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BTW, several excellent performances: Goldson was superb, Barisic had his best game for a while IMO and Aribo, Hagi and Roofe all important in an attacking sense. MotM for me though was Kamara who, after a dreadful giveaway early on, really run the show.

I don’t think we’ll sign Messi on a free.

I'm going to busy over the next few days so I thought I would just drop this here tonight. It goes without saying that 2020 has been a remarkable/surreal/unprecedented year so I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Getsnetters a safe, peaceful and merry Christmas. Here's to better 2021!

A fine result in what was a controlled, managed performance during what is going to be a busy, vital period for the club. To be unbeaten in the league and Europe at this stage in the season deserves immense credit to all involved but it's far from job done. More of the same into 2021 please. Merry Christmas all!

Merry Xmas fellow Bears, onwards and upwards to 55. From sunny Down Under ?

Three and easy as Gers extend impressive winning run to maintain lead at the top. Rangers extended their impressive winning run tonight at McDiarmid Park as they cruised to a routine 3-0 win against St Johnstone. Saturday had provided an acid test of Rangers title credentials when they fought hard to beat a Motherwell side which defended in two lines of five and had a one goal lead to defend after six minutes. The victory had answered questions on Rangers’ ability to deal with the pressure that comes with a title winning run, but tonight’s proceedings proved to be a much more comfortable affair as Rangers secured the three points without any fuss. The victory was vital as Rangers head into a crucial part of the campaign. Hibs head to Ibrox on Saturday, then it’s a return to Paisley to face St Mirren before the end of the month and year. January provides no let-up with a home game against Celtic and away trips to Easter Rd, Pittodrie and Fir Park. Rangers were still without Ryan Jack, however the midfielder may be available for selection for Saturday. Alfredo Morelos started on the bench after returning to the squad after his two match suspension. Scott Arfield and Jermain Defoe surrendered their starting berths to Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi as Steven Gerrard made two changes to his starting eleven from Saturday. Yet again Rangers started slowly, but it didn’t take too long for them to take the lead thanks to Kemar Roofe on 24 minutes. Glen Kamara picked out Ianis Hagi on the edge of the box. The Romanian international released a shot which Zander Clark failed to hold, allowing Roofe to hit home the rebound from close range. Rangers extended the lead just five minutes later after a great pass from Joe Aribo put Glen Kamara through, allowing the Finnish internationalist to touch the ball past the onrushing Clark and into the net. Any remaining doubts about the result were dismissed after only two minutes of the second-half. Joe Aribo was heavily involved again with another great pass sending Roofe through on goal. Roofe unleashed a shot which was blocked, but the rebound landed at the feet of Ianis Hagi who fired home to put the result beyond any doubt. The game was all but done and dusted, but there was still time for further action. Firstly, Allan McGregor made a superb one-handed save from a Stevie May shot after the striker found himself through on goal on the 56th minute. Then St Johnstone substitute Michael O’Halloran was sent off after two yellow cards for fouls on Alfredo Morelos and Borna Barisic ended his involvement in the game a mere six minutes after coming on for Danny McNamara. Rangers had further opportunities to extend their lead, most notably a bad miss from Morelos when it seemed easier for the Columbian to score, but they could not add to their goals tally. Steven Gerrard was delighted with the win saying: "Over the course of the 90 minutes, we were strong, we executed really well and players are either in-form and staying in-form or people are coming into form. "Joe Aribo is starting to flex his muscles again, Kemar Roofe again showed his predatory instincts and the Buff came on and did really well. "We get the players recovered tomorrow and then we see our families and we enjoy our Christmas dinner. Christmas night we get back to work. We've got short sharp session on Christmas night. Full focus on Hibs because it's such an important fixture." ST JOHNSTONE: Clark, Rooney, Gordon, McCart, Booth, Davidson, Bryson, Wotherspoon, Conway, Kane, McNamara. SUBS: Parish, Craig, McCann, O'Halloran, Hendry, May, Melamed, Ferguson. RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Barisic, Davis, Kamara, Aribo, Kent, Hagi, Roofe SUBS: McLaughlin, Bassey, Defoe, Itten, Zungu, Patterson, Morelos, Balogun, Arfield. REFEREE: Nick Walsh

Brilliant cameo from MOH tonight as well ? another one for the conspiracy nuts out there ?

Roofe has been superb in the CF role too. Really enjoy watching him play there, he has everything.

If you've just discovered the reverse jinx, keep doing it!

I don’t but I’ll guess: ”The club with the most league wins in the world. Winners of the European (Cup Winners) Cup 1972.”

Positivity from Gerrard. I'm glad we've introduced Hagi's inventiveness but I hope we don't miss Arfield's defensive work too much. A lot resting on Davis and Kamara dropping deep when required.

Briehave, Bill.

What the vhermin do, and how they behave, is an irrelevance. Of course, Brown is no more than a cock on a dungheap; in this you are 100% correct.

I also note that the antics of their resident thug Brown have been overlooked by the MSM. If that was Alfie behaving like that there would be an avalanche of editorials and pundit opinions. Oh and while we are at it... has the MSM mentioned their fans pyro welcome for their team at Hampden? No social distancing and flares...tut tut

Dreamland. It would be 19 out of 19 if Aribo and Roofe hadn’t been out for those games.

