Bluedell 5,624 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 The league table really is a beautiful sight! 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,744 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Naughty FF thread snatched for the local readers ... Gordon Park - This aged well! Quote Rangers' transfer drive suggests Celtic's Ten in a Row bid will be a stroll - Gordon Parks BY GORDON PARKS 08:28, 2 JUL 2020 UPDATED08:39, 2 JUL 2020 Gordon reckons that the signings made by Steven Gerrard have been decent but nothing that will take the title back to Ibrox after nine years across the city. After what feels like an eternal wait, the pedal is now being pressed on a new Premiership season. With players back in training, signings being announced and politics slowly being replaced by transfer speculation on the back pages, fingers crossed a brighter dawn is upon us. It’s not quite Christmas but it’s starting to feel a lot like football. Even in these pandemic times, though, sport doesn’t stand still. One factor that remains clear is a power shift at the top of the table is no nearer than it was when the coronavirus caused the curtain to fall on our game in March. Give or take a few comings and goings, the issues that decide winners and losers have been frozen in time.Nothing happening at Rangers would suggest a recruitment drive of the standard required to bridge the significant gap between the champions and the pretenders to their throne.There’s a quality and strength in depth within Neil Lennon’s Celtic squad which his counterpart Steven Gerrard can only aspire to acquire. Scotland squad keeper Jon McLaughlin’s arrival follows defender Calvin Bassey’s move from Leicester plus permanent deals for two former loan players, midfielder Ianis Hagi and veteran striker Jermain Defoe.Good players, potential and unknown quantity among them – but well short of any changing of the guard.The major issue for the Light Blues is that, man for man, they lacked the class to match Celtic, with keeper Allan McGregor and Borna Barisic the only two contenders for a place in the strongest Old Firm select. A cold analysis of the two teams would probably only see Barisic get the nod so, from last season until now, nothing has changed. Every day now counts for both clubs. A mixed bag for Celtic this week came in the shape of winger Mohamed Elyounoussi committing himself for another loan season and Fwather Forthter’s future being confirmed elsewhere. The absence of Forster in this campaign is a dunt but, given the choice, Elyounoussi’s return appears more significant as the truth is that good Old Firm goalies who can be redundant for long spells are six-and-half-a-dozen. But the feeling grows that it will require more than a few blows across the city for Rangers to start believing the quality of their rivals is starting to rewind.Unless Rangers are capable of pulling more than a few rabbits out of the hat over the next few weeks then we will be heading into a new campaign with the title race being something of a foregone conclusion.It’s just a brutal fact that Celtic have the better players and season after season have been superior in every department. The finance required for that dynamic to shift doesn’t appear to be available. And for Rangers to be in a position to show a sustained competitive challenge, it’s hard cash that matters. It’s great we now have a genuine countdown to kick-off with all the twists, turns and intrigue only Scottish football can deliver.But when push comes to shove, as it stands, once again the Premiership title destination appears all too predictable.” 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RabiDuck 89 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 I made a tongue in cheek comment after the game against them that I could see them dropping points in this one and then dropping more in their double header with Aberdeen leaving us with a chance to secure the league title in the next OF fixture. I stand by that!!! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill 13,717 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 27 minutes ago, Bluedell said: The league table really is a beautiful sight! All the more so because not one of us expected to be looking at anything remotely like the table we see. I look at it in that wonderful combination of surprise and delight. I always remember being at Ibrox on a sunny afternoon when we wrapped up the title against St Mirren in the 1990's and being disappointed at a distinct lack of excitement around me. I can't remember which the NIAR titles it was but familiarity with success had definitely started to have an effect. I hope we never see that again. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,624 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 40 minutes ago, Bill said: All the more so because not one of us expected to be looking at anything remotely like the table we see. I look at it in that wonderful combination of surprise and delight. I always remember being at Ibrox on a sunny afternoon when we wrapped up the title against St Mirren in the 1990's and being disappointed at a distinct lack of excitement around me. I can't remember which the NIAR titles it was but familiarity with success had definitely started to have an effect. I hope we never see that again. Yes, you're right about the surprise. I think you're referring to 4 in a row, and I think that we may have won the league in our 4th last game, which takes away some of the tension, particularly after the previous season's nail-biter against Aberdeen. IIRC, the day also suffered from the club trying to stage manage the proceedings to try and prevent some songs being sung, which took away the spontaneity. But hey, I'll be happy if we're complaining about a lack of excitement due to winning our 4th title in a row! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMAA 3,658 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 2 hours ago, RabiDuck said: I made a tongue in cheek comment after the game against them that I could see them dropping points in this one and then dropping more in their double header with Aberdeen leaving us with a chance to secure the league title in the next OF fixture. I stand by that!!! At half time against them, if I was asked which was more likely I would have said them winning that game 1 nil and us dropping points at Pittodrie. The opposite has happened and as a result we are 12 points clear of where they could be if they win their games in hand instead of 7. What a position to be in. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,721 Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,721 Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSocksRedTops 3,751 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Watching the Celtic circus this season has been rather amusing... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,721 Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 ?? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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