buster.

How quickly some attitudes change........It's all either fantastic or sh!te, with nothing in between. I'm almost glad no fans will be at Ibrox on Saturday, just in case we aren't ahead come HT.

Poor collective peformance but not as surprising as some think. The mileage on the clock, the constant starting XI changes, etc., a slip-up was due and even likely at some point this month. As SG says, it's how we react to it that is important. You can see the narrative that is being prepared on the other side of Glasgow. In the space of 4 days we go out of a Cup and they win one, serial losers/winners. They know how to win and expect us to slip up again soon, bla bla....... We have a difficult run of fixtures coming up either side of New Year. The norm once a long run of wins come to an end is a blip over several games. We can't afford that and are fortunate to have an out of sorts Motherwell coming to Ibrox this weekend. Therafter things get more difficult and it would be good to get Ryan Jack back playing asap. Huge period coming up where the players will have to prove they have the various qualities needed to win a League title.

My guess for the starting XI McLaughlin Tav Goldson Helander Barisic Zungu Aribo Kamara Roofe Itten Kent

We'll bring back the specialist on a loan deal, Kyle Lafferty. Title decider and need an early goal.........Call Kyle ! 2009: 6th minute 2010: 17th min 2011: 1st min

I already have done.

No, he is a significant risk to the fantastic work SG&Co have done this season.

OP is asking the wrong people. Ask Celtic fans what they'll think of 8.75 IAR if they lose the title this year......... #Worthless

We are only at Base Camp. The next 9 months are crucial and will determine if the notable progress made up until this point, continues and takes root.

Agreed. So many things have changed for the better, Alfredo is beginning to remind us of the past and we know only too well where it tends to go from here. --------- I wrote a post on Morelos yesterday prior to the latest ban, that fits better in this thread.... If SG&Co think he is the best footballer in the squad for whatever role, then fair enough and aslong as results continue the way they are going, no problems. The most important thing for SG&Co is to continue the positive results, continue the momentum and not let enter doubts or negative history repeat itself. Where are the risks ? On Sunday, we saw something that we'd hoped had been sorted. Very early in the game, the Morelos challenge that we were very lucky didn't produce a red card. Was it a huge surprise, no, not really. Exactly a year ago this morning, the same general narrative as this season, was that Morelos had screwed the nut and improved his discipline (only 2 league bookings to that point in the season). However by late afternoon he had doubled the bookings and been shown a red. The second booking being a gesture during a goal celebration, stupidity, that we had seen before. The week before, he had played very well but didn't score in the League Cup Final against Celtic. The media went to town on him #frustrated At the end of the same month, we would see another stupid red card against Celtic, that cut our options for the post winter break games. A year previous to that he was the talk of Scottish fitbaw during the whole winter break as the compliance officer cited him for the same fixture. The first European campaign towards the groups stages under SG&Co came under threat when Morelos had a first half brain fart in Ufa and stupidly got sent off. We got away with it. Same season: Petulant League Cup booking versus Ayr Utd = No decent strikers for semi-final and elimination The conclusion is - His temperament and stupidity has cost us many times - He does and will not learn. Frustrations will get the better of him - He isn't and hasn't been sharp/on-form for about 11 months - He is looking frustrated - We got away with it on Sunday but it could have cost and led to a change in momentum - We can't trust him Would you play him in what will be the most important OF match for SG&Co to date ? Previous is no goals and two red cards Celtic will be targetting this game for a momentum shift. The media reaction after Tannadice will remind officialdom to remark Alfredos card. Risk (re.AM) is high IMO I'd play Itten through the middle against St.Mirren tomorrow and see how he does against a fairly organised side. I'd be asking Ross Wison what options may be available in January to sell and replace Morelos. Further decisions would be dependent on Itten showing up well for several games and what options were available in the transfer window. --------------------- Looks like Itten may well get more minutes. It's now up to him to prove himself.

After reading your post and seeing 26th's use of the word gangsters, I thought back to a 2013 BBC Scotland drama called The Field of Blood, written and directed by David Kane (source/wiki). The line that stood out was describing how much of a nasty bastard, Lafferty the hardman/gangster was. I'm paraphrasing but Lafferty was said to have thrown his dug out of the highrise windae because,...wait for it....the dug had been chewing on Lafferty's Rangers scarf. Now for many folk, a dug killer is as bad as it gets and to get a reference to Rangers in alongside it, was as blatant as it gets.

I know that, you know that, we all know that ! It was just a passing observation with no specific motive. My particular issue with the risks that Alfredo brings having been made clear.

Can't find the price but I doubt anyone will offer 7/2 on us getting past Antwerp other than some kind of very limited stake offer.

