match thread (image) [FT] Hamilton 1 - 3 Rangers (Jack 7; Kent 43, 90+3)

[pete 2,499]

Hamilton v Rangers Match preview.

 

Yes! Yes! Yes! The international breaks are being put in cold storage until March. From now until March it is wall to wall club football. Well except for that stupid idiot idea of having a winter stop, It just means taking 3 weeks off and then having to play a backlog of games in a crushed schedule later date.We are now entering into the meaty section of the competition. This is the time when we get down to the nitty gritty where league's are lost or won. Points thrown away at this stage could be lethal. The last time we came away from the international break we threw the top place in the league away with a poor performance against Hearts. Yes we were bullied but as the boss Stevie Gerrard would say “we have to find a way round whatever the opposition throws at us.”

Steven Gerrard and Filip Helander intimated that none of the Internationalists were carrying any injuries and he has a full squad of players to pick from.

Jordon Jones has returned to training but Sunday will be too early for him and Steven said that he would expect him to be ready for selection in about ten days time.

 

We travel through to Hamilton to the Hope CBD Stadium, the home of Hamilton Academicals.

The last time we played Hamilton the gaffer played Jermaine Defoe up front and he kindly repaid him with a hat-trick. Goldson and Barisic notched the other two goals with Borna treating us to one of his signature free-kicks hitting the ball over the wall and into the top corner of the net. The team that day was:

McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Edmundson, Barisic, Davis (Murphy 64), Kamara, Arfield (Polster 64), Ojo (Morelos 73), Defoe, Stewart

With Alfie only returning from a long Journey on Saturday and after taking part in two games, I actually think Gerrard will go for Defoe again. He may pick the exact same team again with possibly Scott Arefield, dropping out for Ryan Kent as Arfield also had a long Journey, returning from America where his national team, Canada, took a 4-1 hiding from the Americans. Steven Davis may also be rested as he played in two extremely difficult games against the Netherlands and Germany. Joe Aribo could be given that midfield Berth.

Hamilton are currently in the tenth place in the league on equal points with Hearts. More worrying for them is that they are only one point in front of second bottom St Johnstone and three points in front of bottom placed St Mirren. While St Johnstone have a worse goal difference St Mirren have a better goal difference. With St Johnstone having a home game against Aberdeen and St Mirren at home to Ross county a defeat to Rangers could see them plunge to the bottom of the league if the other two results go against them. I would imagine that fact will make them keep the game as tight as possible. The referee for the day is Steven McLean 'with Dougie Potter, Drew Kirkland running the line and the Fourth Official is Gavin Ross.

Unfortunately playing Hamilton in Hamilton means another run-out on one of those horrible plastic pitches. What a shame the SPFL didn't take the Dutch example and propose to kick them out. I take it that will rule out Jamie Murphy getting a place on the bench.

After beating them 5-0 the last time we finished that day by climbing to the top of the League after a Celtic defeat at Livingstone so let's hope Rangers and Livingston can give us a repeat performance and we get back where we belong. You could say hoping at the Hope.

I think the team will be.

McGregor

 

Tavernier Goldson Edmundson Barisic

 

Jack   Kamara

 

Aribo

 

Stewart     Defoe     Kent

C'mon the Gers!!!!

[ian1964 10,721]

Gallery: Hamilton Preparation

https://rangers.co.uk/news/galleries/gallery-hamilton-preparation-2/

[Gonzo79 15,292]

Do you think when the coefficient is suitably improved, the clubs qualifying for Europe could put some money aside to assist all top flight clubs to have natural grass pitches?

 

 

[Scott7 6,003]

1 hour ago, Gonzo79 said:

Do you think when the coefficient is suitably improved, the clubs qualifying for Europe could put some money aside to assist all top flight clubs to have natural grass pitches?

 

 

No. If they can’t afford real pitches, they’re not top flight clubs.

[MacK1950 2,376]

21 hours ago, Gonzo79 said:

Do you think when the coefficient is suitably improved, the clubs qualifying for Europe could put some money aside to assist all top flight clubs to have natural grass pitches?

 

 

Why?? They changed from grass at their own expense so should change back in same way.

[Gonzo79 15,292]

I find the matches at Kilmarnock, Livingston and Hamilton to be lacking in good football/entertainment because of the pitches.

 

Something needs to be done about it but all three clubs get very poor crowds, so additional help might be required. 

[JFK-1 1,693]

Ayr haven't been in the top flight in over 40 years have an average attendance of 1,208 and have a grass pitch.

[pete 2,499]

2 hours ago, JFK-1 said:

Ayr haven't been in the top flight in over 40 years have an average attendance of 1,208 and have a grass pitch.

They are not contending or have costs of teams in the premier league.

[Rick Roberts 246]

On 22/11/2019 at 21:03, Gonzo79 said:

Do you think when the coefficient is suitably improved, the clubs qualifying for Europe could put some money aside to assist all top flight clubs to have natural grass pitches?

 

 

How much does a good grass pitch actually cost to install and maintain? I have no idea of the numbers. The clubs would then moan about loss of income etc.

 

A well organised and well led governing body would make grass pitches mandatory, but could certainly centralise control and maintenance of pitches for those that need it.  

[JFK-1 1,693]

58 minutes ago, pete said:

They are not contending or have costs of teams in the premier league.

Presumably if Ayr were to come up their income would increase. And perhaps it should simply come down to the fact that if you want to be in the top flight you simply have to cut your cloth to accommodate a grass pitch. If you can't/don't want to then you simply can't be there.