Latest news with #PlanA
Daily Record
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
I worked with a Rangers manager who infamously only had Plan A but I sense something different in Russell Martin
The Ibrox faithful were left struggling to mind their Ps and Qs 10 years ago Cammy Bell played under a Rangers manager whose insistence on perfecting Plan A eventually spelled trouble at Ibrox. But he believes Russell Martin has realised he'll have to switch schemes if he's to avoid being branded another B-list boss. The former Ibrox keeper saw how Mark Warburton's refusal to budge from his strict passing philosophies eventually allowed teams to work out his tactics. While the Londoner enjoyed success in his first campaign in Glasgow, it didn't last. He famously claimed his 'Plan B was to do Plan A better'. But in the end, the Ibrox faithful were left struggling to mind their Ps and Qs as his team became bogged down in a aimless succession of passes, all the while Brendan Rodgers ' Celtic Invincibles were disappearing off over the horizon. The complaints aimed at Warbs were similar to the criticism Martin had to deal with last term as his Southampton team's insistence on playing out from the defence backfired among the merciless big beasts of the Premier League. It proved to be a chastening experience for the new Gers gaffer, who lasted less than six months before being axed. But Bell believes he'll have taken a valuable lesson from that experience as he now sets his targets on making Rangers Scotland's A-team once more. 'Listen, that was a clear message from Mark Warburton - 'do Plan A better',' recalled Bell. 'We worked on it relentlessly and training every single day was geared towards the way he wanted us to play on a Saturday. 'But when you look at the opposition that you play these days using different formations, different styles, who play at different levels in Europe and also domestically, Rangers will need to have a plan B. 'You can't always rely on plan A working. 'Sometimes things can go against you - you have a man sent off, a refereeing decision. Sometimes plan A doesn't work out the way you think it's going to. 'So you've always got to be able to adapt within games and certainly when I look across the continent, the best managers always adapt during the game if they need to. 'Yes, in an ideal world we'd love plan A to work and it to be the one that gets you over the line and wins you that game of football. 'But I think Russell Martin will certainly come with an idea of a plan B because when you face the likes of Celtic in an Old Firm game, you have to have a plan B.' That's now how Warburton saw it - but his players certainly did. Bell said: 'Yes, there were times certainly during my time when we sat in the changing room and thought teams had figured this out. They knew how to play against us and we were making it easy for them. 'And that's why, again, I reflect back to the need to have a different game plan, to be able to adjust and adapt. 'Listen, there's times when the boys will have to start taking responsibility on the pitch. 'Yes, you've got your plan A but if you see the ball over the top to your striker making that run, are you allowed to play that? 'I feel as if Russell Martin's got that adaptability in his management as well, to allow his players the freedom to express themselves. 'He wants them to go on the pitch, play attacking football, problem solve. Again, I think that's the best managers, they allow their players, if they're good enough, to go and do it and go and make the game happen for them. Martin got his first taste of what he can expect if things go wrong this season. Sunday's kick-about with Club Brugge may have been his side's first pre-season friendly, but that didn't stop the impatient Ibrox faithful from BOOING his team off at half-time as they went in 2-0 down. Gers recovered to claim a decent draw against the Belgian giants and Martin will now hope to iron out the creases highlighted at the weekend during this week's training camp in St George's Park in Burton. But Bell reckons the manager might have to protect his players going forward if he is to shield them from the flak that comes while they figure out his new style of play. He said: 'I think he will take it on his shoulders. He explained the style of football that he plays. We all understand it. 'It's in tight areas. He knows that players are going to be uncomfortable in some areas of taking the ball and retaining possession. But again, that's the whole training part. 'It's adapting to these small, tight areas and finding solutions. But I think he's got to. The manager always takes the responsibility of the style that they play and the way that they go about their business. 'Rangers is all about results. We know that. We know it's about winning for Rangers. 'Russell Martin's got a big job ahead of himself. He's got a huge task ahead of himself. We're getting these players ready for the start of the season. 'But I'm pretty sure he believes that he can do it.' It's early days, but Bell is encouraged by what he's seen from the new-look Gers and the small soundbites he's heard from Martin. Bell added: 'Russell knows he's got a lot to prove to the fans. 'The only way he can prove to Rangers fans is by winning games of football, winning trophies. He's got that opportunity to do it now. Listen, people judge people before things actually happen. 'I don't think he should do that. I think he should love the opportunity to get behind him. He's got a big summer ahead of himself with regards to recruitment. 'Players that need to come in. Players that need to leave the club. But it's not just him. 'It's a team effort. Now you see Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell as well working behind the scenes. So there's a big effort for Rangers Football Club this summer. 'But as I say, judge Russell Martin on results.' Cammy Bell was launching the Refugee World Cup Scotland 2025 tournament on Sunday 29 th June at Toryglen Regional Football Centre. The event celebrates the diversity of communities in Scotland through football while standing up for the rights of refugees.'
