der Berliner

Thank heavens that this is no transfer thread ... 🤣 Rangers are likely to hold talks with Oscar Cortes about turning the winger's loan deal from Lens into a permanent transfer, despite the Colombian missing the end of the season through injury. (Football Insider), external Rangers have been given hope in their pursuit of Brazilian full back Jefte, with APOEL Nicosia yet to agree personal terms on a permanent transfer from Fluminense. (Scottish Sun) Of all the transfer links to Rangers heading into the summer, Jose Cordoba has always appeared the closest to completion. The Panamanian centre-back, 22, has impressed during a three-and-a-half year stint with Bulgarian side Levski Sofia and there have been links to Rangers stretching back to the turn of the year. Journalists in Panama pointed towards Rangers interest, with the Ibrox side said to be facing competition from France, Turkey and Belgium. But amid reports the Gers are in ‘advanced talks’ with Jose Cordoba – and claims the club gave the centre-back the Ibrox treatment against Kilmarnock – this link looks increasingly concrete. And now the latest coming out of Bulgaria has suggested that Rangers are closing in on a deal for Jose Cordoba and are even ready to pay over the odds to get him into Ibrox. Rangers to pay ‘more money’ for Cordoba According to Bulgarian publication Blitz, Rangers and Levski Sofia are in ‘final negotiations’ over the transfer. Citing information they’ve sourced from Panama, the report claims that Jose Cordoba has a pre-agreement to join Rangers with the two clubs now thrashing out the particulars of the move. Harry Souttar is one name which scarcely goes a transfer window without being linked to Rangers. The boyhood bluenose, 25, was reportedly an Ibrox transfer target at the beginning of last season with all the sounds around Harry Souttar heading into deadline day. The brother of Rangers centre-half John Souttar, something tells us that the chatter around a move to Ibrox isn’t going to go away for the big Australian international. And now, as if to add fuel to the fire ahead of the summer, Souttar has been spotted in a Rangers jersey after Leicester City earned promotion to the Premier League. Rangers-linked South Africa talent Relebohile Mofokeng is a man in demand. The 19-year-old Orlando Pirates winger is having quite the season in the Rainbow Nation and as a result is turning heads everywhere from Glasgow to Cairo. Having recently had his talents compared to Andres Iniesta, South Afrian World Cup hero Siphiwe Tshabalala claims Mofokeng has ‘great potential’ to become South African football’s biggest export and tipped the midfielder-turned-winger to have a ‘great future’ in the national team.

Yes, but he will only cost half the money we will receive for Tavernier from SG 😎 ... we love the rumours, don't we?

Yes, they have some sort of Youtube Channel with the audio stream.

There's talk that Nathan Paterson is willing to call it a day at Merseyside and head home to the famous. We shall see ...

"And Hearts will end their season on a high!" ... the guy cries in the micro. It stands at 3-3 From their perspective, after a 1-2, 0-1, 0-5, 1-3 and 0-2, a draw seems to be a "high" for Hearts? Or he's just a twat ... No injuries, Ridvan, Sterling and Sima with game time.

We go from Dessers being a hero to villain in the space of 7 days, if not less. He'll score the winner against the Scum in the cup final and no-one will remember his misses. As with Morelos' or McCoist's. We love to put things under the microscope and run rings about it. Like we haven't seen it all before throughout the decades. Luck in front of goals shifts and changes.

What's strange about it? We've played like that all season? Some players tend to take up strange positions ... you'll find Tavernier near the penalty spot every other game, somewhere around the centre-circle etc.. All Hearts did was counter-attacking (like many teams do) and have the means to do so. We've been vulnerable to this for 5 years now, and with a makeshift line up, no wonder a Shankland chap grabs his chance. I'd bring Ridvan on at half time, maybe bring Silva on as another striker.

Excessive effort spend on creating chances and scoring goals, part 2,984. They have a couple of chances and score. Sick and tired of this one-striker trash that yields so little end product, no matter who's wearing the 9.

