Devil's advocaat

Superb, I wouldn't want to lose either Jack or Arfield.

0-2 Goldson is due a goal, so I'll go for him.

With the usual YouTube caveats applied, he looks a big, silky, confident, hardy bastard. Not afraid to leave a boot in, or take a pass under pressure. Me likey.

All the best fella, I'm sure we'll disagree again 😉

8 minutes ago, Malangsob said:

People were kicking around goat's bladders for thousands of years before some English guy decided to codify it

It was actually believed to balls of silk, in what is now China.

Actually yes, there's a lot of sports I find to be a bit nonsense, F1, Golf (I live a mile from the home of open golf, but still) rugby league.... To name but a few. Aussie rules is brilliant for it's sheer madness, it has a kinda chaos that no US sports have (I've always had Ice Hockey down as Canadian, happy to be corrected on that one).

Crikey, that mattress advert disnae half make ye cringe!

Pretty sure Kris 'less goals against sellik than Sakala' Boyd played for Portland Timbers?.

I've no distaste for the states tbh, I just find your sports a tad contrived, you do get that don't you? you don't have to dislike everything about a country? I've had some great trips to a few different parts of the US, loved it.

7 hours ago, Malangsob said:

American sports league websites are great for stats though.

Mainly as US sports are so protracted affairs, they have to make up numbers to keep folks interested.

Stats work for certain parts of football, but they ain't the be all, not at all. Ryan Kent gets it tight for his stats, but I'd bet my last shillin that Neil McCann or Davie Cooper wouldn't have had any better.

First leg of the City v Real semi final was a perfect case in point, Jack Grealish never beat his man once*, but according to the stats was the most creative player on the park. This is basically as he rolled the ball back to someone to have a shot, as he couldn't make any progress.

*FWIW he was very good in last nights game.

As ever, the truth is somewhere in between.

5 hours ago, Malangsob said:

What about the guy that doesn't fit into a system because managers are changed midstream? 

 

He finds his ass polishin pine for four months.

 

The team get relegated and he gets penalized?

 

Come on now...

 

It's all part of the game, he's still earning a shit load of cash, let's be honest. You're average Joe on the street gets punted if the boss doesn't fancy him, no guaranteed wage there.

18 minutes ago, craig said:

Why is it ridiculous ?  They get paid a shed load of money due to the EPL finances.... they know when they sign the contract that there is a risk their club will get relegated (well, if you sign for a club outside the top 6 or 7) and they sign the contract knowing the risk.

Exactly, there's enough players down tools and see out contracts, fans have long wanted some kind of performance related pay,this is about as near as you'll get.

15 minutes ago, alexscottislegend said:

You make your points with clarity and common sense; however, we should be qualifying for the CL every season. That must be our aim. Aribo and Bassey, granted, are great examples of who we should be recruiting; I'm dubious that Dowell and Sterling are in that league. BTW Aribo has sunk without trace at relegated Southampton - not sure what that tells us.

A cheeky £2M offer to bring the big man back up the road is worth a go.

2 hours ago, Gonzo79 said:

There's only so many games against that lot without winning that any Rangers manager can withstand.

 

Which is why Beale will pick the strongest side available to him on Saturday. 

This, very much this.

Crikey, Joe Garner was on 18k a week!. We've wasted some cash on rubbish over the years...

18 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

I’d doubt we’ll sign Van Veen. He’s 32 next month with no resale value 
Josh Maja who’s soon to be a Bosman & currently at Bordeaux would be a better option in my view. Only 24 & played in the EPL & championship 

I'd agree, we probably won't, but not every player has to fit 'the plan', its scottish football, sometimes we need someone a bit more game smart, cuter, and doesn't mind mixing it and leaving a boot in.

I'd take van veen, bloody good player, free transfer, low wages, a good couple of years in him yet, at least. I'm not saying he's I'm any way as good, but Caniggia didn't too badly for us, did he?.

He's very good playing the lone striker, for a pretty poor team.

A far better shirt filler than Roofe, at least he'd turn up.

1 hour ago, compo said:

A better cook than Ramsey and better looking 

Aaron Ramsey mibbe

26 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

You can't sack a manager after he's had one transfer window and inherited a squad full of disinterested and injured players.

 

That would be nuts.  

Anyone who's even considering that is quite frankly aff their nut.

On 05/05/2023 at 15:45, RANGERRAB said:

Is there a chance maybe Kent & Morelos will sign new deals as free agents like Goldson did at the end of last season meaning sell on clauses for their previous clubs will be binned?

I think there's a chance we may do this with Kent, but wee Alfie is off hopefully.

16 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

He will only improve us if his signings are better than what we’ve already got. We will need at least one striker, one CB and one GK. And other positions too depending on who leaves

IMHO there's a bit more to it than that, we were superb in the 55 season not just because of our signings, but because we had an extended covid close season in which our coaching staff worked extensively on fitness and tactics, which was massively evident in the way we absolutely crowded teams out, ran them into the ground, then attacked and overloaded en masse.

The fat grease has done something similar with tenko fc this season, its not hard, but you need a pre season to do it, and players that are willing to learn, change, and work bloody hard.

I am convinced we've seen the best of Alfredo, wherever he ends up he'll never hit the heights he did for us in the EL. He's a poor finisher with a questionable work ethic and attitude. On his day he's unplayable, but those days are few and far between sadly, goodbye and thanks Alfie.

I'm also not convinced there isn't a player within Matondo, and I'm also of the opinion that big Souttar is a far better option than Davies.

Looking forward to next season, when I think Beale will significantly improve us.

6 hours ago, Franc Ergs said:

Wonder if Chelsea would still have the same appeal for him in the Championship ?

 

https://www.espn.com/soccer/blog-the-toe-poke/story/4939433/how-chelsea-could-be-relegated-from-the-premier-league

We can only hope. 😆

Spot on Bill.

39 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

If your source has halved Robbie Keane I would also like to see him replace Mulholland. 

Big Marv? 😆

One of the best tackles I've ever seen, the ball, Jobbie Keane, and a lump of turf you could play a par 3 on. 😆

Bloody hell, I completely forgot about Tom Lawrence! 😬😆