der Berliner

Probably as much "a racist" as you and me. "He who throws the first stone ..." or whatever the line is. Throwing a word in the heat of the moment doesn't make you "a racist" and I know for fact that many of my fellow Turkish-German citizens have a neat variety of words thrown at "white" Germans every day without notice, some in anger, some in irony or jest. Only that most other Germans don't understand their Turkish words. And you could add Poles, Russians, Ukrainians etc. to that list. True racism is another matter, though. Obviously, these are different times and the PC code demands that incidents like the one mentioned above needs to be investigated to its core, Wagner's CV been screened to his great-grandfather and whatnot. I take it that the inquisitors over at Kerrydale Street are already at it. Wagner himself: Wagner himself on Instagram: “The last few days have been very difficult for me and my family. “I said something in the heat of the moment that I deeply regret. I sincerely apologize and will work to improve myself and my actions. That’s not who I am.”

We sure need another striker. I can't see us parting with 5m for Shankland after spending 14m on Dessers, Danilo, and Lammers - unless we sell someone for serious money. Silva, like everyone else, probably needs some time and only Fortune knows what the Scottish defenders will do to him. These left-backs are low-key squad players, one could come as a freebie and German defenders are usually quite good. I just hope that Clement and Co. find another striker that can fit in straight away, whether old or young does not exactly matter in the here and now.

If we play anywhere near to our capabilities, we should be fine. As per usual, the form-book goes out of the window. And as we have seen last time around, the better side with the better chances does not always come out on top. That Cantwell wrecking by Maeda inside the area, the goal by Roofe wrongly chalked off ... you just hope Karma comes around tomorrow.

Added these two to the OP. Interesting, Wagner has no great CV, but is a freebie in 2 days time. His stats are okay, the US league is not that bad, so who knows. Oppegard is essentially a youngster with virtually no top tier football experience (not least if compared to Silva of the same age). IN - Kai Wagner (26) - LB, German, Philadelphia Union, contract till 12/2023 - TM - LINK IN - Frederik Oppgard (21) - LB, Norway, PSV Eindhoven, contract till 6/2025 - TM - LINK (see Wagner above)

Wagner ... that name rings a bell 😎

I would have kept Jermaine Defoe at the time. No idea about Silva, I am generally not fond of the idea of loanees that we have no chance of signing later on. As it seems, Mr. Clement did not agree with either of us.

A reasonably reliable source on FF said that we have no interest in van Veen. Meanwhile ... and for lack of other rumours: Rangers have registered their interest in Wolves striker Fabio Silva ahead of a potential January move, sources have told Football Insider. The Premier League club are willing to listen to offers for the 21-year-old, who moved to Molineux from Portuguese giants Porto for a club-record fee of £35million in 2020. Philippe Clement’s side are eager to bolster their attacking reinforcements this winter and are eyeing up a move for the forward. Fabio Silva (21) - Striker, Portugal, Wolverhampton Wanderers - contract till 2026 (with +1 year option) Source: https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-rangers-make-move-for-fabio-silva/ TM: https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fabio-silva/profil/spieler/505653 His overall stats are okay, his time at Wolves not so. Looks very much like an investment-player of the Porto school, at 21 he's already been with Porto, Anderlecht, Eindhoven, and Wolves, who paid a whopping Euro 40m back in 2020. On the other hand ... John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, Kemar Roofe, Leon Balogun, and Jon McLaughlin (yep, still with us) can talk to other clubs in 5 days time.

It probably happened before and may happen again. While it is good to have a game off before the OF, winning today and at the weekend would have seen us entering 2024 being top of the table. Dunno whether money in Stagland is so dear that they rather have their players on a coach on a match day than give them a night's rest in a Glasgow (area) hotel? Anyways, I was looking forward to tonight's game, so I'll stay grumpy for the time being ...

Some whispers over on FF about whispers from the Hearts camp that Shankland is a done deal for 4m in January. If it doesn't come off, blame the Hogfather!

Allen hier ein Frohes Fest! A thousand stars erect a dome in quiet earth-embracing night. A candle blooms and spreads its shine and fills our hearts with great delight. In this silence we rejoice, a light that pierces through our hearts, the high cathedral silvery swings, quietly wafted by the breath of Christmas. All the darkness falls away for we have lit this light of ours. Into next year it leads our way, through these silent, starlit hours.

We somehow stopped playing football in the second half, when we did we cut them open easily enough. A bit unlucky with Dessers' two offside calls, but solid 3 points on that turf. Balogun and that "Little Tiger" Ridvan MotM for me, Butland solid as ever.

