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Not sure I agree our league form suffered badly during the Europa campaign. While we definitely suffered at the piggery after our jaunt to furthest Russia, it is worth remembering that we went joint top after beating the bheasts at New Year. It was our form just after the winter break that cost us the title, with no European action to blame for it. With the size of squad we have there should be no excuse if we rotate it properly.

Can't wait for tonight's game and hoping for a comfortable evening with a few more goals. In terms of the team, I don't think the manager will make any big surprises in his selection and will try to maintain continuity to a degree with his starting XI whilst giving a chance to guys like Edmundson, Docherty and Hastie to see what they can do at this level - amongst others from the bench as the game progresses. Morelos is a game or two behind others in his pre-season so he may well start ahead of Stewart or Defoe. Here's my guess at the team (4-3-2-1):

On Sunday last, I parked on Brand Street and had several minutes to catch kick-off. I walked on to Whitefield Road and turned right into Ibrox Terrace. Thirty yards in on the right is a recently created kids' football pitch. It is a five-a-side affair, thirty yards by twenty, with five yard wide and one yard tall goals. Behind each goal is large green mesh fence to catch flying footballs. It's construction was part of the refurbishment of Ibroxholm Oval. It has been open for eighteen months and I have seen Kids playing on the facility. Not on Sunday, the grass was the height of the goal frames. Further on up Ibrox Terrace, half-a-dozen Glasgow City employees were working in three pairs, issuing parking tickets to vehicles parked on the Terrace, Ibroxholm Oval, and Merrick Gardens. Two City Council hydraulic lift lorries were waiting to take a couple of vehicles to the city pound. The City Council were easily raising revenue in excess of a grand from those three smallish streets. Those parking have no excuses, every other lamp post has notification of parking restrictions and the abolition of free Sunday parking in Glasgow has had considerable publicity. Given the recent drug related death figures, the local Nationalist councilors insistence on the Hinshelwood football facility being open to locals to improve health, as opposed to being rented out on Saturday afternoons to Rangers for a Fan Zone, and the general constant cry as to the decreasing lack of facilities; is it reasonable to ask how much it costs the council to cut the grass? Surely, if they are accruing a grand or more in under an hour in the surrounding three streets, they can afford £20 for an employee on a tractor-mower to run across the pitch? Failing that, if Rangers inquire as to it's availability as a possible venue for a Fan Zone, I am positive the local Councilors will be out mowing the grass themselves. The hypocrisy of Glasgow City Council, who would have thought?

Candeias is a fine player (and I'd rather keep him) but there's no way we're getting £6m for him given his age and inconsistent form over the years. The fee will be interesting though and will help offset our incomings.

Glad you typed that, I would have went for "some Turkish mob"! Hope this is true, and we get a decent fee for him. Cant see him getting much gametime ahead of Jones, Ojo, Hastie, Murphy etc and if he does it will mean those new players have failed.

Some suggestions in the Turkish media Candeias is on his way to Gençlerbirliği....

Thoroughly enjoyed watching that. This quality of football (notwithstanding the quality of opposition) is a joy to watch. Stewart, Pollster, Halliday, Edmundson and Docherty have all made a claim for a starting role with that performance.

This pre season is going so well I’m becoming a shade nervous given all the disappointments we have suffered the past few years. Absolutely everything appears to be falling into place without a single hitch.

Good call. Hope to see McPake later on.

I'm glad I didn't have a mouthful of liquid when I read that!

I would like to see him doing well has always struck me as an honest bloke and hard grafter

No less than eight million with a sell on clause ?

The other aspect of Candeias going is his relationship with Morelos. Another indicator that Alfy will leave in this window?

Got to be all about players getting full match fitness and a bit of gelling with the new faces. A good few goals will go down well also. It will be interesting to see who SG goes with.

