der Berliner

... the problem is, even despite Beaton, that this team will probably produce a semi-sublime performance to PC in the job.

Any bets on Shankland to finally sink our season?

Football, that funny old game ... FA Cup last weekend Plymouth Argyle 1 Liverpool 0 ... one of the first games for Katic who got top marks, and a penalty goal decider by a certain Ryan Hardie. Tonight, Europa Conference League Molde 0 Shamrock Rovers 1 (after 82 mins) Vikingur Reykjavik 2 Panathinaikos 0 (same)

Caught up in our grumpy mood ( 😱😜 ) you probably missed the point of the sentence ... IMHO, we need someone who understands the task at hand, i.e. Scottish league titles. Be that Muscat or someone else. Hence, there should be Scots involved at some point, McCann, Weir or the like. These two were just examples of people who know what makes our hearts tick. What is necessary for Rangers FC, as it runs through their veins. We don't need either of the Scottish guys mentioned as managers, but as people who tell the guy at the helm about the direction the ship must sail.

It's kind of sickening to note that not only did we hand them the title three times on the trot, but with that also the ability to reap the rewards WE achieved in Europe, i.e. direct entry to the CL without qualifiers. IMHO, we need someone who understands the task at hand, i.e. Scottish league titles. Be that Muscat or someone else. Hence, there should be Scots involved at some point, McCann, Weir or the like. I have no idea what sort of input Rae has, but it seemingly is not enough. As it stands, we're a project club that simply has no time for being a project club. Not in the here and now. And we have neither to scout Europe etc. for special talent, we need solid people who can do a job in Scotland. In that respect, it is truly amazing (in the worst way imaginable) that they snatch up supposedly weak Japanese guys who run rings around Scottish fridge throwers and score goals for fun.

The English 3rd tier, to be precise. But even there money is about and they are bound for promotion too. Both have one year to run, and we should demand solid money for both, not least if they prove their worth in England.

There are two things that make up my "worst" losses on the field of play. One is obvious cheating by the referees against them - e.g. the last two cup finals, and various league games (e.g. Maeda fouls Cantwell in the area, the latter being wrecked for months; no penalty given; Cerny clearly being fouled in injury time of the League Cup final, no penalty given). The other is abject performances against them by people who can do much better. We are used to people running themselves into ground for the gersey, but nowadays, with hardly a true Scottish/Glesca root in the squad, we have "mercenaries" who by default change their loyalties every 2 or 4 years in their career. And you wonder whether they actually understand the true spirit of the club. For us, nigh every game is do or die. While a loss to Niederkorn is hard to take, it was essentially pre-season and freak results are common. While bitter, that mauling at the hands of Liverpool was bad too, yet, the gulf in class was obvious. Sunday wasn't amongst the worst in my living memory. It was bad because we never really performed as a team, and while missing some good chances, never put them under any sustained real pressure bar the last 10 mins. Possession stats may belie this, but we looked fully defunct as a team. This makes the result even worse. One of the "worst" was obviously the Europa League final, as we once more put up a defensive line-up rather alien to the team that produced the actual feat to get there. Aribo as the lone striker gave me a few sleepless moments, no matter that he actually managed to score.

The board does not select the line-up and players. That is where we failed, first and foremost. The board can't generate money from nothing, nor can they make other teams buy players at the prices we want. I have no doubt that they look for investment, but if nothing is about, they can't conjure things up either. Thus, criticism where it is due. But a reality check and objective considerations are required too.

You know, I fear that in the summer, most of our better players - having seen what happens here or having money-rich suitors - will be off, while we will be left with a coach who assembles a team that he will use to try to cure the symptoms, but not the disease/problem ...

