pete

Rangers produced a competent hard working display against Osijek from Croatia in the Europa league on Thursday while also getting what could be a valuable away goal,in a 0-1 win. Steven Gerrard made three changes from the game against Schkupi bringing in Ovie Ejaria, Lassana Coulibaly and the new player just literally hours in the door Ryan Kent. Oh how I would love to say Clark Kent but comparing him to Superman may just be a little bit over the top at this stage. He certainly put in a really good hard working shift. Lassana Coulibaly had a slightly sluggish start to the game but soon got up to speed and along with Ryan Jack controlled the central midfield area. At the end up he won a crunching (legal) tackle that I am sure the Croatian player will remember for a time to come. Others certainly worth a mention are Alan McGregor who is showing us why Wes Foderingham needed to be replaced. He commands his area and talks and instructs the players giving the defenders a confidence that was missing from Foderingham's game. We also seem to have won a watch with the signing of Conner Goldson who's positional play has been excellent in the three clean sheet competitive games we have played until now. Nikola Katic also seems to have slotted in nicely next to him and as all Croatians looks very comfortable on the ball. It was his long pass to Ryan Kent that helped set up the corner that resulted in the Rangers goal . I also have to mention the Man of the Match for me, Alfredo Morelos. Not only did he score the only goal but his link up play was also of really high quality. Hopefully this is the beginning of a return to the form that we all know he has in his locker. Just a word of warning. This tie is far from over and Osijek have a very good record of winning away from home as PSV Eindhoven found out last season.We have to believe we can put the tie to bed though and play with the confidence that seems to be growing in the players and throughout the club. On Sunday we have a friendly arranged with Wigan Athletic which will be the last friendly for them and us before the season starts for real. The first thing is that it is great to have a game where we can pronounce the name of the team without breaking our tongues. What can we expect from Rangers? In the last friendly the players were split into two teams who played forty-five minutes each. I would imagine that Gerrard will protect the players who have been, and will be playing in the Europa league. I think he may start with the team that played on Thursday to let the new boys gel in but I doubt they will get more than forty-five minutes and some may be rested completely. I think McGregor will make way for Jack Alnwick who will get the full game to sharpen him up. Picking a team for a friendly is like trying to pick the grand national winner. As a non betting man I will thus renegue from trying. I do expect this game to be used to bring back Dorrans and introduce Umar Zadiq who I hear has not totally impressed in training, resulting in him being left behind for the trip to Croatia. Gerrard brought on Glenn Middleton for Morelos on Thursday to play the strikers role. Could he experiment some more with that? It is all ifs and buts so I will leave it to Sunday to see how the gaffer uses the game. So what about Wigan Athletic? Their nickname is the Latics and the game goes down in history as the first ever time that the two teams have met. Wigan have played against 22 other Scottish teams in 30 games and have a record of 12 won, 11 lost and 7 drawn. Lets hope that score is evened up by the end of play on Saturday. They last lost to Dundee in season 2015-16. They drew with Chesterfield on Wednesday and beat Tranmere Rovers in the previous game. With Rangers having already played three competitive matches, that should make us firm favourites to win with a reasonable score no matter who plays. For those who like a Quiz Question, 14 players have played for Wigan and Rangers. Tavernier Waghorn and Cal Naismith are the easy ones that I got but I am sure many can name far more. As ever: C'mon the Gers!!!

I prefer to call it Tin City as many(not all) enjoy being linked with Terrorists The tindome may be better.

No way will they get 8000 extra fans. They can't sell out even now. they do want to see the Rangers right enough.

Paris on Holiday From Humidity to Exhaust fumes. Enjoy I suppose.

To be expected really.

Sold!

I would have a scout watching the left-back of Schkupi as well. He was really good until he got injured.

