barca72 440 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Taken from an RM post ... Quote Presumably it is still lying in a spare room or garage somewhere, since they went to all the bother of making the thing, so it should be dusted down for re-use at Ibrox tonight. It's been a while since the first unfurling of the banner which said 'The Silence of the Sheep '" Since '91' but the message has not lost its relevance to the Rangers fans who will taunt Aberdeen again when the clubs clash this evening. 1991 '" the year Freddy Mercury died, Bill Clinton announced he'd stand for president and Eden Hazard was born '" remains the last time Aberdeen won at Ibrox. Again and again they've trudged down and back, sometimes fearfully, sometimes with tentative confidence, but always denied, frustrated and often demoralised. Nine managers since '91 and dozens and dozens of players: all silenced, as the banner says. The guys who scored back then, Eoin Jess and Brian Grant, are now 46 and 52. Aberdeen have done their job when it comes to Rangers this season. They are guaranteed to finish above them in the Premiership even if they lose tonight and again on the league's final day on Sunday. It doesn't matter if they fail at Ibrox again. But then again, it does. It matters because of the little asterisk which remains beside Aberdeen. The persistent accusation. Since Derek McInnes became manager in 2013 they have won a cup final in Glasgow, knocked Celtic out of the Scottish Cup at Celtic Park and won their last two semi-finals at Hampden. But still they have not shaken off or silenced the detractors who say they go weak at the knees in Glasgow. November 27-December 3 last year, when they capitulated to Celtic in the Betfred Cup final and then lost at Ibrox the following weekend, fed a preconception that Aberdeen go to pieces in Glasgow. Over the last 48 hours McInnes and Pedro Caixinha have exchanged barbs which should add hugely to the fun at Ibrox tonight as Aberdeen try to win a league game there after 39 consecutive failures. There was just as much significance in something Brendan Rodgers said about Aberdeen last Friday night. He acknowledged that Aberdeen had responded well after the catastrophic concession of three quick goals and that they had Celtic on the back foot, but he rightly stressed how different the circumstances would be when they meet again in the William Hill Scottish Cup final in ten days' time. It would be a different pitch (in other words a better one, more suited to Celtic's passing), a different crowd distribution (ie a 50-50 split, not a Pittodrie home game) and a cup final (ie a 'pressure' occasion). 'A final is a real pressure game,' he said. 'Our players have shown they can cope. It will be totally different for Aberdeen.' Expect Rodgers to return to that theme in the build-up to the final. Celtic are huge favourites to win the Cup final but, if Aberdeen also lose tonight, all the familiar accusations will be heaped on the Dons about being flaky and brittle and lacking 'bottle'. Caixinha clearly niggled McInnes by talking about players leaving and how much he admired Ryan Jack, and McInnes more than gave as good as he got by saying the Rangers manager ought to be embarrassed about finishing third and having a lot to say for himself. In one respect Caixinha was right to talk about Aberdeen being at the end of a cycle. Jack, Niall McGinn and Peter Pawlett '" three established figures in the McInnes era '" will all leave in the summer and Greg Tansey will have to be followed by other additions. Teams do go through cycles. Aberdeen were irrelevant for most of the years from 1991 to McInnes's arrival and suffered four, five, seven and even nine-goal routs in Glasgow. But no matter how awful they were their fixtures at Celtic Park or Ibrox remained edgier and 'bigger' than those against the likes of say, Dundee, Motherwell or Kilmarnock. Celtic and Rangers didn't have to be at their best to beat them but a large and noisy travelling support would get a reaction from the home stands and the better-than-usual atmosphere ensured the Old Firm sides were not caught sleepwalking. Mental strength, character, resilience, bravery, self-belief, imposing your authority: Aberdeen have been lacking too often over the years. McInnes has improved them hugely but they still have more to prove, especially after that effort in the Betfred Cup. Their season ends with three games in Glasgow. With all due respect to Partick Thistle and Sunday, only Ibrox tonight will shape how McInnes, his players, and 20,000 travelling supporters see the Cup final. The old Alex Ferguson mantra remains as brutally true as ever: 'You have to beat them in Glasgow.' https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/haunted-by-the-glasgow-curse-865srqppz 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilledbear 16 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Got the shakes with the young centre halves, good luck to them. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,747 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Looks like we simply have to outscore rather than out-defend them ... 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC 150 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 That about sums up the season on RTV. I tried for 10 minutes to log in to Rangers TV but the server is down or overloaded. Good ol Error 522. So, logged into a dodgy stream for free in under a minute to get Rangers TV. Sigh. I did TRY to give the club money 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC 150 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 (edited) I hope that Clint Hill is there somewhere and gets a big cheer. I love that song, "Blue. Blue Sea". Well sung, Bears. Edited May 17, 2017 by SteveC 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uilleam 5,948 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Granted the Freedom of Ibrox Park. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC 150 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Bollox. That was coming, alas. Far too easy. Silence of the lambs in grave danger unless things change pronto 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC 150 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 (edited) Hodson off injured. Beerman on. Must be about our youngest ever back four now? Been dreadful so far. (The team not the youngsters) But there's Kenny trying to change things Edited May 17, 2017 by SteveC 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,199 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 That about sums up the season on RTV. I tried for 10 minutes to log in to Rangers TV but the server is down or overloaded. Good ol Error 522. So, logged into a dodgy stream for free in under a minute to get Rangers TV. Sigh. I did TRY to give the club money I have RTV on my iPhone just fine 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC 150 Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 I have RTV on my iPhone just fine Well, I'm pleased for you. I was a bit later than normal in logging in. I'm getting just as good coverage this way (I'd rather that was not the case).....though it's a bloody hard watch. All their players seem hungry. Only Miller seems similar for us. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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