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Technically we threw away 2 points at Easter Road

'One Game at a Time' - a hackneyed old phrase or a necessary strategy going forward? Starting this Thursday, the 26th November we play Benfica at Ibrox in a Europa Group stage match. Ending on the 30th December, we play St Mirren away in our last Premiership game of the year. It's a total of eleven games in thirty-four days. Do the arithmetic, that's one match every three days. We have a large squad, we are playing extremely well, and our mental approach appears to have improved. This run of matches will be a real test, knocks, strains, and injuries will kick in. Suspensions, refereeing decisions, and the fickle finger of Covid all await. Let's break it down, six league games, two at home, four away. Three Europa Cup fixtures, two at home, one away. Hopefully, two League Cup ties, one definitely away on plastic, and another(probably Livi' away), a quarter-final midweek on the 15-17th December. The six League matches are : Ross County and Dundee United, both away, followed by Motherwell at home. St Johnstone and St Mirren are also away, with Hibs at home squeezed in between. After Benfica, we have Standard Liege at Ibrox finishing against Poznan in Poland a week later. Inevitably, Rangers supporters will want to compare and contrast with our separated brethren's fixture list. I think we must desist. We must set out our plan, and adhere to it. All members of the squad should be informed they have a significant part to play. This includes players who are receiving little or no game time recently. I don't think prioritising competitions will work either. Gerrard must win silverware, we must progress in the League Cup. Our finances demand further advances in Europe. The League speaks for itself. I am tempted to ensure Europa Cup qualification occurs as soon as possible, certainly by the end of the next two games, both at Ibrox. The League Cup tie at Grangemouth on plastic should see a few changes. Falkirk are a club two divisions below and we have a record of serious injury on such a surface. On current form, all the league fixtures are comfortably winnable, but the merest hint of a wrong attitude, two or three of them could degenerate into battles. Gerrard and McAllister's ability to micro-manage will be tested. The games are coming thick and fast, the reward at the conclusion will be a visit to Ibrox from ra green'n'grey hooped horrors on the 2nd January. Will Neil still be manager? Let's take it one game at a time.

