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Call me a conspiracy theory nutjob but I have long considered that they are avoiding games as much as possible in the hopes the game is "paused" - so that they then can suggest "not enough games have been played to award the title".

According to Lennon "nobody has Covid" .

Despite him being a despicable scrote, there are times you have to give Neil Lennon credit for being the perfect embodiment of his club, the personification of everything that makes Celtic the unique football club it is. Few other people could so perfectly display the whining victimhood and complete absence of honesty and dignity that have become so emblematic of Celtic.

There's much negative sentiment expressed in some corners towards Lewis Ferguson but it seems inevitable he will be on Gerrard's radar.

Crooks and chancers everywhere

"maliciously prosecuted" That's one hell of an admission. It says the justice system in Scotland is unfit for purpose and is operating on behalf of someone other than the people of Scotland - and in the absence of any stated remedy, that this remains the case today. And that is a characteristic of a failed state. It means you cannot trust anything from parliament to the judiciary to the justice service to the police. It's almost beyond words what has happened to this country.

Aye, I'd agree Bill. It may be that he's one of those you hate him at other teams, but would love him in your own type guys.

The key role, for me, is that of Arfield. For the most part, the others (Jack, Kamara, Aribo, Davis, Zungu - and even a youngster or two) can fill in and rotate into a number of roles (the deeper role and the wider role). But, Arfield's blend of defensive attributes and that attacking drive is unique to him. I think that's something we need going forward. (I feel Aribo has the attributes, but is maybe struggling to come to grips with that deeper role - he played better further forward. He's still young, though.)

One game at a time. Win. This is all the team needs to think about.

Easily foreseen.

Was Balogun.

The entire team were terrible that night to be fair

i think they are literally scared to play them. Hard to get beat if you don't play.

Well, those dropped points have been coming. Since Dundee United on December 13th we haven’t been playing well but have still managed to get full points every time until now (loss to St Mirren was in the cup of course). We have done very well to take so many points from those games but it is a bit worrying that we have gone 9 domestic games without recovering our form. Incidentally, we lost our form when we lost Jack. We were 4-0 up against Aberdeen when he went off on the 56th minute and that game ended 4-0 and we entered a period where I would say we have had less control. The loss of Roofe and Arfield more recently made dropped points far more likely too, Roofe in particular a player who we have relied on when the other forwards weren’t producing. As for the game itself, some credit has to go to Motherwell. Their new manager has them set up well and they did well to stop us building up attacks. But ultimately we only have ourselves to blame for not being able to beat possibly the worst team in the league at the moment. Balogun was caught out at the goal, bizarrely leaving his man in the 6 yard box to close down a man he didn’t have to close down, and even then he didn’t have the urgency he should have to rush back to cover his man, he seemed to continue watching the ball and didn’t get back in time to stop an easy finish that should never have been allowed to happen. Others should have done better too of course, I’m not discounting that. But I hope Helander is brought back in now because that has been coming from Balogun, there has been a slip up in a good number of games from him that he could have been punished for, despite otherwise good performances. Davis was excellent. His reading of the game/interceptions and passing were big positives. I’m a very big Aribo fan but he’s just struggling to make a impact consistently throughout the game. I still think he’s an important player and he did create a couple of wee chances, but we expect much more. A player who misses Jack I think. As for the front 3, Hagi hadn’t made enough of an impact but he was the most likely to make something happen and was hooked. I don’t know why Gerrard favours Kent and Morelos so much over him. And so much over Itten and Defoe. I just don’t get it. It was no surprise to see Itten do well when he came on yet again, and Defoe to come very close to scoring a very good goal in a short cameo appearance. These guys have earned more minutes on the pitch but they just don’t get them. Morelos didn’t have a bad game. He did have too many misplaced passes for my liking but if anything he came into it in the second half and was making more positive passes. Kent had one of his poorer games, running the ball out of play 3 times I think and his second touch a tackle far too often. Luckily Jack and Roofe are nearing returns but what does Itten need to do to earn an opportunity when the players playing ahead of him just aren’t doing it.

There’s always a case for the player who made or scored the goal but I’ve voted Davis too. Did so much well throughout the game and played with an urgency that many others didn’t.

You're a conspiracy theory nutjob! Similar thoughts had crossed my own mind, in fairness. The only counter-theory that I came up with that made any sense was that there might have been a conscious decision by the SPFL to minimise the number of games in January to allow the players a little more recovery time after a hectic December, given there is no winter break this year. Even if that was the case, it would be easy to explain. But also, surely such niceties are dispensed with given the ongoing pandemic and the priority should be playing the games within a reasonable timeframe.

I’m not sure it’s yet an illness to be a complete bastard.

I have some doubts if he could get a game in our current midfield and if not then it would be a backwards move to sign Lewis Ferguson.

I only want two things out of life now. 1. Title 55 to be delivered. 2. The full press conference video.

Their PR must be raging. They were working so hard in the background to shift the focus away from Celtic's ineptitude and hubris, and Lenny has brought it all back like a lightning rod.

covering it up. they must have known this for a week but only release it as they return to training. What else are they hiding on this front

No, they haven't been named - only that a second player has it and that they were already previously isolating.

He reminds me a bit of Ian Ferguson when he signed from St Mirren. Which can't be altogether a bad thing.

Itten scores again but Rangers fail to make it sweet sixteen at Fir Park Cedric Itten came off the bench to score his fourth goal against Motherwell as Rangers dropped points for only the third time this season with a 1-1 draw at Fir Park. The big Swede scored his first goal for club earlier in the season at the same ground, and he also bagged a vital goal in the 3-1 win against the Lanarkshire side at Ibrox last month – and it took the big striker to come off the bench again to get Rangers a vital goal which ensured Rangers maintained their points advantage at the top of the table. Rangers went into the game looking for their sixteenth consecutive win in the league against a Motherwell side without a win in eleven. However the Fir Park side had looked rejuvenated against St Mirren last week after the appointment of Graham Alexander, and Steven Gerrard had warned against complacency at his press conference on Friday. Gerrard named an unchanged eleven from the side which started at Pittodrie last week, meaning Steven Davis made his 300th appearance for Rangers as they looked to extend their lead to 23 points after Celtic dropped points against Livingston on Saturday. Rangers started very sluggishly and it was the home side who looked the more likely in the early stages, and they were rewarded in the 20th minute with a goal from Devante Cole. It was Cole who started the move from a throw-in, protecting the ball well and playing it out wide. Motherwell worked it well from there, allowing Tony Watt to send the ball across the face of the goal for Cole to slide in and tap it in. Rangers reacted well in terms of dominating possession, but struggled to break down a stubborn Motherwell defence. The only chance of note came from an Alfredo Morelos header, the Columbian rising well to get on the end of a great Borna Barisic cross and send the ball inches past Liam Kelly’s left-hand post. Into the second-half and Rangers started brightly with Hagi shooting wide seconds after the restart. Hagi was again involved when he sent over a great cross which Ryan Kent sheepishly headed wide when he should have done a lot better. It was another frustrating performance from the Englishman who has struggled with form of late. Kent had another opportunity a few minutes later when he cut inside and shot from the corner of the box, but hit it straight at Kelly. With Rangers dominating possession but struggling to create outright chances, Steven Gerrard turned to the man who had punished Motherwell in the previous two meetings and introduced Itten for Ianis Hagi on 54 minutes. The substitution inspired Rangers to their best chance of the match. Connor Goldson got on the end of Barisic corner to head brilliantly past Kelly, only to see it cleared off the line by Devante Cole. From the clearance Rangers worked it well again, and Tavernier put in a great ball which fell to Joe Aribo who fired it over the bar when it seemed easier to score. It was now one way traffic, with Rangers hemming Motherwell into their own half. Tavernier headed a ball over Liam Kelly, but no Rangers player was in sight to tap it in to the empty net as it bounced across the face of goal. Then came the equaliser from Itten. Rangers worked it well on the left-hand side, allowing Barisic to send in a great cross which the big striker headed past Kelly to give Rangers a deserved equaliser. In the closing stages Gerrard introduced Defoe and Barker for Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent as he looked for the winner which would extend Rangers’ lead. And it was Defoe who nearly, and arguably should have given Rangers a deserved win in the 92nd minute. Goldson sent the ball wide to Tavernier, who sent in a great cross. Defoe brought it down superbly well with a deft touch which set him up to turn superbly and get his shot away, only to hit it straight at Kelly. It would be Rangers’ last opportunity and they had to settle for a point. The result meant Steven Gerrard failed to equal Jock Wallace’s record of sixteen successive wins, and the Rangers manager couldn’t hide his disappointment at failing to extend the lead over Celtic further. “I don’t think we’ve got any complaints in terms of the result”, he said. “I think it took us 45 minutes to come to the game. “I’m disappointed with our showing in the first-half. I had to get into them a little bit at half-time, and I thought we were really good in the second-half. Over the course of the 90 minutes we probably deserved to win it on chances on our second-half showing. But the reality is we can’t come to a game at half-time when we are where we are. “There are two things as a manager you don’t want your team to do: you don’t want to start a game late, and you can’t leave games early – especially with what we’re playing for. “Hopefully this will be a valuable point come the end of the season”. MOTHERWELL: Kelly; O'Donnell, Gallagher, Mugabi, Carroll; Polworth, Crawford, Campbell, Seedorf; Cole, Watt SUBS: Morrison, Lamie, McGinley, White, Lawless, Maguire, Devine, McIver, Johnston RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic, Kamara, Davis, Aribo. Kent, Hagi, Morelos. SUBS: McLaughlin, Bassey, Helander, Defoe, Itten, Zungu, Patterson, Barker, Stewart. REFEREE: Don Robertson

