der Berliner

Interestingly enough, when mentioning the 11 and a winger's shirt ... my first thought was of McCann (though he wore the 8 more often than not (?)) and Laudrup. But that all comes from an age where the 10 was a striker's shirt ...

If I learned anything about SG and Europe since the gaffer arrived is that the form-book goes straight out of the window. Well, with one exception, the 3-1 defeat at the hands of Bayer was very much as expected, given our dire all-round form back then ... and Bayer fielding a line-up close to 190m. Maybe they see this game more as some sort of pre-season preparation (despite what their folk will say) while we have been kicking the ball for some time ... Coventry and Aberdeen are no benchmark for what we will face tomorrow. They will try to press like in the first game, so our defence will be under constant pressure. IMHO, the more important aspect wil be how our "transition game" clicks and the attackers take the chances that come our way. Will Alfredo play? Anyone's guess really.

What a nice day this is ...

I would suspect that Morelos won't be risked against Leverkusen IF he is indeed the source of the Roofe and possibly Itten money. Saw only one video of Roofe of a game against Waregem (?) and he looked quite good.

Roofe signing added to OP

Could it be that any Morelos deal is virtually done subject to us getting an immediate replacement?

Current squad (excluding youngsters): GK - McGregor, Firth DF - Tavernier, Edmundson, Helander, Goldson, Barisic, Katic*, Patterson MF - Hagi, Jack, Davis, Kent, Kamara**, Arfield, Barker AT - Defoe, Aribo, Morelos, Jones, Stewart https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/clubs/50121--rangers/squad/ * injured ** suspended It will be live on DAZN.

Dunno how much Roofe will cost, but neither his deal nor Itten's (who looks "rather" cheap by other than Kamberi's standards) seems to be linked to Morelos going.

Anderlecht Inside @RSCA_inside Kemar #Roofe and Anderlecht are in advanced negotiations with Rangers. The player can sign a 4-year contract there. [ @PJCalcoen] +++ Says source is 100% legit. We shall see. Meanwhile ... https://imgur.com/a/pWn1mtL#jJWfZa4 .. and Cedric Itten was left out of the last game for St. Gallen, as they didn't want to risk an injury. https://www.blick.ch/sport/fussball/superleague/nati-star-beim-vizemeister-vor-dem-absprung-kommt-dieser-ex-hopper-fuer-itten-zu-st-gallen-id16025699.html

Stevie4lads has remarked that it looks very likely that Zungu will join soonish in a 3.5m deal. No word on any striker just yet.

We played 8 friendlies in season 2006/7 and Millwall wasn't amongst them ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006–07_Rangers_F.C._season#Friendlies ... unless, maybe, it was a closed-doors bounce game against a Rangers XI at Murray Park or the like.

One swallow ... and all that. Let's see what happens in the next games.

Not much cohesion of the front quartett. Kent was roving about, as was Hagi, while Aribo more often than not stayed in the middle. Utterly beyond me was Morelos in an equally pilgrimage mood ... maybe frustrated by the lack of support up front. Likewise, both Morelos and Kent have a "selfish streak", even when facing 2 or 3 players, rather than checking out attacking options. Would have loved to see Stewart and/or the pacy Barker in the second half.

... and we actually have to get in front of goal too. Kent and Hagi all over the place, Morelos covered by 3 guys and hence roving around ... the half-way line. We can remain dreaming of Aribo's dancing skills and Kent's burts of pace and Hagi's occasional shots, but against packed defences, it ain't work for a whole season.

"The new SPFL rules mean Gerrard is able to name nine substitutes today, and use up to five of them in three separate windows." ... if only

Yes, but we need more up front to hit them than but one. How many are we now allowed?

I know I have no clue about football, but after our goal Aberdeen opened up ever more and we didn't produice with our front-line. So we take of the only guy who regularly shoots and strengthen out CM. sigh ....

Wouldn't mind Barker and Stewart soonish, one for a DM and the other for Morelos. Why he is sitting so deep is anyone's guess, I assume ...

Gut feeling says that Alfi might be gone after Leverkusen. Hopefully for as much as we can get, be it in up-front cash and/or sell-on clauses. Zungu looks to be high on the management's list and he seems to offer more for the attack than either Jack, Kamara or Davis. But we shall see. The striker thing may suprise us all again, but let's see.

Come 6 o'clock the Arabs will have played their first Premiership game of the season and any legal decision with regards to last season, driven (or maybe not) by Hearts and Thistle, will add more colour to the farce up there. One could have, instead of following self-interest and money-grabbing, just challenged the legality of the original vote through all instances and courts and would have had a definite results months ago. As for today, let's hope Aribo, Kent and Hagi find their shooting boots quickly and also that all chaps return from Sheepland with their bones intact.

Regarding Jordan Jones the gaffer said ... “I am looking to strengthen in the forward area, but in terms of Jordan, he has come back, trained hard and been focused,” he said. “I don’t know where that noise has come from, but it certainly hasn’t come from our side. Jordan just needs to keep his head down and keep on working hard. What will be, will be.” https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/18621720.steven-gerrard-jordan-jones-future-ibrox-rangers-interest-bongani-zungu-hopes-joe-aribo/

Jean-Pierre Nsamé closer to Steven Gerrard’s Rangers https://www.kick442.com/jean-pierre-nsame-closer-to-steven-gerrards-rangers/ Seemingly, "SG was impressed" by him and "we're willing to pay Euro 4.2m" for the Young Boys striker, who scored 30 goals in 76 games.

Re Jones ... and Stewart, Barker etc. ... all the same issue really. Not that they "are not good enough", but we seriously underused them and their strengths even in games and at times when we badly needed them. I know people will disagree with gusto, but those last two seasons, if not four, we far too often stuck to tactics and line-ups that simply didn't suit the Scottish game for a whole season. We saw how Jones could hurt teams on the counter, but hardly ever used them in games where it was necessary. We hardly ever used the trickery and willingness of Stewart in lots of sticky and dire affairs at Livingston, Hamilton et al. Weston ... is 16. I do not regard him as "a real signing" just yet. And whether he will come good in 2 years time (or actually is been given a chance) is anyone's guess.

I'm part of the "glass-half-full Loyals", put if we keep trying to dance our way through packed defences with but one striker and Kent, Hagi, Aribo et al don't weigh in with 10+ goals per player, the scene is set for more disappointment. It's all fine and well to play modern football against teams that "play" football. But when we start with 2 DMs at home against Livingston and Co. ... that's not modern.

Hm .. Croatian striker, 25, and not too bad a record. Probably on advice of Borna ... Mirko Maric at TM