Leaderboard

It's quite something, isn't it? Having written the occasional match preview for here I can only guess at how long that took him write, he must have spent days on it. In many ways it encapsulates exactly how we've all arrived at this moment. A Celtic fan writing a Celtic blog spends months obsessing about us, imagining possible cheating and finally writing about Rangers while his own club is riven with acrimony, continues to sell it's better players, makes terrible decisions at a senior level and treats its support with contempt all from a previously unassailable financial and footballing position just 18 months ago. While they've spent 10 years shouting 'Sevco' at everything and focussing all their energy on us they failed to notice their own club was being driven off the side of a cliff. Hell mend them. It's funny though, I doubt we could have done it without them. It's ironic that on this thread, which charts the bias and unprofessionalism that haunts the corridors of Pacific Quay, reporting so many occasions when BBC Scotland Sport have chosen to ignore us completely rather than report, far less celebrate, a success, we can always rely on the Celtic support to spend every waking hour they have writing, talking and thinking about us.

For this historic time 'Everyone, Anyone' is an inspired choice of slogan and the more people that can share is these good times for Rangers the better. We all come from different places, have different views and yet here we are, all part of this great football club – no questions asked, just to love and respect the club. And we’re all bouncing off the ceiling at how well things have been going and looking forward to what lies ahead. Hopefully this article brings back some good memories and sparks discussion on different aspects of our adventures with Steven Gerrard. In coming weeks, Adam (@adamski152) over on the Heart and Hand tactics site will be picking some pivotal games and examining our tactical evolution, whilst Kenny (@kenny47110) on the The4thOfficial site will be selecting his key games over this period and providing his much-respected perspective. Please feel free to contribute, to share experiences and opinions and help catalogue a truly glorious time to be a Rangers supporter. Early 2018 and no matter which way I tried to look at things I would struggle to see a way of our predicament. Even more so when considering our budget and the more obvious options available to us. How would it be possible to escape the mire of mediocrity that we seemed destined to languish in and ascend to any sort of half-respectable position fitting of Rangers FC? I certainly couldn’t see a path to where we are today. But fortunately, some people did. Steven Gerrard and his team have completed a transformation that us mere mortals on the outside cannot even begin to comprehend. I’m sure plenty people in football would say they’d know how to achieve it but if they truly did then they would be doing it already. The truth is that most managers, even experienced and competent managers, could commit themselves fully, make every right move and still come nowhere close to where we currently are. We got something extra with Gerrard. We have all seen the financial figures for ourselves and Celtic from when Gerrard took over – with our turnover teetering around £30m whilst Rodgers Celtic topped £100m in a Champions League (CL) year. Money is not everything in football but it’s an indicator of power and capacity and it can overcome many variables. However, since that time the trends and fates of both clubs have been strangely intertwined, home and abroad, football-wise and financially. Gerrard’s starting point has been unique but this only intensifies subsequent achievements. Paradoxically, it has given Gerrard time and scope to grow whilst simultaneously making his task more difficult. Perhaps expectations had been lowered to the extent that he could afford to swing and miss, within reason, just so long as we saw progress. But then standards and ambitions changed overnight. Mediocrity and anything less than 100% commitment were not tolerated and passengers quickly jettisoned. This was the progress we needed to see. A blast of fresh air blew through Ibrox. And ever since that magical debut, Gerrard’s reign has been a study of steps and jumps in the right direction – uncompromising, relentless progress - eerily matched by Celtic stumbling and falling in the opposite direction. I’ve chosen to highlight some key games that have changed our fortunes and the context around those games. Each of these games was high stakes and pivotal in its own right and the club would’ve be fully aware of their importance at the time. FC Ufa 1 - 1 (1 - 2) Rangers: 30th August 2018 (Europa League) Gerrard’s first competitive Rangers game was a Europa League (EL) qualifier against Skhupi which was thankfully navigated without any drama. We then had ties against the very decent Osijek and Maribor (which are both significant achievements in their own right) before we faced Russian side FC Ufa. This campaign had already been a relative success and considering the Caixinha disaster the year before we had already exceeded expectations. Surely Ufa would be a step too far? This was a hard-fought win and our new players showed true grit and determination. Going down to nine men is unusual enough without then being able to cling on to the glory. Gerrard had started by making us solid at the back and organising the rest of the team. Our prize was gaining entry to Europa League group stages and games against Villareal, Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow. We were finally back playing at a decent level on a proper stage. A very promising start for Gerrard and the team. This single win also represented a guaranteed windfall of upwards of £8m to strengthen and build. On top of that Europe had given us valuable competitive game-time outside of our domestic cell to grow as a team, to bond and develop a playing style and character. The board had already committed to investing in the playing squad (and they really had to) but this windfall hastened the process. Players incoming over this season included Goldson (£3m), Barisic (£2.2m), Katic (£2), Grezda (£1.8), Kamara (£50k), with frees for McGregor, Arfield, Flanagan, and loans for Davis, Kent, Worrall, Defoe and Ajaria. This was a substantial rebuild. For me the home win against Rapid Vienna was a particular highlight of Europe this EL campaign and marked the day Ibrox learned to roar again. Just weeks before our locking horns with FC Ufa, AEK Athens had put Celtic out