Jump to content

The Rangers FC Thread - Season 07/08


Frankie

Recommended Posts

but I'd be happy with a small defeat, maybe 2-0 or so

icon_cool.gif happy enough, nobody playing badly just Barca showing their class and showing more than us, lack of attacking but it's the games against Stuttgart and Lyon that mean more tbh than the Barca ones. Got 1pt out of 6 against them, fine for me icon_cool.gif

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Replies 9.7k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Was a combination of going more attacking and Barca taking their foot off the pedal, but at least we asked a couple of questions near the end. Would have loved Novo to have scored that volley, especially for the fans who travelled.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Realism indeed.

We were outclassed tonight. Simple as that.

Generally, while we may have been overly defensive, I thought we did OK tonight. We held possession reasonably well (until the final third anyway) and worked hard to ensure we weren't embarrassed.

In the end we lost to a hand-ball (and Papac ball-watching) and a fine, fine goal from one of the best attacking teams in the world.

We can hold our heads high. And take solace from a fine point at home.

7 points so far is more than any of us would have expected.

WATP

Link to post
Share on other sites

Originally posted by jimbo22:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Frankie:

7 points so far is more than any of us would have expected.

WATP

And UEFA cup at least. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

with 2 games left to go as well icon_cool.gif

I expect that we'd like that chance in the last 16 though, although I reckon we could do well in the UEFA Cup, maybe QFs possibly icon14.gif

Link to post
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Frankie:

Indeed.

We can be very proud of that. Now, we need to build on it.

We have two games to go for it. I hope Smith goes for it against Stuttgart. No matter what on more win puts us through. So we have two shots at glory.

It's time for SMith to drop his 1 up front stuff and get JCD and Cousin unleashed

Link to post
Share on other sites

Pressure is really off the players now as far as this group is concerned. No-one really expected anything and to have clinched the UEFA spot is superb. Of course, having done that and only needing to score the same number of points as Lyon over the next 2 matches, we probably feel we should be looking at the last sixteen and in some ways will be disappointed if we actually fail now.

But so far, can't really fault the players for their efforts.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thought we were too defensive at times, we were standing off the Barca players and just let them play in front of our box and they punished us for it with the 2nd goal.

I felt we should have harried them more when they got into our half, any time we got the ball out, 2 or 3 Barca shirts got over to close down any player we had on the ball.

Still could have been worse, they took their foot off the gas after that and we started to get into the match, just didn't happen soon enough for us to snatch something.

Great position to be in though, hopefully Stuttgart will just put some fringe/young players on for the next match, would make getting a win there a little easier. Though I won't try and tempt fate after Scotland's perofrmance in Georgia.

Link to post
Share on other sites

UEFA Cup? come on stop being so negative icon_rolleyes.gificon_biggrin.gif

i think you really should go for it in stuttgart as a win there win almost certainly put you through i lyon fail to beat barca.

lyon look to be finding a bit of form and them going to ibrox needing a win could be dangerous

Link to post
Share on other sites

One point to remember was that Lyon had 65% of the ball in the last game, had 27 attempts at goal and were caught twice on the break. I think it would be wrong to go into the Lyon game thinking it was a foregone conclusion because it wont be if it is winner takes all.

I agree however that a positive attitude in Stuttgart would be a good place to start and try and get qualification there.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Peacemaker7:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pickles:

icon_biggrin.gif Even all that time you had to put up with me in FMS?!

Even all that, in fact if we draw 1-1 tonight, I'll vote you most missed next year icon_biggrin.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

icon_biggrin.gif 2-0 wasn't that bad

Link to post
Share on other sites

Two weeks ago we're accused of playing anti-football for setting up a well organised team that they couldn't break down.

This week Henry scores a goal with his arm, keeps his mouth shout and struts away like he's a hero.

I think anti-football is more diving, cheating and trying to get opposition players booked than an honest team giving 100% to try and match more skillfull opponents.

We may have lost last night but if either team can now hold their head up high it isn't the Catalan "Giants".

