Tannochsidebear

We lost 2-0, 2 late goals, the first of which was an og. Just picking up from official club twitter feed so I haven’t seen any of it. On the face of it with Polster, Barker & Hastie all starting it seems a very disappointing result.

I thought Barasic had a solid game throughout, given he was left on his own out on the left for the whole game with nobody helping him. For some reason, obviously tactical from SG, Jones was tucked inside to where there was absolutely no space, and was wholly ineffective. I was crying out for him to go wide (or the anonymous Kamara) and help Barasic all game the same way Arfield & Aribo went out to help Tav on the right. Very strange tactics. in a game devoid of creativity, the free kick was a piece of pure class and deserving of MOTM on its own. MOTM is usually given to the player who ensured the win, either through goals or outstanding play. Barasic nailed the former and nobody nailed the latter. Jack had a good game again, but given how deep Saints sat, he had 60 yards to carry the ball unopposed every time but couldn’t find that one telling pass to open them up. Was never going to be a game for Jones so his inclusion surprised me ahead of Stewart,Hastie & Ojo (didn’t know he had a knock), and I thought we were about to try Morelos and Defoe together before we got the goal. Maybe not! overall delighted with the 3 points, and we go into the first OF game level and with home advantage, which is exactly what we all wanted when the fixtures came out.

Spot on.

I know I am one of the few who believe Kent is not the missing piece in our jigsaw, and while I feel sorry for the lad who seems to be being messed about by his parent club, the truth is that nobody in England came in to buy him with a suitable bid, and in my opinion there is a very good reason for that, and that is that he just doesnt have a good enough record of goals and assists. If you can hardly make double figures in combined goals/assist over a whole season at a mostly attacking club like Rangers in a poor league, it doesnt really make much appeal to splash out £10M or so. Of course there is no denying the player has a great turn of pace, can beat players, and is still young so has plenty of time to be coached into a much more prolific player if he can improve his game, so you would think would have been worth a punt by a lower English Premiership, higher Championship side, but nothing happened apart from a couple of enquiries. For me, I thank him for his time with us last year, hope he goes on to improve his goals/assists return, and finds a club with a good coach that can get the best out of him. At the sort of money that would put a huge dent in our budget both in fee and salary, I hope that club is not us. We have bigger priorities. Perhaps if he has a year frozen out the game, which is looking increasingly likely, then player and parent club can wake up and be more realistic next summer, and the player can get back on with his career.

So the front of the Broomie will be shut next week. It say the shut area has to be where the offending singing takes place, so the Union Bears will be the area to miss out. Anywhere else just doesnt make sense. What we must do is get recordings of the bheasts games, get reporting all offensive singing at the match, and get it reported to UEFA. Club 1872 MUST be at the forefront of this, if they do nothing in this regard they would be as well disbanding right now. There is absolutely no doubt this is bheast led, the corridors of Power that Lawwell walks both domestically and in UEFA will have seen to this negative publicity, and just watch BBC Scotland got to town on this. I expect it to be first lead item on the national news at 6, 10, and all throughout tomorrow. The only way they will back off is when they see that we can get them done equally. Sadly we refuse to learn our own lessons, but if it wasnt TBB, they would create an interpretation of something else. It is also absolutely without doubt been stage-managed to coincide with our toughest and most important home game of the season (under UEFA). The impact of bringing this out last week when we were already well ahead in the tie against the Danes would not have been felt as severely. Only tims would be aware of this. I am absolutely disgusted, both with the wee arseholes who continue to get Buckfasted up and think they can sing what they like, thinking they are Ultras and the like, but also with us as a club sleep-walking into this again, just like in 2010. We should be fighting this with everything we have by showing that in Scotland there is a culture of 90 minute bigots which is not sectarian in the truest form, but rivalry and taunting. Show exactly what we have to listen to from the stands of our rivals, not to mention the effergies, KAH banners etc, and not under any circumstances accept anything FARE has to say while Power is part of it as it cannot show a balanced or unbiased attitude towards us as he himself is a sectarian bigot.

