BlackSocksRedTops

If Liverpool go all out tomorrow and not lose at Man City they will effectively put one hand on the EPL trophy. 

It is quite curious how these incidents are reported. This is the BBC report from the recent Celtic V Salzburg game at the Meccanodome. Notice the somewhat celebratory tone.

"It was an evening that started with fire and ferocity outside Celtic Park on a frosty Glasgow night. Pyrotechnics and fireworks illuminated the sky in the east end of the city as a group of Celtic's supporters added to what they already knew was an occasion of great importance."

26 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

Sky Sources: Southampton will allow Steven Davis to rejoin Rangers, if personal terms can be agreed. Davis has 6-months left on his contract. Wages may be the stumbling block.

If he is fit, it would be a good experienced stop gap until the summer. In the meantime I hope we are scouring Europe and beyond for a creative midfielder and a number 10.

42 minutes ago, DMAA said:

The team should watch Germany’s dismantling of Brazil in the World Cup a few times. Almost all of their goals were tap-ins, a joy to watch the game made to look so simple. 

Aided and abetted by some Keystone Cops like defending by Brazil (especially Luiz). I get your general point though.

Ryan Jack's goal immediately made me think of the brilliant post (from mid December?) by Gaffer. It highlighted the merits of hitting the dead ball line and the amount of goals created by playing balls back with defenders on their heels as opposed to the rather aimless tactic of forward crossing we seem to have adopted of late. If this ever needed illustrated was our goal on Saturday. Defenders on their heels with a precise cut back to an on rushing player. Take note Stevie G

2 hours ago, Frankie said:

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all our contributors and listeners and wish them - as well as our all site users - all the very best for 2019.

The same back at you Frankie. Have a good one and thanks for all the hard work on the site and podcast.

2 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

It’s only 3 points but it’s the difference between us being just 3 behind them presuming they win their game in hand and a potential 9 behind if we had lost.

It's also a huge boost psychologically. We now know we can get the better of them and that will make a huge difference to us. The fact that we bossed them and barely gave them a sniff will also help our mindset going forward.

Just now, BEARGER said:

So is karma. ?

Bloody predictive text...?

7 minutes ago, BEARGER said:

 

Just noticed the ball went Butthead Brown's legs. Karmas a bitch ain't it.

Fantastic result and superb performance from the team. It's been a long time coming so I hope everyone enjoys a beer tonight. 

Rangers 2 Them 1 FGS Candeias

3 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

Reported Celtic target Lawrence Shankland has told BBC's Off the Ball radio program that he would like a second shot at succeeding at Rangers.

Wales Online have reported in recent weeks that Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is a fan of the former Rangers youth, who is ripping up the Scottish Championship this season.

The 23-year-old hitman has netted 28 goals in all competitions for Ayr United, making him one of Scotland's most exciting strikers at the moment.

Shankland spent time with Rangers as a much younger player, and the man himself admits that he'd find it hard to turn down his boyhood side.

He told BBC's Off the Ball radio program: "I was there when I was a young boy, only for around 10 months.

Asked if he had 'unfinished business' at Ibrox, Shankland said: 'I hope so. It [Rangers] was my team."

Celtic arguably need him more than the Gers for now, after Leigh Griffiths was ruled out for a number of months, leaving Odsonne Edouard as Brendan Rodgers's only recognised striker.

But Shankland clearly only has eyes for Rangers and it'll be interesting to see if Steven Gerrard - who himself needs another goalscorer after cancelling Umar Sadiq's loan - makes a move for the star.

Shankland, also linked with Swansea City, is available for only £500,000.

 

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/12/26/celtic-linked-lawrence-shankland-wants-rangers-move/

Worth a punt? Especially if Morelos star keeps rising. Would rather Shankland than the big guy Eaves tbh. 

5 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

I believe we’re allowed 5 loan-signings.

 

At present we’ve got 3 loanees: Kent, Coulibally & Worrall. Ejaria & Sadiq have either left or leaving.

 

That would allow us to make 2 loan signings next month should we wish to do so 

Magic. Forgot Sadiq was ditched ?

1 hour ago, RANGERRAB said:

Unfortunately I do believe we may sell Morelos next month & replace him with Solanke(on loan) & recall Hardie from Livi. 

 

My other guess is we’ll get Steven Davis on loan from Southampton for the final months of his contract there.

 

Just guesswork. But these signings would improve us in my opinion 

Is that possible? How many loans do we have at the moment?

