Compared to Lionel Messi and Arjen Robben, Antony is shit.
Is that what they mean?
Nobody, but nobody, outside of a maximum secure unit, will believe all that. Not a living soul. Even the most simple-minded of rag fans would say that's going too far. But that is who this load of old rot is aimed at, the care-in-the-community brigade. The slack-jawed simpletons with their half and half scarves, grey duffel coats and furrowed brow.
The average IQ of the these people would not even reach double figures.
Like kids with a teddy bear: these people need the reassurance, the comfort, the sense of wellbeing that comes with following a myth rather than a reality. Most kids grow into responsible adults and ditch their teddy bears and go out and participate in the real world: with its highs and lows, its dangers and its unpredictable nature, the good, the bad and the impossible to categorise, etc.
But not these. No, not for them the real world. Not for them the rollercoaster ride that we all call life. They have neither the mental stamina nor the fortitude to survive in what they see as a hostile and unpleasant world. Where football teams win and lose games, where top-notch professionals occasionally miss a penalty, or a wide open goal.
A world where no one is immune from the odd fuck-up or two.
Because in their cosy little bubble of Ragland, where the sun is always shining and the grass is always green, and their sides never lose a game, and have the finest, greatest players on planet earth. And everything about their little fairy land has a happy ending, like a formulaic Disney film from the 60's.
This is the reality for many rags and dippers: the streets are paved with gold and the houses are all made of chocolate and honey, and every other football fan wishes they could go back in time and switch allegiances to one or both of the redshirts.
Fuck them and their little Tupperware existence: air-tight and sealed off from the outside world.
www.dailyrecord.co.uk