Leaderboard

Who'd be a Rangers director? They are good enough to lend the club money and it's used as a stick to beat them with when they get repaid.

The Brigadoon Inn sits on the main drag at the western edge of Tranent but, the real Brigadoon moment occurs approaching the Big T from the opposite side of town. The tiny hamlet of Macmerry is real although, maybe a breeze from the Firth blew away the cloaking har? Foresters Park sits bang in the toon centre, floodlights shinning to welcome a visitor. The whole operation is best described as tidy. A retaining white rail envelopes the playing surface and, everything else is freshly painted maroon. The pitch is a fine surface, must be one of the best in the Lowland league? Eight quid for entry and the club shop sold refreshments, a selection of food and, clothing. The three girls behind the table were courteously helpful, only apologetic that the pies had been sold out before half time. I was told the attendance was just under nine hundred? I opted for a cup of Bovril(£1) and a fridge magnet(£3.50) because it contained Tranent's motto, 'Lie Forret'. I will instruct my Butler to attach it to the cabinet freezer amid the Vendee section. The Bovril was seriously good. Tranent have an Ultras section, a couple of dozen early teens banging a drum and flying several large flags proclaiming, 'the Big T Bois'. They bellowed an air with derogatory lyrics about Haddington. Ah, the insecurities; Tranent has both an Asda and an Aldi, I am sure Haddington sports a Waitrose. I met up with a couple of old Belters, known to the folks of this parish. One of those two, Ian is a fact totem - the Belters nickname emanates from an old primary source of employment in the town, a saddlers/tannery factory specialising in the manufacture of belts. It was heartening as older supporters stopped to reflect in the glow emanating from Ian - a hard working, free goal scoring centre for Tranent for a decade. The reaction to the other, Frankie was matter of fact. As praise was showered on Ian, I told a worthy, "the baldy cnut was once your Keeper". He looked at Frankie, hands sunk deep in his pockets and uttered, "aye, he looks as ready for action as he did then in the goalmouth". The game had a ton of goalmouth action, finished 2-2 but Rangers could have undeservedly nicked it with award of a last minute penalty. Zac(what is his porn name)Lovelace had the opportunity for a hat trick but the Tranent Keeper made a fine save. If any Gersnetters are contemplating a day at the Lowland league, Tranent is the very place.

With the number of players in our squad that will actually be going to the WC, its an ideal time to get somebody in and get them almost a mini preseason and an opportunity to look at the squad with a view to some 'surgery' in January.. With that in mind, I see us waiting til halfway through January before doing anything about the manager situation

We've got two games before the WC. Around this time is an unusually opportune moment.

Let's face it, signing a manager is the same as signing a player - there's only so much due diligence you can do, but there's always going to be an element of risk. You also have the unique world of Scottish football to factor-in and the pressures that come with managing our club. I thought Gio was the right man for the job at the right time but I was wrong. We need to make the change now rather than prolong the inevitable. This group of players should be more than capable of easily finishing second and winning a couple of cups even if the league is too far gone (because I'm sure we'll drop more points no matter what happens next).

Isn't that the way it should be? We shouldn't be dependant on rich benefactors.

Any chance we can get rid of the drum? What a racket. Ruins nearly every song (ebb and sway, lads, ebb and sway). Thank God I no longer go to away games. I'd either kill myself or someone else if I had to stand next to that.

That's as may be but we're here to win the league and the hard reality is we've dropped 5 out of the last 9 points while our challenger has dropped 3 points all season. Results count, not a catalogue of excuses. Nothing I can see, including the return of injured players, is going to rescue another botched Premiership campaign.

As expected. The board won't act until we're in full-blown crisis mode, in my opinion.

Rumours swirling around that nothing is happening.

People are defensive of King because of his age, but the fact is that there has been a massive drop in quality in that position and it has had a big impact. Unfortunate for King but that injury has cost us.

I thought he was one of the worst yesterday.

I actually think King has made a very decent start, especially having been thrown in a very deep end and without the benefit of an established partner in defence and often questionable protection from midfield.

GvB isn’t blameless but the DoF has questions to answer too.

Thanks for the word picture, 26th. I regret sincerely that my knowledge of Tranent is limited to what I saw when passing through and that so long ago, there was nether Asda nor Aldi there nor anywhere else in Scotland come to that. Why the carnation? Could you not just have worn your sword and carried your Bible? Just in case there were other dudes likewise equipped in Ternent, you could have packed your parachute on your back. Perfect ID. Easily recognised and unlikely to be copied.

I have voted for Colak. It is a protest. Colak made some very good runs in the first half, we could not find him. He is a real deal finisher, get your head up and find him. Think about it, we were awarded twenty(20) corners, that's an unhampered ball into the Saint's six yard box every three minutes. Did the Saint's Keeper have a save to make? The sole outcome for us was a Sakala header hitting the bar. We have to make the law of averages work, find Colak.