"It is a case of taking each game as it comes, there is no point trying to plan too far ahead than the next game at the moment." Sitting top of both the Scottish Premiership and our Europa League group, still unbeaten in all competitions and with a goal difference that is unmatched in world football, means many Rangers fans are rightly confident at the moment: as are the players and that assurance has been reflected on the pitch. However, the quote above from Rangers manager Steven Gerrard ahead of our return European match with Benfica on Thursday night was wise indeed. Nothing has been won yet, and, as we've seen at various clubs domestically and abroad, the global pandemic can quickly change matters at any club. That's not to be pessimistic or unduly negative. With Celtic struggling for form and their fans arguing amongst themselves regarding their board and manager, SPFL matters could barely be better for Rangers. Top of the table by 11 points and having only conceded three goals has us in a fantastic position and, despite a tough sequence of matches to come through December, this Rangers side shows no sign of buckling. Our European campaign has been similarly impressive. Again we currently sit top of the group - albeit on the same points as Thursday's opponents - and only two late goals in Portugal have stopped us from being further ahead. Yet, it was that late capitulation, against the ten men of Benfica, that shows positive situations can turn bad and quickly. The game in Lisbon was a strange one. Rangers couldn't have started any worse with a mistake from the usually reliable Helander gifting a goal after just 60secs. The following 15 minutes were also a struggle and it wasn't until Otamendi's 19th minute red card that the tide turned for us. A quick equaliser followed by taking the lead with a superb team goal just a minute later meant the team grew in confidence and played with a swagger you rarely see from Scottish teams away in Europe. A 51st minute third goal had us on easy street and right up until Benfica pulled one back in the 77th minute, Rangers played with an accomplished manner which took us back to the days of Dick Advocaat's expensively assembled team. Yet, incredibly (and it still hurts three weeks later) we contrived to throw what looked a comfortable win away. A lack of concentration, an over-confidence, positional errors - call it what you will, we succumbed to a third late goal and two points were dropped. Thankfully the reaction since has been impressive. Hamilton Acas were swatted aside before the international break and Aberdeen dismissed by four goals upon our return: 12 goals scored, zero conceded. That shows a team annoyed by events in Portugal and focussed on righting the wrongs from that night, alongside any other perceived weaknesses from previous campaigns. Let's hope the same mindset is used on Thursday night, especially with Benfica weakened by suspension, injury and Covid issues. The loss of Otamendi, Weigl, Taarabt and the first game changer Nunez means opportunity knocks once again... In terms of our team, the manager has pretty much a fully fit squad to choose from. Jack may have a late fitness test but only he and Zungu may be unavailable out of our European squad. That means two possible outlooks for the manager: does he continue with the more aggressive setup to his team that we've seen by and large domestically or a slightly more cautious strategy? For example, although Jack's availability may force Gerrard's hand somewhat, does he utilise Davis, Kamara and Arfield as his deeper three with Kent, Roofe and Morelos a very attacking front three. Or, as we seen in Lisbon, will Aribo be preferred to Roofe (or indeed Morelos) in one of the advanced roles? With other options such as Brandon Barker (no stranger to starting European games) and Ianis Hagi (who looked sharp in his late cameo against Aberdeen) the manager also has the element of surprise should he choose it. No selection shocks are likely defensively. Filip Helander had the proverbial nightmare in the first fixture but usually offers the kind of calm presence that is required in such fixtures. That will mean Balogun again dropping out but we're lucky to have the Nigerian international defender with his form impressive when called upon. At 'full-back', Barisic and Tavernier should provide their usual threat in wide areas but will need to stay switched on defensively when Benfica inevitably have periods on the ball and/or on the counter. Just like in Portugal, Aberdeen also showed in the first half on Sunday that we do leave gaps from time to time that can be exploited so care must be taken to provide cover. Nevertheless, thus far this season, Rangers have passed all tests with flying colours. Yes, mistakes have been made, daft goals conceded and points dropped. Yet, the overall picture has been that of obvious progress with obstacles that previously caused us issues hurdled with relative ease. Group stage qualification may not be certain with three points from Thursday's game but it will provide just one more indication that, although the bulk of this Rangers team remains familiar, there is a new belief within it; along with a desire and winning mentality that every successful team needs. Nothing has been won at this stage, and poor results will surely happen at some point, but this Rangers team have shown they can lead from the front and that must continue this week and into next month. So yes, as the manager says, let's take each match as it comes but, as other clubs question their challenge let's keep the pressure on home and away. Possible Starting XI:

Thought I'd update you with some stats from our forum MotM votes so far this season. Enjoy! Votes Cast (at time of image creation): 513 Games Played (including Leverkusen 2nd Leg): 22 Number of Different MotM Winners: 10 Current Leader: James Tavernier (5 awards / 19.5% of the total votes cast)

Will they be going too? They are all Neil Lennon.

