buster.

Wholesale changes with the quality required aren´t really an option so it´s down to this group for the rest of the season. We have an excellent management team who have been upping the levels since they came in. We are on the cusp of European football in the Springtime, have just played in our first domestic cup final for 3 and a half years and perhaps more importantly have now achieved a consistency of result in the League that has us challenging. It might not feel like it now but the rest of this month is more important than yesterday. A victory against YB would secure something in the region of 4M smackers, which might give us some leeway to tinker in January. League games at Motherwell, Hibs and Celtic are a significant challenge for a squad that is starting to suffer a few injuries but I don´t think it´d be the end of our season if we drop a couple of points.

Morelos was on a mission and did very well to manufacture and/or get on the end of so many chances. He´s probably the only striker who has had so many chances in a 90 minutes against Celtic this season. The obvious and big negative was that he didn´t take any. Alfredo is getting the stick but for me it´s Ryan Kent who didn´t do enough wrt adding a touch of quality. Basically we huffed and we puffed but lacked the definition/quality to blow their house down. Got a feeling that Aribo is going to need this season to learn and it won´t be until 20/21 when we see him at his best.

Was a real kick in the nuts that you could see coming. We weren´t scoring had the game gone on until midnight. The main positive to extract from the disappointment was that the management team set-up the team well and installed the right attitude into the players, who in turn delivered the performance (even if lacking in definition/quality). It´s gone now and any talk of mentality really applies to the future, ie. the rest of the games in a hectic December. We need to get back to scoring goals and winning matches, although if offered on Thursday, I´d take a draw now.

Agreed but I´m greedy and would like a Richard Gough as well

Most important things for me are 1. We set-up in a way that gives us a chance, ie. not the conservative option that will hand them the trophy. Barasic/Kent on the left (and Tav on right) must create and give Morelos the service he can work off. 2. That the players don´t leave anything out there and that their attitude matches a ´go at them´approach. Get intae them lads and make the right kind of history

Wrt to SG&Co, patience is indeed a worthwhile virtue but it´s something that fans seldom employ. SG has steadily improved things and the fans love him but it´s reaching the point where he needs to deliver. Tomorrow is the perfect opportunity.

Barker would be a curveball but has he got the cojones for this level of game ? The same question can be asked of SG´s more customary pick, Ojo. Ideally, I would prefer the more gallus Jordan Jones but it has to be doubtful that he is match-fit to start. Hence the option of Arfield comes back into focus. However, I´d agree we need to get at them if we want to have a chance of lifting the Cup. In September, we started with next to no width on the park (only Tav). On the bench was Barasic, Ojo, Jones as well as Morelos. Our midfield had Jack, Kamara and Davis...with Aribo, Arfield and a Defoe with no service. In short we made it very easy for them and they were happy to give us possession, knowing we wouldn´t do anything with it other than offer up mistakes in our own half. So, what do we do differently ? I previously mentioned 3-5-2 but we know that is almost certainly a curveball too far at this stage so it comes down to two real options that I can see. 1. As you seem to suggest with more width as per our European approach. 2. More variation with a more direct route to Morelos (with support) regularly employed to try and push their high line back a bit. It´s a shame that Edmundsen hadn´t got more football in his legs given his passing ability (I wonder if he´s an outside bet of an option should Davis miss out). The main issue for me is not to get caught in continually trying to pass our way through their press because it´d be a matter of time before we got caught.

Agreed DB, we can´t afford passengers, Ojo is likely to be one and Aribo hasn´t yet shown enough to merit a start in such a game. If Davis were to be injured it´d be a real blow. I wonder if a 3-5-2 is worth considering. I really think we need to do something a little different because if we roll up with the usual game plan, I wouldn´t rate our chances very highly.

Whoever wins the midfield battle will likely lift the cup and it was probably the same prior to the 1970 League Cup Final. Tempo and the high press It´s a given that Celtic will set-up very similar to the September game, will look to suffocate our midfield and stop decent service reaching Alfredo. At the sametime, they´ll be looking to force our midfielders and defenders into mistakes that present them with openings on our goal. For me, the questions are what does SG&Co do to get round it or how could he adapt to it during the game. - We could simply go toe to toe and slug it out in a condensed midfield, probably resulting in a fair few goals. - In the past we´ve tried a fairly conservative approach and it doesn´t work. - We could look to vary our game with a more direct approach...possibly ending up with Defoe and Morelos on the park (or Katic and Morelos) Ideas welcome.... We need SG&Co to get it right both before and during the game so as to give the players on the pitch a chance of lifting the trophy.

The flip side to the consistency of Barasic is that up until Wednesday, Flanagan hadn´t played a real competitive match for months and it showed. Against Celtic in early September. Flanagan at left-back meant that our attacking balance suffered and we couldn´t exploit the space that Celtic deliberately left down our left. To be fair to JF, it has to be said that he defended well that day and Forrest didn´t get a look in. Ryan Kent joined just after the Celtic match and he certainly provides a threat on the left but he needs a supporting full-back on his outside. One who can cross a ball with his left foot (beats me why a professional can´t add this to his game). I´d guess that Barasic will take the pain-killing injection if that means he can start.