Aribo was excellent, but the sharpness shown by Defoe for his first goal was worthy of MOTM on its own. As the ball comes to him, he laready has it in his mind what he is going to do, with his first touch he pushes it past the defender, one more touch to steady as he moves into the box, and a lethal finish. Top drawer.

I've gone for McGregor, with Jack a close second. Honourable mention for Flanagan. I'm not a fan and he usually has a big error in his game but last night I thought he did great, especially when covering across the line and getting in a superb tackle to prevent a close range shot (probable goal) when Katic & Goldson were not in an ideal position, and that just after he got booked as well. He had to time it perfectly and he did. Ryan Jack has improved immeasurably over the summer. The Ryan Jack of last season wouldnt get into this team with the options we have got, so he had to up his game or lose his place, and i'm delighted he has done the former. Kudos to the coaches who have no doubt worked with him. Perhaps puts to bed the myth that we dont improve players we buy.

I think we should show off this valued award at our next domestic home game at half time, to a rousing soundtrack of Rule Britannia and the National Anthem. Cant remember who we play though.....

I agree our games should be at Auchenhowie, what was the point of all the upgrades if we don’t use it? Always loved that old trophy, puts modern ones like the SPFL trophy to shame.

Our game at Livingston will be shown live on BT Sport on Wednesday 25 September at 7.45pm. It is the only live game, the 3 other QFs are on the same night. confirmed on SPFL website.

That Cluj mob that took the tims to the cleaners lost their home leg of QR4 tonight 1-0 to Slavia Prague. Perhaps we might face them in the groups!

I think it is the same price as last year as well, maybe £1 more. It is a reciprocal agreement between the two as well, our fans get charged the same at the midden.

I thought you were not allowed to do that anymore. Something to do with the tv contract? They will need more Police to deal with the in-fighting after we pump them than we will need at Ibrox that day!

I thought the bookies would have our game in Warsaw as a tight affair. The current odds on Skybet are Legia 6/4 Draw 21/10 Rangers 13/8 I would happily accept a score draw next Thursday right now.

I went for Alfie, just ahead of Ojo. 2 goals and 1 assist for Alfie, and 1 goal and 2 assists for Ojo. Excellent work between them. Was also impressive performances from Davis, Jack, Goldson, Katic and highlight of the match was Arfield's solo to set up Ojo's goal even though Morelos gets the official assist it wa all about Arfield. Only player I thought was poor was (again) Flanagan. At fault again for the goal (not solely, but mainly), and poor distribution when I was saying for the first 15-20 mins he looked much better, that seemed to be the high point of his performance, but I am nitpicking as I thought everyone did really well and produced solid performances. Bring on Legia!!

We played Wronki a few years ago in the UEFA, I was at it and it was a very quaint wee ground. We won 5-0.

SG said yesterday at the presser that he has 5 midfield players, Jack, Davis, Aribo, Docherty & Kamara so would ideally like one more. That tells Halliday, Polster and all the youngsters trying to break through that they have absolutely no chance. Bringing King in is so utterly pointless (no resale value, big wages, not better than current players) and goes against everything SG has said about a pathway to the first team for our development squad.

Went For Defoe, its all about goals. I think this new improved Ryan Jack is looking better with each game, but I thought Davis was the standout midfielder yesterday. The instant control, run and cross for Defoe's 3rd was absolutely stunning. Jones did well and had his man in his pocket in the first half. I was moaning during the game about Ojo being completely anonymous for large parts of the game, but when you look at the final numbers he has 1 goal and 2 assists yesterday so how can you complain? What could he be like if he didnt go missing for 20 mins each half! Loved the way Morelos has come on, after Defoe has hit a hat-trick with all 3 goals laid on a plate for him, and said "hold ma coat" and within 2 mins he has destroyed their defence single-handedly after picking up a nothing ball at the half-way line and scored. As if to say "i'm still here you know and you aint getting my starting slot every week!" Great attitude! The only negative I can find - Flanagan was the undoubted (and yesterday the only) weak link, a total bombscare defensively and offers very little going forward. SG loves him somehow, but I dont see it and I predict he is going to cost us (again) just like he did last season, both in Europe and at home, if he continues to have the starting slot.

