Leaderboard

On Wednesday evening Rangers get a visit from Dundee to the hallowed turf of Ibrox. After a toothless 0-0 draw with St Johnstone on the 16th of February, Rangers have bounced back against Kilmarnock and Hamilton marking up both games with 5-0 wins. I know our detractors will say that Kilmarnock only had 10 men for a large part of the game and Hamilton are a pretty rubbish team but the big talking point for me was the difference in the hunger, intensity and play style from all three games. Against St Johnstone we were lethargic from the beginning passing slowly backwards or to the side with nobody willing to take the game by the scruff of the neck and try and break the game open. Steven Gerrard said himself that sometimes Rangers players think they can just turn up to win the points. Against St Johnstone it was just like we were out for a Sunday stroll in the park and only the ball bouncing onto the crossbar and not into the net saved us from losing three points instead of two. Against Kilmarnock at Ibrox it was a different Rangers that turned up. We were fresh and crisp. The sending off of their keeper Bachmann didn't help Killie's cause but lets not detract from the Rangers win Rangers pressed high and were all over Killie like a rash even when they played with eleven men. Then there was the El Buffalo. Although he was serving a three game suspension he was available for this Scottish cup game. And what a game he had. He scored four goals and could even of had a few more. When we took to the field against Hamilton it was written almost everywhere that Rangers were a one man team and without Morelos we would struggle to score. The Gers again came out with the high press and Hamilton just couldn't handle the movement and technical ability of Rangers. All of a sudden we have another five goal win and all goals coming from five different players including Kyle Lafferty who hadn't scored since September. In my opinion one of the reasons for this turn around is the introduction of Glen Kamara in the defensive midfield role. Kamara is great at winning the ball back and keeping the ball retention going with rangers having sixty-six precent of the play. He also always passes the ball forward at speed which does not allow the opposing team to fall back into their normal bank of four defenders and five midfielders guarding the box. Ryan Jack also seems to relish playing in a slightly more advanced midfield role and is even starting to add goals to his arsenal. Against Dundee we need the sharp Rangers team to turn up again . With Celtic being eight points clear there is no room for the lacklustre Rangers to show up. If we want to give Celtic a run for their money then we need to go on a winning run right up to the end of the season. We may have been given a boost with the resignation of Brendon Rogers if it has a negative influence on the Celtic team, but if Rangers don't win our own games then frankly it does not matter what they do over at Tin City. We know Dundee will set up to frustrate Rangers in a nine man defensive line-up probably with our old friend Kenny Miller leading the Dundee line as a lone striker. Give Miller a half a chance and McGregor will be picking the ball out of the net. Gerrard made it clear at the press-conference that Andy Halliday has a tight groin and he will probably rest him for this match.Halliday has been showing fine form of late and is giving Steven Gerrard a problem whether to play him or Barisic in the left-back position. Halliday may be less technical but he is certainly ahead in the goal and assists table at the moment. Personally I doubt there will be many other changes except of course Morelos will replace Jermain Defoe. That will make the team: McGregor Tavernier Goldson Worrall Barisic Kamara Candeias Arfield Jack Kent Morelos Rangers have a score to settle against Dundee as we drew 1-1 with them at Dens Park in December despite Dundee playing 70 minutes with ten men. That day the Lacklustre Rangers team turned up and games like that are the reason we are eight points behind Celtic. The form and hunger of the last few games has to be a rich vein of form and not a flash in the pan. One of the most said phrases this season is we are looking for a reaction from the players after dropping points. We should not need to be looking for a reaction we should be turning out consistently good performances. This team are at times unplayable, as they were even for Celtic, but passing the ball slowly around the team letting Dundee get their defensive block set up will look great on the possession statistics, but will slam the door of the trophy room firmly shut. Every game is now last chance saloon. C'mon the Gers!!!!

Well this has been unexpected fun. A slip tonight or at the weekend would certainly add a bit of pressure to a club who don't always seem like they know how to handle it. I'm pleased Rodgers has left them. He's clearly an accomplished manager working with a big budget (relatively) and experienced players. I've always felt he might crumble if he was put under real pressure, but I thought it might require more pressure than one derby loss and only an 8 point lead! Lennon's an interesting appointment. From their perspective he knows the club and knows the league, he's inexpensive and available. From our perspective we won the league in his first full season, then came second when Administration hit us. His league wins were either when we were broken our no longer in the same league. I think he demonstrated at Hibs that he has the ability to motivate and organise a side who can compete, at the same time I don't think he's as good a coach as Steve Clarke. If we can keep building momentum we've got a real chance this season because Celtic will have stumbles. Rodgers being in England might come back and bite us in the summer. I could see him being interested in Alfredo for example, and Kent too. At the same time I expect he'll consider bids for some of Celtic's first team too. There's never a dull moment and the reaction of some of the celtic support has been a joy to behold.

