Patterson targeted by latest press smear

The incessant media attacks on Rangers for the past week continued today with a bizarre piece from the ‘legendary’ Chris Sutton who decided to create a story from nowhere and use Nathan Patterson in a backhanded compliment.

Sutton is right, for once, that Steve Clarke’s call to include him isn’t a gamble, but equally we heard absolutely no one say it was.

Instead, it’s been widely praised (aside bitter Craig Levein) along with the inclusion of Turnbull and Gilmour as giving promising kids a real chance and taste of the elite action.

Instead though there’s another angle on this.

By saying it’s not a gamble, Sutton is claiming, negatively, that other sources think it is, and of course he’s making the topic all about Patterson rather than it actually being about all 3.

By picking out Patterson of the three he’s arguing he’s the gamble, but Gilmour and Turnbull aren’t.

This is often what we need to deal with with Scotland’s press. It’s not always obvious media assaults, not always blatant – but when we look at even the ‘positive’ press our club and players get, it’s laced with some kind of subtle attack as well.

In this case, the singling out of Patterson as a gamble but none of the other two young players.

Still, as always, it’s all about the Rangers.