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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/08/19 in all areas

  1. What a day - my wife gave birth to our 2nd baby daughter, baby Charlotte fought back from the brink & then the Gers get one of their best ever European results! Time for a lie down now though..
    15 points
  2. A Point to Prove Intro The surprise loan of Glenn Middleton from Rangers to Hibs appears to signal a thawing in the icy relations between the clubs of late, but there will be little sign of that when the sides go head to head this weekend in a game which both sides will aim to make a springboard for their season. Background to Game Both come into the tie on the back of opening day victories but still very much with a point to prove. After an overwhelmingly positive pre-season, Rangers failed to convince with a laboured victory at Rugby Park which had an all too familiar feel to it. However, Thursday’s fabulous performance in Denmark has gone a long way to quelling those fears and putting the fans at ease again. Hibs had a similar opening day to Rangers when they left it late to grind out a win over a St Mirren side they would have expected to dispatch of comfortably at Easter Road. Head to Head History For a long time Hibs were not a side Rangers had to worry too much about. In 32 games between 1996 and 2005, Hibs recorded only one victory. The return of Walter Smith in 2007 saw this pattern continue with only 2 losses in 20 games. However, since Rangers were demoted Hibs have proven to be a thorn in their side, restricting the Gers to a mere 8 wins in 22 games. This dismal record continued under Steven Gerrard last season as a poor Hibs side were allowed to land a severe blow to Rangers’ title hopes by holding them to three draws, costing the Ibrox men 6 crucial points. However the tide has started to turn and last season was the first season since 2011-12 that Rangers were unbeaten against Hibs and the one-sided games were a sign that the new rivalry between the clubs is not likely to last. The Opponent A change in regime at Hibs mid-season saw Heckingbottom take the reins and rescue their campaign as they embarked on an unlikely 10 game unbeaten run which lifted them from 8th to 5th place. This was the highest possible finish for the Englishman so it was a massive achievement. Lennon had built his house on the sand of loan deals and favours from Celtic and paid the price in his final season when the latter dried up after the John McGinn saga. Lennon was weighed in the balance and found wanting. Heckingbottom has had a summer to re-build and, in a break from the club’s previous strategy, he is building for the future. Lennon’s Hibs were propped up by the short termist strategy of flooding the squad with loan players and in his final season he made seven loan signings. Remarkably, Heckingbottom has made only two loan signings and has preferred to utilise his extensive knowledge and connections south of the border to make 5 permanent signings who are all between the ages of 23 and 26. The signing of Scott Allan had already been agreed before he came in but is very much in keeping with this strategy. Form Having said that, this season’s Hibs squad doesn’t look like the improvement over last season’s that the fans were expecting. The opening day performance was slow, laboured and lacking dynamism. The loss of Martin Boyle to injury was a huge blow in terms of the team’s attacking threat but Heckingbottom and Leanne Dempster were smart to move quickly to smooth things over with Rangers and secure Glenn Middleton on loan to replace him. Middleton has the ability to provide the pace and end product they are lacking but will not feature this weekend so answers will have to be found elsewhere. Dangerman Mallan and Horgan are both players with the ability to create and shoot from distance but the dangerman without doubt is Scott Allan. Rangers know all too well what Allan is capable of and everything Hibs did well against St Mirren went through him and it was no co-incidence that it was he who saved the day with an impressive winner. Rangers Despite Rangers’ midweek heroics, they still come into the game with a point to prove. Last season Hibs were a bogey team and Gerrard will be determined to vanquish any similarities to last season from the off, not least after the Kilmarnock game when the accusations flooded in that nothing has changed. Furthermore, dropping points ahead of the first Old Firm game of the season on the 1st of September is not an option. It is absolutely crucial that Gerrard takes his men into that game with the chance to go 3 points clear and give themselves a lead to defend and maintain from there on. This, more than anything, will signal to the fans and the country that this season is different. The line-up is difficult to predict. Last season the goalkeeper was not rotated but McGregor is a year older and Foderingham rotated in at Rugby Park after the Progres game last week and is likely to do so again on Sunday. The backline was not rotated after Progres but Katic and Flanagan will be conscious of the competition and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Barisic and Edmundson start in a home game where we will dominate the ball. Helander didn't make the bench in Jutland and Gerrard has been wise not to throw him in and risk damaging his reputation before he is fit and ready. Davis is