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Every time I watch Alfredo this season I'm convinced Gerrard has had him spend the summer on a psychologist's couch, in a manner of speaking. The difference in his demeanour and his reaction to being fouled is huge. He looks a much more confident and happy player, without having lost an inch of his ability. It says a lot for our management team that they've steered his attitude in so positive a direction.

Listened to last night Sportsound (after enjoying Tuesdays so much ?) Any mentions were fair enough and complementary, as they shouldve been. Big problem was 90% of coverage was on Aberdeen's disaster. A huge game a mile away from their studio and a massive result and performance for a Scottish team and they weren't able to comment, even if they'd wanted too. Embarrassing stuff.

He also seems to be really enjoying himself right now. I can’t be the only one who sees him with more of a happy demeanor since Gerrard came in and particularly this season. He still hates missing chances and scowls but outside of that he seems far more a part of the collective unit.

It's early days but the scouting team need a mention. In normal circumstances we would not be able to afford Aribo but the we've assessed it and have taken advantage of the contract situation. We need to box clever in the market and this is a great example of how we are progressing on that front.

For me it was Connor Goldson last night. He absolutely strolled through the game and was terrific at the back. Sure, like any player he had one or two dodgy moments but, for me, he dominated at the back and was also superb on the ball once again. Ojo and Jack were also first class but the attacker tired badly after half-time and with Jack also going off, Goldson deserves the award for another top class 90mins.

Thus far, Peter has fail failed to inform Buttermilk Tom what to think reference Aberdeen and Rangers. Further, Tom's mouth is full at the moment.

I don’t think a second or two was available.

It was but one blip throughout the game ... which could be analyzed, but we should not overdo this. If everyone would play perfect football all game, we wouldn`t have any goals ... Essentially much like Killies goal against us (which Arfield's tackle set in motion, methinks), it came from an incident that got wrong. We had a few in those minutes, but handled their period of pressure well enough. Perhaps wee lost a bit of bite with Jack (and I thought Arfield would be pulled instead of him) while Docherty needed to find his feet. Likewise, the Danes were no mucks and the scorelines probably do them not much justice, as opposed to Hibs on Sunday.

I tried to recall the last player we bought and improved but I can't remember anyone, and I'm going back 40 years. However Katic, Tav, Kent, Morelos, Jack, and Halliday have all improved greatly under this management team. It's difficult enough to improve players' skills, but almost impossible to change their attitude and behaviour so I too am intrigued as to why Morelos looks like a different person this season. Jack has also changed mentally as I've mentioned in another thread. If we can demonstrate our ability to develop players, it'll be such an attraction for young players. And given that loan deals will continue to be a part of our future, this only improves our chances of securing the hottest talents from bigger clubs.

Sorry the only one I see here making the right decision is Katic. Katic has to go to him. If he stays with his player the attacking back can run in on goal. Goldson is standing watching instead of moving across. Tavernier is marking Goldson and could have taken Koby if Goldson made an effort to get to the other player. Kamara is a mile from his player. Davis is watching and Docherty had seen the man at the back post but is too late to get to him to play a part. Blaming Katic for this is a joke. If anybody has made a wrong lazy decision here it is Goldson.

Job done!

I think the chances of him departing in this window have greatly diminished. Everybody knows the EPL is what he wants and that particular option is now gone till January. And come January presuming we're in a title chase I don't want any key players being allowed to go. He's only 23 and he's contracted till 2023 so we hold all the aces. He can wait another year and if he can continue in this kind of form chances are he might get a step higher up the EPL ladder than he would right now. He's been getting better year upon year since he arrived but I truly think his development has kicked up a gear or two under Gerrard.

As a spectator I find it difficult, if not impossible, to identify honest or lazy mistakes. To do so would require a level of telepathy that I don't possess.

I though Davis did well at times but faded badly as the game entered the final quarter and was caught in possession more times than is healthy. As for Jack, the loss of control of the ball after he went off probably suggests he's currently the keystone of our midfield, not Davis.

I absolutely love these articles. There's so much to learn about Rangers, so much that would be lost without people like The Moonlighter bringing it to the attention of the current generations of fans. I would like to think these articles are shared across all Rangers websites.

Just a shade behind our squad value. https://www.transfermarkt.us/fc-midtjylland/startseite/verein/865

I think you miss the point. Katic could have waited. He didn’t have to rush out immediately. That then gives Goldson and Tav a second or two to pick up the other players. nothing to do with Goldson waiting.

Thanks for that. That is hilarious. Is Kennedy untouchable at Celtic? Must have pics of Liewell in a compromised position

While I think Flanagan has been fairly steady, I agree with you. Barisic still looks uncomfortable when he plays. I think you & I are the only Rangers fans that think Halliday is the better of the three?, Halliday almost always puts in better performances than both Flanagan & Barisic. It is a position we are not as strong in compared to all other positions, IMO.

I don't believe there's any need to wait. He's a class act and a fantastic signing.

Yes, here is a fuller version:

Other clubs who were interested in him must be kicking themselves. ?

