Govan Rear Bear

Cheers R!

@Frankie @Rousseau

Aribo strike secures three points for far from invincible Rangers A first-half strike from Joe Aribo secured three points for Rangers and a first win at Dens Park for Steven Gerrard on Saturday, but it was yet another performance which provided strong evidence that Rangers are some way off their invincible form of last season. Rangers arrived on Tayside on the back of a disappointing home draw in the league against Motherwell last Sunday, and looking to secure three points to maintain their place at the top of the pile. Gerrard reintroduced Ianis Hagi and James Tavernier to his starting eleven. He also opted with Jon McLaughlin in goal again, and the former Sunderland man having to be lively to deal with a close-range header from Jordan McGhee in the early stages. The match saw Leigh Griffiths play against Rangers for the first time since his loan move from Celtic to Dundee. Griffiths has been targeted by away supporters since he was investigated by Police Scotland for allegedly messaging an underage girl on social media. Police found no evidence of criminality, but Griffiths has faced a stream of abuse from opposing supporters since, culminating in him reacting mid-week to barracking from St Johnstone supporters by kicking a flare into the away support. He has since been charged by Police Scotland for culpable and reckless behaviour, and his fortunes didn’t improve any here. Firstly he missed a great chance he should have scored, hitting the ball weakly at the Rangers goal, then he was substituted on the 39th minute – much to the joy of the travelling support. The goal was a one a few bright moments from Rangers. James Tavernier played a nice ball into Alfredo Morelos, who dinked a lovely reverse pass into the path of Joe Aribo who took a touch to set himself before placing it past Adam Legzdins in the Dundee goal. Kemar Roofe then came close with a shot at goal after some nice work had taken him past Liam Fontaine, but overall Rangers lacked any real attacking threat despite enjoying the majority of possession. John Lundstram has enjoyed an indifferent start to his career at Rangers, but this was yet another improved performance by the former Sheffield United man. He came close to doubling Rangers lead early in the second-half, with a curling effort from the corner of the box forcing Legzdins into a fine save, but more importantly the under-fire midfielder drew much praise from his manager. “He was the best player on the pitch by a mile,” said Gerrard After the game. “I’ve been almost smiling in disbelief, really, at some of the reaction on the outside.” ‘John’s a fantastic player. He’s showed his quality in the last three games. Ok, he’s been finding his feet and it does take time to get up to speed and work out how people play, but he was an absolute powerhouse today. “He was Man of the Match and the best player on the pitch by a mile.” Dundee were handed a lifeline back into the game when they were awarded a penalty on the 59th minute. The foul came from a long ball played by Max Anderson which Connor Goldson misjudged, allowing Paul McMullan to run in on goal to be fouled by Jon McLaughlin. Bobby Madden was left with no option but to award the spot kick, McMullan and the home support also appealed loudly for McLaughlin to see red - the double-jeopardy rule, however, meant only a yellow was forthcoming. The defending from Goldson was yet another example of some within the Rangers squad struggling to reach the heights of last season, with him and James Tavernier in particularly having an uncomfortable afternoon defensively. Former Rangers striker Jason Cummings, who had replaced Griffiths in the first-half, stepped up to take the spot kick, but hit his shot at the legs of McLaughlin – allowing the the Rangers keeper to gather the ball safely after an initial failed attempted to punch the ball clear. The incident enraged Dundee manager James McPake, who was red carded at full time for protesting over-zealously. When asked if he felt McLaughlin should have been on the pitch to face the penalty, he was blunt in his response. "In my opinion, no. I know the rule is if you make a genuine attempt, and people will disagree and say it's a genuine attempt. "But Paul McMullan is clearly by him and the leg comes out. If it's Adam Legzdins would my answer be different? Probably not.” For Rangers and Steven Gerrard focus now switches to the trip to Prague on Thursday night in Europa League. "We came here for three points. No-one will remember how we got them, and I've also managed to keep people fresh for Thursday, so a lot of positives to take away." Three points was indeed the objective for Rangers here, but improved performances are required if they want to secure a second successive title. DUNDEE: Legzdins; Ashcroft, Fontaine, Sweeney; Kerr, Anderson, Byrne, McGhee, Marshall; McMullan, Griffiths. SUBS: Jakubiak, McGowan, McCowan, Panter, Lawlor, Sheridan, Cummings. RANGERS: McLaughlin; Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey; Lundstram, Kamara, Aribo; Roofe, Hagi, Morelos. SUBS: McGregor, Davis, Patterson, Wright, Bacuna, Fashion Jr, Barisic. REF: Bobby Madden

@Frankie@Rousseau

Lyon hand out a French lesson to slack Rangers The last time Olympique Lyonnais made their way to Govan in 2007 they ended the hopes of Walter Smith’s side of progressing to the knock-out stages of the Champions League with a 3-0 drubbing. Smith and his players consolidated themselves by making the final of the UEFA Cup. Whether Steven Gerrard and his side can recover in a similar fashion after this 2-0 defeat is up for debate, but one thing which is not up for debate is that this was another difficult night at the hands of the French side. This would be Steven Gerrard’s and his coaching staff’s 50th European match at the helm at Ibrox, and they went into it defending a nine game unbeaten run at Ibrox in the group stages. But Gerrard had warned prior to the game that this was the hardest opponents his side had faced in European competition – add to that the fact that Rangers have yet to hit top gear this season and this always looked like it could be an uphill task. Rangers have looked disjointed in both performance and personnel so far this season, thanks to a combination of Covid and injuries. Saturday’s win against St Johnstone came at the cost of losing defender Filip Helander until December with a knee injury. The Swedish defender is a crucial part of Gerrard's team and his absence is a huge blow. If such a blow wasn't bad enough, Ryan Kent has become the latest player to succumb to injury, limping off in the 70th minute with a hamstring injury, adding to already significant headaches Gerrard has suffered this season. The injury to Kent was the final act in what was a miserable night for the winger. The Englishman has struggled to find anything remotely resembling his top form this season and tonight offered no redemption as he was caught in possession twice in moments of slackness which led to both Lyon goals. The first error saw Kent lose possession cheaply on the half-way line. This allowed Lyon to counter and Karl Toko Ekambi to score with a superb curling shot in the bottom corner on the 23rd minute. The second error saw Kent caught in possession again just outside the Rangers penalty box early in the second half. This led to Allan McGregor denying Lucas Paqueta, but the resultant goalmouth stramash ended with the ball ricocheting off James Tavernier and into the net to all but end the game as contest. Despite not being at their fluent best, Rangers did create moments. Joe Aribo, John Lundstram and Ryan Kent all had efforts at Lopes’s goal in the first-half when it was 1-0. If one of these efforts had went in Rangers may have been able to rally and recover, but it was not to be. Tavernier came close with free-kick in the second-half, and Balogun also came close with a header in the closing stages. But by that point it felt like this Lyon side were to savvy to let any lead slip and that Rangers' race was run. One potential positive from the game was the performance of John Lundstram. He has struggled to convince since his arrival in the summer, but his performance tonight gave hints at the player we thought we were getting when he signed – although he did allow Toko Ekambi to cut inside to his favoured foot too easily for the first goal. For Gerrard it was a night to forget, for Lyon coach Peter Bosz it was a case of déjà vu – the Dutchman was in charge of Bayer Leverkusen when they secured a 3-1 victory in March 2020 in the last sixteen of the same competition. The defeat is the first group stage European loss on home soil since the 2010-11 Champions League defeat against Manchester Utd, and it puts a huge dent in Rangers chances of topping the group – which is now the only way of confimring a place in the knock-out stages. But despite the defeat, Steven Gerrard was still relatively upbeat in his post-match comments. "We played some good stuff and created some half-decent openings. Their keeper has made a top save from Ryan Kent which would have got us back into the game at 1-1”, he said. "We created some decent moments without being clear cut. I think the scoreline is slightly harsh on us. We have made two mistakes in the game, clear mistakes if you like. We've had the ball turned over in the first half and we have been punished for it because good players do that to you. "I'm a bit disappointed with our defending on the second goal. The players know at this level you will be punished. With all due respect, domestically if you give the ball away in those areas, maybe you will get away with it. But not at Europa League level against high-calibre players. If you turn the ball over while the team is open, you leave yourself vulnerable.” Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic, Lundstram, Davis, Kamara, Aribo, Kent, Morelos Subs: McLaughlin, McCrorie, Bassey, Patterson, Bacuna, Wright, Roofe, Kelly, Fashion Jr, Arfield, McClelland. Lyon: Lopes, Emerson, Denayer, Ekambi Aouar, Paqueta, Gusto, Slimani, Caqueret, Boateng (Diomande, 65), Guimaraes. Subs: Diomande, Shaqiri, Pollersbeck, Bonnevie, Lukeba, Milagres, Cherki, Kelta, Da Silva, Barcola. Referee: Andreas Ekberg (SWE)

