buster.

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.

It'd be like putting a relatively large amount of cash onto a 33/1 outsider. We all know what would happen.

Perhaps, but IMO getting the lad ready for our first team is priority and the 3 year contract is already ticking.

How much would Pickford, Maguire and Walker cost today ?

Good to see we got McPake to sign an extension. He now needs first team football, even if this season, it means going on loan.