Rousseau

We've got Hardie, Clark and Miller, though the latter two are very much the same type of roving-all-over-the-place strikers. Hardie is more direct and should play no matter what, Gallagher probably remains outside the radar right now. Given that McCulloch is less mobile and sure a presence, you would expect him to stay up front and in or close to the area, which would be "a bonus". We haven't seen him up front for ages though, nearly two years now. 10 mins against Falkirk is sure no indication how he would perform away from home and at Tynecastle.

 

Generally, I'd rather use Mohsni up there than McCulloch. More presence, can play football, is IMHO a greater threat in the opposition box and a better target man than any of the rest. I do asume that McCall will go 5-4-1 or 5-3-3 at Tynecastle though, and McCulloch retaining his place with McGregor to his right and Zaliukas to the left. It worked before.

A 5-3-3 looks like it would be tactically beneficial with that extra man!

Good news. Now for Dave...

It really doesn't matter which brand it is, we cannot command the amount we want. We just have to take what's on offer.

The Tories are currently showing a lot of anit-Scottish feeling, and being incredibly insulting to us. Why would a Scotsman vote for them? Luckily, most Scots are wise enough not to. I imagine those that do must generally be high earners who want to avoid more tax and public spending on those less well off. They put their money before their country.

Sarcasm? Subjectivity?

You're calling Conservative voters stupid?

(This thread is going to have to be moved: it's turning into another political debate!)

Edit: I actually feel the same about SNP voters, in the sense I hope Scots are wise enough to see through their rhetoric and propaganda. Who's right I wonder? Or are we both unduly subjective?

Any means of sticking two-fingers-up at the SPFL/SFA 'cabal' I am in favour of. Well done Rangers.

He is a goalscorer that can't score. His negatives/detractors and positives/advocates are irrelevant.

That's basically a GIRUY!

I think we all agree that he is not the finished article. I worry that after only 50+ games we are quite dogmatic in our condemnation. The lad has certain qualities, can we not use them? He's quick, so when we need a goal or some pace in the latter stages could he not play a role? Not all youngsters are going to be like Mcleod, but they all have certain qualities that we can use. Moreover, he is 20! His career has not even started, but we've deemed him not good enough? He can still be developed, and that's what I hope the youth coaches are able to do.

I thought we all wanted our youth players to get a chance? A couple of seasons in 3rd and 2nd division games is not a real chance. Just because he has disappointed this season does not mean he is finished. We need to develop players properly; and use their strengths.

I'm not sure whether he really ever was "that much" fitter. These new close-fitting jerseys just reveal more of the players. Now, sarcasm aside, he could well have had 20 goals this season, if for an utter lack of finishing power, luck and touch. If go back and watch the highlights, he was always there or thereabouts, hitting man, wood, metal or keepers, rather than the net. He never was the all-out marauding and running striker, but the clinical finisher in the box. Every video will reveal that. For whatever reason, he lost his touch this season and that is essentially the coup de grace for a striker's career.

 

On the other hand, as I pointed out after our last game, we sorely miss(ed) a decent poacher and penalty-area type of chap, as Clark, Miller and Co. are running all over the place, but 5 out of 10 times when a ball comes into the danger area, Clark or Miller (much like Little was, BTW) are somewhere else. A Daly, Boyd, Hateley, McCoist type of player would remain in the middle. Hardie changed that somewhat, but we sure need to adress that.

You've summed him up perfectly. He does require service; and the right type of service at that. His touch has always been poor, but his finishing has deteriorated; whether that is down to the type of service or age, I couldn't speculate.

I'd keep him.

It's not only out of date, it's prehistoric. The Scottish national team (apart from a recent up turn) and Scottish clubs get horsed on the big stage because we have an ignorant mindset towards modern football. Our techniques and philosophy are about 30 years out of date.

 

This applies to the British game as a whole, English football has so much money though that the foreign players and coaches will keep their game relatively modern at club level.

Agreed. I think the fans have to take some of the blame. We have not given players the time in the past. hopefully it's changing now though. Scotland in general is living in the past.

What's the answer? Cathro? (Not him as such, but that type.)

It was a terrible documentary. No depth whatsoever. But what do you expect from channel 4!

He's found his level!

Ah McLeod...what could have been...