@Frankie@Rousseau

Four goals provide Highland spring for Rangers Nobody could have foresaw a few weeks ago that Rangers would be arriving for this fixture with it being suggested that the pressure was already mounting on Steven Gerrard and his players. But after Celtic’s thrashing of St Mirren on Saturday, and on the back a period of indifferent form, there was an air of nervousness as Rangers headed up the A9 to Dingwall to take on Ross County. The next seven days are huge for Rangers. Firstly they head to Armenia to play the second-leg of the Europa League group stage qualification tie against Alashkert. Gerrard has made meat and drink of these ties in his previous three attempts, however the inexplicable loss to Malmö has created doubt where there was once belief. Failure to qualify will put further pressure on the manager and his players going into next week’s Old Firm fixture – the first of this season. Rangers go into Thursday night’s game with a one goal advantage, however the game did not come without a price with Michael Beale revealing prior to Sunday’s game that Ianis Hagi and Scott Wright had picked up knocks and could be out for a couple of weeks. Hagi recovered to take his place in the starting eleven – Wright, however, missed out and as things stand is unlikely to feature on Thursday night. This announcement by Beale added further weight to feeling that Rangers preparations and start to the season have not been ideal, with players returning at different times due to international duty, with injuries and suspensions adding further headaches for manager Steven Gerrard. “Some people have had a disrupted pre-season after coming off the Euros & Copa America”, said Beale. “There is a lot going on with the squad that is background noise really. We’re managing one or two things but that’s fine, that happens at all times of the season.” One extra thing to manage has been added to that list after it was revealed that Nathan Paterson had been the subject to a £5m bid from Everton, with The Athletic reporting that the offer was submitted on Friday. Such a paltry amount is unlikely to force Rangers’ hand, but it highlights that potential suitors of Rangers’ top assets are aware that the loss to Malmö was an expensive one, and that they are prepared to use that as a bargaining tool. Steven Gerrard reintroduced Leon Balogun to the starting eleven and he found himself subject to a penalty claim in the opening minutes when he handled in the box, but referee David Munro awarded free-kick to Rangers for an earlier foul. The scare was an early reminder that Rangers needed to be at their best and they set about taking control of the match, culminating in Joe Aribo providing the opening goal after 15 minutes with a superb strike, curling the ball into the top corner from the corner of the 18 yard box. Goldson doubled that lead four minutes later, getting on the end of a James Tavernier corner to head home. It seemed that a routine win and potential thrashing were on the cards as Rangers clocked up further chances through Hagi, Aribo and Goldson, but, as has so often been the case so far this season, just when Rangers looked to be on safe ground they contrived to find a way to make hard work of things. Harry Clarke’s goal with five minute left of the first-half was Ross County's first of this season and it reopened a contest which had appeared to be over. Clarke reacted quickest in the box after Allan McGregor made a fine initial save from Jordan White’s effort to hit the rebound home. Nine minutes into the second-half Alfredo Morelos put further distance between the sides again with a left foot finish. But yet again Rangers could not finish the job, dragging themselves back into a fight with thirteen minutes to go when Jordan White scored from the spot after Calvin Bassey had handled in the box. The prospect for a potentially uncomfortable last few minutes didn’t last long, and was put to rest when Scott Arfield slotted home in the closing stages after coming on for Hagi on the 78 minute. With such a big week looming there were many positive signs hinting that Rangers are returning to something resembling the standards they know they can hit, but the slack moments in defence continue to be a cause for concern. "That's the way I want my teams to play, organised and hard to play against” said manager Steven Gerrard after the game. "We want to be as relentless and ruthless in the box as we can be. That is the way Rangers teams should look. It was much more like us, both in and out of possession. "I'm a lot happier today. As you can see quite clearly what we are trying to do. We are trying to be more organised at times and we are still trying to fine-tune that. "We are still waiting to have a full squad and be fully settled so we will get better.” RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey, Aribo, Davis, Kamara, Hagi, Kent, Morelos. SUBS: Lundstram, Arfield, Roofe, McCrorie, Helander, Itten, Patterson. ROSS COUNTY: Laidlaw, Randall, Cancola, Spittal, Callachan, Iacovitti, Cook (Samuel, 90), Clarke, Tillson, Paton, White. SUBS: Hungbo, Maynard-Brewer, Samuel, Shaw, Robertson, Watson, Donaldson. REFEREE: David Munro

Cheers chief!