IMO Eaves looks like a bargain bucket Andy Carrol. It also suggests that we will become more direct which does no appeal to me tbh. I would rather try and get a mobile, ball playing striker to get the best out of Alfie and bring our midfielders into the game. Meh...

12 minutes ago, MacK1950 said:

One of the big issues is the lack of the proverbial"no.10"but i belive he could be already playing every game----TAV.

Move him into play in that area and play McCrorie/Flanagan at right back,with rein to attack on the wing without straying inside,as Tav does too much of that IMO.

To do this would then negate Coulibali who seems to have lost his way.

My dad and I have said the same thing all season. When Tav is on it, all his best work is when we are attacking. Try Flanagan at RB and either play Tav wide right with Candeias just inside or vice versa. 

8 minutes ago, DMAA said:

The players are getting a hammering but the management is primarily to blame. Our tactics are awful, team selections awful. We know how to counter attack and we set up that way whether we’re playing Villarreal or Hamilton. It’s madness and I’m sick of it. 

Totally agree on the tactics or rather, the lack of them. Over 30 odd competitive games this season and I still don't know what we are trying to do. 

36 minutes ago, BEARGER said:

I was just making the point that this group will win nothing. Obviously if we strengthen we should improve, although I would think it would need more than one or two. As an aside, does anyone think Coulibaly is better than Docherty? We’re playing a loan player in place of a decent young prospect we have sent out on loan.

This. I can see the value of the loan system if the player is an improvement on what you have but if the player coming in is substandard and ultimately prevents one of your own players growth, I really don't see the point.

Have been away all day on a tech free day out with my family so I've just found out the score. As much as I'm bitterly disappointed, I'm not surprised in the slightest. In December we've gained 12 pts from a possible 21 so far. That type of form will never win any league. 

I also see calls for January recruitments. As much as we need quality all over the park, I wonder how much of a difference it would make? The biggest issue for me is our distinct lack of playing identity. I see a team stumbling from one game to another with an unclear game plan and that is a worry for me. We have a team that could possibly rise to the occasion and beat Celtic but then draw or lose our next away game. It's very frustrating indeed.

1 hour ago, ian1964 said:

 

Good to see Michael Stewart and co being so vitriolic in their condemnation of the injustice against Rangers...Oh wait...

25 minutes ago, Dave M609 said:

Why did McCauly come off last night, is he injured

Think he got hooked because the game got stretched and was getting done for pace?

8 minutes ago, Gaffer said:

You're right, but the problem we've had in recent games was that we didn't create many chances.  In the game last night, we created a ton of chances, which was very encouraging.  If we keep doing that, we'll score enough to challenge in the league.  Anyone notice the big difference last night?  We discussed in another thread the need to have players making those inside runs, rather than just crossing from wide positions.  It was so pleasing to see us getting back to that again.  Coulibaly and Grezda terrorised them in that regard, and of course Morelos was running riot in the spaces created.  That's the best we've played for a couple of months.  More please!!!!

Completely agree.  On another night we could have had 3 or 4. Morelos was amazing last night. Just left his scoring touch on the bus

13 minutes ago, DMAA said:

I think he has a lot of ability and yes you saw flashes of that tonight, but yet again all we really saw was his potential. He underperformed in the key moments and as a fan of his it was disappointing that he’s still not proving his doubters wrong. There was one moment he got in behind and bizarrely rather than running to the byline he ran inside and passed it back to Jack ??‍♂️

Agreed. He looks like is playing with low confidence and is happy just to do the simple things. I hope he can come of out of his shell take it up a few notches 

11 minutes ago, Big Jaws said:

Also when you see Joe Worrel is coming on for Gareth McAuley

 

To be fair to Worrel, we looked less vulnerable when he came on. McCauley is an old head but he very slow on the ground. Worrel is also less inclined to go long which I like.

3 minutes ago, Big Jaws said:

We had 14 or 15 corners which save Tav's corner early on were all delivered on a plate for anyone with the smarts to get on the end of, We also played some beautiful crosses into the box from both left and right side but still no one could get on the end of any of them. We played them on the break at times and again other than one or two shots that were smashed at the goal and cannoned off a Hibs body no one was composed enough to simply pass the ball into the net. We've got some serious problems in the last third when we came make loads of good chances yet cant score 1 goal from any of them. 

I would refer to Gaffer's excellent post earlier in the week about corners. We need to be smarter than simply supplying the same cross in all the time. When we get a corner I never think anything will happen 

5 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

Tav and Candeias both had a poor game.

Agreed. Candies offered very little IMO. I would say the same about Coulibaly but at least he improved as the game wore on