Ian Black - Second Best Is Not Good Enough

I have no doubt that most footballers bet on matches but it had to be Ian Black who got caught. After spending the whole of last year getting battered by opposition players on the field, he now finds himself tangled up in an embarrassing off field battle. And I have no sympathy for him. If proven guilty his Rangers career should come to a swift end.

The betting rules are strict and players know they are forbidden from betting on any football match. But it does becomes serious when a player bets on games he's playing in. Rangers were quick to get rid of Sandaza when he embarrassed the club. If Ian Black is proven guilty of betting on his own matches, I see this as a greater offence than Fran Sandaza talking off the record about his contract. Rangers used Sandaza's stupidity as a way of getting a poor performer off the wage bill. 

Was Ian Black any better than Fran last year? 

The honest answer would have to be no.

McCoist definitely has his favourites in the Rangers team and Black is one of them. Last year there were times throughout the season Black should have been dropped. The younger players were shining and many were dropped to the bench to make way for Blacks mediocre performances. If convicted guilty of the betting allegations Black, like Sandaza, should be immediately dismissed. But not for betting on football matches and not for betting on matches he was involved in. 

Ian Black should be immediately dismissed for betting against Rangers. 

Black has top flight experience and won cup finals. His start to the season has been impressive however that should not stop him getting his books. No Rangers player should ever walk out onto a football field predicting defeat and especially not at the level we are playing at. What sort of example is that to set to the younger players like McLeod and Crawford?  

Rangers is all about winning. It always has been. We have been lucky enough to have a mentality running through the club where second best is not good enough. As soon as we start accepting players who not only think that we will get beat, but also want to make a financial gain out it - that's when we will start to loose our winning ways.