Sunday Morning Coming Down. Kris Kristofferson's seminal lyric perfectly describes BBC Radio Scotland on a Sunday morning/afternoon, particularly when Rangers have a noon kick off at Ibrox. Kris tells the story of waking up in a small town, after the Saturday night gig, the night before. He needs a couple of beers to straighten out before donning his cleanest dirty shirt. Really, there's nothing short of dying, half as loansome as the sound of Jane Lewis attempting to stimulate some life into the Naughty Step Crew. Liam McLeod was joined by Billy("I no longer consider myself a Rangers supporter")Dodds and Richard Foster. Rangers home games ensures all the Naughty Step Crew can remain socially distanced and seated in a PQ studio, whilst watching SKY TV. I suspect Dandy Liam is not too happy because when SKY run a replay of Roofe being upended in the box, Liam has no room for manoeuvre? Apparently, Rangers were the beneficiaries of facing a Covid weakened Aberdeen, a couple of deflections, and a soft penalty award. Big Dick's "undiluted rage" appears to have disappeared like the dreams of yesterday. Dreary, drab, dreich, ......... are the emotions issued by the PQ QM. Monday evening saw the return of Tom English. There's a fire to be fought, Neil Lennon is under pressure. Kenny MacIntyre hosted, Craig Levein and Darryl Broadfoot added to the conversations. Broadfoot defended the SFA, Tom and Craig attacked the national association over their handling of the Under 21s and Covid. All three agreed Lennon remains the very man for ra Sellik job. Tom reminded the listenership of the fragility of Neil's mental health, lambasted Edouard, called two or three other Sellik forwards, "underachieving failures", and did the full symmetry by reminding the listenership of the fragility of Leigh Griffiths mental health. There was no insight into Gerrard and Rangers, Tom finds the whole Rangers thing frustrating. Craig Levein offered improved psychology on Gerrard's dealing with the media. He recalled Rangers winning at Tynecastle a couple of seasons past and Gerrard and backroom staff celebrating like the league had been won. This season, Gerrard's reactions are far more measured. We could hear a hurrumpf from Tom at this opinion and Craig showed he is a fast learner. Levein got after Kenny MacIntyre, "you'll be happy being a big Rangers man". Tom was guffawing. The demands of PQ are even getting to Craig. Still, it's good to know Tom can continue to laugh.

Diego Maradona Diego Maradona, one of the greatest footballers of all time, dies aged 60 • Argentinian inspired his country to World Cup glory in 1986 • He possessed sublime skill and led a troubled personal life https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/nov/25/diego-maradona-dies-one-of-greatest-footballers-of-all-time-argentina-world-cup-1986 Sachin Nakrani @SachinNakrani Wed 25 Nov 2020 16.36 GMT Diego Maradona, regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, has died aged 60. The Argentinian, who had brain surgery this month, inspired his country to World Cup glory in 1986 when as captain he displayed a level of skill, creativity, strength and desire arguably not seen before or since. In the 2-1 quarter-final victory over England he also scored perhaps the greatest goal of all time, a match in which the forward also showed his darker, mischievous side with the infamous ‘Hand of God’. Maradona also achieved success at club level, most notably with Napoli, whom he led to their first Serie A title in 1987. A second followed in 1990, alongside an Italian Cup in 1987 and a Uefa Cup in 1991, and such was the player’s impact at a club which previously had lived in the shadow of Italy’s northern powerhouses, particularly Juventus, Milan and Internazionale, that Napoli announced in 2000 that they were retiring his No 10 shirt. It was during his seven years in Naples, however, that Maradona’s addiction to cocaine took grip. He was hit with a 15-month suspension for drug violations in 1991 – the year he left Napoli – and, three years later, was thrown out of the World Cup in the US after testing positive for ephedrine. From there Maradona’s personal life spiralled out control and in 2000 and 2004 he was hospitalised for heart problems, the second time requiring the use of a respirator to breathe properly. The following year he underwent gastric-bypass surgery to help stem his obesity. None of that, however, could overshadow his talents on the pitch which, at their peak, were almost supernatural. Born in Buenos Aires on 30 October 1960, Diego Armando Maradona was a child prodigy and having joined Los Cebollitas, a youth team of Argentinos Juniors, at the age of 10 he played a key role in them going on an incredible 136-game winning streak, which in turn led to him making his debut for the senior side just before his 16th birthday. Shortly after – on 27 February 1977 –Maradona made his debut for Argentina, coming on as a 65th minute substitute in a friendly against Hungary at La Bombonera, the home of Boca Juniors’, whom Maradona joined in 1981. He spent only one season at the club but in that time scored a stunning solo goal against arch rivals River Plate and helped Boca to win the title. Given his rapid development and consistently commanding displays, it was no surprise Maradona was soon being courted by Europe’s biggest clubs and in 1982, having featured at his first World Cup, in Spain, he joined Barcelona for a then world record fee of £5m. He struggled to show his best form for the Catalans, however, partly because of the broken ankle he suffered in September 1983 following a tackle from the “Butcher of Bilbao”, Andoni Goicoechea. But Maradona eventually recovered and in 1984 joined Napoli. Two years later came the World Cup in Mexico and the moment he established himself as a genuine great. Argentina’s captain played every minute of every game, scoring five goals and providing assists for five others. He was supreme throughout, the most dynamic and exciting player at the tournament and took the breath away with his second goal against England at the Azteca Stadium when he twisted past two players on the halfway line before bursting past another pair and, under pressure from Terry Butcher’s lunge, went around Peter Shilton before passing the ball into an empty net. It was a stunning display of skill allied to courage and it little wonder the strike is still refereed to by some as “the goal of the century.” Four minutes earlier Maradona scored his first of the game. Argentina’s No10 clearly punched the ball past Shilton as the pair challenged for a high ball but despite protests from Bobby Robson’s men, the goal stood. “I’ll never forgive him,” Butcher said in 2008. “It’s not nice when you lose a World Cup quarter-final under those circumstances. It’s very hard to forgive and forget in the circumstances. “ Maradona took part in two further World Cups – in 1990, when he captained Argentina to runners-up place, and 1994, when he was sent home having scored in the 4-0 group victory over Greece, which proved to be his last appearance for his country. In total Maradona was capped 91 times, scoring 34 goals. At club level Maradona joined Sevilla following his departure from Napoli before returning to his homeland to play for Newell’s Old Boys and Boca, where he retired in 1997. Following his personal battles he managed Argentina for two years, taking them to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where a team containing the likes of Juan Sebastian Veron, Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi reached the quarter-finals. A year later, and having left the national team post, he took charge of Dubai-based club Al-Wasl before going on to hold a number of positions, most recently manager of Argentinian first division side Gimnasia y Esgrima. But it is for his playing exploits that Maradona will be best remembered. Having been named South American Footballer of the Year on five occasions, he was in 2000 named Fifa’s Player of the Century alongside Pele following a combination of an internet poll and nominations from Fifa officials, coaches and players. Maradona won the popular vote.

