One Game at a Time?

[26th of foot 6,084]

Just over a week and three of those eleven games have come and gone. Two Europa Cup group matches, one draw against Benfica and another win over Standard Liege; ensuring qualification to the last 32 for second successive year. This time with one game remaining against Lech Poznan in Poland. Do we field our strongest team and attempt to win Group D? Advantages are an extra half million pounds and seeded in the first part of the knock-out stages. Disadvantages are increased likelihood of injuries, strains, and more exposure to Covid. Still, aim achieved.

 

The other match played was a comfortable 0-4 victory in the League Cup away to Falkirk. We made seven changes and have fortunately avoided further distress on plastic, by drawing St Mirren away in the quarter-final. We are presented with a similar dilemma, play our strongest team to ensure progress to the semis, or continue the measured approach by making several changes. Advantages and disadvantages are similar too; however, as stated earlier, Gerrard needs silverware and we have been presented with our best opportunity in five years because of ra Sellik's elimination.

 

Mentioning our separated brethren invites the question of the six league games? Do we compare and contrast their fixtures or ignore completely and do our own thing without compromise? It's eighteen points, an opportunity to build real momentum, the type of momentum that propels our club to the cusp of our first title in a decade. Our injury list remains similar, Nicola Katic is long term and the team metronome, Ryan Jack continues to nurse a long term knee injury. Covid has visited too, Hellander, Jones, and Edmundson are not available for Sunday's visit to Dingwall. One more centre back injury and we are looking at patch repairs.

 

Dundee United have announced today, nine players in isolation but will play tomorrow's match against Livi'. They don't know what state they will find themselves in, come next week's fixture against Rangers at Tannadice. The SPFL having given ra Sellik nine days off in early January because Peter wanted it, followed up with awarding three 3-zip victories to Motherwell and Accies because of Covid postponed fixtures. Can we rely on the SPFL doing the same for Rangers? Neil Doncaster, Rod ra Fraud, and Murdoch MacLennan are our friends, aren't they?

 

One game at a time continues.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

strongest team in both games please. 

 

Anyone know what that is?

Edited December 4, 2020 by the gunslinger

[ian1964 10,724]

 

[buster. 5,200]

On 24/11/2020 at 13:32, 26th of foot said:

'One Game at a Time' - a hackneyed old phrase or a necessary strategy going forward?

 

Starting this Thursday, the 26th November we play Benfica at Ibrox in a Europa Group stage match. Ending on the 30th December, we play St Mirren away in our last Premiership game of the year. It's a total of eleven games in thirty-four days. Do the arithmetic, that's one match every three days. We have a large squad, we are playing extremely well, and our mental approach appears to have improved. This run of matches will be a real test, knocks, strains, and injuries will kick in. Suspensions, refereeing decisions, and the fickle finger of Covid all await......

 

 

 ....The games are coming thick and fast, the reward at the conclusion will be a visit to Ibrox from ra green'n'grey hooped horrors on the 2nd January. Will Neil still be manager? Let's take it one game at a time.

26/11/20	UEL	Rangers	2 - 2	Benfica	View events
29/11/20	LEC	Falkirk	0 - 4	Rangers	View events
03/12/20	UEL	Rangers	3 - 2	Standard Liège	View events
06/12/20	PRE	Ross County	0 - 4	Rangers	View events
10/12/20	UEL	Lech Poznań	18 : 55	Rangers
13/12/20	PRE	Dundee United	13 : 00	Rangers
16/12/20	LEC	St. Mirren	21 : 00	Rangers
19/12/20	PRE	Rangers	16 : 00	Motherwell
23/12/20	PRE	St. Johnstone	20 : 45	Rangers
26/12/20	PRE	Rangers	13 : 30	Hibernian
30/12/20	PRE	St. Mirren	20 : 45	Rangers
02/01/21	PRE	Rangers	13 : 30	Celtic

 

 

We are 16 games into a 38 game league, it's far from over.

 

The oldest maxim in football, 'one game at a time' is the way to go. However, this week should be about prioritising the game at Tannadice, we've earned the right to be able to do so and have the depth and quality of squad to reasonably expect that we can return from Poland with a positive result.

 

Lech changed their customary attacking style to a more pragmatic approach when they came to Ibrox. All things considered, I'd imagine they'll go back to more adventurous style on Thursday. The Poles also won 4 zip yesterday and for this game, I can see a continuation, similar to our recent European results, 3-3, 2-2, 3-2...ie. goals, goals, goals.

