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Agreed...

Just realised he's been given the No.11 shirt, following a long line of legends that could change a game single-handedly: Laudrup, Cooper, Albertz, McCann, and Josh Windass. A lot to live up to.

Fifty nine: After 59 minutes on the 20/02/2020 we were 0-2, v Braga in Hummel chevrons familiar to us but with change shorts removing their usual colour scheme from confusion with Arsenal. They looked relatable but unique, neither too different nor too ordinary. Their opening goal, pinged in from a distance almost as long as the Brazilian scorer’s full name, may have stemmed from a Rangers mistake but, in execution, looked so much like one of Ryan Jack’s brace at Ross County earlier in the season. In short, my admiration for the visitors was matching my sadness for us hosts. These guys were slick, cool and classy. If it had to be anyone I was glad it was them. In Europe, Stevie G’s Gers don’t do Hearts- and Hamilton-style humiliations. We beat who we should beat and only lose after epic struggles. Braga did induce some boos at this point. They were taking so long to celebrate the goal which had surely won the tie. But most of us were quite happy for them to take their time. This was a team who hadn’t lost their previous 13 European ties. They’d done super rich Wolves at Molineux. The BT clock hits 60:02 before Ruiz is back in his own half and Ryan Kent can finally restart the game. Sixty minutes. I spent much of the next five minutes worrying we might get skelped. We don’t embarrass anyone in Europe under Gerrard but we don’t get embarrassed. Then it hit off the back of number 60 and into the Copland net and within a heartbeat we’re winning 3-2 and, six days later, amid unseasonal sun and Iberian balm, precisely as the clock hit 60:00, Connor Goldson made the interception which led to the only goal of the night – the killer pass played by Ianis Hagi, the man who’d really won the tie, who was born on 22 October 1998, the night we beat Bayer in Leverkusen in the UEFA Cup. I wondered who we’d draw in the next round... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To misquote a German born ten months before Bayer Leverkusen, to write poetry in the middle of a global pandemic is barbaric. But Theodor Adorno was an accomplished composer as well as a renowned philosopher, and he wouldn’t fail to see the lyrical symbolism of Steven Gerrard’s two European campaigns as Rangers manager. Gerrard’s first competitive game in charge of our club was a Europa League qualifier first leg, won comfortably at Ibrox on, of all 2018 dates, the 12th of July. The last game his Rangers played before we entered those four Covid-afflicted months without our club – when over 46,000 Rangers fans last breathed the same air as our team - was a Europa League Round of 16 first leg. Between times he led us through two epic qualifying round campaigns and two exhaustingly tight group stages. Rangers produced the most thrilling of all their performances to triumph over Braga in the 2019-20 round of 32 but “easy” is a rare concept in these unrelenting European runs. It’s fitting we’ve had to wait five months to play our 32nd UEFA competition game under Stevie G. It’s trite to say even Covid-19 couldn’t put this side out of Europe. But one year before Gerrard’s arrival, our all-time most humiliating European result came, like a tacky limerick, against a club called Progres. From March to August 2020, while the SPFL divisional titles were called early and we pondered another domestic silverware blank, there was something almost inevitable about each leg of this tie straddling lockdown like a heroic couplet. A second leg providing another 3-1 win for the away team would complete the most beautiful rhyme imaginable but, if I’m honest, this Thursday I just want to see us make a game of it - maybe even a tie. Live Podcast this Sunday This Sunday at 9.30pm we'll have another Gersnet Podcast live on Youtube. Don't miss it and remember you can take part via the chat facility! VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL Leverkusen aren’t as match fit as ourselves, their last competitive game being the German Cup final of one month ago. They’re a side who missed out on the 2020-21 Champions League thanks to occasional, massive glitches in form, losing by the kind of score-line which would indeed put us into the 2019-20 Europa League quarter-finals. But their usual form is sublime. They can still easily qualify for that Champions League by winning this Europa League outright. The total lack of fans in the Bay Arena this Thursday may have freaked them out slightly more than us if it hadn’t been for the fact they acclimatised to it when the Bundesliga restarted and completed 2019-20, from May to July. Most of that was live on BT Sport and Leverkusen, as the last team I’d seen win in the flesh, were of particular interest in this first few weeks of football back on the telly. They were as worryingly impressive from my sofa as they were from my seat in the Main Stand. Wunderkind Kai Havertz may be off soon. However, even if he departed for pastures Chelsea before Thursday, Leverkusen have quality all over the park and seem to produce child prodigies faster than oor Alfie gains fat in the off-season. Florian Wirtz became, at one month over 17, the Bundesliga’s youngest ever scorer back in June with a consolation against Bayern bloody Munich. Our own main hope is that Mr Morelos does like Daniel Cousin at Parkhead in August 2008 and advertises himself to the continent’s big spenders by putting in his finest performance yet. But even if, come kick-off, Alfie’s disinterested, 'unavailable' or even sold, it’s when you have the phrase “we’re up against it” on your lips, but can’t quite spit it out, that you realise exactly what Gerrard’s done for us. Villarreal effectively beaten on away goals in two group stage draws with a Liga side; Rapid Vienna, Legia Warsaw, Porto and Feyenoord beaten at home – the last three all unable to beat us on their own patches; Braga beaten home and away when we suspected they may be a step too far and then looked like a side on a different level for one sobering Ibrox hour. For me it’s easy to imagine Gerrard communicates to his side what he experienced as a player: Being expected to win, especially domestically, can be a burden – up against it, usually in Europe, invariably produces magic. For every domestic embarrassment under Stevie there is a nine men in Ufa, a one down after mere seconds at El Madrigal and a heading for extra time knowing one slip against Legia Warsaw denies us the group stages. We’ve only conceded four goals once under Stevie G and that was during a crazy Muscovite night which saw us winning 3-2 and have a perfectly good fourth disallowed. He may have won more European trophies as a player than Rangers have in their entire history but we’re a club that should always worry Leverkusen. Surviving in Europe, in terms of pure time, longer than any other Scottish club in any one season is another strange boast to add to our historic continental collection. As well as becoming the first side ever barred from defending a European trophy (1972), we enjoyed Europe’s biggest ever quarter-final win (1960-61) the season after we suffered the biggest ever European semi-final loss (1959-60) – both against German clubs. As a player Gerrard won the previous version of the competition, also in North Rhine-Westphalia, in nearby Dortmund. He scored in that final (along with his current assistant Gary McAllister), just as he did in Istanbul when things seemed impossible for his side in his first Champions League final. After he hit the net in Istanbul Liverpool still trailed 3-1, just as Rangers do going into Thursday’s game. My ambition is always for us to win the tie. If we do, watch out world. But what I need at the very least is our result against Leverkusen, the only side to score three at Ibrox against Stevie G, to make a respectable closing line for these two epic European runs. Everyone involved deserves a standing ovation, even if it is from our sofas. Reflecting on our most recent Europa League campaigns, our support must understand they’re more than the equivalent of lifting either domestic cup – that, in terms of marking our progress under Gerrard, they have been sheer poetry. Possible team (4-3-3):

