Leaderboard

Neither Rangers nor Celtic need any help from the S.F.A. or S.P.F.L. The other teams can't compete at the moment. How do we expect them to compete if the fixtures get re-arranged to help Rangers and Celtic? As for the national team, I couldn't care less about them. If the fixtures change to help them then I will be most disappointed. I suspect Lennon is more concerned about having several first team players in the Scotland team.

A simple routine victory and praise for not reacting to the Livi hammer throwers. Now another bloody international break.

It's a performance from which I take tremendous pride. Playing a mob of hammer throwers, with little protection from the Referee, on an awful pitch is a challenging proposition; add to that the exertions of a mid-week European match. It's a really admirable performance.

The hoovering up of elite level schoolboys by the rich and powerful should be discourged by governing bodies #HeavyDutyTariff What is the point of youth development if you are going to lose the very players that might be good enough to develop relatively quickly and produce both on the pitch and in eventual transfer fee revenue. It's fair enough to talk about providing pathways but realistically, you need your best prospects, so as it makes sense for the first team manager. Under the present rules / rich club strategy...Barry Ferguson might not of ever played a first team game for Rangers.

Every game is a must win game. He has already shown he will rotate his team. We know Morelos is the best striker we’ve had in ages but burn him out at our peril. we should have more than enough for Livvy, even on their shitty plastic pitch. Defoe is still a quality striker who knows where the net is. keep riding Morelos till he’s exhausted and can’t play in important Europa and OF games ?? Not for this bear.

There are plenty reasons we should never forget OR forgive Scottish football for.

I've really missed these professional performances, where we don't play particularly well but are physical, tough, clinical and get the win. I don't think we've had that since Walter.

Would be nice to see that graphic repeated on the 29th of December. Well done lads !