Attempts that are so basically half baked will fall on their arse and whilst it may point to a willingness, it also highlights a lack of political gumption that the VB tend to cover-up with often well received but ultimately empty rhetoric. Rather than get on Beargers back for his personal politics and having the audacity to point out the flaw, better to push for your old colleagues at the VB to get things right instead of making things so easy for Dornan&Co to dismiss.

We simply have to take full points from our next 2 league games while the bheasts go to Hearts and entertain Dolly. If they win both their games, there is nothing we can do about it and that would probably be enough to secure the title for them, but we just must win our games against Dundee and Hibs to ensure that if they do indeed drop points we are closing the gap and not letting them off the hook. I dont believe we can win the title as we have been far too inconsistent but we should be trying to find a consistent run of victories to at least put some pressure on them, especially with them only having an interim manager and we know that this can lead to inconsistent performances as the players know the manager is gone soon.

Brian Rice did say he was inspired after watching us...obviously quick learners ?

My own thinking is that they aren't being moved or that they're unhappy about King and Gerrard's statements in response to Clark's whining last week.

No idea mate i just read the statement that is now been posted.

Sheep got beaten 0-2 at home to Hamilton?

Good win tonight & another clean sheet, pretty poor 2nd half though

The team looks good. Lets go.

Possible problems if Barisic gets injured.

I will totally agree with you on that one. Looks and sounds really friendly as well. Totally different from the scalding tongue and cold shoulder I managed to gather in. Is that an age thing do they all turn into demons after they reach 40.?

Translation Service (afternoon shift) "What a cool wee video" : ..........I wid, aw roads.

Let's pick up from where we left off against Hamilton .

It brings a little uncertainty to the situation but until it becomes tangible in the form of them dropping points I don't think it changes much in the mindset because it has been very positive in the last two games. The general mood music will be set according to the result at Tynecastle tonight in both camps. We have to return 3 points tonight, a non-negotiable.

The Brenda departure from ST Pats FC should give our players an extra lift, not that we should need it but you can take a lift out of their situation no doubt.

Agreed. It basically makes it a 9 pt gap. We need to be ruthless.

Only 10 in the team matey. I think you missed Arfield? Good preview ?

Saloon, surely. You don't want this place looking like a Cardinal Pell's XI fan board.

Thanks to those involved in the podcast this week. A delayed listen was just the ticket for an hour without having to suffer the seemingly never-ending overspill from Brendangate.

£25M and he's all yours, Leicester City.

Should we win at Ibrox against them and dare to sing that "Cheer up"-song for TLB, strict liability will set in the next day and we will be deducted 10 points ... at least.

Luckily I’m not blinded by anything. What’s happened here is that you have turned an attempt by VB to discredit a recognised Rangers hater into your attempt to discredit a committed Rangers supporter organisation. This issue here isn’t about Vanguard bears, it’s about Dornan and the rest of the SNP’s band of bigots who use public office to attack Rangers. You’ve been hell bent since the start on deflecting any criticism of Dornan and the reason is abundantly clear. You’re no Rangers supporter, as I understand Rangers Supporters. You’re a nationalist first and last and that will always be your priority. Indeed it looks increasingly like that’s the sole motivation for your presence on this forum. In my opinion, and it’s only my opinion, you should stop this ridiculous pretence.

I think it's times like this that emphasises the difference between us and them. Their OTT emotional reaction to any event is bewildering. Much like they way they talk about their players. Have you ever noticed Celtic fans always refer to their players/managers by using their first names? "Henrik", "Lubo", "Martin" Almost as if they know them personally. It's weird.

Sorry mate that’s ridiculous. “It is what it is”. Correct - it is what it is - it is asking someone to get removed from something they don’t belong to! You are a bright guy and folk will sign the petition if it’s constituted properly. Nothing to do with the SNP. All to do with a stupidly worded petition. It honestly looks like someone just discovered change.org and did this petition sitting in the bath with a half bottle of Buckie.

Correct. Target Dornan by all means. A worthwhile endeavour. Just do it properly.

Exactly. Its a business that has a turnover towards £50m. Existing on brand and image. Board members recently put up £11m of their own money. That's a huge investment to have tarnished on an almost daily basis by a couple of silly buggers at the BBC. I would expect to see it protected as such.

Good to see 'follow-up' from the Stewart Robertson interview (RTV). However, in an ideal world it wouldn't be Jim Traynor with the delivery. We gave him his first job (contract) in PR and what we've had in return is very much a beginner whose style is so ingrained it won't change. I'd much rather have a combative lawyer who knew his stuff but boxed clever. I appreciate that may be costly but how much do we want this sorted.