"Save the 10 - Time to go Neil". The Green Brigade succumbed to the most demanding Yahoo emotion, 'to the car park, Declan'. They arrived in ra Sellik Way this morning and unveiled the damning banner. TGFITW have instigated candle lit prayer meetings proclaiming, 'we are all Neil Lennon', Tom English appeared on the national broadcaster last evening, pleading awareness of Neil's fragile mental health, and just yesterday, Alison McConnell was reminding her fellow Yahoos of Neil's winning credentials. Three hours into this latest story, none of the usual suspects are carrying the story on their Twitter feeds. The story with accompanying photograph is on the front pages of both the Herald and the Evening Times. It's a conundrum, at the beginning of summer, all those usual suspects were fulsome in their praise of the Green Brigade. Groupings were wandering around Glasgow in the early morning sunshine, toting extended ladders, changing road and street signs in support of Black Lives Matter. Further, any criticism of Neil, including legitimate criticism, ie threats of domestic violence, have been construed to equal anti-Irish racism. The question would have been, 'where has Neil to go'? I expect BBC Scotland's Chris McLaughlin to present the answers this evening. Of course, after Peter has given Chris and all the other usual suspects the accepted line.

I'm so glad Sheridan is one of them. It maintains a certain order in the cosmos.

Hope God is now holding that famous hand. RIP Diego among the best of many of his time.

