match thread (image) [FT] Rangers 0 - 1 Celtic

[craig 5,199]

7 minutes ago, JohnMc said:

You might be right about Aribo, I knew nothing about him before we signed him and made my assumption on the first couple of games I saw him play for us. I also agree that I don't think he's settled, some players take a few months to be fair. Had Davis been fit I wonder if Arfield or Aribo would have started, or if Kamara would have been on the bench.

We'll learn a lot about this squad in the next few weeks. 

If Davis was fit I suspect Aribo would have been the player to make way.

[Bill 13,717]

7 minutes ago, JohnMc said:

I think we're a better squad than this time last year and light years from the year before that, so I agree about the situation as a whole. But we couldn't beat a poor Celtic side yesterday. That tells me we're still some way short of where we need to be.

Surely that was never in question whatever the result yesterday. Did anyone really believe beating Celtic would have confirmed the rebuilding job was over? There's a long way to go yet and if there's been any surprise this season it's been how well we've performed. I'd put us ahead of schedule but I suppose everyone has their own opinion of how much rebuilding had to be done. The club has certainly had its recent failures but they haven't been since Gerrard arrived.

[Waltersgotstyle 307]

16 minutes ago, JohnMc said:

I think we're a better squad than this time last year and light years from the year before that, so I agree about the situation as a whole. But we couldn't beat a poor Celtic side yesterday. That tells me we're still some way short of where we need to be.

I think that is doing this Rangers team a huge disservice mate. Rangers did not allow them to play for the full 90 minutes. You have to bear in mind that this is the same Celtic team that have been lauded all season.

[JohnMc 2,754]

4 minutes ago, Bill said:

Surely that was never in question whatever the result yesterday. Did anyone really believe beating Celtic would have confirmed the rebuilding job was over? There's a long way to go yet and if there's been any surprise this season it's been how well we've performed. I'd put us ahead of schedule but I suppose everyone has their own opinion of how much rebuilding had to be done. The club has certainly had its recent failures but they haven't been since Gerrard arrived.

I certainly viewed yesterday's match as a benchmarking of sorts, an opportunity to see where we were compared to our biggest rivals and ultimately the side we need to finish in front of. I'd hoped we were closer than I now feel we are. I very much saw this season as one where our goal was the winning the league, unlike last season where I felt that was unrealistic. Celtic have a 'new' manager, and even though he knows the club and had a few months of last season to assess the squad I still felt that gave us some advantage. I accept they've a better squad and more money to attract players, but while I think Lennon is a better manager than some give him credit for I don't think he's of the same calibre as Rodgers. Having played them twice now, once at Ibrox and once at Hampden it concerns me we've not been able to score a goal yet. That was a Celtic side who got their tactics all wrong yesterday, who had nothing upfront almost all match and a rookie 18 year old at full back. I expected us to be able to beat Celtic in a one off match such as yesterday by this stage in our rebuilding. Psychologically that was a huge result for Celtic yesterday and a damaging one for us.  

 

I'm not really having a go at Gerrard, or any specific player. I just thought we were further along the road than we seem to be. Plus we just lost a cup final to Celtic so I'm in a fucker of a mood. 

[JohnMc 2,754]

22 minutes ago, Waltersgotstyle said:

I think that is doing this Rangers team a huge disservice mate. Rangers did not allow them to play for the full 90 minutes. You have to bear in mind that this is the same Celtic team that have been lauded all season.

Celtic are having a good season and have had some exceptional results in Europe, but yesterday they were poor. We should have pummelled their 18 year old full back for a start, it was only his 4th match ever, instead we let him look like he's Carlos Alberto at times. I accept we played well for most of the match, but I genuinely feel that Celtic's strange starting line-up and shape allowed us to build from the back and meant they kept giving away possession. We should have beaten them yesterday, they were there for the taking. 

[Bill 13,717]

We lost a one-off game yesterday. But that's all that happened. By common opinion on all sides we were the superior team over the piece ... but we still lost. However, it's important we don't allow temporary disappointment to get in the way of rational perspective.

 

It wasn't a judgement from God that we lost, nor does it condemn Rangers to permanent inferiority. We're a better team than we were and next year we'll be a better team than we are, which doesn't guarantee trophies but it will sure as hell improve our chances. What matters far more to me is that we return to being the best football team that our circumstances allow. I'd rather lose yesterday and continue to make progress than win and think we had arrived. Mind you I'd much rather we had won and continue to make progress.

Edited December 9, 2019 by Bill

[Gonzo79 15,294]

Sunday's match will tell us a whole lot about the team.  We really need 3 points but we also need to show the cup final defeat isn't going to negatively impact our season.

[craig 5,199]

18 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

Sunday's match will tell us a whole lot about the team.  We really need 3 points but we also need to show the cup final defeat isn't going to negatively impact our season.

Thursday's match will tell us a whole lot too 

[Rousseau 10,640]

1 hour ago, JohnMc said:

I certainly viewed yesterday's match as a benchmarking of sorts, an opportunity to see where we were compared to our biggest rivals and ultimately the side we need to finish in front of. I'd hoped we were closer than I now feel we are. I very much saw this season as one where our goal was the winning the league, unlike last season where I felt that was unrealistic. Celtic have a 'new' manager, and even though he knows the club and had a few months of last season to assess the squad I still felt that gave us some advantage. I accept they've a better squad and more money to attract players, but while I think Lennon is a better manager than some give him credit for I don't think he's of the same calibre as Rodgers. Having played them twice now, once at Ibrox and once at Hampden it concerns me we've not been able to score a goal yet. That was a Celtic side who got their tactics all wrong yesterday, who had nothing upfront almost all match and a rookie 18 year old at full back. I expected us to be able to beat Celtic in a one off match such as yesterday by this stage in our rebuilding. Psychologically that was a huge result for Celtic yesterday and a damaging one for us.  

 

I'm not really having a go at Gerrard, or any specific player. I just thought we were further along the road than we seem to be. Plus we just lost a cup final to Celtic so I'm in a fucker of a mood. 

If the performance/result was reversed and we'd won after being battered for 90 minutes, would we be closer/ahead?

[craig 5,199]

12 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

If the performance/result was reversed and we'd won after being battered for 90 minutes, would we be closer/ahead?

I think I would be more concerned if the performance and result were reversed in all honesty.