he has a lot of good qualities. I guess we should trust Gerrard either way.

We need the objectivity and clarity uniquely provided by the Rangers Tax Case Blog. After nearly two years and over a million impressions, the RTC Blog disappeared overnight. I was thinking they could shine a bright light into the dark corner that is Frank Mullholland, now Lord Mullholland. Three years past, Stuart Cosgrove said, "Rangers supporters should forget about the Rangers Tax Case Blog". I think folks would be most interested in how much the RTC Blog has cost - is costing the country?

Davis for me. They deliberately congested the middle of the park to force us wide and Davis got us into good initial positions in the channel particularly, we just didn't find the right pass or get crosses in with enough quality regularly enough.

This is one area where we have been blessed with good players , Zungu aside as he hasn't had long enough , however the future planning as players leave , either by transfor retirement will be crucial , especially in a possible C/L season , will be crucial .

You have to wonder if this was all pre-planned and this is their "reward".

Maybe under Alexander they will give the scum a game.

Now online mate: many thanks! https://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/news-category/match-analysis/1297-itten-scores-again-but-rangers-fail-to-make-it-sweet-sixteen-at-fir-park

That’s an interesting point - assuming Celtic win ALL their remaining games including against us twice (no laughing at the back) we need, technically, 10 wins and a draw - realistically just the 10 wins given goal difference.... so if we win 7 of 8 at Ibrox (assume Celtic beat us at home) we then need 3 wins from 6 away - 3 wins from 5 assuming Celtic beat us at Parkhead And all of that supposes Celtic win out for the remainder of the season....

Ha, true - cheers mate. Its strange because a week ago I was desperate for 3 points every game to ensure we would win the league.... now I’m more concerned about.... actually, know what, I don’t want to jinx anything ? Very poor first half but they scored from what was basically their only chance. We never worked the keeper but scored 1, had one off the line and Defoe could easily have snatched it at the end. Motherwell are better than their league position suggests - and if they continue to play like that then Celtic will have problems with them too. Really wanted the 3 points today because 14 (assuming the win their games in hand) would be almost unassailable. But that said we have come out of the weekend having lost no ground despite another away game down whilst they were at home ????

The whole thing stinks.

Goldson for me, he was playing like a CM for most of the match

Wonderful depressing 0-0. Is that the best they can offer? City will be laughing.

big Sam was good yesterday when his lot were coming off he was at the side line telling them no hugging and no kissing

No covid goal celebrations at the piggery today....?