buster.

Some mention Lowry and I agree that he remains our best bet of finding/developing the dynamic creative force we need. We haven't the finance to buy the ability we need in there but we might just already have the raw material in house. It is a gamble, but we have to roll the dice. I remember when Ian Durrant came in and the way he would drive forward with youthful exuberance and a natural talent.

We only started 3 of the new lads on Tuesday but they were all in the same area of the pitch. Tillman, Matondo and Colak haven't had much gametime together and once USG got themselves sorted out, were easily isolated from the rest of the team. Our starting XI seemed to encourage this isolation with deep lying midfielders who are more comfortable closer to our central defenders than the centre forward. It was predictable what would happen with Colak. It has happened in most games this season and makes defending against us easier. Cut off the supply and we might as well be playing with 10. USG got their tactics right. They put a real shift in, stifled us, didn't let us get any rhythm in our play and prevented us getting into dangerous areas. They attacked us with gusto, they were dribbling past our defensive players with relative ease and finding lots of space in the last third. Under any kind of concerted pressure, our defence is found wanting. It might be ok against SPFL diddy teams who get beaten home and away by Sligo Rovers, but not at this level. Our tactics seemed to come from the past when a one goal defeat away from home was considered as acceptable. To be fair, under Gio, we have retrieved one goal deficits in our last two European games at Ibrox. Perhaps this contributed to stifle our approach but when the second went in, the approach was laid bare for what it was and history tells us that we have never cameback from a 2 goal deficit in 66 years of European football. One more thing is that we went into this tie, undercooked. I expressed concern about this several weeks ago, then we sold Aribo and brought some players in. It was always a big ask to bed new players in and get everyone up to speed in time for the CLQ. The new players might have a good Rangers career but teething problems are nothing new, even for the best who have played for us.... Add the injuries and players not anywhere close to match sharpness for some (eg. Jack). It is a real problem when you have difficult qualifiers first up. The only obvious way to solve it, is to qualify directly......No early qualifying rounds actually seem to work against us. USG had 2 new players in their starting line-up, played their first summer friendly on June 28 and were visibly more match-fit than us. They also appeared to want it more and weren't hesitant in their approach.

Issue is now about how the team react. Quite a few new lads who will be playing their first competitive game at Ibrox on Saturday. Will be a test for them, especially if an early goal for us isn't forthcoming. McInnes, will set up to try and restrict space in the final third. We'll at least start at a high tempo and look for an early goal. We need some kind of performance to take some confidence from prior to the second leg.

Zizkov was probably the closest we have come to overturning a 2 goal deficit. We took it to extra time, winning the 90 minutes 2-0, but shared 2 goals with them in extra time and away goals did for us. The last two 2 legged European ties (Braga and Leipzig) have both seen us overturn a one goal deficit in the second leg. Stating the bleeding obvious but we need to score the first goal to give us a chance.

Trying to rationalise, it is better to go back to the 70's and think about the football, forget the prospective finance on offer. Besides, as it stands, PSV are the likely team to go through on our half of the draw. The Europa League is definitely our level and we would have time to sort ourselves out. We'd be in pot 1 with Roma, Man.Utd, Arsenal, Lazio, Sporting Braga amongst others. At least tell the Belguim press that is what we are thinking !!

Early days of Gio we just kept winning football matches, conceding very few goals. It was the winter break that had the usual effect.

A collective fail. Management and players. Worst I can remember since the First Half at the Brendanbeu in early Feburary. In fact, worse when you think we actually improved a fair bit in that second half with Jack coming on. For as dismal a 90 minutes, Hibs semi final last November.

Will be interested to hear how Gio explains this away. Bit of honesty required.

After the 2008 UEFA Cup Final came Kaunas. USG are better than Kaunas but we were just bad and managed to get worse rather than sorting ourselves out. Still in the tie, sort of..... but a long odds outside bet.

Type of performance that will leave a scar.

Arfield is a decent shout.

They have done their homework and know how we can struggle against a low block. The difference here is that unlike SPFL diddy clubs, they have some quality to counter with and the minute you put pressure on our defence, it dithers and sometimes appears to crumble.

Started well then ended the half lucky to be only one down. Over to Gio to change things, it ain't working. Have to be careful here or the tie could be more or less over before the second leg.

Just hope some of the new lads up front see enough of the ball to show what they can do.

Jack and Tillman starts Lawrence bench Interesting We'll get a good idea of what Tillman and Matondo offer tonight. Glad that we've not changed the keeper Important that we don't isolate Colak up front and that the ball sticks to the Croatian, so we can better get up the park.

Can see us getting hemmed in at times with that starting XI and there being a problem to move the ball forward under meaningful control. Colak would get isolated. Had a glance at B365 Both teams are 17/10 to win the game. We are 2/5 on to get through.

I watched the first half of their first league match (only played two) It reminded me of Dundee Utd v Hibs. Both teams were poor. Apparently they improved a little in the second half.

I'd imagine that tonight will see a BBC Scotland commentary team pitchside at a Rangers European away game. I think they were also in Leipzig and Braga. It'll be stranger to hear them broadcast at Ibrox.

Eyes on USG I said.....but We have played 4 times in Monaco (1) and at PSV (3). We have never lost (3 wins and a draw). PSV 2-3 Rangers (Johnstone, MacDonald, Russell) Monaco 0-1 Rangers (GVB) PSV 0-1 Rangers (Albertz) PSV 0-0 Rangers

Eyes on USG Get past them and we can bank at least an extra 7M Euros (5M if lose play off round plus a home gate).

Just about to be drawn.... edit.... Kiev/Sturm Graz....v Benfica/M USG/Rangers......v Monaco/PSV

https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/2023/2001672/

I agree, those lines depend on the timing of when the ball was kicked and on tight calls a TV station could, if it wanted, probably tweak and present the case it wants to. It would be good to know how VAR actually determines this exact moment and the technology used.

I don't think the VAR folk will be keen to share or show up descrepancies with their process. I don't think they'll have a different camera angle to any the BBC showed and if that were the case, then you could find that call (offside) to be in the 1% (without VAR 8% decisions wrong../..with VAR 1%*) *something I heard an SFA rep saying.