der Berliner

67' A Perfect Strike Aberdeen 0-7 Rangers A perfectly worked corner as Lizzie Arnot and Laura Berry take it short before picking out Liv McLoughlin on the edge of the box who fires a lovely strike beyond the keeper. A great bit of play from the Gers. 0-7 Liv McLoughlin (Laura Berry) 70' Go on Wilko! A hat-trick on her debut Aberdeen 0-8 Rangers Another goal from a corner and another assist for Lizzie Arnot this afternoon. She whips the ball in to meet the head of Katie Wilkinson with a cool finish to secure her hat-trick. 0-8 Katie Wilkinson (Lizzy Arnott) 73' Katie Wilkinson ... Again Aberdeen 0-9 Rangers 0-9 Katie Wilkinso (Tes Middag) 76' A couple of changes for Rangers. Katie Wilkinson comes off after scoring four and Sophie Black comes on to make her senior debut.

We are underway in Aberdeen in our first game of the 2024/25 season. 6' What a start for Wilko - An early goal on her Rangers debut. Aberdeen 0-1 Rangers Great work from Lizzie Arnot to win the ball back out of possession before delivering into the box to find Wilkinson. A perfectly-timed header beyond the keeper secures an early goal on her debut. 0-1 Katie Wilkinson (Lizzy Arnott) 11' Guess Who's Back - A perfect start at Balmoral Stadium. Aberdeen 0-2 Rangers Chelsea Cornet's powerful strike rattles the post before falling into the path of Rio Hardy who is able to tap it in. A positive start for the Gers in Aberdeen. 0-2 Rio Hardy (Chelsea Cornett) 32' A stunning strike from Kirsty Howat rattles the crossbar and is cleared to safety. Some positive build-up play to create the opportunity. 33' Rio Once Again! Aberdeen 0-3 Rangers Another lovely assist from Lizzie Arnot as she whips the ball in from the left flank allowing Rio to send a first-time finish beyond the keeper. Rangers dominating in Aberdeen. 0-3 Rio Hardy (Lizzy Arnott) 38' Go on Lizzie! Aberdeen 0-4 Rangers 0-4 Lizzy Arnott (-) 40' Moments after Lizzie's goal, Mia McAulay's cross is whipped in front of the Aberdeen goal and deflected in by one of their own players. 0-5 own goal (Mia McAulay) 45' What a finish that is Wilko with her second on the cusp of half-time. Aberdeen 0-6 Rangers 0-6 Katie Wilkinson (-) Half Time

And now for something completely different ... PRÖPPER ... these nice German Umlaute can be transcribed rather easily. By default, you just add an e, so if your keyboard lacks the letter, it would be ö -> oe ä -> ae ü -> ue ... and Pröpper's ö would be pronounced like the first "er" in Herbert. And lo and behold, the day was already worth it!

Some snippets from FF .... Been noticing this for weeks now, Attacking player out wide Tav just looking at him defending from the edge of the 18 yard box, Time and time again ball goes to attacker and Tav has 20 yards to make up, Then player passes him and he gives up like for today's own goal, Then starts blaming everyone else, He has been way off it last 6 months just doesn't look interested. For weeks? Been the same for years, literally. late in the second half Mcausland was back in the box covering for him when he hadn't even got back to the halfway line. He thinks he has licence to go anywhere up the pitch rather than do any defensive duties, only useful for penalties nowadays, i would put Cerny on free kicks Just watched it back and still can't understand why he is not closer to him he was marking no one where he was positioned And was well aware the ball was going to the wide man, yes it was someone else's man but he should be bursting a gut to stop him Ambles about like he doesn't give a %^*&. A proper full back would have got out quickly to close down the cross. The excuses that are continually put forward for him are unreal. I know folks want Sterling in midfield but as soon as he is fully fit he has to go into the RB position. If we go to the pigsty with him at RB we are in deep trouble The biggest problem for their goal was their player being able to bring down a hoof up the park in the middle of our half and turn, with nobody within 10 yards of him. Everything else afterwards was caused by that. Some see mostly sunshine with Tav, others stare at the abyss. The truth is in the middle, but as always, a defender's job is to defend. Maybe Tav has got licence to roam about, but even in these last few games, he's popped up in the middle time and again, sometimes even ahead of the winger or next to the shadow striker. Which as such generally not that bad (if we are 2 goals up), but he hardly ever scores from there, it should be a real attacker in there, not him ... and time and again, once our winger loses the ball, Tav's defensive area is an open field for half-decent attacker to explore via a simple ball over the top. And the latter is exactly what we have seen time and again. Ridvan likes his forays too, but he's got the legs to chase backwards. IMHO, the best way to exploit attacking "wingbacks", not least in our environment, would be a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2, where you can have these same wingbacks, but all defensive duties fall on the back three and one DM max. In case we use Sterling - Souttar - Pröpper this way, either may step out to cover a wing-slot, or grab the ball and go for a walk, with a wing-back slotting in the vacant defensive position.

