of media bias does not matter either. Celtic tearing Aberdeen apart seemingly on loop, and terrific performances against title challengers Rangers and Hearts, are not providing enough ammunition regardless how much the tabloid press would like to stick it to Celtic

The more reasonable amongst us may well chalk this down to the majority of the tabloid media being, well, tabloid. And in having a slant against the current strongest team makes no sense, as an editorial direction of negative stories would not provide a great volume of compelling headlines. But picking on a team not on their best of form, who look like they could be out-ranked consistently could provide enough headline, stories, spin-off stories, interviews and quotes to stir things up and keep them going for more than a while.

With Diouf’s every step being watched, growing injury and suspension worries, and points to be lost and competitions to be exited with such a congested fixture list; seeing Celtic march on in the background could well leave Rangers as the media’s succulent lambs to the slaughter.