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PS: I don't actually think Arfield and Tav are playing that well at the moment and that's why our attacking play has been stifled a wee bit compared to earlier in the summer but neither player has changed their position or role. They're just a wee bit off-form. It happens.

We're playing a 4-3-2-1 at the moment so whilst Ojo and Arfield did drift wide from time to time, they're both playing in more of an inside forward position. In the specific case of Arfield, he's actually in more of a free role and tasked with supporting the striker whilst Ojo is usually tasked with providing width where possible but tends to also stay inside to allow space for Tav. Indeed, Tav and Barisic/Halliday are the ones who are asked to provide the real width with the deeper midfield three moving into the half-space with at least one also tasked with getting in and around the box, depending on the flank we're attacking from. Aribo doesn't play in as advanced a role as Arfield but does look to get forward in such scenarios. Now, last night, you could argue we didn't need both Kamara and Jack as, whilst the latter has expressed himself well recently in attacking areas he's never going to be the #10 want to unlock deeper defences. However, with a 2-0 lead to defend it made sense to have a more pragmatic approach to begin with. Where I was surprised was how defensive Progres stayed throughout the game (until the last 10-15mins) but even then they struggled to get forward with any great structure or threat. With that in mind, you could argue someone like Arfield could have dropped deeper to play the Davis quarterback role and dispensed with, IMO, Kamara in favour of another attacking player such as Jones or Stewart. Instead, the manager preferred to introduce Docherty and I can understand that conservatism so late in the tie. All in all, our performance last night was disappointing. We should have won and won comfortably but, aside from one or two periods of poor defending, we controlled the game, controlled the tie overall and qualified with plenty to spare. Yes, we're always looking for better but the results and performances this summer have been promising. I'd hate to see what folk would have said if we'd actually lost a game or two and conceded more goals.

The first two matches are huge. Hibs and Kilmarnock are two sides we've struggled against, so victories are essential to show we've turned a corner. Additionally, with popcorn teeth in charge at the Piggery, we REALLY need to pressurise Separate Entity FC by keeping the challenge real, going into the first derby with the chance to go top of the league. Who knows how he and they will react to it because they haven't had it to deal with for nearly a decade. "Let's go!" needs to be done with some conviction.

Leigh Griffiths, a convicted racist and his wind-up merchant pal, Scott Brown, are given carte blanche to elbow, kick, tie scarves to goalposts and whatever else they fancy, while Andy Halliday is sent off for celebrating a goal in the centre circle and Morelos is watched like a hawk by the referees and their overlord, Michael ScotNat chip on his shoulder Stewart. Fair's fair.

I am worried about our summer recruitment. We have spent all our cash on center halfs and blown a great deal of wages on a central midfield. Our areas of weakness were the left flank and that's where our cash etc should have gone. Last night we had 4 million quid of buys not playing and we have 5 good central midfielders for 3 positions and not one passable option at left back or left attack. Arfield at left wing is a sick joke and will do well not to ruin him. We have brought in aribo to play where arfield finished the season on fire. Madness. We have sold our best right attacker to fund some of this. Our squad has improved but our starting 11 has regressed as we have bought all wrong. As it stands a 3 million pound CH Kamara and either Aribo or Arfield will be on the bench a lot for us. Luxuries we don't seem to be able to afford. Now it would be fair to wait to post this to see how things work out but it would also be cowardly to not say it up front. Let's hope i am wrong. In fairness it won't take much for these issues to go away. Surprising form from Halliday or Barasic and Kent on loan another year would solve most of it. Just my worries.

Glenn Middleton very close to NAC Breda move. They’ve been relegated so will be challenging at the top of the second tier. Have to say that’s surely a step up from Doncaster for him.

I should have caveated my comments by saying I had to dip in and out of the game last night so wasn't able to pay full attention to the full game. However I watched the final half hour this morning without interruptions and Ojo definitely finshed the game strongly. He kept possession well but crucially he set up tap-ins twice from brilliant runs. He should be sitting on 2 assists after that game because imo those should have been converted. As you say he is at Rangers for a reason though and my view on Ojo currently is qualified by lots of things, not least the fact that these are not league games, but I see more quality than I saw in Kent and I think Rangers and Gerrard are exactly what he needs to improve the weaker aspects of his game.

Like others have said that was a bore and very concerning. I mentioned in the other thread about our formation that as far as I could see this new formation and new players are simply producing the same football as the last lot, which is that we struggle to break teams down that are well organised and have no ambition, which accounts for about 25-30 of our SPFL league games a season, and cost us the title last season. Our refusal to shoot when 20-25 yards out means a packed defence doesnt need to come out and close down the attacker as they know we are only looking for a perfect pass or an opportunity to send it wide for a cross to nobody. This tactic hasnt changed from us at all, and all your fancy diagrams and analysis doesnt change a damn thing when we have players who, when we need it most, cant go past a man to create space, and are fearful of shooting from the edge of the box. Without a quality creative midfielder, we lack the midas touch that unlocks sides like that. If Arfield cant find space to run into, we seem to be very short on ideas. SG has spoken of this many times, and again last night, but I dont want to hear his words anymore, I want him and his very well paid and numerous coaches to sort it out, or we will again be second best to a team with no more talent than ours.