Regarding Hagi, someone on FF posted Clement's comments on the topic: Is Ianis Hagi in your plans this season? No, we had clearly talked with him before the pre-season already, and with his agents, about that. We need to look, like I said, at a lot of things with the club, about wages, about how many players you can have in a position, with the budget we have, and to get a budget to make transfers. It was really clear that the idea is to sell. That's what he wanted also. So, that's the clear situation. For some reason, our problem (and one can hardly blame anyone for this) seems to be that our stalwarts of ages past, some of which we rated highly (once), doesn't attract that many buyers. Jack, Roofe, and McLaughlin saw their contracts expire, same with Barisic and Lundstram. Morelos last summer, likewise Kent, whom we paid 6.5m for. On Sky there was supposedly a bit of talk of us bidding for Whittaker again. We've just signed a right-winger, have 2 waiting, while our left wing is down to ... Wright again. That, and we only have two recognized strikers. I wonder how many late bids will fly in for Dessers.

Those funny stats don't clock up how many times a full-back is not doing his duty at the back. Who's not able to track and stop that cross from the right for "their" goal? I also noted that Le Capitan has taken over all duties at corners and free-kicks again. Two fine shots that the goalie saved, and a hatful of poor crosses and a corner that will still cause horror among the earthworms at Hampden ...

Meanwhile, over at the RTC ... 14' A great strike from Archie Stevens Robertson delivers a great ball to Stevens on the right flank and whips a great ball passed Shattell. Rangers 1 - 0 Derby County 25' Hagi The ball falls to Ianis Hagi on the edge of the area and his effort flies into the far corner. Rangers 2 - 0 Derby County 28' What a strike! Rangers were awarded a free-kick following a foul on Hagi. He steps up and takes the free-kick and whips a great ball into the top corner. Rangers 3 - 0 Derby County 57' Hagi Devine sends a long ball across to Hagi and his first-time effort flies into the far corner! Rangers 4 - 1 Derby County 71' Alex Lowry is composed from the spot. Rangers 5 - 2 Derby County ... what exactly is wrong between Clement and Hagi?

For all the neat one-touch stuff in midfield, we overdo it again in the final third. Far too often, the "attacker" takes at least two touches before he shoots ... and the defence arrives. Barron and Diomande were done around the 60th minute, should have been replaced with Sterling and Dowell. One for the power, one for the passes. Thus, we toiled in our own half and invited attack after attack. You do wonder what the story with Danilo is. While Dessers is okay thus far, our second striker needs minutes as well. Three points, good first half, now Kiev.

... it's the way they do it in ice-hockey and I've kept track of them all season. Thus, nice secondary assist for Butland! Dessers got the ball in the net, Wright too, three last gasp saves by their goalie or a defender, this should have been a slaughter. Hope we deliver it in the second half.

Bah ... I excluded Wright and let young Jefte have another run, and it is not a good idea either. Alas, Clement is that wise old head and uses trusted, hard-working players like Wright, just to spite you ... Ceterum peto ut ratio mutetur!

I cannot really see Clement resting Lawrence, Diomande and Barron, but I for one would just try it. And keep going what we saw in the 2nd half in Lublin, and be somewhat more pro-active against Premiership dross at "home" ... Butland Tavernier - Souttar - Balogun - Ridvan Sterling - Dowell McCausland - Matondo - Jefte Dessers (Before someone spills his tea-biscuits (again), go check where these people have played in their careers.) I would expect that either Diomande or Barron (if not both) will play, and Dowell might be ushered into AM (where he has been rather successful) ahead of Lawrence. It remains to be seen whether Clement will replace Tavernier with Sterling, my gut feeling says no. Since we are incapable to play two strikers anymore, Matondo might be used more centrally, or, we do indeed go 4-3-3 with a rather attack-minded left-hand side. In any case, we have to address our lack of firepower in the middle, and that will not be done by replacing a striker with another. Ceterum peto ut ratio mutetur!

