JFK-1

What does this creature have to do before something is done about him? Was it Halliday who was booked for making a clenched fist gesture from the centre circle at no one in particular after a goal and was booked? Yet this classless vermin of a man makes a habit of goading volatile crowds and gets away with it time after time?

On-loan Rangers midfielder Carlos Pena will not remain at Cruz Azul, the club's manager Pedro Caixinha has confirmed. Pena joined the Mexican club on a deal until January 2019, rejoining Caixinha who signed him for Rangers. But the Portuguese manager has confirmed that Pena will not play for Cruz Azul again. "Carlos [Peña] is not going to continue with us, he has known it directly from me," Caixinha said. Pena, who was signed by the Ibrox last summer for an undisclosed fee reported to be around £2m, scored five goals in 14 Rangers appearances. He has played seven times for Cruz Azul since joining them in January, but his last appearance was on 4 April, in a 2-1 defeat by CF America. Caixinha was sacked by Rangers in late October after just seven months in charge. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44062149

I'm just glad the Euro pressure is off and I can watch it without the nail biting tension it would otherwise have been. Might even make for a better last outing since the pressure of missing out on Europe has been lifted from the team and they can concentrate on simply impressing Gerrard. As for Gerrard what a feather it will be in his cap if he can return Euro nights to Ibrox beyond the Summer holidays. The ideal start to his tenure.

And it all blows up in their faces due to Hearts refusing to get with the agenda despite the fact they had nothing to play for. And incidentally after tonights game apparently Lennon said in a post match interview that he has to think things over regarding being with hubz next season. Probably sinking in that it's a dead end and that this season was the best he will ever get there. Neil Lennon could sensationally quit Hibernian after branding his players as "unprofessional"

I was thinking about asking them how much our transfer budget is since they appear to know more than Gerrard does. And UEFA should clearly just cut the club out of the loop and go to those in the know for our financial reports.

How surprising that Hearts can beat them but the yahoos in a game that reeked of fix from the get go can't. Then again it's not surprising at all. What will be surprising is if the yahoos beat the sheep. Whatever. We're in Europe and that's a platform for Gerrad to build from. And hopefully it's never as close cut as that again.

We're not going to see Wayne Rooney in a Rangers shirt but it's not impossible that other high profile "friends of Gerrard" may spend some time with us. The likes of Rooney and others of his ilk don't need money. Rooney is worth an estimated £100 million or so. Even I would lose interest in striving to make excess millions more if sitting on a ridiculous pile like that and would be more open to an interesting and different challenge that though it paid a pittance in comparison was still a very tidy wage for the vast majority of people. Particularly if it may present the chance of some silverware/medals and Euro football in the end stages of a career while the English pension fund did not.

Gerrard is indisputably an individual driven to succeed. I suspect he is smart enough to grasp how difficult a task this may be but still decided to take it on so if he's confident I will follow his lead. As far as transfer budgets go according to King that hasn't been settled because Gerrard first has to decide who he wants to keep and who has to go. Presumably that process wont begin till he actually takes up the managers seat on June 1st. Though you would imagine since he is definitely watching the remaining matches and was watching today he must have already begun thinking some individuals on show wont be to his satisfaction while others might be. Europa league first qualifying round first leg will be played on 12 July and the second leg will be played on 19 July.

They're going to need a lot more protection in the next one both from Lennon's boot squad and the crowd. I foresee a boot fest for the record books and it will become furnace like if Cummings gets us a lead.

And leave his boxing gloves in the gym for a few matches.

I think we all know that's questionable in the circumstances.

We have had second half turnarounds before but how to get into this game. The penalty wasn't a penalty and they seem to have been given licence to kick our players at will. Even Walker who is no friend of Rangers sounded a shade embarrassed about the penalty it was so clearly not a penalty. He said the ref "guessed" and obviously guessed wrong. That's in the rule book? Make crucial decisions by guessing?

