buster.

Don't think there will a difference First competitive fixture If we win SC: 14th July..... (EL 2nd round qualifier) If we don't: 16th July..... (League Cup group stage) edit Worth noting that Aberdeen and Hearts will start on 30th June in EL 1st qualifying round. #LongSeason

Looking at how quickly MW&Co turned things around last summer allows for some confidence or at least it has to limit concern. He and his team seem to manage their time and resources very well. He has already stated he would like signings in the door for when we start pre-season which would be a very good start and then we'd likely be adding a couple of loans in August. The most important thing for me is that MW is still our manager come the start of next season. I have no reason to think he won't be but at the same time, would be surprised if there were no approaches from England.

The Scotsman this morning went with.........."Mark Warburton has warned that Rangers will still have to spend heavily to match Celtic in the Premiership next season." Thing is MW never said this and it is a journalist (Stepen Halliday) giving an inaccurate reflection of what was actually said so as to help build pressure on the board to spend money. The media went loco with this angle before, during and after the January window and can't stop using it. Admittedly DK made a rod for his own back with some of what was previously said but talk about overplay. What has been recently said is that significant transfer activity will be needed and that the right players that represent value for money will be what we look for or now rather deals we try to get done. It's not about how much money so much as getting value for every pound spent within a sustainable wage structure. ......and btw Well Done to the board for a visionary managerial appointment .

I was coming from a general POV and not just yesterday, ie. the whole political (correctness) issues that surround this and beyond. The bigger picture is more important than the daily bickering. The Police have to waste time and resources fronting ludicrous and flawed legislation. There are many more important 'sticks and stones' out there......... and words don't hurt people, especially when the supposed offence taken is often actually sought out by those 'poor victims' for political ammunition. You can extrapolate this and go further but that would be for 'the Lounge'.

I think it's next to impossible to avoid degrees of complacency in this kind of situation. I think it's more about tacitly allowing for it, letting it happen and timing the return to high levels of concentration for when they are needed. We lose 3 goals (x3) then in the last three games lose only one goal (90 mins) and tie up the League, the Petrofac Cup and a SC Final appearance. Thus far we've timed our runs very well, eg. Hibs 4-2, Dundee 4-0 and yesterday. We let things slip against St.Johnstone but I think we learned from that and have their best player in our squad.

What will attract players more than European qualifiers in July is working under Mark Warburton (important that he stays). Players who don't place value on this aren't the type of player we want.

One consequence of the SC Final is that the close season or players summer holidays will be noteably shorter, more especially if we qualify for Europe. That would be 3 weeks this side of the Final and if we were to get into Europe about a week on the other side (first competitive game would be 14th July compared to last summer 25th July). The latter isn't that relevant given we'd be starting earlier anyway with the League Cup group stages (first game 16th July) if we don't get into Europe. A championship team is going to win the SC so this means that an extra top tier club will go into the League Cup group stages (ie. those not in Europe).

I'm confident MW&Co will come up with the best plan, whether that includes games or not. He wasn't a big fan of pre-season friendlies.

Very much so. We have four league games left and need to avoid injury rather than win games. We were down to bare bones yesterday without decent options on the bench and now have Ball suspended for the final. Waghorn may be back and I'd be playing Burt in the league to see if he's ready. The talk has been of a 3 week break prior to the Final but when you think of it mentally, it's more a 5 week break and may not be easy to switch back on again. At the same time Hibs will have their own problems to deal with that will be more physical in nature.

The same goes for banners and songs. Let both sides put up what they want and put an end to this mock 'I'm offended' PC claptrap that only works against us.

No real choice but to change it. You couldn't have a team play a SC Final on Saturday and a 2nd leg play-off Final the next day. The difference in logic is that come the play-offs, the main fixture list is already completed. What it does mean is that unless Hibs claw back 2nd spot that they'll be playing twice a week all the way up to the Final, whilst we will have a 3 week break. Very different problems but given the lightness of our squad, the break is surely better. Last season Falkirk had the same break prior to the final they narrowly lost to ICT.

We have the better manager, the better overall strategy and are moving forwards They haven't been turning up in big games for years, have a high wage bill, ST renewal issues and are going backwards. Lawwelll has little choice but to try and deliver 'a name' but on the relative cheap. Looking forward to next season

There was blue smoke aswell. Let's just enjoy the spectacle and the atmosphere instead of going into a tit for tat mode that only suits 'dubious authorities' in the long run.

Club seeding in the draw is mainly down to individual club European performance in the previous 5 years. Obviously we only have the sparse points from the Malmo and Maribor ties in 2011/12 and the little that comes from the general Scottish club performance for the other 4 years. We are 267th in the list http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/trank2016.html As for the Scottish co-eff., this effects where clubs enter competitions. In 2012 we were 18th (mainly down to our UEFA Cup Final season) http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/crank2012.html Today we are 25th http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/crank2016.html Whether 18th or 25th the Scottish Cup winners of this season would be starting in the same round of qualifiers. It's 13th to 17th place that would have entered into the 3rd round of qualifiers. Those Scottish clubs who qualify via the league (Aberdeen and Hearts) will enter into the first qualifying round on the 30th of June. Access list http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/access2016.html

If we were to qualify, it might help keep MW at the club. I'm sure he'd welcome the challenge of direct European football involvement after his previous work with the NextGen series.

New contingency dates have been pencilled in. Getting into Europe by winning the SC would mean summer qualifiers starting in the second round on July 14th. We would need to go through 3 qualifiers to make the group stages and we'd almost certainly be unseeded in any draw.

Yesterday was great and was the first layer of icing on a solid construction of a cake that has been quickly but carefully prepared. The most important thing is putting in place a solid structure with the right people in charge and the right mix of players that represent good value rather than 'overspend'. I can't think of anyone better than the current management team who would have been a better fit. Yesterday was golden and surprised me as I had feared the game was going to be one too far given how limited our resources had become against a rival who would be up for the game. MW thought otherwise and marshalled what he had at his disposal as well as he could. His pre-match media pressers gave off just the right message to help boost what was a growing feeling that Celtic were the better side and simply had to turn up............. MW&Co now have to organise the time and what players we have left thinking towards the SC Final. In Mark we trust. Memo to Mark:........... Well done and stay for a while longer

Kiernan and Wilson need to be wrapped up in cotton wool.

Does his booking mean he is out of the final ?

Fantastic effort from players and management team. Surpassed expectations given tools available. ................................

May aswell went with Burt. Never thought Law would add much and indeed made a bad mistake that nearly cost us.

Second half Great effort to keep things together without threatening much middle to front (asking McKay to do everything). Both teams looked as though they may aswell go straight to penalties. Another 30 will require more concentration....keep it going lads.

Fantastic first half. Lot's of concentration, few mistakes and not letting Celtic get into the game. More of the same is needed along with a bit of luck and a second goal.

...or Derek Johnstone in 1970. ---------------- Clark will get on If the manager rates Burt and his game suits the situation then I'd put him on in front of Law and Zela who are leaving the building soon and haven't recently been playing much or been 'at it'.....but I doubt it'll happen.

Only 5 subs when 7 are allowed illustrates how light we are in what are on the face of it, not great alternative options. The eleven who start are going to have to play a concentrated stormer of a 90 minutes against what is a physical middle rump that is looking to set up McKay-Stevens, Roberts and Griffiths. Let's hope Barrie McKay and Lee Wallace can do some damage down the left.