buster.

Bench looks short of decent options, too many players who won't be match-fit.

Tonight will give an indication if that game has changed the way SG approaches this kind of challenge. There should be more physical and mental energy to take on whatever way we go about things.....but again our midfield options are curtailed, noteably the absence of Jack and Ejaria (on top of the longer term injuries).

Spanish sporting newspaper includes the Villareal managers line when asked about Rangers...."Se parece mucho al Leganés.....".......ie. they are very similar to Leganés. http://www.marca.com/futbol/villarreal/2018/09/19/5ba22aa0e5fdeaa9488b46b4.html Leganés are at the bottom of La Liga, so effectively he's calling us ....'the Leganés of Scotland'. ps. Villareal's next fixture is against the once named....... Aberdeen of Spain

Two things about the press conference. 1. When SG talked about Lafferty/Morelos and their role within the squad, it was noticeable that Sadiq wasn't even mentioned. 2. SG wasn't laughing when he cracked the line about 'every time he mentions important to keep discipline, we get red cards'. ------------------ I doubt it will be but I'd like to see a cautious 3-5-2 - defend with a line of 5 - only one of Tav or Barisic allowed forward at any one time. - if struggling to play through the middle, we have the long ball option to Lafferty, who will have support close by. McGregor Worrell.......Goldson......Katic Tav...............................................Barisic Coulibaly....Halliday ......Arfield ............................Kent .........Lafferty I'd like to see an reasonably aggressive start and look for a goal, rather than just park the bus.

Should Uefa scrap away goals rule? No

Far easier to forget him given he did nowt !

There is no mystery, it was Reid. What it highlights is the lengths Celtic would go to stick the boot into Rangers. Fast forward from then to now and we have two SFA charges against us that are in the system and were pushed by a prominent Chief Executive of a Scottish football club. Edit TBF to Lawwell it was more an activist fan group who pressured the board into going down this road. Lawwell then started maneuvering the governing bodies/personel as best he could.

Meaningless clickbait

Very much so, contract managemnt is a vital part of running a club. Generally, the football operation seems to be working well. Tav has been an excellent signing for us.

Thank's lads, another good listen !

Given it's a free hit, I'd go 3-5-2. 5 along the back to defend with three big centre backs packing the penalty area. If Tav goes up, Barisic stays back and vice versa. If midfield struggle to pass through Villareal, we'd have the more direct route to Lafferty with Kent close to him so as to support. If we play Lafferty up front by himself, he'll get isolated and very little will stick long enough for support to reach him.

Difference for me is that we should have more energy in the tank to get up and down the pitch. The challenge is to do so whilst retaining possession. More especially given our limited midfield options, together with the absence of Morelos, which limits options for how to attack.

Funnily enough, one of their players has compared us with Leganes today. The team that Villareal beat on Sunday and who are currently bottom of the La Liga. In effect, he's calling us the 'Leganes of Scotland' He says we are a physical team (lazy stereotype talk for British teams in Spain). Scroll down for interview with Miguel Layun (in Spanish) https://www.villarrealcf.es/prensa/prensa/servidor-audiovisual-de-prensa/actualidad

Very much so, it's what Villareal will be expecting. I'd go for an agressive start and try and surprise them. Back in the day (with better players) we'd sometimes employ this tactic and get some joy (goal), eg. last time we played Villareal, away to Feyenoord.

Thursday is effectively a 'free hit'. I'd go for the element of surprise, attack and go for a goal in the first 15 to 20 minutes. I can't see 90 minutes of parking the bus working against a team that has quality middle to front. Had we had Jack and Ejaria fit, I'd be much more confident of getting a result.

Jack is an excellent and valuable player for us but i's frustrating that he misses so many games. Just as it is to have so many good midfielders but thus far, always be restricted to bare bones plue one.

Reid was Chairman when Lennon was appointed as manager and had, a few months before (Feb 2010), sent a video to the SFA that had all of their perceived injustices that came from the officials. He was part of a board that ok'd a 'war-footing' status with the SFA. Lawwell and Lennon went on a summer tour of CSC's with confrontational rhetoric against SFA. October of the same year saw Dougie McDonald bear the brunt of a premeditatd offensive, offensive. The main reason for this was to push a siege mentality within the Celtic support and prevent the precipitous drop in home attendance numbers that the Tony Mowbray era had seen (around 20%) get worse. Another was to start tailoring the SFA and shape it's rulebook more to their liking (enter the late Paul McBride). Reid had been Defence Secretary but his nature was more, very basic offence.

Wrt the general clamour to hang, draw and quarter Alfredo Morelos,...... It's instructive to listen to yesterdays Sportsound podcast (link below, relevant part begins at 46mins 50 secs). Darryl Broadfoot offers up the facts but nobody wants to accept them. https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/play/p06lg1f6

Today, we have a competition (CL) where I could probably name 6 of the quarter-finalists now, for next springs last eight. Real Madrid Barcelona Bayern Munich Juventus Atletico Madrid Manchester City Liverpool PSG It sucks

The draws certainly weren't being kind to us that season. Quarter Finals Nottingham Forest Eng Grasshoppers Zürich Sui 4-1 1-1 1.FC Köln Ger Glasgow Rangers Sco 1-0 1-1 Wisla Kraków Pol Malmö FF Swe 2-1 1-4 Austria Wien Aut Dynamo Dresden GDR 3-1 0-1 Semi Finals Nottingham Forest Eng 1.FC Köln Ger 3-3 1-0 Austria Wien Aut Malmö FF Swe 0-0 0-1

Instead of investigating other posters, why not give us your take

Go outside the Scottish football bubble and nobody knows Thomson or any of the others,....only the ex-cabinet minister qualifies as "prominent" IMO. Having the ginger toilet brush as a PR consultant made him a decent shout for a joke appearence on Still Game,..then he may have reached a slightly more prominent standing

Their news department certainly carry negative Rangers stories (non sporting) very prominently. Their economic/financial editor (Fraser) has become very sharp tongued when speaking about the club and it's officers.

I think it's fairly obvious......................."Prominent Chairman" = John Reid He was far and away the most prominent chairman amongst the likes of Thomson and Petrie. Only Reid would have thought a personal phonecall might carry enough weight to be acted upon. Is Reid small minded, yes. See his cheap shots at Rangers when attending the Celtic AGM.