@Frankie @Rousseau

Morelos secures win for ten man Rangers If Rangers get the result they require next week in Yerevan to secure passage to the Europa League group stages for the fourth consecutive season under Steven Gerrard, then John Lundstram will owe his teammates a huge debt of gratitude. It was the Englishman’s sending off late in the first-half which put a huge question mark over a tie which was deemed as a fairly routine affair for Rangers, although they had huffed and puffed for large parts of the first-half. But Lundstram’s dismissal, after a second booking, put Rangers in a speculative position, and one which will not have pleased manager Steven Gerrard. All the chat prior to the game surrounded the capture of Juninho Bacuna from Huddersfield Town. The 24 year Dutch midfielder provides further options for Gerrard in an area where he has not been short of problems so far this season. Speaking to Rangers TV Bacuna seemed delighted at his move. “There was interest last season, unfortunately it didn’t go through”, said the Dutchman. "I am ready to prove myself and learn from the boys, learn from the manager. I am ready to get started and I can’t wait. "I had experience in the Premier League and unfortunately it didn’t go like I wanted but I will take the experience from that and bring it here and show what I can do here. "I think the style the team is going to play will suit me and I think I can be at my best here." This was a tie that Rangers had hoped to avoid, but the capitulation against Malmö last week ended the prospect of reaching the Champions’ League group stages and the riches that come with it. The two defeats to Malmo are the first that Steven Gerrard has experienced as Rangers manager in Europe in qualifying stages. He is well versed in these Europa qualification ties, which added to the sense of inevitability to tonight’s game. However Rangers looked slow and ponderous in a poor first-half where the only real chance fell to Ryan Kent when he somehow managed to strike the bar when scoring seemed easier. The Englishman has struggled so far this season to find the form which has him highly tipped for a big money move at some point in the future. This was the latest in a line of performances littered with loose distribution, wild attempts at goal and attempted runs which resulted in possession being lost. Gerrard has been remarkably loyal to Kent during other periods of poor form. The fact that Kent did not reappear for the second-half suggested the manager’s patience with one of his mainstays had worn too thin on an important evening for the club. Kent’s replacement was Scott Wright, a player who must be wondering what he has to do to earn a start. The former Aberdeen man’s running and urgency gave life to a support that had started to doubt. All of a sudden there was an improved vigour about Rangers’ play. At the heart of that was Alfredo Morelos. He had a hooked shot cleared off the line, then headed wide when he should have scored after a great cross in from Ianis Hagi. But the Columbian got the goal he deserved on 68 minutes when he latched on to a long ball from James Tavernier and drove his shot low and hard through the legs of Cancarevic to give Rangers a deserved lead. Rangers should have made it 2-0 when Connor Goldson headed wide from close range, meaning Rangers would have to settle for the one goal lead going into the second-leg. The result is a positive one given the circumstances, but there is yet again feeling that Rangers had somehow managed to take less from a game they were in a position to take a lot more from. Much of the talk will centre on Lundstram and his reckless sending off. His first booking, for a trip on David Khurtsidze, could be deemed as taking one for the team. But his second booking, for a pull on Jose Embalo after he had needlessly conceded possession, was an incredulous act of naivety for a player who came to Scotland boasting English Premier League experience. The Liverpudlian has had a poor start to his Rangers career, he needs to realise the required levels soon if he doesn’t want to join a long list of players who found the Rangers jersey too heavy for them. For Steven Gerrard the result leaves him with problems he would have rather avoided. A more convincing scoreline would have allowed him to avoid taking some key players on a ten hour all-round flight to Armenia three days before the first Old Firm game of the season, and that frustration showed in his post-match comments. “In terms of our performance collectively it was so far away from how I wanted it to look in the first-half. It is difficult for me to comment on that”, said the Rangers manager. “At half-time the players listened to the information we gave them and we went out and carried it out. I am sure the fans appreciated their efforts in the second-half. “But in the first-half? Honestly, it was so far away from how I want it to look and how far away I need it to look.” Rangers now head to Dingwall on Sunday for the league game against Ross County, before travelling to Armenia for the second-leg on Thursday and “welcoming” Celtic for the first Old Firm game of the season next Sunday. It’s a busy schedule, and one which will require more than Rangers offered in the first-half tonight. RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Bassey, Lundstram, Davis, Aribo, Hagi, Kent, Morelos. SUBS: McLaughlin, McCrorie, Itten, Simpson, Patterson, Wright, Balogun, Kelly, Arfield, Barisic ALASHKERT: Cancarevic, Voskanyan, Kadio, Tiago Cameta, Boljevic, Grigoryan, Hovsepyan, Papikyan, Khurtsidze, James, Jose Embalo. SUBS Yedigaryan, Gome, Aghekyan, Bezecourt, Glisic, Tankov REFEREE: Anastasios Sidriopoulos

Cheers chief!

@Rousseau Hi mate - can you post on the main site? Cheers Colin

Defeat at Tannadice ends Rangers’ unbeaten run. If the old adage that seven days is a long time in football needed further evidence of its validity, then Rangers’ defeat at Tannadice provided a timely reminder that just when you think you’re on solid ground is usually the moment the floor disappears from underneath your feet. It was only last weekend after Rangers had secured a routine victory over Livingstone, whist Celtic dropped points in dramatic fashion at Tynecastle against Hearts, that the talk was that Celtic were a club in crisis and that Rangers’ road to two successive titles was going to be fairly routine affair. Now Gerrard and Rangers are facing questions about their title credentials after a European defeat to Malmo and defeat here to an average Dundee Utd side. Make no mistake, this was a bad and potentially costly defeat for Rangers. Gerrard arrived in the City of Discovery with added numbers in the squad from the one which was at his disposal in Sweden on Tuesday night. Back came Glen Kamara and Kemar Roofe – who were both suspended against Malmo – and striker Alfredo Morelos, who re-joined the squad after a period of isolation on returning from his summer break. However Gerrard was dealt a major blow when Kemar Roofe had to leave the squad at short notice after one of his children was admitted to hospital. With Zambian striker Fashion Sakala omitted from the squad entirely, it forced a far earlier introduction to the starting eleven for Alfredo Morelos than was initially intended. With the return to the team of such players as Glen Kamara, Joe Aribo and Morelos, you would have been forgiven for expecting a higher standard of performance to that which Rangers produced on Tuesday night, but in truth this was a continuation of Tuesday's below par performance. Dundee Utd were without Lawrence Shankland, whom it would appear is the subject of a potential move to Belgium, although the official reason given for his absence was a hip injury picked up in training on Friday. United would not miss the striker. This was a bad day for the new players at the club. Sakala, as mentioned earlier, was omitted from the squad completely and John Lundstram had another poor day at the office. The former Sheffield Utd man has looked slow and off the pace for large chunks of his game time so far, and he was culpable for United’s winner, not following the run of Jamie Robson as he ran onto a deflected pass which put him through to shoot low and hard past Jon McLaughlin in the 64th minute. Lundstram was replaced by Scott Wright five minutes later. With the omission of Sakala, who has struggled to get into the games has featured in, the poor performances Lundstram and the unavailability of Nnamdi Ofoborh through a heart issue, Gerrard is still waiting on a meaningful contribution from any of his summer signings. Good recruitment has been the cornerstone of Gerrard’s success at Rangers, he will be hoping the early struggles of his newest recruits will soon pass. Gerrard also remains without Ryan Jack whom has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation. “He'll probably be another couple of weeks, all being well”, said Gerrard at his press conference on Friday morning. Reassurance that Jack is close to returning a reoccurring narrative in recent months, the player and his manager must be praying that the surgery in the summer will finally put an end to such updates. As was the case against Malmo, there was a disjointed and off the pace look to Rangers performance at Tannadice and given the importance of the return leg against the Swede’s at Ibrox on Tuesday night, Gerrard will need to find a way to put the intensity back into Rangers’ game. Even after going a goal down Rangers struggled to find the desired reaction to get themselves back into the game, although Tavernier did pull a good save from Siegrist in the Utd goal with a shot from distance, and Connor Goldson came tantalisingly close to an equaliser when he headed a corner just past the post. But with almost 70% possession and 14 shots on goal (only two of which were on target), it is obvious that Rangers are lacking a cutting edge at the moment. Morelos looked off the pace, although perhaps understandably so, Ryan Kent had one of those days that make you question the hype around him and both Barisic and Tavernier failed to put decent enough deliveries from the flanks to trouble the likes of Charlie Mulgrew and Ryan Edwards. Outside of Joe Aribo and the evergreen Steven Davis, it is hard to think of anyone who reached the required performance level for Rangers. Jermain Defoe was introduced with eight minutes to go in a last ditch attempt to get the equaliser, but it was to no avail and Rangers had to accept their first defeat on league business since 4 March 2020 when Hamilton took all three points at Ibrox. "From our point of view, it was not good enough”, said the Rangers manager after the game. “I think over the course of the 90 minutes we didn't deserve to lose the game but you always put yourself in that position if you don't score goals. "We didn't create enough today and whilst the game is at 0-0 there's always a risk if you get one or two things wrong. The result and the performance is on me and my team. We'll have to accept that and move on pretty quickly.” DUNDEE UTD: Siegrist, Edwards, Mulgrew, Fuchs, Smith, Harkes, Butcher, Clark, Robson, Pawlett, Chalmers. SUBS: Sporle, Carson, Reynolds, Neilson, Freeman, Mochrie, Watson RANGERS: McLaughlin, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Barisic, Kamara, Davis, Lundstram, Aribo, Morelos, Kent. SUBS: Wright, Itten, McGregor, Patterson, Simpson, Arfield. REFEREE: Don Robertson

