Leaderboard

This might be an unpopular opinion but I was quiet impressed with Kilmarnock last night. I get the pitch being a leveller but they go about their business in a direct, aggressive and organised manner. They clearly have a good level of belief when facing the OF teams and their results back that up. Some other teams in Scotland should take note.

It absolutely was not. Lundstram's arm was by his side when the ball struck his elbow so never a penalty. Why VAR didn't recommend the referee check it is anyone's guess.

Just a wee observation from last night. Killie are a very organised team that thrive off the reset after breaks in play IMO. If you cast your mind back to the 1st game of the season, Tav jogged about 50 yards to take a throw in, much to the ire of every fan watching. It played perfectly into Kilmarnocks hands. Game gets slowed down, they get to reset. Fast forward to last night. Dessers takes a quick throw immediately and Killie are on the back foot resulting in Lawrence getting fouled. Once again we get ball active right away and bish bosh, we get our 2nd goal. How times have changed...

Why not have a proper reserve league were you can field four players over twenty three and the rest down to fourteen year olds would also help players coming back from injury and could be played on a Saturday against the same opponents as the first team .

One. Game. At. A. Time.

That's the way i see it, from the stills it hit his arm when it was at his side. Going by the referees logic here I could pick up an opponents hand hit myself in the face with it and it would be a red for them. It was a stupid decision IMO. Edit - to clarify I can understand the referee giving it as its hard to make that out during real time, my issue is with the VAR process and no on field review. With VAR the official's can get a meticulous slow down multi angle view of anything, how they can still miss the mark with 3 hand balls I do not know. Dickinson was dreadful last night, had a howler.

And by their constant "moaning" they receive favourable decisions from officials. When was the last time THEY conceded a penalty (stick on, or otherwise)? When was the last time we were awarded a penalty at Parkhead? When was the last time they received a red card in league and / or v us at Parkhead? Compare their domestic refereeing awards against their European ones and convince us that its just a coincidence 😉

THE MOST PROLIFIC DEFENDERS AT ONE CLUB: 129 Fernando Hierro (Real Madrid, 1989-2003) 124 Wendie Renard (Lyon, 2006-) 120 James Tavernier (Rangers, 2015-) 105 Nelinho (Cruzeiro, 1973-82) 102 Edgardo Bauza (Rosario Central, 1977-82, 1986-89) 101 Manny Kaltz (Hamburg, 1971-89), Daniel Passarella (River Plate, 1974-81), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, 2005-21) FULL-BACKS WITH THE MOST CAREER GOALS (CLUB AND COUNTRY): 170* Nelinho 131 Graham Alexander 128 James Tavernier, Roberto Carlos 110 Manny Kaltz 105 Stuart Pearce https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/feb/28/james-tavernier-and-the-highest-scoring-full-backs-in-football-history

Ahead of tomorrow's Youth Cup Semi Final, a reminder of a piece a wrote in pre-season Rangers - A Youth Cup History https://rfcyouths.wordpress.com/2023/07/05/rangers-a-youth-cup-history/

Sorry to raise an old chestnut, but I watched Liverpool last night play 3 teenagers from their academy in a high-pressure cup match. We had Cole McKinnon on the bench; otherwise no sign of our youngsters. Why? If they not deemed 'ready' (as Clement recently claimed of Bailey Rice) then why not? Please don't tell me that there is too much 'must win' pressure at RFC; there cannot be any less pressure at L'pool and ManCity who can afford to spend at will. In fact Scottish clubs in general are too unwilling to play youth. McInnes didn't start with the outstanding David Watson v us, yet we have seen the impact Lennon Miller has had at Motherwell. Even those blighters from the East gave a debut to an 18 year old last night. If our youths are really not good enough, then scrap the academy. I yearn for a Rangers team where at least half are home-grown and have been brought up with the club. The pride that young lad at Anfield felt, moving from Kop to pitch puts our 'policy' to shame.

He's been handed a sow's ear and asked to make a silk purse. Probably wouldn't matter who got the job, the players clearly don't want to listen.

The difference in him since those first few games of the season is incredible. He was lumbering, lacked sharpness and confidence. Now he's the complete opposite, albeit he has a bit of the Kenny Millers about him when he is 1v1 with the keeper and has time to think.

I've always felt we maintained a youth set up simply because that's the established thing that clubs do ... but I never saw any clear reason for it.

