Leaderboard

Full article here: “Chaos is where we are when we don’t know where we are, and what we are doing when we don’t know what we are doing.” – Jordan B. Peterson It’s fair to say that trailing by two goals and down to ten men against Aberdeen at Ibrox in late September 2023 was chaos. And that the performance out at Limassol the following week was chaos. There were large spells during those games when we didn’t know where we were or what we were doing. There had been a perceptible instability at the club for the past two years (even longer to be honest). There were undeniable regular flashes of brilliance in Europe but domestically something was missing when it really mattered. Even when Gerrard’s tenure was at its peak, we never quite managed that holistic balance across all departments at club. We would occasionally hit periods where things appeared fine, or where excuses could explain away unwanted results, but we never really got to a place of stable competence and performance in all areas. For sure, 55 hit euphoric consistency in the league, but the cup exits showed a weak underbelly, an issue with mentality somewhere within the dressing room, added to a notable drop off in quality across the squad, a faltering transfer strategy, and where questionable decisions off the park still haunted us. I had been surprised at the time with how quickly things got away from Gio and his team. How conditioning and fitness and then confidence had deserted a squad that was in the Europa League final just months before. Signs of mismanagement were showing with many senior players contracts running down and Morelos allowed to literally roll off the rails. Fans were right to question why so many of the starting eleven were the same faces that had been there 4 or 5 years earlier. That is no slight on those players, many of whom gave their best, but it pointed to an underlying dysfunction within the club. When Beale came in, I believed he could be the right guy. He knew the club, he knew the players, you’d assume he had observed and learned under his three seasons with Gerrard and would take that experience and build forward. He was given time based largely on how bad it had been under Gio, with the Champions League reacquaintance being particularly humiliating. Beale played on this and very much told the support what we wanted to hear. I admit to tuning out slightly, trusting we were in safe hands – besides things had got so bad that they could only get better, right? The manager shifting focus from drab performances to under-performing players like Kent or Morelos may have been populist but it was not good management. Any manager reacting to the whims of the fanbase and not to his own plan or principles will only last so long. By the end of last season, we had floated into a sub-optimal limbo between Celtic and the rest, where Beale would generally get expected results and invariably lose the games that mattered. Alongside settling for second best and watching another treble for that lot, other things jarred at the club. The squad wasn’t improving, and worse than that our assets were devaluing faster than crypto. Intolerably, the football was terrible - functional football is excused by silverware and that felt a long way off. And so, the chaos and pain of September mercifully saw the end of Beale’s reign. The board has got a lot wrong in recent years but pulling the plug reasonably early was a credible move. The league was slipping out of sight, but not quite beyond a miracle just yet. It would’ve been easy to hang on and hope things improved but no-one believed that. I didn’t know who I wanted as manager. Some of the names in the hat had big plus points but I had acquired a pessimism through our bad choices and bad luck. The wrong choice would be drawn into the maelstrom of chaos rather than rise above it. The earlier purge of Ross Wilson and the summer reorganisation at board level were promising and a recognition that things weren’t working and maybe a reason to be more optimistic. It sounds so simple but what we needed was a manager that knew what he was doing, a clarity of vision. A leader we can all respect. A man that could get the best out of the squad and could give them some needed direction and purpose. Someone that could release Rangers’ potential and crystalize the expectation of winning every other trophy, as a minimum. A man that could bring order to where chaos had had laid down roots. In his first 4 months at Rangers Phil Clement has certainly done that. A squad (and support) that looked beaten to the point of hopelessness has been given a new lease of life. Results improved. The winning streaks that eluded Gerrard, Gio and Beale are now starting to appear. That loss against Celtic is the only black mark since the beginning of December. Performances have improved significantly. I look forward to every game now and know that entertainment is guaranteed. The atmosphere at Ibrox and general mood is polar opposite from before and the bond between players and support has returned. It is still early days but we appear to be operating at the place where Rangers should be operating. From a tired, overly-familiar, over-worked starting eleven we now have competition for places. We are seeing rotation being used pro-actively, players rested, fringe players provided opportunities, all with instructions and roles that suit them best. The team visibly presses, attacks and defends as a single organism instead of a jumbled mess of individuals at the start of the season. There’s a fluidity in the attacking play, attacking from all angles with goals and assists being shared around. This is all achieved from simple adjustments. Taking the forward option. Variation of corners. Sharing responsibilities. Take Lawrence’ winning goal at Kilmarnock, a quick throw-in from Dessers, then a quick free-kick from Lawrence himself leads to panic in the Kilmarnock back line and the ball breaks back to Lawrence at the edge of the box - ten seconds of sharp play resulting in an invaluable three points. It’s not rocket science but we haven't played that game domestically for too long. We’re not perfect and have limited options in some areas, but Clement is getting everything out of them that we can realistically ask for. And when the manager does get it wrong, he identifies it and makes changes early. I haven't seen so many subs at half time at Rangers. For me, the long-term aim has to be stability. To reach a place where transfer windows don’t mean wholesale changes but more the clinical improvement of the squad. And what then follows is the highest quality starting eleven possible for a club of our means, with a wider squad of players both hungry and capable enough to challenge and win those places for themselves. Clement himself has said that he doesn’t want egos but selflessness and team players, with the understanding that any dreams of individual success and glory can be more than realised through success for the team. There’s no bullshit, just a clear plan and hard work. He doesn’t scapegoat or isolate players, just makes his point and moves forward, and the players seem to appreciate and respect that. Everything is focused on the team and being a winning team. Domestically, we have been relatively poor value for money, carrying too many players that haven’t contributed enough to see us over that line. The signs are Clement is changing this. We need to remember the name and draw of Rangers and the calibre of players we can attract here. Even though things were creaking to a shuddering halt behind the curtains we still managed to bring in the likes of Jack Butland. Granted, we also brought in others in that window which demonstrate that where we get it wrong then the club suffers. Clement gave Lammers opportunities, squeezed something out of the situation and was able to find an arrangement in January that suited both parties. Dessers has begun to turn it around. From living offside and being chronically out of condition under Beale to being a welcome presence on the pitch and posting very respectable numbers. The January arrivals of Diomande, Cortes and Silva are beginning to look like decent business after a small sample of games, not just that they represent upgrades but also bring a much-needed freshness across the squad. With every decision our manager continues to earn our trust. Where injuries had previously left with gaping holes across the pitch, Clements squad is now adapting and finding a way. Losing Danilo in December felt like the kind of misfortune that could totally derail our title challenge but Clement never complained or moped. Again, his actions followed his own words - looking for solutions, not dwelling on problems. One player who always gives his best is our Captain. During the death rattle of Beale's reign, I'll admit wanting the captaincy taken from him, more as a symbolic gesture than anything else. It felt like a millstone around his neck and was dragging his legacy down. Upon reflection I was wrong. It wasn’t Tav’s fault that our management, or squad, or conditioning, or tactics weren’t good enough to collect more silverware. We were very lucky to get him for £200,000 and have been lucky to have him for 8 seasons. No player should be irreplaceable at Rangers but we will struggle to ever match his value and output. But that’s football, it’s a game of moments and you need to make the most of them. Things can change for better or worse in a matter of weeks, all you can do is put the best people in place and hope they do their best, hope that they are able to take us over that line.