Routine victory provides early signs that Rangers have the Wright stuff If there is any truth in the old adage that a side who churns out victories whilst not at their best is a sign of a championship winning side, then Rangers provided strong evidence on Saturday that they will be the team to beat this season. On a day when supporters were allowed back into Ibrox for a competitive game for the first time since 12 March 2020, and the visit of Bayer Leverkusen, the hosts provided plenty of evidence that they will take some stopping, despite looking a bit sluggish for long periods of the game. The moment of the match came with twelve minutes to go when Scott Wright curled a sublime effort with the outside of his right foot past Max Stryjek in the Livingstone goal, to all but secure the points. The former Aberdeen player has impressed since his move to Ibrox in January, and much is expected of him this season from manager Steven Gerrard. "Scott probably deserved to start the game but we have got four games in 10 days so I am going to need him to be ready”, said Gerrard after the game. "He came on for Ianis Hagi, but we are hoping he is going to pull through and be okay, but Scott has taken his chance - I thought he came on, was direct, was quick, played a lot of penetrating passes and scored a wonderful goal and that is the part of the game we are on his case over as we want him to keep getting numbers in his game and be a killer in the box and he was today.” Hagi had come off after a crunching and rather naughty tackle from Adam Lewis, but the Romanian didn’t leave proceedings without making a huge contribution in scoring the opening goal after only eight minutes. The Romanian controlled a Tavernier free-kick superbly at the back post, as he shaped to shoot he took out what felt like the entire Livi defence before shooting high into the net from close range to give Rangers the early lead they and the 23,000 supporters had craved. The return of supporters at Ibrox could not be understated, and the frustration of the last few months during lock down was audible in the roar which greeted Hagi’s opener. Everyone involved with the club is praying that this is just start start of a more normal matchday experience. Prior to kick-off both sets of players took the knee in the continued fight against racism. On Friday afternoon, James Tavernier had written an open letter to supporters telling them that the players would "take the knee to stand against racism, nothing more, and nothing less.” That message appears to have gotten through with the overwhelming majority of the crowd applauding in support when both sets of players took the knee. There was also a minutes silence prior to kick off for former Rangers captain Ally Dawson, who died last week at the age of 63. Dawson made 315 appearances for the club, and captained the side for two of his six major honours. Dawson was the very epitome of a real Rangers man, joining the playing staff straight from school in 1975 at the tender age of 16 and staying with the club for twelve seasons. He was introduced to the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2011. The side selected by Gerrard suggested he had one eye on the Champions League qualifier on Tuesday, but it also gave a hint to the strength and depth of the squad he has amassed since arriving three years ago. There were no places for Alan McGregor, Filip Helander, Borna Barisic or Scott Arfield – with only McGregor of that group making the bench. When you consider that Ryan Jack and Alfredo Morelos are still to come back into proceedings, you can see just how strong Rangers are at the moment. Fashion Sakala was drafted in for his first competitive start, with John Lundstram having to console himself with a place on the bench as Rangers went with a midfield three of Davis, Kamara and Aribo. Davis, yet again, showed that he is ageing like a fine wine, with yet another man of the match performance. The Northern Irishman may be 36, but he shows no signs of dropping his performance levels just yet. Calvin Bassey was also impressive on the day, covering for Barisic superbly in a back four of him, Tavernier, Goldson and Balogun. For Sakala, however, this would prove to be a frustrating afternoon, with the Zambian unable to repeat his heroics of the previous week against Real Madrid. For large chunks of the game he struggled to get going, and was replaced by Kemar Roofe on 71 minutes. It was Roofe’s introduction which re-energised Rangers, and within six minutes of his arrival they'd secured the three points with that superb Scott Wright goal. Wright instigated the move with a cross into the box. Kent collected on the penalty spot and shot, but his effort was deflected up in the air and nodded on by Tavernier to Wright, who executed it superbly. Roofe added insult to injury in the dying minutes when he reacted quicker than anyone else in the six yard box and scored the third, which put a slightly flattering look on proceedings. But even if Rangers weren’t at their best here, they never really looked like conceding on the day, with Jon McLaughlin having what most of us would describe as an easy day at the office. For Gerrard and Rangers the focus now shifts to Tuesday night and Malmo. For Gerrard, the prospect of managing in the biggest European competition will be a huge incentive. For Rangers, it will surely mark the full recovery of the club after a decade of turmoil. RANGERS: McLaughlin, Tavernier (c), Bassey, Goldson, Balogun, Davis, Kamara, Aribo, Kent, Hagi, Fashion Jr. SUBS: McGregor, Lundstram, Itten, Simpson, Patterson, Wright, Roofe. LIVINGSTON: Stryjek, Lewis, Fitzwater, Obileye, McMillan, Holt, Sibbald, Pittman (c), Penrice, Forrest & Anderson. SUBS: Barden, Devlin, Kelly, Montaño, Kabia, Reilly & Hamilton. Referee: John Beaton Attendance: 23,000

Wrote this on the Rangers v Arsenal game in 1973 to commemorate Rangers' centenary. https://thelowerthirddotnet.wordpress.com/2021/07/13/friends-reunited-when-rangers-welcomed-arsenal-for-a-centenary-celebration/

Three and easy puts Rangers on the brink of history Goals from Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Ianis Hagi ensured a 3-0 win against St Mirren which has all but secured the SPFL title for Steven Gerrard and Rangers – the club’s first top flight title since 2011. If Celtic fail to win at Tannadice on Sunday then Rangers will be officially confirmed as the new champions of Scotland. The reality, however, is that Rangers are on a points total which Celtic can only match if they win all their remaining games and Rangers lose all theirs – and even if such an unlikely scenario plays out, Celtic still have to turnaround a goal difference deficit of 26. Let nobody tell you otherwise – Rangers are the champions of Scotland. The importance of that achievement was reflected by the huge numbers who gathered outside Ibrox this morning, defying the current lockdown rules in doing so. Fans started gathering from the early hours and by the time manager Steven Gerrard and his players arrived at the stadium they were left in no doubt of what this title means to supporters, with flags, scarves and flares filling the skyline on Edmiston Drive. It was a show of emotion almost ten years in the making – but you suspect it will lead to negative headlines for the supporters and the club, with the Scottish Government quick to issue a statement condemning the gathering. Such issues are not within Steven Gerrard’s remit and he focused on making sure his players were ready for the challenge of St Mirren, making one change to the team which won at Livingstone on Wednesday night with Ianis Hagi coming in at the expense of Scott Arfield. Gerrard would take in the game from the Directors Box having accepted a one match ban for his sending off on Wednesday night at Livingston. St Mirren remain the only side to beat Rangers this season and arrived at Ibrox having lost only two of their last ten away games. But Rangers took control early on in proceedings with Joe Aribo having a powerful strike at goal from outside the box which Alnwick gathered comfortably. Rangers took the lead after 13 minutes after some impressive stuff from Gerrard’s side led to Ryan Kent collecting the ball outside the box. The winger shaped to his right foot, then switched to his left before firing the ball into the bottom corner of Alnwick’s goal with the former Rangers man rooted to the spot. Rangers doubled their lead just two minutes later when Ianis Hagi played a nice ball to Kamara, who sent Morelos through with a brilliantly weighted pass which allowed the Columbian to swivel and hit his shot beyond Alnwick to secure his fourth goal in as many games. Rangers looked like they were seriously in the mood at this point but were reminded of the threat of St Mirren on 33 minutes when Dylan Connolly burst through on goal but dragged his shot wide. Connor Goldson then came close to making it three seven minutes before the break. The big defender has been a constant threat at set-pieces this season and he got on the end of a Borna Barisic free-kick, only to loop his header just past the post. Rangers finished the game as a competition within seconds after the restart through a well worked goal which Ianis Hagi finished off. Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo had a great one-two down the left flank which put Kent clear. His low cross was received by Hagi who had time to take a touch and before sending Alnwick the wrong way. Ryan Kent then had a shot from distance which bounced awkwardly in front of Jak Alnwick, forcing him to unconventionally kick the ball over the bar for a corner. Steven Gerrard then made the first of a few changes, introducing Leon Balogun and Scott Arfield for Helander and Davis. Allan McGregor has been a vital component for the success of Rangers this season, and he provided another reminder of his importance when he saved brilliantly from Jonathan Obika who had attempted to deftly guide a shot into the corner of the net. Gerrard introduced Jermain Defoe, Scott Wright and Greg Stewart in the closing stages and Stewart and Defoe came close to securing the fourth on a couple of occasions, with Stewart setting up Defoe for a shot at goal which Alnwick blocked, then nearly repeating the move only for Shaughnessy to cut out Stewart’s cross as Defoe looked set for a tap-in. Scott Arfield had the game’s final chance when he fired a shot which Alnwick tipped over the bar. The final whistle brought scenes of joy and a sense that, although not totally official yet, Rangers are over the line and are champions in all but name. The feeling that this was a defining moment was cemented when the players made their way to the blue gates between the Copland Road and Bill Struth stands to acknowledge the fans gathered outside on Edmiston Drive. An emotional Steven Gerrard said afterwards: "It was a really good performance, really mature, really controlled. "Coming into the stadium there were a lot of fans about and that can take you to an emotional place, and you can take your eye off the ball, but credit to the players, they stuck to the plan. "We were deserved winners, had more chances to score more, but were in control from start to finish, score three wonderful goals, and thoroughly deserved our victory. "In terms of the league at home we've been perfect. Not every performance has been perfect, but it has in terms of results. The players deserve a lot of credit for keeping their focus and trying to stay humble. "There is still a lot to play for, the league is all but done but we will try to finish the season as strong as we can until the end, there will be no letting up. It's my job to make sure the players are ready for every game." RANGERS: McGregor; Patterson, Goldson, Helander, Barisic; Kamara, Davis, Aribo; Hagi, Morelos, Kent SUBS: McLaughlin, Bassey, Simpson, Defoe, Itten, Wright, Stewart, Balogun, Arfield ST MIRREN: Alnwick, Tait, Shaughnessy, McCarthy, Fraser, Erhahon, Doyle-Hayes, Durmus, McGrath, Connolly, Quaner. SUBS: Lyness, Flynn, Reid, MacPherson, Henderson, McAllister, Jamieson, Erwin, Obika. REFEREE: Steven McLean

