der Berliner

Reality is that we blew another season from the off, releasing or selling players we shouldn't, keeping players out of the team for monetary reasons. Then we managed to toil along with silly line-ups and couldn't finish poor teams away from home. Injuries didn't help, of course, but losing home games while the Scum also lost at the respective weekend(s) was nothing short of criminal. Going by form and team-strength, they will be all over us and might collect the title even before the split. Going by our club's and the respective people's standards, from the top brass to the pitch ploughers, this season has been a total let-down, if not to say an embarrassing disaster. Thursdays have put a little gloss on it all, so far. Should we somehow manage to bypass Bilbao (4th in Spain), there's only Bodo Glimt (current Norwegian champions) / Lazio (5th), Tottenham (13th) or Frankfurt (4th), or Lyon ((6th) / ManU (14th) in our way to grab some silverware this season. Dunno about you, but I recovered some happiness from the blistering form of my local ice-hockey team. And as it happens, I'll be off tomorrow at the first quarter-final playoff game for the German title. Not willing to see the howling hordes at the Scumhut for some time to come ...

Snatched from our board ... Highlights from the first game Yesterday: 5 Minutes Highlights Penalty Shootout TNT Sports That Moment The Scenes I'm feeling it Reaction Barry Ferguson Press Conference Barry Ferguson Reaction Jack Butland and James Tavernier Reaction Jack Butland Reaction Leon Balogun Reaction Mohamed Diomande Pics by Rangers FC Pics by Willie Vass

Dunno, but we have a tendency in our team to play balls quickly, no matter whether the player itself or the recipient is under pressure or has people near him. Quite often, the recipient appears to be surprised* by this and "over-reacts", losing the ball in the process. As soon as pressure is applied to our midfielders, they start to do this and more often than not, we lose the ball. That's what you liked Jack or Davies for: receive the ball and play it simple. *The same happens up top, when we try "to pass" the ball over the line, even in areas littered with opposition players. As the passes itself more often than not lack quality (e.g. are too hard), the recipient can't control it and the situation is lost. As if people lack the confidence to take responsibility themselves. Danilo was rightly p*ssed for being left on the bench, but I think we couldn't bring him on after using our contingent of subs. You would hope that Barry plays two strikers at the Scumhut, as we sure need more firepower than yesterday. Relying solely on Dessers or a mazy Cerny run will cost us - again.

Football-ability-wise, we were second best in both games. They cut us open on numerous occasions in both games, but were rather suspect at the back. We pounced on that. Had they been a bit more lethal ... all of which is essentially a carbon copy of our Scottish league campaigns for the best part of a decade. We did what they failed in and were ruthless in our counter-attacks. Yesterday, we used the same tactics and they pushed us back time and again. Had Cerny been a little more unselfish, we might have saved us from 30 more minutes of this, plus penalties. But truth be told, we never really looked like scoring for most parts, as they adapted to our game of last week. I am as happy as anyone, but yesterday was too tight for comfort. A marvellous achievement for the side we have right now, of course. Wee remark: we should look to give Jefte a rest every now and then. Against good attackers (and physical ones), he's been second best on numerous occasions, usually resulting in goals. Not that Ridvan is more physical, but he has more bite. In a 5-man defence like yesterday, it may work with Jefte, as there's someone covering for him. Having Barron back is a bonus, as he provides protection to our backline too. Hope he and Dessers is fit for Sunday, not that the game matters that much anymore, bragging rights aside.

We were second best in both games ... but did what was necessary. It was pure torment for most parts tonight ...

Truth be told, we tried, but were truly bad tonight, even by this team's standards.

What's this? Cerny doesn't want to go or have we spent our contingent?

Even the subs look absolutely knackered ... let's hope this will be Danilo's night.

... the Czech's stubbornness is more frustrating.

We're playing far too deep here ...

That play-acting will see a red card or two before the game is over. Abysmal behaviour. That goal, like the one in the first game, ain't one these players will score that often in a season. Too much rash short passing again, even in front of our penalty area, and, TBH, Cerny's* stubbornness up front is somewhat annoying. You wonder if we need another striker to keep them more occupied in their half. Diomande is falling back quite often, and we have not much presence in their half. * Two goals coming now ...

Thursday - 13 March 2025 - 20.00 Europa League Ibrox Stadium v Referee - Espen Eskås (NOR) Assistants - Jan Erik Engan (NOR) and Isaak Elias Bashevkin (NOR) Fourth Official - Rohit Saggi (NOR) Video Assistant Referee - Pol van Boekel (NED) Assistant Video Assistant Referee - Christian Dingert (GER) Missing - Rafael Fernandes (not in EL squad), Neraysho Kasanwirjo (injured, back home), Oscar Cortés (muscle) Doubtful - Pröpper Live on - TNT Sports 1, RTL+, and Rangers TV ... let's hope the Norwegians don't serve the new inhabitants of Bycantium as a new incarnation of the Varangian Guard.

Rangers Journal had a US NBC reporter, Matt Maiocco, on its fancast ...

... I think more about the amount our team might have scored if we had adopted a two-striker line-up for 8 months. Dessers' goal-tally and missed chances are perfectly fine. Else, he would not play at Rangers, but in England, France or Spain ...

IMHO, the re-appearance of the energetic Barron did help Raskin and Diomande playing more freely and attack-minded. Too bad Barron was out for that long ... but we are used to this.

Imagine they had cleared this last summer ... FIFA is currently discussing a series of potentially revolutionary rule changes that could fundamentally change football. One of the most significant changes concerns the offside rule: in future, a player will only be offside if his entire body crosses the line of the last defender. This adjustment could mark the end of the much-criticized millimeter-based offside decisions and provide more clarity. German source

5 Minutes of Highlights

Sir Walter would be proud of what his captain did tonight. Well done so far. Keep it going over the next three games and bring some smiles back on our faces.

That looked on, even in their display. That lady on the far side saved Raskin from giving a handball penalty away .... Referee - Alejandro Hernández (ESP) Assistants - José Naranjo (ESP) and Guadaloupe Porras Ayuso (ESP) Fourth Official - José Luis Munuera (ESP) Video Assistant Referee - Cesar Soto Grado (ESP) Assistant Video Assistant Referee - Valentin Gómez (ESP)

It looks like we are playing a 5 at the back, with Dessers, Cerny and Diomande the only "attackers". Still, we are standing really deep and got away with some wild moments. Despite their dominance, a couple less bad and slack passes, and we might have had another couple. Sure an "interesting" half ahead ...

It gets boring ... take a longer walk.

What a delightful bit of play between Cerny and Dessers!!!

Dessers ... well, what can you say.

At this stage of the season, everybody should be as fit as he can be (no laughing at the back). Maybe it is just me, but given where we are right now, and how these people performed only last Saturday ... or Wednesday ... or the weekend before ... one is somewhat annoyed to see them "having fun" on the training pitch. At least not while a camera is watching on ... Tonight will be another "let's wait and see" affair. You simply don't know what to expect from us on Thursday nights.

With regard to Cavanagh and any US investor. This is the Scottish league. As we have seen last season and in parts this season too, they are not that far ahead as people might think - even with their constant influx of CL money. They have a decent first and second row squad that is able to brush next to anything in Scotland aside. The investment needed to counter this is comparatively small for them (as opposed to e.g. Leeds United, their other purchase). Likewise, they are probably (going by what I read elsewhere) are not here for the "quick buck", asset stripping and whatnot. Give or take 10-20m (pending on the market) and/or some decent freebies should clearly be enough, alongside with a manager who knows where his priorities lie.