Tannochsidebear

Definitely!

Cant agree with that Norris, every time I have the misfortune of seeing a game from the English Championship downwards, the quality on show is piss poor. To believe we can select players from this level to come and play at the level we demand under the scrutiny we put them under is a real problem for us. Our players that hit the ground running last year that have come from this level have all been shown up this season under more scrutiny and pressure. Tav, Wes, Halliday, Waggy, all had good seasons last year but have all struggled. This would make me come to the conclusion that the Scottish Championship is the equivalent of League 1, but the step up (more in scrutiny, organisation and pressure than quality of play) to Premier level requires a much better player than we have managed to acquire. Good luck to Oxford NC, a quick looka t the table sees you 3 points off a play-off spot, but in the bottom half! Wierd league!

Interesting story about Ali & Castro, thanks for that but I have absolutely no idea what its doing in a match preview about a Rangers v Aberdeen game! I completely agree that there should be much more respect between the fans than this apparent hatred. I have never bought into it myself, as Aberdeen have mainly been a total irrelevance as a rival in the last 25 years, and as much as I used to enjoy the trips to the Granite City when we felt safe to walk along Gordon St and go into the pubs/restaurants alongside the Dons fans, that has long since gone and we are now herded in like, eh, sheep into and away from their dilapidated old ground. Our 25 years unbeaten home record against them has never been in more danger given the form of the two sides, so tomorrow brings a bigger question than the usual "can we bounce back from a terrible performance?" given that if we lose, we will be a point behind them AND played two games more, so effectively 7 points behind a team with a fraction of our resources. As for a starting 11, we simply have to break up the worst centre half partnership I have ever seen at our club, it seems both players bring out the worst in each other. Perm any two from four, just not that two. There are calls to bring in Hodson (why do all our players who DONT play suddenly become great players?) and move Tav further forward, giving both some protection at full back and freedom for one of our more creative players, and it may be worth a try again as it seemed to work out ok in the cup semi, but was dropped when Hodson had one dodgy game (if only that happened with others!). However our major problems have been a lack of goals. We simply must drop the useless Miller, who has returned 3 goals in 21 games this season. I dont know of any other club in football who, with other options available, continues to play someone so badly out of form and with such a shocking goals record for a number 9. The problem is the others have not exactly grabbed the shirt off him and demanded to be playing. We must try a Dodoo, Waghorn, Garner trio if for no other reason than its the one remaining untried system, given that MW refuses to alter his failed system from a sole central striker even though it looks like Garner and Dodoo would both be better with a partner (here's a thought - why not try them as a strike partnership?) If a new manager were to come in tomorrow, we would play a twin strike force. MW should admit he has either bought the wrong players for his system, or admit that his system is not working and change it. Only a fool keeps repeating the same mistake and expect it to work simply by repeating the exercise. Anyway, off to my Xmas do, so it will be a very long and enjoyable day on the lash, and perhaps a more placid spectator at Ibrox tomorrow.

I know they have to try to remain positive despite the consistently poor performances, but these pressers are a complete waste of time with bland boring questions and bland boring answers, and using selective stats to claim we are doing not too badly when it is plain to anyone who watches us that we are playing really poor football, really poorly. Another team meeting to go over what went wrong and a determination to put things right. Deja vu?

I ahvent been less confident going into a game since the OF game. Our away form against top sides is abysmal under MW. Out of 5 away games against the play-off sides last season we managed just one victory, at Raith early in the season who at the time were in the bottom half. The poor away form has continued this season with defeats against the only two top 6 sides we have faced. The weight of evidence against us going into this game is stacking up towards another frustrating evening. That said a Jambo friend of mine I was speaking to last week was telling me of his frustration at their managers tactics - apparantly they pass it out from the back at all costs, play 20-30 passes in their own half and are toothless up front. Sound familiar? Add in the uncertainty surrounding Neilson being linked with MK Dons and we probably couldnt get a better time to go to Tynecastle, always a really difficult place to try to get a win. Much better Rangers sides than this have been soundly gubbed at Hearts, so a defeat on its own merits wont be a huge surprise if we fail to get anything from the game. It is the culmination of really poor form this season in general, with our away form/performances in particular being dreadful that will have the travelling Bears worried. As with all football fans, there is always hope, and in our case a late double from Dodoo and some other decent performances in recent games from some of our side make us hope we can up our game in the bigger contests and if we can get an early goal we may even go on to play some good stuff. Anyway, enough of this, I need to get moving to catch the bus to the game. See you on the other side....