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • SI Staff

I see our U19s won 12-0 in the cup against Fraserburgh and it could have been more but for the good performance from the keeper.

The goals came from Fleck 3, Donald 3, Wilson 2, Craig 2, Efrem & Ver Den Broeck

Link to post
Share on other sites

News is out Cousin has a clause that enables him to leave at the end of the season if a £3million offer gets tabled.

I doubt he will leave to be honest if he's playing in the starting 11 reguarly, but it's refreshing the club was upfront about this for a change as opposed to the Owen clause nonsense we had during the close season.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The club was only upfront about it after someone else revealed, incorrectly, that the clause was active in January. It makes sense for clubs to keep things like this quite though, and if it hadnt been released by someone else Rangers would have kept quiet too.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Editorial from the Elmundo Deportivo newspaper

"Dear Rangers supporters, never come back to Barcelona again. And not because your players themselves aren't a legitimate team. No, it's not because of that - the Nou Camp frequently hosts teams who are lazy, boring, who only defend, who run and kick their opponents, and who shouldn't be in elite competition. On top of this, Rangers merely defend, run at the opposition and play dirty. Their defenders are butchers, their midfielders, heavy-footed; and their strikers just stand there like the furniture.

"But even apart from the footballing aspect, the best thing would be for Rangers never to return to Barcelona, because every time they do, they make a mess of the place. 35 years ago, you (the Rangers supporters) destroyed the seats at the Nou Camp. This time we have enjoyed no less than 48 hours of brawls, provocation, rackets, fights and common drunk women throughout the whole city, which you have fouled however you pleased.

"Stay at home and vomit in your own living-room, urinate in your sitting-room corners, fight with your neighbours, the Celtic supporters (who deserve a prize just for putting up with you) and foul the streets of Glasgow instead. Don't come back here again, because it is not a laughing matter. And, by extension, don't play in the Champions League either. You are not at that level neither in a sporting nor human sense"

I saw one 'disagreement' over there and it was 2 locals having a go at each other on the street

icon_biggrin.gif

Link to post
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Gudge:

Editorial from the Elmundo Deportivo newspaper

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

"Dear Rangers supporters, never come back to Barcelona again. And not because your players themselves aren't a legitimate team. No, it's not because of that - the Nou Camp frequently hosts teams who are lazy, boring, who only defend, who run and kick their opponents, and who shouldn't be in elite competition. On top of this, Rangers merely defend, run at the opposition and play dirty. Their defenders are butchers, their midfielders, heavy-footed; and their strikers just stand there like the furniture.

"But even apart from the footballing aspect, the best thing would be for Rangers never to return to Barcelona, because every time they do, they make a mess of the place. 35 years ago, you (the Rangers supporters) destroyed the seats at the Nou Camp. This time we have enjoyed no less than 48 hours of brawls, provocation, rackets, fights and common drunk women throughout the whole city, which you have fouled however you pleased.

"Stay at home and vomit in your own living-room, urinate in your sitting-room corners, fight with your neighbours, the Celtic supporters (who deserve a prize just for putting up with you) and foul the streets of Glasgow instead. Don't come back here again, because it is not a laughing matter. And, by extension, don't play in the Champions League either. You are not at that level neither in a sporting nor human sense"

I saw one 'disagreement' over there and it was 2 locals having a go at each other on the street

icon_biggrin.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The only thing I heard/saw about the same story was this report with the small video at the bottom http://www.randalstowncsc.co.uk/modules/news/article.php?storyid=76

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • SI Staff

The cheek!

Pickpockets, muggings at knifepoint, whores, touts, stinking city, charging extra for stuff just because you didn't look Spanish. I could go on. Some of the stories I've read about have been terrible.

There were a severe lack of facilities for that number of travelling fans as well. And the only "brawls" I heard about was a pickpocket getting a kicking then coming back swinging a scaffolding pole at people then getting another kicking.

Fair play to the police though, they just stood back out of the way and didn't get involved in anything as far as I could see.