Last night´s game brings several issues into sharp focus as we head towards the Final on Sunday. - Form Since coming back from the last International break we´ve been poor during long spells of the games at Hamilton, Rotterdam and Aberdeen. We didn´t need to be firing in the only home game, against a rudderless Hearts. - Defence Too many mistakes which include midfielders giving the ball away too easily, eg. whilst 2 up, Jack got away with two in quick succession but it was a sign of what was to come. - Too many players regularly not contributing enough but reluctance to use squad (including substitutions). - Plan B Where was it last night ? (Katic in the 93rd minute doesn´t count when your corners are subsequently floated high and easy for keeper). Tactically, SG&Co showed instant gumption when Morelos was sent off 11 minutes into their first league game with Rangers but last night seemed at a loss with what they were watching. Tactics Sunday It´s down to SG&Co to come up with something a little different or Celtic will simply press high, suffocate our midfield and force mistakes in front of our penalty box. We won´t be able to ease our way into it, it´ll need to be into their faces from the get-go. They will see it the same way and I reckon the first few minutes will be a real battle. The next issue would be keeping it going for 90 minutes, at least the defensive concentration. Flanagan shouldn´t start (re. offensive balance)..it was painful to watch in first OF game this season. Big test for the management to firstly come up with something that works, then be able to adapt to events during the game.

The teams that stand in our way in the play-offs. Winning the semi-final at Hampden is within our capabilities (on a good day). Thereafter, what is crucial and a lottery is the draw to see who gets Home advantage for the Final. Path C: Scotland:....... Norway, Serbia, Bulgaria/Israel/Romania* *In the current scenario, a draw would decide which of Bulgaria, Israel or Romania would fill the empty slot in Path C, and which two would go into Path A. -----------------

It's been oft repeated that Rangers usually find a way to lose it in this kind of scenario and history shows this to have some validity. However, the way we are playing the game in Europe seems to be different and gives me a degree of confidence that isn't normal in this situation, I'm almost optimistic but would very much like to see the job done in Rotterdam and not depend on the last game.

If at all possible wrt dates, two governing bodies of the Scottish game should be able to come to an agreement to do all they can to help the national team in a bid to qualify for the Euros. We can go for the typical messageboard reaction but in the real world Scotland getting to a Finals would give Scottish football a much needed shot in the arm and for however much we don't like it,...it is where we have to ply our trade. There has even been informal views publicly expressed by both managers of us and them regards helping Scottish clubs playing in Europe. Mainly because of a lack of dates, I doubt anything will come of this unless a team were to go deep in the competition. With both teams still in the competition, I think the governing bodies should state NOW what they would provisionally look to do come next springtime...or say that they are unable to do anything.

Why ? I can see why we aren't keen on Petrie but looking beyond the individual, Scottish football should be doing all that it can in an effort to get the national team qualified for the Euros.

Whilst a week's shutdown would be a positive for Scotland's chances, I think the most important aspect of the play-off(s) is getting a Home Draw. As I understand it, we'll be at home in the semi-final but the destination of the provisional Final will be determined on the 22nd of this month. I wouldn't fancy Scotland away to any of the teams involved and IMO they'd by no means be clear favourites at Hampden against Norway or Serbia.

Scoring in both games against Porto and now for Columbia show continued progression. A hat-trick in the League Cup Final would put the icing on the cake. You tend to think that seriously interested clubs will be looking to beat off other suitors and I'd be surprised if bids didn't come for him in January. As for numbers, this season has taken him into new territory, a more rarefied atmosphere.

Should get a decent song out of thousand Welsh men and women. Hope the weather is good today and a decent crowd turn-up. Kai Kennedy hasn't been anywhere near the first team starting XI but he's become a fairly well known player between his various exploits for the Rangers youth teams. At the elite level, Jadon Sancho is another goal scoring winger who is two years older than Kai but he's already raked up 55 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund (16 goals) and has 11 England caps (2 goals). Where will Kai be in 2 years ?

Going slightly sideways but for a while now it's been from the top down. The Corporate sector have to a degree been able to corrupt the process and your new age professional politician and civil servant uses the revolving doors accordingly #Hartnett #Sweetheart

HMRC were more interested in winning the case to set a precedent. The quantums they were thinking more about were those attainable if the precedent went in their favour.

I said at the time, the Saga that we were embroiled within would have huge repercussions and be the thing of case studies, court battles and (various types of) media wars... in all manner of areas. Regards the court battles, the travesty IMO are those that never materialised. It gave a very public glimpse into a dark and complicated world where the public tend to end up paying the price and the dodgy geezers often make hay.

Can remember Wrexham in memorable FA Cup runs in games against the likes of Arsenal but never knew they had reached the quarters of a major European trophy. Had a look and they got past teams from Sweden and Poland and as 26th said, were narrowly beaten by Anderlecht, who went on to win the competition. Winners on Saturday will play Partick Thistle or Stenhousemuir in the semi. The other quarters are Raith v Elgin and ICT v Clyde

Sir Duped was the main culprit by a country mile. Thereafter, there were opportunistic dodgy geezers from Motherwell, Yorkshire, London, Manchester etc who wanted some of the action with some still at it. IMO the conspiracies are amongst those who were more visible and not within HMRC or LBG.

OK, ...then it would come down to the numbers wrt the different parts of the total HMRC claim. ie. was quantum big enough (25%) to block CVA . It was clear what the HMRC wanted out of this (precedent re. EBT's) and they kept at it for years. Whilst an individual may have leaked documents at certain times, I don't buy the rumours re. HMRC and dark deeds. However, I was always more inclined to entertain a conspiracy from other angles within the saga but the bastards have got away with it.

I thought that individual creditors that had at least 25% of the debt could knock a CVA proposal down. I stand to be corrected by someone who actually knows.