Tannochsidebear

I did say to my mate on the way back from Hampden I thought we had a shoot out with them in the Dryburgh cup, but am too young to recall it or the outcome. I think it's safe to say today's was the first OF penalty shoot out in a major cup competition.

Nice to read you are hurting Tom, yet staying on message with bigging up the wonder kid full back who Celtic need to sell in the summer despite him showing he can't defend against good wingers. Either you have a proper top tier title race that Deila is winning or you have a farce that any manager could win, you can't have both? You can't sack a manager who has won two credible titles in a row by a distance, so are they tainted or are they credible Tom? I give him credit for reminding any remaining readers that we were without FOUR influential forward players for this game, and for admitting that Roberts couldn't lace McKays boots but what you won't read is any significant price tag being mentioned for Barrie. McKay roasted both full backs pretty much all day, although in the second 45 I give the young Celtic full back some credit as he does look a much better player when he isn't throwing himself into tackles and stands up more, but a superstar he quite simply ain't. FWIW I thought Bitton the racist was their best player, he broke up countless attacks of ours and done the job for them that we badly need to acquire a player to do for us. When a player in that role does his job well, he goes mostly unnoticed but always in the right place to intercept or pressure the opponent into going backwards. I hadn't really noticed him before but thought he was the best of that lot today. Roberts certainly has quality but is not £12M worth and only has one side. How slow has Broony got? He was blowing out his arse after about 15 mins and couldn't even get close enough to kick any of us. For us we got what we thought we would get. Defensively weak, physically inferior, but a TEAM in every respect that the manager gets the best out of. In McKay we have a match winner at any level. What we didn't know was if our best (we have played better football this season than today!) was going to be enough and I thought it would come down to who takes their chances better and when Roberts misses the tap-in it gave us a boost. We bossed the first periods of normal and extra time, they were better in both second halves. I felt we were running on empty towards the end of normal time and wasn't confident for ET, but McKays worldy early in ET gave us the energy to get through to pens. I was always confident of winning the pens, we have the greater team spirit and had nothing to lose, all the pressure was on them. I believe going first is a huge advantage, especially in sudden death which we were in after Wes saved from Broon. I was shouting out to all around me when Law scored that that was the winner, and what a smug bassa I was when Rogic blazed over. I haven't celebrated goals like our two today like I did since Walters reign, as the last four years have not seen anything of such significance for any match, but it really got the juices flowing today. While the feeling after the final penalty didn't quite match Florence, it was a fantastically sweet moment that will live long in the memory. I don't recall a OF penalty shoot out before, it was certainly the first I have watched live, and the good guys won. Nice!

There is very little risk involved in listing him on the bench and throwing him on with 10-15 mins to go if we are losing and we need a goal. If we lose, our season is over, so if he aggravates it and doesnt play another minute of the season, he should still be good for pre-season.

I'm not at all confident of success when I base it on anything logical - but a supporter of any side, far less Rangers, can always have some confidence based on sporting chance and blind faith!!

Heard this news at lunchtime but thought we would be trying to keep it quiet. Broken fibia, season over I'm told. Waghorn will be on bench but really only for morale purposes. While I would prefer Forrester was fit to play, I'd be more concerned if it was McKay who got crocked. Clark will come in to the central role with Miller moving wide. Means Miller will have to be more disciplined than the free role he has been given in recent games, and again highlights just how thin and bereft of real quality the squad is, and how much work for next season needs doing.

In our case we are the rape victim who, because she was beautiful and had a short dress with some cleavage on show, was gagging for it and deserved to be raped. These scumbag rapists cannot/will not ever see that in any circumstances was the recipient a victim. It doesnt matter that we used some legal tax-avoidance measures, for that and for being the biggest and best club in the land, we were ripe for rape in their sectarian and bigoted view, and their control of the media will ensure that there will be no sympathy for the victim when the truth of our rape comes out.

If King is the official Chair or not is not so important, and we have other Directors working their butts off for the cause, and also have a good GM in place, good youth development, good first team manager, and good managers in place throughout. King has always worked in short bursts, even when he was trying to buy the club he would appear and do 20 things in a week then disappear back to SA and nobody would hear from him for a few weeks. I am pretty sure he has the confidence in his colleagues to leave the day to day stuff to them and get feedback on developments, and putting his views across from time to time as required.

Sorry Ian, I was referring to CS comment regarding Dean's playing position.

It's in the Sun. What they say goes for nothing.