The Herald Scotland
04-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Motherwell fans need to lose 'get rid' urges amid new style
Ok, I admit it. When Calum Ward was dribbling the ball out from the back the other day and trying to thread passes on the edge of his 18-yarder as if he was Franz Beckenbauer in his pomp (he isn't) my heart was in my mouth just a little. I don't know if it's a reflexively Scottish thing to immediately get the heebie jeebies when your team tries something as 'continental' and 'woke' as playing the ball out from the back, but watching the Motherwell players trying to execute the philosophy of Jens Berthel Askou for the first time, even in a pre-season kickabout, seemingly sparked a dose of the vapours among a good chunk of the support. One can only imagine how many of the Fir Park punters would react if the team attempts this on the opening day of the league campaign against Rangers. Though, we don't really need to imagine it at all, because we can simply recall the reaction when Jim Gannon and then Graham Alexander initially tried it during their own tenures as manager. (Image: Craig Foy - SNS Group) With the greatest of respect to the likes of club legend Stephen Craigan and then later on, cult hero Bevis Mugabi, they didn't look altogether comfortable with the notion, to say the least. And as for the fans? Well, the good folk from St John's better be on alert for a sharp increase in medical incidents just above the dugouts. Read more: These managers soon ripped up Plan A, and tailored their style to suit the tools with which they were working. And after the friendly defeat to FC Twente, many speculated online that Berthel Askou would soon come to a similar realisation that his players just weren't good enough to pull this sort of thing off. That a modern, progressive style just isn't for the likes of us. But here's the thing. I'm not sure he will. Granted, he might not have his keeper playing quite so high up the pitch at times, and he clearly doesn't intend him to be on the ball quite as often as he was in the midweek game. Much of that was caused by the players ahead of the defence not quite executing the sort of movement he wants from them, by the by, hence the frequent shouts accusing them of 'hiding' from the dugout. There will be tweaks to what we saw against Twente when the competitive stuff gets underway, for sure, but when Berthel Askou arrived, his pitch was that a more 'dynamic' and 'aggressive' approach with 'more dimensions' was vital to the success of his team. Having met him, he doesn't seem the type to be swayed from that belief by groans from the crowd and people imploring him 'to get the ball up the f****** park'. Let's not forget, this is what a large section of the fanbase (me included) wanted. An end to years of predominantly long hoofs, 50/50s, and scrapping for second balls. Entertaining and enterprising football. Players taking the ball under pressure and being comfortable on it. High pressing, high intensity. And yes, a little higher risk. There were glimpses of it under Michael Wimmer, and now it seems from early impressions that Berthel Askou is going to crank that up another notch. (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) He has time to bring in players more suited to such a game model, but there were signs on Tuesday that even with the current group, this can work. When it came off, and when Motherwell broke the Twente press, they created opportunities. A proper balance will have to be found. There's nothing wrong with going long when the occasion demands it, and as some of the pitches deteriorate towards the winter, those occasions will increase. I can understand the reticence from some to embrace this sort of style. In a division where the margins are razor thin, increasing the risk around your own area seems counter-intuitive. But the rewards could be great. Brendan Rodgers picked up on this theme a couple of years ago. Ok, he has far better players at his disposal than Motherwell do, but when discussing taking his Celtic side into the Champions League, he hit back at those who criticised him for playing out against teams better than his own. "People don't pick up on the balls that get smashed up the pitch that come right back at you and it ends up in a goal,' Rodgers said. 'No-one ever talks about that. But the minute a short build-up leads to a goal? 