JohnMc

Hearts were poor, particularly in the 2nd half but that shouldn’t detract from a good performance and an excellent result. We had a bit of fight about us today, there was an urgency and determination that’s been missing for months. At the same time we played good football. I thought wee Holt was our man of the match but I was also delighted with the defence. Playing together for the first time they were composed and strong conceding only a wonder goal. McRorie did well but Wilson was excellent alongside him, plus Tav and John defended and attacked with purpose. Injuries and suspensions meant we had a largely British side today, for what it’s worth. I’m not sure if that had any bearing on things and I’d expect Alves and Cardowan to start if available. But there was a togetherness today that’s been missing. Lastly Miller answered his critics in the best way. Whatever his faults he’s an influential and effective member of the team.

Rangers managers have one job to do and that’s to win football matches. If they do that there will be little dissenting heard from the media or indeed the stands. Some posters were sceptical of Caixinha from day 1, some, like me, became sceptical after watching a few matches he was in charge of, for some it took until relatively recently and a small number still think PC should be in charge and given more time. The fact the media saw through PC early on isn’t because they’re part of a huge conspiracy against Rangers but because unlike us they are paid to spend time with players and managers and some of them are able to spot a fraud, a bluffer or someone who is just little out of his depth fairly quickly. PC was a disaster, a terrible appointment, arguably our worst ever manager. That wasn’t the media’s fault.

Morelos hasn’t scored since Miller was dropped. While Miller hasn’t been playing well this season his runs and energy have still created space for others.

It's an interesting point you make. Wilton was steeped in the club performing many roles before becoming Manager, Struth was Assistant Manager first as was Davie White, Walter Smith and Ally McCoist before taking the manager's chair. Scott Symon and John Grieg were both ex-players, as was Stuart McCall. So in terms of managers who had no connection to the club before taking the job we had Caixinho obviously, plus Warburton, Advovaat and PLG but also Souness and Alex McLeish. Whilst the latter two were boyhood fans (was Souness? I'm never completely sure) they'd never played or coached with us before. There are clearly advantages in knowing the club, how it operates and the expectations that go with that, but that in itself is no guarantee of success.

Yeah, but it only goes out the way.

Good stuff Rousseau, thanks. also assume Miller will come back into the side and play a blinder, that's how these things always work.

I think you're 100% correct that we need a pragmatist at the helm. Allerdyce though really worries me. He's from the Sammy Lee/Frank McParland school of economics.

Too many amusing quips from you recently, Billy Boy, we're supposed to be somber and disappointed. * *(Personally I'm elated PC's gone, but don't tell anyone)

Whoever comes in will want to look at Halliday and O'Halleron, both are capable of playing at SPFL level successfully if managed correctly. I was told in the summer Halliday went out on loan because he didn't want to leave Rangers and he felt Pedro wouldn't see out the season giving him a chance to impress his successor.

I'm no cheerleader for Pedro but that's not fair. Jock Wallace had no record of achievement and neither did Alex McLeish or Davie White, Souness had never managed anyone, Walter Smith had never managed anyone, John Grieg hadn't either, and of course Bill Struth. Scott Symon, Willie Waddell, Dick Advocaat and PLG did. Some work and some don't. Pedro's appointment was baffling, not just because he'd no record of achievement but because he'd no experience of British far less Scottish football, he'd only managed at a fairly ordinary level and without distinction. For all McLeish's faults he'd improved both Hibs and Motherwell when he'd managed them. Pedro didn't improve any side he managed. Pedro was a gamble and a peculiar appointment, but it shouldn't discount us appointing someone who hasn't won anything as a manager I don't think.

I couldn't disagree with you more. Kilmarnock are a poor side, the poorest in the league, yet if it wasn't for Fod we'd have lost last night. Frankly the ref blowing when he did was a blessing, our corners are more likely to create a chance for the opposition than they are for us. You blame referees if you like but it's simply excuses, we're not good enough, we've no fight, no leaders and, it seems, we're lacking in fitness. We collapse half way through the second half far too frequently for it to be coincidence. After Sunday's disappointment facing the side bottom of the league, at home, was the perfect next match. We should have horsed Killie, the players should have been so motivated to prove all doubters wrong, to back the manager and to take out their frustrations on someone. We didn't. Something is lacking at the club, whether it's team spirit, pride, organisation, belief or a mix of all of them, but it's not the fault of referees and Ryan Jack is a naive fool. It's not the fault of referees that Morelos isn't being given the time and space he was earlier in the season. It's not the fault of referees Tav doesn't try and cut out deep crosses, it's not the fault of referees that Aaron Nemane looks out of his depth, it's not the fault of referees that Windass and John couldn't shoot for for toffee last night and it's not the fault of referees that Pena really doesn't look like he's suited to the Scottish game. Scottish refereeing is poor, but so is Scottish football. But there's no conspiracy among referees to hamper Rangers, there just isn't, and believing that exists is stopping you seeing what's clearly wrong with our club.