of the CL qualifiers. For them this translated to a relative loss of £20m. They then sold Dembele for £19m and although he would have moved on at some point, it left a gap in their team that was never properly filled. Rangers 1 - 0 Celtic: 29th December 2018 (Scottish Premiership) Since the Scottish cup semi-final victory of April 2016, we had lost ten, drawn two and won none of the subsequent Old Firm games. To add further insult to the injury, the aggregate score was 31-6. After years of humiliating walkovers this match signalled that those dark days were over and we were now ready to compete for the first time in years. Celtic had taken a bloody nose from Warburton in that semi-final and then set about making the most of their considerable advantage to extract retribution against our then struggling, artless and average newly-promoted squad. Gerrard put a stop to that nonsense and dragged the club up back on to its feet. He demanded his players give their all and show themselves some self-respect, whilst showing Celtic the absolute bare minimum. Our season, Gerrard's first, would eventually peter out with all-too-frequently dropped points against the likes of Aberdeen, Hibs and Kilmarnock being our undoing. A reminder of our weaknesses, lack of options and the work still to be done. Rangers 1 - 0 (1 - 0) Legia Warsaw - 29th August 2019 (Europa League) A new season and another four EL qualifiers to tackle; which this time would include St Josephs, Progress Neidercorn, Midtjylland, and culminating with a showdown against Legia Warsaw. Another tough game against a strong, seasoned European side who were very much the favourites. This victory guaranteed entry to the Europa group stage and again added upwards of £8m to ours accounts. In all likelihood this result enabled the permanent signing of Ryan Kent, for £6.5m; an unimaginable level of investment and ambition from just a year or so before. This season we also brought in Helander (£3.5m), Edmundson (£700k), we’d loan Hagi (in January) and brought in Aribo, Stewart, Davis, Jones all on free transfers. As a side-note, this marked the first time that the group stages had been reached through this route for two successive seasons. The EL group this year contained Feyenoord, Young Boys and Porto. The 2-0 win against Porto at Ibrox a dazzling highlight, which provided a platform to launch us out of the group. Again, unimaginable from a year or so before. Just weeks before this and Lennon’s Celtic had lost to Cluj in the final CL qualifier, shipping four goals at home (agg 4 - 5), and more importantly, shipping another £20m of financial advantage. Again, an important player in Tierney was sold, and never replaced. Rangers 0 - 1 Celtic: 8th December 2019 (Scottish League Cup Final) It may seem strange to have a defeat in this study but no team can win every game and with that you only reach your potential by knowing your weaknesses and learning from mistakes. This loss was a sore one to take at the time as we had played very well and created a glut of decent chances. This would be one of two trophies handed to Celtic by officialdom this season, with the linesman forgetting to flag for offside. Outwith that their keeper was their MOTM by some distance and it just wouldn’t to be our day, but an empty stomach only gets hungrier. A tough lesson, and one which highlighted our lack of options upfront, something we’d later address. And perhaps it also added to the complacency across the city, perhaps covered up more than a few cracks, which would catch up with them soon. Celtic 1 - 2 Rangers: 29th December 2019 (Scottish Premiership) A first win at Parkhead for ten years! And a tonic to the recent league cup defeat? Another good team performance saw us to a relatively comfortable win against that lot in their own back yard. Another reminder that we could more than match them. This was the game where they took great offence at Morelos signalling 'game-over' and Ryan Kent threatening to spray imaginary finger-bullets everywhere after scoring a worldie. The moral of the story? Never give any credence to the indignation of their media cheerleaders, ever. As we now know, we wouldn’t kick on after that winter break but any fear of Celtic had effectively evaporated - whilst uncertainty was surely seeping through the minds of the Celtic team. In terms of lessons going forward then perhaps we had collectively put too much stock in this single game, had our players thought the hard work was done when it had just begun? After all, this wasn’t a cup final, it was just another league game. Braga 0 - 1 (2 - 4) Rangers: 26th February 2020 (Europa League) This was a very welcome distraction from a rapidly-faltering title challenge. This game was about discovering new heights, confidence and pride. Every new step in Europe brought in a bit more cash (millions of pounds), increased exposure and hoisted the Rangers flag that little bit higher. It was all building back the brand and showing any hungry or ambitious footballer that we can really offer them something for their career. A big club with big games and a very capable coaching staff. Another footnote, our neighbours would bow out of the competition to FC Copenhagen the following night. We were now out-performing them in Europe. Another milestone. These have been just a few of the pivotal games of Gerrard's first two years but that’s not to say it was all brightness and light. We took some punches and at times we asked ourselves some searching questions, especially domestically. It took time for our squad to strengthen and at times mistakes were made, tactics or formations just didn’t click, opportunities and big games passed us by, lessons took a while to be learned. But it’s too facile to say Gerrard didn’t win anything during this time - we didn’t win trophies, true – but each game of football brings its own rewards, money to build and grow (too push us away from the pack and complete with Celtic - the games mentioned probably provided a seasons-worth of cash), confidence (with every win and performance), patience (from a demanding support) and respect (which had been lost for years). But I think most fans trusted that this was all leading to the future, a time when we’d smash through the barrier between nearly and definitely, and that a man like Gerrard would never accept nearly. Come March 2020 and the Covid-19 lockdown would hit the UK. The fight for the title would die its unseemly death in the boardrooms and virtual meeting rooms. Back at base, Gerrard and his team would regroup, rethink and busy themselves planning for the 20/21 season.