Genuinely couldn't pick one - they were all very poor. Possibly Barisic (who's crosses were slightly better than Tav's) but he was culpable at the 2nd goal so no.

To be fair, we have no idea what the board is planning to do ... or why.

It finished 2-1.

[...] at So'ton, though. He's a talented coach. He took Aalen from 3.Liga to 2.Bundesliga; took Ingolstadt to the Bundesliga; took RB Leipzig to a 2nd place finish in the Bundesliga - before quiting because they had another manager lined up! - and then did a good job at Southampton. He implements an aggressive, energetic style, which fans would take to. The only question I have is, can he break down a low block?

Oh great, another manager known for total drubbings.

Highs and Lows in the never-ending Ibrox roller coaster ride Helicopter Sundays Paul LeGuen Walter's back and Manchester Administration, 8 managers in 7 years and Pedro in the bushes 55 and Seville Fucked again What's next?

That's for damn sure

Again when UTD equalised against them you knew they would get a goal. They got 2. You knew we were dropping points at half time yesterday. We should have come out all guns blazing but we instead were far far worse and fell further behind.

Keeping him will cost far far more than sacking him.

That's the problem with contracts both sides have to honour them. He ain't lasting 2 and half years.

Ajax 1- PSV 2 'We cant compete at this level'

I don't think it's currently a case of can we afford to sack the manager it's now a case can we afford not to sack the manager.

It's another disagreeable task. Clearly no one deserves praise and everyone was guilty of something but since the whole point of this is to choose someone and abstaining is silly, it would have to be one of the Americans, so Sands for me.

I made an off-the-cuff link and now it's all but guaranteed...

I’m can’t believe how quickly this has come to a head. Anyway I don’t think there’s any way back now so, regardless of the cost, it’s probably best the board just gets on with it.

My understanding of how this normally works is that the sacked manager (& his staff) continue to be paid their contracted salaries for the duration of their contracts but contractually 1) have to be seen to be looking for alternative employment 2) have to accept a similar offer within an agreed percentage of current salary of job vacated.

Omg. Wonder how much they paid city to get ceri the bore bowly in. staggering levels of incompetence on show from all involved

Our total xG for the match was 1.3...

We are meant to have a DofF that would give us continuity, but we have ended up with a manager whom it appears has no style of play at all , it was exactly the same in the league last season , nothings changed . I fully accept the injury list is horrendous , however the players today are more than capable of winning that game .

Definition of Insanity is what we currently are , playing the same slow plodding turgid football but expecting a different result. We simply cannot play against these teams , we've been struggling for 2 years now, and expecting different results . The Feyenord fans that were on various podcasts all predicted this would happen . He has to go , and go now.

I don't imagine that he has some secret formula that he is keeping from the manager.

As decent as Sakala has been the last couple of games , he had little to no impact today, and should've been subbed for Wright at half time, not 6 mins from the end.

The longer I watch this team the more convinced I am that our problem isn't lack of effort but a simple lack of ability. Whatever the potential or previous quality shown by these players, the plain fact is at the moment they are simply not good enough, individually or collectively. They've become losers and when that happens only radical changes can rescue the situation. Yet another title heading to Celtic.

I'm not even upset. I've been in this mood since just after GvB's honeymoon period. I see these performances and results as inevitable.

Nitpicking seems one of your favourite past-times. Ridvan ... I watched some videos about him when we signed him, and saw him in his few minutes in Scotland. Always active, always willing, always positive. If a chance arises, he'll have a pop at goal. That is the spark I saw and what our team needs if it wants to progress as a team. And yes, I think he is good enough for the Scottish league and will add enough quality in that respect. All about opinions, though. You can likewise have your opinion about Matondo, who has been thrown into the fray in a similar way as Wright, and given a few outings on the right. As I said, he will have to prove a bit still, yet, and that was my point, Kent on the other wing is a pick ahead of everyone else - no matter whether he produces or not. He hardly ever gets subbed off if he has dire games either. And that has been happening for ages. Countable impact on games? Kent - played 19 games (1,565 mins) - 1 goal, 5 assists Matondo - played 17 games (722 mins (SIC!) - 4 assists Now, you tell me, how one guy is supposedly not having it when he has just joined and having to come to terms with our game and setup, achiving 1 goal and 1 assist less in half his minutes should not be compared to "Mr. Stepover" Kent in a similar role and position? IMHO, one has every right to question Matondo for the time being, and only the future will tell how it works out for him. On the other hand, in the here and now, Kent is more often than not a passenger who delivers little for long spells, given the amount of time he is on the park. All about opinions, though.