'I guarantee the stats are greater for mistakes in the long ball build-up. Any top team in the world will build from the back. If you make a mistake, you can't kill your goalkeeper. It's about decision making.' This isn't Berthel Askou reinventing the wheel, here, after all. Teams around Europe have been doing this for years. And the players, no matter what you may think about some of them and their technical limitations, are capable of controlling the ball and passing it 10 or 15 yards. It all boils down to their decision-making, and with more practice and repetition, that will get better. But it will also take patience from the crowd. If we want to move away from the drudgery of the past and towards a more sophisticated and entertaining brand of football, we have to give Berthel Askou a chance to implement it. Therefore, I am hereby banning myself from uttering the words 'get rid!' in the early stages of the season, and I politely suggest you do the same. Even if we all know that little voice inside of us, who wants us to play it safe and to pretend it's still 1987, will be screaming at us to do so. Even if one hand is over my eyes, I'll be keeping the other one over my gub.
The National
04-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Motherwell fans need to lose 'get rid' urges amid new style
Ok, I admit it. When Calum Ward was dribbling the ball out from the back the other day and trying to thread passes on the edge of his 18-yarder as if he was Franz Beckenbauer in his pomp (he isn't) my heart was in my mouth just a little. I don't know if it's a reflexively Scottish thing to immediately get the heebie jeebies when your team tries something as 'continental' and 'woke' as playing the ball out from the back, but watching the Motherwell players trying to execute the philosophy of Jens Berthel Askou for the first time, even in a pre-season kickabout, seemingly sparked a dose of the vapours among a good chunk of the support. One can only imagine how many of the Fir Park punters would react if the team attempts this on the opening day of the league campaign against Rangers. Though, we don't really need to imagine it at all, because we can simply recall the reaction when Jim Gannon and then Graham Alexander initially tried it during their own tenures as manager. (Image: Craig Foy - SNS Group) With the greatest of respect to the likes of club legend Stephen Craigan and then later on, cult hero Bevis Mugabi, they didn't look altogether comfortable with the notion, to say the least. And as for the fans? Well, the good folk from St John's better be on alert for a sharp increase in medical incidents just above the dugouts. Read more: These managers soon ripped up Plan A, and tailored their style to suit the tools with which they were working. And after the friendly defeat to FC Twente, many speculated online that Berthel Askou would soon come to a similar realisation that his players just weren't good enough to pull this sort of thing off. That a modern, progressive style just isn't for the likes of us. But here's the thing. I'm not sure he will. Granted, he might not have his keeper playing quite so high up the pitch at times, and he clearly doesn't intend him to be on the ball quite as often as he was in the midweek game. Much of that was caused by the players ahead of the defence not quite executing the sort of movement he wants from them, by the by, hence the frequent shouts accusing them of 'hiding' from the dugout. There will be tweaks to what we saw against Twente when the competitive stuff gets underway, for sure, but when Berthel Askou arrived, his pitch was that a more 'dynamic' and 'aggressive' approach with 'more dimensions' was vital to the success of his team. Having met him, he doesn't seem the type to be swayed from that belief by groans from the crowd and people imploring him 'to get the ball up the f****** park'. Let's not forget, this is what a large section of the fanbase (me included) wanted. An end to years of predominantly long hoofs, 50/50s, and scrapping for second balls. Entertaining and enterprising football. Players taking the ball under pressure and being comfortable on it. High pressing, high intensity. And yes, a little higher risk. There were glimpses of it under Michael Wimmer, and now it seems from early impressions that Berthel Askou is going to crank that up another notch. (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) He has time to bring in players more suited to such a game model, but there were signs on Tuesday that even with the current group, this can work. When it came off, and when Motherwell broke the Twente press, they created opportunities. A proper balance will have to be found. There's nothing wrong with going long when the occasion demands it, and as some of the pitches deteriorate towards the winter, those occasions will increase. I can understand the reticence from some to embrace this sort of style. In a division where the margins are razor thin, increasing the risk around your own area seems counter-intuitive. But the rewards could be great. Brendan Rodgers picked up on this theme a couple of years ago. Ok, he has far better players at his disposal than Motherwell do, but when discussing taking his Celtic side into the Champions League, he hit back at those who criticised him for playing out against teams better than his own. "People don't pick up on the balls that get smashed up the pitch that come right back at you and it ends up in a goal,' Rodgers said. 