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Showing content with the highest reputation on 23/01/19 in all areas
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Okay here is my tuppence. I have said from day 1 Steven Davis is not going to be the difference to us winning the league. Our midfield should be McCrorie with Jack and Arfield more advanced. Thankfully Davis only has a 6 month contract because we really need better than him to win the league. Their seems to be the misconception that he was brilliant first time round but I can remember plenty of games he was the invisible man. Unreal why people thought Worrel was a world bearer after one good game against Celtic. We should be investing our time in Katic. The only time I saw McAuly was when he got yellow and letting Jones run 30 yards at the goal. It is not fair to judge Defoe after one game but tonight I would rather have had Broughy to be honest. I do think Defoe should have had a penalty though when the defender was pulling his arm.5 points
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With my big Kilmarnock bunnet? Ne'erday'68 was hugely exciting, Rangers new Manager, Davie White had the team playing open, expansive football. It was just as well, Rangers dismissal of Scot Symon the previous month had been controversial. Thirteen successful years were not enough, Jock Stein had arrived and his brand of winning football was perceived as modern. It was a stark dichotomy, Symon was blazer and flannels, Stein was strictly track suit; Symon blended players, Stein annotated blackboards and fitted players into his system. Rangers needed a modern manager to compete with Big Jock. White had coached Clyde to a third place finish the previous season, he had been appointed Rangers Assistant Manager just four months previous. After the Bells, Davie White's ten game tenure was brought to focus. Eight league games won, including a ten-2 demolition of Raith Rovers, and Cologne knocked out the Inter City Fairs Cup by a 6-1 aggregate. The day before, Rangers had journeyed to Pittodrie and won convincingly, 4-1. Goals were flowing, Our summer signing, (Sir) Alex Ferguson had notched nine in the period, Persson and Johnston achieved the same total between them. The next afternoon, Partick Thistle were battered 5-2, and the three games in four days culminated in a 2-2 draw at Celtic Park. Looking back, I blame my Uncle Eddie. He had been doing missionary work in Newmilns, Ayrshire for a dozen years. The deepest, darkest Lanarkshire/Ayrshire cross pollination downside, was having to listen to dear Eddie's Ne'erday interpretation of, 'My big Kilmarnock Bonnet'. Killie, under Wullie Waddell's tutelege, had won the League Championship two and half years before. Uncle Eddie was a convert. We would receive our comeuppance at Rugby Park at the penultimate game of the season. We traveled down to Ayrshire in sunshine. It was the last week of April and a New Year run of 14 games had seen 13 wins and a draw. We were level on points with Celtic, their goal average was better. The draw had occurred the previous midweek, a 3-3 draw at Cappielow, and Celtic were playing at the tail o' the bank whilst we took on Killie. Comparatively, the Rugby Park surface was deemed the best in the UK. The previous year, the then world cup holders, Brazil had based themselves in Troon, utilising the Juniors pitch in morning fitness sessions, but doing afternoon ball work at Rugby Park. I was excited, the pitch was akin to a bowling green, in those days Ibrox was a sand pit after Christmas. Primary school was finishing, and I knew I would begin Secondary supporting the Champions. Kilmarnock had a team of household names, King, Queen, McInally, McLean, McGrory, .... etc and 25,000 Bears had a quick intake of breath when Killie took the lead on the eleventh minute. Dave Smith and Andy Penman took control, both Henderson and Persson on either flank were seeing a lot of the ball. Our Swedish world cup semi-finalist scored a typical Orjan goal, working along the bye-line before shuffling the ball on to his weaker foot and slotting into the far corner. Drawing level before half time had everyone smiling, but Persson was clearly injured as he hobble off. The substitute was Alec Willoughby, cousin of Jim Forrest and a fine player. He scored the winner with a dozen minutes left to play. We turned our attention to the numerous Bears cradling large radios, 'what's the score at Cappielow'? It was 1-1 and remained so when the referee blew at Rugby Park. We were a point ahead with Aberdeen to play at Ibrox. We invaded the pitch, whooped in the sunshine for a few minutes; then news arrived that Lennox had scored a winner in injury time. The wailing began and continued the following Saturday when Rangers lost their only league game that season, the Dons winning 2-3. Uncle Eddie's party prophecy was wrong, we had triumphed in Kilmarnock. Another attendee at my parents' Hogmanay party was a near neighbour who played a significant part that day. The referee at Cappielow was John Paterson of Bothwell, he allowed a couple of injury time minutes and Lennox reportedly scored with the last kick of the ball. I suspect it is the fate of all ten year old lads to both whoop and wail within a few minutes, I cannot help but think a more timeous Mr Paterson should have possessed greater awareness? Celebrating a title win that never was, continues to live with you. I offer tomorrow