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Thank The Lord Ally McCoist and Mark Hateley weren't written off so quickly by fans...... oh wait a minute.....

Yeah agreed - said during the match yesterday that Alfie occupies the 3 central defenders. His game is based on physicality, battling and more often than not, bullying defenders. He also knows when to drop deep or wide which then opens space for our "impact players" to play in and create. Roofe is a different type of forward, he is cute and clever and exploits the time and space created by an Alfredo type. Itten is different again as he seems happier coming from wide positions against smaller and less physical full backs. All offer something different but Alfie is the only one who can do the "bulldozer" role and he does it brilliantly

If Tavs goal had been allowed to stand, if we had gotten a legitimate penalty when Tav was tripped in the box, and if Aribo had scored we wouldn't be having this conversation. Oh and Balagun "foul" was outside the box...... You want to talk about improvement? Fine. Let's talk about improvement. Qualified top of a very difficult EL group whilst not losing a game. Sit top of the league, yet to lose a game in the league. Conceded one goal at home in the league thus far whilst scoring 40 goals and dropping 0 points. Now compare and contrast to last season - no improvement? One domestic defeat all season and 4 wins away from claiming our 1st title in 10 years after being hours away from not being able to field a team away to Brechin in those dark days. The journey struggling against the likes of Alloa, Peterhead, Berwick Rangers et al. Struggling to get out of the championship and being humiliated by Motherwell in that play off. Losing to Raith in the Mickey Mouse Cup Final at Easter Road. Still not seeing any improvement? Best unbeaten run in the club's history after eclipsing Walter Smith's record (what a team that was), 1 game away from breaking the clean sheet record. Still not seeing any improvement? Some Rangers fans need to remember where we've came from, remember last season, remember we have no devine right to win any game of football nevermind winning it 4 or 5-0, this has to be earned and this season, the team have (THUS FAR) stood 99% of the time and delivered. They just need to deliver another 4 times this season to become immortals. If that isn't improvement then I'm the leader of The Green Brigade.

His presence on the pitch alone terrifies defenders! he occupies their mind regardless if he scores or not, he bullies them and when he plays these points create space for others

We just appear to function better as a team when Alfie is playing. As for change in personnel, well we tried that against St Mirren and Hamilton and look how that turned out.

Drops in performance, as well as dropped points are inevitable in any league campaign, it's the reaction to these situations both from the team and fans that is interesting. Anytime we have encountered a dip in form, or a "bad" result, the players and management team have ensured it has been a "one-off" and followed up with a run of victories (some playing well, others just scraping by). If this is the scale / reaction to us not hitting the highest standards we've set this season and winning (or drawing), I hate to imagine what hysteria will ensue when (God Forbid) we actually lose a game of football in the league (it'll be along the lines of "told you so", "it was on the cards" - course it was, that's football, you can't win every game). In days gone by, finding ways to win "ugly", grind out results, rack up points was said to be the sign of champions and of a great team. Now, a bad performance or two sees fans wanting players publicly flogged, management team to drop a successful system, even after winning a game that takes us a step closer to the end goal. Off course it would be better watching if we were to win 5-0 every week, but again, it's impossible to do so.

Isn’t Robertson supposedly an apprentice in the Clancy Order of Refs? But that was a golden opportunity to give a penalty and plead genuine mistake. I wonder why he didn’t. Up in front of the grand chief 9am Monday, I expect.

Why would you want to tweak a formation that is unbeaten both in the league and in the EL? That has seen us win every home league game thus far and leaves us 4 victories from securing the title? Why change a winning formula that is tried and tested, that the players have bought into 100% and are delivering to more times than not? What would you be hoping to achieve by tweaking tactics or personal? Changing a winning formula to what end?

