Guest Andypendek Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 if we're going to have to cram in loads of games, something has to give. i'd happily (well, not happily) miss out on the scottish cup if we can bag the SPL and keep a run going in europe - not even a win, getting to the semis would be amazing to me, and who knows what can happen once you get there? - i just don't think it's practical to keep going on three fronts and expect to be victorious. the same outfit that failed against thistle should get the chance to redeem themselves, tho i'd certainly add buffel for some guile. if they fail, i can live with that, altho i would imagine it would be the end of the line for some of them. is the cup the one you would mind missing the least? should we try to go for it in everything? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluepeter9 5,167 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I think we have to try our hardest in all games - On another thread Ronlad DeBeour (who won a treble) said "Winning is NOT tiring" and we should adopt that approach. I do agree it should be the same players against Thistle cause that team should have been good enough any day of the week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintbob1969 1,512 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 The Thistle performance certainly worries me Andy, how we tackle Hibs today will be critical. We either catch a second wind or we get a kick in the nuts from an energised young team, we can't take 3 point off Hibs playing like we've played the last 3 games. We look like we need a holiday. The truth is these guys should be able to play all these games as they aren't playing that many more games than the teams they're coming up against. The further we go in cups the further our opponents will have had to come, you can't say Thistle have a big squad. No excuses for Walt and Ally, the cup is there for the taking, there's only Aberdeen to stop us so I'd be pretty disgusted if we don't do it. Same with Europe, we'll meet teams with their own problems in their own domestic situations, they will have injuries and they will be tired. It's not asking too much for us to expect Glasgow Rangers to aim for glory. :rangers: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TartanTeddy 765 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 If we win our games v Celtic we can field the players kids for the last three league games - we could also (more realistically) give fringe, youth and transfer listed players a run. The only way to reduce meaningful games is to win everything as it presents itself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coopermania 1 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I say keep going on all fronts. As hard as we can. There is no other option for me. If we fail, we fail regardless of the competition we are in. Todays game will tell us something about the fighting qualities and spirit in the squad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluepeter 5,627 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I say keep going on all fronts. As hard as we can. There is no other option for me. If we fail, we fail regardless of the competition we are in. Todays game will tell us something about the fighting qualities and spirit in the squad. Spot on coop, we'll learn a lot about the team this afternoon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotBear 144 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I don't know about 'sacrifice' but I would continue to rest players in the Scottish Cup. None of the games we have left in the competition could lead to replays, and the quarters (Thistle) and semis (St Johnstone) would both be against 1st division opposition. I know the other night was awful, but hopefully that was a one off. If we can't rest the likes of Weir, Ferguson and Darcheville against 1st division, then there is something badly wrong. We can't expect to play our strongest 11 available from now until the end of the season. There are too many games. If we win the Old Firm, then the pressure is off a bit, but in terms of europe, we should be trying to keep ourselves in the best physical condition possible and that might mean making a few changes in the domestic cup. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gid 46 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Not really looking forward to the game this afternoon. Hibs are on a decent run just now and we've been awful for the past few weeks. We definitely need a break. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andypendek Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 there's a lot of merit in that argument. if you lessen the importance of other comps, you necessarily weaken the mental state of winning which has become a hallmark of the team. and also, the cup IS there for the taking. but it comes around every year, whereas euro runs have been like hens teeth in my time (84-present). <pretentious bit> been reading anthony beevor's 'stalingrad' and i couldn't help but notice how adolf screwed up big time by attacking leningrad in the north, moscow in the centre but split his forces to take stalingrad as well. it was the division of strength (and weather) that proved his undoing in that campaign...but it's a fairly loose analogy, WW2 v some football games. rubbish would be another word. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibroxblue 122 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 So we should surrender a trophy? Why not the UEFA Cup? It's the one we have least chance of winning. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillinger 0 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I say keep going on all fronts. As hard as we can. There is no other option for me. If we fail, we fail regardless of the competition we are in. Todays game will tell us something about the fighting qualities and spirit in the squad. Spot on coop, we'll learn a lot about the team this afternoon. Agree with above. We are in a potentially record breaking position and talk of ditching one or more competitions simply because the professional athletes ( !) cannot handle 2-3 games a week is not on. If any player does not feel they are up to the demands expected at The Rangers then I'd advised them to transfer, perhaps to Bolton who seem to like fielding shadow teams. The likes of Adam, Burke (two of the worst players on Wednesday night) and Whittaker should be pressurized into applying themselves a lot more rather than a lot of defeatist talk about chucking either of Cups. We are faced with a very tall order but I believe we can it be done (or at least we can beat Sporting and secure the dometic prizes). We are still in a position of strength and we can only get better if we learn the lessons from the last three games! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy 68 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I say keep going on all fronts. As hard as we can. There is no other option for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andypendek Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 yes, but in truth the shadow side should be able to take thistle anyway, and they should also be able to beat st johnstone. so its not so much giving up on the cup as thinking, we'll go with the fringe players in this comp rather than in the league or uefa, and by god they better perform. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
docspiderman 1,260 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 EVERY game Rangers play should be treated as a cup final to be won. As for resting players at this time of the season the idea is self defeating: games are the substitute for training when they are coming thick and fast (not that we seem to do much at Murray Park) I also remember that we lost the cup final too Dundee Utd when, because the league had been won, we rested players for 4 or 5 games and when it came to the final these players were just rusty and off the pace. Play every game to win, keep up the momentum and tiredness should not be a factor. The players who performed worst in midweek, Adam; has played 27 games inc sub this season, Burke; 15 games inc subs Whittaker; 30 games inc subs, cannot use tiredness as an excuse. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
weejames 1 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 As long as we keep winning league games the 4 in one week they're trying to make us play at the end of the season shouldnt matter as we'll have it sewn up by then. We've got a big enough squad to put out a completely different 11 on a saturday and a wednesday that should be capable of winning. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jardy 0 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 my opinions neva changed all the way thru no matter wot we were in, take every game as it comes, i wud b devastated jus as much 2 go oot the uefa cup as i wud the scottish cup. obviously we hav a greater chance in the sc, but that wudnt make it hurt any less if sporting were to beat us. Lets not get carried away with havin the possible "quad" bt where we'r sittin lets definately not dismiss it. Hopefully we can get bak on track today after last sundays and midweeks performance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
minstral 5,375 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 rangers never sacrifice nothing, and all the old fans who are no longer with us will be turning in their graves at the very thought. just remember we had not won a trophy for three years until last weekend, we march on and try and win the lot, which has always been the rangers way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coopermania 1 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 rangers never sacrifice nothing, and all the old fans who are no longer with us will be turning in their graves at the very thought. just remember we had not won a trophy for three years until last weekend, we march on and try and win the lot, which has always been the rangers way. Absolutely minstral Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trueblue87 0 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 play every game to win it, try to win/get as far as possible in every cup we enter, that should be our mentality! however conisdering our fixture backlog i don't think it's wrong to rest players like ferguson or weir for games like thistle, they don't lose their match-sharpness if they play only one and not two games a week, they simply have time to regain freshness for our upcoming important games. yes i also would have liked to see buffel/gow and webster/smith on wednesday, but that doesn't mean i don't want us to take these ties seriously. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoltonLoyal 2 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 I'm with the majority on this one, your legs don't get tired when you're winning. I'd personally want Rangers to try to win every game they play, the treble is no mean feat in itself and it would send timmy scurrying back to his bunker just like Adolf did.(sorry Andy ) The UEFA cup would be an unbelievable bonus, should we play well and be fortunate enough to win it, and it's the last of the four trophies chronologically, which means, to use a very old football cliche, let's take it one game at a time and see what happens eh lads? WATP Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny 9 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Full blooded effort in everything. Don't let up on anything. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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