likely to return to the three in midfield but Kamara offered the fans a reminder of his quality and class in Denmark and this will surely leave Gerrard with another headache. Arfield will always keep his place unless he is unavailable but Jones can rightly feel under threat in a position with no stand-out player as of yet. The addition of Brandon Barker from Man City is likely to have more to do with opportunism than a feeling that he will significantly improve the team, but it will nevertheless make a few nervous. In any case, Ojo is likely to step in for Jones and this is another example of a position the club now have enough depth in to allow for fresh legs to be brought in after a European game. Defoe will rotate back in after Morelos starred midweek and the option of bringing in a fresh striker after European excursions is brand new to Gerrard and could be a crucial factor in this league campaign. As important a player as Morelos is, he isn't the fittest player in the world and the aerially dominant Darren McGregor will not relish the prospect of facing a fresh and hungry Jermaine Defoe who scores his goals on the deck. Predicted Line-up - 4-3-2-1 Predicted Score - Rangers 2-0 Hibs
    13 points
  3. Come on BoJo just get it done! Abolish the act, retake control and have Nippy arrested for “rebellion”? Seriously though, anyone think this is even remotely on the table?
    3 points
  4. Agreed. Tav wasn’t brilliant but he was much more effective and had his best game so far this season
    2 points
  5. It took a year for Morales to morph into Morelos, so some patience might be required right enough. As for Caixinha ?
    2 points
  6. I'm all for abolishing the Scottish Assembly. It's done nothing at all for Scotland in 20 years of bitching, grandstanding and neglect. Why don't we have a referendum on this? And then whine endlessly if the result doesn't go our way and demand another referendum. We could even go to Belfast to discuss it with the DUP and have our photo taken pouring beers in the Louden Tavern. Then we might hold flag waving rallies every weekend, claiming four times the actual attendance.
    2 points
  7. Great preview mate I thoroughly enjoyed the read. I think Morelos will start but Defoe will come on at 60mins. I agree Davis will start but against Killie it started to look like he was losing his legs. Kamara really has to watch where he is trying his fancy tricks as he had a few bad moments against the Danes. He causes goals or at least serious chances with his play around our box.
    2 points
  8. I don't see the result getting the praise it deserves nor Gerrard getting the praise he deserves. All three Scottish teams playing away and we were the only team to win and not just nick a win. We won handsomely against a side we all agreed beforehand were far and away the toughest test yet and arguably the best side any of the Scottish Scottish teams were playing. Personally I can't offhand remember a Scottish team scoring 4 goals away at this advanced stage of qualification. As for the manager he inherited a side that had fallen at QR1 the year before and now looks well capable of taking us to the groups two out of two. He has a remarkable record in Europe that can't have been bettered so quickly by too many 'rookie' managers. And perhaps none who came into the situation he did with just weeks to build a side that got to the groups at his first attempt. And I agree with something Gerrard said afterwards tonight. He said "I'm not sure we had this performance in us last year but I think we've gone up a level" and I think there has been ample evidence of that since the beginning of pre season. So far I haven't seen much media or otherwise credit for this stunning result but one way to put another hole in their silence bubble would be to carry this type of form on to Sunday. With it being the first home game of the domestic season and following such a fabulous Euro result Gerrards appeal in the post match interview for Ibrox to be rocking on Sunday is highly likely to be fulfilled. He said there would be a 'few changes to freshen it up' On the evidence to date Hibs don't stand a chance given that this is our first home domestic game and we're on a roll. They're nowhere near as good Midtjylland and no matter what the 'few' changes will be we have extreme danger in more than one configuration. If Hibs end up pinned back and making it difficult I just don't see them holding back the tide indefinitely. Keep in mind that the strongest feature of Midtjylland was their defence particularly at home and we put 4 past them. Much the same is a realistic possibility against Hibs. Hibs on their own ground last week laboured to beat relegation candidate St Mirren and took until the 85th minute to get the goal for a 1-0 win. A win in which St Mirren recorded 14 shots at goal to 13 for Hibs with both recording 5 shots on target. I have to conclude that Rangers at Ibrox will be a level too far for Hibs. Now if that did indeed come to pass with us recording an impressive performance and a handsome win: then within the space of a few days it would have become ever harder for them to not give some credit even if it were only grudgingly. I'm hoping one of the 'few changes' isn't Aribo. He can battle for a ball with the best plus make long runs at speed into danger areas and I don't want his run of starts broken. He might get even better with consistent starts.
