Uilleam

Herr Rose would have to go some to live it down - not impossible, I concede. To do so, he would need (have to recruit) a battery of players who are fit, fast, physically strong, possessed of basic skills, which they are able to apply, tactically astute and flexible, are 'professional' on and off the pitch, who do not feel that they are slumming it, and who will refuse to be bullied. (The same would apply, no matter the appointment, of course.) If he can do that, and win, then the unfortunate photograph might, just might, be consigned to the dustbin of history. Much might depend upon nothing adverse emerging as to quite why he chose to behave in such a peculiar manner. Was it an empty gesture, or something more, em, sinister?

I think that it was odd behaviour. I am not sure that I have seen the likes before. It reads like he has some regard for the fhilth. The photograph would come back to haunt him, and us, nothing is surer. I am also concerned about appointing a manager/coach with little or no understanding of the physical nature and requirements of the SPL. Clement -and even GvB who had previous playing experience with us- never came to terms with that reality. (To say nothing of the eccentricities of officialdom in this country.) BF has, to all intents and purposes, failed his audition. Perhaps you haven't noticed.

Apparently, the photograph was taken after his Salzburg team had waltzed past Brenda's XI, in the EL. That said, it remains seriously strange behaviour, for a manager/coach, and that context doesn't explain it, far less excuse it.

Raskin was the only one who showed anything. However, it may be that he was the subject of BF's criticisms - not listening to instructions, etc. So..... On reflection, I will vote for him, anyway

So, we might guess... -He is sympathetic to child molestation? -He 'identifies' as oirish? (Marc O'Rose?) -He will do anything for a photo opportunity? -He has been a sellikman since the very minute of his conception? -He is a green brigadier manque? Do contextualise the snap.

Perhaps we are aiming for another record: the record of records broken in a single season.

If you gotta ask, you'll never know

Stevie G now 11/8 NB These markets are volatile, and prices can change significantly, very quickly, and over less than gargantuan punts.

And that is why you will never be manager of Rangers.

I'm glad I remembered to put the champagne on ice.

Bad, bad, bad. Most clubs can field a side with lots of defenders, and defend - often quite successfully, often against us. We can field a team full of defenders, and fail to defend, often. Can somebody explain this?

49ers do what? Bring in a new medical and physiotherapy team, and equipment, tout de suite.

I confess: I have no idea who should, or could, or would, be manager. However, in the most ideal of ideal worlds, I would consider Thomas Frank, the Brentford Boss, or, Andoni Ireola, from Bournemouth. Alas, both are probably outwith the grasp of even NFL Goliaths (well, they ain't Titans, nor are they Giants), the SF 49ers . Gerrard's tenure was a classic curate's egg, and he took a runout powder to Aston Villa, at the first opportunity. I am not a fan of 'bringing them home', actually, and will the Yanks be ready to throw open their byre of fatted calves, right away? Mourinho? Frankly, I am unsure if his heart is fully in club management, these days, and we have to ask: is he, or would he think that he is, bigger than Scottish football? It would be an interesting appointment, should it prove possible, but living in iteresting times, is a curse, as we all know. I don't know enough about Marco Rose (although that wouldn't prevent me making 'resurrection of Rangers' jokes). Appointment of Daniel Farke -requiring an 'upgrade' at Leeds- would appear manipulative, would send out, perhaps, the wrong message, and have him on the back foot at the outset, esp. with the support, although I think he could work. Martin, Ferguson, Dyche, Benitez: that's four 'Naws' in a row. (Sorry, Barry.) Muscat: no track record in UK or European football. That's not, necessarily, a killer, but it would help. Jesse Marsch: he had a good rep, a few years ago, and he IS American. Burned brightly, but not recently. So, maybe not? When I was thinking about Marsch, another name popped into my head - German/American coach David Wagner, but I don't see him quoted anywhere. He did well, as well as anyone might, at Huddersfield. He had poor record at Schalke, and fell short at Young Boys, sacked when second, and dismissed at Norwich, after losing playoff. My conclusions? I am glad that I am not making the decision. The Club may have to cast its net more widely.

I wonder if KT js already on the 'phone to Connor Coady. He might be 32, but I think he could handle the SPL. (You heard it here first )

Imagine if his surname was Hogarth!! We might consider this engraving: It is, of course, his 'Satire on False Perspective', and we might feel that this is appropriate, in the present circumstances (without naming names)..........

Mr Thelwell, it seems, makes dough for his employers, via 'player trading'. He has done this with Everton, even though the team has been little above disastrous for a few years. It doesn't take an accountant, an entrepreneur, or a professional gambler, to see the attraction.

First task for new owners: Tell Mr Thelwell that there are NO consolation prizes in Scottish Fitba'...!!!

The Granary at Shawlands X, although I haven't been there to watch football for a while. Across the road: The Linen used to show matches (the owner/manager was a Rangers' man). Across the road: The Georgic (a watering hole of the late Baxter, J.), may show games. It certainly shows racing. Along the road: I think the James Tassie, on Kilmarnock Road, shows games, if memory serves. There's a slophouse on Pollokshaws Road, across from Queen's Park which you should avoid (Sweeney's on the Park; the clue is in the name). I hope this is of some help.

Kevin Thelwell, late of Everton FC. According to the Daily Rabble, on Twitter. So, make of this what you will. (By Twitter, I mean X, of course.)

A new Brigadoon themed "away" strip is on the way. Well, how often do we actually win things? It's been leaked on-line. Below are a couple of cheerleaders modelling it.... Yanks, eh?

Some interesting, and objective, observations from The Times' football stats and data man, on BF. Barry Ferguson’s tactical notes left Rangers lost in Bilbao The interim head coach’s instructions confused his own side in their Europa League quarter-final second leg and reflect a wider theme from the Premiership Ferguson passes on a tactical note to Tavernier during the Europa League defeat ANDER GILLENEA/AFP Hamzah Khalique-Loonat, Football Data Journalist Friday April 18 2025, 7.20pm, The Times Barry Ferguson initially attempted to bat away questions about his Rangers future but, eventually, bit at one, “I know I can do the job,” he said. The Rangers manager was in a defiant mood. Coaches have a short time to compose themselves after a match before heading into their post-match press conferences, but more often than not, they are still stinging after defeat. This was no exception and when Ferguson spoke, his words came from his heart. So despite advancing his own ambitions to lead Rangers permanently, Ferguson also channeled his emotions as a proud supporter and former player. “I’m just concerned in terms of what happens; I just want my club to get back to where it should be,” he said. “That’s my main concern. Whether that’s me or somebody else, and if it’s not me, I’ll fully support them. I’ll go back and do what I was doing before and get right behind [them], making sure that we get the club back to winning trophies on a regular basis.” This was not his finest hour. The manager had reshuffled and reorganised his team throughout the game via slips of paper delivered onto the field, and they looked lost for large periods of it, as only Bilbao’s errant finishing spared Rangers an embarrassing scoreline. Most of ’recent failings cannot be laid at Ferguson’s door. He inherited a listing side, whose failings look worse because of Celtic’s brilliance in the league, and bravely offered to help right the ship. But that makes no difference to Rangers’ board who, come the end of the season, will have to consider whether Ferguson, at this point in his managerial career, is the figure to lead the club. Underlying statistics suggest that Rangers have got worse under Ferguson ION ALCOBA BEITIA/GETTY IMAGES Since Ferguson took charge in late February, Rangers have won and lost four apiece and drawn two matches. Among those ten games are outstanding results, such as Rangers’ victory over Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, memorable wins, like Rangers’ first win at Parkhead since 2020, and stirring acts of defiance evidenced this weekend against Aberdeen and at Ibrox against Athletic Bilbao. But the performances have not been as convincing; Rangers have been riding their luck, and their defeat to Bilbao was another demonstration of this. The first half was an almighty mess: Rangers had two — extremely optimistic — efforts from range, while Bilbao should have scored four, with Nico Williams (twice) and Oihan Sancet having golden opportunities before John Souttar fouled Maroan Sannadi inside the penalty area to give Sancet a spot kick. The shot count in the first half was 15-2; Bilbao had 268 passes to Rangers’ 175; and 22 touches in the opposition’s penalty area to Rangers’ none. Had Rangers come to play a defensive, tight first-half, those numbers would have made sense. There is logic in soaking up pressure, and playing to counter. Yet, the manager stressed before the match the difference between this match and the first leg was that his team needed to show some quality with possession — within seven seconds of kick-off, they booted the ball out of play. Ferguson’s words were not mere rhetoric, either: Rangers had come to play, but simply couldn’t. They strung together possession sequences of 10 or more passes on just three occasions. The visitors were pinned back by Bilbao, who found it easy to play through their press, albeit more challenging to pick apart their back five. But there was nothing redeeming about their work with possession; the forwards were isolated, the defenders unsure of when and where to pass to, playing short when direct options were better and going long when they were unprepared to contest the second ball — no better exemplified than in the moments leading to Bilbao’s penalty: Liam Kelly kicked long, with not long until half-time. Bilbao made uncontested contact on the first ball, and recovered it near their own penalty area. Dessers ran forward, to apply pressure, but behind him Rangers’ midfield four was disorganised. Bilbao had two midfielders unmarked in the centre of the pitch, and it took just one pass infield to precipitate a break which ended with Souttar felling Sannadi. There were countless examples of similar disorganisation across the opening 45 minutes. Yet across both halves, Ferguson made constant changes to his team, supposedly to fix these issues. These were not small adjustments or tweaks, but fundamental alterations to the team’s structure and how they played. Rangers started the match using a 3-4-2-1 with possession and a 5-4-1 without, but both systems were altered via messages to James Tavernier, scrawled onto scraps of paper, and the captain was then tasked with ensuring his team-mates understood the changes. The confused and unsure reactions of the players as they attempted to slot into position, only to look over to the bench and see Ferguson clarifying via finger motions, meant the changes were often not in effect until two or three breaks in play after the initial message had been passed on. Bilbao, meanwhile, were slicing through the spaces with ease. It was difficult to communicate amid the din, but Rangers’ players looked unprepared. After the match, the manager was unrepentant about how he set his team up, “My formation, I thought, was good enough,” he said. The subsequent first-half tactical changes, he explained, were injury-induced, referring to Ridvan Yilmaz. “You can’t help an injury after 23 minutes, then you have to shuffle, [there’s] people running about and it unsettles us for a small period of time,” he continued. “After getting in at half-time, I have to make another change, and then, obviously, [there’s] changes in the second half — but that’s part of football.” Advertisement The second half, to Ferguson’s credit, showed more promise. When Rangers built out, their structure was visible. The back four, spread across the pitch and supported by a midfield double-pivot, looked stable. With those players in place, the visitors could advance. Combination and approach play followed. Possession rose from 39 per cent in the first half to 50 per cent in the second. The shot count looked more even: Bilbao had seven to Rangers’ five; between the 58th and 69th minutes, Rangers had three to Bilbao’s none. Then came another of Ferguson’s tactical tweaks, and with it went Rangers’ momentum. Even then, Rangers were, frankly, lucky to still be in the game. Ferguson may point to the two penalty decisions he believed went against his team — the first, a shirt pull on Cyriel Dessers, the second a handball — and it’s entirely true that a penalty decision may have changed the course of the game. However, neither of those opportunities appeared to have been caused by Rangers continually stressing Bilbao in the way Souttar’s foul on Williams was. And this performance and Ferguson’s constant tactical tinkering sits among a wider backdrop of Rangers striving to find a playing identity, and somehow alighting on a defensive, counter-attacking gameplan that is not befitting of Rangers. Ferguson’s changes and tweaks have not been working, as evidenced by how his team’s attacking production has worsened, just like their defensive record But Ferguson stood by his changes. “That’s my job, as manager,” he said. “I need to try and find a formula to try and get back into the game. I’m not scared to make changes. “I said that when I took the job, watching Rangers week in, week out, there was no flexibility whatsoever — that’s a difference we’ve made since we’ve come through the door. “Whether that’s a back three, four, or a five, whatever, I’ve got to try, come up with scenarios that can get us back into the game.” The problem is, his constant tinkering quashed Rangers’ chance of a comeback on Thursday, and have left his team more generally without an identiy and idea to draw upon when they need to. The former midfielder has every right to make his case to Rangers that he should be the man to lead the club, that he can find a style of play that can bring the best out of these players, but right now, as Rangers’ performance against Bilbao showed, and the preceding nine games have intimated, it appears Rangers require a steadier, more experienced hand with a greater sense of clarity to return the club to the top of Scottish football. e

Yes, well, there is fuck all we can do about it. But I don't think we should look at it with unalloyed horror.

It is to do with 'dual ownership' rules. These strictures may change if/when LUFC is promoted. You would hope that Cavenaugh retains the controlling interest of the controlling interest, as that would mean the interests of LUFC would not override those of Rangers.

Some, like the Glazers, but all?