Mibbe 20 years ago, nowadays the big teams produce talent to use as makeweights in FFP, to fund buying other players, or to fulfil homegrown requirements. It's a complete racket, just look at how many homegrown players Man U or Chelsea had on the park last night. Liverpool have a decent youth academy, but they also have a team full of injured players, needs must. Chelsea could even buy players that they've sold on back, and still call them homegrown. Sad state of affairs.

Something else that was really puzzling me last night was the referee constantly allowed Killie players to steal up to 20 yards for free kicks and throw-ins. Dickinson was very poor and lacked any sort of presence on the pitch.

Survival was a major achievement. The team survived going behind, the pitch, inappropriate footwear, inexplicable refereeing and, five substitutions. The support survived, just. The seventh minute of time added on saw us concede three successive corner kicks. The Cortes injury is a real worry. He fell over clutching the back of his thigh and looked extremely stiff as he hobbled off. At the point where the games in all competitions come thick and fast, the potential loss of Cortes compounds Cantwell's hammy injury. Both these players provide necessary movement, their constant runs create exploitative angles. We have survived tonight but long term survival will continue to be a concern.

I for one hope the Jambos get a couple of yahoo-esque penalties at the weekend. 😉

Excuse the spelling not my strong point 🤣🤣

The job McInnes did at Aberdeen looks better with every week that passes.

No penalty the ball which was travelling fast connects with Lundstram's elbow and the force pushes his arm upwards,IMO.

I'd love to see that. Love it

I believe its a loss leader but the loss write off can be adjusted against FFP.

Tbf I do agree with @CammyF, at point of contact it isn't a pen. Where Lundstram sells himself is that he doesn't brace his arm, he raises it.

I'm sure the board will largely take economics into account when it comes to our youth academy and bin it if it's not worth it. These things are always a bit of a gamble. The saddest aspect is that if anyone decent comes though, the likes of Chelsea will just snap them up. That's why it's more about economics than the first team. What's the profit on our women's team, by the way?

12 points Anything less is failure.

The have committed to ripping it up and putting in real grass, so fair play to them for showing a bit of ambition. They will know longer term its not a good 'sell' for players to play on it for them.

They call that keepin up with the Joneses. You never realize how silly that shit is until you stop. Oh and the women's team and their 13 fans in comfortable shoes should be abolished as well. No budget for empty calories my friend.

A capital winger, Gordon Smith of the Hibs. If my old mother (rabid hibbee) had been looking for a toyboy it would have been Gordon Smith.

There’s a much broader athletic demographic in England and a less ferocious drinking culture. I’ve often thought that but it’s like a nuclear weapon. If you don’t have one and the other chap does, you lose.

EPL teams youth academies are bound to churn out players, the sheer size of them is incredible, they hoover up everything that is around. IIRC it was Palace that chucked theirs, as Chelsea and Arsenal were taking everything locally. We shouldn't compare ourselves to the EPL, aspire by all means, but don't compare.

Something that really annoys me is the little things that refs let teams away with and Killie done it and got away with it often last night. Its the little niggly digs just after a player plays the ball. A little push or a shove or a foot in. Not enough for the ref to blow for a foul in SPFL world but when it happens every time its a real annoyance. Kille done this last night, to Barisic and Diomande especially.

Not an excuse - it's a fact. English teams can afford to drop points - even the best ones - we cannot. The pressure at Rangers is very real and unusual. I'm not saying we ignore it, rather we account for it in the way we train them.

I suppose its better to look at it from an England v Scotland thing. Youth academies in England are churning out top class players year on year. There are little to none in Scotland as a whole.

In the second half their goalkeeper was allowed to take a free kick about 5 yards outside his box when the foul was committed along the 6 yard line.

Liverpool were forced to play youngsters in this instance, but I do agree with your point.

A couple of Jocks Wallace and Tiger Shaw and a good blinking defender he was

Now the dust has settled, that's only Killies 3rd home defeat of the season and we are the only team they've lost to in the last 15 games (having beaten them twice) Horrible pitch, a team set up in typical McInnes style, who are very difficult to defeat. The game was made more difficult by our woeful 1st half performance, officials who appeared not to apply the rules of the game (foul on Barasic in the lead up to the pen a very soft penalty award and two stonewaller penalties not awarded). However, still think Dio was very lucky not to receive a red card.

Long may he continue to lose matches. I have nothing against him, but I do like seeing the sheep fail.

What a boy, pulled us out a hole again.

I am positive I have seen Red Swingfire listed on the Max Factor Royal Marine colour chart.

If we win this easily tonight, we'd better invite back Sykesy to dampen down our belief.

Red Swingfire comes to mind somehow 🤔