night's game has the same importance? Our last game saw a first victory over the dominant Brendan Rodgers, the first in thirteen games. There is a momentum to be garnered, it's difficult because the fixture fates have Rangers visiting both Killie and Livi on two plastic pitches in the space of four days. Rugby Park's surface these days is arguably the worst in the top flight? We have had two players(Waghorn and Murphy) sustain long term injuries at the venue. We have to get on with it, we won handsomely in the league cup earlier in the season, courtesy of an Alfredo hat-trick. Tomorrow, we must take the game to them, right from the first whistle. Killie's offensive threat is diminished by the loss of Greg Stewart and Steve Clarke must be indecisive on playing Jordan Jones? Boyd and Burke might be obvious replacements, these days neither are going to run away from any defence. Thus, we must maintain a high press and line, do not allow them wide and the opportunity to throw the ball into our box. Clarke's success at Killie is well reported and much deserved; in the calendar year of 2018, he has accrued the most league points. I believe the foundation of Killie's continuing dominance lies with their midfield central pairing. Alan Power and Gary Dicker are real deal professionals. The Dublin born duo are the wrong side of thirty, but get around the pitch with purpose. They play on the legitimate side of legal, tough tackling, winning it, and feeding the ball wide. Opposition teams attacking, quickly have to find their defensive feet when hitting the Power and Dicker wall. Our team will probably mirror the starting eleven against Helsinki? The evidence was Morelos pushed wider, mostly left and Kent abdicating width for the front point of the diamond. Attacks broke down and two quick passes wide and back in, found Helsinki on the edge of our box. I would hope we go with a more recognisable system and team : McGregor, Tavernier, Worral, McAuley, Halliday, Jack, Davis, Kent, Arfield, Candeias, and Morelos. I would leave Defoe to the final 20-30 minutes. I prefer whooping to wailing, 3-1 to the Bears; another Morelos hat-trick(four goals) would suffice. We MUST win it.4 points
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Worrall suffers from the not uncommon malaise of thinking he is better than he is. This has been apparent for months, good performances (one hand needed ) notwithstanding. I agree that the Club should seek a replacement. I am unconvinced that persevering with Worrall is worth the risk. We cannot afford a centre half who, to be kind, is learning from his mistakes, on the job in the 1st team. Oh, and Gareth MacAuley is done.4 points
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Jones made McGregor look like Wes. Gerrard should give Katic a chance ahead of Worrall for a while. You can't let a mistake like that go unpunished.4 points
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Which is why UEFA are useless. The bigger leagues spend pocket change on the best players of the smaller nations, meaning those smaller nations will never catch up.4 points
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Clickbait. Hard to take anyone seriously if they work for the Record.4 points
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Just a quick note that the video above from the mentioned Hogmanay party was performed in 26th's South Lanarkshire drawing room. 26th is usually on the box himself at these do's but our favourite history teller was still in the huff after the newly built M74 took a few acres off his land a few years before in 1966.4 points
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If we do ANY more business in this transfer window I hope it is a central defender.3 points
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3 points
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We might have to use McCrorie in a centre back role till Goldson is fit again as I have doubts on both McCauley(pace) and Worrall(proved tonight.3 points
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Comfortably, we put Killie out of the League Cup we scored three goals from crosses. We got in behind Killie continuously. Tonight, we decided to play without width, our fullbacks received the ball, looked up and saw nothing down the line. The ball went inside, funneled into the strongest part of the Killie side, the midfield.3 points
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It's all very well saying this, this, and this. But we've not played very well. Second to the ball far to often.3 points
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3 points
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3 points
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Yeh the flip side is that it’s an opportunity to get psychologically ahead of Celtic because we’ve already got 3 really difficult games out of the way and got full points whilst they still have those grounds to go to. That’s the goal.3 points
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The only way I can see us being able to play both of them is 3-5-2. we need two wide men in the 52 points
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He spends too much time watching us losing matches. His lack of urgency in changing things when required suggests to me he won't become a top manager.2 points
