The next 7 days

[Gazza_8 233]

They're absolutely crucial to us. If we can beat Killie and Ibrox on Tuesday night and then beat Hibs at Ibrox on Saturday then we'll be 10 points clear of Celtic before they play their next SPL game which happens to be at Tynecastle after a Thursday night game against Udinese.

 

The pressure on Celtic and Lennon will be incredible if we can win our next 2 home games. Even if Celtic get a draw at Tynecastle the pressure on Lennon will mount and his next wee hissy fit won't be to far away.

 

Just do it Rangers, just go in for the kill against Killie and Hibernian and let Celtic do the chasing......they are used to it after all.

 

Saying that though, Hearts have looked god awful against St Johnstone today and are currently 2-0 down with injury time to play.

 

Hope I haven't jinxed us now.

[Whosthedado 1,487]

One game at a time is what I have to say Gav. We always think they'll get a tough game at Tynecastle but nine times out of 10 it's one of their easiest fixtures and they end up strolling it. We just have to worry about ourselves anyway. If we win then it doesn't really matter what they do

[craig 5,195]

Completely agree. There is already pressure on Celtic to keep winning given they are 4 points behind us. This was borne out with Lennon's comments after yesterday's game that whilst he wasnt happy with the performance it is all about the results. At this stage in the season that shows pressure already. He also was very critical about his GK and CB's again. I dont think he understands (dont think he is smart enough) how to properly man-manage.

 

You mention "go in for the kill" and I saw an article interviewing McCoist about Wednesday night and he said that he was in shock as to why the players seemed to ignore his pre-match team talk and that the rest of his backroom staff were struggling with it too. He said that in every game he expects Rangers to come out not just playing at a high tempo but also pressuring the opposition. So what we as fans ask for it would seem that the management agree with us - it is getting the players to do likewise. Yesterday we started much more sharply, higher tempo, more pressure and it paid off because the game was effectively won before half-time. Hopefully McCoist has got it through to the players too - one game doesnt determine he has but yesterday was a step in the right direction. Will post the article if I can find it again.

 

Celtic could very well win at Tynecastle but if they go there 10 points behind us then the pressure to win would be enormous.

[craig 5,195]

TWO days on and Ally McCoist was still hurting and trying to make sense of it all.

 

He knows why his players lost to Falkirk in the Scottish Communities League Cup on Wednesday night. He just can’t figure out how it was allowed to happen. Rangers, McCoist conceded, played poorly for most of the game against first division opposition. The tempo was slow, the play over-elaborate. Only once Falkirk had moved in front did the defending champions start to show a bit of life. “It was as if someone had flicked a switch and turned us on,” McCoist grimaced.

 

His biggest frustration, though, was the fact that his players either hadn’t listened to his pre-match briefing or elected to ignore it. For a new manager trying to make his way in the game, the thought that some of his squad were not “on message” was truly disheartening.

 

McCoist has never been a great one for hiding his emotions, positive or otherwise, and he wore a troubled look at Murray Park yesterday. He conceded to being in a dark place in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday’s game, while also revealing that his backroom team were “very uncomfortable” with what had transpired. His search for a suitable explanation goes on.

 

“I don’t know whether I was forceful enough,” he pondered aloud. “I feel as though I put the message across. But maybe the advice wasn’t taken. Well, it certainly wasn’t taken. So I’ve got to think ‘why was it not taken?’, and I haven’t really got an answer for that yet. But I’ll continue searching.

 

“Listen, Wednesday was a big blow. You can say it was just the League Cup, you can say what you like. I don’t care, it was still a big, big blow. It was a really disappointing performance. People have been asking what went wrong. I’ve watched the game again. People ask was there complacency, but I honestly don’t think there was. There was just a lack of the correct attitude to play the game at the tempo it should have been.”

 

McCoist, though, knows there is nothing he can do now to change what happened on Wednesday night. Rangers are out of their third competition of the season and will have only league commitments to trouble them before the Scottish Cup commences in January. His only hope is that his players have learnt from the experience.

 

“There’s nothing we can do about the result now but the one thing we have to do is learn the lesson,” he added. “I said I took responsibility but that’s not a cop-out for the players. They have a responsibility, too. Knowing the boys we have I’m sure they will look at the situation themselves. You have to learn lessons because if you don’t, you don’t play. If you don’t you won’t be here for long. That’s not a threat. That’s just reality.”

 

McCoist will find out soon enough whether his players can provide him with the reaction he demands after such a poor performance. Rangers take on Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park this lunchtime in a match likely to be as tricky as the one with Falkirk the other night. McCoist, who will be without Lee McCulloch, David Weir, Kyle Bartley and Lee Wallace through injury, hopes his players are better equipped to meet this challenge.

 

“Against Dunfermline, our players have got to come out and start the game the way they should start every game,” he said. “Not only at a high tempo, but putting the opposition under pressure. Dunfermline have been terrific this season and in Jim McIntyre have a young manager who has done really well.

 

 

“They obviously have Gerry McCabe there too who was my coach at Kilmarnock and who I played against many times. They are great football people and that’s the way their team is run and plays.

 

“They have players who can hurt and damage you. They have an enthusiasm and zest to be back where they feel they belong – in the top flight. Their results show they are enjoying it and have no fear. That’s refreshing. If their games so far are anything to go by they won’t be overawed.”

[der Berliner 3,231]

As I use to say when the Hooped Horrors are ahead of us, titles are not won or lost in August, September or October. The same goes for us. Still the greater the distance the better for us.

 

If we keep up the SPL performance levels, the professional attitude and stay focused, it does look good indeed. I for one can still remember they day one Ivan Sproule made us look pretty bemused at Ibrox.

[Danny 0]

As I use to say when the Hooped Horrors are ahead of us, titles are not won or lost in August, September or October. The same goes for us. Still the greater the distance the better for us.

 

If we keep up the SPL performance levels, the professional attitude and stay focused, it does look good indeed. I for one can still remember they day one Ivan Sproule made us look pretty bemused at Ibrox.

 

I can remember when Allan Johnstone did the same!

 

Regarding the OP, one tim I know hasn't lost faith in Lennon, but he thinks he's starting to make errors due to inexperience. Interesting how he wasn't making these supposed errors last year...

[maineflyer 0]

Have you noticed that Bheast FC often has more problem staying in front that coming from behind. No particular pun intended.

[Gers4Life 0]

One game at a time indeed guys! Last thing we need is to take our foot of the gas and take for granted where we really are

[GovanAllan 0]

Have we won a midweek game this season yet just asking.

[calscot 0]

No, we've drawn two and lost three.