der Berliner

So by the sound of it, no Neil McCann for the time being.

As for tactics ... first, I`d vote for the return of Jack in DM. Depending on the game at hand, you could play (if fit) ... Balogun - Goldson/Helander - Bassey Jack Wright - Hagi - Lundstram - Kent/Bacuna Roofe - Sakala ... with Jack clearing the lines and covering slots vacated by Balogun or Bassey. Lundstram could easily swap places with Jack or break up play early, run into space et al. He could be exchanged with Arfield. I don`t see Hagi as a right winger, so it would be Wright or Aribo, perhaps even Patterson as a wingback. Against more offensive / better teams (not least in Europe), it could be ... Tavernier - Goldson/Helander - Balogun Patterson - Hagi - Jack - Bassey Sakala - Roofe - Kent/Wright The defenders should keep their position, while either wingback could drop back and bolster the defence two. Both wingbacks are capable of doing a job on the wing and in the attacking area too. Jack playing the cleaner, Hagi/Aribo/Davis the creator, the front 3 keep the opposition busy in their own half. No matter which system we play, we need more attacking players that stay where it hurts the opposition. Time and again we labour on with one striker against 2-4 defenders, have two inside-left/right players who are usually all over the place, but are not there when the striker needs more bodies about him, and on central "attacking" player who rarely runs into spaces. Time and again, Aribo, Kent, Morelos and go tried to force their way through a packed middle, the wings were barren and we had no width to draw the defenders out of position. Combine that with the inability of mainly Tav to get decent crosses in (for weeks) or the lack of bodies in the area to aim at. What bothers me most is that this analysis is sure no witchcraft or rocket science, whatever you fancy more.

Dunno whether people are chosen because of tactics preferred by the previous manager, TBH. In any case, you would hope that he choses players and tactics according to the game at hand, not as stubbornly as MW and SG did ... with debatable success.

The only "good" thing that came of today`s game was that Gio saw all of (de facto) SG`s hand-picked starting-eleven (for months) at work and how they and the lamented tactic failed. Goldson and Tavernier have lost their right to be starting players. Davis might very well work when games are won or we need some order, but if we have him, we don`t need Kamara. The latter has fine ball control, but probably needs players of his calibre to work with. He`s rarely getting forward and that sure doesn`t help in 8 out of 10 Scottish games. In any case, we hardly need 2 DMs (or players in that position). Aribo and Kent went missing again. Yes, they gave it some shot, but far too often (and not that uncommon of late), nothing came of it. Every other game, Kent doesn`t look no better than Barker, and one wonder strike like the one against Ross County can`t paper over what we saw today. Barisic looked more like himself today, but there was hardly anyone to aim at or to play with, as Aribo and Kent were all over the place. Arfield more or less kept his slot and ran his socks off, he, alongside Balogun (and perhaps Barisic) came away from today with something close to pass marks. Tactics were wrong from the off. We played a team to fight Hibs off the park, rather than "play our style" - in a way we can play. For that the top three need to click, and TBH, IMHO our "front line" was shocking. For the love of the game, I can't understand why we keep giving Alfredo starts. The chap can be a beast in front of goal, but for weeks if not months he just doesn`t look comfortable, fit and willing. So please Gio, give us a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2 with true wingers, one DM (by today`s look, Jack or Lundstram) and at least two real strikers. Preferably Sakala and Roofe.

I`ll exchange that player with Arfield, TBH.

A final thanks to SG and his band. Your game plan, your team selection, your tactics, your players. No attackers against a decent defence, a fine DM that has lots of possession, and a defence that ONCE in your time here was tight. Do us a favour and make a smash and grab for Goldson and Tavernier, perhaps Morelos too. We need some cash to rebuild us to a championship winning side.

I would assume that Patterson is the only full professional footballer this side of Saturn`s rings who is getting more game time for his national team than at his club ...

TBH, Lundstram and Jack wouldn`t go amiss in our DM and both are willing to step forward and take a shot too. But for me, Hagi and Sakala are a must, Wright later on.

Unlucky with the first, then calamity and just poor poor play. Hibs play like we should do, but as expected, Morelos up against 3 CH and in his sleep-walk mode, no width, Kent and Aribo all over the place ... utterly no cohesion. Our right flank is a barren wasteland. You just hope Gio has a good look at this band of players and how they perform right now. Hagi, Wright and Sakala are a must in the 2nd half, hope McCallum has the guts to act quickly.

Too much work & graft in midfield ... and you have to hope Morelos and Aribo are up for this from the word go.

Referee – Kevin Clancy 😝 Assistants – David Roome and Daniel McFarlane Fourth Official – Alan Muir Missing: Nnamdi Ofoborh (heart), Filip Helander (knee), Kemar Roofe () Live on: Premier Sports 1 Methinks Hibs have been off the boil of late, but in cup-games you never know. Interviews with McCallum and Tavernier sounded straight enough, so the players will be up for this game, you`d hope. (I actually spotted Brandon Barker in that training video ... sure a star in the making 😋 ... but truth be told, I do wonder what Gio will make of him and our loaned folk, as well as B team players like McCann, Weston, Lowry and Co..)

A report suggesting that Neil McCann might still be added to the coaching team. COME HOME Neil McCann in talks over Rangers return as part of Gio van Bronckhorst’s backroom staff Andy Devlin, methinks, is one of the more clued-up journos. Would sure be a welcome addition, as he has seen this Rangers team these last few months - if not years - and knows how the players perform, how the opposition make us toil and what should probably be changed. We shall see.

Roy Makaay, that`s nice.

... cushion-killer!

Well ...

Nah ...

Wry smile seeing this ... PARK'S MOTOR GROUP CONFIRMED AS SPONSOR OF THE SWPL

They know as much as Jon Snow.

Ah ... I was not thinking about Malmö and the CL, but the money SG were given in his tenure. No doubt about the Malmö fiasco.

They sure did not. Much of the return here is quantifiable (if that`s a word), as in a title and lots of EL income, other is not - like giving us a team able to challenge something, worth watching etc.. But I know what you mean. Be they businessmen or not, they are also Rangers fans and know that monetary "return" is not the only way to pay investment back.

Meanwhile ...

I would assume the assistant was not left by Gio, but wanted to remain there. Grown up men and all that. ?

Warburton got us back to the Premiership, and truth be told, I don`t think about him that often these days. SG got us going into Europe, assembled a good squad (with the help of others) and eventually got us the title. In time though, I won`t think about him any more than I think of Warburton, Caixinha, Murty and even PLG, McLeish or Advocaat. The one man that will always stick in my mind - for all the joy he gave us and the way he handled himself as a person and a Rangers man in my lifetime will be Sir Walter. Rangers never stand still and it is the future we look at now.

Officially, he`s a registered player till summer 2022. Whatever he is actually doing remains to be seen. Any word on who packed his bags along with SG?

A few able recruits from Holland wouldn`t go amiss, freebies or not. I reckon we`ll lose a few guys in January, so some money will be available.