The Times' Obit. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/diego-maradona-obituary-8bn2k6txn Diego Maradona obituary Supremely gifted yet troubled Argentinian footballer who led his country to World Cup victory in 1986 Wednesday November 25 2020, 5.00pm, The Times Diego Maradona with the World Cup after his Argentina side beat West Germany 3-2 in the 1986 final in Mexico City ARCHIVO EL GRAFICO/GETTY Diego Maradona’s life was not so much in the tradition of a once-great footballer who goes to rot; rather, it resembled that of a fallen movie idol, or rock star. Like Elvis, he was a genius, but a genius who was ruined by a life of self-indulgence. Whereas drink is the customary Achilles’ heel in the soccer world, Maradona’s downfall was owed to a combined addiction to drugs, drink, eating and sex. Most notably, his chronic cocaine problem accentuated his erratic, violent and often bizarre behaviour. Maradona was an easily-led, self-obsessed and melodramatic figure. Yet towering above all his self-destructive antics lay a footballing legend. As a dribbler on the field, he was the finest, even surpassing Pele. His greatest triumph came in the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico where he was at his imperious best. Short, muscular and lightning quick, Maradona slalomed through opposition defences, hurdling challenges and brushing off crude attempts to stop him. He was instrumental in Argentina’s victory in the competition, scoring all four of the team’s goals — two of them breathtaking — against England and Belgium on the way to their 3-2 defeat of West Germany in the final. Mexico ’86 was Maradona’s apotheosis, and it was England’s nemesis. Five minutes into the second half of the England-Argentina clash, with the game at 0-0, there was a scramble by the England goalmouth. The defender Steve Hodge hooked the ball over his head, meaning to pass it to the goalkeeper, Peter Shilton. Maradona rose to intercept, clenching his raised fist close to his head, and punched the ball over the outstretched arm of Shilton, flicking his head as he did so to hide his actions. Despite the protests of the England players, both linesman and referee failed to spot the infringement. Yet even the most resentful England fans had to admire Maradona’s second goal in that game. He picked up the ball in his own half, wrong-stepped two England players, then sent Terry Butcher in the wrong direction; Terry Fenwick shirked, and as Maradona neared the goal, he again escaped the advances of Butcher. Maradona then moved the ball from right foot to left before putting it past Shilton. “You have to say that’s magnificent,” conceded the BBC’s commentator, Barry Davies. Maradona in 1978 wearing the colours of Argentinos Juniors, who signed him when he was 12 GETTY IMAGES Maradona scored an almost equally brilliant solo effort against Belgium in the following game, yet his handled goal against England became an enduring image. After the game he explained it was the “Hand of God”. To the English such deviousness and cheek merely added insult to injury. Others injected the feat with greater meaning: Brian Glanville called it “Corinthian” while a book written by a committee of Neopolitan lawyers, doctors and anthropologists later declared: “His goal scored with the hand, the famous hand of God, reminds one of Ulysses for its deception and cunning.” In retrospect it could be seen as indicative of things to come; that such a genius could be so undisciplined, that he felt he needed to cheat, to go one step further, was perhaps a pointer to the unhappy times ahead. Diego Armando Maradona was born in 1960 and raised in the back streets of Villa Fiorito, the fifth of eight children of a family of Italian and indigenous Indian descent. His father, also called Diego but known as “Chitoro”, was a railway worker, and the young Maradona grew up in considerable poverty. With little money to pay for entertainment, he spent most of his childhood playing football in the streets, and when not doing this, practising knock-ups by himself with a tennis ball. Outside the home in Buenos Aires where the Maradona family lived from 1977-80. It is now a museum GETTY IMAGES The club Argentinos Juniors spotted and signed him at the age of 12, and he made his debut in the Argentine league three years later. By 16 he had represented his country, making his debut as a substitute in a friendly against Hungary in February 1977. In 1981 Boca Juniors signed him for £1 million — then a record for a teenager — and a year later Barcelona bought him for another world record of £4 million. His young talents failed to materialise at the Catalonian club (indeed, Terry Venables managed to win the league with Barcelona the year after he departed). Most notoriously, he disgraced himself in full view of King Carlos and 100,000 spectators in 1984 after Bilbao’s defeat of Barcelona by a goal to nil. Maradona butted and laid out the Bilbao defender José Núñez, then hammered Miguel Sola to the ground after he had taunted the Argentinian with a crude gesture. A full scrum ensued, for which Maradona was given a three-month ban. In 1984 he was signed by Napoli, again for a world record of £5 million. Here he flourished, enjoying his greatest success at club level, leading the Italian side to a cup victory in 1987, their first Serie A championship in 1987 and a Uefa cup triumph over Stuttgart in 1989. The 1990 World Cup in Italy was a disappointment to Argentina and Maradona. The maestro was clearly past his peak of four years earlier but still served up flashes of genius that enabled Argentina to make the final, where they lost 1-0 to West Germany in a dismal fashion. Maradona took the defeat in an undignified manner, a dishevelled loser seen bawling his eyes out after the final whistle. Mexico ’86 would remain his sole World Cup success: he had been left out of the Argentina squad altogether in 1978 and in 1982 his and Argentina’s tournament ended in the second round when he was sent off against Brazil after retaliating against much rough treatment. The 1986 World Cup victory proved to be the pinnacle of Maradona’s career. Four years later in Italy, Argentina lost 1-0 to West Germany in an insipid final ASSOCIATED PRESS The finals in the US in 1994 proved his final undoing. His wild-eyed goal celebrations after putting one past Greece appeared, to many, over-exuberant, even by Maradona’s theatrical standards. He was finally ejected from the tournament after Argentina’s 2-1 victory against Nigeria, having been found taking two banned substances. Maradona had been taking cortisone for some time to combat a back injury; he also had three pins in his ankle. For 15 years unscrupulous managers made sure that he received painkilling injections before every game. In some ways Maradona was here the victim. Nevertheless, his involvement with drugs of the recreational rather the performance-enhancing kind was well known by 1994. Many were surprised he was playing in America at all. His club-level career was effectively finished in 1991 when Napoli expelled him after he was named in a major drug smuggling ring involving the mafia. He claimed he had been framed, though prostitutes he had been involved with had already disclosed to the Italian press his drug, and indeed his sex, habits (he was also a self-confessed devotee of pornographic films). After a transfer to Seville, he was sacked again after brawling in a cup final, and returned to Argentina, where he was arrested for cocaine possession. Diego Maradona served a 15-month ban for failing the drug test in the USA. Again he claimed a conspiracy, complaining: “They’ve cut my legs off. I killed myself training and now they do this to me.” His cocaine habit was by now having an evident effect on his behaviour. Reporters crowding outside his gates to ask him about his ban were met with the sound of shots, as Maradona set upon them with an air pistol. Though, in truth, he did not need stimulants to be capable of such actions. In 1981 a 16-year-old autograph hunter who asked Maradona how much money he expected to make from a forthcoming Mini World Cup was punched in the face, an enraged Maradona having to be restrained by a small crowd. In September 1995 he returned to the footballing scene, playing for Boca Juniors against South Korea in front of a 70,000 Seoul crowd. He had not lost his touch, timing nor sense of flow, though he had slowed considerably. He had now begun to assume a rather portly appearance, taking appropriate measures in 1995 when a plastic surgeon removed his double chin. A year later he employed Ben Johnson, a contemporary athlete who had also fallen foul of the doping men, as a fitness coach, losing 24lb. Maradona in Italy in 1989 with his daughters Dalma and Giannina GETTY IMAGES By now football was taking a back seat to his more publicity-seeking, and sometimes peculiar, pursuits. In 1995 he teamed up with the appreciably ill-tempered Eric Cantona to form a footballers’ union “to safeguard the rights of footballers all over the world”. The same year he also spoke at the Oxford Union, where he performed kick-ups with a golf ball. In 1996 he took part in a three-round exhibition boxing match against the former world flyweight champion Santos Laciar in Cardoba; he then went on to launch his own five-nights-a-week