Having listened to SSB, and heard the opinions of several Celtic fans that don’t think Lennon should be sacked, the common mantra with those that aren’t hitting the panic button yet, seems to be that they are reliant on Rangers having a poor second half of the season, because....in short “that’s what they do"
Now I am not going to sit here and say we won’t go through a bad spell this season, and neither am I going to sit here and say that the league is already won for us, because it’s only November...
However, I do genuinely feel that there is something different about this Rangers team this season, and the reasons for that, in my opinion, are down to the fact that we have bottled it in recent times.
I can’t help but compare this current Rangers side with Liverpool over the last few years, not in terms of their quality or playing style, but in terms of how they have turned their fortunes around.
2 years ago, Liverpool reached the Champions League Final, and lost it to Real Madrid. The hurt they felt in losing that game was evident. How they reacted was to push on the following season and win the Champions League trophy. Also in 18/19, Liverpool amassed a points tally that in any other season, would have won the Premier League title, but they didn’t as Man City won the league with a record points tally..that also hurt them. How did they respond? They hit the ground running the following season, and were runaway winners in the end, they didn’t want to have that feeling again.
If you think about Rangers in that context, in Gerrard’s first season, our goal was to start competing with Celtic again, we did that through winning old firm league games for the first time, but at the same time, we were poor in the cup competitions losing to Aberdeen in both...and that hurt. The following season, we improved in that we played Celtic off the park in the league cup final, but lost the game...that hurt. We then went to Celtic Park, won our first league game at Celtic Park in years, took the advantage domestically, only to throw it away due to poor results in games we really should have been winning, and also lost to Hearts at Tynecastle to again finish the season trophyless...that again hurt.
What I think, and hope, I am seeing this season, is a Rangers team that has learned from those mistakes. A Rangers team that doesn’t want to have that feeling of being so close and yet so far again. A Rangers team that wants to shed the bottlers tag. A Rangers team that is focused and determined to get over the line this time.
I may well be wrong, but I believe it is extremely risky for Celtic fans to believe that the league is not slipping away from them just now, on the basis that we will bottle it again come January and beyond.
We are certainly looking the part at the moment.
Collapse....as usual
posted on 24/11/20
Rangers definitely seem to be a different football team this season. We take advantage of mistakes and rarely make mistakes defensively ourselves. Rangers create a lot of chances each game but don't often look too troubled.
Arguably celtic have the stronger squad but it's more disjointed than rangers. Rangers squad definitely looks like it has a plan towards how it would fit in with what already was there and celtic just seems like sign good players and it'll all work out.
Overall towards end of November it's going better than I ever imagined it might and whilst things can change fast I feel confident that Rangers will be able to do it and win the league.
posted on 24/11/20
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 7 hours, 49 minutes ago
Over thinking it Stevie? Successive transfer windows rolling dice and gradually finding the right personnel in conjunction with SG perhaps finding the right formula in his fledgling career imho? That it coincides with NL finding that his formula will not work with the squad he has is immaterial as you say.
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I don’t think I’m over thinking it personally
The bulk of the team that is doing the job for us this season, were here last season, were responsible for the performances in the league cup final, the old firm win, and then the atrocious displays thereafter.....and they are now putting on the displays we are seeing this season.
Okay, we have added a few bodies that have boosted or squad depth, but not much has changed with the “formula” other than Morelos taking a bit more of a back seat.
When talking about Liverpool building from 2010, that’s irrelevant for me. As said, it’s not the quality or playing style I’m comparing with, it’s the losses and disappointments that the teams have suffered, and their reactions.
I honestly believe some of the guys in our squad thought the league was theirs for the taking after the new year old firm last season, and for them then to basically take things for granted and expect to just turn up and win at a canter from there on in, only to be brought crashing back down to earth severely.....that hurt them, it hurt Gerrard, and after the Hearts game inparticular, I seen a change in Gerrard, and he seems to have instilled a determination in the players to ensure this doesn’t happen again....or at least I hope he has
posted on 24/11/20
For me, the big difference is the quality on the bench - it is a massive upgrade.