Tav's new role of getting more in and around the 6 yard box is paying off big style but we still need a central forward ? However, did you note Morelos having a go at him for getting in the way of a pass. It was the first half , the ball came in from the right and Tav scooped the ball past the post in what was a decent effort........Then in the second half Morelos gets the ball but it ends up trundling through to the keeper as Tav and Morelos almost collide.

Well reasoned point regards the football side of it but I don't think that is the real issue here. If SG&Co think he is the best footballer in the squad for whatever role, then fair enough and aslong as results continue the way they are going, no problems. The most important thing for SG&Co is to continue the positive results, continue the momentum and not let enter doubts or negative history repeat itself. Where are the risks ? On Sunday, we saw something that we'd hoped had been sorted. Very early in the game, the Morelos challenge that we were very lucky didn't produce a red card. Was it a huge surprise, no, not really. Exactly a year ago this morning, the same general narrative as this season, was that Morelos had screwed the nut and improved his discipline (only 2 league bookings to that point in the season). However by late afternoon he had doubled the bookings and been shown a red. The second booking being a gesture during a goal celebration, stupidity, that we had seen before. The week before, he had played very well but didn't score in the League Cup Final against Celtic. The media went to town on him #frustrated At the end of the same month, we would see another stupid red card against Celtic, that cut our options for the post winter break games. A year previous to that he was the talk of Scottish fitbaw during the whole winter break as the compliance officer cited him for the same fixture. The first European campaign towards the groups stages under SG&Co came under threat when Morelos had a first half brain fart in Ufa and stupidly got sent off. We got away with it. Same season: Petulant League Cup booking versus Ayr Utd = No decent strikers for semi-final and elimination The conclusion is - His temperament and stupidity has cost us many times - He does and will not learn. Frustrations will get the better of him - He isn't and hasn't been sharp/on-form for about 11 months - He is looking frustrated - We got away with it on Sunday but it could have cost and led to a change in momentum - We can't trust him Would you play him in what will be the most important OF match for SG&Co to date ? Previous is no goals and two red cards Celtic will be targetting this game for a momentum shift. The media reaction after Tannadice will remind officialdom to remark Alfredos card. Risk (re.AM) is high IMO I'd play Itten through the middle against St.Mirren tomorrow and see how he does against a fairly organised side. I'd be asking Ross Wison what options may be available in January to sell and replace Morelos. Further decisions would be dependent on Itten showing up well for several games and what options were available in the transfer window.

Who is offering that ? Don't usually get such generous bookies !

Agree or not, DMAA always puts forward a reasoned argument. Some others just snipe.

The three you went to were within a relative stones throw of each other, Marseille would have been a lot warmer but significantly further away. Perhaps cheaper than getting married though. I was in Brugges back in the interrailing 80's and managed to score myself !!

I watched the whole 90 minutes in the middle of a Spanish night. The CL was new and I don't think a Spanish team had qualified for the group stage and they showed most, if not all full matches on council TV.....but there was an order and Brugge v Rangers was given an approx. 3am slot. The Marseille v Rangers game was shown live throughout Spain on the main channel, as it happened. I had a long drive that day and got in a little late. Turned the TV on and in that instant, Marseille scored, horrible deflated feeling. That night was our big opportunity.

Tie is two months away so form today will probably be gone tomorrow. 22/10/20 UEL Ludogorets 1 - 2 Antwerp View events 29/10/20 UEL Antwerp 1 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur View events 05/11/20 UEL Antwerp 0 - 1 LASK View events 26/11/20 UEL LASK 0 - 2 Antwerp View events 03/12/20 UEL Antwerp 3 - 1 Ludogorets View events 10/12/20 UEL Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 0 Antwerp View events 18/02/21 UEL Antwerp 21 : 00 Rangers 25/02/21 UEL Rangers 21 : 00 Antwerp

That is the second club from Belguim we've been drawn against in one single campaign. Previously, we'd been drawn against clubs from that country only 3 times in 64 years of playing European football. 1958 Anderlecht: EC Qualifier, 7-2 agg.win 1962 Standard: EC Quarter-Final, 3-4 agg.defeat 1992 Bruges: CL GpStage, Home win / Away draw 2020 Standard: EL GpStage, H & A wins Total 6 wins in 8 and only one defeat but a costly one that prevented a shot at a EC semi-final. I also recall the away draw in Bruges being a game that we should have won.

As it stands, I'd say Ukraine are warmish favourites to finish ahead of Scotland but only time will tell.....

Unfortunately, both teams from Ukraine have every chance of gaining more co-efficient points.

Excellent draw ! Another positive is that the away leg Thursday (18/2) is followed by a weekend alloted to the Scottish Cup, 4th round, rather than a league fixture. However, after the home leg we have to go to Easter Road on league business, 3 days later.

Deaths in general.......Connery, Maradona, Le Carre (Cornwall)........ Such important figures out of ones childhood/youth growing up !