match thread (image) [FT] Porto 1 - 1 Rangers (Morelos 44)

[JFK-1 1,693]

7 hours ago, alexscottislegend said:

Great point. I get pelters for suggesting that I hope Keltic do well but the reason is as you suggest: they can help to get the co-efficient up, as when they were losing to the likes of the Gibraltar team they were indirectly harming us.

 

And as for bragging rights I'll take satisfaction from the fact that we beat the 17th ranked team in Europe while they only beat the 34th.

i think we have to put all rivalry aside in this instance and hope for both to go the knockout stage. In all honesty the past few seasons I didn't feel that way but Scotland at the time were far from attaining such heights and that's largely because Rangers weren't in it. But now it's within touching distance.

One team simply can't do it alone both have to be performing well and if we can indeed get that extra CL spot then all things being equal Rangers would be pretty much guaranteed a chance at CL football season after season.

 

Everybody has to be aware since the evidence has been right there in front of us year upon year that no sheep or killie are going to get us there.

 

Also has to be said that the lowly status the country found itself in is largely due to what they insisted on doing to Rangers. Classic instance of biting off their own noses to spite their mindless faces.

[Waltersgotstyle 307]

In reality the team who finishes second will really struggle to get into the groups as they will not be in the champions route. 

[the gunslinger 3,366]

5 hours ago, ian1964 said:

 

Accross the goal hits the defender? Looks like it.

[pete 2,499]

1 hour ago, the gunslinger said:

Accross the goal hits the defender? Looks like it.

Possibly totally across the goal would have hit the defender but the ball was at a perfect height to head it down or to the left of the keeper. This isn't a great save as the ball is hit right at him. Morelos should have scored and I am sure Colin Stein, Mark Hately . Derek Johnstone and probably even BBC Thommo would agree with me.

[pete 2,499]

1 hour ago, pete said:

Possibly totally across the goal would have hit the defender but the ball was at a perfect height to head it down or to the left of the keeper. This isn't a great save as the ball is hit right at him. Morelos should have scored and I am sure Colin Stein, Mark Hately . Derek Johnstone and probably even BBC Thommo would agree with me.

 

2 hours ago, the gunslinger said:

Accross the goal hits the defender? Looks like it.

looking at that closely. Should we have had a penalty?

[JFK-1 1,693]

3 hours ago, Waltersgotstyle said:

In reality the team who finishes second will really struggle to get into the groups as they will not be in the champions route. 

Like in the current EL setup? It is what it is and we need to strive to get anything we can from the Euro pot while trying to improve the co-efficiency even further. A little help from others outside the OF would be of great assistance but since all they want to do do is park the bus and play hoofball I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Of the 3 nations between Scotland and that 15th spot Greece in 15th currently have 1 team still competing while Cyprus in 16th also have 1 team still competing and Serbia in 17th have 2 still competing. We need all of them to fail as much as possible while we and the yahoos continue to pick up points.

 

[the gunslinger 3,366]

8 hours ago, pete said:

 

looking at that closely. Should we have had a penalty?

Can't see a penalty but with var we would have had one earlier maybe two. 

 

Saying he should have scored is like saying barasic should have scored his free kick. 

 

Pointless with a smidge of truth. 

[ian1964 10,723]

 

[Tannochsidebear 2,406]

Reflecting back, I am actually gutted we didnt take all 3 points as our performance, second half especially, certainly deserved it, but yet again we take less than we deserve in a vital away match which is worrying as this is quite a trend in these group games now as you could easily say we didnt get what we should have in Moscow, Vienna, Bern & now Porto (I dont think we could claim to deserve more than a point in Spain). At the end of a 6 game group that can and usually will be decisive. 

 

In my book this now means we have a MUST win against Porto at Ibrox, which is a tough ask as Porto will be much smarter against us second time around. If we fail to win that one, it means we have to go to Holland and win, which hardly anybody does, and then beat Young Boys at Ibrox to have any chance which is a big ask. 

 

If we take a point next time out and the Dutch beat the Swiss at home as I expect then the group has Feyenoord & Young Boys on 6, and Porto and us on 5. If we can take a point in Holland and the Swiss & porto draw it leaves us in a great position going into our final home match against the Swiss where a win would take us through. That however is a lot of ifs and buts and that is why I think we need to win our two home games to go through, which I am worried about as we have never managed to win our 3 home games in any group in European competition since groups were brought in in the early 90's. I might be wrong but I dont think we have ever won more than 1 out the 3 games before?

 

I'm really enjoying the ride though, and it is of great pride to watch us competing at this level against some really good sides and more than holding our own against them. I for one cant wait till next year and we step it up to the big cup instead of the Thursday cup. Only the small matter of beating the bheasts and their referees to the title this season then negotiating 4 rounds of qualifiers against other Champions to get there, simples!

[Briton 314]

11 hours ago, pete said:

Possibly totally across the goal would have hit the defender but the ball was at a perfect height to head it down or to the left of the keeper. This isn't a great save as the ball is hit right at him. Morelos should have scored and I am sure Colin Stein, Mark Hately . Derek Johnstone and probably even BBC Thommo would agree with me.

If McGregor had made that save a lot of Bears would be calling it a great save (the most inaccurately used term in football IMO, just behind 'good save'). 

Edited October 26, 2019 by Briton