Some slick play for the goals, the weather plays havoc at times, but we carve out some good chances, not random things. Might be well out of sight, let's hope we add some more while playing with the wind.

Thank heavens, they aren't playing for us!

You might have added that Union-Fans hold a x-mas singing every year. It started a few years back with some fans sneaking into the stadium and having some fun on the pitch, but was warmly greated by club and fans alike, turning nowadays into an event of 30odd thousand, which was streamed live yesterday on local TV (much to the "delight" of the Hertha-fans, no doubt) ...

Peterborough United ‘certain’ to sell Rangers-linked ‘wonderkid’ Ronnie Edwards in January, £4.5m-plus fee needed Peterborough United are “certain” to sell Rangers-linked Ronnie Edwards in the January transfer window, according to The Sun. The newspaper reported on its website on Thursday (21 December) that the Gers have sent scouts to watch the centre-back. The Sun added that Peterborough are expecting a fee of at least £4.5million, although they could want more than double that in add-ons. ... https://www.ibroxnews.com/2023/12/22/peterborough-united-certain-to-sell-rangers-linked-wonderkid-ronnie-edwards-in-january-4-5m-plus-fee-needed/ Like we would pay 4,5m for a centre-half. no idea what they smoked over at the Sun's HQ. Meanwhile ... Rangers look set to receive a £1.4million transfer windfall in January as part of a permanent deal for Malik Tillman to join PSV in January, according to the Daily Record. African Cup of Nations happens by early next year and by the looks of it, let's hope we do not lose Dessers (Nigeria) and/or Sima (Senegal). With Roofe out again and Lammers doing everything but score ...

Butland Tavernier - Goldson - Souttar - Ridvan Lundstram - Dowell McCausland - Lammers - Sima Roofe Subs: McCrorie, Dessers, Cantwell, Matondo, Sterling, Wright, Balogun, Barisic, King. Time will tell whether it was reasonable to field McCausland in so many games, same with Sima.

I provided the stats, and they both have played on either flank. I'd keep McCausland where he is right now.

I suggest playing people where they can play and have. McCausland and Wright have played and can play on either side easily enough. This will be a physical game, and they both are capable of that. Besides, I'd keep Sima fit and ready for the OF game.

Almost ... I'd start Wright, Dessers, Roofe, and McCausland, and play Ridvan instead of Borna. I'd also play only one DM, either Lundstram or Sterling. Hit them hard from the off and revert to normal later on.

Do we? I thought we need a back-up replacement for Tavernier, not least if we utilize Sterling in the same role as he performed against Aberdeen. Barisic has been rather steady of late, performance-wise in attack and defence, and IMHO, Ridvan is an able replacement. Not as tall, but more attack-minded. Meanwhile, all quite on the transfer-front, aside from some word from Turkey about Galatasaray's wish to get Ridvan, and the Shankland Instagram furore.

Ten mins of Highlights (SPFL) with no irritating babble from reporters and co-commentators ...

Well deserved victory, yet we again made hard work of it. That was Part 451 of: "Once they fall behind, they suddenly remember how to play football". 80 Mins of dross and kicking, then back to the game. They and theirs deserve exactly nothing!

Family may be, he never hid his joy pummelling our players in days past.

That Shinnie guy looks worse every time I have the misfortune to see him. Must be one of the few Aberdeen-at-heart brain-dead Rangers haters in their team that likes to hit our people while under protection of hopeless refs like Robertson. Whoever the co-commentator next to Ally is, he's talking some BS.

Last night will be forgotten if we fail on Sunday against the typical red "wall and sneak a counter-attack-goal" style we are facing in Scotland nearly every week. My biggest point of bother is not the quality of players we have, which has IMHO increased this summer, but the way we go about our business in most of the league games, player- and tactics-wise. Hence my remark about bringing Hagi back. People were and are saying that Shankland or Miovski shall be an option, back then and nowadays. Yet, had we played Shankland back then when he was first linked (and regarded not good enough) or would play him now like we do with Dessers, Danilo, Morelos et al, he would probably fail to deliver as well, up alone against packed defenses. For - outside the OF games - he hardly has to cope with that sort of defending. Get Dessers and Roofe on alongside one another on Sunday, one the physical threat, the other the predator, and we will reap the benefits. Wee remark: no doubt Kent had his qualities, but Sima is far more the left-sided goal-scoring attacker our current system requires and demanded for years.