That would have been a cracker! Must try harder!

Oh sorry, i've just remembered I have another engagement that day!

No he wasnt but he was very shaky throughout and his distribution was still woeful. As for Miller, another poor performance all round. That is now 3 goals in 20 games for our number 9. I dont know any club in the world who would continue to play a striker with that goals record. There is absolutely no chance that mishit pass for the first goal was intentional, I thought he was trying to play it square and the ball bobbled a bit on him. Worked out well for us with a bit of luck for a change. Great work for the second, he showed great desire to win the initial tackle and a good, if simple, pass to Dodoo. That one piece of good work was not enough to cover up yet another dreadful performance. I'm not picking on him as others were equally bad, but just replying since you mentioned him. Dont know how Halliday continues to get a start, Holt & McKay are working hard but out of form, MOH is pathetic, and the overall team pace, movement, confidence and creativity is non-existent. How bad are Thistle if we still win that game despite all the above! Best bit about yesterday was the pure joy and relief in the Rangers stand at the late winner. Up until then there was nothing to enjoy apart from a super finish from Dodoo for the equaliser. This team is playing utterly garbage football for around 70 minutes every week and while the style of it is very different from Ally's team, it is no less lacking in entertainment or end product. 19 goals in 14 league games is where the problem lies. 9 goals in 7 away games, and we still have a goal diff of -2 in our away games shows that yesterday is a typical performance away from home, although thankfully one of the better results.

Hard to give a definitive answer but with all being well I am keen to attend if available and am open to any date/venue. Happy with La Fiorentina, havent been in there in about 20 years! but the other venues are good for me also.

If I had known Hill was going to be replaced by Wilson, there is absolutely no chance I would have went for a clean sheet!

It's def McCann saying "brilliant"

I don't have time tonight to watch this interview but I am delighted to read on the other thread that King shunned interview requests from the scum media and instead gave his interview internally. Give the media nothing until they can show balance.

Thistle 0 Rangers 2 FGS Waghorn (or Garner if Waggy doesn't start)

As one who never, ever, believes paper speculation on players we are interested in, I make my next observation with a huge amount of salt. Have we learned nothing from last summer when we are only looking at lower league English players who are over-rated and over-priced? There is NO value to be had in the lower English leagues for a club with our needs. Not one of our acquired players from England is going to be worth anything substantial, with many of them not even worth a place on our bench never mind a multi-million pound sell-on value, which is required to make up the shortfall in our income. We need to be buying players from abroad who are young but keen to move to England. Dare I say it the celtic model, just done a bit better.

Is this not the same thing as the other thread that was on here recently?

It is only the turnout figure which is surprising out of that. Is that a voting poll of less than 10% of members. Club1872 really needs to do so much more to engage and get members involved. They cannot simply claim to represent the whole Rangers support with such paltry numbers voting on such important issues. I dont know how they should do this, they certainly are trying, but 871 votes is a really low number and makes me wonder how many active members they currently have who were eligible to vote?

After a terrible first six months he settled in and played a huge part in our success during 9IAR. His partnership with Ally was extraordinary. While I dont think he done enough to merit his place in our all-time greatest 11, he was so much more than a big target man. He had great feet and match awareness, and he instinctively knew when to drag defenders away for Ally to run into the space, and when to tough it out.

That game was so bad there is absolutely no way I will be re-watching any of it! I know I see every bad thing he does as I see no value in him as a player, but I thought yesterday was nothing short of utter dross from him. Some weeks I can see he wasnt the worst, but yesterday i thought worst player of the match was a toss up between him and Halliday who had a stinker, with MOH not far behind them. Perhaps you can remind me of the influential moments he brought to the game? A couple of good passes? A couple of shots on target? A couple of good runs past a player? I dont want you to have to watch this awful spectacle a third time just to prove me wrong mate, I will take your word if you can recall any positive impact he had on this match! Im not saying you do this as I find you very fair on most players, but some just defend Miller to "prove" they are not bigots as he played for celtic. I dont care who he played for, in my view he has always been a rotten player. I was delighted when he signed for celtic as I knew he was rubbish, and one OF game apart, this was proven correct over the period.