Easter Road provides stiff test for Gerrard and Rangers as they make final push for title. Easter Road is not a ground new to the concept of being an important venue in Rangers’ attempts to stop Celtic winning ‘ten-in-a-row’. It was there on 29 March 1975 that Rangers secured the league title for the first time in nine attempts and stopped Jock Stein’s Celtic from amassing ten consecutive titles. Rangers arrived on that day knowing that if they avoided defeat the title they so badly craved would be theirs. However Eddie Turnbull had created a formidable Hibs side, which had actually mounted a title challenge of their own – sitting ahead of Celtic in second place towards the end of the season. Rangers went behind after 19 minutes thanks to a goal from Ally MacLeod. Hibs were dominating and Rangers struggled to get any rhythm to their game. To compound matters, Sandy Jardine missed a penalty after Bobby McKean was brought down by Hibs’ keeper Jim McArthur – hitting his kick against the base of the post. But then came the moment that every Rangers supporter craved. Sandy Jardine drove past two Hibs defenders, laid the ball out wide for Bobby McKean who sent in a great cross which Colin Stein bulleted in to the top corner with a fantastic header. With the 1-1 result came the title and an end to Celtic’s dominance of Scottish football. Although Rangers won’t have the opportunity to win the title on Wednesday night there is a feeling that victory here will be another huge step for Rangers in their attempts to replicate that feat of the 1975 side. As things stand, Rangers are 28 points – or nine games – away from confirming their status as the champions of Scotland. After the depths the club has plummeted in recent years, it is hard to believe that they have reached the single figure mark in terms of the number of wins required. But the mood at Ibrox is not one of celebration. If anything, Steven Gerrard and his players seem more focussed now than ever in maintaining the levels which have put them 23 points clear and a position of considerable strength. The demolition of Ross County at Ibrox on Saturday was latest statement of intent, and one that was so impressive it even had Staggies boss John Hughes gushing in his praise. “We were up against a top class team,” he said afterwards. “I hope all my players come back and say ‘that’s how to play football.’” But Easter Road is always a tricky venue for Rangers and Gerrard’s record there – one win in four attempts – shows victory in Leith is far from a foregone conclusion. The sides fought out a 2-2 draw there in September in a game which had a nasty edge to it. Rangers, rightly, felt aggrieved with a poor decision which allowed Christian Doidge’s offside equaliser to stand, then Ryan Porteous exchanged words with Alfredo Morelos, James Tavernier and Steven Gerrard at the end of the game. Regardless of how timid Hibs were in Saturday's defeat to St Johnstone in the BetFred Cup semi-final, Gerrard knows his side will need to be at their best if they are to secure all three points. “Easter Road is always a tough challenge and probably one of the toughest away fixtures you can get in the schedule”, the Rangers manager said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “They are a good team, they've got good players and a good manager. I think our performances have been really good at Easter Road and maybe we haven't got the results we deserved. “We have had a couple of draws there where we have had double figures in terms of chances to win the game, so we have actually been a little bit frustrated and disappointed in the outcome of them.” One positive going into the game is the return of Ryan Jack to the squad. The midfielder made his comeback as a substitute against County on Saturday, managing to score within a few minutes of his introduction. Kemar Roofe has also returned to the squad and Scott Arfield’s rehabilitation continues well, which is good news for the Rangers boss as it increases his selection options at a time when he is looking to make that final push domestically, whilst preparing for the reintroduction of European football next month. For Hibs, the bright early season form has dipped somewhat. Two wins in their last six league games represents a miserly return for Jack Ross’s men. Add to that the aforementioned 3-0 defeat on Saturday to St Johnstone and you could easily describe their current run of form as poor. Not that anyone at Ibrox will view that as a reason to assume victory. On the field Gerrard continues to adopt a ‘one-game-at-a-time’ policy, but off the field plans are already afoot for the longer term with the announcements that Scott Wright has signed a pre-contract and will move to Ibrox in the summer, and that Kai Kennedy and Nathan Patterson have agreed extensions to their current deals. Gerrard appears keen to show there is a pathway to the first-team for academy players at Ibrox if they want it, with Patterson being the latest to benefit from this with a substitute appearance in the latter stages of Saturday’s win. “Ross [Wilson] and I have discussed our plan with Nathan for the incoming 18 months and have made our expectations clear”, said Gerrard. “Nathan is a strong example of our player pathway for those who are training with the first-team and in our Academy.” The expectation on any players stepping up through the ranks will be to be part of a squad and club that consistently wins titles. That has not been the case for a number of years. Victory on Wednesday will take Gerrard and Rangers a step closer to addressing that.