Not sure what the answers are but one thing that always stands out in these tight games for me is tempo. We start many of these games simply expecting to score and the tempo looks pedestrian. If I was a football manager I would be asking my teams to go and win all games in the first 45 minutes. Make it count and up the tempo. Look at Liverpool. They generally batter teams in the first 45 minutes and by half time the game is all but done. I hate the fact that we get to break in so many games level at 0-0. It puts so much pressure on the players in the 2nd half

Made me wonder as well. So much so, after reading the club's partnership announcement I thought I would download the Go Radio app. There is a nightly 90 min Go Radio football show. I missed tonight's, but thought I'd have a listen to last night's offering. Nearly fell off my chair. A phone-in format, hosted by none other than Shortbread's Big Dick Gordon, with BT Sport's Stephen Craigen riding shotgun! There is also a female presenter but she appears to do little more than thank people for calling. The hot news was Rangers had just confirmed the signing of Roofe. Dick, through gritted teeth asked Craigen to list the qualities he would bring. Stephen duly obliged via a brief synopsis of his previous clubs. We then had ONE Gers fan on the line to give his views. Apparently this fan was with us through the dark days, so an ideal opportunity for both to mention days out to outposts Brechin, Stranraer et al. Excruciating stuff! Dick then informed us, of another possible deal breaking for Cedric Itten. He pronounced his name with some weird Allo' Allo' accent that left the lady presenter impressed by his French Oral skills. Craigen pronounced categorically Rangers would not have 4 strikers. Quickly the subject move on to the "Are Bournmouth a bigger club than Rangers? debate and I gave it up! I would have thought a new innovative Glasgow Radio Station would have been able to ditch the old Scottish hacks that plague PQ, BT, Premier etc. Clearly not. A Partnership? Makes one wonder...??