He has been ok at this level. I am worried that we have seen the best of him already as he had to impress to get a new contract as his career to date doesnt show any level of consistent performance up until now. Next season will be a lot tougher against better players, systems etc. But after a really poor start, he has had a run of impressive games and has certainly merited his new deal. Like a lot of these players we have used this year, I have major doubts that they will be consistently good enough next season. On the plus side, he now has this worry over his future taken care of and he can give everything he has on Sunday. Might have a couple of quid on him for first goal!

the only time I have ever seen a tout actively punting tickets in person above face value at a Rangers game was at Tannadice c1989 when a win would clinch the title (Trever Steven header was enough to win it!). He had a stack of around 10 tickets and was looking for about £50 or so (cant remember the exact amount) for a ticket that was no more than a tenner. One big burly bear went up to him, asked him to sell at face value or leave, was told to mind his own business, smacked him in the mouth and took all the tickets off him and just handed them out to bears who were looking for them. I dont advocate violence but this is some such time as it seemed the right thing to do. Plod never went near the incident. Nowadays with Viagogo and similar, touting has been re-branded as re-selling and is part of the accepted norm for sporting events & concerts. I had 3 tickets for Lords for a test match that I bought in good faith as we were planning to go. A few weeks before the event it turned out we couldnt go, so I was hoping to get my money back by selling on viagogo. I followed their procedures and recommendations and made double what I paid for them. The system (although it worked for me on that ocassion) stinks but is completely legal. Something needs to be done.

I have absolutely no doubt that Shug posted the story in good faith, I know him personally and he is most certainly not a stirrer, but I think he has been fed something for ulterior purposes on this one. Time will tell I suppose.

Rangers good news story hidden away in one column in middle of rhag. Rangers bad news story splashed over front page. Do the math!! Stop buying the scottish tabloids.

Shug should know better, he is a good Bear, but this is quite evidently a story (one of many this week i'm sure) intended to disrupt our club's recovery.

Agree with Pete & Calscot that winning on Sunday (and the subsequent final) is absolutely massive for us for next season's ambitions. It is far more important to us than it is to them. While we are heavy underdogs and our defence is abysmal therefore we cannot expect to win the game on level grounds, but football throws up plenty of shocks, especially in cup ties or derbies (and we have both!), so it is possible we can win against the odds. Winning the cup and gaining european football next season will enable us to attract and bring in more better quality players than if we dont. It is really as simple as that.

They dont count for me, (i am feeling young now, thanks!) but if they count for you then go for it mate.

I keep a wee spreadsheet noting my cup final record and was updating it this morning for yesterdays victory. I only count the cup finals I was actually at in person and my record is now 23 wins and 6 defeats going back to the 1987 league cup final win over Dolly on penalties. I have seen 15 league cup finals (13 wins, 2 defeats), 11 scottish cup finals(9-2), 2 challenge cup finals (1-1) and 1 UEFA cup final. Anyone else know their cup final record?

Spot on Rab. Next season the Bears won't be calling for heads to roll as long as we see investment, improvement and finish at least second. Not many Rangers managers get a free pass for a season, but third place would always be unacceptable. Obviously we have to play our part and buy tickets and anything else we can do to give the board/manager the resources necessary.

Calm down man, it's a formality! What are you going to be like next week if your having kittens about the diddy cup final against some part time fishermen?!

I stuck a cheeky wee fiver on they two and added Bournemouth at an unmissable 6/5 for a lovely £90 return. Wish I had added Alloa as well and it would have been over a grand but I bottled it!

Good luck with the traffic from the Neptune to Hampden, you better give yourself plenty of time!

There will also be a lot of bears buying a ST that haven't done so through the last 4 years to ensure they get a ticket for the bheasts game, and IMO this number will outweigh those who would give up their ST due to having to pay an additional £100. If the club are sensible and allow fans a DD option to pay it up over a few months and get the emotional marketing right, I can't see it being a problem.

I think there are about 20-30 of us booked in and it is completely sold out mate, sorry! I didn't do any of the organising (our RSC chairman is the owners brother) but we have done this many times before for Hampden games and it's always a great way to start/end the day.

I would love that to be right. I fear the opposite set of results but will hope you have this double nailed mate.

As many here will recall I am no fan of Miller, but it is an absolute certainty that he will start the game on Sunday. I also can't see Ball coming in as a dry run for next week as the opponents and styles are so different it would not be beneficial to do so. He has had plenty of game time recently so doesn't need a game if as expected he comes in to protect our two bombscares next week. Looking forward to Sunday's diddy cup final to lay the ghost of Raith & Alloa to rest. Got a fabulous lunch booked at the Bear-owned Ivory Hotel on Langside Rd with a lot of my RSC and then the traditional walk over the hill to Hampden as I have done dozens of times before for cup finals, and back to the Ivory for a refreshment or two to finish off. I don't think I have ever seen us as such a short priced favourite before mind you! No matter the team selection, it should be a stroll in the April sunshine (it's always sunny for our cup finals right?) for those selected. And it has to be said that what a crowd of bears we have backing our team on for a minor trophy. Getting on for 45000 bears in a capacity crowd will see Hampden bedecked in blue and see Lee Wallace lead the team up the stairs (or does everyone now do it Captain last these days?) to lift the trophy and give us the perfect build up to the big one next week.