Rangers 0 - 2 Celtic

[StuGers 477]

For me the biggest indictment and the gravest criticism I can make is not one supporter I know is surprised we lost and many are relieved it was only by two. That's where we are as a support and a club currently.

 

When Walter Smith took over in 2007 we'd just been put out of the Scottish Cup, there was instability and schisms in the squad and we were already out of the title race by January.

 

In the next two transfer windows Smith signed veterans Davie Weir, Ugo Ehiogu, Christian Dailly and Roy Carroll on free transfers to bolster the defence, Steven Davis and Amdy Faye on loan and Darcheville on a free. We spent money on Lee McCulloch from Wigan. He then took the best players from Hibs (Kevin Thomson and Stephen Whittaker), St Mirren (Broadfoot), Kilmarnock (Naismith) and Falkirk (Alan Gow) to complement the signings of Daniel Cousin, Demarcus Beasley and Carlos Cueller. In total, over two transfer windows we spent about £10 million, recouping around £3 million through the sales of Clement, Svensson and Sionko with a further £9 million with the sale of Hutton in the next transfer window.

 

Without calculating wages Smith spent approximately a net £7 million in his first two transfer windows. His strategy of signing the best young players in Scotland, combined with experienced players entering the end of their careers supplemented with a handful of good value foreign players should have been the blueprint for us to follow. If reports are too be believed we spent over £8 million in the transfer window just closed.

 

Now it seems we did try and buy Walker from Hearts, there were stories of us being after McLean from Aberdeen and we did sign Jack of course. But no Moult, no Ali Crawford, no Jason Cummings, no Liam Lindsay? Whether you think these players are good or not isn't the point I'm debating, by buying that type of player we not only weaken the opposition but we bring in players who don't need time to settle, acclimatise or understand Scottish football. There are players at other Scottish sides good enough to improve this current Rangers side.

 

Now I can accept that the Rangers Caixhino inherited were in worse shape than the squad Smith did, I can also accept that Celtic were further ahead of us than Strachan's Celtic were, although they were double winners and were playing, and competing, in the Champion's League at the time too. But our expectations are currently so low we're excusing not only poor performances, players and poor tactics but, frankly, bizarre signings and a suspect strategy. Are we really better than last season? If we are it's not by much and I'm not convinced we are. Does anyone still think signing Pena and Herrera was smarter than signing say Walker and Moult?

 

So, please, don't mistake this for an anti Pedro rant. It's not. I don't want him to 'fail' to be proved right, that's ludicrous. Literally nothing would make me happier than for him to succeed. I've been criticised on here for being too negative, too knee-jerk and for not giving this current Rangers side time. But those who criticise me, and Pete and the others who are disillusioned with what we see, ask yourself this; where is the fight, where is the heart and where is the desire in this side? We might well be too negative but I don't understand how, after 7 matches, four of them at home, with a record of 3 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats, everyone isn't starting to wonder if this is going to work.

 

For all we can complain about the ref yesterday (for the record Craig Thompson is an ex-BB officer and St Mirren season ticket holder from Paisley, he's no Celtic patsy), about missed chances and ifs and maybes, not even the most one-eyed among us can seriously doubt that Celtic played within themselves and were coasting for the last half hour with their minds already looking ahead to the Champion's League match in mid-week. We should have been kicking Celtic off the park yesterday, everyone of their players should have known they were going to miss the next couple of matches if our players had anything to do with it. They should have been scared yesterday. They weren't.

 

I know there will be calls for more time and too early to judge, and I understand why. But understand why some of us don't believe more time will make any difference. That's not because we have unreasonable expectations or a personal dislike for Pedro.

 

Thompson isn't a Celtic patsy!? Have you seen his decisions over the last 10 years?

 

We should be kicking them off the park? He allowed that to happen one way. First tackle from Morelos, booked. He set the tone nicely.

 

It is so easy to say that we need to play better but as I've said before, football is a marginal game but if every margin is against you then you need to be really special to overcome them.

[geoger64 0]

We need to be careful that we don't go down the paranoia/conspiracy route. Held the scum back for years and gave them an excuse for their shortcomings. There may be a couple of Refs who have it in for us but in the main it is just poor refereeing.

As for yesterday's game, for me it just showed up how light our squad is. Two or three missing and we are very average. Our left hand side is very poor with Hodson and Windass, and Pena is still not match sharp though I think he will come good when up to pace. Candias was poor but I'm putting that down to the occasion as he is a much better player than that.

On the plus side Ross McCrorie done well and I hope he gets the chance to progress from here. Also, Jack and Morelos put in a good shift.

Biggest issue for me watching on tv was the scum fans. We need to stop this nonsense of giving them the BR stand. For me Club 1872 need to poll members on this issue and take it to the board if change is demanded.

[der Berliner 3,283]

I just want a manager that can get a team playing winning football. Surely it was not asking much to beat part-timers from Luxemburg or loose 5-1 to Celtic after our Development team coach had managed a draw with the same players. We can bum up today all we want but it was a training game for Celtic they hardly broke sweat. St Johnstone and Partick Thistle put up a better fight against them than we did. Oh yes I am being unrealistic again.

 

You are polarizing and unreasonable, as you throw results and hollow remarks about "available/good/better" managers about. The Scum was flying when they had that 5-1 result, we had a 18-year old giving a penalty away early on (a similar one we did not get yesterday, BTW) on which set them up nicely. They scored some stunning strikes that they repeated not often nor did before in this season. But more generally, this repeating of nicely selectted and selective stuff does not help your argument. On THAT day they were 5-1 "better" than us, as they waltzed over a team lacking confidence and ability (which the selective mind may throw at the manager and the board, of course). Throughout the season the - and we all agree - underperforming team was toiling to reach 3rd place at the end. Perhaps I live in alternative reality, but I see much better quality in this season's team, even though we are far from the finished article. And no-one is claiming that. Yet we also shall not pretend that we are anywhere near the Scum when they are up for it, have every player at their disposal fit and play up to their ability. For that is what these "Rangers must win every game and always go for top spot" chaps seem to think. They looked to a man the 30m squad that they are, not least in the second half, while our 7m starting line-up showed up as good as they could. With a youngster in CD essentialy making his first team debut against the best strikeforce in the country.

