OPINION
While the likes of Rangers and Celtic are used to playing in the best stadiums Scotland has to offer when at home, their away trips can often throw up significantly smaller venues where facilities are not up to scratch.
One of the big talking points north of the border is the use of plastic pitches in the top flight, with some arguing that it is a necessity to keep costs down for smaller clubs and to ensure that matches go ahead in the bitter Scottish weather.
The problem that is faced by players is that plastic pitches have proven to be a serious issue when it comes to injuries – a fuming Steven Gerrard insisting that artificial surfaces should not be used after seeing Jamie Murphy pick up a season-ending blow earlier this campaign against Kilmarnock.
The Gers played – and lost – away to Killie in midweek and face another trip to a side with a plastic pitch in the shape of Livingston on Sunday, the Daily Record reporting that a fully fit Borna Barisic could well miss out once again as a result of the playing surface.
The Croatian 26-year-old, who the Daily Record claim cost £2million in the summer, has suffered his fair share of injury problems this season and it seems as though his woes mean that Gerrard will not risk his left back on Sunday.
However, how is the former Osijek star expected to become a success in Scotland if he cannot play when the Gers head away from Ibrox?
He might have the quality but the simple matter that he is not guaranteed to play week in, week out is surely going to cut his Ibrox career short.
If injury, including the fear of him picking up a problem, are going to curtail his game time then he is just not a good fit for the Gers and the two parties should part ways sooner rather than later.
If he can fix the problems, then excellent, but it does not seem that simple.