Yahoo Robertson in black again, we are really "lucky" with our referees of late ...

The daily dose of rumours ... Rangers are eyeing a summer move for Ferencvaros winger Adama Traore, according to reports. (Scottish Sun) Rangers in for Ferencvaros forward Adama Traore Adama Traore – the Ferencvaros forward rather than the Fulham one – is reportedly in Rangers’ sights, alongside Sturm Graz and, funnily enough, those aforementioned Cottagers. Africa Foot reports that the 54-time Mali international could leave Ferencvaros after two years and two Hungarian league titles. Traore, who started out at French side Metz but really hit his stride at Sherif Tiraspol, is due to become a free-agent in 2025. As such, Ferencvaros have to sell this summer or risk losing him for nothing later down the line. At 28, Traore is older than the players Rangers have tended to target during the early days of the Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen.

Butland Tavernier - King - Davies - Fraser Diomande - Raskin McCausland - Cantwell - Wright Dessers Subs: McCrorie, Ridvan, Silva, Jack, Sima, Dowell, Sterling, Yfeko, McKinnon In defence, there is hardly any option. Ridvan will probably be spared for the cup final. In the defensive midfield we are a bit "light", Raskin is snappy, Diomande is confident on the ball... but neither of them are physically strong people. Jack may come later for what will probably be his last appearance. I always liked the look of McKinnon, let's see... It's not that much at stake, so rotation is also important in the offensive department with a view to the cup final. McCausland and Wright deserve their chance, with Cantwell and Dessers we have to hope that no one gets injured.

Rumour collection ... mostly C&P, as I have not much time right now: Rangers are said to be the front runners in the hunt for Arnaud Bodard of Standard Liege, who has also been linked to Old Firm rivals Celtic. Clement effectively ended reported £3.4m interest in the Bodart with his Butland comments but money talks in football so never say never. If reports are to be believed we’ve started brightly in this regard, with Rangers in ‘advanced talks’ to sign £3m Jose Cordoba from Levski Sofia. Whilst one Panamanian journalist has sought to cast some doubt over a move the sounds around a deal for the powerful, left-sided 22-year-old centre-half continue to be positive. Other potential options include Dion Sanderson – who has just been relegated with Birmingham City – and Paddy McNair – a lifelong bluenose who has just been released by Middlesbrough. Whilst the links to Sanderson have gone a little cold, Northern Irish international McNair can also play in midfield and the situation with John Lundstram may be of interest here. It’s not just at the heart of the defence either. With Borna Barisic set to leave the club, Brazilian option Jefte Vital continues to be linked but loan side APOEL won’t lose the Fluminense left-back without a fight. West Ham right Ben Johnson has also been linked, but with a move to Crystal Palace touted amid high wage demands, a deal has never looked likely. There have been transfer links aplenty already, with the club said to be on the ‘right track’ to striking a loan extension for injured RC Lens winger Oscar Cortes. Another name who has been strongly linked with Rangers is A-League winger Raphael Borges Rodrigues. Currently turning out for Macarthur in Australia, the Socceroos talent is reportedly a player in demand with the likes of Coventry City also mentioned. Only 20-years-old, Rodrigues’ agent has tipped the player to move to Europe this summer and it’s one to watch for Rangers fans as their team target more emerging markets. Then there is Orlando Pirates talent Relebohile Mofokeng who can play on either wing or as an attacking midfielder. Only 19 and just off the back of a trial with Premier League Wolves, Rangers are reportedly keeping tabs but so far there is nothing concrete regarding Ibrox interest. Abdallah Sima – on loan from Brighton this season – probably tops the club’s summer wish list and with Brighton open to a sale, a deal could be done this summer. But as is always the case any transfer will depend on finances with Brighton paying close to £6m and, quite possibly, expecting the same or even more in return. Then there is Lawrence Shankland. The PFA Scotland Player of the Year has scored 28 goals for Hearts and is surely bound for Euro 2024 with Scotland this summer. Rangers are always mentioned alongside the bluenose forward and as Shankland enters the final year of his Hearts contract, the striker is open to a Tynecastle exit. Whether that means Rangers will pounce remains to be seen with many believing a failure to sign the striker might’ve cost the Ibrox side a Champions League fortune. Another name that has been mentioned is young Stoke City talent Sol Sidibe. Reports this week have suggested that Rangers are one of a number of clubs tailing the 17-year-old, but face competition from the likes of AC Milan.