Oh, a mention for Zungu too. He was excellent when he came on. We are all still working him out, but he was really good tonight.

I know he scored but the difference between the hold up play of Roofe and Itten compared to Alfie was night and day. Glen Kamara MOTM for me. Outstanding

Filip Helander had a terrific game

Debt recovery mafia

?

What a match Kamara has had tonight, my MOTM

Hagi dropped as soon as Jack is back ?‍♂️ disappointing, I hope he is given more game time than he was before Jack’s injury because he has earned it. Line-up looks strong though, pleased Helander is getting a run.

hagi unlucky to be benched but at least he is safe from the hammer throwers.

Gattuso on the bubble with Napoli too. They are looking at Benitez, though not sure why he would go to Napoli when he could go to Celtic....

It is something that they still don't understand. The alarming (for them, not us) downturn in their fortunes is as much the fault of the support as it is their Board. The Board over there have penny pinched their way to a 9IAR* whilst using useful idiots in the media to talk up the transfer fees they both receive and pay, allowing their fans to believe that they are far superior to us in every way. Had they not been so obsessed with Rangers, Res 12, Sevco, new club, no trophies, admin 342 - then they may have actually held their Board to account. But they are so consumed by Rangers and their attempt to obliterate us - to literally kill us off - that they have sat idly by whilst their Board have brought in a cheap manager, poor backroom staff, recruitment policy which is scattergun, awful European results etc etc. But their focus on us has been to our benefit as we have quietly gone about our business of improving everything we do. It is glorious.