He has an excellent mix of goals from headers and right plus left foot shots. Get the ball to him in range he's going to direct it goal wards with something. Three goals in two starts for Switzerland.

Superb article, loved reading that. We can only dream of a miracle while more realistically hoping for a decent performance and result on the night. It would be absolutely sensational to make this knock-out cup thingy that UEFA have concocted to complete this tournament. Of course, that 3rd goal at Ibrox when we were so out of form it was unrecognisable has taken any possible hope (barring miracles) out of it.

The 'Great Communicator' she say: Pubs to be closed in Aberdeen as lockdown renewed 25 minutes ago Lockdown restrictions are being reimposed in Aberdeen due to a coronavirus cluster in the city, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced. She said pubs and restaurants would be closed as part of the measures. Ms Sturgeon said there had been 54 cases in the "significant outbreak" and that the cluster had now involved community transmissions. Under the lockdown measures which have been reintroduced, people are being told not to travel to the city. Those living in the area should not travel more than five miles for leisure purposes, or go into each others' houses. Travelling for work or education is permitted, but other travel is not advised. Ms Sturgeon said it had been "extremely reluctantly" agreed to reimpose the restrictions after discussions with NHS Grampian, Police Scotland and the city council. The restrictions will be reviewed in seven days' time and may be extended beyond a week if necessary. Ms Sturgeon said a list of the 20 licensed venues involved in the outbreak would be published later on Wednesday. The first minister said that people who had visited these places recently should be "extra vigilant" about symptoms. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53666665 So your guess is as good as mine.

Two strikers up front every time if one misses then I would expect the other to put it in most good teams have them in pairs like Millar & Brand ,Hateley & Mccoist,,Jayne Mansfield.

A genuinely top-class preview from @Fat Eck so please share where you can if you use social media etc. All submissions for the main site continue to be gratefully received!

Standards, old boy, standards.

I was about to post something along these lines. I presuming we were keen on Roofe due to his Bielsa performances, which were more than decent. Whoever starts, there's one thing for sure, our first XI has been boosted but maybe more importantly our bench has been really beefed up. Our squad looks strong IMO

You weren't impressed by Leeds?! For me, they are one of the best sides in the country, behind only Liverpool and Man City. I'm a huge fan of Bielsa. Did you maybe watch them before Bielsa? Roofe didn't shine pre-Bielsa in a really poor side. Roofe can play anywhere across the front line. He's two-footed, versatile and dynamic, with a bit of pace. I wouldn't say he's prolific, but I do expect him to lead the line well -- and, to be fair, no one asks more of their leading forward than Bielsa, and he thrived in that role -- and chip in with a decent amount of goals. I think he fits that fluid front-three that SG wants: Kent, Hagi and Roofe all running and inter-changing. I don't know much about Itten, but from the clips he looks like a penalty-box striker, or poacher, who likes to hover around the back-post to use his good aerial ability and has a knack of finding space. He looks like he has a bit of pace too when he gets going. I see him leading the line quite well. I think Roofe will be preferred at first, but he can play one of the other positions in our front three, so they could play together, with Itten leading the line and Roofe in one of the wider roles.

Time to rejig that old song , Nice one Cedric nice one son Nice one Cedric let's have another one ..

Helps that he can speak English. Now he just has to learn Scouse and Scots.

If we had lost 2-1 at Ibrox, I'd have said we have a very slim chance. As it stands, there's no chance (in my opinion).

I'm not a betting man either ,but 3-0 and Hagi to score first at 400/1 ..mmm, just need to work my way round the (what looks to me) complicated workings of a betting site now. If the wife finds out, you're getting the blame compo ?.

Current squad (excluding youngsters): GK - McGregor, Firth DF - Tavernier, Edmundson, Helander, Goldson, Barisic, Katic*, Patterson MF - Hagi, Jack, Davis, Kent, Kamara**, Arfield, Barker AT - Defoe, Aribo, Morelos, Jones, Stewart https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/clubs/50121--rangers/squad/ * injured ** suspended

This was a case of the "sheep" gathering in flocks to witness the defeat of their team and totally disregarding safety measures,IMHO.