Great article sir. £200k for the captain has to go down as one of the best buys in our history.

I think one of the most important achievements of Philippe Clement so far has been the bridge he has rebuilt between the players and the fans. Of course this depends on favourable results but, when you come to think of it, doesn't everything. However, before you can build that bridge you first have to recognise both the need for it and the value it brings. No manager since Walter has given me the impression they even began to understand this. Since his first day in the job, PC has sought to speak directly to the support as an integral part of his plans for the club and that was key. It marked the difference between a shrewd, experienced manager and those who went before him. His greatest asset appears to be his ability to communicate effectively on multiple fronts. It's not often you find someone who communicates so clearly and commands respect so easily. I find it telling that I never hear fans talking about directors any more - the club now has only one face. (To reference another topic, it's Kloppesque)

That's a good read. Some of it brings back painful memories but we are hopefully moving towards better times.

Brilliant article. The bit I agree with most is that I now look forward to going to Ibrox again and feel that way about tomorrow. In September I either dreaded going, or was itching to leave almost immediately after half time or, even before sometimes. Yes it was that bad under Beale! On a side note hopefully Cortes is not out long term

My report on the 18's shootout win over Dundee United. https://rfcyouths.wordpress.com/2024/03/01/shootout-win-for-u18s/

There’s not a word in that article that I disagree with.

Very true indeed those spells to me were like that moment when you're frantically searching for your keys, and you realize they're in your hand. Or when you're trying to find your glasses, and they're perched on your head. It's like being lost in IKEA - you know you're somewhere between the kitchenware and the fake plants, but you're not entirely sure who you are anymore. Thank goodness we have someone like Philippe who is constantly looking for a way to simplify things in what football should be all about and not afraid to change things about and realises the fans are a integral component of the club.🤜🏼♥️🤍💙

It's fairly simple to my mind. To question, or expect better from referees as a whole is fine, we're paying customers after all. To chase a referee, after the event, to harass him outside of the football realm, to blame failure of our team over a season on someone, well that's your personal choice, and you leave yourself open to criticism in my opinion. Really there's no answer, no defining line, it's up to you how you carry yourself. Anyway, I've work to do, enjoy the rest of yer day.