The Winter 2019/20 Transfer Window Rumours and Deals - Thread SIGNED in January 2019: Ianis Hagi (21) - attacking midfielder, Racing Genk, contract till 20xx, loaned till end of season (with buying option) - LINK GONE in January 2019: Andy King - loan deal cut short, returns to Leicester City Eros Grezda - (contract terminated) signed for Osijek on a permanent deal (06/01/2020) Zak Rudden - Partick Thistle (after loan deal, now permanent with future options), undisclosed - LINK Eduardo Herrera - Club Puebla on a permanent deal - LINK OUT or AWAY (as of 20/01/2020) OL - Robbie McCrorie - season long loan at Queen of the South - STATS 2019/20 OL - Jordan Rossiter () - CMF, contract till 2020 - loaned to Fleetwood Town till end of season - STATS 2019/20 OL - Ross McCrorie (born 18.03.1998) – contract till 2022 - loaned to Portsmouth FC for the season long - STATS 2019/20 OL - Stephen Kelly (19) - contract till ... - loaned to Ayr United - STATS 2019/20 OL - Cammy Palmer (19) - contract till 2021 - loaned to Partick Thistle - STATS 2019/20 OL - Jak Alnwick (17.06.1993) - contract till 2020 - loaned to Blackpool till the end of the season - STATS 2019/20 OL - Jake Hastie - right winger, loaned to Rotherham United FC till summer 2020 - STATS 2019/20 OL - Jason Holt - loaned to St Johnstone FC till summer 2020 - STATS 2019/20 OL - Jamie Barjonas - Partick Thistle - loan till end of season - LINK OL - Jamie Murphy - Burton Albion - loan till end of season - LINK RETURNING pre summer 2020: OL - Josh McPake (17) left winger - 6-month loan to Dundee FC - now back - STATS 2019/20 OL - Eduardo Herrera - loaned to Necaxa FC till January 2020 - STATS 2019/20 OL - Glenn Middleton () left winger - season long loan to Hibernian till summer 2020 - STATS 2019/20 - deal cut short OL - Jake Hastie (winger) - season long loan to Rotherham United cut short by mutual agreement - LINK RUMOURS: IN - Lewis Ferguson (21) - Aberdeen, central midfielder, contract till 2024 (Link on 1st page below) + Seemingly only paper talk IN - Mostafa Mohamed (22) - Zamalek, striker, contract till ??? IN - Lovro Majer () - Dinamo Zagreb, AM, contract till 2023 IN - Lyle Taylor (29) - Charlton Atheltic, striker, contract till 2020 IN - Olivier Giroud (33) - Chelsea, striker, contract till 2020 IN - Herbie Kane (21) - Liverpool, CM, contract till ??? (signed a new one with Liverpool in December 2018) - LINK - Stats at TM IN - Tyrese Campbell () - Stoke City, contract till summer 2020 - various sources, ID 10 verified IN - Matěj Vydra (28) - Burnley, striker, contract till 20xx - loan deal till summer IN - Florin Kamberi () - Hibernian, striker, contract till 20xx, loan deal till summer with buying option OUT - Alfredo Morelos -> Crystal Palace & Leicester City ... Inter Milan, Sevilla ... OUT - Glen Kamara -> Brighton & Crystal Palace - LINK and Leeds for 8m LINK - New Link 02/01/2020 OUT - James Tavernier -> "EPL sides" - LINK OUT - Wes Foderingham -> Middlesbrough FC - LINK OUT - Andy King - loan deal cut short - DONE OUT - Greg Docherty - on loan to ... Sunderland? or Hibernian OUT - Eduardo Herrera - loaned to Necaxa FC till January 2020 - possible  deal with Atletico San Luis - DONE OUT - Borna Barasic - loan to AS Roma with permanent deal in summer OUT - Jamie Murphy - loan to Burton- DONE OUT - Glen Middleton - loan to ... St. Mirren? OUT - Robb McCrorie - on loan to Livingston till end of season OUT - Jordan Houston - to Ayr United (with sell-on options) OUT - Jak Alnwick - pre-contract with Blackpool FC OUT - Conor Goldson - interest from Leeds, West Brom and Fulham OUT - Jordan Jones - loan interest from Sunderland with buying option CONTRACT EXTENSIONS Steven Davis, Allan McGregor, Jermaine Defoe - LINK - Defoe till 2021 LINK NON-STARTERS: IN - OUT - SQUAD as of 10 / 11 / 2019 (Squad listed in order of remaining length of contract) For running updates, see here: https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/glasgow-rangers/startseite/verein/124 Goal: Wesley Foderingham (28) – contract till 2020 Allan McGregor (37) – contract till 2021 Andy Firth (22), Barrow FC, goalkeeper, contract till 2020 - extended in January 2020 till summer 2021 - LINK Defence Jon Flanagan (25) - right-back - contract till 2020 Matt Polster (25) – right fullback/midfield, contract till summer 2021 James Tavernier (28) – contract till 2022 Connor Goldson (25) - centre half, contract till 2022 Borna Barisic (25) - left-back - contract till 2022 George Edmundson (21) - centre-half, contract till 2023 Filip Helander (23) - centre half, contract till 2023 Nikola Katic - centre-half, 21 - contract till 2023 Midfield Steven Davis (34) – contract till 2021 Sheyi Ojo (22) - loaned from Liverpool (u23), right winger - loan till summer 2020 Andrew Halliday (28) – LMF, left fullback, contract till 2020 (Jamie Murphy (30) - left-winger, contract till 2021 - on loan to Burton till summer 2020) Scott Arfield (31) - contract till 2022 Greg Docherty (23) – CMF, contract till 2022 Brandon Barker (23) - left winger, contract till 2022 Glen Kamara (23) - CMF, contract till 2023 Ryan Jack (27) – CMF, contract till 2023 Jordan Jones (25) left midfield, contract till 2023 Joe Aribo (23) - attacking midfielder, contract till 2023 Ryan Kent (22) - forward, contract till 2023 Jake Hastie (21) - winger, contract till 2023 Strikers Jermain Defoe (37) - striker, loaned from Bournemouth till summer 2020 - Contract extension & permanent deal till 2021 SIGNED - 25/01/2020 Greg Stewart (29) - striker, contract till 2021 Alfredo Morelos (23) – striker, contract till 2023 Coaching Staff TBC Squad in 2019/2020 as of (10th November 2019) https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/glasgow-rangers/kadernaechstesaison/verein/124

Only that he and his club are insignificant and would not have gained as much as the club that "shall not be named". 2008 is when sporting integrity went out of the window ... where it was raped in 2012 by moon howlers living there.

A deserved 3 points against an anti football mob who do nothing to promote the Scottish game to broadcasters and plenty to negate broadcast interest. I generally have empathy for these teams with such limited budgets but currently not them. The league could do without their like and I find myself hoping they drift down to the bottom 2 then lose to Ayr in a playoff. Ayr also have limited resources but can still manage a grass pitch.

We've had a few of those this season although I don't think today necessarily qualifies. We've certainly played worse this term and won.

Gerrard in his post match interview just makes you like him all the more. Spot on about his comments pre-game and how Holt should actually read what Gerrard said.

Our back 4 looks very solid right now. No coincidence given we’ve a consistent back four. Very tough on Katic but Helander and Goldson look very solid.

A very good, solid win and we have to be happy with that going into a another fortnight's break. The players have worked hard since the last break and the results have been excellent so they should take a lot of confidence into the next round of games which will really separate the wheat from the chaff.

How much confidence is Barisic playing with ????

