[FT] Rangers 6 (Miller 4; Alves 10; Morelos 23, 76; Tav 27; Candeias 57) - 0 Pars

[Gribz 850]

This game isnt on the preview list so dont mind if I hit a quickie?

 

Football is well and truly back and after the long wait for competitive action the games come thick and fast with 3 games within 6 days. The second coming on Wednesday evening UK time and our first domestic home match of the season in a league cup match against Dunfermline.

 

Sundays league victory at Fir Park helped soothed the sore summer and now we cement into the season with 3 home games coming up - its fair to say expectations are on the high and 3 victories are required.

 

We boast the best record in this cup by a mile. 27 wins and 11 ahead of Celtic. This is the tournament that I have a soft spot for from when I starting out to watch Rangers in the 80s from the 3 Skol Cup final clashes v Aberdeen in a row 1987-89 two of which were wins - up to the 1996 final where Gazza stole the show in a 4-3 win over Hearts with two brilliant solo's - its amazing what a nip at half time can do!

 

Dunfermline are starting to get it together on the pitch again, after having a season in the third tier - which we know about - we bypassed them during our journey up through the leagues but now they are also attempting to return to the top flight after being regulars in the 90s.

 

Im hoping Pedro makes numerous changes to the side that played at Motherwell on Sunday. Hibs come to Ibrox on the weekend which is a far bigger game and we need to offer the full squad plenty minutes at the moment. I dont think Pedro will make so much changes as I would but we will see.

 

As such I certainly wouldnt be unhappy with a line up of the following - which should still have more than enough to see off out Championship opponents.

 

Foderingham

 

Hodson Wilson Bates Beerman

 

Candieas Holt Pena Dalcio

 

Dodoo Morelas

 

However Pedro is from a different brand altogether and second guessing his sides at the moment isnt an easy task especially on matchday 2.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Gribz

[Frankie 8,562]

Perfect mate - many thanks...

[Gribz 850]

Perfect mate - many thanks...

 

Just a few lines to get the match talk going as its tomorrow. Obviously cant see mass changes like Ive listed but its the sort of team I would put out.

 

Im not sure on the fitness info RE Kranjcar and Rossiter, cant see them making it.

 

Pena perhaps will get game time but throwing him in the deep end in a start next to Holt could make him.

 

At least we are talking football again with plenty options - thats what its all about.

[Frankie 8,562]

I think the manager may well stick with the bulk of Sunday's team as the more games they get together the better in terms of sharpness and gelling.

 

I've no doubt guys like Dalcio, Pena and perhaps Rossiter or Holt will feature at some stage but I suspect Pedro may make only the two changes to his first XI.

 

[der Berliner 3,744]

I very much expect the spine of the team will remain the same, with perhaps Morelos, Pena, Dodoo and Hardie getting some game time. A start for Alnwick in goals, as for IMHO, these League Cup games should be utilized to keep our deputy goalie fit.

[Gribz 850]

I very much expect the spine of the team will remain the same, with perhaps Morelos, Pena, Dodoo and Hardie getting some game time. A start for Alnwick in goals, as for IMHO, these League Cup games should be utilized to keep our deputy goalie fit.

 

Beg to differ there - No.1 keeper should always start.

 

Id really like to see Dodoo play though. But no idea what even the chances are. its a strange one.

[pete 2,499]

The new season is underway. After Rangers 2-1 win at Motherwell we move on to a Wednesday evening game in the Betfred League cup against Dunfermline Athletic. Reading through the posts on internet forums at the weekend I read that this should be an easy game against a little club. Well that was really a shock to me because when it comes to cup games Dunfermline are anything but a little club. They have won the Scottish cup twice in the sixties under the management of the late Jock Stein and have also appeared in numerous cup finals. Even in Europe they have had their successes In fact in season 1962-63 they knocked the mighty stars of Everton out of the Fairs cup and in 1968-69 they even managed to get to the semi-final of the European cup winners cup with the last four being Dunfermline, Barcelona, Slovan Brataslava and FC Cologne. They lost out to eventual winners Slovan Brataslava but . Dunfermline have a history of being lethal cup fighters and have already saw Hearts disappear in their rear view mirror to earn this game against “The most successful club in the world.”

 

Rangers will be coming up against a few old ex-Ranger friends in Nicky Clark, Fraser Aird, Dean Sheils and even manager Allan Johnston has claim to a short period at Ibrox.It is in fact not so long ago that, Allan Johnston and Nicky Clark played a part in bundling Rangers out of the Ramsdens Cup when Rangers came up against Queen of the South in in 2012.That was the Rangers crisis year when we were demoted to division three but we were still odds on favourites to push our way past Queen of the South. It ended in a 2-2 draw with the Queens pulling the longest straw in a penalty shoot-out. Clark was a scoring machine for the Queens at that time scoring 41 goals in 46 games. That was the form that earned him a move to Rangers. Unfortunately in his Rangers time or thereafter he has never been able to replicate that form again. That does not mean he can't pop up with a goal against us though.

 

Fraser Aird although not being one of the fans favourites at Ibrox has shown in phases that he does have talent. When he first broke onto the Rangers scene he looked like he would turn into a talented winger. Unfortunately his carreer went on a downhill curve when Rangers loaned him out to the Vancouver Whitecaps. He left Rangers to sign for Falkirk but his contract was terminated at the end of last season. He can on his day be a handful though mostly playing as an attacking wing-back. When Canada played Scotland back in March he was probably the best player on the park and scored Canada's goal in the 1-1 draw.

 

Dean Sheilds has probably been the most disappointing of all as he played in the SPL but failed to make anything of his Rangers carreer even in the lower leagues. If he does hit form though he can be a game changer.

 

While I have no doubt in a league competition Dunfermline would not be in the same class but in a one of cup game where their players are all burned up with something to prove it will not be, in my eyes, the easy game some are anticipating. To win heavily we will need to produce the form that we showed against Watford and Sheffield Wednesday and for the first 30 minutes against Motherwell.

Some of the football in that 30 minutes was outstanding and should have seen us out of sight but as has been our bugbear we missed far too many chances.

 

I think Hodson will make way for tavernier to return to the right-back slot and I don't think Pedro will let Kenny Miller play two games a week so I would expect Morelos to be brought in to the striking role along with Herrera. I would also think there is a good chance that Jak Alnwick will start in goal.

 

I think the team will be.

 

Alnwick

 

Tavernier Alves Cardoso Wallace

 

Candeias Dorrans Jack Windass

 

Herrera Morelos.

 

 

I wrote most of this last night and think it is a shame to bin it. Thanks Gribz for filling in though.

[Darthter 542]

2nd competitive game....can't see any (unforced) changes happening.

PC will want to get as much game time for his preferred starting 11 as possible. The only possible exception maybe being Miller on the bench & Morelos starting.

 

I'd expect to see the likes of Pena come on at some stage to get some 1/2 decent game time.

[der Berliner 3,744]

Seems we are closing in on 30k tickets being sold now ...

[MacK1950 2,376]

Let's make wholesale changes,this is a joke,if team suggested by Pete is picked we could be looking at another Progres IMO.