Interesting line to be taking (both from TLB and the mhedia...) at point of stoppage last season they had played 30 games and us 29. We're 19 games in (for us, 16 for them). Is there a %age written into spfl rules for what constitutes a season? I'd predict there is and its probably after 39 games or some such meaning end it now, not played enough games so void, 10* in a row still on for next season...

Good to take off Roofe and bring Morelos on, right time

Aribo looks back to his best and Hagi is again showing he should have had more game time, very good player and he’s been much more effective than Kent.

Once Aribo is up to speed he can really bring something different to the team

Excellent first half, confident, strong! desire! fantastic

Bit of a slow start actually for the first 10-15mins where it took us a wee while to get to grips with the opposition and the conditions but after that we've controlled the game and taken two of the best chances we managed to create. After the first goal you could see guys like Hagi and Aribo all visibly improve in terms of confidence and some of their interplay was superb at times, culminating in a fine, fine second goal which gives us some breathing space. Up the slope in the second half though and a lot of hard work ahead to maintain (and hopefully improve upon) our lead. Kane isn't afraid to put himself about up front and it's likely we'll see May alongside him to take advantage of any space we leave in the box at set pieces or the like.

You would think so! but this is Scotland, any other country in the world you would be correct, however are you confident that would happen? I'm not.

One limitation in the starting 11 is the lack of noted goalscorers in the midfield or in the attack with the exception of Roofe. Perhaps Hagi will step forward with a goal tonight or maybe Tav and Goldson will continue their success in finding the net.

we need to get this game put to bed , do not give the hordes from the east the slightest encouragement at all .

Of course but come the OF game this troglodyte will attempt to use every trick in the book to cling onto their hopes of 10. We (and in particular Alfie) cannot fall for it again. His antics on Sunday were staggering (even for him)

Good points Buster but I feel we need to think about the XI who are going to start the game, set the tempo and ultimately get a stranglehold on the game. Our tempo has dipped over the last few games IMO and we need to go for it from the first whistle. Subs are great (Saturday being a great example) but it also signifies that the starting XI have fallen below recent high standards. I'd rather our subs are coming onto to the pitch with us in a winning position tbh

As far as they go, Madden is as good as you'll get. I wouldn't be blaming Madden for past OF defeats in games he has been Ref, it's been our own fault. We are starting to win more OF games now because we are a better team, not because of the ref. We were good enough to beat them a year ago, despite Kevin Clancy.

If you want to talk about a group of games, It's going to be about a strongest XV11 - If Jack comes back in then you have a natural and solid option to rotate - Barisic has to start all games - Aribo needs minutes and an opportunity to get back to form because he is a gamechanger and we need to see at least one of him or Kent get back to early season form - Hagi is effective and merits minutes - Roofe can't be flogged - Alfie (for some he's just had his best two games of the season) remains first choice, let's see how he goes tonight - Itten will play a part - Balogun will probably get starts - There will probably be injuries - Zungu is an option although if Jack returns and Davis stays fit, he won't be starting in these next few games - Could Jones or Middleton yet be the Wingers who came in from the cold ? I do love a Middleton corner swinging in. The trajectory reminds me of being frozen on Dartmoor watching 1 in 1 tracer rounds illuminating the night sky. It's the Management that need to get it right..........Horses for Courses

Add on Clancy as 4th official and that's the Septic "dream team"?

Merry Christmas to all

Festive felicitations.

Just hope Jack isn't too rusty and finds his form quickly but this is the perfect time to get our best midfielder back in harness.

Ah, my misunderstanding. I was talking about more than just the St Johnstone game. I think St Johnstone will again set up very defensively and look to counter attack but Arfield will probably need to start anyway since Jack almost certainly won't be risked. For the Hibs, Celtic and Aberdeen games Arfield might well be the natural option. Otherwise I think Hagi is a better option to unlock packed defences.

Craig Ian heap bad medicine for blue man.

???One game at a time sweet Jesus...???

Maybe Arsenal should have sent for Sam

Viewing this from afar ... who cares what "we" think? The point - much like us being the same club as before - is what the world makes of this. And to the outside world, who hardly know what befell us or how the league in Scotland is run, it reads: Scum FC has won 9 titles on the trott, Covid-19 or not. It doesn't matter that a 30m-pound squad went virtually unchallenged against teams that were challenging their own mediocrity, teams that where humbled out of Europe by also rans from Bulgaria, Moldova and Co. long before any group stage. Even with us in the equation, the outside world had and has a low view of the quality of the Scottish game and league, never mind the competitiveness of the league as such. So as much as we laugh off their 10iaR-claim or we laugh at them when they claim that we are a new club, to the outside world they go for 10iaR and we are one and the same club that was founded 1872. On a personal note, their tites during our absence carry the same relevance as if a full strength Bayern Munich side had won the Bundesliga 3 for 5-6 years on the trott. The gulf in finances and quality were beyond any sort of competitive edge, even though the Scum managed to throw away a few pieces of silverware. Even when we returned, the gulf was there, only that the CO as well as the refs managed to find new levels of depths that they have even up till now difficulty to climb up from. Right to the "vote" to end last season early. What beggars belief is that all the CO stuff, the refereeing madness and the "vote" went on in full view of the public with hardly any reaction from media, authorities and politicians alike. If someone in Hollywood would present a screenplay wlike that, he'd be adviced to find a job at Burger King. Not so in Scotland. You just hope that no madness will end this season by anyother means than it being played on the field of play and that we shatter their "illusive quest" for a 10th title in as many seasons.