We should have done better when we got 3 on 2 but Murphy seemed to get illusions of grandeur and tried to go it alone. The chance that they had when the winger crossed the ball and the striker put it past the post was a full chance for me and not a half chance. Frankie said the striker was half decent well thankfully this was on his half crap side,

He was a midfielder but moved back to centre-back for most of last season and excelled in that position. He won the YPOTY. I think he will be brought in as a centre-back given that is the position that Gerrard has been looking to fill.

Not only that but things can change in a second like the McInnes decision.

Goan explain that one to me? Osijek had scored at home in every game they played since 2000 I have read.

Goldson is class it is Flanagan and Tav that are struggling with the 2 wide players. Ejari looks good but almost cost us at the end. As has been said kent has so often acres of room but we are turning to the right again and again.

1-0 Morelos

Rangers started good but the Croats are starting to come into it more now. just missed a second good chance.

Getting worse by the minute. Used to be now and again and now almost every second click.

How do you know when you have not seen the new guy's playing. The only thing i will say is that I hope Kent is playing on merit and not on Liverpool's game percentage.

It is funny that info was released after you made the statement. Maybe you ruffled some feathers. You always said you will get some things wrong so no prob for me.

Only 111 people bothered to make a donation. I know these are expensive months but that is most disappointing.

No Psychics but plenty of sidekicks.

Sorry Frankie I have been sleeping on the Job with the preview with all the Podcast activity. We could of course just do a quick 20 min Podcast for the preview. We would certainly not be short of people wanting to take part. I will do one for the Wigan game on Sunday which can also blend with the game tonight.

'Clueless' radio host: Rangers is not a massive club worldwide - there's no other team but Celtic in Scotland By Martin Williams @Martin1Williams Andy Goldstein (left) and Darren Lewis (top right) TALKSPORT host Andy Goldstein is expected to generate debate on his late night show. 31 comments But when he entered into a discussion about the merits of Scottish football, the relative pressures on clubs north of the border with their English counterparts and where Rangers sit in world football, he probably did not reckon on the backlash he would get. READ MORE: Dave King denies being in contempt of court in failure to make share offer over 'forced Rangers takeover' Even his guest on the Sports Bar programme, journalist Darren Lewis, at one point refused to contribute as the two argued for over an hour over the merits of Scottish football and how the debate was being conducted. During a often bad-tempered argument, Goldstein said Rangers "are not a massive club outside of Scotland" adding: "You know that, and I know that". The former Soccer AM presenter argued that English Championship club Aston Villa was a bigger club than the Ibrox side, saying more people had heard of the Birmingham-based team worldwide. He said there was no pressure on Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers in an "uncompetitive" Scottish Premiership telling one caller: "I could to that job. You could do that job." He added: "There's no other team in Scotland at the moment." READ MORE: Dave King blames old Mike Ashley-allied Rangers board and rival fans in outburst over court actions And he claimed there was "no pressure" on Steven Gerrard taking over at Rangers, before changing his position to say there was less pressure on him than on managers chasing the financial rewards of a promotion to the English Premier League by getting promotion from the Championship. The backlash started with Lewis who said at one point: "This is not a debate. It's ridiculous." One Rangers fan caller, James Goldstein told Goldstein: "I was all right till a few minutes ago. You are absolutely clueless, my friend." Another fan told him: "I used to think you talked a lot of sense until tonight, when you compare Aston Villa to Rangers and saying Rangers aren't a big club outside Scotland. That is what you said. Rangers and Celtic are two of the biggest clubs in Britain, support wise. "You are comparing us to Aston Villa, you're having a laugh." On social media some fans were expressed their despair at the level of debate. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/16379550.andy-goldstein-rangers-is-not-a-massive-club-worldwide-theres-no-other-team-but-celtic-in-scotland/

I think you can have 2 wildcards but not 100% sure.

When you are bottom of the fourth division even mid-table premier looks great.

He has a pretty fit GF. On Corrie I believe.

A little bald patch at the back when I have short hair which is mostly, Not nearly as bad as the wally with the brolly though