Ojo has good feet and he's quick but his footballing brain needs work. He constantly runs into players and holds on to the ball too long. The amount of times he had a great opportunity to put a player through on goal and didn't was very frustrating to watch.

I'll offer to supply official kit to Rangers next season. I'll give a guaranteed pledge of £25,000,000 payable in the first year and agree to give Rangers 50% of all profits. I have no doubt Rangers will be so impressed they will decide to pledge an investment in my sportswear company, probably in the region of (say) £25,000,000 in return for 49% of my equity. I will then sub-contract the supply of Rangers kit to someone reputable (Hummel for example) who will manufacture and supply to me as contract holder.

Yes it's two points for a win and a point for a draw but it's halved in the qualifiers; if we won, as we should have, we'd have gotten an extra half point. You also get a point for progressing.

I think we are forgetting our experience of last season. After every game, no matter who referees, BBC Scotland's Michael Stewart will re-referee the match. Who will be the first Rangers player highlighted by Michael to be cited by the Compliance(Compliant) Officer this season?

I'd start with Morelos until our creative players (do we have any?) get up to speed. Morelos creates his own chances, which is why the opposition fear him.

I used to love sitting down on a Sunday night to watch the live Italian game. Sunday's just aren't the same since some two bob channel won the rights.

After some time to think about it I’m now not so concerned about the result on the night. It would appear they were sent out to simply keep it tight, not giving anything away, and take any chances that come along. As it went on and Progres showed no ambition at all to make a game of it one description I have heard seems to sum it up. We had one team who didn’t need to go for it and didn’t while the other did need to go for it but wouldn’t. I don’t expect to see such a lack of intensity on Sunday.

Is it still going to be on that obscure channel? I used to watch every week on sky but stuff paying extra to watch it

No way the SFA\SPFL would agree to that so that is a no goer.

NAC should really be a Ere Divisie team due to the reasonable support they have. They seem to get promoted and survive for a good few seasons and then have a stinker of a season and get relegated. I would imagine that NAC will be chief candidate to be promoted so really I don't think there will be much difference between NAC and the bottom half of the Ere Divisie. If he can get a regular game I would say it is a good move

Totally agree, I think we should make our own deals tbh.

It won't be great but it will certainly be better than the 3rd tier in England. Having said that Sadiq got games for NAC Breda so...

Interesting. Maybe Pete can throw some light in the standard of the Dutch 2nd tier?

The only thing missing is the continuing efforts of the appalling SNP to suppress any formal public investigation.