'No-one ever talks about that. But the minute a short build-up leads to a goal? 'I guarantee the stats are greater for mistakes in the long ball build-up. Any top team in the world will build from the back. If you make a mistake, you can't kill your goalkeeper. It's about decision making.' This isn't Berthel Askou reinventing the wheel, here, after all. Teams around Europe have been doing this for years. And the players, no matter what you may think about some of them and their technical limitations, are capable of controlling the ball and passing it 10 or 15 yards. It all boils down to their decision-making, and with more practice and repetition, that will get better. But it will also take patience from the crowd. If we want to move away from the drudgery of the past and towards a more sophisticated and entertaining brand of football, we have to give Berthel Askou a chance to implement it. Therefore, I am hereby banning myself from uttering the words 'get rid!' in the early stages of the season, and I politely suggest you do the same. Even if we all know that little voice inside of us, who wants us to play it safe and to pretend it's still 1987, will be screaming at us to do so. Even if one hand is over my eyes, I'll be keeping the other one over my gub.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reserve's Nevin Freeman lays out ‘Plan A and B' for the monetary system at Monetarium 2025
Reserve's Nevin Freeman lays out 'Plan A and B' for the monetary system at Monetarium 2025 originally appeared on TheStreet. In an interview with TheStreet Roundtable, Nevin Freeman said Monetarium is the second annual gathering organized by Confusion Capital and the Reserve ecosystem. Freeman explained that Monetarium isn't limited to Reserve enthusiasts or asset-backed currency advocates. 'It's really for anybody who wants to have a deep conversation about the nature of monetary systems and who's willing to think about what is going to happen to the fiat system, what's going to happen to the US dollar,' he said. The conference is scheduled for June 18 to June 21 and will take place in Washington D.C. Addressing the first half of the framing question, Freeman outlined 'Plan A.' He said, 'How do we preserve the current system, how do we pay down the debt and preserve the state of the US dollar? Because as long as it works, it's a functional system.' Panels will dig into why Congress has struggled to balance the budget and control national debt — and whether politically difficult reforms can avert debt monetization. On the flip side, Freeman described 'Plan B' for attendees who conclude the current model won't hold. 'If we don't manage to do that, we have not as a society cracked that nut yet,' he said. Under Plan B, the conference will explore alternative monetary designs. 'Obviously there'll be some focus on asset-backed currency as one option, but we also have invited some other groups who have different ideas to compare and contrast.' Freeman highlighted expert sessions on historical precedents. Last year's agenda examined the gold standard's rise and fall; this year's will also probe the inner workings of the Federal Reserve. Attendees will learn why past reserve currencies failed and what those lessons mean for today's debt challenges. A final strand will trace the evolution of exchange-traded funds and consider how those market structures can inform decentralized token funds. Freeman summed up his excitement plainly: 'I'm super excited.' Reserve's Nevin Freeman lays out 'Plan A and B' for the monetary system at Monetarium 2025 first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 16, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Gulf Today
16-06-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Neither the PM nor the chancellor is a natural storyteller