A wee bit of conjecture involved here, isn't it? Most folk that suffered this season were handsomely wrecked by opposition players or appalling pitches, weren't they? Aside from that, these guys are professionals and know how their body reacts to this or that training schedule etc. and will tell their docs and coaches?

Kevin Nisbet ... only 27? Has a contract running at Millwall till 2026, yet hasn't been in their squad for ages (well, early March). His injury record is exceptional, in the most positive way. He knows the Scottish game, where he played his best football. I have no idea how he shapes up these days, but we badly need additions in this department. Hearts will want silly money for Shankland, and we cannot start looking for talent only, people that need half a season to get going. The last bit is a more general remark. Just noted that Mr. Gogic of St. Mirren, who played really well as a CH against us, despite being a DM, decided to extend his contract to 2027 last week, so he ain't a freebie any longer.

Scanning various info sites for transfer news, one obviously comes across the adulation of the Scum in the media and by the usual suspects. Blissful ignorance of what they wrote a month or so ago, when we had games in hand and Rodgers was almost crucified by fans and media alike. No word about our injury ravaged season and that we only messed it up over the matter of 10 days or so. Let's hope we have the final laugh at Hampden.

Let's hope Clement follows his remarks about the academy players up. Those who came on last night played really well, showed youthful energy and lack of thinking fear, and were enjoying their time on the field. We saw that with Lowry too, before he was removed from the squad and loaned. Hope he gets his act together. McCausland with his usual directness and bite. After King went, we effectively played with but one centre-half, and still ran them ragged. Which essentially shows what could have been in similar games before. Maybe there's hope that we eventually see a Plan B in our setup, albeit, it might be too late for this season.

SPFL Highlights

These games are there to rotate the squad, including the B-Team, who hasn't had competitive stuff all season. Likewise, these games need players with bite. All those chaps put a shift in during the second half. This is something to build upon. All over the place teams blood their youngsters, we soldier on with the same players time and again. It was but Dundee late in the season, yet these chaps showed why they are at Rangers. And then there is Wright ...

If you look at our squad, the only players that we have which might interest potent buyers are Butland, Dessers, and Sterling. Ridvan and Cantwell too, but for less money. English clubs see stats and all and throw money at the owners. Maybe we get lucky and SG wants Tavernier badly, Goldson too. Since we threw the title away, we need to generate income to rebuild the squad for next season. There are enough good keepers about who can do a job in the Premiership (where it matters), although Butland would be my player of the season and I do hope we keep him. Alas, with him, we have a strong leg to stand upon in any transfer dealings.

The vogue PC chaps over here have banned that word. The sane community thus describes these people now as ... Persons without permanent residence and a liberal attitude towards other people's property.

As much as we like to blame our failures on the managers and players, we have been royally f@cked with injuries this season, tomorrow's game is just the icing on the cake (with a cup final to come). As I said before, I haven't seen such ill luck with injuries in my 40odd years of following Rangers (granted, I have no clue about the early till mid-80s. And I, for one, wouldn't blame that on bad coaching or the like. Butland Tavernier - King - Davies - Ridvan Raskin - Diomande McCausland - Cantwell - Silva Dessers Subs: McCrory - Barisic, Wright, Roofe ... Yfeko, Lyall, McKinnon, McInally, Pasnik???

If you follow the footsteps of your name-giver too eagerly, your revolutionary behaviour above may sooner or later see you end up going bananas like him ...

After the Cup Final ...

Stop asking silly questions! It is Rangers after all!