As Bearger points out, McPake is in the squad for tomorrow. Gerrard said he pulled McPake from the development game on Tuesday because he's in his plans for todays game. There won't be a better competitive game to give him 30 minutes. Would be great if he could make a real impression. #GoodEnough=OldEnough

RANGERS’ Europa League second leg against St Joseph’s is LIVE on RangersTV everywhere in the world. https://rangers.co.uk/news/rangers-tv/st-josephs-clash-live-on-rtv/

Neither Candeias or Kent are good enough in my opinion. One tries hard but fails at basics and the other only turns up against Celtc.

Penalty tae thaim, aw naw!

Has the ability to be an impact sub for us. Having said that he did look a bit nervous tonight. I only saw parts of the game but I think Polster took his opportunity to show the fans he’s a very good back up for right back and even centre mid. Very comfortable in possession. Edmundsson has really surprised me, it’s early days but we might just have unearthed a gem there!

I hope nobody has paid for flights to Lux. Cork now 2-0 up in 2nd leg.

Good team and an opportunity for some to stake a claim for a starting place come August. Certainly enough to see off St Josephs well.

If Candeias leaves we’ll need to come up with some other way of covering for Tavernier’s forays forward. Because Candeias’ work rate has been missed whenever he’s been left out.

Team news is out and 9 changes wes polster edmundson goldson Halliday aribo kamara Docherty hastie stewart Morelos

We both suffered while in Europe. We were also games behind them when joint top. I think the premise has legs.

Jason Cummings has been let go by Nottingham Forrest with a year still on his contract. Just saying.?

We might fall out! At the risk of starting a debate, Kent is much more consistent than Candeias however there's no doubt that Candeias offers more of a goal threat. As a Kent fan I'd be very happy to have Kent come in to replace Candeias. Candeias will always be held in high regard though because of his work ethic, which is second to none.

He has a year left on his deal and will probably sell for less than we paid for him, circa 500k

De Ligt goes to Juventus from Ajax for 67million. The Ajax side will be broken up but they will have a good few quid in the bank. Its not a bad method yet Id like to see a side like Ajax be back in with the elite of Europe, yet playing outside England, Spain, Italy or Germany dents that nowadays.

Well, due to Celtic being as average as we were. We droppped loads of points and crashed out of the league cup 3 days after a European game. There seemed to be a consensus on this forum that the squad was exhausted by December and the old firm win came out of the blue.

I'm sure we'll get a decent fee and we certainly don't lack options in terms of replacing him. Candeias has rarely let us down but if the fee is agreeable and we can bring in Kent again, then I don't think we'll miss him too much.

I think Bruce will do OK so long as the fans dont get on this back. Its a big backwards move from Benitez but Allardyce would have been a final straw for the Toon Army.

Wait till we win 55.....

Firth doesn’t really count as part of the first team squad, he’s a reserve keeper so wouldn’t be included in the 22-23. Only two keepers would be imo. In the defence we have 4 CBs to two positions and 5 fullbacks to 2 positions. I would lose Halliday from those 9 but I doubt any will leave. In centre mid we have 5 players to 3 positions, up to 7 if you include Halliday and Polster. A pretty normal number I would say. In the attacking midfield positions we have 7 players to 2 positions. A bit of a problem and why I’m so confused at the clamour for Kent to sign, Candeias can leave imo. Up front we have 2 players to 1 position with Stewart and Arfield probably offering cover. Fine by me although many want a 3rd. All in all not a whole lot wrong with the size of the squad but we’ve already excluded a bunch of fringe players there.

Given the demands from the manager and the competition for places, this night may end bad for St. Joseph`s.

@der Berliner Don't know about a 4-4-2 but my eyes are telling me that your 20-40-10 is being refused by my cerebral processing plant.

From an ex-Para who typed the OP to an ex-bootneck who wrote a book on the above....

Pocket change compared to UCL. If we win the league we get into the Champions League qualifiers next season. I’m not suggesting chucking games I’m just saying I wouldn’t mind it if we were freed up to focus on the league this season of all season. Our league form was badly affected last season.

I think we should try our hardest to qualify. It helps the coefficient, the financial positives are obvious and it's good to put ourselves up against better quality sides. Having said that, I think it's unlikely that we will, unless we are lucky in the draw.