Rangers work the nine to five to secure place in the last 16 Rangers secured their passage into the last 16 of the Europa League after yet another incredible tie against Royal Antwerp of Belgium produced another goal-laden game. The match in Belgium last week finished 4-3 to Rangers, and many did not see another high scoring game, but the two clubs traded high scoring blows yet again in a match that saw Rangers win 5-2 on the night – and win 9-5 on aggregate. The match had everything from goals, a contribution from Alfredo Morelos that secured his involvement in eight of the nine goals over the two legs and an incredible return to first team action from Nathan Patterson merely days after many questioned if he’d ever play for the club again. Steven Gerrard made one change to his starting eleven from the side which started against Dundee United on Sunday, with Glen Kamara coming in for the injured Ryan Jack. Rangers got off to best possible start in 9 minutes when Alfredo Morelos profited from some good pressing from Ianis Hagi and Ryan Kent, which allowed the latter to set up the Columbian to pass the ball into the empty net. Rangers then dominated proceedings and looked like they were in a comfortable position until Lior Refaelov equalised after some good work from Lukaku had left Leon Balogun exposed on in the right-back position. The big Nigerian was filling in for James Tavernier who was injured in the first-leg in Belgium last week. Rangers were without Nathan Patterson last week due to his Covid related mischiefs had rendered him unavailable through the need to self-isolate. Many had assumed the youngster had signed sealed his Ibrox exit with his behaviour. However he was named on the bench tonight and with the unnatural right-back Balogun being targeted by the Belgians, Gerrard decided to act and introduced the youngster for the second-half. It was a bold move, and one which paid off within 16 seconds of the restart. Rangers kicked-off and worked the ball to Morelos, who played in the right-back to run in and finish nicely to score his first goal for the club. It was an incredible moment and a reminder that seven days is a long time in football. Rangers looked safe at this point and the feeling was that the tie was all but done and dusted when Kent scored the third in the 55th minute. The move started with a great take and turn from Ianis Hagi who fed the ball to Morelos. The Columbian beat his marker easily and cut it back into the path of Kent who finished neatly from six yards. It seemed that Rangers had all but secured the tie, but Antwerp hit back immediately thanks to Lamkel Ze. A great ball from Refaelov allowed Lamkel Ze to get between the onrushing McGregor and Connor Goldson to turn in from a tight angle. The Cameroonian is famous for having tried to force a move from Antwerp by turning up at training wearing a Anderlecht shirt. The stunt didn’t work, and his goal tonight was a reminder that he was sorely missed by the Belgians in the first-leg. That goal had blown the tie wide open again, and all of a sudden Rangers had gone from a position of comfort to one of feeling relatively safe – but looking over their shoulder. However Rangers responded positively and got their fourth on 78 minutes from a penalty after Alfredo Morelos was yet again involved in when he was fouled by Maxime Le Marchand. Referee Paweł Raczkowski had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and Borna Barisic converted to score his third penalty of the tie. That pretty much sealed the proceedings at 8-5 on aggregate, but Rangers were not finished yet. Scott Wright, who had come on for the impressive Ryan Kent with ten minutes remaining, ran down the right flank in the closing stages of injury time and cut into the box, only to be fouled by Nana Ampomah. Barisic waved the responsibility on this occasion to allow Cedric Itten, who had replaced Morelos with five minutes remaining, to step up and hammer home the fifth on the night. The win ensures Rangers passage to last 16 of the Europa League, whilst remaining undefeated since their campaign started on 17 September in Gibraltar against Lincoln Red Imps – a total of 11 games. Steven Gerrard was delighted with his team’s performance stating: "I'm very satisfied, the performance was outstanding in a lot of areas. Some of our play was outstanding, the first three were top high-level goals. But, as a perfectionist, we still have to look at the areas we went wrong in tonight. "It was probably Alfredo's best performance of the season. He likes this competition. I wouldn't have liked to have marked him, that's for sure. Physicality is a big strength of his. It was a performance off all-round quality." RANGERS: McGregor; Balogun, Goldson, Helander, Barisic; Davis, Aribo, Kamara; Kent, Hagi, Morelos SUBS: McLaughlin, Wright, Bassey, Itten, Zungu, Patterson, Stewart, Simpson, Arfield, King. ROYAL ANTWERP: De Wolf, Buta, Gelin, Le Marchand, Lukaku, Hongla, Verstraete, De Laet, Gerkens, Refaelov, Lamkel Ze SUBS: Boya, Avenatti, Ampomah, Miyoshi REFEREE: Paweł Raczkowski

I managed in just under 9000! It's on the forums now.

