Our season kicks off at Ibrox this evening with a big Champions League second round qualifier against Panathinaikos live on Premier Sports.
A step into the unknown under a new manager with a new style, can we maintain our generally good European performances of recent years and send them back to Athens with a big job to do in the second leg? Or will the clash of old and new, players and styles in our squad leave us exposed?
Injuries - Aasgaard, Sterling
Unregistered - Matondo, Yilmaz, Propper, Davies, McCausland
Only fit enough for the bench - Gassama, Igamane, Dessers
The expectation is the team will line up something like this:
GK Butland
LB Aarons
CB Djiga
CB Souttar
RB Tavernier
CM Rothwell
CM Raskin
CM Diomande
LW Cortes
RW Bajrami
FW Danilo
Cases to be made for Jefte, Cameron and Curtis to start but I don't see it.
As for Panathinaikos, they've had a more comprehensive pre-season with 2 wins (Metalist, Westerlo) , a draw (Schalke 04) and a defeat (SC Braga)
They are missing their first choice LB through suspension and a midfielder through injury.
A few internationals stick out for me in their team. Pellistri, Maksimovic, Djuricic, Max, Ioannidis, Jedvaj.
Expecting a tough game, against a team which look tougher than whoever we can draw in the next round.
2-1 Rangers. Danilo at the double.
Servette or Viktoria Plzen await the winners of the tie
Besiktas or Shakhtar Donetsk await the losers in the Europa League.
Rangers v Panathinaikos
posted 3 days, 11 hours ago
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 40 minutes ago
comment by whodunnit (U22710)
posted 20 minutes ago
I see we inverted both Aarons and Tav last night ........
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This trans nonsense shows no sign of stopping
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I thought Rangers fans got the subway not the trans
posted 3 days, 11 hours ago
comment by Call Sign (U3627)
posted 17 minutes ago
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 40 minutes ago
comment by whodunnit (U22710)
posted 20 minutes ago
I see we inverted both Aarons and Tav last night ........
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This trans nonsense shows no sign of stopping
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought Rangers fans got the subway not the trans
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Indeed, and frequently have difficulty when coming too early.
posted 2 days, 3 hours ago
Seeing things on X about how John Souttar completed x amount of passes, which was basically the same amount as the entire Panathinaikos team over the 90mins....and how that's proof of Martin's system working and being implemented
I'm sorry...but fck right off
CB to FB to CB to FB to CB to FB......and on and on
All that is, is proof we are fcking about at the back with it, and largely going nowhere.
Kinda stat big Phil would be proud of
Let's no go down that road eh
posted 2 days, 2 hours ago
comment by St3vie (U11028)
posted 57 minutes ago
Seeing things on X about how John Souttar completed x amount of passes, which was basically the same amount as the entire Panathinaikos team over the 90mins....and how that's proof of Martin's system working and being implemented
I'm sorry...but fck right off
CB to FB to CB to FB to CB to FB......and on and on
All that is, is proof we are fcking about at the back with it, and largely going nowhere.
Kinda stat big Phil would be proud of
Let's no go down that road eh
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Welcome to Brendanbaw, Stevie. First OF will be a fun watch, with both sides camped in their own halves, relentlessly passing it square across the back lines.
posted 2 days, 2 hours ago
comment by Dave The Jackal (U22179)
posted 24 minutes ago
comment by St3vie (U11028)
posted 57 minutes ago
Seeing things on X about how John Souttar completed x amount of passes, which was basically the same amount as the entire Panathinaikos team over the 90mins....and how that's proof of Martin's system working and being implemented
I'm sorry...but fck right off
CB to FB to CB to FB to CB to FB......and on and on
All that is, is proof we are fcking about at the back with it, and largely going nowhere.
Kinda stat big Phil would be proud of
Let's no go down that road eh
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to Brendanbaw, Stevie. First OF will be a fun watch, with both sides camped in their own halves, relentlessly passing it square across the back lines.
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I'm 100% going 0v0 on the predictor for that
posted 1 day, 17 hours ago
Stevie likes it agricultural!
posted 1 day, 17 hours ago
Would be the first to admit, i didn't enjoy it. Its not a style of football that excites me, give me the rock n roll of Liverpool under Klopp over the tiki-taka of Man City any day.
That said, got to get behind the team. Whatever that first 45mins was, they will get better at it. It might end up being a good watch but equally it might invite daft mistakes. Lets see how the style develops and how the players adapt.
posted 1 day, 16 hours ago
like it or not the tiki taka approach is better against lesser opposition. I for one would like to see us dominate the ball and control matches for a change rather than see a 50/50 match against Queens Park at home. Our games ended up like basketball games, and whilst it was effective against better teams (very effective) it made the lesser teams games far closer.
posted 1 day, 15 hours ago
comment by whodunnit (U22710)
posted 1 hour, 13 minutes ago
like it or not the tiki taka approach is better against lesser opposition. I for one would like to see us dominate the ball and control matches for a change rather than see a 50/50 match against Queens Park at home. Our games ended up like basketball games, and whilst it was effective against better teams (very effective) it made the lesser teams games far closer.
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I was reasonably impressed at the ambition with the CBs 2H compressing the game to the last 30-35yards from their goal. Tiki taka confidence should help the better players you can afford do it where it counts because any team of hammer throwers can defend balls into a packed box. Way to go and the key lies in the modifications from the ideology.
posted 1 day, 14 hours ago
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by whodunnit (U22710)
posted 1 hour, 13 minutes ago
like it or not the tiki taka approach is better against lesser opposition. I for one would like to see us dominate the ball and control matches for a change rather than see a 50/50 match against Queens Park at home. Our games ended up like basketball games, and whilst it was effective against better teams (very effective) it made the lesser teams games far closer.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I was reasonably impressed at the ambition with the CBs 2H compressing the game to the last 30-35yards from their goal. Tiki taka confidence should help the better players you can afford do it where it counts because any team of hammer throwers can defend balls into a packed box. Way to go and the key lies in the modifications from the ideology.
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Agree.
Though most of those who adhere to this philosophy are loyal to it to a fault.
Playing like that but changing it on occasion for certain games would bring better results.
Us going to Athens to try and dominate them when we're already 2-0 up is much riskier than going there and playing on the break.