    2 points
  9. I don't think it does, another reason why is because Darren McGregor is strong and loves a physical battle but can be found out if tested in a different way. I think he'll fear a fresh Defoe more but that's just my opinion.
    2 points
  10. The right foot shot was wild but the turn to make himself space was sublime....Morelos was a giant last night who looked to be enjoying himself oh and after being fouled half a dozen times gets booked for probably his first foul.
    2 points
  11. Legend, a true blue hero. Miss him still.
    2 points
  12. I was boarding a flight at about 7:15 so had to miss most of the game, but I kept the game on my phone until they told us to switch our phones to airplane mode. That’s when I noticed the guy in front of me was watching the game on his phone too, and carried on for 5 minutes after they told us to put airplane mode on, I watched the game on his phone for that time. Then I saw him switching to see the stats for the game on a website and finally stopped when we were taking off. I thought this guy is a big fan and is as gutted as I am to be missing the game. As I expected, the second we landed he whipped out his phone to check the score and then started texting in WhatsApp groups. It was when he was switching apps that I couldn’t help but notice a strangely green and white wallpaper for someone I thought was a Rangers fan. These people are not. normal.
    2 points
  13. Aribo's first touch was so important as was the weight of Jones's pass....superb.
    2 points
  14. Hutch‏ @Alan50583050 FollowFollow @Alan50583050 More Richard Gordon on @BBCSportsound "Aberdeen have a lot to do and Midtjylland have a lot to do" The seethe is fucking ecstasy
    2 points
  15. Well done to you and Mrs 917. Another wee Bearette about to flourish.
    2 points
  16. Stewart is better on the right side and Hastie is not yet developed enough. Barker can contribute to the left side this season and we are weak there still.
    1 point
  17. I cannot believe that Gerrard never had any say on signing them, so I very much doubt that. Hastie is still young and may be loaned out for this year although i believe Johnny said that his parents were promised he would be fighting for a place in the team. I would say he should do what is best for his development. If that means a loan deal then it is better than sitting on the bench.
    1 point
  18. You’ve answered your own question there ? anyway Liverpool v Norwich is on live free on Sky 1. Hopefully a regular thing with Friday night EPL games this season..
    1 point
  19. Yes I thought his defending was poor and has been recently. He is always a danger going forward and some of his crosses are sublime as yesterday's.
    1 point
  20. I watched it and the "Hobbit" let so many "card " tackles go.The same ones would have seen our players punished,so will be interesting to see what he does when in charge of us next.
    1 point
  21. By that do you mean he was a tad below his excellent normal high standard? Tav played well as did the whole team
    1 point
  22. What’s the odds on one of us missing kick off?
    1 point
  23. Sorry Frankie, my fault as I seen that article today. I thought it was a bit of discussion with BG. I usually try and keep it with some humour.
    1 point
  24. They are without shame; they will be "brave", and hold out as long as possible; it is, after all, "more than a club", and, thus, there is, as they see it, a greater interest at play - not, heaven forfend, that of the victims and their families, nor that of the public at large, but that of the Irish Kafflick Ummah. Of course, the cynical may suggest, their lies, deflections, and prevarications permit plenty of time to lose the evidence, and bury the bodies.
    1 point
  25. Huge potential, and for me is our best CB, aggressive in defence and attack, good bet for a goal every week, pity he can't have a word in the ear of his fellow countryman to get the finger oot!
    1 point
  26. 1 point
  27. If the Scotland Act can't be abolished, at least move the windbaggery from Holyrood to Dublin. The SNP will feel more at home among their principal admirers and the rest of us can go back to pretending they don't exist.