Given Balogun went straight into the 11 due to be being fully match fit I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same with Itten. These are good dilemmas to have though.

It's funny how we see things differently. I'm looking at who's the better all-round player, and who can fit into the system. For me, Roofe is the better player and fits into that fluid front three that SG wants. I'm thinking, 'how can we get more out of the front three', not where are the goals coming from -- I feel like that will be taken care of if the former is taken care of, rightly or wrongly. To use Liverpool as an example: They assembled a front three of Mane, Firmino and Salah. Firmino was a shot-shy #10, and Salah (who was pretty sh*t at Chelsea, to be honest) and Mane really didn't score too many goals, being wingers. But, put them together, using Firmino's creativity, and the running power of Mane and Salah... *chefs kiss* (You're right Roofe has never been prolific, but I feel like he'll score a decent amount for us.) Itten brings the change in approach; he's the direct approach, the poacher. If Kent and Hagi aren't creating, then take one off and bring on Itten alongside Roofe and Hagi/Kent.

Just my opinion but having just completed a very successful season in Switzerland, being match fit and raring to go, Itten goes straight into the starting 11 with Roofe on bench. Will be great having a real target man for Borna and Tav to hit as and when required, but knowing he can also play a bit as well. Excited to see both and see how they fit into our system or if we tweak a little to accommodate them?

Well a big problem has been that nobody of consequence is left on the bench. Compare our bench to Celtic and it’s night and day. Now we have a bit of choice. I would say Roofe and Hagi at Ibrox but Kent has shown, and showed on Saturday, he is sometimes a better option than someone like Hagi. Whatever your view, we now have some options.

Yes, Kamara often played in one of the wider midfield positions. He doesn't have the offensive game to play that position as well as we'd like. It's alright for controlling European games, but not when we need to break a team down domestically.

Yes Kamara is doing the sitting at the moment which is fine, but I'm sure he played alongside Davis often last season and I felt there was a contrast there when compared to Celtic in terms of the attacking abilities of the midfield. Yes I don't think Hagi can come back, I think he needs to stay behind the striker. It's ok when you are up the field and your RCM is at the half way line but it's a different matter when you are on the back foot and he is marking a a man on the edge of your box. It would lose us goals.

Yes, but they have Broonaldo playing alongside him in a 4-2-3-1. So it would be Kamara sitting, with Aribo beside with a license to go forward. I agree, that's where I'd like to see him play. His ball-winning ability is really good, so he needs to be deeper. And, then running at defences and linking up with the forwards is another aspect of his game that is really good, which again suits a deeper position. At the minute we have Kamara sitting, with Jack to one side and Aribo the other. So, Aribo is already in that deeper position. I think it's Jack that is too reluctant to come forward that is the issue. I wonder if Hagi could come into that position, but then I'd worry about his defensive game - he's not one for winning the ball back.

Leicester was placed in lockdown recently too, but I don't think it really hampered the football team.

Roofe can play anywhere across the front line so it wouldn't surprise me to see him, Itten and Kent all play in certain situations.

That's not a 4-2-4; it's more of a 4-2-3-1. (And, Liverpool still played a 4-3-3 with Coutinho; he occupied the wide midfield position.) I like it, though. That's where I'd like Aribo to play, which is roughly where he plays now. SG played a 3-4-1-2 / 3-4-3 with the Liverpool reserves. That would be interesting. I don't see us deviating from the 4-3-3, but with a couple of different forwards we certainly have more options.

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Coaches are not using Youtube. That's only for us plebs.

Not long I suspect

Awwww...Thank you Jesus! This guy...this guy is the good stuff. I hope Gerrard gives him adequate pitch time. A tall, strong, poacher who can head it. Perfect!

It’s very hard to tell how good he is from the very little there is of him on YouTube. He does seem very much a number 9 poacher to me.

I remember thinking the same about Mark Hately

For the first time under SG , we have serious options up top , with the service we provide from Hagi , Kent , Tav and Barasic we should be ok this season , all we need is someone that can score from midfield , sorry but I’m being greedy .

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