chat show in Argentina; he later got a tattoo of Che Guevara on his right arm; while in 1998 the wife of Claudio Caniggia, his international teammate, claimed Maradona was in love with her husband. At 5ft 5in, he was not built like a conventional footballer, though he made up for his diminutive stature with his chunky, muscular demeanour and, at times, outright wizardry with the ball. And despite his now tarnished reputation, in his home country, Maradona always remained a hero. They loved him because he came from the lowest sector of society, and not least because of that goal against England. To Argentinians, it was viewed as a display of viveza, craftiness and willingness to bend the rules when it so suited them, a quality much admired in that country. England fans could never bring themselves to forgive him for the Hand of God, even when in 1998 he confessed: “I realise that goal should not have stood and I am sorry for what happened.” During his five greatest years, those spent at Napoli, he earned $30 million. He was generous to his family, perhaps over-generous with those long-lost relations who always re-discover wealthy relatives. Much of his money went also on his love of sports cars — and cocaine. In 1996 he finally confessed to an Argentine magazine: “I was, I am and I always will be a drug addict.” A report from a special clinic that year confirmed that Maradona had suffered brain damage from his cocaine habit. His behaviour was now increasingly intemperate and he could often not recognise family or close friends. In January 2000 he was admitted to an intensive care hospital after suffering heart problems; the result of his drug and drink habit. His admirers included Fidel Castro and the Pope. Maradona, a devout Roman Catholic, married his long-term girlfriend Claudia Villfene in 1989 after he had promised John Paul II to do as much. One of their two daughters Dalma, became an actress and singer; the other, Giannina, had a child with the Manchester City footballer Sergio Aguero. In Dallas in 1994 after being dropped from the Argentina World Cup squad, having testing positive for the use of banned drugs ASSOCIATED PRESS She and their two daughters survive him, as does Diego Sinagra, ruled by an Italian court in 1995 to be his son by another woman. At the age of 12 Sinagra was signed up by his father’s old club, Napoli but only went on to play lower-league football, as well as representing Italy in the Beach Soccer World Cup. Maradona’s final years were dogged by ill health. He was admitted to hospital in April 2007 suffering from abdominal pains and diagnosed with hepatitis. He received further treatment in a psychiatric clinic that specialised in alcohol-related problems. But he recovered to take over stewardship of the Argentine national side, overcoming an early 6-1 defeat to Bolivia to scrape into the 2010 World Cup. His private life, meanwhile, remained complicated. In 2013 he had another son called Diego, with Veronica Ojeda. In 2017 he took Claudia and Giannina to court, claiming they had stolen money from him. A few weeks ago this flawed yet supremely gifted footballer, who scored 359 goals for club and country combined, was back in the news when he was rushed to hospital again to have a blood clot on the brain operated upon. Heart failure was to follow and, this time, not even divine intervention could save him. Diego Maradona, footballer, was born on October 30, 1960. He died of a heart attack on November 25, 2020, aged 60

Maybe they think it's time Neil went home. Which could be construed as a 'hate crime' by their fellow Celtc fan, Humza Yousaf.

All I'm saying is that last season, as well as the five mentioned above, we also had Davis, McGregor, Morelos, Jack, Arfield, Aribo ..... and I just wondered if any of them featured in the top five then. That's all really.

He’s tried to dribble the ball out in several other games too and almost given us a problem. His ball control is adequate but not at the level where I want him to go for a dribble. I think he has been overrated by our support due to the fact he made a good start. A good backup but Helander is much better. Arfield gets my vote. He played with energy and urgency and created chances. Delighted that he is doing so well at 32. He is clearly benefiting from the bigger squad this season and the fact he hasn’t been playing for Canada.

Just throwing crumbs on the ground to see who picks them up ?

I hope we keep this current confidence handy because the chance of going through an entire season without a wobble is somewhere between slim and none at all. I just hope we can control the usual instant panic when we stumble.