Norris Cole

Was it Benjamin Franklin who once said:

 

 

 

Death, signing former players and asking whether Jelavic is eligible for Europe.

Is it just me that doesn't give a shit about "SPFL rules"? We'd be asked to give our reason for banning them, and then they in turn would be duty bound to investigate. It might just open a big can of worms.

When Murray banned them, it was because they damaged a few seats. I think we now have more than enough reason to ban them given their recent "exuberance".

The difference between the Rangers and Celtic support has been remarkable over the last year. Look at the displays. Our wonderful, purely football-related displays celebrating our shared love of our club. And then the tims, all they have is "Hun scum", obscure references to the IRA, and effigies.

Hello People of Gersnet

 

I joined a few days ago in need of some Gers and general football chat. I have been missing the football patter since moving to Oz last year. There are a couple of guys in work that know a bit about football ,but generally its rugby league and cycling that is the chat in the office. Although there is a Chelsea fan from the SE of England here who has an inkling of what old firm life is like.

 

BB

Rugby League and cycling. You have my commiserations.

Don't worry gents, I am sure the greatest fans in the world will behave impeccably.

Fergusons attitude stank. He thought he was Rangers. He was our version of Paul McStay when he came on the scene he was on the verge of greatness when he left he was still on the verge of greatness.

Again, disingenuous in the extreme. Don't make me compare their respective trophy counts.

Lets face it - timmy 2016 are miles ahead of everyone and have been since 2012.

 

I've always felt we have better players than the rest so a run of victories starting tonight isn't out of the question, neither is an unbeaten run from now until Hogmanay at the earliest.

We should be aiming at going into the next OF game unbeaten, and then turning them over at Ibrox. I'm sure the collective morale of the Rangers support would be very different should that transpire.

I'm not a big fan of Eck and was glad he was sacked when he was.

 

However, his CV compared to Warburton is favourable.

 

Even with Hibs he won the Championship - but with more points than Warburton: 89 : 81.

 

He then finished 6th in the SPL out of 10, which isn't fantastic but it is Hibs remember, and his spending was 250k. He also got to the Scottish Cup semi. He gained a win and two draws against the OF.

 

He then finished 3rd to the OF the next season with a negative transfer outlay of -£2.25M, including 2M for Kenny Miller to Rangers. He also got to the Scottish Cup final, losing to Celtic. He gained a win and three draws against the OF.

 

Then we know what he won with a downsizing Rangers - with a couple of memorable last day league wins where the team didn't come close to bottling it. Warburton hasn't shown anything yet to suggest he will emulate that.

 

For Birmingham he did what Warburton couldn't and gained them promotion to the top tier, where they then had their best season for 50 years. The next season they were relegated but also one the league cup - their second cup ever. I think that's a good swap for the likes of Birmingham.

 

He didn't do so well at Aston Villa, finishing 16th but they haven't done better since and have now been relegated after finishing last.

 

He also did quite well for Scotland compared to the last three managers - beating France and Ukraine, and being very unlucky against Italy.

 

I think we need a better manager than Eck, although right now I'd take 2 league titles, 5 cups and beyond the group stages of the CL in four and half seasons.

 

However, Warburton cannot compare his CV to Eck quite yet...

All very true. I am convinced there is a sizeable section of the Rangers support that can't comprehend why we aren't up there with the Barcelonas and Real Madrids.

Even Rolls Royce made some crappy Monday morning cars that looked great at first. Nobody was just never allowed to admit it.

There's not many Rangers players you could say were personally responsible for a good handful of trophies. But you could certainly say that of Barry Ferguson.

Between 1998 and 2002 I wouldn't have replaced him for any central midfielder in Europe.

Maybe until he thought he was god after that he was mediocre to say the least. He had a few good seasons with world class players around him but when they left he thought he could play 11 positions alone.

That's a little disingenuous. He dragged us to the title in 2002-03 against one of the greatest ever Celtic sides.

I don't think I ever really understood some Rangers fans' antagonism towards Barry Ferguson. Is it to do with him leaving us in 2003 to chance his arm down south?

He was an absolute Rolls Royce of a footballer.

McLeish out-trophied The Blessed Martin during his time at Ibrox, so should be awarded a level of respect from Rangers fans.

But this is 2016. In Warbs we trust.

What so far, if anything, has Garner shown us to suggest he is worth the transfer fee?

Not a hell of a lot, but it doesn't refute the point that he needs more time. He needs a string of 90 minute games before we know what he can do for us.

For what it's worth, he scored at Parkhead and had Aberdeen riled at Pittodrie. Almost impossible to judge him on a 20-30 minute cameo here and there.

It's the price we paid for him that gets me. 1.6m is a shedload of money for us these days. You would have thought we'd fork that out on someone to build the team around.

See Zelalem got a game for Arsenal last night.

I have nothing against Nicky Law. He actually carried himself very well while at the club, was never a problem and seemed to enjoy being a part of it. But I suspect he's found his level now at Bradford.