Last 16 beckons after late winner secures Europa League win in seven goal thriller A 90th minute penalty secured Rangers a vital away win in Belgium tonight in a seven goal thriller against Royal Antwerp at the Bosuilstadion. Borna Barisic’s late spot kick ensured a deserved victory in a crazy night of football which saw seven goals, three penalties, a sending off and two Rangers players leaving the field through injury. The win makes Rangers favourites to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League for the second successive season, whilst currently sitting four wins away from their first league title since 2011. It was a crazy night in Belgium, and for long periods it looked like Rangers were going to squander their overall superiority through a mix of shoddy defending and even shoddier refereeing. But Barisic’s late spot-kick ensured there was a happy ending to an unbelievable night. Fil Helander, Scott Arfield, Glen Kamara, Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos all started as Steven Gerrard made five changes to the side which beat Kilmarnock on Saturday, with Leon Balogun, Ryan Jack, Ianis Hagi, Cedric Itten and Ryan Kent all having to settle for a place on the bench. Rangers started brightly and could have had a penalty when the ball appeared to come off Maxime Le Marchand’s arm. The referee and VAR agreeing that there was no case to answer. Tavernier and Arfield both had efforts from distance which went over the bar, then Antwerp had a chance when De Laet shot just wide of Allan McGregor’s right-hand post. Then came the first major moment of the night when James Tavernier sustained an injury which ended his involvement in the game. The Englishman went in for a 50-50 tackle with Martin Hongla and appeared to damage his knee. The Rangers captain tried to play on but had to be replaced by Leon Balogun. The injury looks like it has the potential to be a serious one. The timing of it almost cruel given the recent shenanigans of Nathan Patterson meaning there is not an obvious replacement. Before the half was up Rangers would also lose Kemar Roofe to yet another calf injury. Before he went off, however, Roofe had a huge part to play in Rangers’ opening goal. Connor Goldson played a long ball to Roofe, who chested it down and made his way to goal. Alireza Beiranvand in the Antwerp goal should have collected, but spilled it then chased it so far out his box that Joe Aribo was able to pass the ball into an empty net from 20 yards. Rangers then dominated for a period an appeared to be going in with a half-time lead until a crazy seven minute spell saw them behind. First Felipe Avenatti looped a header over Allan McGregor after a good free-kick from Ritchie De Laet. Then referee Georgi Kabakov made the first of a few questionable decisions which allowed Antwerp to go in at half-time with the lead. Firstly he bizarrely played three minutes over the announced four minutes of injury-time. Then he awarded the softest of penalties when Lior Refaelov threw himself to the ground after a challenge from Steven Davis. Incredibly VAR officials agreed with the decision and Refaelov heaped on the misery by scoring from the spot. Rangers started the second-half strongly and should have equalised when Joe Aribo was put through by the impressive Glen Kamara, only to see his effort cleared off the line. Beiranvand in the Antwerp goal overstretched himself in attempting to save Aribo’s shot and would leave the field a few minutes later to be replaced by Ortwin De Wolf. Then VAR came to Rangers aid in the 58th minute when Morelos shirt was tugged by De Laet after a great cross from Barisic. The referee initially allowed play to go on but was instructed by VAR officials to review the incident. The result of the review was an amended decision and penalty, which Borna Barisic hammered home to equalise. Again Rangers started to dominated but incredibly they found themselves behind again after Martin Hongla finished well from outside the box on 67 minutes. Hagi came on for Scott Arfield in 74 minutes and should have scored a few minutes later when Barisic sent in a great cross which the Romanian put just wide. But Rangers wouldn’t be denied for long, and Ryan Kent equalised on 83 minutes after a nice give-and-go with Morelos allowed the substitute to fire home an excellent goal to pull Rangers level again. It felt like there was more drama and goals to come in the game - and that was the case. Kent came close to scoring again when he was through on goal, only to be denied by outstretched leg of De Wolf. Then almost immediately some slack play from Joe Aribo put Martin Hongla in on goal, only for McGregor to block in a similar fashion to De Wolf with an outstretched leg. Then Antwerp came close again after McGregor saved brilliantly again from a Abdoulaye Seck header, with Ryan Jack then clearing De Laet's shot off the line from close range. Then came the winner. Rangers broke up the park and Ryan Kent’s effort on goal struck the hand of Seck. The defender had been booked earlier in the game and saw red. Barisic stepped up again to fire home the all-important winner. But the drama wasn’t finished there, and Antwerp came close to equalising when Koji Miyoshi struck the post – the final act in an unbelievable night of football. Steven Gerrard said after the game: "I'm obviously very pleased with the outcome of the game in terms of the result. I think the boys showed amazing character to fight for the right result. "It was a crazy match. I'm sure the neutrals enjoyed it but as a coach I'll be looking into it because we had too many issues defensively. "The goals we've conceded are poor from our point of view. There is certainly work and a lot of improving to do. "At this level, you get punished a lot more. "We've put ourselves in a promising position and it's very difficult to win away from home. "So there's a lot of me that's pleased and proud but there's still things going around in my head about needing to improve defensively." ANTWERP: Beiranvand, Seck, Le Marchand, De Laet, Buta, Boya, Hongla, Lukaku, Refaelov, Gerkens, Avenatti. SUBS: De Wolf, Verstraete, Miyoshi, Nsimba, Opoku Ampomah, Gelin, Chevaughn, Pavlic, Van Den Bosch. RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Barisic, Davis, Kamara, Arfield, Aribo, Roofe, Morelos. SUBS: McLaughlin, Simpson, Hagi, Jack, Itten, Kent, Wright, Stewart, Balogun. REFEREE: Georgi Kabakov (BUL)

Jack stunner takes Rangers a step closer to the finishing line A brilliant strike from Ryan Jack secured a 1-0 win against Kilmarnock as Rangers took another step towards securing the title. The win means Rangers now need just four victories to cross the line in the race for this season’s title – the defeat was Kilmarnock’s seventh straight loss in what was Tommy Wright’s first game in charge of Killie after being appointed earlier in the week. Steven Gerrard named three changes to his side with Filip Helander, Bongani Zungu and Glen Kamara making way for Leon Balogun, Ryan Jack and Steven Davis. Rangers were denied victory in injury-time last week at Hamilton in what was arguably the worst performance of the season so far. The margin of the win here was narrow, but the scoreline didn’t reflect accurately on the nature of the performance in a game which Rangers, despite not being at their fluent best, should have won in a more convincing manner. Rangers started brightly and it looked like they had secured an early lead after James Tavernier finished neatly after being put through by Cedric Itten, only for the far-side linesman to put his flag up for offside. Itten was then fouled after he turned Dikamona cleverly on the edge of the box. Ianis Hagi stepped up to take the resultant free-kick but fired just wide. Rangers took the lead on 37 minutes after Steven Davis was fouled around 40 yards from goal. Tavernier’s delivery into the box from the free-kick created a scramble as Killie failed to clear the lines properly. The ball landed at Ryan Kent on the edge of the box who took a touch to control before firing an unstoppable volley into Colin Doyle’s top left-hand corner. Ryan Kent then had a chance to double Rangers’ lead after a mistake from Zech Medley. The Arsenal loanee was under no pressure when he played the ball straight to Kent, who then ran at the Killie defence and fired a fierce shot which Doyle had to touch over the bar. Rangers then had a strong penalty claim denied when Aribo played in Itten whose cut-back appeared to give Tavernier a chance to score only for McKenzie to bundle him to ground with an awkward channel. Referee Don Robertson waved away the appeals and the teams went in at half-time with just a goal between them. Rangers should have doubled their lead straight from kick-off when Ryan Kent shot weakly at Doyle. The Englishman had done well to create the chance, but opted to shoot when there were better options available inside. Kent then pulled a great save from Doyle after a nice ball from Aribo set him up with a shooting opportunity. Kent hit a great shot low and hard towards the bottom corner, but Doyle produced an impressive save to put the ball out for a corner. Aribo and Itten both had chances to extend Rangers lead as they probed the Killie defence in search of the second goal which would have killed the game and secured the three points. Steven Gerrard introduced new signing Scott Wright on 79 minutes, and the former Aberdeen man was involved as Rangers came close again, sending Tavernier free on the flank only for his attempt to pick out Kent in the box for a tap-in to be blocked. Rangers then had a guilt-edged chance to get that elusive second goal. Steve Davis sent Rangers on the counter with a pass to Itten. Itten then put through Ryan Kent. Kent took Aaron McGowan out of the equation with a lovely change of direction which allowed him to set up Aribo for what seemed an easy opportunity to score, only for Aribo to take a poor touch and poke his effort wide off Doyle. Kilmarnock then had a penalty claim denied when Balogun tangled with Danny Whitehall. Balogun undoubtedly fouled the Killie substitute, but replays confirmed that the contact happened outside the box. With a few minutes remaining Steven Gerrard introduced Scott Arfield, making a return to action since picking up an ankle knock on Boxing Day against Hibs. Steven Gerrard said after the game: "The players should be really excited now and embrace what's in front of them, go and be the best version of themselves. "If they do, they have a wonderful opportunity to turn this season into a success. We are going to try and attack every game that's in front of us. We want to commit to every game, we've got the numbers in the squad and the quality to do it. "My focus hasn't been too much on Antwerp up until now. I've watched a few games but I'm going to watch an awful lot more between now and Thursday.” RANGERS: McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic; Jack, Davis, Aribo, Kent, Itten, Hagi SUBS: McLaughlin, Bassey, Helander, Arfield, Wright, Defoe, Patterson, Kamara, Stewart. KILMARNOCK: Doyle, McGowan, Haunstrup, Dikamona, McKenzie, Dicker, Kiltie, Kabamba, Mulumbu, Medley, Tsibola SUBS: Rogers, Oakley, Ibsen Rossi, Pierrick, Pinnock, Millen, Burke, Dabo, Whitehall. REFEREE: Don Robertson