 

The lack of current options in the central defence probably mean Goldson will play but I'd definitely give Tavernier a night off and play Paterson, who needs minutes to help him build confidence and feel an active part of things.

 

How many players haven't missed a minute of the EL group stages during the last 3 seasons (including this one) ? I can think of 3 of ours. A stat worthy of a UEFA tweet.

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by buster.

[buster. 5,200]

Heard a European stat mentioned on the Gersnet podcast referring to the amount of games SG&Co have been in charge of for Rangers.

 

Another way of looking at it.

When I started supporting Rangers the first European match I can remember was a ECWC 1st round tie against Ankaragücü in the 1973/74 season. Back in the day, European ties weren't as plentful as today and they held, at least for me, something very special and important. A chance to strut our stuff in front of the whole of Europe.

 

Many aspects have since changed but in the context of sheer number of games....From Shkupi to the 2nd leg of this seasons last 32, it'll be 43 European games for this management team.

 

To get to the same number, you would have to go from that game against the Turks in 1973 to a trip to Kiev in 1987 and all sorts in between. 

 

 

[the gunslinger 3,366]

On 04/12/2020 at 17:48, ian1964 said:

 

He got a lot right there. 

[26th of foot 6,084]

The initial post was penned a month past, it seems a lot longer. 

 

A game every three days is a hard schedule, something had to give and the defeat was 3-2 by St Mirren in the League Cup. Another opportunity for silverware gone. 

 

The three remaining Europa Cup games played out as a home draw against Benfica, a home win over Standard Liege, and finally an away victory in Poznan. We won our Europa Cup group without losing a game. Royal Antwerp await in the last 32.

 

The six league games were all victories, a couple of squeaky bum moments at Tannadice and home against the Hibs. Eighteen points achieved, scored 15 and conceded two. 

 

January is easier in that we have only five league fixtures and one Scottish Cup tie to be negotiated. A game every five days is to be welcomed, considering we have picked up a few injuries. The league games are deciding, Sellik(home), Aberdeen(away), Motherwell(away), Ross County(home), and Hibs(away).

 

One game at a time?

[RabiDuck 89]

I'd suggest that if we were to lose a game, that was the one to lose.  We can still claim that we're undefeated in all competitions that Celtic are still involved with...

[buster. 5,200]

18 hours ago, 26th of foot said:

January is easier in that we have only five league fixtures and one Scottish Cup tie to be negotiated. A game every five days is to be welcomed, considering we have picked up a few injuries. The league games are deciding, Sellik(home), Aberdeen(away), Motherwell(away), Ross County(home), and Hibs(away).

 

One game at a time?

There should be no problem in having everyone focus on only the next game, at least for the next couple of days.

 

 

 

 

[26th of foot 6,084]

The initial post was two months past, it seems a log longer.

 

We played 16 games in two months, won 14, drew one, and lost to St Mirren in the League Cup. The arithmetic equates to a game every four days. It has been a tough schedule and it sees us continuing to sit top of the Premiership, currently 23 points ahead of ra Sellik in second position. 

 

Specifically in January, we played five league fixtures winning four and drawing with 'Well sat Fir Park. The victories at Ibrox were 1-0(Sellik), and 5-0(Ross County). Results away were Aberdeen(1-2), Motherwell(1-1), and Hibs(0-1). Thus, 13 points from a possible 15. The Scottish Cup game against Cove Rangers has been postponed, the national cup competition may be another victim of Covid?

 

February appears kinder, we have four league fixtures; two at home against both St Johnstone and Killie, and two away in the plastic worlds of Hamilton and Livi'. The other two games scheduled(home and away) involve Europa Cup tie against Royal Antwerp. At this moment, ra Sellik have three games in hand and are due to catch up and surpass us by the end of February. I believe if ra Sellik play all scheduled and rescheduled fixtures, they will have played one League game more than Rangers by the time we run out at Livi'? Of course, ra Sellik have been knocked out of the Europa, so have free midweeks.

 

If our separated Brethren win all seven of their February league fixtures, gaining 21 points, then they will achieve 70 points. Again, currently we are on 72 points and any extrapolation of between zero and 12 points can be added to that total. I want to see us continue to lead the Premiership by at least 14 points and qualified for successive last 16 of the Europa Cup, by the end of the month.

 

In the mean time, one game at a time.

 

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by 26th of foot