There's definitely a different feel to the prospects of the upcoming season than there has been in recent times with I suspect a bit more optimism than for sometime. I have noted that even the opposition fans of the usual mocking entities have themselves slowly but surely come to believe what I believe. I believe we have already moved on to another level in this window and we're not even done yet. Gerard himself has commented that we could still be looking at two more incoming and with one of those rumoured to potentially be a relative marquee player. Yes we played some weak opposition in pre season and in Europe too but we did throw in two games against two Championship sides both littered with multi million pound players and a Ligue one side littered with multi million pound players. In those games we were still largely dominant and looking extremely potent while just as importantly looking more solid at the back. And I feel the Derby game in which we were the better side again is a demonstration of the new level we have moved on to just in terms of the SPL. As previously mentioned Derby are a side littered with multi million pound players and a side who so recently just narrowly missed out on promotion to the EPL and playing their last game before their season begins. Traditionally the last game of a pre season is against the strongest or at worse strong opposition and Derby opted to play Rangers before their season begins. How many sides in the SPL are going to be fielding any multi million pound players far less a team littered with them? Only one and that one wasn't the reason we didn't win the title last year. The reason was the hubz and killies and sheep and more. As far as I can see at this point that's going to change in our favour because I see no way the SPL outside that one can very often survive. One of the relative failures of last season was losing goals against these let's say lesser sides yet we still finished with the second best defensive record in the league as well as being highest scorers. At the back we have McGregor and now a host of quality CB's while just in front of them we have a frankly in SPL terms awesome variety of options before even mentioning the Morelos Defoe front line. If the back line performs as well as it appears they could I feel confident in predicting this team will hand out a number of thrashings both home and away. Regarding the yahoos we got the better of them on at least 3 occasions last season and can I feel take points from them again. Getting back to moving on to another level I have to speak of Steven Gerrard and why I think we have the right man at the right time to pull it off this season. Steven Gerrard has relatively recently moved to the top of lists of the greatest Liverpool players which had previously been occupied for decades by Kenny Dalglish. A point I want to highlight is the reasoning provided by an example site for Gerrard taking the number one spot while Dalglish goes down to number two. "2. Kenny Dalglish Usually the favourite pick when naming the greatest Liverpool player. It is hard to argue, but he was part of a world-class ensemble, his genius as an individual flourishing in a team already Champions of Europe when he signed in 1977" "1. Steven Gerrard A contentious choice ahead of Dalglish, but the context in which Gerrard won his trophies – in consistently reshaped teams and alongside many average players - edges him into top spot." So Steven Gerrard was a player who spent his career at a relative fallen giant for whom past domestic glory was harder to come by. And that in a new environment where many teams in the top half had better players than them and greater resources too. In that environment he played in Liverpool sides with which he still won 6 domestic honours and 3 European honours. The miracle of Istanbul an obvious classic example where he dragged that team to one of the greatest if not the greatest European cup/Champions league final comebacks of all time. Gerrard first became captain of Liverpool under Houllier at just 23 years old and was 25 in Istanbul. Houllier explained the promotion by saying that despite being so relatively young he recognised Gerrard had demonstrated leadership qualities early on, but needed to mature. At 23 he was captaining one of Europes biggest most honour laden sides during a period of relative decline in domestic success when compared to historic domestic achievement. And that's exactly the same situation he's in with us right now except this time he's manager and not a player. He's a man who has been in this very situation with one difference being that during his playing career the domestic challengers facing him were far greater in many ways than face us in the SPL. And he still prevailed though never got the holy grail of their first title in decades. He knows how to win even in situations when the opposition appear to have financial and playing advantages and that's why he may be the perfect man to have in charge at this crucial point. Aside from his experience of leading in a scenario such as that described above I feel the vast experience of such an all time great who has played at every level will have given him an eye for a player and a knowledge of how to then construct a potent side. To me this is his first real transfer window. When he came in last June what followed was a rush to build a team with little time for in depth research and analysis and for that reason some mistakes were made. The January window arguably somewhat better and now this window which he has had a whole year of experience in Scotland to contemplate. He now knows exactly what Scottish football is all about has been to all of the grounds and knows what they're all about. All of that alongside what I would say is a major strengthening of the team means to me that we are now looking at a season immeasurably different from the last few. In the last few we have been the team in turmoil with managerial changes and constant mass overhauls but now in the mix is the fact it's the yahoos who are in relative turmoil with what has to be perceived as a massive downgrade in managerial quality. We're the strengthening team with some managerial stability and though I know many fans are still wary of false dawns after our recent experiences there just feels to be a whole different ambiance so to speak. Everyone including the haters and the media are at worst tacitly conceding that we have moved on to another level. We now have so many quality options that i'm convinced we're going to find a way to break through any stubborn resistance most of the time. I feel Joe Aribo and Sheyi Ojo are going to be a revelation with both being up there amongst our high scorers. Keep it close at the back and we will be putting a distance between us and the also rans by the end of the first quarter. There is at least some credible evidence to suggest that this time could be the time.

Having watched the Blackburn match and both legs against Progres, I'd like to review my thoughts for the forthcoming season. We'll finish second in the league and won't win a cup. Pretty much a repeat of last season. Lessons have not been learned. I think I'll end up saying, "Have a dig!" or "Give him it!" about 10 million times by the New Year.

My hope is our recruitment efforts are being quietly directed elsewhere while public discussion is focussed on futile hopes of Kent re-joining.

Sorry Gazza, but that is simply not accurate when faced with the facts. Collum is a Rangers hating cheat, as is Clancy and a few others. They referee our games with a different perception of what is and isnt a foul depending on how it affects us. There were far too many incidents last season to simply say it is incompetence which is balanced across other games. If it was incompetence then surely we would have been the beneficiaries of such unbiased incompetence just as often as we were the victims? I reckon biased/cheating refereeing cost us at least 10 points last season.

Agreed. The talent is there but the brain is not - yet. That's why he's on loan to us though.

He finished the game fairly well but before that was extremely ineffective (just like Arfield and Defoe were though as well to be fair). Like I say, the lad has undoubted quality and his pace is very useful but, so far at least, despite his goals he's been wasteful and dwells on the ball too long. However, he's young and I'm hoping that fault can be coached out of him fairly quickly. If it can, then I've also no doubt he'll be a good player for us but I think saying he's very raw is fair comment.

At the end of the day, it was well documented last year that we were legally obliged to let Ashley match whatever deal we were offered. In theory the club couldn’t lose out either way. You have to wonder what bright spark thought we could just ignore this and hope SD wouldn’t notice. The same bright spark who reckoned Pedro Caixinha was the man to replace Mark Warburton, maybe..?

managers comments hit the nail right in the head .

12 mins into the season last year for Clancys red (later rescinded). I'm sure Collum will try his best to better that time.

... who was making his return after months in hiding after being caught lying about decisions made against Daniel Candeias. Trying to excuse him by claiming mere incompetence is in itself unacceptable.

If selling Morelos meant we could sign Kent permanently, I'd rather keep Morelos.

Totally useless poll as anyone can click and vote for or against a player.