Aah. "Romanesque". Would that be synonymous with "Yahooesque"? (Asking for a philologist.)

A quite excellent article on our main site this morning from @Rick Roberts. Make sure you spend a few mins reading this as part of your pre-match build up for tomorrow!

Ahead of tomorrow's Youth Cup Semi Final, a reminder of a piece a wrote in pre-season Rangers - A Youth Cup History https://rfcyouths.wordpress.com/2023/07/05/rangers-a-youth-cup-history/

Trust the manager and trust his selection - he hasn't got much wrong since he joined.

Excellent article and whilst I agree with the vast majority of it, the part I agree with most is the requirement for long-term stability. Whilst PC has secured the League Cup, guided us into EL knock-out stages of the EL and has us dreaming of winning the title. Given what's happened both on and off the pitch since 2013, I can't help but feeling a little nervous that things are going "too well". PC has said himself that there will be dumps in the road, its inevitable. What is important is how we as fans deal with those bumps / knocks. Historically, we'd scream for players to be dropped (still evident on here even though we are on an amazing winning run), managers to be sacked, and public floggings etc. If, and it's a big if things start to go wrong (if our injuries get any worse, this is a distinct possibility), we need to stay calm and trust the process. We all want to win the league this season, but not winning it shouldn't result in players being ridiculed and cries for the manager to be sacked. Time for stability and I think most of us would agree that PC has shown enough to justify that he is the one to bring stability and most importantly success whether it be this season or not.

John Rutherford. This Rangers supporting stand off half would have been a brilliant footballer. Could sidestep like Ian McMillan.

Until we can consistently beat our main rivals and put silver on the sideboard then we'll always be second we now seem to have a chance to rectify that so let's grab that chance .

It'd be the first time you've put a line under something!

Yahooesque to me is like having one of those old flip phones that can only send calls and texts, or the old floppy disks you had at school that could barley store a whole Document 🤣

Moaning at a ref during the game is perfectly normal. It's carrying that on for weeks after the event, looking into said ref to see who his father was, that kind of behaviour that is very, very yahooesque.

I for one hope the Jambos get a couple of yahoo-esque penalties at the weekend. 😉

Was always the fear in advance that we concede the first goal as it plays into the hands of Killie's game plan perfectly. Thankfully it happened early enough in the game that we were able to turn it around. Credit has to go to the players for adapting, albeit some better than others. For me the swap of Dessers for Silva was key. Too many balls in the first half were going long into Silva who either wasn't getting on the end at all, or was outmuscled. But it was the 3 bits of quality in relatively short order that won the game. Butland's save, then then two goals. Clement earning his stripes yet again by making the changes necessary.

It’s imperative we beat them at ibrox next month.

A heroic XI. Maybe a bit generous to Morrison but he wore the blue and he scored a few, so …

Tomorrow's team selection will be interesting given our injury list is getting longer when we need it to be getting shorter. Worryingly its the forward/creative areas that are most affected - Danilo, Sima, Cortes, Cantwell, Dowell, Matando all missing with Roofe and Lovelace working towards full fitness. Falls on Wright, Dessers, Silva, Lawrence and McCausland to create and score the goals we require to win games. However, Dio has chipped in with a few, Tav always scores or creates. Need Souttar and Goldson to start scoring from corners and whomever at left back to start creating more. I think RY and BB only have around 7 or 8 assists between them this season - not nearly good enough. PC has managed, thus far to fit square pegs in round holes, time for him to find a secret centre-forward hiding in the squad - maybe just play Tav there 😀

The first of four he put past us at Ibrox in a five one defeat Alan Gilzean .

Motherwell tend to start strong and fall away, important to keep behind the team if anything goes against us early.

From memory, There have been at least three instances of Rangers players sustaining long term injuries on the Rugby Park surface : Stevie Smith, Martyn Waghorn and, Jamie Murphy.

My eyes must be deceiving me

Apparently, we are waiting on a specialist's report on the Cortes injury. If this injury is a medium to long term job, I hope Clement reintroduces young Lovelace back into the fold. The ability to step inside and unleash an accurate attempt on goal will be necessary in the coming weeks.

Spot on. Bisgrove and Bennett must be the ones most happy with his performance!

So very few on here or in the broader Rangers support is yahooesque. Finally we can put an end to this nonsense. Have a great day and Rangers play again tomorrow so not long until the madness recommences.

