BrahimHemdani

and to all.

Willie Collum, is now very highly regarded in Europe. He has had more than 30 European appiontments including the Final of the Under-19 Championship. Last season he did a Europa League quarter final Twente v Villarreal and this month a Champions League game Barcelona v Bate Borisov. Although Barca were already through and Bate had little chance of finishing third, his appointment to that match shows that he is being considered for more important matches in future. If anything the fact that he is an RE teacher at a Catholic school will put him under more pressure to lean towards Rangers to show he is not biased towards Celtic. However, as an ex referee (although nowhere near that level) I can assure you that in the white heat of an old firm match the last thing he will be thinking about is being biased or Mr Vincent Lunny or even the names of the teams to be honest. In the split seconds that a referee gets to make decisions, all that will concern him is did a blue player commit a foul on a green player etc. I can tell you now, he will make lots of mistakes. As a certain Mr Platini pointed out after Mr Collum's first old firm game; there is only one referee on the park but there are 20 cameras well placed to show all the decisions from all angles.

For the first time, I find myself in agreement with you Mr Khan!

Fair shout GA

Yes GA, I saw the numbers, maybe someone should ask the SPL to do some research? Actually I know an academic who might ask one if his students to do it!

To be fair Pete, you were the one who raised the spectre of the spectator having a knife but surely Zappa is correct, if he was going to knife the goalie he would have run on brandishing it, would he not?

That can be quite easily explained if the fouls that our guys commit are more severe or for things like holding that automatically earn yellows. Not saying that IS the case, it would need a LOT of research, just that it could be that Celtic players tend to get yellows for persistent infringement rather than one off offences. Last season in the CL when Naismith was the most fouled player of all teams in the group stages, we had one of the lowest number of fouls but amongst the highest number of bookings for that reason.

Can't agree with that one.

That's football

I think when we see it on the box we will see that the ref is looking straight at McCulloch and Carey because he sees the jostling, he sees the elbowing and blows right away. I may be wrong but I don't think Carey going down had much if any part in he refs decision.

I agree that that is quite likely. Papac is a naturally talented football player who could play CF or probably in goal if you asked him. Actually he sent two great long passes and had a shot rocket off the bar last week, which was the signal to move him to left back; which I agree has been his best position for us and he has been a stalwart for 6 years. No idea how he got back to clear off the line today, he was two yards behind the play on the edge of the box when he was running back.

Good shout, so our CB's would be approx 75 between them; maybe I could get a game, but I'm forgetting, that's why I was a ref!!

Well he would be better than another left footer, Wylde, playing out of position. I'm sure he could do a job for us for 6 months and he's Rangers through and through. Played for us way longer than any other club in his career.

How much would you give for him on today's performance?

Juffery is right, watch him, he carries it with his left all the time. He CAN hit it with his right, but very weakly as was seen today. A competent LB will show him the touchline and keep him well under control. Also watch some of his goals for Aberdeen coming in from the left. Novo on the right and Aluko on the left would do me.

World of difference mate. As you say there is no doubt that McCulloch elbowed his opponent which is violent conduct, so he is ordered off. That Carey may have made a meal of it, isn't an issue in McCulloch being sent off. Whatever, contact there was on Aluko, was minimal, and certainly not violent, that is the difference.

That line up is a definite possibility but I am fairly sure he will prefer Bartley to Broadfoot at CB, if Goian was there Bartley was a cert for midfield.

They would or it would not be consistent with other cases. Waste of £1,000 in my view.

St Mirren have outplayed us twice this season, as did Killie especially in the second half, and Inverness last week; how can this be happening? I know it's 11 v 11 (at least at the start) but roughly half of our 11 get paid more than the entire opposition teams put together, in some cases reportedly twice as much as the entire opposition teams put together. What is going on?

That is a very good point, simulation is simulation wherever it takes place on the filed of play; but inside the box IS more serious because the object is to win a penalty, which most often results in a goal. (Anyone know the percentages of successful penalty kicks for us, SPL, etc etc) I also agree that a 2 game ban (the equivalent of 12 yellow cards) seems disproportionate compared with (one) yellow if the ref catches you at it; but it seems that the view from on high is if you actually succeed in conning the ref that is more serious than if you don't. But 12 times more serious doesn't seem right. On the other hand you can't really argue that its the refs fault for not catching you at it (as many seem to have said); when you shouldn't be doing it in the first place. That's a bit like blaming the police for speeding motorists or successful burglaries.

Based on what we have left, this looks like the team for Wed: :sw::kbart::sp: :sa::sd::me: :kl::nj: Personally, I'd be looking at Bendicksen for Edu or Davis or even Jelavic, and Wylde for Wallace although I acknowldge that he played well today, I would rather have a genuine left sided attacking player.

I think that you are correct that Carey was fortunate not be sent off after receiving a yellow card but so was Davis for a bad tackle from behind late on. You can argue that both were soft decisions - but McCulloch and Goian were both rightly sent off. McCulloch realised that right away, when he put his head in his hands/shirt and Goian was caught out by players going past him and held them back, both automatic yellows these days. I don't think there's a conspiracy against Rangers any more than there ever was one against Celtic. Our refs are highly regarded in Europe, especially Thomson and Collum and (with the possible exceptions above) I found it hard to fault McLean today.

that would be me for sure or hitch a ride

That certainly is true and at exactly the wrong time when safe standing is being reconsidered in Scotland. One incident like that here on top of the attack on Mr Lennon last season and the Police will stop it dead in its tracks.

I try treat everyone on here the same Gazza, I don't know their history or background other than what I learn from their responses and it is of no matter to me, my personal views would be the same regardless. I just didn't want SDS tainted by a disagreement over personal views.