der Berliner

Over the last decade or so, my "outdoor"-working place's regular colleagues have become some sort of "third family", along with all the Eisbären supporters one meets every other week since 2008. The "first" family is obviously all the relatives, parent, brother, sister, nephew et al. And then there is that "second" family, most of whom I never see in person, but which are still close due to the bond we share for decades now: our love to Rangers. Thus, "second" family, have a merry Christmas, or Frohe Weihnachten, as we say over here, with friends and family, far and wide. You won't escape your annual dose of East German festive songs, though instead of Tausend Sterne sind ein Dom, you'll get a tune from the very same time, choir, and album ... including a translation. It is more appropriate these days ...

Isaac ... was one of the three patriarchs in the Hebrew Bible, whose story is told in the book of Genesis. Staunch?

I have Isaac on offer too! Rangers are weighing up a move for Standard Liege midfielder Isaac Price, with a mystery English Championship club also doing their homework on the Northern Ireland international. (Walfoot via Daily Record, external) Rangers midfielder Ianis Hagi is wanted by Serie A side Genoa, recently taken over by Romanian businessman Dan Sucu. (Gazzetto dello Sport, external - in Italian)

Three more points, won by bitter toil. After the much better games, we're back to brutal SPFL fare. Granted, we struck woodwork 4 times, but the final third was a medicocre show again. Hagi tried his best, but is sure no winger. We didn't need Diomande today in the role he played (for 90 mins), hardly anything going forward from him, hardly anything he was needed to get involved in. Not his fault, though. Barron might at least have brought in some drive and passion. Solid defence, almost untested as it was.

Like some must raise them immediately, and others must not raise them immediately?

That's a couple of times that this joke of a linesman lets play go on, people running and playing, before raising the flag. Abysmal behaviour.

Take off a striker, bring on an attacking midfielder? While having two DMs on of which one contributes next to nothing.

... and there are people who moaned that Hagi's too slow.

Former Manchester United director Sean Jefferson is set to be appointed as Rangers' new chief commercial officer in January on an interim basis. (Daily Record) Rangers have sourced an interim replacement for outgoing chief commercial officer Karim Varani. Varani, who joined the Ibrox board in summer 2023, is the latest high-profile departure at Rangers with the former West Ham United man expected to officially leave his role in January to "pursue new opportunities". Sean Jefferson will now take up the position on an interim basis. Jefferson has a strong track record working for Manchester United as well as international drinks giant Diageo and global media agency Mindshare. He will begin working for the Scottish Premiership giants in the New Year until a permanent acquisition can be named.

The dark-blue (today white) wall holds. Diomande's without a job today and truth be told, does not much either. Put Cortes on for him and Hagi more central, please. Too many attempts passing our way through that packed defence, rather than whipping more crosses in from the flanks. Let's hope Dundee will tire later on.

Possession: 84-16 ...

So it is Kelly in goals, as Butland injured himself during the warm-up ...

Rumour regarding another South African in-form striker ... IN - Iqraam Rayners (29) - ST, South Africa - Sundowns - contract till 20XX - TM - TM stats - LINK

In the here and now, one can quickly establish the "pedigree" of a referee in terms of football loyalties. It is a small country, so the pool is indeed limited. But if it is clear that referees are either incompetent, not up to the pressure of such a game, or have certain leanings, they should not put on the black shirt in such games or sit behind the monitor. If they lack referees, go and hire some "foreigner" in advance. Maybe they'll have smarting home-bred people, but it is up to the latter to officiate a game according to the rules. In any case, they could hire people for VAR roles, put women referees in there, whatever. The status quo is not acceptable.

There's a circle since we've been back ... Refereeing, Compliance Officer, Songs. I'd wager that, given that our support belts out the "sectarian" songs for months now, someone of the you-know-who brigade will pick up on this if things go too well for us.

"It was the honestest mistake ever, we can assure you!"