That is exactly what I think every time we get a late goal - even more so a late winner! GIRUY to the fans who leave early just to stand in a queue for a train or to go to the pub a bit early. The ones I really dont understand are those who leave a couple of minutes early then you pass them waiting on their mates at the bottom of the stairs! WFT is that all about? I totally understood some guys who left after an hour (my mate actually left after 26 mins) as the football on offer was absolutely turgid and indefensible. But if you are going to stay for 80-85 mins, then just see it through to the end. You might get the odd late winner that makes all the other times when you miss nothing worthwhile. That is two injury time winners at Ibrox this season in 7 games.

I quite simply dont know what you were watching Ian if you can defend that Miller performance yesterday. Absolutely honking he was, not one shot at goal he attempted, not one creative pass he made. He was a total passenger, and not for the first time this season either. 16-17 stats - Miller has started 13 games and came on as sub in another 6, so 19 appearances, 3 goals. (Waghorn has 8 goals in far fewer games BTW) One goal less than Clint Hill. He is our number 9 FFS. About as much of a goal threat as me or you. I dont think it is entirely coincidental that we look totally toothless up front when Miller is in our front 3. Granted the other strikers have been honking as well, but the praise this guy is getting this season on a return of 3 goals in 19 games for a forward is completely ignoring the facts. Last game at Dingwall at 1-0 he is clean through for an easy finish and fumbled and stumbled that much he didnt even get a shot off, yet some were saying he had a good game. That could have sealed the game and he blew it. Again. How many bad games can this guy have before he gets dropped for good? Waghorn, Garner, Dodoo, McKay, Forrester, MOH all get dropped after a few bad performances, but not the bold Kenny boy. For all he may be a fantastic guy to have around the dressing room, and great with passing on his experience to the younger ones, it is performances on the pitch that matter and he has been a total failure this season. All I hear around me is "unlucky Kenny" as yet another pass is just too soft or too hard or is intercepted, or his control lets him down. At what stage does it become obvious it is not luck but lack of talent that is the reason the passes dont find their man, that he doesnt find the target, that he isnt in the right spot to receive, that he just misses the header. 3 goals in 19 games says it all - Miller is a failure. In some cases you can make stats say anything you want. Not in this case - they say it all.

I would add that I have been to Major League Baseball in both USA & Canada and both have great pre-match experiences for the fans as well as lots going on in the gaps between the innings, and always something on post-match to try to keep you there spending money as long as possible and give you an option rather than hitting the traffic.

Didnt see the HT "entertainment" as I went down to the concourse to try to heat up a bit! I am all in favour of trying to do something different to entertain the fans at half time, we could learn a lot from USA in how to keep your audience entertained during breaks. We still treat our fans (football in general here, not just our club) as if we are to just to turn up, pay our money, shut up, buy exorbitantly priced food and merchandise, and go home. The clubs do nothing apart from put the game on to try to entertain the crowd or get them involved in the match, either pre-match, at half time, or post-match. I was down at the NFL at Wembley a few weeks ago and the stadium area opened at 9am for a 2pm kick off with merchandise, meet the players, live music, face-painting, food & drink all taking place in a fanzone outside the ground, while inside there was videos, interviews, cheerleaders and various things to keep you entertained while you waited on the game to start. Add in National Anthems, fantastic player introductions etc and you get fantastic value for your ticket irrespective of the actual game (which in this case was a classic that lasted 4 hours and ended in a tie). At Ibrox yesterday, nothing pre-match apart from some pre-recorded music and a 30 second interview with the manager, the bubbles at HT and nothing at all post-match. I understand there is a bit more for the kids in the Broomy pre-match but in football we dont look after our fans/customers at all well.

Exactly one hour before kick off. Rangers Twitter feed and Facebook page have it up first.

So said the man who said, early into the 14-15 season, that he didnt care if we won the Championship or not as long as we went up. Seems his standards as a manager are being matched as a pundit. It amazes me that a player who would never accept second best at anything has changed to this "mediocre is ok" kind of guy. Sad.

He is simply the most inspiring person in Scottish football.,He done more to get us to that title than just about anyone. Every player from that team mentioned that it was Marv that kept them going in the final few weeks. One of life's good guys.