Jack stunner takes Rangers a step closer to the finishing line A brilliant strike from Ryan Jack secured a 1-0 win against Kilmarnock as Rangers took another step towards securing the title. The win means Rangers now need just four victories to cross the line in the race for this season’s title – the defeat was Kilmarnock’s seventh straight loss in what was Tommy Wright’s first game in charge of Killie after being appointed earlier in the week. Steven Gerrard named three changes to his side with Filip Helander, Bongani Zungu and Glen Kamara making way for Leon Balogun, Ryan Jack and Steven Davis. Rangers were denied victory in injury-time last week at Hamilton in what was arguably the worst performance of the season so far. The margin of the win here was narrow, but the scoreline didn’t reflect accurately on the nature of the performance in a game which Rangers, despite not being at their fluent best, should have won in a more convincing manner. Rangers started brightly and it looked like they had secured an early lead after James Tavernier finished neatly after being put through by Cedric Itten, only for the far-side linesman to put his flag up for offside. Itten was then fouled after he turned Dikamona cleverly on the edge of the box. Ianis Hagi stepped up to take the resultant free-kick but fired just wide. Rangers took the lead on 37 minutes after Steven Davis was fouled around 40 yards from goal. Tavernier’s delivery into the box from the free-kick created a scramble as Killie failed to clear the lines properly. The ball landed at Ryan Kent on the edge of the box who took a touch to control before firing an unstoppable volley into Colin Doyle’s top left-hand corner. Ryan Kent then had a chance to double Rangers’ lead after a mistake from Zech Medley. The Arsenal loanee was under no pressure when he played the ball straight to Kent, who then ran at the Killie defence and fired a fierce shot which Doyle had to touch over the bar. Rangers then had a strong penalty claim denied when Aribo played in Itten whose cut-back appeared to give Tavernier a chance to score only for McKenzie to bundle him to ground with an awkward channel. Referee Don Robertson waved away the appeals and the teams went in at half-time with just a goal between them. Rangers should have doubled their lead straight from kick-off when Ryan Kent shot weakly at Doyle. The Englishman had done well to create the chance, but opted to shoot when there were better options available inside. Kent then pulled a great save from Doyle after a nice ball from Aribo set him up with a shooting opportunity. Kent hit a great shot low and hard towards the bottom corner, but Doyle produced an impressive save to put the ball out for a corner. Aribo and Itten both had chances to extend Rangers lead as they probed the Killie defence in search of the second goal which would have killed the game and secured the three points. Steven Gerrard introduced new signing Scott Wright on 79 minutes, and the former Aberdeen man was involved as Rangers came close again, sending Tavernier free on the flank only for his attempt to pick out Kent in the box for a tap-in to be blocked. Rangers then had a guilt-edged chance to get that elusive second goal. Steve Davis sent Rangers on the counter with a pass to Itten. Itten then put through Ryan Kent. Kent took Aaron McGowan out of the equation with a lovely change of direction which allowed him to set up Aribo for what seemed an easy opportunity to score, only for Aribo to take a poor touch and poke his effort wide off Doyle. Kilmarnock then had a penalty claim denied when Balogun tangled with Danny Whitehall. Balogun undoubtedly fouled the Killie substitute, but replays confirmed that the contact happened outside the box. With a few minutes remaining Steven Gerrard introduced Scott Arfield, making a return to action since picking up an ankle knock on Boxing Day against Hibs. Steven Gerrard said after the game: "The players should be really excited now and embrace what's in front of them, go and be the best version of themselves. "If they do, they have a wonderful opportunity to turn this season into a success. We are going to try and attack every game that's in front of us. We want to commit to every game, we've got the numbers in the squad and the quality to do it. "My focus hasn't been too much on Antwerp up until now. I've watched a few games but I'm going to watch an awful lot more between now and Thursday.” RANGERS: McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic; Jack, Davis, Aribo, Kent, Itten, Hagi SUBS: McLaughlin, Bassey, Helander, Arfield, Wright, Defoe, Patterson, Kamara, Stewart. KILMARNOCK: Doyle, McGowan, Haunstrup, Dikamona, McKenzie, Dicker, Kiltie, Kabamba, Mulumbu, Medley, Tsibola SUBS: Rogers, Oakley, Ibsen Rossi, Pierrick, Pinnock, Millen, Burke, Dabo, Whitehall. REFEREE: Don Robertson

@Frankie @Govan Rear Bear

There should be "reaper cushions". Ffs!! It must be the Green Oyster Cult.

Yeah, idiotic if true but will await the clubs official response to their investigation.

It's clear we all see players different! Itten looks a great prospect to me, he looks the more he plays the better he will get! unfortunately that won't happen this season as we need to play our best players, best team in every match, which is the way it should be IMO, and right now the young guy isn't part of our best team yet! will he become that player? who knows, but it's way too early to write him off, there is a player there.

I’ve got to admit to being totally undecided in all of this. Like many of us I was always dubious when whyte got his own administrators, duff & phelps, after Rangers went into administration on that dreadful day nine years ago today. And d&p had allegedly advised whyte during his takeover too. During administration a pantomime played out over the following weeks with all sorts of characters supposed to be taking over Rangers as well as various bizarre promises which never materialised. It was no surprise the COPFS were suspicious. Perhaps rightly so. And yes the prosecution was screwed up. It was an embarrassment. A complete failure. Maybe they never found the evidence. Or insufficient evidence. Or they’re just incompetent. But should the crown office have done nothing at all? What would we have said then?