In games against the sides mentioned, and most others of the low-defence teams too, we play essentially two centre-halfs at the back, two DMs who cover the territory ahead of them or the space vacated by the "wingbacks", and said wingbacks. De facto, we play with 6 defensive-minded players. People may argue that our fullbacks shall act like wingers/wingbacks, and our DMs should venture forward too. These players actually do exactly that, but in essence, in such games, we still have 2 defenders "attacking" on the wings (with a varying degree of success), and two defensive-minded midfielders trying to be positive. Barron and Diomande are more positive than most we had before, but how often do they still pass rather than shoot. Be that as it may, the opposition in such games rarely threatens our backline. So why should we keep essentially 6 defence-minded players? When we effectively need just 3, maybe 4? Hence, 3-4-3, or 3-5-2. And if I ask a fullback to play wingback (and some can do that better than others), why shouldn't I ask a winger to do some fullback work? Wright did that, McCausland does that, Cerny to a degree ... I wouldn't be so sure with Matondo and Cortes. Hence, IMHO, against Dundee and Co. play a centre-half through the middle (Souttar), and Sterling (who can play right-back) and Balogun (left- or right-back) and that's that for defensive work. Put Barron/Raskin in front of them with the task of a cleaner/destroyer, who can cover flanks too. Do we need any more "defenders" in the Premiership? Ask the two wingers on either side to do a bit of defensive work in case of need (and IMHO Jefte and Ridvan can both play winger instead of fullback too), but let them lose at the opposition in their half. We'd have 6 instead of 3 or 4 really attack-minded players. In this day and age, players are asked to be versatile and most of our chaps can do that. Sterling can play centre-half, right-defender up to right-winger. So he might even decide to go on the attack as well, if space opens up. It's no rocket science, but we try to play this wedge style that simply turns blunt in the Premiership time and again. You see that, I see that. People don't even try to think around/about the system, but rather have a go at players shoehorned into it.

I know ... but: - hardly anyone who does that plays in the Scottish league against the brick-wall brigade - most who do this play people capable of playing in this role and can perform adequately - I would only agree if we'd play Igamane on the left-attack role, Dessers through the middile and Danilo on the right ... and see how it goes. And to complete such a line up against e.g. Dundee or St. Johnstone ... Butlland Sterling - Souttar - Pröpper Cerny/Matondo - Raskin/Barron - Hagi - Jefte/Ridvan/Cortes The way we play is suitable for Europe, and in some games where the opposition is bold enough to play more open. Our plight is - and has been for years - that those meant to come up with goals from the wings are simply not up for that cause. Hence, you play with those you have in their best roles. I fear that we will start tinkering with Matondo and Cortes again on either wing, instead of unleashing our full attack potential at the opposition.

... gut feeling says that he is regarded as a high-price sellable asset. That game against Spurs might have set a few English sides on his trail. Kelly is a very able replacement.

Only watching the highlights now and IMHO, we once again handed them two bad goals, and you simply cannot do that right now. We were down to our bare bones at the back without Souttar, and we changed from our winning ways back to the one-striker trash. That said, we gave them a better fight than in years (post Gerrard), people start to get back to their best levels, yet, we have too few ready at the same time. We need to make sure that we don't put our hopes in Igamane becoming the new Morelos, but strife to get all people involved. Having 6m of our strike-force at treatment table again is simply a no-go. They will need their time to get back to full throttle and if anything these days, we haven't got time.

Play two strikers, have them all geared up like Thursday, and we might be in with a chance. I'll be off working ... with the Eisbären. When I booked that date we were dire and they were flying, so not only do I want to give them any more of my lifetime in the here and now, I was expecting another doing. Tide has turned somewhat, maybe this month can see a change in fortunes. If everyone performs at his best level, we may snatch some silverware after all ...

For those home late from Ibrox ... Igamane's goal

Can't be anything else but be proud of the lads. Gave all 100 % that they have, a touch unlucky with the result. But we'll take it.

It is utterly frustrating that we cannot play with two strikers .... Igamane is too often far to the left, and those in the middle don't have the prowess. We carry some great belief from the previous games, we need to profit from Spurs' apparent lack in form. Let's hope this doesn't come back at us, for we don't deserve it.

Line-up reads like a 4-3-3, but who knows. No idea how good or bad Spurs are at the moment, so ... let's see.