Terrific stuff. An important attempt to establish an informed perspective on the Gerrard years.

I very much enjoy reading your posts, John, but a small correction if I may.

Good to see those all those hours in the Mitchell haven't been completely wasted!

Mmm, a desire for accuracy with numbers, spoken like a true accountant! It'll never catch on. I only have a vague interest in how many points Livingston actually have, my focus was on how many points Celtic don't. Point taken...

Moyes has West Ham flying at the moment. Soucek has been an absolute steal and young Bowen and Benrahma from Norwich and Brentford respectively have taken the league like ducks to water. Im not sure why Moyes is in for Lingard, he would need to get his form back from 3-4 years ago before getting in the XI. 1 key reason why West Ham are playing better is dropping Noble to the bench - he has been massive for the club but his style on the ball was slowing things down and keeping a No.10 out the team. I had 1-2 win on predictions but 2-3 will do yet it should have been about 1-6. Antonio could have had 4. More problems for Newcastle and Steve Bruce, that is a club on the ice slide and depending on Fulhams results will see Newcastle right in the relegation fight. Good win for Arsenal. Southampton started better and barring a few misplaced passes in the final third early on could have been well in front. But Saka is some talent and then ran the show.

As Bill says, though in some cases minus the mafia, lol. Debt factoring is effectivey selling the money people owe you to someone else for a discount, but the risk is shifted to the factoring company. And it certainly can have the tendency to feel like it is racketeering. Example - say Barcelona owe Liverpool £30 million or Coutinho. Liverpool fear that they may not receive that cash from Barcelona. Instead of losing the money they might factor it (effectively sell it) to a debt recovery company for 80% of the debt owing. So the debt recovery company pay Liverpool £24 million (80% of the £30 million). Liverpool lose £6 million from what they were owed but they get £24 million, potentially £24 million more than they would had they waited for Barcelona. the debt recovery company now have to try to collect that debt from Barcelona - they may negotiate with Barcelona for, say, £27 million - they then receive £27 million from Barcelona, minus the £24 million they paid to Liverpool, and have made £3 million profit. I havent seen much factoring on my accountancy travels but there are some specific rules around accounting for them. They can be above board but also, just looking at the above would also have you fear this type of business would attract less than desirables. Factoring companies can take massive cuts from the amounts due - 30%+ wouldnt be unsurprising.

