match thread (image) [FT] Hearts 1 - 2 Rangers (Goldson 34; Morelos 41)

[pete 2,499]

 

[JFK-1 1,693]

Someone who actually still buys a paper. He is to be commended for supporting print media and presumably an old fashioned biro too as he sits there obsessing over Rangers marking off and counting all references to them in his paper.

Plus we thank him for the obsession with our team, we all share that with him but in the circumstances he might think of seeking professional help for that particular compulsion.

[Uilleam 5,941]

19 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

Someone who actually still buys a paper. He is to be commended for supporting print media and presumably an old fashioned biro too as he sits there obsessing over Rangers marking off and counting all references to them in his paper.

Plus we thank him for the obsession with our team, we all share that with him but in the circumstances he might think of seeking professional help for that particular compulsion.

Mental health professionals in this country are under the pump. Sevco obsessionals surely should be way down the priority list, somewhere below

compulsive musturbators. 

[pete 2,499]

[der Berliner 3,745]

The DR's Rangers blogger laid into the commentators ...

 

It's time Rangers star Alfredo Morelos got credit he deserves and he'll fire club to 55 - James Black

 

Our Ibrox blogger believes neither Rangers nor the Colombian are getting the plaudits they should be.

 

 

Rangers returned to the top of the Scottish Premiership on Sunday after an enthralling 2-1 win over Hearts at Tynecastle - and the immediate aftermath felt as though the Gers had never been away.

 

With little over 60 hours having passed after the final whistle in Thursday's Europa League draw with Villareal, Steven Gerrard's

side put in a dogged shift to secure the three points in the capital and it instantly set many of Scottish football's talking heads into

meltdown.

 

Anyone who tuned in to BT Sport yesterday lunchtime would have been forgiven for thinking they had tuned into a weird hybrid of Celtic's and Hearts' club TV channels as Michael Stewart raved about the seemingly once-in-a-lifetime performance of the mononymic Christophe at the heart of the Jambos' defence while Rob McLean delivered his commentary with the enthusiasm of a man on his way to his own execution.

 

The action on the pitch was, yet again, a fantastic advert for the Scottish game with a fantastic atmosphere at Tynecastle, a few tasty

challenges, an own goal, a red card, a cracking strike from Alfredo Morelos(offside or not it was still a helluva finish from the Colombian) and the sort of tension at the end of the game that had Rangers fans on the edge of their seats waiting for the final whistle.

 

Despite that, almost all of the post-match discussion has been focused on two decisions made by referee Bobby Madden.

 

Morelos' winner was the first big talking point with Stewart and co going to great lengths to highlight the officials' error which allowed

the Gers to pick up the win. There's no doubt the 22-year-old was just offside when he expertly hooked the ball home. Weirdly though, there

seemed to be far more objection to the officials getting it wrong than there has been on the several occasions so far this season when Rangers have found themselves on the other end of a mistake from an official resulting in a goal.

 Maybe McLean and Stewart think it's their duty to hold Scottish officials to a higher standard than their continental counterparts but

to the viewer at home, it only comes across as petty and bitter.
 

Then there was Scotty Arfield's red card.

Listening to some of the comments after game, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Arfield had stamped on Bobby Zlamal's head in some

horrific out-take from American History X. Yes, the Canadian international was late with his challenge but the vast majority of fans

would be shouting the odds if their side found themselves in a similar position and didn't challenge for the ball.

 

Comically, BT Sport had a referee at Hampden for the League Cup final clash later that afternoon and when asked for his opinion, he said it

was only worthy of a booking.

 

BT never returned to that opinion and instead, McLean and Stewart continued with their 'horror challenge' line. I can only guess here but,

had the ref at Hampden said it was a red card, I'd bet everything I own on the commentary team making repeated reference to it throughout the remainder of the game.
 

It didn't get much better in the hours following the final whistle.While lunacy has become expected in the world of Scottish fitba Twitter,

Super Scoreboard's Hugh Keevins took it to unprecedented levels when he suggested that Arfield's challenge was a particularly bad one "given that there was such a high level of concern over the head injury to Gary Mackay-Steven" in the League Cup final.

 

I wouldn't pretend to be an expert on such matters but, by my watch, GMS' injury happened a couple of hours after Arfield had been sent off

at Tynecastle. Not to mention there virtually no similarities between the two whatsoever.
 

With all the gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands going on, there was barely a mention of Morelos scoring in his seventh consecutive Scottish Premiership game to equal David Clarkson's record. The 22-year-old has been immense this season for Gerrard's side and somehow doesn't get anywhere near the credit he should for his performances.
 

I said earlier this year that when the Colombian does eventually move on from Ibrox that it will be for more than Celtic received for Moussa

Dembele. Plenty scoffed at the time but at the rate he's currently going, it won't be long until Rangers have a massive decision on their

hands over Morelos' future.

Before then though, I wouldn't bet against the striker from riling up defenders and pundits across the country as he fires the Gers to title

number 55.

 

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/its-time-rangers-star-alfredo-13681803

[ian1964 10,724]

Craig Levein stokes Rangers referee row and blasts 'this is my livelihood'

Hearts boss insists he is entitled to his opinion on match officials after claiming Sunday's defeat to Rangers felt like his side were "playing against 13 men".
Craig Levein has ramped up his row with Scotland's referees and blasted: "This is my job, my livelihood".

The Hearts manager was furious with Bobby Madden and his team after Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Rangers in which Alfredo Morelos was shown to have scored the winner from an offside position.

Levein slated the whistler and his assistants, claiming it was like "playing against 13 men".

Former Scotland boss Levein is set to be carpeted by the SFA for his comments.
But he was unrepentant this morning as he previewed Wednesday's Premiership trip to face St Johnstone.

Levein said: “I criticise my players and I criticise myself.

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"If officials make the same blatant mistake seven times this season I should be entitled to say that.

"Of course I’m angry. This is my job, my livelihood.”
Hearts are on a run of five league matches without a win and have slumped from top of the table to fourth.

After Sunday's defeat to Rangers he blasted: “I read a quote from Neil Lennon a few weeks ago from when they went to Celtic Park, and he said they were playing against 12 men, and that’s how I feel. Actually, it was 13 we were playing against.

“The good thing is Neil Lennon didn’t get any punishment, it’s good to know.

“The referee was abysmal and we were playing against 13 men.

“That’s my view on it. It’s really good news there won’t be any punishment.”

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/craig-levein-stokes-rangers-referee-13684465