Bill

Don't get smart with me. As you can clearly see from the GPL, I haven't a clue what I'm talking about. 🤣

What isn't in doubt is that if he stays healthy then he will be one hell of a signing. Far above anything we currently have. It's just that "if". D'you think Awkward Ange will be re-assessing tactics for Wednesday?

Glorious

To be fair to GvB, he could have done with more games to assess his squad before being backed into the tail end of a transfer window, when options are severely limited. I guess Ross Wilson can only play the cards he's dealt and if Aaron Ramsey is the best deal available then so be it. I'm sure these guys do not need us to describe the risks involved or the possible upsides. I just wonder if this is only one side of a deal that could yet see Kamara move to Aston Villa later today???

These big name loans seldom seen to work out well but who knows, maybe we'll get lucky.

Bound to fall through then 😉

This just looks like madness to me. I hope to be proven wrong.

I sometimes think Kamara looks too comfortable. As skilful as he is (and clearly he is a very capable midfielder), he has a tendency to become too passive in some games. I've no basis on which to judge Sands one way or the other and I wouldn't make the mistake of trying to while he's only just dipped his toe in the Ibrox water.

To be blunt, none of us has the slightest idea what Sands will deliver.

If we absolutely had to lose one of our more valuable assets then as long as the price was right I would definitely choose Kamara and certainly before Kent, Morelos or Aribo.

Even this late in the window I think it's 50-50 whether Kamara is still at Rangers tomorrow.

Celtic 1 Rangers 1 FGS - Kent

Remembering that a draw suits us more than them I'm not sure I would persist with three up front, at least not for the first 45 to 60 minutes. This feels set up for one of Walter Smith's classic "soak it up, hit on the break" games. The key is going to be denying space in defence and still competing in midfield. All being well we could revert to a more usual structure with Diallo or Sakala adding pace. McLaughlin Tavernier Goldson Balogun Barisic Jack Sands Aribo Kamara Kent Itten

No

Thoughts? That team will lose.

Far too many people are showing the level of disappointment that suggests they thought we had reached the end of our journey. When the fact is we're perhaps a little over half way to recovery.

Why on earth would you think I was referring to you?

The speed with which the usual suspects have rushed to condemn Sands is symptomatic of the very worst in our support, always looking to acquire scapegoats and apportion blame. In Sands' case the condemnation has been so swift you might think he had been lined up as a whipping boy before he even arrived at the club. The truth is that, for a young man crossing the Atlantic and going straight into the team, Sands has acquitted himself well and none of us can say how good he might yet turn out to be or how big a contribution he might yet make. Frankly, commenting on performances in specific games is one thing but condemning players as worthless before they've had time to show what they can do is ridiculous. More than that, it's shameful.

I'll be glad when this transfer window is over. New and better players will always be welcome but right now our biggest problem is that the good players we have already are consistently underperforming. There are 3 choices. Either they are being asked to play the wrong individual roles - or the collective team tactics are wrong - or the team selection and tactics are right but the individual players are failing to deliver to their abilities (or some combination of all 3). Right now I think the biggest reason for dropped points lies with the players themselves, some of whom appear unfocussed and lacking energy. What worries me is that this is often symptomatic of conflict within the dressing room and that's something that won't be solved by adding players, only by removing them. That said, poor refereeing, injuries, international call-ups and new coaching staff settling in have all posed challenges. It's not too early to be concerned but it is far too soon to be losing heart. Given the situation at both clubs I think this season will have more than a few twists and turns yet.

All good things eventually come to an end. Today that particular good thing was the wonderful Rangers career of Allan McGregor. Time to move on, the team that Gerrard built is finished. Other (not so) good things that appear close to their terminus are the notion that Clavin Bassey is a central defender and the increasingly intermittent performances of Glen Kamara, whose head has already been at Aston Villa for weeks. Kamara is a really good player and has served us well but his weakness has always been inconsistent attitude. I've long thought Ryan Jack is the best midfielder at the club and if he's fit enough for the bench then he should always be starting. Now we'll find out what GvB is made of.

It is a farce. A key player for the club that pays his salary is taken half a world away on the whim of an international manager who then doesn't use him. It really is time for international football to be downgraded and seen as the luxury it is.

Without ever watching or listening to BBC Scotland, I could write what they say at any given time and it would be essentially accurate. That said, I do enjoy this thread, if only for the entertainment of 26th's fine wordsmithery.

It's very solid business and, taken on the back of a seamless replacement of Gerrard and his staff, is hugely reassuring. After the events of the last ten years, it's understandable that some still feel anxious but surely there's ample evidence that we really are well on the mend as a club. If people really feel they can't live without something to fret about, I'd recommend focussing on the consequences of losing the likes of Ross Wilson, James Bisgrove, Andrew Dickson, etc

Great memories of Shota. What a dancer!