A mam nager who 'always clashes' with his bosses, and Roman Abramovich's Chelsea. What could possibly go wrong? No wonder it's only an 18 month contract, The ‘control freak’ that Chelsea need Thomas Tuchel always clashes with his bosses but his tactical acumen is undeniable, writes Constantin Eckner Constantin Eckner Tuesday January 26 2021, 12.01am, The Times Thomas Tuchel’s win percentage as PSG manager was 74.8. Of his 127 games in charge, he won 95, drew 13 and lost 19 https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-control-freak-that-chelsea-need-3b66m5xfp When comparing their respective careers, Thomas Tuchel has little in common with Frank Lampard. Unlike the man he succeeds at Stamford Bridge, the German never had any notable success as a player. The pinnacle of his career on the pitch totalled eight matches in Germany’s second division with Stuttgarter Kickers before a knee injury forced his retirement at 25. Tuchel, 47, made the most of his misfortune, dedicating himself over the next few years to studying coaching philosophies and methodologies. His intellect and knowledge quickly won admirers while working in the academies at Stuttgart and Augsburg before earning his first managerial position at Mainz, replacing Jürgen Klopp in 2009. Over the next five years he gained a reputation for being an out-of-the-box thinker who dismissed most of what was considered traditional coaching. His 2012 talk, entitled Rulebreaker, became an internet sensation, with Tuchel explaining how he was pushing his players constantly during his first years at Mainz. “We were the first to break with old thought patterns (in the Bundesliga) by playing different tactical systems,” he said. “A feeling of inferiority” made him realise that his team could only beat opponents through repeated tactical changes. “Other teams were stuck in old thought patterns, once a 4-4-2, always a 4-4-2,” Tuchel said. Rather than rely on one system, he would often adapt his tactical set-up depending on the opponent Mainz were facing. They would switch between one holding midfielder or two, a back three or a back four, or a diamond in midfield. In 2011 he steered the small-town club to fifth in the Bundesliga with a distinct brand of high-octane, counterattacking football. His team were spearheaded by Lewis Holtby, André Schürrle and Adam Szalai — nicknamed the “Bruchweg Boys” after the club’s stadium — who were likened to a boy band for their energy and youthfulness. He left the club in 2014 after a dispute over finances but his work made him Borussia Dortmund’s first choice, once again replacing Klopp. Despite winning his first major trophy, the German Cup in 2017, he was unable to emulate his predecessor and secure a league title. His strained relationship with Hans-Joachim Watzke, the club’s chief executive, led him to leave at the end of that season. It was then that he first spoke with Chelsea when the club were concerned that Antonio Conte, who had just won the Premier League title, would quit after one year in west London. Once it became clear that the Italian would remain, the talks ended and Tuchel agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain in the spring of 2018. Tuchel is a control freak who likes to have a say in everything. When he arrived in Paris, he instructed the cooks at the team hotel about his preferred menus, drew up diet plans for his players and started monitoring their sleeping patterns. He even provided architectural drawings for requested changes to the training ground to make more space for physiotherapists and doctors. He found it difficult to implement his tactical blueprint, however. Although the club reached the Champions League final last season, losing to Bayern Munich, throughout his tenure Tuchel was virtually forced to exempt his star players, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, from most of their defensive duties. Once again he clashed with the club’s hierarchy over transfer policy and it was no great surprise when he was dismissed in December with a £5.3 million payoff. At Chelsea, the task is more straightforward. Lampard’s team conceded an average of 1.35 goals a game — the most under any of Roman Abramovich’s managers. Tuchel’s tactical vision must improve the team defensively while finding suitable roles for his compatriots Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, the expensive attacking signings who have misfired in England. Despite all the off-field turbulence, Tuchel has made clear that he sees his main job as assisting those on the field. “It is a players’ game. We as managers only serve our players,” he once said. After a £220 million summer spree, Chelsea are hoping Tuchel can unlock the full potential of their highly gifted players.

I've just skimmed through that nonsense about Rangers doping the players with coffee. It read like the product of an all-nighter on bennies. I would offer the following comments: 1. It explains why, at times, watching Rangers is just like watching Brazil 2. It explains why Steven Gerrard is odds on for Barrista of the Year.

Didn't get a chance to post this superb article from @Rick Robertson the forum yesterday. Do make sure you catch up with it today, folks!

The big mistake Alfie made was standing on Porteous' leg. Should've aimed for the neck/head. Terrific goal though, so I'll let him off.

Would you have said that if he was red carded so early in the game? He did the same against Utd recently and got away with it. It's tiresome tbh and now that we are so close to the finish line, it's beyond frustrating

Remember that dirty Hibs git done Morelos early doors with Glanceaway not even giving a free-kick. Alf was hot & cold tonight missing some passes and making some really good ones.He defended a couple of corners,missed two chances,as did Aribo one,and was highly involved in the lead up to his goal.

Very considerate of Mr Kamara, saves Frankie the hassle of posting a motm thread. A stunning performance in a strong team showing. Very comfortable for Rangers really, even though I was nervous as hell for the last 10 mins simply because we were not out of sight.

Glen Kamara , what can you say , strolled it , superb , MOTM by a country mile , and there were a lot of good performances tonight .

I think he is, not a popular opinion though

Starting to feel nervous ? Wouldn't be upset to see Morelos off at half time. I'm never too sure what to make of Aribo, he is probably our most skilful player but all too often isn't able to stamp his mark on a game.

There's not much straight in Edinburgh.

Definitely not in good nick,..that nearside touchline looks far from straight to me.?

bit worse than ibrox but not that much.