The point is: not only did he seemingly improved that much, injury aside. But at the time, we also let Hagi go on loan, Lawrence was injured, and Maeda wrecked Cantwell in the penalty that never was, so we had de facto no prime attacking midfielder for weeks, if not months.

Chelsea have been contacted by Rangers over a potential move for 19-year-old academy midfielder Leo Castledine, but the London club want a straight loan while the Ibrox outfit want an option to buy, with Aberdeen also having registered an interest in the Englishman. (Football Scotland) Manchester United are only interested in a permanent transfer, not a loan, for 21-year-old midfielder Hannibal Mejbri and, at the moment, that could be quite difficult for Rangers. (Fabrizio Romano via GiveMeSport) Hannibal Mejbri says he is tired of being on the bench and wants regular first-team football as the Manchester United midfielder contemplates his future after Sevilla decided not to exercise their £14m right to buy the 21-year-old midfielder following last season's loan. (The National) Rangers have informed Alex Lowry it would be in his best interests to move away from the Ibrox club this summer and clubs have already enquired about the 21-year-old midfielder. (The Scotsman) IMHO, it was in more way than one an unwise decision to send Lowry out on loan last season.

I'd be happy with people of the Sterling type, not one or two more project players. I'd take the latter on top. And on another sidenote, Igamane has played quite a bit last season, scored a double for Morocco's u23s in their 2-0 win against Wales earlier this year too. He probably is not exactly up to European/British training standards, but I guess he's not a million miles away from the standard Morelos had in Finland. Is the tool of the game any different in North Africa? Has he actually been seen with the first team as yet? Mulder? Scully?

... and those 100 % were appreciated. If the 100 % a player has are not "enough", so be it. We are where we are. As with Dessers, the constant bashing of people who give all that they have is not helpful and just adds to the negativity that has become such a feature on the board. One does not need to portray anything as being rosy - and no-one is. But as we can see with Dessers and Wright, this negativity creates a momentum so that everything they do is being put under the microscope. The black and white mist descends and more often than not, with some players they become ever more shyte with every single misplaced pass (no matter the 15 good passes in-between), while others get away with "murder" (my go-to bashing victim Tavernier was caught up field quite a few times yesterday, but Barron and Co. pulled him out). So I am not free of that negativity either. Anyway, as a Union supporter told me back at the Alte Försterei, there is one rule they have there: never boo or badmouth the team if they give their all. Even if they get hammered. I concur with that.

Highlights from Kiev's youtube channel, no commentary ...

Wee sidenote ... both Jefte and Ridvan can play wingback. They've shown what they can do TOGETHER tonight. We do need to get the infield house in order. Lawrence was essentially not there. We might as well play Danilo and Dessers. Likewise, we need a cool head in DM. If Diomande is injured, I'd play Dowell there. He at least can pick a decent pass. Sterling needs to get fit and stays that way!

Indeed 😝

The ref is handing gifts to Ukraine .... 🤪

.... like we the support knew who our targets were and whether we did not try to get them.

Honestly, how naive are some folks? It's a couple of weeks into pre-season for most players, some, like we, started earlier, some later. The Bundesliga (Wolfsburg, remember) only starts in two weeks. It was obvious that some people are behind our schedule. That aside ... the transfer market is no shopping centre where you always get what you want at the time you want it. You know that as well as I do. Sometimes you think people only started watching football last June and never seen this before.

All in all not much between the teams. We clearly lack someone to control the game and spring the passes about. What little comes from the back is pretty average. Souttar asleep for the goal, doubly frustrating as he looks at the guy and then concentrates on the ball. Lawrence the big anonymous guy on the field. He is doing very little, hardly ever comes back to collect the ball if it ain't comes to him, and is doing little pressing. One shot in 45 mins as your sole contribution is pretty poor.

Well, that's British line-up ... people-wise Butland Tavernier - Souttar - Balogun - Ridvan Diomande - Barron McCausland- Lawrence - Wright Dessers Subs: Kelly, Propper, Matondo, Cerny, Dowell, Sterling, Jefte, Davies, King, Fraser, McKinnon, Danilo. I would assume Clements counts on the MCCausland, Wright and Barron to press, while Lawrence shoots or makes telling passes.