For me the worrying think is that these guys (McKay I'm think of; good touch, quick, technical, good interplay, but not too strong -- hopefully it'll come!) could be left out because they don't conform to the typical Scottish type of strong, tall and powerful. It's like Jack Harper at Real: he obviously has talent, but the Scottish coaches omitted him because he wasn't tall or strong enough. I think it's an out-of-date worldview. We need to move on. To do that we need a coach that is knowledgeable in this area, not another former Scottish-based player.

SPFL could confront Rangers over plans for play-off tickets

By Alasdair Lamont BBC Scotland

 

Rangers and the Scottish Professional Football League could clash over plans to let season ticket holders into play-off matches at Ibrox for nothing.

 

The SPFL prohibits clubs from allowing fans free entry to end-of-season games.

 

With 50% of gate money from each play-off game due to the SPFL, up to three home ties at Ibrox would generate hundreds of thousands of pounds to be shared out among all member clubs.

 

But allowing around 25,000 fans in for free would greatly diminish that sum.

 

The SPFL has offered no comment on the matter so far.

 

The 50% of the cash generated through gate receipts that goes to the SPFL is to be re-distributed to every club not involved in the games.

 

Rangers currently sit third in the Scottish Championship with one match of the normal league season remaining, which is against Hearts.

 

Hibernian are in second place at the moment, a position which decreases the potential amount of Premiership play-off matches from six to four.

 

Hibs allowed season ticket holders in for free last season when they lost out to Hamilton Academical in the play-off final.

 

They sought permission to do so from the SPFL board and were informed the rule breach would not be penalised on that occasion.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32490412

Let them in for a quid!

If the SFA are running scared of any person/institution over which they are supposed to govern then surely their position is untenable? It's a ridiculous position for a Football Association to be in. Only in Scotland.

Nevertheless, the King decision is not easy, but I don't foresee any problems. The main issue was the tax avoidance, which has since been settled amicably.

He is accountable, I'm saying what he earns is not of his doing and shouldn't be a factor.

It's not what he is earning, it's the fact he is earning whilst doing nothing.

10 games. He also holds the record for consecutive old firm defeats.

That was intolerable. I suspect it may may be beaten if we get promotion!

The part i find difficulty with is that he is allegedly a Rangers man.

It's the fact he is taking a wage that really frustrates me; the fact he was a failure as manager is neither here nor there. If he is a Rangers man, he wouldn't take a wage.

When we had a huge budget (compared to now) he was signing Capucho, Maniero, Mladenovic, Ostenstad, Emerson, Eggen etc so Christ knows what we would end up with. You would hope after taking us to 3rd in the league he will never have any involvement again. The later years under him were just absolutely brutal.

That's very true. He didn't actually buy most of the players I mentioned. I forgot about 3rd place. As I said: he's the same old type; doesn't excite me, in fact it frustrates me.

McLeish was OK. He didn't have much money, but the players were pretty good: DeBoer, Canigga, Arveladze (spelling?), Ricksen, Amoruso, Numan, Ferguson, McCann (Arteta?), etc. Not convinced he'd be any good with a reduced budget again. Anyway, he's the same type we've always gone for, what's it going to take for us to go down a different route? Doesn't excite me.

We need someone different. But then the issue is: will someone 'different' get the time?

We have to take some of the blame for not allowing a probationary period (is that the right word?). We have not had many moments where we can say ' we should have given that guy more time, he was on to something', but there have been hints, but we've been unremitting in our short-term judgement. I understand we demand to win every game, but perhaps it's time to let someone different have a period of 'failure' (maybe not as bad as that) to allow the team to push through into a new era. Van Gaal was awful at the beginning of the season, but now they look like they are finally building something special.

I keep coming back to Cathro; he's the type i'd like to see.

Even if we could by some miracle tempt him back, our team and the football we play would not suit him, and so it'll end up turning out like the first time: huge talent, great ability, but won't fit into the team. He plays well in a midfield three, so he has support. At Rangers he'd play (a) out wide, or (b) in a midfield 2 where he'd get run about because he does not have the energy. It's not his fault, but our teams, or more specifically our management; it's out of date.

A team has to compensate for players deficiencies to benefit from their talents, we just shoehorn players into a position with know knowledge of how it affects them.

I think the board just don't want public shares. How does that affect rights/share issue? It's still possible, surely?

Mols. forgot how good he was until I watched a couple of youtube vids. Superb player.

Any links?