Good article detailing just how much we've improved our (and Scotlands) European coefficient ------------- No team on the continent can match the rise of the Ibrox club since they returned to the Europa League. Rangers are the most improved team in Europe, it can be revealed.And the Ibrox club stand just one point from returning an automatic place in the Champions League group stage. Rangers face Royal Antwerp in the first leg of their Europa League last 32 tie on Thursday as they return to continental action, and domestically they're on the verge of being back in the big time. One more point will guarantee them a place in the Champions League for next season, while winning the title could yet bring an automatic group stage spot depending on how far Steven Gerrard 's side go in Europe this term. However they do though, the improvement since the Liverpool legend arrived has been unparalleled in European football.UEFA ranks clubs according to their performances in the Champions League and Europa League, with Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Juventus currently making up the top three.The coefficients are calculated over a five-year average, meaning Rangers didn't have a coefficient of their own when they returned to European football in 2017.Instead they were seeded according to the coefficient of the Premiership as a whole, which at the time stood at just 3.785.That put Rangers in a notional place of 308th, sandwiched between FK Baku and Shirak Gyumri.Their exploits since then have Steven Gerrard's side currently sitting in 61st with 26.250 and progression against Antwerp would see that rise still further.That's an incredible rise of 247 places over the past four seasons - and the first of those ended with an ignominious defeat to Progres Niederkorn.Of the teams in the top 100 not many can even come close, though Serie A outfit Atalanta can tell a similar tale.They too returned to Europe in 2017 without a coefficient score and Gian Piero Gasperini's side sit in 26th with 50.500 points.The Orobici have reached the Champions League knockout stages in each of the past two seasons.But the Bergamo outfit were starting with the Serie A coefficient which, unsurprisingly was streets ahead of the Scottish top flight in 2017.Atalanta began from a notional position of 131st with 14.666 points, so while their 105 place rise is impressive it doesn't match Rangers.Other impressive rises include Slavia Prague going from 180th to 40th over that period, and LASK of Austria moving up 188 places to 67th.But none can come close to matching the rise of Rangers, who will hope to climb even further by progressing to the last 16.

Nothing, but we need a whipping boy(s). Been same for years, fans always need someone to decry and at the moment it's Kent, Aribo and Itten

Kent didn't cut it? We must have been watching a different game. He brought a wonderful save from their keeper and set Aribo up with a sitter and was involved in some of our best passages of play. Aribo didn't have a great game but he always struggles when he is in midfield 3, needs to be played further forward - said as much during the match

there has been a clamor for others to be given a chance. Well they have and didn't take it. we either continue with this in the hope it improves or go back to what worked better asap. I know what I would choose but that is irrelevant. I trust Gerrard with whatever he chooses.

no way was tav offside.

I think what's been bothering me for a while now is that we don't seem to create a lot of 100% chances (as Advocaat used to call them). We don't seem to be testing the goalie as much I think we should

Can Wright play on Thursday? Don't think he's in the named squad? What have you seen in Wright in the 70 odd games he's played in his career at Aberdeen and Dundee to believe he can significantly improve our team, not only domestically but in Europe? Don't get me wrong, think he is an exciting prospect and over time will be a decent player for us. What players didn't cut it yesterday? We've been unable to play a settled team recently (so we've had changes) due to injuries and suspensions to key players.

I think both sides of this argument are valid tbh. Our level of performance has dropped (not unsurprisingly IMO) but we keep racking up the points. I think we just need to keep focusing on one game at a time and let's not forget that if we win the league these under par performances will be a distant memory.