    1 point
  28. From the manager`s mouth (pre-Hibs interview): Brendan Barker is having the second part of his medical today and it is all rather close. Glen Middleton was "super-close" to going to Holland on loan when Hibs entered the fray. It was Middleton`s decision to go there and he will do so on Monday (or the like). Loan requests are there, but the numbers don`t suit the club right now. Incomings .. we are nearly done and close to completion.
    1 point
  29. Well spotted! I thought I had done my homework but missed this. It seems they are going with Hanlon and Jackson (new signing). I think they are making a mistake if he doesn't play against us because he is very hard to beat in the air and his physicality is always an asset against us.
    1 point
  30. Hard to argue that, compo. Sentiment clouds my judgement with Mr Struth so I’ll leave him and other Rangers managers out of the reckoning and agree 100% about Paisley. The reserve five would be Bill Nicholson (‘Spurs) Joe Mercer (City) Stan Cullis (Wolves) Bertie Mee (Arsenal - brought them back from the dead) Bill Shankly No room for Busby or Harry Catterick. Top five Scottish League managers excluding Rangers and Stein - Bill Shankly (Dundee) Tommy Walker (Hearts) Hugh Shaw (Hibs) Eddie Turnbull (Aberdeen, Hibs) Malky Macdonald (Kilmarnock) You’ll see I’ve missed out the Sportsound favourites, Yogi and the two Jimmies. What do I know, eh?
    1 point
  31. He has only had one booking and so is another 2 yellows away from suspension with only 3 games to play before any bookings are wiped so I'm not so sure.
    1 point
  32. Are we to conclude, based on this tweet, that buster is a celtic fan?!
    1 point
  33. Speaking with a Hamburg fan in Florida last week says that he has talent but his distribution was poor, so sounds like he hasn't improved any.
    1 point
  34. What position did he play? I'm struggling to recall him.
    1 point
  35. That's the kind of game where Jones will be very useful. When up against a parked bus (ie most league matches), not so much. Great win last night but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
    1 point
  36. The typical anti McInnes sheep fan has various facets, this one is on a sheep forum right now post Rijeka. One facet is that he's a 'hun' often tacked on to claims that he's overcautious and that they only need to 'have a go' to be more successful. I disagree, I think that Europa QR3 is the sheep wall they can't get past. Most of them thought before this tie that they would go through comfortably and I don't know why. On transfermarkt the sheep have a total market value of £11.54 million which is eclipsed by the Rijeka total market value of £19 million. They have 7 players rated by transfermarkt as worth a million pounds or more to 2 for the sheep and such teams of that market value aren't rare in the Europa QR3. And judging from reports this team totally dominated them from start to finish and could very well beat them away too. In the second leg the sheep can't adopt such a defensive strategy because they need to get at least 3 goals to progress from this point. Rijeka found ways through them in even in their well known to us park the bus strategy and I feel they have the talent to score again when the sheep leave opportunities for them to do so as they will. I could be proven wrong but I don't see the sheep getting through QR3 either this year or having a much better chance in future years. That's their limit. They're not going to be much of a help on the co-efficient. And alongside them there's Killie proving even more inept but can still be a pain in the arse against us. Both these sides are noted for playing a park the bust strategy and both have been found wanting in Europe especially if an alien attacking philosophy is required which was the case for Killie who apparently struggled to make the transition in a failure that put Progres in the shade. I would prefer Hearts or even Hibs to get a spot ahead of both sheep and killie because this is McInnes 6th attempt to get beyond QR3 with still no sign of ever doing it. Hearts and Hibs I feel would be more likely to at least try some more attractive football which yes may end up in the same result but if they got 6 consecutive tries at it as the sheep have who knows. It couldn't be much worse could it?
    1 point
  37. BTW, their left-sided centre half with the long hair (booked and later taken off) was very poor tonight. Hopefully we can get at him if he plays next week.
    1 point
  38. Every tie I see Kamara play I think what a bargain we have, oozes class in everything he does. Katic is an animal and loves a battle.
    1 point
  39. Believe it or not, a centuries old union is quite important to some of us.
    1 point
  40. At the first old firm game we should have a banner the length of the Govan stand so the TV cameras dont miss it .
    1 point


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