NixonRFC

He's the sole reason we're still in this tie, I don't think people are down on him personally it's just that seeing him on the pitch is a huge reminder that they club haven't strengthened an area of the pitch that was badly needed.
 
Negativity breeds negativity.
 
We go through next week and his performance last night will be lauded for a while.

Gerrard didn't fancy Katic and neither does Gio, I don't see why they would cut their nose off to spite their face, there's clearly an issue with him whether it's ability, fitness or attitude but he's not someone that two brilliant football men just didn't want to give an opportunity to.

Where are we right now?
 
Transition, it was always going to be the case, two of our big players gone in Aribo and Bassey, our two most influential players in Europe running out of contract and currently injured (Kent and Morelos) and trying to bed in a new CB and left back.
 
It's been borderline miraculous/incompetent to hold onto so many players for as long as we have, the longer we held off selling them there was always going to come a summer were we might lose 3 or 4, you can spend all the money in the world and the more you spend the better chance you've got of getting it right but it's always going to be  big ask to bring 4/5 newbies into what was a very strong side last year and expect them to hit the ground running.
 
I'd say the important thing will be not to panic, as much as you don't want to give that mob credit, last year is an example of how quickly it can turn around, they started slow, very slow but they turned it around, I don't think we're anywhere near that kind of state and if we keep the heid we'll do alright this season, this tie isn't over yet, if we don't make the CL it'll be a bitter blow but the Europa is probably our level and we could give that a real go again while that mob will get demoralising pumpings regularly so in the worst case scenario we have an opportunity to build up some genuine momentum in the autumn or in the best case scenario we qualify for the CL and probably make one or two big signings that will enhance the quality of our first XI.
 
Tonight was abysmal but there's a lot to be positive about.

There's no getting away from it, Gio got it wrong to start with and nothing he did to change it made it any better, in fact it got worse, the one saving grace tonight is we didn't completely capitulate by losing a 3rd goal and we're still in this.

Raducioiu...the tims wanted a Russian called Dimitri Radchenko... was looking forward to Charlie Nicholas trying to say their names when STV used to have live games on

Ha just watched the video and counted 8 goals, to be fair that Season is my favourite ever Season so I do have some weird knowledge of it ha

Chinese clubs are  allowed to register six foreigners a season but only allowed to have four registered at any one time, Hebei Fortune have got four players in their squad and have already filled their quota of six for the season.
 
It's a bullshit story and whoever put it out there couldn't  even be bothered checking basic facts, clear as day what's  going on here and it's  fucking embarrassing 

Yip, Michael Johnstone was the Killie guy back then, their own fans hated him after his stance on us which from what I recall was purely down to business, Billy Bowie is the new owner now and he's a rabid Killie fanatic, currently the fans think he can do no wrong and he's constantly trying to do things to appeal to them more and more, hence this stunt. Clarke will definitely be working him from the back here as well to be honest.

They could be in the running for Europe, first time in about 20 year, if they need to win our game to secure it I suspect they'll probably have an eye ob attracting their biggest home gate for donkeys years with the hope of enticing sone of them back next season.
 
 

The way it should be

Fkn hell mate, you a priest?

He'll miss the game at Ibrox, it's the SFA's way of throwing a wet towel on any potential flames

First season in my puff that I'll no be at the piggery for at least one of the Old Firm games, soul destroying having a shitey wee handful of fans in the face of such a hostile enviroment, I hope both clubs screw the nut for next season, well ideally i hope the tims screw the nut but that wont happen if we don't agree to it.

Mate they've been dug shite for about 12 year and now they're challenging for Europe and giving us and the tims a proper contest, they're fans will be loving it at the minute, Walter Smith is my greatest ever Rangers manager but I've saw his teams do to the tims and European teams what Kilmarnock do to us and if it gets you results you couldny give a fuck how you play.
 
 

Mate they've been dug shite for about 12 year and now they're challenging for Europe and giving us and the tims a proper contest, they're fans will be loving it at the minute, Walter Smith is my greatest ever Rangers manager but I've saw his teams do to the tims and European teams what Kilmarnock do to us and if it gets you results you couldny give a fuck how you play.
 
 

If he was upto me then he stays but he's never hid his desire to go to England and I think he viewed us as a stepping stone to get there, that was probably part of our sell to him when we went after him.
 
I'm loathe to use them as a blueprint but if you look at their big players, they usually only spend 2 years there, 3 at most and then move on, that's a system we have to adopt.

The goal difference when it was around +10 to them was never really an issue, if we were ever going to claw back 8 points then the likelihood was we'd also majorly eat into that goal difference too

Us and them want the status quo as well, it's a lot easier to punt almost 100k season tickets between us when you can offer two old firm games, two sheep, two hearts, two hibs... thats 8 if your 19 home games right away, makes the shite like St Mirren, Hamilton, Dundee games more bearable and a bit more enjoyable.
No danger either club would maintain ST sales at the price they're at now if you cut those big games in half just to add shite like Ayr, Ross County and ICT... Dundee Utd woukd obviously be interesting but after the first couple of pumping you'd lose any interest you jad in them

Us and them want the status quo as well, it's a lot easier to punt almost 100k season tickets between us when you can offer two old firm games, two sheep, two hearts, two hibs... thats 8 if your 19 home games right away, makes the shite like St Mirren, Hamilton, Dundee games more bearable and a bit more enjoyable.
No danger either club would maintain ST sales at the price they're at now if you cut those big games in half just to add shite like Ayr, Ross County and ICT... Dundee Utd woukd obviously be interesting but after the first couple of pumping you'd lose any interest you jad in them

Its a UEFA rule, top tier and cup games can't be broadcast, the FAs all accept the solidarity payments in the summer to abide by their rules... the English have been known to flaunt the rules for Cup replays in recent past, what happens is UEFA have scope within their contract to deduct 10% from their solidarity payment, the English don't really care because its a minimum hit but its a big dent in Scotland's pie.

Its a UEFA rule, top tier and cup games can't be broadcast, the FAs all accept the solidarity payments in the summer to abide by their rules... the English have been known to flaunt the rules for Cup replays in recent past, what happens is UEFA have scope within their contract to deduct 10% from their solidarity payment, the English don't really care because its a minimum hit but its a big dent in Scotland's pie.

We will this year, bookmark it.

tims at Ibrox, I think we're the only team who can put them out and at home will give us our best opportunity

tims at Ibrox, I think we're the only team who can put them out and at home will give us our best opportunity

Gerrard is going to make mistakes and they'll inevitably cost us certain games, it's fair to say that's already happened on a couple of occassions already this year,  he's a new young manager though and its all part of the learning process, we knew what we were signing up for when we appointed him, the downside was always going to be  q new managers naivety, the upside was going to be him being instantly the biggest name at the entire Football Club, that would enable him to entice players and probably get funds that other managers wouldn't get at Rangers IMO.
 
The tims are favourites for the League, we're heading into the international break on their coattails and havung qualified for the Europa League and went 11 games unbeaten in Europe, for a manager who's still only in his infancy in management I'd say that's been a pretty good start, I'm sure if Gerrard is still here in two years time this team will look like a poor relation to one he could build but he needs time and patience, it's perfectl fine to criticise and question but there has to be a  element of realisms too.