Link to post
Share on other sites

if we aren't at Champions League level, why didn't Barca beat us both times? icon_cool.gif

Cousin could have scored at Ibrox as well as he had a few chances and practically every time he was taking the ball, he was getting past the "great" Barca defenders

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • SI Staff

Watched the recent reserve match this morning away to Dundee Utd. Utd scored in the first minute but we ran out comfortable 4-1 winners. 2 goals from Furman and 2 penalties from Lennon.

Gow, Buffel, Lennon and especially Furman were the stand out players. McMillan at right back looked decent as well. Burke didn't really look interested and Broadfoot while decent defensively had some seriously shocking distribution.

I also see that the Under 19s won 5-0 today against ICT to go top of the U19 league. Goals by Andrew Shinnie, John Fleck, Danny Wilson, Giorgos Efrem and Isa Bagci.

TEAM: Gallacher, Perry, Harvey, Wilson, Kinniburgh, Kind Bendiksson, Shinnie, Stirling, Efram, Fleck, Bagci

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • SI Staff

We've got a closed door friendly match against Middlesbrough tomorrow as well.

Can probably expect a fair few of our players not away on international duty to be involved. Not sure if the five in the Scotland B squad for the match on Tuesday against Ireland will be involved. Maybe go for a team like this...

Carroll

Whittaker

Webster

Ehiogu

Lowing (LB)

Furman

Faye ( icon_frown.gif )

Burke

Gow

Cousin

Darcheville

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • SI Staff

RangersTV is great icon14.gif

Watched the Reserves v Gretna last night. Thought Charlie Adam ran the show and scored an absolute screamer! Whittaker also had a decent game but still needs to work on his final ball. Burke looked lively in spells but still needs to work harder. Gow was well off the pace in this game and couldn't get involved at all and got sent off for nothing. It wasn't even handbags. Furman looked good as well again.

It did show that Amdy Faye is simply not a footballer. He was terrible even at reserve level. The sooner we send him back to Charlton the better as he is standing in the way of the likes of Furman breaking through into the first team.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Nacho crunched in Boro friendly

Rangers are set to be without striker Nacho Novo for up to five weeks because of a shoulder injury sustained in a behind-closed-doors friendly.

The Spanish forward, who has hit the net three times in the SPL this season, dislocated his shoulder.

The former Dundee and Raith Rovers man was playing in friendly against Middlesbrough when the injury occurred.

Although medics managed to pop his shoulder back into place, he has been warned against returning to action too soon.

The news of an absence on the sidelines is a major blow for Novo who is looking to impress and secure a contract extension at Ibrox.

Will be a miss but with JCD back and Naismith looking hungry we should be ok.

Link to post
Share on other sites

More injury news:

Smith closing in on Rangers return

Rangers have received some mixed injury news, with Stevie Smith finally closing in on a return, but Nacho Novo facing up to five weeks out.

Smith has not played since December last year because of a persistent pelvic problem but Rangers are hopeful he can now put his torment behind him.

The 22-year-old has undergone his third operation in a year and manager Walter Smith is optimistic it can be his last on the problem.

He told the club's official website: "Stevie had another operation last week in Germany for a slight hernia problem he had so hopefully that will be his last, and it will be another month before he returns to training."

Meanwhile, Novo is expected to be out for at least two weeks with a shoulder problem.

The Spaniard suffered the injury in a closed-doors game against Middlesbrough last week and some reports say he could be missing for more than a month.

Andy Webster also faces some time on the sidelines after undergoing surgery to cure a cartilage problem.

Webster has played just once for the Gers since signing on loan from Wigan in January and has now undergone a second operation on the knee he injured in his first Murray Park training session.

Smith added: "Andy's operation was a straightforward one as it was a clean-up of his knee so we will be looking at him being three weeks out before he is back training."

Nacho must be recovering quickly, gone from five weeks to two weeks in the space of a few hours!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Rdysn5:

Was Claudio Caniggia any cop for you, during his brief spell?

Aye he did pretty well actually considering his age.

Fast, tricky and could score goals. Had one great season along with Ronald de Boer in attack.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...