JFK-1

I hope it's this season because that would produce the more spectacular meltdown. They are indeed deluded because they're basing their delusion on what's happened since 2012 when they found themselves in a league with no Rangers and full of teams bringing in freebies from league 2. The sheep no less, the self proclaimed giant of the Scottish game did just that in this transfer window. Now to be fair we were doing something similar in recent times but we're not now. Unbiased knowledgeable commentators are already saying that the Gerrard machine are genuine title challengers. And it's interesting that Rodgers recent behaviour is being interpreted by some as a developing exit strategy. What better time to get out if he sees the writing already on the wall. Being beaten by Stevie G would do his ambitions of a return to the EPL no good at all.

This is the most important game the club have played in for many years. I'm confident but nervous at the same time. Can only imagine how the players feel. Or at least the ones who totally get it.

If it were easy to replace him with someone just as good for less Bordeaux and others wouldn't be pursuing him. We need to keep him for at least another season and wait for the 8 figure offers from England.

Or is it part of a crafty strategy to keep them guessing? I don't see us going recklessly at it because we don't need to. They do.

Agreed. As soon as Gerrard arrived he said Morelos was in his plans.

I don't think it's so much turning it down as just saving it for another more convenient time. I'm confident this is going to keep on happening every window and he can only become a more rounded more experienced player increasing in value. Consider it money in the bank which just isn't available at this point but accumulating interest.

At this stage with EL qualification a real possibility and shaping up for a good title challenge I would be looking for at least 3 times as much to let him go and maybe not even then. He's contracted for another 3 years, there is no need to rush to cash in.

It's not difficult to do. Can do it all day long if you feel like it. Like this.

Steven Gerrard insists Rangers have no intention of sitting on their first-leg lead over Maribor as he promised to take the fight to the Slovenians. The Light Blues have flown out for their latest Europa League qualifier with a 3-1 advantage after last week's Ibrox triumph. Gers boss Gerrard, though, does not want to invite pressure on his team by having them sit in when they run out for Thursday's return. He believes his new-look side have the attacking threat to finish the job off in style and wants his players to make a statement by gunning down Darko Milanic's men. He said: 'At some point Maribor are going to have to take some risks in the game and I will pick a team with enough attacking talent to hopefully go and hurt them. 'This is not a case of us coming here to hang on and try to grind through the 90 minutes in order to get over the line.' Gerrard confirmed that Ryan Jack, Lassana Coulibaly and Scott Arfield are 'all good to go' after shaking off their recent injury concerns. But with Jon Flanagan suspended and new signing Borna Barisic ineligible, the Ibrox manager does have a decision to make over who starts at left back. Midfielder Andy Halliday is the favourite to plug the hole in Gers' defence. Gerrard said: 'First and foremost I trust every one of my players. Everyone on the aeroplane has my trust. I'm confident that if any of them are called upon they will come out and do the shirt justice. 'The good thing for me at the moment is that I have every single person in the squad fighting to be part of that 11. 'It's a shame that Jon's suspended and Borna's not available but it will be an opportunity for someone else and they have to be ready to take that challenge - but I do have confidence in every player.' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6064247/Steven-Gerrard-insists-Rangers-no-intention-sitting-leg-lead.html

Probably seen then as much as the management team had prior to playing them. We can't watch these teams for an entire season to form an opinion on them so i'm pretty much doing what they did.

And in that case neither will we since we're running at a loss too.

We were paying more than that last year and probably still are Doubt Alves was on any less.

I have seen Osijek 3 times and Maribor twice. And Osijek looked better.

I suspect poor Walker has a form of verbal dyslexia. What he meant to say was the yahoos will be poorer without the CL.

You have to expect they have talked to Stevie about this like in asking him in your expert opinion are we going to make this group stage? Of course northing is certain even when getting expert opinion, it's still just opinion. But one thing is probably certain, the board didn't expect to make the group stage any more than we did.

I wish we were drawn with either of those two because if we were I would be as sure as I can be in such circumstances that reaching the group stage was a done deal. One of the two has a ground capacity of 2,500 the other 6,500.

This Lafferty thing has dragged out so much with Hearts just stringing us along for a player we can sign for free in 5 months i'm now completely pissed off with them. I hope we just tell them to go choke on it get Solanke in on a loan then at the end of the year sign Lafferty for free on a pre contract. Might send a message to others that they shouldn't try to play these games with us.

This all over the place I would say needlessly over multiple posts which I can't be bothered going over again. Here's the gist of it. I say with a Euro run thrown in we can compete with the likes of Leeds and their 18K of season tickets and average 20K or so crowds you say we can't. That's your opinion and mine is that we're superior to them in every way aside from their TV money. And their TV cash isn't net. Unless they pay no tax.

I watched it, Athens had a lot more possession than that. Plus look at it. They had 0 shots on target yet scored 2 goals? How does that work? The BBC stats are messed up too. They have Athens with 67% possession and the yahoos on 33%. Plus they have 0 fouls for both and 0 corners for both. Both had corners and both had fouls. Broonaldo and a couple of Greeks were booked. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45170727

Very possible. But what i'm looking for is Broonaldo to be wearing those same pyjamas as he climbs out of the Coulibaly back pocket.

Yes i'm sure there are a number of unhappy CL teams right now who were looking for an easy 3 points and a goal rampage to make their fans happy.

No we're not, Leeds and their £6.7m gross TV money are. Obviously. Though in reality they are running at a loss. With a good Euro run we can compete with the likes of Leeds but not with those receiving parachute payments and gambling on a quick return to eldorado.

Yes I did and we probably did but you're nitpicking it. Sure we all know there will be tax payments but that's still what we're banking in gate money alone given a 50,000 crowd at an average £20 a head. That's indisputable arithmetic. And the argument was supposed to be that we couldn't compete with the likes of Leeds because they have more TV money. The TV money is £6.7m But that's not net either is it? We only need to maintain a Euro run to more than compete with them and that too is indisputable arithmetic.