Norris Cole

Our previous black kits were very smart. 2010-11 and 2012-13.

Man, I never thought I'd be so excited over a tie against Luxembourg opposition. Six long, shitty years.

I've just seen a picture of the Dundee Utd v Falkirk play-off semi on the BBC website. Swathes of empty seats. I know Dundee Utd aren't a big club, but what's that all about?

It's good that McInnes isn't disappointed at not getting the Ibrox gig.

Painful viewing. The SNP have dropped the ball here. All they had to do was play the long game. In just 12 months they've managed to rile vast swathes of the electorate.

They could lose 10. The uniting of the anti-SNP vote behind the Conservatives is not good news for Sturgeon. I'm actually not sure Indyref2 is going to happen now.

Nobody on this planet will ever convince me that Lionel Messi is a more complete player than Zinedine Zidane. Capable of better moments, absolutely, and often. But, no.

"Messi is the best player this world has ever seen by miles." Messi is superb. But I'm not having that.

The state we're in, and Celtic are still at this.

Kenny Miller needs a new contract, then Caixinha can set about rebuilding a pretty tired Rangers squad.

Cricketer, philosopher, 1st class honours degree. I require further evidence this gentleman was a footballer.

No no, you're wrong, Warburton says we should be grateful.

Well, that's about our level against them. We're basically 2-0 behind them in the big picture. Or in alternative parlance, £40 million. You'll hear no complaint against Dave King from me. He's a Rangers man like all of us on here. But let's be honest, without the requisite investment in playing staff, we are basically another Hearts. Tom English made a pertinent point on the wireless today. He was talking about how when Old Firm fixtures come round, people still assume that Rangers should be expecting to match Celtic. Yes, maybe in 2011, but look at us and them top to bottom and we're basically another Hearts, i.e. will put up a fight and maybe beat them once every couple of seasons, and win a trophy or two every ten years with a bit of luck. And before I get the usual about being a pessimist, let's hear the evidence to the contrary. We can absolutely beat them, just as long as they don't find third gear. For their second goal today they did exactly what we did time and again to Tommy Burns' teams: five minutes of pressure in the final third, they get it straight up the park, penalty, goal, game over. With that said, it's not Caixinha's or the players' fault. They do what they can with what they have, and I thought the second half brought yet another reminder of what a sad day for the club it will be when Kenny Miller calls it a day. If King is serious about this, he should give Caixinha free f*cking reign in the summer. A lot of that team needs sold. And I'm sorry, but either I've been blind these last couple of years or Barrie McKay simply doesn't have what it takes to be a Rangers player.

Kicked into touch by the guy who ran the line at Hampden today, incidentally. Douglas Ross.

I was discussing France over dinner tonight (being the mad middle-class bastard that I am). I have to say I really feel for the French. One of the truly great nations of the world, with a people with a proud history who continue to contribute massively to both the cultural and scientific development of the planet. And let's not forget a long-standing and steadfast ally of the British in good, bad, and very bad times. This is a country which should be a powerhouse along German lines. Yet decades of complacent politics, a static economy, rising unemployment, ill-thought out immigration leading to social unrest and violence across the country (remember the riots in SE England in 2011? That's France every other week) has produced a tense, tired, and thoroughly pissed off populace crying out for change. Without which, the only development can be the continued decline of a once proud nation. Something has to give, and I hope the French people get the change they deserve. Whether it proves to be Le Pen, or something else, remains to be seen. But they can't keep going on the way they have been.