But focusing on the final minutes is too wilfully ignore the previous 90. We weren't good enough to beat the bottom side in our league, at home. That's the stark, cold truth and focusing on the referee distracts from the enormous deficiencies in our squad and club. That's not aimed at you by the way.

Did the ref miss our penalty then? If that goes in it's 2-0 and game over. This hysteria over referees is blinding too many people from the very real problems we currently have.

In Pedro's defence. We played four teenagers tonight, any side with that amount of inexperienced players is going to make mistakes. He's got no leaders. Wallace is injured and Miller out of favour. A lot is expected of Alves but he's not a captain, he's been here only a few months, his English is good but he shouldn't be captain. He's got no luck. Seriously, I know you make your own luck and all that but PC is one unlucky manager. We can't score goals. Morelos is now a known quantity for defenders and no one else in the current side looks like they can score currently. However, in the end the buck stops with PC. He picks the side he decides the tactics. We need to be able to beat the bottom club, at home, when 1-0 up in the 89th minute and just been given a penalty.

Naebodies laughing dB, not tonight.

It's 1-0 to us, at home. It's the 89th minute. We're awarded a penalty. Yip, the ref, realising he'd awarded a penalty by mistake and would be receiving a roasting from Steven McLean and Craig Thomson in the morning quietly suggested to well known arch Rangers hater Kirk Broadfoot that he antagonise a Rangers player so he could send him off, knowing that would almost certainly lead to the penalty being saved and allow another well known Rangers hater, Chris Burke, to score an equaliser. You're right, it's obvious, how could I not have seen it before, it couldn't be any clearer...

I don't think you've been reading the thread then. At 1-0 up and awarded a penalty in the 89th minute there's no way we should draw.

It was, but I've seen them not given. I suggest you watch the match Craig before pulling me up on it.

It's got everything to do with tonight's result dB, keep up.

Thank you, I was beginning to think everyone on Gersnet had taken leave of their senses. How anyone can be blaming the referee for tonight's result is beyond me. We're one nil up in the 89th minute and the ref awards us a penalty. Aye, it's the ref's fault we drew.

You know guys the referee conspiracy theory would hold a lot more water if we hadn't been awarded a penalty in the 89th minute whilst 1-0 up.

Respectfully Boabie, you specifically asked for decisions that have gone against Celtic, so you're right I am missing what you're trying to say. Everyone agrees the refereeing standard is simply not good enough, there's no argument there. But how does starving St Johnstone of away supporters twice a season change that and how does telling our support they can't watch our side change that? All clubs are already struggling financially, Scottish football is in a terrible state currently. The compliance officer system is a nonsense and needs overhauled. To do that we need to engage with other clubs, not piss them off. I mean it's simple human nature Boabie, if I want you to support me on something are you more likely to do it if I'm friendly to you or if I threaten you?

What's my head in the sand about Coop? I've not called anyone paranoid. Do you think Steven McLean is deliberately biased against Rangers or just not a very good referee?

I agree, McLean was terrible on Sunday and citing (thanks for the spelling lesson!!) Alves is bizarre. But how will boycotting other clubs make any difference to that. We need other clubs to put pressure on the authorities to improve the standard of refereeing and to change the brutalist style of football in Scotland. I don't know about you but threats tend not to work so well with Scots in my experience.

Well the penalty Hibs got on Saturday was a terrible decision and their fullback got his jaw broken in the Scottish Cup Final and the player responsible wasn't punished. That's just off the top of my head, they are the only matches I've seen them play recently that didn't also involve us. I've no problem with us complaining about Alves being singled out, it's a complete joke. But to then call for boycotts of matches seems like a massive jump in logic to me.