 

The Austrian commentator on LaolaTV rightly said that Rangers, given the new arrivals, gave a good account of themselves and 2-0 probably reflected the "gulf" that there is between our side and one competing in the Champions League for years, a team that is settled for more than a season and on a great run. And still he was not amused by the antics by both there Yahoo players (namely Brown and Griffiths) and the inability of the ref ... not leat at the penalty and some of the fouls going on.

 

We are where we are and while we may not like it, accepting it will stop pointless fingerpointing at this or that player or the manager. We have seen similar things before, i.e. "bad starts" to a league season (and I do not count this one as one, given the amount of rubbish we saw, not least from the refs), and we should know that when it comes to silverware, May is the day when it is handed out. Of course, this season, our hope more or less relies on the cup, when it comes to silverware ... and both are a distinct possibility.

[Gribz 743]

It's Warburton's fault or the lady that makes the tea's fault. Anybodies fault but Pedro's. Maybe the ref puts something in the tea. That's it! It is the referee's putting things in the tea. We will need to watch for the fourth man sneaking up the tunnel just before half time. I think we have got this sussed out now.

 

Really dont know what you are saying here. Makes no sense at all and has no reflection to the discussion I replied to TannochBear.

[union 0]

we were worthy of a draw on reflection,celtic are no superstars no matter who hypes them.

[pete 2,499]

People are being utterly irrational here.

 

Losing to progress yes unacceptable.

 

Losing 5 1 to celtc yes unacceptable.

 

Finishing outside the top 2 woukd be unacceptable.

 

6th with 7 games gone is no way to judge.

 

Every signing should work utter horse shit.

 

We should be beating hibs with 10 men after a third of the game is just ridiclous.

 

 

People have lost all objectivity in the race to be right first about pedro.

 

He might well be the wrong guy. He almost certailnly wont be the one to catch celtc.

 

But its to early to be sure and anyone who is needs to look at themselves.

 

I think you need to improve your reading skills. You are making things up what is said as you go along.

[RANGERRAB 3,299]

we were worthy of a draw on reflection,celtic are no superstars no matter who hypes them.

 

They are a very good SPL side most of whom have been playing together for a few years now. They are no more than that.

[der Berliner 3,283]

What is also utterly beyond belief that the media, while picking on it, essentially don't critize the Racist for his antics ...

 

YOU'RE SNOT ON Watch as Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths appears to wipe his BOGIES on the Rangers corner flag

 

It's not the first time the Hoops hitman has been involved in antics at Ibrox after last season's scarf tying incident

 

LEIGH GRIFFITHS was seen running his fingers across his nose before wiping his hand on the Rangers flag.

 

The Celtic striker took time out before hitting a corner in the second-half to wipe the Gers corner flag with the crest on it after rubbing his nose.

 

Leigh Griffiths wiping his bogies on the Rangers corner flag! #OldFirmDerby #Rangers #Celtic. pic.twitter.com/3zrzPIr5Aa

 

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/1603918/leigh-griffiths-celtic-rangers-bogies-flag/

 

If the ref and the SFA allows this to go on, they invite large scale trouble, as this idiot is provoking our support to no end ... based on that feeling of being untouchable by anyone. Which is bred from seasons of any sort of administrative pressure on them. They feel they can do anything they want - on and off the park - without repercussions.

 

Up until someone snaps and takes justice in his own hands. And rest assured, the victim card will come out instantly.

 

Thank heavens we don't have to play this Scum anytime soon again.

[RANGERRAB 3,299]

What is also utterly beyond belief that the media, while picking on it, essentially don't critize the Racist for his antics ...

 

 

 

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/1603918/leigh-griffiths-celtic-rangers-bogies-flag/

 

If the ref and the SFA allows this to go on, they invite large scale trouble, as this idiot is provoking our support to no end ... based on that feeling of being untouchable by anyone. Which is bred from seasons of any sort of administrative pressure on them. They feel they can do anything they want - on and off the park - without repercussions.

 

Up until someone snaps and takes justice in his own hands. And rest assured, the victim card will come out instantly.

 

Thank heavens we don't have to play this Scum anytime soon again.

 

Wonder if the Compliance Officer will do anything? I think we know the answer

[JohnMc 2,485]

Thompson isn't a Celtic patsy!? Have you seen his decisions over the last 10 years?

 

We should be kicking them off the park? He allowed that to happen one way. First tackle from Morelos, booked. He set the tone nicely.

 

It is so easy to say that we need to play better but as I've said before, football is a marginal game but if every margin is against you then you need to be really special to overcome them.

 

Yip, I have, he's a fairly average referee on a good day, but he's got no preference for Celtic I can assure you of that.

 

There's that great gif of Kevin Thomson tackling Robbie Keane then throwing him to the ground when he tries to get up that still does the rounds. Where were our midfielders doing that yesterday? Sometimes you need to be sly and sometimes you need to be overt when it comes to the physical side of the game. We were neither yesterday. Every side that comes to Ibrox should be intimidated, Celtic weren't. That's not because of the ref, that's because of the players. It actually surprises me, without playing up national stereotypes I did expect the Latin players to have a bit more about them, sly digs, off the ball stuff, disrupting the tempo of a match that kind of thing.