In recent seasons, it is undeniable that an air of doom and gloom has cast a long shadow across Scottish football, with many suggesting that the current malaise, if not exactly incurable, will require lengthy treatment before a full and lasting recovery can be made.
As with most legislation, the January transfer window has divided opinion since it was introduced. It was seemingly done with the best of intentions. Before, with nothing to restrict when players were signed, the system was open to unfair exploitation.
They say ‘never go back’. They say it won’t be the same, it’ll never be as good as you remember it. But are ‘they’ right?
The onset of a new year north of the border brings the usual resolutions and weight reduction promises. And, for football fans, the Scottish Cup kicks off in earnest, with the big guns entering the competition for the first time at the fourth round stage.
The pressure and scrutiny that a football manager faces seems to become more and more intense with each passing season. But the attention placed on Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean has been ferocious even by football management standards.