If you can bring on like-for-like quality in a game then you are on a winner; we pretty much have that capability now.
Where before (for example - when we lost Morelos due to another suspension) we were reliant on Defoe to score the goals - now we have Roofe and Itten.
SG now has what he sought out to have and that is pretty much 2 quality players in every position.
posted on 24/11/20
We done some impressive business this summer and got off to a good start. The difference in squad quality this season is the key.
I still think our fans should wind it in a little, it's 2 losses from potentially being second.
Lets hope the Celtic struggles are papered over for the next 3 games and doesn't hit again until league duty because Lennon is on a shoogly peg, i want another league slip up before he's cut loose.
posted on 24/11/20
The whole mantra that Rangers crumble 'as soon as they are under any pressure' is comical IMO.
Rangers have been under massive pressure in several European qualifiers. And we came through.
We were 2-0 down at home to Braga and we ended up beating them home and away. That takes cojones.
We were under massive pressure going in to the League Cup Final last season and although we lost we were terrific that day. We didnt play like a team crumbling under pressure at all.
Yes we were poor after the break last season. But we were poor from game 1 against Stenhousemuir. I dont think it had anything to do with pressure that night.
I think a few of the players looked jaded when they came back from Dubai - guys like Davis in particular looked like his legs had gone in Jan/Feb.
I also think they way we set up last season we had become so reliant on Morelos we couldnt cope with his absence. The break plus his suspension after the OF game meant he was absent for about 6 weeks and he came back unfit and we never saw the same player.
We are a different beast this season. We have Roofe who will score regularly, Itten will do a job if required and we have goals coming from all over the team.
Kent, Aribo and Kamara are a year older and looking better for it. Plus the new recruits have added strength and depth to the squad.
I agree that there will be a wobble or two along the way but what we have seen so far is more than any Rangers fan could have hoped for.
We have conceded 3 goals all season. One should have been ruled out for offside against Hibs and one was a bizarre OG in off Edmunsons face.
It has been a remarkable start to the season from Rangers. Everything seems to have clicked. The squad has evolved, the way of playing has evolved and I do think the lack of fans has actually helped us. It has helped take a wee bit of the underlying nervousness out our play. It wasnt a massive issue IMO but its another aspect that has helped.
Unfortunately though it is only November and Celtic have too many good players to not string a good run together at some point.
The good thing for us is that when it comes to the business end of the season we should have Celtic, Hibs and Aberdeen all at Ibrox post split.
posted on 24/11/20
I still think our fans should wind it in a little, it's 2 losses from potentially being second.
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I dont think there is anything wrong with acknowledging how good the team is looking right now.
I havent heard too many Rangers fans get carried away with saying the league title is a gimme. Most Gers fans understand there is a long long way to go.
I have actually heard more Celtic fans talking up Rangers chance of winning the league.
The reality is we have started terrifically well and we do look like we have gone up a level this season. Add to that the fact that Celtic have clearly toiled.
We were big outsiders to win the league at the start of the season. I still think we have a massive challenge ahead to take the title. But I think we have shown so far we have it in us to do it.
Its just up to Stevie G and the boys to deliver
posted on 24/11/20
Yes we were poor after the break last season. But we were poor from game 1 against Stenhousemuir. I dont think it had anything to do with pressure that night.
Stranraer but aye. I left at half time. Patterson was the only highlight
posted on 24/11/20
Aye Stranraer.
We were shocking that night - first game back I think it was.
We carried that form forward and never really got going again.
posted on 24/11/20
comment by Hot Shot Hamish (U21959)
posted 2 minutes ago
Aye Stranraer.
We were shocking that night - first game back I think it was.
We carried that form forward and never really got going again.
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Yeah.
Was tough watch. I brought a bottle of mad dog and still didn't enjoy it
posted on 26/11/20
Leagues gone weve blown the ten