BBC Shortbread's evening news show, Drivetime has just flagged up tonight's feast of football. "It's a full card of Scottish Premiership matches this evening and Sportsound are there, from the first to the last kick of the ball". Given Rangers are away at Easter Road, there is veracity in that PQ common currency remark. Full live commentary for all Rangers supporters paying their Beeb license fee this evening; well, apart from the bit where they don't interview Rangers management and players. If you are tempted, Drivetime also informed us that Richard Gordon, Liam McLeod, Wullie Miller, Billy Dodds, Michael Stewart, and Pat Bonner are lined up to bring us the action. I wonder when Lawwell does the decent thing and takes Neil to the Vet' for the inevitable, will the then former Sellik manager find a place in the line up? Think of the added pleasure of hearing both Blarney Bhoys and Neil entertain with three part harmony. Of course, there will have to be a period of retraining and education to ensure Neil is au fait with everything Gang Hut. Neil made an error in his last interview with Beeb Scotland, he referred to the New Year's "old firm" game. Absolutely verboten and the Green Brigade's actions of today emphasise the point. The GB have a List of Liquidation Deniers, and Neil's name has been placed on it. Tune in to the feast of football and hear both Jack Ross and David Potter tell you, 'our approach to tonight's game is the same as every other'.

Thanks for the feedback guys ? I'd thoroughly recommend watching back some of the highlights from the early games. The euro stuff is really enjoyable/interesting, knowing what we now know. Also, if anyone can use or recommend any easy editing software or has any hints then let me know? I'd love to see some of the highlights set to music - especially with Kent's celebration ?

when you owe the bank 100 quid that is your problem when you owe them 100 million it is their problem.

when you owe 1.1 billion euros you dont panic you just take your creditors to a good lunch and talk it over find an agreement that keeps all sides happy there is no way Barcelona will suffer like we did

Thanks for the offer of help, Frankie. It went through fine today so all good.

aye were getting there slowly but surely

Couldnt agree more. I was thinking this morning while out jogging about how Gerrard is succeeding - Because he is bringing what he had as a player to the team: Passion, Drive, Determination, enthusiasm, winning mentality, high standards - whilst he is also maturing very well. And he is learning mistakes i.e. when winning at Parkhead Dec 2019 he let off steam to the cameras (nothing wrong with that) but then from January onwards something went wrong - yet this season its been head down and onto the next game.

Finally got round to signing up,got my picks in for tomorrow...high hopes.

we had a hard Jan on paper. This is the last part of it if we can get a win it will have been an epic success.

Great stuff - myself or Rousseau will get this online tonight or tomorrow morning...

In Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea are pivoting to a kind of anti-Lampard The tactical modernist is very different from his predecessor at Stamford Bridge but could be just what Chelsea need now @barneyronay Tue 26 Jan 2021 09.02 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jan/26/in-thomas-tuchel-chelsea-have-pivoted-to-a-kind-of-anti-frank-lampard According to the Thomas Tuchel playbook, managing a football team is “something you need to learn and understand, not a thing you do because there’s nothing else left or because it seems like the logical next step after 400 professional matches”. Tuchel wasn’t talking about Frank Lampard when he said these words. Although it would surely make his likely arrival at Stamford Bridge a little spicier if he could rehash this statement for his opening remarks at the unveiling-station – ideally while wagging his finger and brandishing his economics diploma, his youth coaching medals, and all the other evidence of a coaching hinterland, a life spent outside the inner circle, that separates him from his immediate predecessor. What does seem certain is that should Chelsea end up recruiting Tuchel they will, by accident or design, have landed on a kind of anti-Lampard. Exit one underqualified celebrity appointment. Enter the gangling Bavarian uber-nerd, tactical modernist and obsessively-minded details coach, a man whose stated hobbies include nights in drinking orange spritzer and “an interest in furniture design”. All managerial hires tend to oscillate between extremes to some degree. Lampard is a superstar. Tuchel was no kind of player at all. Lampard was already being touted around as a manager by his uncle before he’d even taken his first steps. Tuchel believes in coaching and management as a kind of vocation, something to learn and understand, an intellectual discipline as much as a function of status and personality. And yes, it is already possible to hear the knives being sharpened, Lampard’s friends in the media taking pre-umbrage at the presence of this outsider, who has already upset a few people along the way and seems certain to have his early collisions and wrong turns. But there is plenty of good sense too in this pivot towards a Tuchel-type figure. Where Lampard was a tactical blank, a manager still working out how he wants his teams to look, Tuchel is very clearly associated with a way of playing, with direct links to the current hot headliners of the German school of gegenpressing, rapid transition and all the rest. Another point of contrast: Tuchel is demonstrably qualified to do the job. In fact he is an upgrade on pretty much every professional level, with the exception of one key quality: he isn’t Frank. And this kind of thing really does matter at Chelsea. Lampard’s sacking may have arrived with startling speed, the executioner’s block wheeled into place with that familiar brutal efficiency, but it was, in the end, a victory for the circle of life. Lampard returned to Stamford Bridge with an idea of reasserting the basic Chelsea identity, the Chelsea of his own playing days. In which case – job done. The end may have arrived with a merciless swish of the blade, but this was in itself a reassertion of the deep Chelsea culture of the Abramovich years. This is the model. And in a commendably ruthless fashion the model has now done away with one of its own favourite sons. And so we go on. The circle of life demands fresh meat for the shredder. Tuchel looks, in outline, the best Chelsea hire since Antonio Conte, and before that Carlo Ancelotti, 11 years and seven empty chairs down the line, albeit one who arrives with a degree of uncertainty over his own trajectory. At this point it is worth recalling how Tuchel first announced himself. Rewind 21 years and Tuchel was playing under Ralf Rangnick at Ulm, a club in the process of a transformative rush up through the divisions. A cartilage injury forced Tuchel into retirement aged 24, and a spell in the wilderness. He worked as a barman in Stuttgart. He raged at his bad luck. He settled into a youth level coaching role under Rangnick, groomed as an awkward, clever, challenging coach in the making. Tuchel got his break at Mainz in 2009, following on from Jürgen Klopp. He trimmed his squad, refocused the players, and did well enough to create a kind of wonderkid buzz around himself, a persona that propelled him on to Dortmund in succession to Klopp once again. Tuchel was a success at Dortmund: he brought Christian Pulisic through, he experimented with positions and roles, and he ended up being sacked three days after winning the club’s first trophy in five years following disagreements with assorted levels of the club hierarchy. Paris Saint-Germain followed, a weird appointment in itself: PSG is a star project, Tuchel is a systems manager who demands the players act as a collective. But he won a lot of games, won the trophies he was supposed to win and took that team to the Champions League final. At the end of which nobody really knows what Tuchel’s ceiling might be. He’s done quite well, without ever looking the ideal fit in his environment. There are some obvious advantages at Chelsea. Through Rangnick – an early mentor of both Timo Werner, the player, and Tuchel the manager – he has a direct line in to how to get the best out Chelsea’s £50m striker. No excuses here: Tuchel looks like the ideal choice for a player who needs to be used in a specific way to replicate his Bundesliga form. Rangnick is also a huge fan of Kai Havertz, who he once described as Cruyff-like in his all-round game. Should Tuchel get the job it is to be hoped the odd long chat with his old boss is in line. Otherwise Tuchel will make Chelsea’s players fit his pattern, with obsessive drills, and a very clear idea of where he wants them to be on the pitch. The Tuchel style is based on running, hard pressing, and speed of thought and deed. In Germany this playing style was considered at one point to be classically “English”. So much for the good news. There is also plenty that will be picked away at and used to beat him with. Tuchel does not suffer fools, speaks brusquely at times, and has some quirks: no use of surnames, and an insistence players look into each other’s eyes while saying good morning; an obsession with good manners and punctuality. There is plenty to work on here if, or indeed when, things start to go bad. For now, should he get the job, he has a blank slate: a hugely powerful squad, a natural tactical fit with some key players, and even the added benefit of an empty stadium into which to ease his awkward frame. Over to you, the anti-Frank.

depends on your viewpoint. 4 to us 2 to livi.

Maybe not twice, but a better player for sure. Subjectively opined