Strange how your mood can change over the course of 90 minutes isn’t it? At half-time yesterday the prevailing feelings were anger, frustration and helpless deja-vu at how un-level the playing field is for any club visiting either side of the Old Firm and expecting anything other than the all-too familiar shocking and pathetic refereeing decisions given against you. It’s like being in a boxing match and starting with one hand tied behind your back just in case you actually land a punch!!
By full-time though, and after a rollercoaster ride of a second half, the feeling had shifted into a deep pride for the way our team conducted itself. What had potentially threatened to turn into a rout, instead allowed United to show our true colours, dig deep and give a gutsy display that could have lead to us having more to celebrate than a draw had we not been hindered by the traditional OF ‘penalties’ in the first half.
There’s something incredibly wrong at the heart of Scottish football…everyone knows it but very few talk about it mainly because of the power that the cosy duopoly in Glasgow wield. Any team that turns up and gives either of them a run for their money deserves respect and United earned every single bit of respect yesterday for the performance and the passion the players gave. As has been stated on the message-boards, let’s hope we can actually turn that to our advantage and finish the job when Rangers come to Tannadice for the replay. Let’s also hope that as many Arabs as possible turn out for the team and sing their hearts out as the faithful travelling contingent did on Sunday. Make us proud again United…