Late leveller denies lethargic Rangers 'smash and grab' win A late own goal from Allan McGregor denied Rangers all three points at Hamilton after the league leaders put in arguably their worst performance of the season. Rangers were literally seconds away from securing another three points when Ronan Hughes sent in a cross for Bruce Anderson, whose header was brilliantly saved by McGregor, only for the rebound to land at Ross Callachan whose shot was going across the face of goal until it deflected off McGregor and into the net. The draw was a blow to Rangers in their pursuit of their first league title since 2011 in what was a bad day at the office for Steven Gerrard’s men. The Rangers manager named three changes to the side which defeated St Johnstone midweek, with Bongani Zungu, Glen Kamara and Cedric Itten coming in for Ryan Jack, Steven Davis and Kemar Roofe. Rangers battered the Lanarkshire side 8-0 at Ibrox in November and it was widely expected that Rangers would dictate the tempo and possession in this fixture, but early on it was Hamilton who looked the livelier with Anderson having a shot at McGregor’s goal which was blocked for a corner. Rangers first opportunity came on 14 minutes when a Hagi shot from long range went just wide. Then Joe Aribo came close with a great run and curling effort which went inches past Fulton’s right hand post in the Hamilton goal with the keeper beaten. A defensive mix-up then allowed Anderson with a chance which Allan McGregor had to be on his toes to save. Helander failed to control a pass from Connor Goldson, which allowed Anderson to steal possession and pull the save from Rangers keeper. As the first-half wore on it was apparent that Rangers were struggling control the game in their usual manner and half-time provided a chance to regroup and address the lethargy. Within seconds of the restart it looked as if that half-time chat had worked when Ryan Kent had a chance to get the opener but hit his shot into the side netting. But this renewed desire didn’t last long and it took a series of saves from Allan McGregor to keep Rangers in the game. First he had a tremendous double-save to deny a Scott McMann shot from the corner of the box, then quickly reacting to deny Callachan’s shot from the rebound. McGregor was then called into action again to deny Anderson. That provoked Gerrard to introduce Ryan Jack in place of Zungu, who had yet again struggled to impose himself on proceedings. Rangers have not conceded a goal this season when Ryan Jack has been on the park, but Bruce Anderson came close to ending that run with another attempt on goal which required McGregor to deal with. By this stage of proceedings, the Lanarkshire side had forced more saves from the veteran Rangers keeper in one game than any other side had managed this season. Rangers then introduced Kemar Roofe for Cedric Itten. Ryan Kent had another indifferent performance, but he should have put Rangers ahead on 73 minutes when a brilliant disguised pass from Ryan Jack put him in on goal, but the Englishman shot wide when it seemed easier to score. McGregor was called into action again when he had to deal with a fizzing Ross Callaghan free-kick, as Rangers were forced to introduce Steven Davis for Glen Kamara. But then Rangers took an undeserved lead on 81 minutes with an own goal from Brian Easton. Steven Davis played a great ball through to Borna Barisic, who fizzed in a low cross which deflected in off the Hamilton defender. It was a bitter blow for the home team who had done so much more in the game than their more illustrious opponents, and it seemed like Rangers would march on to yet another win. However, with seconds remaining, Hamilton got the equaliser they deserved thanks to Callachan deflecting his shot off McGregor – the goal coming so late into injury time that Bobby Madden couldn’t restart the game. Steven Gerrard said after the game: “We should be happy to take the point from this game because we didn't deserve anything. I'm actually relieved to go away from this game with a point. "We nearly won ugly, got a smash and grab, but we need to be better than that. We just weren't at the races today, there's so much for me to look through, and for me as well. Maybe I left too much quality and personality on the sidelines because we looked better when the subs came on." The Rangers manager also revealed after the game that the club will challenge the SFA charge against striker Kemar Roofe for his challenge on Murray Davidson during the win over St Johnstone at Ibrox. HAMILTON: Fulton, Martin, Hamilton, Easton, Hodson, Trafford, Callachan, Odoffin, McMann, Anderson, Ogkmpoe. SUBS: Hughes, Stanger, Mimnaugh, Winter, Moyo, Munro, Gourlay, Slaven, Smith RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Barisic, Aribo, Zungu, Kamara, Hagi, Kent, Itten. SUBS: McLaughlin, Bassey, Simpson, Jack, Davis, Patterson, Wright, Roofe, Balogun. REFEREE: Bobby Madden