Or wearing Adidas Sambas 😀

I think the evidence backs you up. You last complained about referees on 1st January: Then you have to go back to April 2023 for a similar post; both of which revolve around 'cheating'. You have to go all the way back to 2022 to find the more general complaints about referees: You've even defended, for want of the better word, a referee in the past:

So yahooesque would mean any Rangers fan who questioned officials were doing so in the style, manner and resembling a yahoo? Oh, sorry my mistake, makes the accusation seem fair and objective.

Used to have that and I went to many games when the first team were playing away. Saw Andy Penman make his debut in one,was there when Foinaven won the national and the noise of trannies keeping up with first league games is well remembered.

Just a wee observation from last night. Killie are a very organised team that thrive off the reset after breaks in play IMO. If you cast your mind back to the 1st game of the season, Tav jogged about 50 yards to take a throw in, much to the ire of every fan watching. It played perfectly into Kilmarnocks hands. Game gets slowed down, they get to reset. Fast forward to last night. Dessers takes a quick throw immediately and Killie are on the back foot resulting in Lawrence getting fouled. Once again we get ball active right away and bish bosh, we get our 2nd goal. How times have changed...

Tbh I can't think of many times (if any?) where Rangers or Celtic have won the league having not won any of the first 3 league meetings between the sides...that OF game has to be a 6 point swing in our favour imo. But aye, one game at a time.

No reason it should be unpopular since it was there for everyone to see last night. McInnes is doing a good job at Rugby Park.

This might be an unpopular opinion but I was quiet impressed with Kilmarnock last night. I get the pitch being a leveller but they go about their business in a direct, aggressive and organised manner. They clearly have a good level of belief when facing the OF teams and their results back that up. Some other teams in Scotland should take note.

Added to that the fact Barasic was fouled and officials gave Killie the free-kick. Barasic should deal with it better but 9 times out of 10 the defender gets a free-kick.

That's the way i see it, from the stills it hit his arm when it was at his side. Going by the referees logic here I could pick up an opponents hand hit myself in the face with it and it would be a red for them. It was a stupid decision IMO. Edit - to clarify I can understand the referee giving it as its hard to make that out during real time, my issue is with the VAR process and no on field review. With VAR the official's can get a meticulous slow down multi angle view of anything, how they can still miss the mark with 3 hand balls I do not know. Dickinson was dreadful last night, had a howler.

It looked as if his arm came out to an 'unusual' position, but that was possibly as it was struck by the ball, I'm guessing that's what the ref went on?. VAR check may not have made a difference, when you consider that Hertz penalty went to VAR. One of the Killie handballs was a stonewaller, and right in front of the ref as well.

It absolutely was not. Lundstram's arm was by his side when the ball struck his elbow so never a penalty. Why VAR didn't recommend the referee check it is anyone's guess.

And by their constant "moaning" they receive favourable decisions from officials. When was the last time THEY conceded a penalty (stick on, or otherwise)? When was the last time we were awarded a penalty at Parkhead? When was the last time they received a red card in league and / or v us at Parkhead? Compare their domestic refereeing awards against their European ones and convince us that its just a coincidence 😉

Survival was a major achievement. The team survived going behind, the pitch, inappropriate footwear, inexplicable refereeing and, five substitutions. The support survived, just. The seventh minute of time added on saw us concede three successive corner kicks. The Cortes injury is a real worry. He fell over clutching the back of his thigh and looked extremely stiff as he hobbled off. At the point where the games in all competitions come thick and fast, the potential loss of Cortes compounds Cantwell's hammy injury. Both these players provide necessary movement, their constant runs create exploitative angles. We have survived tonight but long term survival will continue to be a concern.

THE MOST PROLIFIC DEFENDERS AT ONE CLUB: 129 Fernando Hierro (Real Madrid, 1989-2003) 124 Wendie Renard (Lyon, 2006-) 120 James Tavernier (Rangers, 2015-) 105 Nelinho (Cruzeiro, 1973-82) 102 Edgardo Bauza (Rosario Central, 1977-82, 1986-89) 101 Manny Kaltz (Hamburg, 1971-89), Daniel Passarella (River Plate, 1974-81), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, 2005-21) FULL-BACKS WITH THE MOST CAREER GOALS (CLUB AND COUNTRY): 170* Nelinho 131 Graham Alexander 128 James Tavernier, Roberto Carlos 110 Manny Kaltz 105 Stuart Pearce https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/feb/28/james-tavernier-and-the-highest-scoring-full-backs-in-football-history

And we should gave won both games. 2 goals up in both games I recall...