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves admitted mistakes had been made during the government's difficult first year when she addressed a private meeting of the parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) after announcing her spending review. Her audience knew what she meant: her catastrophic decision on the pensioners' winter fuel allowance. Reeves was more honest in private than she is in public. Even after their spectacular U-turn, she and Keir Starmer insist last July's decision was right at the time. In her defence, the chancellor said Labour had been out of power for 14 years and in office for one — an admission, perhaps, that ministers must learn on the job. She won a good reception at the PLP for her £113bn boost to investment projects and her framing of her review, first made in The Independent, as "Labour's choices". But Reeves' plea for Labour MPs to "get out and sell" the spending programme in their constituencies landed badly with some in her audience. On Westminster's summer party circuit, they grumbled about a lack of salesmanship from both Reeves and Keir Starmer. These critics have a point. Neither the prime minister nor the chancellor is a natural storyteller. They sometimes look like technocratic automatons as they prioritise the "stability" they offered after Conservative chaos over their election-winning pitch of "change". Although the social democrat Reeves is more ideological than the arch-pragmatist Starmer, many Labour backbenchers complain she has become a prisoner of "Treasury orthodoxy". The double act of PM and chancellor works better when they complement each other. Tony Blair was a good communicator and Gordon Brown the brains behind New Labour's strategy and domestic policy. The relationship between David Cameron and George Osborne was similar, and without the corrosive personal tensions between Blair and Brown. Crucially, Blair and Cameron had a story to tell. Today, even some Starmer allies admit privately he has yet to articulate a coherent narrative about his and his government's purpose. However, ministers and Labour backbenchers sense the spending review marks the overdue start of such a process. They detect an important shift — from a technocratic approach towards Labour's traditional goal of social justice: the winter fuel U-turn, an extension of free school meals and a £39bn boost for affordable housing. The biggest symbol of this change of tack will be measures to combat child poverty in the autumn, likely to include lifting the two-child benefit cap. That would be a break with the opinion poll-driven approach of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer's chief of staff. Although the cap is supported by the public, sometimes politicians have to lead public opinion rather than merely follow it. Aides insist Starmer's pragmatism is an asset that gives him the flexibility to try different approaches if Plan A doesn't work and to correct mistakes. But the absence of an ideological anchor can be a liability. To see off the real threat from Nigel Farage, Labour will need more than attacks on Reform UK; it will require a positive vision based on Labour values to woo centre-left voters. A crusade against child poverty will unite the Labour Party, while welfare cuts divide it. Soft-left ministers have a spring in their step: "Things are moving in the right direction," one told me. Indeed, the spending review was not dictated by "Treasury orthodoxy" and the short-termism which often results in cutting investment projects to balance the books. Reeves addressed at least some of the long-term challenges facing the country. Labour's poor results in last month's local elections in England encouraged the rethink. They proved that caution isn't working. What is needed now is not old Labour but bold Labour. That will require more boldness and honesty on taxation. It's an open secret that, barring an economic miracle, Reeves will have to raise taxes in her autumn Budget. Significantly, she is not ruling it out, reverting to the formula Labour used before last year's election: there's nothing here (in the manifestospending review) requiring higher taxes. It's the politicians' old, disingenuous friend of "no plans" used before Reeves raised taxes by £40bn in her first Budget. Starmer and Reeves should prepare the ground now by making the case for higher taxes to deliver better public services and the higher defence spending needed in the dangerous new world of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. If they don't, the vacuum will be filled by months of damaging headlines predicting which taxes Reeves will raise - many of which will turn out to be wrong. If Starmer and Reeves don't make the case, a right-dominated press will blame the inevitable tax rises on Labour economic mismanagement. There is another story to tell. Although the public tend to prioritise avoiding tax increases over investing in public services, Labour can win the argument by exposing the fantasy economics of Reform and Tory plans to cut taxes and raise spending. Brown won such an argument when he raised national insurance to fund the NHS in 2002. Reeves' fiscal rules can provide the "stability" and tax rises the "change." Labour must deliver both. Ministers need to start the debate on tax and spending that the country should have had before last year's election. Now.