Probably asked for the football results. Sir Alex Ferguson awake and talking

Whether the rumour is accurate or not Rangers indisputably suit their long time colour scheme of red white and blue. It makes sense for both parties in that respect. And in fact would make a great strip if that can were taken as a design template.

'A brave move for Rangers and Gerrard' Darren Fletcher and Jermaine Jenas bring you reaction to Steven Gerrard being named as the new Rangers manager. They speak to former Rangers striker Ally McCoist, you will also hear from Gerrard on why he took the job and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers on what will be a fascinating Old Firm rivalry. 6 days left to listen 54 minute Podcast

I’m more optimistic than previously that this will work out. Was encouraged to hear him say he wants to build “an exciting team, a winning team” The exciting part of it made me think he may implement the Klopp style.

So Liverpool advance to the CL final after a high scoring 7-6 aggregate. They have the most potent strike force in the CL and it makes you wonder how formidable an outfit they could be if Klopp can tighten up that defence.

So if Gerrard accepting the post is dependent on finances for a transfer budget on a scale we haven't seen in recent years I want him to get the job. Yes he's a gamble but all appointments are. I'm willing to gamble that his overall footballing experience and pulling power are as good as any other gamble on offer to get a substantial transfer budget in place.

I'm not blowing a trumpet for Murty in any fashion. And I didn't 'hand pick' games I looked at a run of consecutive matches which involved almost the entire league. My interest in those games is it was a good run of consecutive matches which demonstrated that even the current squad should be capable of a minimum runaway second place and running the title close. That's encouraging since it might suggest that if Gerrard actually is being given significant funds he doesn't have to spread it thinly so to speak with a wholesale gutting of the squad. Just a few high quality players may do the trick if he can get this current batch who clearly can do the job when they're up for it playing. And as was intimated in another post if not for that run we would likely be out of contention for any Euro spot far less second place.

As far as i'm aware they are and presuming Gerrard is taking the job he must be a real idiot if there is no significant investment for a transfer budget. I doubt he is that stupid. I find it surprising that some of our own seem to fall for the "they're skint" mantra.

27th December Rangers 2 - Motherwell 0 30th December Celtic 0 - Rangers 0 WINTER BREAK 24th January Rangers 2 - Aberdeen 0 28th January Ross county 1 - Rangers 2 3rd February Rangers 1 - Hibs 2 6th February Partick 0 - rangers 2 18th February Hamilton 3 - Rangers 5 24th February Rangers 2 - Hearts 0 27th February St Johnstone 1 - Rangers 4 Nine consecutive matches in which we played everyone in the league aside from Kilmarnock and Dundee. In those 9 matches 7 wins 1 draw 1 defeat taking 22 from a possible 27 points for an average of 2.44 points per game. Extrapolate that 2.44 points per game over the current 35 games played and we would be on 85 points and be champions if we take 3 points on Saturday. That's the best run we have had since returning to the SPL and as pointed out is title winning form if maintained over a season.

If the 25 million is accurate it's comfortably more than enough to completely dominate the other 10 providing Gerrard knows how to spend it and set up a team. If that dominance pans out then it just comes down to the meetings with them. We could already have beaten them twice this season and that alone even with the inconsistency against also rans would have meant this title race would still be alive with only a single point in it. Fine margins indeed. If nothing else I foresee Gerrard being desperate to succeed. If he can't get this right his dreams of managing at an upper EPL level ie Liverpool could end right there in Glasgow.

Well apparently Brenda has already opined that he's confident Gerrard will manage Liverpool one day. How he knows that since Gerrard has yet to manage anything other than an under 18's side I don't know. Though admittedly Brenda knows both Gerrard and football a lot better than I do. I would say that if Gerrard can't make a success of this his future managerial prospects are dim. If he can't dominate the other 10 in a league whose combined budgets will scarcely match his that's hardly a sign of future managerial brilliance.

Interesting point. He obviously has a deep understanding of what's required from the midfield section. Is it going to be gutted? Or can he get the current incumbents operating effectively?