Arrivals, departures and SFA charges - but Gerrard's focus remains on title They say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and that is certainly how it felt in August 2012 when Rangers began their journey back up the leagues with an uninspiring draw against Peterhead at Balmoor – a result only achieved thanks to a last minute equaliser from Andy Little. At that point the prospect of any future top tier title win seemed so far off that even with the benefit of the Hubble Telescope you would have struggled to see it. The road back provided plenty more reminders of how far away Rangers were from a league win, with humiliating defeats to the likes of Stirling Albion, Annan Athletic, Peterhead, Raith Rovers and a 4-0 thumping off Hibs. Add to that the fairly routine thrashings from Celtic on returning to the top tier, and you can see why a title seemed at times almost an impossibility. But today sees Rangers in a very different place. In fact such is the job that Steven Gerrard has done since arriving, he was able to maintain a 23 point lead over Celtic when his side didn’t even have a game – as was the case at the weekend when Celtic’s defeat at home to St Mirren meant they failed to claw back much needed ground on the league leaders and champions elect. Rangers now need just six wins from their last twelve games to win their much coveted 55th title. The journey of a thousand miles, it seems, is almost at an end. You won’t find Steven Gerrard claiming that anything is won, however, and there has been no slacking up as Rangers approach what would be a monumental title win. Late on Monday night he was still at the Auchenhowie training centre overseeing the arrivals of Scott Wright from Aberdeen and Jack Simpson from Bournemouth. Wright could feature against St Johnstone on Wednesday night, Simpson is awaiting a negative Covid test before he can join the group and will have to wait before he is available for selection. “I think the window was really positive for us in terms of getting the two boys done and dusted”, said Gerrard of the clubs January wheeling’s and dealings. “I think they re-energise the squad. They’re both looking forward to getting started”. Rangers also confirmed they had agreed a pre-contract with Simpson’s teammate at Bournemouth, Nnamdi Ofoborh. The midfielder will join the club in the summer. But it wasn’t just about arrivals and Rangers sent Jordan Jones, George Edmundson and Brandon Barker out on loan to Sunderland, Derby County and Oxford United respectively. Gerrard seemed pleased that these players could now get “minutes” in their legs, which will presumably inform the decisions to be made on their long-term futures come the summer. The traditional comings and goings of deadline day is not the only thing that Steven Gerrard has had to deal with recently with the news that the SFA had charged Columbian striker Alfredo Morelos for stamping on Hibs defender Ryan Porteous in the 1-0 win at Easter Road last week. The club has accepted the charge and the striker will now miss the games against St Johnstone, Hamilton and Kilmarnock. Gerrard admitted that there was “no case to defend” in relation to the incident, but went further to say that neither he nor the club were entirely satisfied with the fallout from last week’s game. “Consistencies. That is my answer, consistencies”, he replied when pressed on the matter. “I think that is what every manager wants – a level of consistency and for every player or every incident to be judged in the same way so we find that level of consistency. “I think that will really help the league going forward.” It is hard to disagree with him on the consistency issue. In the game at Easter Road alone there were three similar incidents which were all treated differently, and Gerrard stated that it was something he and the board are pushing on behind the scenes with the game’s governing authorities. On the park Rangers head into the game against St Johnstone in the best possible place. Undefeated in the league and hinting at the form which so lit up their early season performances, Rangers come into this confident and hungry. A once minor injury crisis has also passed with Niko Katic and Scott Arfield now the only players unavailable for selection, thanks to the return to action of Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe. Gerrard confirmed that Katic won’t play at all this season due to the knee injury he sustained pre-season, Arfield is “almost there” and should be available for when Rangers’ Europa League campaign restarts later this month. Despite Rangers supreme form this season Callum Davidson will be confident about the prospect of going to Ibrox. His St Johnstone side has not suffered defeat since a 2-1 loss at Pittodrie on Boxing Day, and they came back superbly last weekend to overturn a 2-0 half-time scoreline against Kilmarnock to win the game 3-2 – a result which led to Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer leaving the club. With the Perth side also recently confirming their place in the BetFred Cup final with a superb 3-0 semi-final victory over Hibs at Hampden, there is much for Davidson and his players to confident about. With Morelos now suspended Rangers will look to either Kemar Roofe or Cedrick Itten to provide the goal threat. Roofe has been outstanding since arriving at the club in the summer, Itten has had less game time but has shown enough glimpses to suggest that he is more than capable of leading the line against the Saints. Steven Gerrard will rightly tell you that nothing has been won yet. He has been on the threshold of a famous title win before, only to see it snatched away in the cruellest of circumstances. He will not want to go through that again. But the win at Easter Road, coupled with Celtic’s defeat from St Mirren, felt like both Rangers and Celtic had reached the point of no return with their respective ambitions for the title. A win against St Johnstone will surely be another significant step to confirming the title that Gerrard and Rangers so desperately seek.

Morelos ensures Rangers avoid the traditional January wobble A second-half goal from Alfredo Morelos secured Rangers three vital points at Easter Road tonight and ensured that Steven Gerrard’s side saw out January without any of the traditional new year turbulence. Since Steven Gerrard's arrival in 2018, January has proven to be a sticking point which has proven to be ultimately critical in his attempts to mount a title challenge. But this season Rangers have defied all the odds, and January has come and gone without any significant troubles. Celtic, Aberdeen, Motherwell and Hibs have all been comfortably dispatched, with only Motherwell managing to deny Rangers full points with a draw at Fir Park. Rangers arrived in Leith in the knowledge that a good result would be a huge step towards the title. With no defeats at the ground since 2006 and the days of Paul le Guen, Steven Gerrard had grounds for confidence - even though he himself has only managed one win in four visits to the stadium. Gerrard made one change from the side which hammered Ross County on Saturday, with Ryan Jack coming in to replace Ianis Hagi. Rangers took to the park from their changing area in the North Stand wearing all blue, and started the game well with Tavernier sending in a free-kick which Connor Goldson headed high and wide early on. On 12 minutes Joe Aribo had a great chance to put the visitors ahead when a poor touch from Hallberg sent him through on goal. Aribo got his shot away, but hit it straight at Marciano in the Hibs goal. Then came a moment of controversy when Alfredo Morelos appeared to stamp on Ryan Porteous. The Columbian was lucky to stay on the park, and it feels a certainty that the recently very subdued Compliance Officer will find her voice again over the coming days. Ryan Kent had an opportunity when he shimmied his way into a shooting position but dragged his shot well wide. Hibs then had their best period of the game. Firstly, Jackson Irvine fired over the bar when it seemed easier to score. However the opportunity should never have been allowed after Kevin Clancy ignored a foul on Allan McGregor. Then Christian Doidge headed wide after Borna Barisic had misjudged the flight of a cross. Ryan Kent set up Alfredo Morelos after a good run, but the Columbian’s effort was blocked by his own captain as both teams had to settle for a draw at half-time. But it didn’t take long for the Rangers to grab the vital – and winning – goal after the restart. In the 51st minute Ryan Jack played a great ball to Steven Davis, who flicked it on to Joe Aribo, who then flicked it on to Alfredo Morelos who hit a left-foot shot low and hard past Marciano to give Rangers a vital lead. Morelos should have made it two minutes later after a great move involving Kent, Kamara and Aribo. Morelos seemed certain to score but put the ball over from a short range. The ball took a small bobble, but it still represented a poor miss from the Rangers striker. Then there was another flashpoint when former Rangers players Darren McGregor appeared to stamp on Glen Kamara. The booking which came his way was for the push beforehand. However will be interesting to see how the Compliance Officer views this incident compared to earlier incident involving Morelos and Porteous. Morelos then had the chance to secure the win when Ryan Kent put him through on goal. However Morelos dithered with the chance and allowed a challenge to come in when he should have got his shot away. It was the Columbian’s last meaningful contribution to the game and he was replaced by Kemar Roofe a few minutes later. Glen Kamara had an outstanding game and he went on a great run which set up Ryan Kent, via Roofe, to have a crack on goal. But his shot was too direct and comfortably handled by Marciano. In the closing stages Gerrard introduced Bongani Zungu for the tiring Ryan Jack. Rangers managed the game well at this stage of proceedings and could have extended their lead in injury time thanks to a great run from Steven Davis which set up Itten, who had come on for Joe Aribo. However the Swiss striker hit his effort low and into the side netting. The win maintains Rangers 23 point gap with 12 games to go, and the clean sheet was Rangers’ 20th of an incredible campaign so far. Steven Gerrard was delighted with the saying after the match: “It was a big performance, to a man every single person stood up tonight." “We had to compete and we had to work very hard for the result but it was thoroughly deserved. We controlled most of the first-half and I thought in the second-half we went up a level again." “We limited Hibs to very few chances and we defended a lot better than the previous times we have come here.” RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Barisic, Davis, Kamara, Jack, Aribo, Kent, Morelos. SUBS: McLaughlin, Bassey, Hagi, Itten, Zungu, Patterson, Barker, Roofe, Balogun. HIBS: Marciano, P. McGinn, McGregor, Porteous, Doig, Cadden, Gogic, Hallberg, Irvine, Doidge, Nisbet. SUBS: Macey, Hanlon, Stevenson, Magennis, Mallan, Wright, Boyle, Allan, Gullan. REFEREE: Kevin Clancy

I'll hopefully get the opportunity to blow the dust off that project at some point in the future!

Four games left to play. Celtic had a disastrous March. Lost three out of their five games - and in succession too.