buster.

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 !

It's become an undisputed fact that shouldn't be accompanied by any connected negatives that undermine the simplistic argument being put forward. Egil Ostanstad could probably drag defenders out of position and we got accustomed to him not scoring goals ? The issue I have is connected to the risks his temperament undoubtedly brings to our title efforts. A year ago, it was a risk that we had little choice other than to take it. Now, the new methods are working and I think we can not only lessen such a risk significantly but also replace Morelos with an upgrade in terms of the current centre forward role.

Had he been sent-off very early in the game (and it was clearly a red card offence) and we had dropped points yesterday, the reaction would have been savage, with more than a little justification. Nor do I think the manager would have been so willing to defend the player. We've got who was a potential 20 Million pound player, who has performed like a 2M pound player for nearly 12 months. That isn't a simple loss of form, it's a player who can't get his shit together, whether in specific moments it has been fitness, attitude, sharpness, form, heid turned, not wanting to be here, etc. I tend to think that the longer we keep him, the more frustrated he'll get, the increased probability that red cards will follow, the ensuing media blitz and we'll end up with a 7 figure transfer fee. The main issue at this moment in time is if it will harm our title efforts? There is so much in the way of positive vibes we really could do without the risk factor that Alfredo brings....a risk factor that is no longer underwritten by consistent goalscoring. Not cashing in on the 16M bid was bad business then and it looks worse now.

Another fantastic result ! Never known a season quite like this. Latest seeding situation Alongside the bigger names and fully deserve to be there Europa League group stage winners and runners-up[edit] Group Winners (seeded in round of 32 draw) Runners-up (unseeded in round of 32 draw) Qualified (position TBD) A Roma Young Boys B Arsenal Molde C Bayer Leverkusen Slavia Prague D Rangers Benfica E PSV Eindhoven Granada F Napoli Real Sociedad G Leicester City Braga H Lille Milan I Villarreal J Tottenham Hotspur Antwerp K Dinamo Zagreb L 1899 Hoffenheim

Won't get many opportunities this season (fingers crossed re Tav) so he needs to show up well against decent opposition and help convince the coaching team that he is an able deputy. His only start for the club up until now was against Stranraer, with a second half against the Red Imps. Might not get another chance to rest Tav until the Scottish Cup (end of January).

No, it isn't. You just don't get it or don't want to get it. It's clear For example, the heavy politicising of anti-racism protests for other gains/advantage. He was passionately against such a thing on one type of anti-racism thread but spent a year or so, doing exactly that within a different type of anti-racism. The opinion part is his belief but what I refer to is the blatant contradiction. in the application of said principle, based on race. To strongly and loudly preach against something whilst practicing it yourself is to damage any credibility you have to do the preaching. It can make you look a bit of a fool or in this particular thread, it helps show Bill up for what he is.

In 9 months we could be in relatively decent financial shape but then again, might not be. All depends on what transpires in the coming months, plus Covid factor. Misleading to a degree or partially sighted optimism. When DK talked of a squad value of 200M (STV Q&A) you know he's on flimsy ground at this moment in time....BUT may yet, regards financial state/club value, end up as being correct. It's a spectulative judgement call.