Think Kamara has been fantastic today. Simple pass and move and he’s creating space for not just himself but others too

A fairly decent first-half - not many clear cut chances but we're going about our business professionally and not getting drawn into their physical antics. However, we do need to be a bit more patient on the ball and a bit stronger when receiving it. Do that and we're capable of passing around their mid block and creating space just as we did at the goal which came at a very good time. Have liked us going direct from time to time though and Goldson's range of passing has been terrific so far. Still a lot of football left in the game though and Livi have looked dangerous once or twice. A second goal would be a big help!

Connor Goldson is having another good game.

Opportunity for Aribo to continue the upturn in form and that he can cope with the physical nature of Livingston's game. Slightly surprised Kent starts but he has the International break to recover. I see Dykes is starting for the first time in 3 weeks so our central defenders should be issued with gum shields, if not motorcycle helmets.

I suspect you continue to wear that green rag on your napper? If the above occurs, I'll wear the green rag too.

Last 32: Man Utd (SG would love it) Last 16: Inter Milan (major scalp) Last 8: Zenit (Retribution now that we can score goals as well as defend) Semi: Celtic (It would be epic and them getting a run would mean Thurs/Sunday for them as well) Final: Arsenal (Tierney can emulate his heroes from Seville and pick-up a runners-up medal)

We returned from the last international break to play Hearts at Tynecastle. We were top of the table, Hearts were a point or two off the bottom. We knew what to expect, the ball would be lumped into our box at every opportunity and supported heavily. We started poorly, the Jambos were camped in our final third for twenty minutes. We were 1-zero down and had survived another couple of scares. Today before the next international break, Livi' will be more of the same. We must start well, on the front foot, take the game to Livi'. Dictate the tempo and we should win comfortably. It is essential we score first and second, whilst retaining defensive discipline. The surface is what it is, ignore it, get the victory and hopefully we will not have to revisit it this season?

In his preview, JFK1 talked of going back to the bread and butter SPFL. I'd add the Livingston trademark of blood and snotters served on a plastic plate, often watched by more than 2 plastic seats to every paying customer. The governing bodies should be looking to reduce the plastic and discourage such a unedifying menu if it wants to improve general standards in the game. I don't think this is going to be a game for the faint of heart or too many 'fringe players'. I think the terms often used are go again and max-out prior to the International break. Not a game to start slowly either. The fast start and early goal in our League Cup win was fundamental to progress that night. Opposition teamsheet will be of interest today, to see if Dykes starts or not. For us, two from Ojo and Arfield/Aribo might come in (for Kent and Barker) Unless Davis or Jack have knocks/niggles, I'd play both. I'd start Morelos but look to give Defoe 30-45 minutes dependent on how the game was going. Defence the same. No excuses, has to be a non-negotiable 3 points.

Why would SG want to start with Defoe??? It’s a must win game. Morelos is the best striker we’ve had since McCoist (not forgetting Negri’s 6 months) .

According to the Sheffield Utd manager it was a bad result for Sheffield Utd as they were the better team.

So with the excitement and I might add exhilaration of Rangers clash with Porto behind us and a 2-0 win under the belt it's back to the bread and butter. The 'hammer throwers' of Scottish football beckon. Rangers visit Livingston and their dreaded plastic for the second time this season the first of which was a 1-0 Rangers win in the league cup quarter final. Rangers took the lead after just 5 minutes in that game when a Kamara strike from around 20 yards was deflected into the goal off the knee of a Livingston defender for what turned out to be the only goal of the game. From there even though Rangers had 60% of the possession and 6 shots on target to 0 for Livi the most striking feature of the game was what I would euphemistically call the 'physicality' of Livingston. Both Ryan Jack plus Joe Aribo sustained head injuries and while Jack was ultimately able to carry on Aribo was more seriously injured by an elbow to the head which resulted in a wound requiring 20 stitches to close. A total of 6 yellow cards were flashed by the referee 4 of them for Livi one of those cards being directed at London Dykes for a late challenge on Connor Goldson. This actually appeared to continue a pattern of Dykes assaults on Goldson after Dykes had been red carded at Ibrox during a league match some weeks earlier in which Rangers ran out 3-1 winners. Goldson was left lying on the Ibrox pitch requiring treatment after Dykes delivered what we might begin calling the Livi special, an elbow to the head. I'm focusing on this aspect because that's exactly what I expect to see again in this game. I actually have real concerns for the health and safety of Rangers players against a side who have accumulated a total of 22 yellow cards and 2 reds across 18 games this season. It's the third worst record in the league behind first placed Motherwell and second placed Hearts. And take note that a full third of these Livingston cards, 8 to be precise encompassing 7 yellows and 1 red came in just two games against Rangers. A shocking disciplinary record against Rangers in just two games resulting in 3 head injuries one of them serious. We know we're far and away the better team and they know it too. We only need to be allowed to play football to win this game and obviously it's going to be up to the referee to allow that to happen. If the referee does his job I predict a comfortable 2 or 3 goal win if not it may be tighter with us still being dominant but unable to actually impose our class in a game likely littered with stoppages for constant fouling and time wasting. Let's hope to get through this with another vital 3 away points and no cracked skulls.