Cross Pollination? If anyone is interested, the cutting edge BBC Radio Scotland's 'Off the Ball'; hosted by the recently vaccinated Stuart Cosgrove and Tam Cowan, has as today's guest, Connie McLaughlin. They have moved the show to a new Sunday timing between 14.00hrs and 16.00hrs. However, the show remains the same. Creepy Connie is the newly appointed Host of ra Sellik TV and as DrStu' and Tam keep saying, "we want to hear from Rangers supporters". It's good to see the traditions of PQ continue, that cross pollination between BBC Scotland and ra Sellik. Cross Pollination is important, transferring that hatred and Sellik mindedness from one pistil to another; protects every triffid from pernicious pests. BBC Scotland's Michael Stewart spent 12 weeks at ra Sellik TV earlier in the season, suitably pollinated, he has returned to bite, sting, and venomate all things Rangers(pests). Such invigoration is most necessary. I note referrals to the Compliance Officer has now reached 28, Rangers players amount to 18 of those referrals. As Michael Stewart announced yesterday on Sportsound, "ah but, they've(Rangers) have been getting away with incidents all season". What does Connie have to say? Will she mention this week's publication of the Scottish Government's inquiry into child sexual abuse in football? I don't think so , her brother, Chris did a two minute piece to cameras earlier this week that culminated, "all Scottish football has a responsibility to the victims". Put to bed. Connie is also a Life Coach, she has her own mental health organisation, 'Inner Buzz'. Will Connie extrapolate on the mental health of Neil Francis? Even better, if you remember, we were told early Autumn by said Neil Francis that someone had been hired by the club to strengthen the collective mental health of ra Sellik squad. Since, it's all gone very quiet, maybe Cosgrove can ask Connie how it went, particularly with Leigh Griffiths? Alternatively, Connie could be asked, 'your Sellik TV colleague Gerry McCulloch, is he even creepier than you'? Of course, it will be none of the above, Connie's inner buzz will not be rocked, she will be allowed to wallow in her beloved green'n'grey hooped heroes fantastic victory today in Perth. Cross pollination is important work and Creepy Connie is a hive of activity.

Below is Mr Alex Massie from today's ST. "Like Gaul, Scottish football is divided into three" , he says; he should have added that one part behaves with considerable gall, and has done for, oh, most of its existence, I should think. Perhaps you know which part I mean. The piece adds little to our understanding, but is another voice looking for a formal Inquiry. One thing he has missed, and it is, to me, a rather significant point: Whitehouse and Clarke never got to court. The Crown Office capitulated , and this, on a claim of 'malicious prosecution', a charge which is almost never brought, and which requires any pursuer to clear a very high bar, or series of bars. They 'won', not on a balance of probabilities, therefore, but on a higher standard of proof, which adds weight to the case for a full and frank, and independently chaired Public Inquiry. Alex Massie: The Rangers case should not be a political football Malicious prosecution of the club’s administrators must be investigated Alex Massie Sunday February 14 2021, 12.01am, The Sunday Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/alex-massie-the-rangers-case-should-not-be-a-political-football-5v5gg8fp0 Like Gaul, Scottish football is divided into three. Broadly speaking, one third of the country follows the royal blue of Rangers, a further third the green of Celtic, while the final third wishes to have nothing to do with either Glasgow powerhouse. As such, any difficulty endured by either half of the Old Firm is a matter of some satisfaction, and plenty of joy, for as much as two-thirds of those who follow Scottish football. Neither Rangers nor Celtic make for sympathetic underdogs, which may help to explain why so little attention, comparatively speaking, has been paid to one of the greatest scandals in modern Scottish legal history. It might be further admitted that David Whitehouse and Paul Clark, formerly the Duff & Phelps administrators steering Rangers through insolvency and liquidation in 2012, are not necessarily the kind of individuals whose hard-luck stories tug on public heartstrings. But even administrators — even those involved with Rangers — deserve justice. Instead, Whitehouse and Clark were subjected — for reasons that remain mysterious — to what the lord advocate now concedes was a “malicious prosecution” conducted without anything even approaching “probable cause”. Not a blunder or an oversight or a mere mistake, entered into regrettably but honestly, but rather a deliberate and unconscionable attempt to destroy the livelihoods and lives of two wholly innocent men. Again, the reasons for this persecution remain swaddled in mystery but the outcome is clear: Whitehouse and Clark have each been awarded £10.5 million in damages as well as £3 million in legal costs. Should the taxman demand his share of the damages awarded, the Scottish government is committed to meeting those costs, too. And since five other related cases are still pending, there is every possibility the final bill to the state for this fiasco could easily roar past £50 million and towards £100 million, the price of a CalMac ferry in old money. From which you would think that, even in Scotland, someone must be held responsible for what is, by any measure, a grotesque abuse of state power. It says something, however, that such thoughts may be reckoned optimistic. Speaking in parliament last week Rona Mackay, the SNP member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, accepted the “hugely regrettable” nature of this case but insisted, remarkably, that “we move on and lessons have been learnt”. Doubtless there is a need for a fuller, public and judge-led inquiry but this should not be confused with any sense that any individual has done anything wrong, let alone any expectation that anyone might be held accountable for a fiasco almost everyone agrees is almost unprecedented. I am not sure that will suffice. Newspapers are not protected by parliamentary privilege so the precise terms in which Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins attacked Frank Mulholland, the former lord advocate responsible for chasing Whitehouse and Clark, cannot prudently be repeated here. Even so, one need not be a lawyer to think it extraordinary that a malicious prosecution can happen almost by accident. And yet this appears to be the case. According to James Wolffe, the current lord advocate, however the “legal test” for a malicious prosecution” can, in certain circumstances be met even though no individual had malice, in the popular sense of a spiteful motive”. His acceptance of liability “did not depend on any individual being malicious in that popular sense”. Perhaps not, or at least not in a strictly legal sense. But the alternative is scarcely more cheering, for if the Crown Office has not acted maliciously, in the popular sense, it has plainly acted with extraordinary incompetence, again a term used in the popular sense. “Hopelessly inadequate but not motivated by malice” does not seem a watertight defence. In parliament, Wolffe insisted “the seriousness of what happened in this case should not obscure the truth that, day in and day out, Scotland’s public prosecutors … fulfil their responsibilities with professionalism and skill”. They have, he says, “a justified reputation for fairness, integrity and independence”. Well, yes, doubtless so, but apart from that, Mrs Lincoln, did you enjoy the play? Since it is a matter of record that Crown Office officials boasted of their determination to “nail the Duff & Phelps people” someone has to be responsible. Rare as this case may be, the suspicion gathers that there is something profoundly wrong within the prosecution service. Incompetence may be preferable to corruption, but the fact that the latter has even been mentioned is proof enough of malaise within the Crown Office. Remarkably, if revealingly, lawyers for Whitehouse and Clark have claimed that meetings to discuss the case chaired by Mulholland went unminuted. Or, at the very least, any minutes have not been released. If so, if confirmed, that is worth more than a raised eyebrow. Once again, where is the accountability and how could anyone sensibly think that a prudent basis upon which to proceed? As Scottish politics is as tribal as Scottish football, I imagine some will be tempted to look at Murdo Fraser and Tomkins harrying Wolffe and note that not only are they each supporters of Rangers, they are also — much, much worse than even that — both Tories. This being the case, their anger and their concern may be dismissed as being of little consequence and occasioned by nothing more than the usual partisan spite evident in such matters. This would, I suggest, be a profound mistake. For this is not in truth a particularly sectarian — in a political sense — scandal. It ought to concern anyone interested in the better governance of the country and anyone who thinks public servants ought to operate within the law. For if the malicious pursuit of Whitehouse and Clark is not a criminal matter, what can be considered such? And if it is a criminal matter, someone must be responsible. Instead, and despite the near unanimity in the legal profession that this is a scandal of shocking dimensions, the government’s line appears to be that, however unfortunate it might have been, there is no sense in which anyone can really be considered responsible for it. How can that possibly be good enough? @alexmassie