The biggest mistake Katic made in this sequence was the TIMING of moving out to the winger. Had he waited a second or two Goldson would have been able to see Katic had no option but to go out, he could then have stepped over to Katic' player and Tav could have stepped onto Kaba. Katic DID have to step out to the winger, but not whilst the winger was THAT wide - wait a second to let Goldson and Tav see the situation in front of them and step across as a unit. That said, had they done that the player at the back post is also completely unmarked with Tav having taken Kaba, and Docherty nowhere. It was a bad goal to lose but laying the largest portion of blame on Katic is unfair IMHO - Flanagan broke up the attacking phase and instead of lumping it he tried a first time pass into feet just 5 yards ahead of himself. Flanagan caused the goal with a poor initial decision and then tripping up, leaving that whole wing wide open. Katic DID make the mistake of just rushing to winger instead of trying to split winger and his own player until he HAD to step out. I'm not overly concerned about it though because it shows just how much confidence this team is playing with when they are looking to make defensive 1st time passes to break quickly.

Isn't it great we are discussing football matters and not off field matters.

Really good piece!!! I note his successful tackles per game but I wonder what his interceptions rate is. He does tackle, but on so many more occasions he seems to just nip in and intercept the ball to start our attacks. I've noticed that he actually steps off his man to entice the pass, only to step in and take it off his toes. He's clearly thinking about this and shows an awareness that's evident in the top players. I don't think there's any doubt that we will enjoy watching him this season. I only hope the lure of Champions League football is enough to keep him for next season too because I expect a number of hefty bids for this boy next summer.

I would be quite happy if he could master one.

Thing is Morelos hasn't had much exposure to the Scottish cloggers & crap Scottish refs yet!

So far so good

While much has improved, I've got to agree with this. Seems to me it's been some time since both fullback positions performed well at the same time. I'll also risk criticism by suggesting Andy King might be necessary cover in midfield, where really good recent performances seem incapable of being continued throughout 90 minutes. Every game seems to have a spell where we lose control of the ball and our momentum drops significantly.

Good article with really solid analysis, so hat's off for that. Aribo looks to be one hell of a player who can really help us unlock stubborn defences. He's got plenty of room to grow and develop at Rangers and being mentored by the likes of Gerrard and McAllister ought to be any central midfielder's dream. Here's hoping he continues to do the business for us.

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Ojo for me was a thorn in the sides of defenders all night and 2 assists and a goal makes it hard for me to see past him. The referee could have given him a number of fouls that he strangely chose to play on. I actually thought Jack was not as good as normal. Certainly not bad! Just a notch below his normal standard. As I said in another thread, Davis can be fantastic but also frustrating at times when he slows the game down when there are better options available. If we lose Morelos in this transfer window i would head direct to Denmark and sign Sory Kaby. I think he would score for fun in our team and he links play very good as well

I’m not saying Katic isn’t playing well, but it’s been four games in a row where he’s played well but then made a big mistake which has cost goals or created a good chance for the opposition. Of the three we conceded in this tie he was directly responsible for two and what is worrying is that it was the exact same thing, needlessly closing down the ball while leaving his man wide open in a goalscoring position. Goldson certainly saw it that way last night. The good thing is that he has the makings of a top player and the tactical side of the game is teachable, I just think in the meantime it’s important to get Helander fit to bed him in and hopefully allow us to concede fewer goals. He is 26 and an experienced centre back who wouldn’t make these kind of mistakes.

I wasn't at the game last night but usually you can hear Goldson shouting during matches and he is very vocal so I'm not overly worried about that. Agree about Kaby and Evander. Both are raw but definitely lots of potential.

I went for Goldson too. I also think he was immense last night and seemed to grow in stature. One thing I'd like to see more of is his verbal leadership. I was so pleased to hear Gerrard talk in his reaction interview about the need for the more experienced players to guide the others during stages of the match. Goldson and Davis need to be more vocal with those around them. Katic, Kamara, and Ojo could have been guided a bit more last night as a few times they were being dragged out of position by their very clever attacking players. That's when our more experienced guys need to be heard. While we are on the subject of their players, it has to be said that at least 3 of their players were excellent against us. I thought Sory Kaby (?) and Evander in particular looked superb. Some of the skill they have is top drawer and it deserves a mention. I thought our defence handled them really well and I doubt we will have more skilful attackers to deal with in our domestic league.

I think you're being unnecessarily harsh on Katic. I'd agree one of his biggest flaws is his positioning however, in some ways, it's a strength as he's mobile enough to cover and that's when he's usually dragged out to help Goldson and/or whoever is playing at full back. It doesn't help we're chopping and changing left-back as well. FWIW, I think our centre-backs have also been instructed to defend high up the pitch to allow us to win the ball back quickly. This is related to the signing of Helander who likes to attack the ball in offensive areas and it does mean we can get caught out in behind now and again - especially when midfield players don't cover or the full backs go wondering. I felt Kamara and Tav were guilty of switching off last night and obviously Flanagan cost the goal with his poor play. As for Goldson, he has been the pick of the bunch defensively for me so far this campaign. Yes, he's made a few mistakes but he's leading from the back - both in terms of his defensive play and organisation - but also in his distribution which has improved massively over the last six months. That's why he's first choice and vice-skipper but the efforts of Katic should be recognised too as he's done very well during the last month or two of last season and this opening to this term. I agree the manager has to take care with him and that Helander may be rotated in but, suffice to say, I'm just as comfortable with Katic as anyone else to be honest.

