buster.

This time last year I said that there will be teething problems and the new management team would need 3 transfer windows before a more considered judgement could be made on their work. Expectation will be focused on achieving a consistency of winning football matches in the League campaign. If we do that we'll be up there. IMO it's vital we start well, take advantage of the first OF match being at Ibrox and go into the first International break on top. Cup wise, anything else will be a bonus but if we get into the habit of winning games, something good might come from it. In Europe, I'd expect to get the QR3 and then you'd have to look at who we come up against. Formations, adaptability, discipline, squad make-up, etc., etc.... Now is the time SG&Co have to deliver.

If we are considering Shrewsbury as a loan destination for McCrorie it suggests the staff judge Docherty's time down there to have been successful but yes, the real test is how that shows on the field in games. We desperately need to start improving more players and adding value. We paid in the region of 600K for Docherty, you'd hope his value come the end of this season can be multiplied by a number around 10....That would be optimistic relative to what we are accustomed to but it's where we need to start aiming.

Footballing social media outlets naturally go over the historical and reminice. If done with a fresh outlook or new angles then it'll always be of interest. That said, I think Bears desperately need a new era of success, especially younger Bears who'll want some hands-on experience of enjoying it in the moment.

It's a relief to see the thread title reduced to just 4 teams as a pathway through to QR3 becomes clearer. St.Josephs will surely be a straightforward formality. It could be Ireland (Cork City) after Gibraltar, which would be a different historic slant on an old war zone tour after last years Qualifying through old Yugoslavia tour ... footballwise, Cork City are 7th in the Irish League after 23 matches (10 teams). Progres have certainly progressed as a team. IIRC they had never won a European tie before we played them a couple of years ago. In the last couple of campaigns (including 19/20) they've got through 3 qualifying rounds and been eliminated once, by Ufa with an injury time winner. Suggests Progres will be our opposition in QR2 but then I thought we'd be going to Kosovo next week.

The gap was what it was and no amount of what if's will change it....but it's now about 19/20 and Gerrard&Co need to perform significantly better than their counterparts on the other side of the city if we are to have success,... mainly because of the financial gap (wages & transfer budget). Rodgers leaving and Lennon taking over gives us a much better chance IMO. As for the provincial teams, it'll be business as usual. Difficult to say who'll finish 3rd.

If Lampard does well, it might encourage other EPL clubs to consider Gerrard.

The financial gulf became wider between the OF and the rest when home teams kept all of the gate money for League matches. Previously it had been shared, so League visits to Ibrox/Parkhead were a pay day for the provincial teams. Can't remember the year but it changed in the 80's. We have our work cut out to end Celtic's dominance and it is also underpinned by a significant financial gap.

It might be wishful thinking but I was always tend to think that a successful Rangers team needs several hard grafting Scottish players, who know what it is all about and have enough quality to fit in. McCall and Ian Ferguson come to mind I look at Docherty and McCrorie and hope they can make it at Ibrox.

Agreed, I'm keen to see if Docherty has improved his game after his year down at Shrewsbury. He's a grafter, that we know but a ball winner is only any real use if he doesn't tend to give the ball back to the opposition. For me, that was his biggest problem. Gerrard wants players who'll break up opposition play and be able to quickly transform a situation into a counter attack, eg. Aribo.

How do you make money out of Hibs ?

That would be the first time I can remember Alfredo missing minutes because of an injury. Some going given he's been with us for two seasons. Not taking any risks would be the right thing to do given we are light on centre forward options with a probable heavy schedule around the corner.

Todays bounce game with New Saints finished with a 1-0 win (Defoe) https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/gers-beat-tns-in-friendly/ Interesting take from it is the two sides put out for each half and if there are any clues for future team sheets ? No Morelos, anyone know why ? First Half XI: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Edmundson, Barisic, Docherty, Davis, Aribo, Ojo, Defoe, Jones. Second Half XI: McGregor (Firth 75’), Polster, Flanagan, Katic, Halliday, Kamara, McCrorie, Candeias, Hastie, Stewart, Murphy.

McKay has real quality and it'd be a shame if he doesn't take full advantage of it. Warburton took him from being at loan at Raith to a deserved Scotland call-up in next to no time and he was the brightest light in what was an exceptional start to a managers reign.

Warburton seems to be taking the club's name very seriously, too late to get Andy Robertson from Queens Park.

Debt-free ?

Hopefully we'll soon be talking more about Aribo than Johnston.

Lafferty at Buriram United That will work

Somewhat surprisingly, St.Joseph's will go into the game against us next week undefeated in their last four European matches and on the back of what seems to be their first ever European competition win. Thu 29/06/17 UEL St Joseph's 0 - 4 AEL View events More info Thu 06/07/17 UEL AEL 6 - 0 St Joseph's View events More info Thu 28/06/18 UEL B36 1 - 1 St Joseph's View events More info Thu 05/07/18 UEL St Joseph's 1 - 1P B36 View events More info Thu 27/06/19 UEL Prishtina 1 - 1 St Joseph's View events More info Tue 02/07/19 UEL St Joseph's 2 - 0 Prishtina Like the League season, we'll begin the European campaign on plastic. At this stage of the season, it won't be anything fancy but it'd be encouraging if we could put the tie to bed before the second leg.

Defoe has a contract with Bournemouth. Sturridge should struggle to get a really big money contract anywhere unless it's weighted towards a pay for play clause. Anyone wanting to part with say 60K per week for Sturridge deserves all that is (not) coming.

Both articles carry quotes from the players and journalists don't tend to make those up unless it's Boris Johnson and he was sacked for it, by The Times IIRC.

Read the newspaper you mentioned in your post.

Maybe it's more Wallace and Miller.

Aye, but always bearing in mind that most of the saved wages aren't yet saved and in some cases (loans) will only be partly saved and in others will involve pay-offs that can be balanced against any incoming fees. Summer 2020 is when quite a few contracts are due to expire.

The Newcastle link is probably opportunistic clickbait, 2+2=5. EPL clubs have tended to go for foreign experience of late,...... but if Lampard was to do well at Chelsea it might make a chairman or two to seriously consider Gerrard, if we make a good start to the season....2 if's and a might = long odds.

Hypothetically, Mr Mash would be torn between trying to do a number on us (remove our manager as we approach a new season with recruitment nearly done) and writing us a cheque for millions in compensation. If SG was to get a call from an EPL club, it would certainly give him a decision to make. I reckon from his POV, an optimistic management pathway is Rangers, EPL club (middle to bottom), Liverpool. I'd hope that he'd see such a pathway as an apprenticeship that is in his best interests to complete, or in other words, he needs to successfully finish the job he has started with Rangers...but this is professional football and it seldom works that way. Another factor is if SG himself believes that he is getting sufficient backing to bridge the gap and win the title. One big plus is that Rodgers has gone and a lesser manager is in charge. The summer transfer window is next-up.