I calculated that Liverpool dropped an average 0.44 points per game over the 38 game season last time out. With 26 games remaining if that average continued they would be set to drop a further 11.63 the rest of the season. Let's call it 12 and since they already have a 9 point lead over City who you have to expect will themselves drop more points it's well within Liverpool's hands to take the title.

'Don’t help Rangers' Former SFA president George Peat reveals begging phonecall from top chairman The Ibrox side faced Zenit St Petersburg in the 2008 UEFA Cup Final amid acrimony over fixture congestion. Former SFA president George Peat has revealed he received a phonecall from a prominent club chairman begging him not to help Rangers "in any way". Back in 2008 the Ibrox club had reached the UEFA Cup Final where they were preparing to face Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester. But Walter Smith’s side faced a major fixture backlog as they fought on three separate fronts – the league and Scottish Cup as well as their European adventure. Rangers played five games over 11 days that season and Scottish football’s authorities decided to help. League bosses – the SPL as it was then – delayed the final day of the competition till after the European Final. But it was not the extension Rangers had called for and figures such as Smith and David Murray reacted with fury. Now Peat, who stepped down from the SFA presidency in 2011, has disclosed there was one unnamed club that simply did not want any assistance to be extended Rangers’ way. In an interview with the BBC , Peat said: "One thing disappointed me from my time there. "I remember Rangers got to the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester and I received a phonecall from a prominent chairman of a club requesting me not to help Rangers in any way. "It just so happened I had already had a meeting with Lex Gold of the SPL. We were willing to extend the season because of the fixture pile-up Rangers had. "And I was most disappointed to have got back to the office and receive this call. He asked me not to help them in any way. "That really stuck in my throat. I just said 'no', I’m not doing it. "The prominent club asked me not to and I refused. I’d rather not name the club." Rangers lost to Zenit, finished behind Celtic in the league but won the Scottish Cup after defeating Queen of the South in the Final. The league season ended on May 22 with the cup final taking place two days later. Then-Ibrox chairman Murray said the rest of the football world would have reacted with "disbelief" at the decision not to postpone Rangers' clash with Dundee United ahead of the Euro final on May 14. He said in 2008: "Throughout the world people will laugh at this decision in disbelief, and none more so than in Russia as their own association have done everything they can to assist FC Zenit St Petersburg. "We were not asking that all games be called off, simply one match prior to such a prestigious European final. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dont-help-rangers-sfa-president-13261722

We arra people

Yes, I love that type of player. Nothing fancy, but it's important and effective.

What a player Alfredo is. Couldn’t love the wee man anymore !!!

Pleased with that 1st half, we are looking strong and positive. This was never going to be a classic, their keeper had a great save from Kamara. We do need at least another one goal.

What's that, a reverse jinx? I'll take it.

Pardon??

He can rest next week

Fine by me and good idea to "rest" Davis from that hellish surface.

Those days are long gone but I still have my old field beret as a keepsake. I'll bring it with me and give it to you in Gdansk next May.

Finally ...

Of course. You could argue that Morelos would've a bargain had we paid £9 million for him. At £1 million he was an excellent piece of business.

Here's another reason they will be hating McInnes and demanding he be sacked. From the Record today. Now he's simply being realistic, he knows a second place far less a first place is impossible and will remain so for the foreseeable future. But in their fantasy baa baa land they're contenders and any manager who concedes otherwise has to go. To be replaced by, well I don't know. Maybe Harry Potter to cast a magic spell which turns their freebie squad into Real Madrid? There shall be no realism in baa baa land.

Have it on reasonably good authority (ex first teamed)... and it should come as little surprise.... that Windass was considered a very good footballer but was also the type of player who would “get a manager sacked” because he’s thick as fuck and struggles with instruction. All part of the reason when Wenger went to Arsenal he brought in a sports psychologist called Jacques Crevoisier (who was part of Liverpool back room team when Gerrard cal takes them to the CL) and created a 100+ question questionnaire for potential new Arsenal recruits. Didn’t pass ? Didn’t get signed.

Incredible run by Preston and Alex Neil with one of the smallest budgets maybe even the smallest in that league. I hope they go all the way.

I too think we could give fringe players some time. This isn't going to be about being a better footballing side than them, our second 11 are a better footballing side than them. I listened to a Record podcast discussing this game and every one of them stated the opinion that this is going to be a "horrible game to watch" I'm tired of the likes of them getting away with what they do and calling it football. Then we whine that no one wants to pony up a good TV deal. Why would they? For a "horrible watch"

The SNP cavalry rides in to buy off the child abusers of Celtic FC and the Catholic Church with taxpayers' money.