It's another victory for us, and a step closer to group stages. I think we can beat leggia, i think these danes were abour on same level. Leta hope so. Excited for old firm too, Stevie G is certainly building us a good squad and bring on 55.

I don't doubt you. I took that statistic from Rangers TV commentary.

Gerrard on the ‘send-off’ he gave ex-Celtic star Sviatchenko as Rangers beat Midtjylland STEVEN GERRARD has played down an alleged coming together with ex-Celtic star Erik Sviatchenko. The Rangers boss exchanged words with the defender after sweeping aside FC Midtjylland at Ibrox. He said: “‘I just wished him all the best for the remainder of the season. “He had obviously been speaking quite a lot through the media over where he is from. “So it was just a little send-off for him." Gers announced the season-long loan capture of Andy King from Leicester just minutes after setting up a Europa League play-off against Legia Warsaw. And Gerrard thanked Brendan Rodgers for allowing the midfielder to become his TENTH signing of the summer. He said: “We thank Leicester for the opportunity because you and I know from a financial situation there is no way in the world we can bring Premier League players in here. “The opportunity to get Andy came up in the last 24 hours and I jumped at the chance for numerous reasons. “One, he is a winner, a Premier League winner. One, because he has had numerous caps at international level. “Over the course of the last 14 months I have been trying to build a squad but a lot of the guys are very young – they need leadership and guidance in the dressing room. “So It was a no brainer. “Financially was well, it made total sense. It is a season long loan, I think Leicester have got a call back on it, but it will be a season long loan.” Gerrard also quelled injury fears over goal hero Alfredo Morelos, saying: “He's very tough. I think he's took a bit of a whack but I've just asked him how he is and he thinks he will be fine." Meanwhile FC Midtjylland boss Kenneth Andersen believes Rangers will be too good for Legia in the play off round - backing Gers for a return to the Group Stages. He confessed: “It was a tough night for my team, but congratulations to Rangers because over the two games they have been much more sharper than us. “They have shown their qualities over the two games. “I believe Rangers can go far for sure, they have a very good squad.” https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/4610001/erik-sviatchenko-steven-gerrard-rangers-celtic/

I actually found tonight incredibly frustrating, at times some of our inter play was brilliant , we can take the ball in tight and play our way out so easily it beautiful to watch , but when we sprung forward our final passes time after time were either under or over played . I know I’m being ultra picky and the Danes are a decent team but we play slack like that later on and we are getting punished for it . Thought both CBS were excellent , don’t know really what all the fuss is over Goodson ,thought he was tremendous tonight and big Nico was excellent also , poorest performers imho were both full backs , but you can’t play brilliant every game . Last point , if Ojo can find a bit of dig and aggression he will go on to be some player , just feel he needs to want it more if that makes sense .

You are absolutely Joking. Katic was immense tonight and Goldson was a bombscare on two occasions that nearly cost goals. in the 2nd minute Goldson was poor in letting Anderson shoot just past the post. That could have been a game changer. Later McGregor had a great save with his legs after Goldson failed to cut out a cross. Apart from that Goldson was solid but in every game he has bombscare moments.

Only saw bits of the game, excellent result. My main takeaway is Ojo again. 2 assists and another goal. I’m going to continue my Ojo goal count and confirm that his total of 4 goals now puts him only two behind the full season total of the man he replaced Kent. And it’s the 15th of August ? Ojo has added goal threat to our team, he doesn’t play as a winger he plays as a forward and we badly needed that. And he’s by no means the finished article, he can be wasteful. But he’s finding the back of the net often enough despite that. Katic. This seems to be a recurring theme and I’m beginning to think we need Helander fit asap and Gerrard knew exactly what he was doing signing him. Ok Flanagan takes a lot of the blame for the goal conceded, slack pass that allowed them in behind him. But the inexperience and poor decision making involved in deciding to leave your man open in the 6 yard box while you go and attempt to block a cross from out wide, an almost impossible task anyway, no wonder Goldson was furious. The “Katic is our best CB” myth needs to end, he’s a good player that we need to develop. Goldson is our best centre back and we need to get Helander in the team because Katic is making costly mistakes in every game right now. He gets off with a lot of them but he’s cost us several goals already this season.

Fuck Aberdeen. They have been in our rear-view mirror since the day Gerrard was appointed

Sooner or later, the time is approaching when these people will look down and be shocked to see Rangers are no longer in their usual place below them. Then they'll have that moment of horror and look upwards for the first time in years to see us smiling down at them. And the pendulum will have swung, as it always does.