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I think huge credit must go to Steve Clarke, for getting a team of, tbf just ok players, to perform like a team that believe that they can win the league.2 points
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I agree he shouldn’t be shooting but he’s actually quite good as a box to box player. Kent’s shooting wasn’t any better tonight again.2 points
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I admire your positivity but the league is over IMO. Celtic will drop points but more depressingly so will we. Our away form is woeful and will be our downfall. Apart from the opening day at Pittodrie and our recent draw at Easter Rd, we have been truly awful in every away game.2 points
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With hindsight he should've been subbed after he scored, because yes, he did very little, and was just a luxury for us tonight.2 points
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They didnt get goals from nowhere. Brophy earned his goal by pressing up on Worrall and making him fuck it up. If that was Alfie we'd be singing his praises and adding another million to his price tag. Jones took up position just inside Tav between him and the pensioner, the ball is played over the top of our midfield into that space Jones picks it up runs at him knowing he's no pace takes it a couple of yards inside and bang its off into the bottom left hand corner. You simply cant give a player like Jones that amount of space or time on the ball in and around the box cause he will punish you. No mate none of their goals were either lucky or from nothing they two lads worked hard to make the space and earn the right to shoot at goal.2 points
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From the distance Jones shot I think McGregor has to think he should have done better as well.2 points
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We still have them to play twice. And still 16 games in total to play. I wouldn't be giving up on the league quite this early.2 points
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We had the lion's share until having to press. We didn't create much but Killie created virtually nothing. McGregor had little to do. We keep talking about the league being over here - Celtic will have to go to Rugby Park too and Killie won't be a pushover for anyone at their home ground. League isn't over at all, but we certainly can't be dropping points that were there for the taking.2 points
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I'm not sure you can blame a manager for a central defender making a schoolboy error - even when he turned back to the keeper he never even challenged the boy, he just let him run away from him. It was that moment where the game was lost.2 points
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Have to agree on tonight? I think he switches off in “lesser games” considering he was immense v St Pats.2 points
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Makes you choke when you think how much we didn't get for Billy Gilmour.2 points
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The matches on these surfaces are rarely anything other than crap, so if the clubs are saving money, supporters should get cheaper tickets.2 points
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As much as I welcome Defoe and his goalscoring track record, there was always a fear at the back of my head about whether we need 2 up top and how that will effect our team overall.1 point
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Watching Gerrard's post-match interview he is spot on in his assessment - and you can tell he is absolutely gutted.1 point
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If we're going to play Defoe and Morelos, Gerrard needs to work out a more effective way of doing it.1 point
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1 point
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They [Kilmarnock] are a counter attacking team. They did what it says on the tin.1 point
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Worrall more so. Had he not gifted Killie an equalizer I'm not sure they would have got one. We were horrible at the back. Say what we like about Goldson but he was missed tonight for sure. Our central defensive pairings, no matter which combination, are too weak. We look more like we are in a fight for 2nd place with Killie than we are with Celtic to win the league. But no worries, we are far better than these wee diddy clubs like Killie and the sheep and they are all overdue a drubbing1 point
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Tend to agree with keeping same XI (minus Goldson) unless Davis has showed up particularly well in training. Don't think we can play Defoe from the start tonight and you certainly can't start both Davis and Defoe in this type of game at their stage of match fitness.1 point
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There is an old school quality that a fit McCrorie brings to the team and if he is given the chance of a prolonged run in the team, I think we'll see one of the best Scottish midfielders to emerge for some time. I've often said he'll be a Rangers captain one day but for SG to come out and say that tends to suggest how highly he is thought of where it matters.1 point
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1 point
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