Time to right a few wrongs - Rangers v Celtic

[aweebluesoandso 290]

I've put yesterday behind me and looking forward to Wednesday night, when i will be in attendance at Ibrox, then again on Saturday. Two wins is a must for our ambitions this season, we need to keep right up on the Tims hump. If we can get players back from injury and find a settled team, i think it could be third time lucky against them, come the new years game on home ground.

 

McKay is due a stint on the bench, Garner, HOH are due a start, however i don't see MW dropping McKay. But whatever we need to come out fighting, get back in that groove of pace, passing, possession and attacking again.

[JFK-1 1,675]

Not a chance we'd sell out a Europa League Qualifier at £40 a ticket and I believe the Board would have the wit to realise that.

 

Game would probably be against a relative minnow, be televised and in all probability be played first week of July perhaps even earlier.

 

You may be right I couldn't say, i'm simply tossing figures around based off what they are willing to charge for a domestic match against a team we are guaranteed to play at least 4 times every year. While anything we play in Europe is a novelty and playing there at all after years away is in itself a sellable novelty.

 

My main point is that I don't think it makes sense to hope to avoid Europe next season because it will harm a league challenge? Has not being in Europe this year helped a league challenge any? Does anyone seriously see any chance of winning the league next year without serious money coming in? I don't so next season will be another scrap for top 3 which all things being equal should be eminently doable even while playing in Europe.

 

We absolutely must get that Euro money because without it there will never be any league challenge while they keep raking it in. As for the financial value in our current condition I think it's substantial. Let's presume 2 home qualifying matches then 3 home group matches at an average £25 a ticket over the 5 matches and capacity crowds.

 

That's £6.25 million in gate receipts beside €2,400,000 base group participation fee and another €360,000 for a win or €120,000 for a draw. Even if we never picked up a single group point all that amounts to about £8.5 million even before adding in extras such as catering and various merchandising etc and for our club at this time that's major money.

 

We absolutely must aim for this Euro place. Also the chances of any possible investment opportunities coming in aside from such revenue will be increased by Euro participation as will the potential standard of recruit if he's being offered Euro participation.

Edited October 25, 2016 by JFK-1

[calscot 0]

I think there is a huge flaw in the CL for the countries having one team to qualify - it means that if a team gets there a few times in a row, then they have so much more money, they can dominate the league and continue to be the one to quality. It helps create one horse races. You really need two places so the second place team has an opportunity to catch up.

 

And that counted when it was us too.

[der Berliner 3,249]

Took the time and - roughly - translated the article of Russian Rangers into English. Just to let you know what the Bluenoses beyond the "new" Iron Curtain thought of the game ...

 

Paradox

 

The team of Warburton lost to "Celtic" and was eliminated from the fight for the Scottish League Cup (Betfred Cup).

 

Excitement around the meeting between the two bitter rivals was lacking. Police stepped up security measures, with the main emphasis on the entry procedures to the stadium, where the slightest hint of alcohol intoxication, aggression, attempt to carry prohibited items and pyrotechnics or other illegal actions meant any potential viewer's arrest on the spot.

 

Alas, there were no unfortunate incidents. Shortly before the start of the game a bus with supporters of "Rangers" broke, and people were forced to get to the national arena on foot. Walking past the pub on Aytkenhed road, fans, consisting mainly of families with small children, became the epicenter of skirmishes between groups of fans, where fans from "Celtic" flew glass bottles, one of which hit the head 11-year-old Craig MacKay. The child was taken to the nearest hospital and suffered seven stitches.

 

This is the second time in the last three seasons, when the victim of an Old Firm showdown in Glasgow were children, with both stories are incredibly similar. February 1, 2015, and before the battle of the Old Firm at "Hampden Park", and also as part of the semi-finals of the League Cup, Celtic fans attacked the bus of supporters of the Light Blues, where they injured 10-year-old Kieran Duffy. The boy lost two teeth and suffered a cut head. Due to the large resonance it had officials at "Parkhead" and an association named "Peterborough Celtic Supporters Club" even organized a fundraiser as compensation for what happened.

 

With regards to the sports component, everything was kept surprisingly within reality. "Rangers" gave bright and fiery speeches, in addition to traditional promises to fight, and the fans a sober assessment of the current capacity the team, knowing that the chances of a favorable outcome were too much. Optimism was not added by the news about the loss of Niko Kranjcar. In one of the training sessions, the Croat suffered a knee injury, and now his recovery may take several months.

 

In turn, the current champion of the country came to the match with "Hampden" without any injury concerns, but not in the best morale by far. In the week, the Celts stumbled in the group stage of the Champions League, losing at home to "Borussia" Mönchengladbach (0: 2), and as a consequence, were eager to make amends in front of their own fans. And you can hardly imagine a more suitable option for rehabilitation than a victory over the age-old enemy.

 

The first half was a disappointing derby. There was only little action, although a small territorial superiority of the nominal guests were visible. Mark Warburton's starting line-up was good defensively, but also looked too toothless. Despite the lack of a constant match practice, there was enough confidence in the frame of Matt Gilks, though in one episode the goalkeeper made a terrible mistake with the pass and nearly caused a goal.

 

After the break, the situation changed dramatically. "Celtic" became more active, and the Rangers cracked at the seams. One acute situation followed another, however, the score remained goalless. During this flurry of attacks, Rangers responded only once, when a 58-minute Jason Holt managed to misshit and did not scored from ten meters out. The episode remained the only Rangers accomplishment at the gates of rather inactive Craig Gordon. Really a paradox for the holders of 54 titles!

 

Despite the amazing luck and the goalkeeper's courage, "Rangers", a feeling that "moment of luck" to make it to extra time and then to a penalty shootout, was not fullfilled. The premonition did not disappoint, as in 87 minutes in the penalty area, Dembele utilized Lee Griffiths' pass and mockingly pushed the ball between the legs of Matt Gilks. A few minutes later, Griffiths received a phenomenal chance to increase the advantage, but trying to be too clever and missed the chance to deliver the final blow. The result remained 0:1.

 

The team from "Ibrox" showed what they could and only as much as they are capable of now. Fans of the club - like all football fans - once again clearly saw that the opponents were of a different weight category. And in the foreseeable future, a quantum leap is not worth to wait for, but for now we have to be content with what we have.

 

You find the original and 22 mins of highlights here -> http://rangersfc.org/index.php?dn=news&to=art&id=1967

Edited October 25, 2016 by der Berliner