The Record, once the go-to source for Scottish football news, is nothing more than a disreputable, discredited rag these days. Anything printed in it means the square root of hee-haw. I'll wait for the club's statement.

LOL. There will be Rangers fans calling for Walter after he's dead. "Aye, but big Davie Weir can move his arms."

They should just call it 'The Nicky Law era'. It was truly harrowing.

I am guessing this survey is well past its sell by date?

One time I've thought the manager's character was poor was his rant at the referee at Aberdeen - especially as he keeps going on about respect. I can't see it as much different to what Barton did in the first instance.

 

I think it's unbecoming of a Rangers manager to get so upset about one decision that led to a loss against a less large club. Three or more blatant ones maybe, but when it's one it says we didn't play well enough and there is always going to be one bad decision going one way or the other. One bad decision that leads to a goal against us should really mean we won 3-2 instead of 3-1... otherwise the manager is also at fault and so can't really complain.

 

That maybe changes against Celtic and in Europe.

 

I have no problem with him following his own advice and having a respectful word...

Perhaps. In the manager's defence, we've been on the bad end of a series of 'honest mistakes' this season. So I can understand his frustration.

With regards to Garner struggling in the Championship, Preston as a team struggled and indeed altered their style of play (to a more negative formation) to try and salvage their place in the league.

 

I hope he comes good but I would have chanced Sheffield Wednesday's arm and gone for Hooper. I got the impression that he was in his 30's but he is only 28 and knows the Scottish League. The Tims would have been beelin to

Now there's one right out of left field. Would he have come?

Garner is a terrible, bizarre signing.

While you may in time be proved right, I don't see how anyone can make such a statement after two months.

Very honest presser IMHO

I have to laugh at the tims and their "Warburton's pyoor lost it, he's cracking under the presshur" nonsense. No, he isn't. My source being every interview he gives to the media.

The Barton business is causing me to have doubts. Not the indefinite suspension- I suspect Barton is an indefinite offender - but the signing. If Warburton wanted him I reckon that shows poor judgement of the player and the man. If somebody else wanted him, why did MW agree?

 

There is history of good man managers coping with problem children. Walter with Gazzza, Stein with Willie Hamilton. I don't know if MW is good at man management but Barton is a problem adult, not a problem child and I suspect is beyond management.

Barton is basically a man child. But in fairness to Warburton, if ever there was a time in Joey Barton's career to take a punt on him it was the summer. After the way he led Burnley to the EPL, he genuinely seemed to have turned a corner. It was always a risky signing, but one worth taking IMO, even if it hasn't paid off. You win some, you lose some. In a parallel universe, Gascoigne got binned by Rangers after 5 games and Barton became a club legend. A Joey Barton without demons would've been a huge player for us in our current situation.

The reaction has been quite depressing. Did most really think we'd be competing with Celtic for the title this year?

I made the mistake of flirting with FF when we went down to the Third Division. It was all "nae bother troops, only four years and the European nights will be back."

We are surely among the greatest supports in world football, but perspective and patience have never been among our virtues.

I'm not saying we should get rid but Pep has a huge pedigree; Warburton had one ok season before us and was a bit of a punt from a desperate position where we needed someone cheap to do a job on the cheap.

 

Hopefully he'll come good but despite showing promise, he hasn't really won anything of note yet in his short career - which is more relevant to Rangers than most clubs, and we have to assess if he has the potential to do so. We can't wait forever, but he'll always get this season and probably another.

 

Since he came he's should have been doing better than Robbie Neilson who's had a very similar task, but with a lot less money...

 

The latter also hasn't won anything but some of his lack of cup success can be somewhat forgiven by going out to Celtic three times and also narrowly to their fierce derby rivals at the second attempt - a team Warburton lost to in the final. Neilson also lost to St Johnstone in the League cup this year, something also mirrored by Warburton.

 

Warburton edges ahead with a penalty win against Celtic but loses out on RN's start in the SP last year and this.

 

MW also has to do better than McInnes who has a cup win, two second places and a third, and is in second place now. He's also in this season's League cup final.

 

Basically, I think we all expect Warburton to do better than those two with the budget he has and the backing of the Ibrox crowd.

You make some fair points, and the issue of his budget v other sides is perfectly pertinent. I just think he should be given a couple more transfer windows - as I said previously, some of the best managers in the world have made a pig's arse of transfer windows. Of all the situations in Scottish football, I'm not sure any can compare to the trauma we are trying to recover from. If anything wasn't going to be a quick fix, it's the situation we've found ourselves in.

I think where a lot of my faith in Warburton stems from is the change when he took over. After the car crash of McCoist, and latterly McCall, he was a breath of fresh air and seemed to give the club the boot up the arse it so sorely needed. Now he's in a different phase with different challenges. Is the jury out? Yes. Do I think he's the man for the current situation? Yes, I do.