Also confirming he is an uneducated scumbag who has poor spelling and grammar and loves the IRA and all terrorists loving GB. Good riddance from this country to the horrible wee ned. i expect to see him back with his injured tail between his legs a few years down the road.

Good preview, easy to read format as well, enjoyed that. As for the team, I agree with all of the comments in this thread so far, so we need to start with 15 players! Seriously, I think Flanagan will be rested as that was a big 90 minutes for someone just back and Barasic will come back in, Davis will return to midfield in place of the injured Kamara, and I think maybe Ojo will come back in perhaps for Arfield who seemed to be not quite at the pace last night given he was still a couple of weeks behind the rest of the players. I cant see Morelos not starting after that magnificent performance last night, but I would not be the slightest concerned if Defoe gets the nod for Sunday. If Morelos plays from the start on Sunday, Defoe will probably start on Thursday. Jones performance last night got singled out by SG, so looks like he will keep his place, but he wont find it as easy against a stuffy Hibs side who wont allow him the space and will probably double up on the outsides as well, so hopefully he can continue his development by learning how to play against those types, not just his speciality of counter-attacking. After such a great result and performance, it is good the next game is only a few days away, and I am sure I am like most Bears in wishing it was today and not Sunday we were playing! Bring it on!

I dont think Slavia are any worse than Athens, and that was a better bheast side with a far better manager, so im still hopeful of another balls up from them. The money on offer from CL group stages is obscene and will make our attempt to get back to parity with them a whole lot harder.

Absolutely not, I would put it as 50/50. We are the unseeded side so are seeded to lose but our resources dwarf that of the Danes so on that basis we should be good enough. one thing for sure, we need to up our level significantly.

I wouldn’t argue that it is a very competitive league, but if there was such a thing as a ratio between quality of football against money spent, it is probably the worst league in the world. I’m watching Hud v Derby tonight and it’s awful. Both defences are poor, midfield is a brutal battle and forwards are not worth the money paid. These are 2 of the best teams in that league as well.

Listened tonight while making my dinner and enjoyed as always. Thought there might have been a bit on our vital European game coming up on Thursday, and perhaps our Kellie game analysis could have been trimmed to fit it in. It must be really difficult to set an agenda and stick to it within an hour so please don’t take this as criticism. Just a suggestion that a decent section of the show could be on previews of the games coming up before the next podcast airs? Keep up the good work guys!

Looking at our opponents and potential opponents last seasons European results; The Danes (I’m not attempting to spell that every time!) entered the same competition in QR3 last year and comfortably saw off Welsh side New Saints 2-0 in Wales and 3-1 at home for a 5-1 aggregate victory. In QR4 they played Malmo and drew 2-2 in Sweden before losing the home tie 2-0 to lose out on group stage action. This will be their first European action this season. Legia started 18/19 in the Champions League qualifiers in QR1against Cork, winning 1-0 away and 3-0 at home, then going on to play Slovakian side Spartak Trnava, losing the home leg 2-0, winning the away leg 1-0 to go out 2-1 on aggregate and drop down into the Europa where they played Dudelange from Luxembourg, losing the home leg 2-1and drawing the away leg 2-2 to go out 4-3 on aggregate. Worth noting they got red cards in both legs of that tie. This season they started in QR1 beating Europa of Gibraltar 3-0 at home after a 0-0 first leg on the rock. In R2 they beat KuPS 1-0 at home and drew 0-0 away. Atrimitos played QR3 of Europa League last year where they lost to Dinimo Brest of Belarus 4-3 in the away leg, and drew 1-1 at home to be eliminated at the first time of asking, picking up a red card as well along the way. This season they started in R2, beating Slovak side Streda 2-1 away and 3-2 at home.