For some reason, after him being the lethal spearhead in his first few games, he was probably told to fall back somewhat, which he duly did. Quite often of late, he roams around, even to the halfway line. Or he appears on either wing. Given that neither of his fellow attackers is a goalscorer, such tactics have removed quite a chunk of the threat he poses. Yesterday was the same ... and one cannot "blame" this on a fellow striker playing "in front" of him, for there wasn't (until Dessers arrived). A German reporter who commented on a recent Europa League game described PC's tactics as an "attacking defensive" line-up, essentially the 4-2-3-1 we see every week. That may work in Europe or against them, but is shockingly inefficient against teams that de facto hardly ever attack. And even if they do, the line-up shows horrific deficiencies - like yesterday. I knew what was coming when Tavernier appeared time and again near in a central attacking position, trying to play an AM role (or whatever). Thus, our other main goal-threat in this line-up, Cerny, was left alone on the right wing, facing two defenders. It's been a long time since I woke up at 5 a.m. and couldn't find sleep again due to this whole dire state of the team and its management - not the club. It is apparent that PC is not able to understand what it takes to take us to a level able to beat the Scottish dross. While the finance department is sure licking its fingers over the European money, the blood and bones of the club, i.e. us, is being treated with standards unacceptable for Rangers FC. Dozens of far worse Rangers teams were well able to beat the 4th to 2nd tier teams on a weekly basis. Yet here we have to endure internationals and multi-million pound signings unable to string a handful of decent and acceptable results together. And a coach who sticks to tactics that have been proven worthless dozens of times.

It just was another disaster waiting to happen. We don't score enough goals due to bad tactics, and if the players can't get their act together, we are very very ordinary. The opposition needs but 1 to 3 chances per game to score, and they usually do. This was not the worst we suffered as a game. But in a season of many lows, this is another bottom benchmark. I feel truly ashamed that once more, I can't be bothered that much. This team has drained a lot of my belief in football. Not in Rangers, obviously.

Hats off to the Spiders, who didn't even have to work for this famous scalp. 4-2-3-1 at its worst, with a team without any sort of cohesion or ability to string even a few solid attacking passes together. The first one came in 92 mins. We talk about the dire days and horrific under Pedro, but this current side is going from shocking to marvellous and shocking again in no time. What a mess ...

Super-fast VAR checks ... 😂

Why the heck do they still want to pass themselves over the goal-line. Only to play it back to someone who shoots over the bar?

We have been shocking from midfield onwards, this was just the usual one chance we like to give away. How you can from Union St. Gillois and Tottenham to such performance is beyond joke.

Tavernier has two attributes we need for games like this: flanks and penalties. What the heck is he doing in and around the penalty area and spot time and again?

I know 😜

... there is every chance that the Spiders will tire and Dessers scores a double-hat-trick. Rest assured, PC will pull some magic out of his hat ...

Dunno why Igamane sits so deep and runs about outside the area. And if our should-be goalscorer is not there and our wannabe-attackers waste their usual quota of chances, the game goes down a well-trodden path ...

Igamane has no real support (and is far too unselfish), the fellow attackers are all over the place, so there is no real cohesion up front, Curtis essentially a needless spectator. You would hope there was someone out there taking the reigns ...

Fernandes and Pröpper must have a 100 % pass completion rate just now. Not exactly where we need it, but for the stats folk, immense.

Elsewhere, the Ladies have just hammered Aberdeen 10-0, (3x Wilkinson, 2x Hardy, 2x McLoughlin, Howat, Berry and an own goal).

Brutal sign of the times ... we have but two fit strikers and thus don't risk playing both against this low-key opposition. I'd have used McCaulsand from the start too, as we need Cerny for Europe and, dare I say it, the league.

Yes, we seem to forget this, even me. I still remember, occasionally, the days in the mid-80s and BBC World Service's late Paddy Feeny, talking about "exotic" places like Kilbowie Park, Cappielow, or Boghead Park, i.e. places we visited in this "age". Or Molineux of the Wolves, Turf Moor, or the old Victoria Stadium of Stoke. Mind you, some of these place have gone now, like some teams too.

Sunday - 09 February 2025 - 15:30 The Scottish Cup Ibrox Stadium v Referee - Calum Scott Assistants - David McGeachie and Sean Carr Video Assistant Referee - Gavin Duncan Assistant Video Assistant Referee - Gary Hilland Missing - Dujon Sterling, Leon Balogun, Danilo Pereira, Connor Barron, Ridvan Yilmaz Live on - BBC Scotland and Rangers TV