We speak of Roebrtson, who gave Taylor a penalty that never was, did nothing at the tackle against McGrath early on etc.. Rules, reason and facts do not stop the Specsavers Union.

Agreed but we are talking about us. I feel he brings a different energy to our midfield. He also seems to get the best from Aribo IMO

Can't see it happening tbh. I can only see another 3/4 win for them. Very happy to be proved wrong!!!

A big win for the Saints even ?

This is true. He might not have won anything yet but who could have expected him to? He joined a team with half the budget of Celtic and yet has moulded them into a side that hopefully will win the league in the next few weeks. In 2018 it was not possible to believe that Rangers could even mount a decent challenge for the league an nobody should have set a target of 2021. He has shown himself to be a fantastic leader. I won't believe the league is won until it is won but things are looking good.

Today was the most walteresque performance of the season , it actually brought back memories of yold . Its coming home , 10 years of pain is over , plus they have imploded , raise a glass troops #55

Since SG came in we have improved all the time, yet we have some fans saying ''he hasn't won anything yet'', true, but I find it difficult to understand that reasoning! should SG have won something by now? it's a long road to get that from where we were when he came in, I think he has done excellent and it is only a matter of time when he does win trophies! I'm delighted what he(and his staff) has done in such a short period, in fact he is going to be under more pressure next season and onwards to win silverware!. Let's just enjoy what he is doing for now.

Yet we have some fans wanting him out the door ASAP!

We just aren't anywhere near the same team without him.

He didn’t have his finest performance in a Rangers shirt. Got caught in possession so many times. He can do so much better.

Not many points this round. We were all looking for more. Correct Result (1 pt): Everyone who entered. Correct Number of Rangers Goals (1pt): Rousseau, gaspard and Ted. FGS (2 pts): MacK. Correct Score (3 pts): Rousseau, gaspard and Ted. New leader... hehehe... Latest Standings: