calscot

Funnily enough, they are kind of saying that our fans are not much different from other fans. However, when will we see a report of other fans hanging effigies with it being reminiscent of Celtic fans? Or banners against Spurs with something like "Know your place, Yid scum"? Doubt it will happen as they are not normal.

As I alluded to after the Celtic game last year, our competence at sending and receiving long, high balls is well below the standard it should be, probably due to being badly neglected on the training ground. Football is a three dimensional game, and the opposition are not always going to let you play it exclusively in two dimensions. People seem to think you have to either play it exclusively on the ground or continually hoof it up the park at a target man, with nothing in between. I think we have to be adept at all aspects of the game and use them appropriately, and judiciously. As I've said before, good use of accurate long balls forces the opposition back as they end up having too many players in front of the ball when they press, thereby allowing you the space to subsequently play it out from the back. It also stops you being predictable, and therefore easily contained. Either that or spend five to ten times as much on players who can run rings round the opposition and take the piss out of them.

I'm confident of drawing - too confident in that result. Warburton has less than a 50% win rate against premier clubs, and that stays true when you add in Hibs and Falkirk. Hearts will be interesting as they have had a similar journey to us starting from a couple of seasons ago - but with a lot less money behind them. We haven't played them yet since the new management team arrived. I think at the moment our problem is that we are of a too similar level to them and Aberdeen, when we should be noticeably better.

I think the main problem is not fitness of our team, but we're up against fitter players who are already better athletes than the second tier, and also a lot more skillful and with more savvy managers who know a tactic or two. There might not be an abundance or quality of cream in Scotland but it still rises to the top. I think the biggest difference in tactics is that they know to press us hard as they know our game-plan won't change - they don't have to worry about the long ball and so can push plenty of players forward and stifle us playing out from the back. In the second tier they were content to sit back in numbers and wait for us to come and then try to weather the storm.

Seems to me that they would be the ones most likely to sabotage - in fact they already do.

While it's all very well saying we're 2 points off second place, I think that's more to do with the mediocrity of the league where often there is no club that can rise above the rest and put in a good run - like Burley's Hearts. We're lucky there and it shows our luck when two of our rivals are defeated, giving an unexpected opportunity, but we still don't take advantage. The problem is that we seem to be of the same ilk as these clubs in that we drop far too many points to the other teams and so are in that position of scrapping away for what used to be third place for them behind the OF and now is for second behind Celtic. At the moment we're no better than the top half teams who have far less of a wage budget, and that's not good enough. With equal managers we should be well ahead of them. To look at it another way, there's a likelihood that we could be 12 points behind Celtic after 10 games - at that rate we could be 40 points behind by the end of the season - and yet their budget compared to ours, is similar to ours against the rest of the clubs. When you think about the days when we had top internationals, much smaller clubs with about a 20th of our budget were getting closer than that. The usual gap is from the OF was about 30 odd points, so the best of the rest is a very low bar, and we're struggling to pass it. If we had a similar budget, it would be difficult to criticise much, but that's not the case.

I'm not a big fan of Eck and was glad he was sacked when he was. However, his CV compared to Warburton is favourable. Even with Hibs he won the Championship - but with more points than Warburton: 89 : 81. He then finished 6th in the SPL out of 10, which isn't fantastic but it is Hibs remember, and his spending was 250k. He also got to the Scottish Cup semi. He gained a win and two draws against the OF. He then finished 3rd to the OF the next season with a negative transfer outlay of -£2.25M, including 2M for Kenny Miller to Rangers. He also got to the Scottish Cup final, losing to Celtic. He gained a win and three draws against the OF. Then we know what he won with a downsizing Rangers - with a couple of memorable last day league wins where the team didn't come close to bottling it. Warburton hasn't shown anything yet to suggest he will emulate that. For Birmingham he did what Warburton couldn't and gained them promotion to the top tier, where they then had their best season for 50 years. The next season they were relegated but also one the league cup - their second cup ever. I think that's a good swap for the likes of Birmingham. He didn't do so well at Aston Villa, finishing 16th but they haven't done better since and have now been relegated after finishing last. He also did quite well for Scotland compared to the last three managers - beating France and Ukraine, and being very unlucky against Italy. I think we need a better manager than Eck, although right now I'd take 2 league titles, 5 cups and beyond the group stages of the CL in four and half seasons. However, Warburton cannot compare his CV to Eck quite yet...

There is no excuse for that as it can in no way be interpreted as being close to being part of the game - except the cheat's version. Never pulled a shirt in my life in football, always considered myself as going in hard but fair, and if it was a foul, that was unintentional.

Kind of seems to me that if the game were moved, you'd have two drunken binge nights rather than combining into one... Maybe their thinking is, may as well put it on then as they will be getting drunk anyway and the increase in brawling in one night will be less than the two nights combined. The pubs obviously want the opposite - two pay days instead of one...

That squad has completely changed from the last few years...

I have no idea the relevance of that - Ally had a quiet word with Lennon and the latter exploded. He did not run up to him to have a tirade - or more relevantly, the referee. I don't know what you're trying to do here, but it's seems just another cheap shot at Ally. As I've said many times, the guy has plenty of real things to criticise him about, so why twist things to have a go? Whenever he did the same as Warburton, then yes, it was unbecoming. Just because Walter did it, doesn't make it right, and behind closed doors is a completely different matter. And Walter didn't go on and on about respect; Warburton made a rod for his own back there. Are you saying we can't mildly criticise Warburton even if it's obviously valid?

One time I've thought the manager's character was poor was his rant at the referee at Aberdeen - especially as he keeps going on about respect. I can't see it as much different to what Barton did in the first instance. I think it's unbecoming of a Rangers manager to get so upset about one decision that led to a loss against a less large club. Three or more blatant ones maybe, but when it's one it says we didn't play well enough and there is always going to be one bad decision going one way or the other. One bad decision that leads to a goal against us should really mean we won 3-2 instead of 3-1... otherwise the manager is also at fault and so can't really complain. That maybe changes against Celtic and in Europe. I have no problem with him following his own advice and having a respectful word...

That's what it looks like but as I said, I was basing it on not knowing and playing out the scenarios. I find being scared of looking weak, as being weak... Warburton should have the strength do what he thinks is right, regardless of how some see it. I think it shows strength to punish someone for their crimes and if they serve their time and they "get it", then giving them another chance is being strong of character and leadership. However, if they don't get it, then yes, it's being strong to not accept them back. I back him if he's doing the right thing, but I'll never know, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, and back him anyway.

That's something that's also crossed my mind. As someone alluded to before, WS was also very strong willed, but was capable of showing his authority and punishing a player, and then when it was served, just getting on with it. And he wasn't weak enough to care whether he looked weak...

I presumed that was with the board over transfers...

Oof, have to respectfully comment on that one. You've been away a long time! Around here a lot of places are about a fiver a pint, or not much less - although there are some bargains at Wetherspoons and other big chains. Scotland might still be a bit cheaper but Glasgow city centre wasn't last year. One place I disagree with you is just giving the money to the club - that's just giving it to the shareholders. I think there would have to be an equity swap for a fans group - and what you're talking about already has a similar vehicle.

As many will point out, we were in the black until Advocaat, and even then, if it wasn't for the EBT challenge, we'd be fine right now and probably slightly better off than Celtic and at worst pretty close behind. We can splash some cash without getting into trouble if the board think it's something they want to do. They can put money in and get it back in equity - if it's the difference between 2nd, a cup and a run in Europe and 4th place with nothing, then it would be a good investment. The fans only get to see their team for their investment, the board are able to invest, take all the kudos and then have a good chance to eventually break even. Even then, as has been said for decades, you don't buy a club to make money, it's a rich man's toy in the same way as your average Joe buying a sports car or motorbike etc. The latter expects to lose money in return for the enjoyment of the ownership. Also, as DM showed, you can make money out of it in other ways, and a hell of a lot of prestige and fame - the latter two being something that some of the more otherwise anonymous, successful, self-made men start to crave. EG, do you want to be a known as a (mundane) Bus company owner or a mover and shaker at a big football club?

The problem is that 4th looks like shorter odds than 2nd right now... Unless there is a visible change in our fortunes pretty soon. That's pretty bad for Rangers at this stage of the competition. As I said, if it was just Aberdeen I would be more confident - but it's harder to overtake three rivals than one, and we haven't yet seen that we really have the potential to do so, while our squad is shrinking in size, quality and confidence. My prediction is still second, although my confidence in that is waning and needs a boost. I'm not a glass have empty guy, but the problem here is that currently the glass looks slightly less than half full... I desperately need a top up. For our budget and a magic hat manager, I really expected it to be more than three quarters full at this stage.

PS In regards to that change, I know it needed to be a surprise, but there was no acknowledgement that it didn't agree with his mantra. So, what I don't want to see is him going back to his old ways now, and saying we have to do plan A better, we just concentrate on ourselves, blah blah... Without some kind of qualification, that would be disrespectful to the fans.

I agree he did yes. But was that just a one off against Celtic to prevent humiliation while giving us little chance of a win? It looked like it, and I'm not sure if that's the right direction to change heading to - it's also kind of humiliating in a way, but maybe not as much as a big defeat. I'm not pillorying him for it, but I find it a bit depressing that that is where we are. In the end there's needs to be change, but it has to be a good change... What that is specifically, is up to the genius of the manager, I'm really hoping he can pull something out of the hat...

While I agree, it's in the context of signing 11 more expensive players for a higher league and looking worse than last season. Some of them need to hit the ground running... and yer none have made themselves a regular pick - except maybe Clint Hill, due to injuries.

Without knowing the full situation I don't know whether Warburton should welcome Barton back or not. If the player is just totally unmanageable due to his super-inflated ego, then Warburton is being strong and doing what Le Guen should have done. But if Barton is capable of rehabilitation and doing a job for us, and Warburton gets rid then maybe that is being weak and showing a lack of man management skills.

For me: I'd take second place in a heartbeat, but not exactly a success unless if we are double figures behind Celtic. Third would need a bit of mitigation and be a big disappointment but probably not a sacking offence if reasonable progress is seen to be made. Fourth I think is sack-able - unless there is massive mitigation and say a Scottish Cup win. Fifth and lower means a sacking before the end of the season if it's unlikely we can finish higher... We need to be real in that we are in a difficult situation but reality also shows it's not as difficult financially as the other SP teams, bar Celtic.

At the moment for me it's not about alternative managers, what I want to see is a better acknowledgement from MW along with a sign that we're changing tack somewhat and taking a more flexible approach in our formation, style and first choices, and maybe starting to think a bit more about the opposition. I think the best managers are able to work out their counterparts and the weaknesses in their teams. At the moment I think that's what's the other managers are doing to us.

That's just one game and what we don't really know is if that could be that they had an off day, we were on, but we still lost - maybe they just turned the tables on us from better years, and ground out a result. I think the main problem is that we're not just behind Aberdeen, we're behind three teams, which means, if one drops points the other two probably won't. That's a lot harder. There is also three times the chance that just one of the teams above us will get lucky or whatever and have a long streak of great form, while we're still struggling to put in a consistent run. It's only a quarter of the way through but the problem is that we're already thinking that we can't afford to drop any points at all - and even our best sides dropped points here and there. While people blame the board for lack of investment, I think they have backed the manager enough to expect a probable second place and an easy third, yet fourth is looking very possible.