 Friday, March 07, 2008
Odds on Celtic should shorten after Rangers win in Europe
Rangers impending (and unexpected) qualification for the Uefa Cup quarter finals will pile on the fixture pressure as the season reaches a climax.
They play Hibs in the Scottish Cup fifth round on Sunday, the same day Celtic play their quarter final against Aberdeen. A draw and further replay cannot be discounted, but straight progress into the quarter finals would cause enough confusion on its own.
19 March has been pencilled in for the postponed Celtic Rangers game, but if Rangers remain in the Scottish Cup after this weekend, they will play Partick Thistle in the Cup that day instead.
With international games scheduled for the midweek of Wednesday 26 March and Uefa Cup quarter finals on 3 and 10 April, Rangers would have no dates available for their postponed Celtic and St Mirren games until after the league splits on 6 April.
I hope they make the quarter finals. If they do, and they win the league, they will deserve it, irrespective of officialdom. Celtic’s odds should have shortened a bit last night, and I learned to overcome my Pavlovian instincts and think of the long game.
I would, of course, feel different if we had not over-done the whole Uefa Cup thing before we found our Champions League boots.
48 Comments:
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testing
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test
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very testing....
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Paul67 - I think you're right. We can relax - unless they got to the final..... We did, and I don't think we overdid it - that was a fantastic achievement. In the meantime, their games will get in the way of their league challenge. Hasta la victoria siempre!
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Just back in from Barca.
Bad first half, good second half.
Therein lies the mystery of the greatest game on the earth, that also underpins the greatest team in the world.
But my god it was bitterly cold up there!!
Loved every minute of the journey, the city, the people, and even the bar called the 'ra', (which I believe means 'sun god'), behind the market off La Rambla.
Was asked in a bar yesterday by a couple of folk, "where should we go for a meal?"
I replied "up the ra"
TAL
Hail hail
Estadio
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I've been trying to post for about the last hour and a half. Not that these things are important (!) but does my post count as a first - seeing as the others were only tests?
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PS - if it's a first, is it the first first that disnae say 'first'?
firstyworkcsc
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Agree with everything you say Paul, apart from one thing...
The Rangers Hibs game cannot go to replay... because it is already a replay!
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The rest of this season is so important. If we can get automatic CL qualification we will be able to buy the 2/3 quality players we need to;
1 - Asisst re-qualification to the last 16 in the CL.
2 - Win away in the CL(!) - hopefully a kind draw will help!
3 - progress to the last 8 of the CL.
In the past 18 months we have accrued circa £28m profit whilst building an £8m training complex and spending £11m on players. The squad is there. We now need the quality to kick on.
Re-signing Aiden and Naka should be the first phase of this.
Then lets look to rock sir minty, sally the cardie and Co. with some top quality players.
SPHell 07-08 first though.
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Hi Paul,
I've tried a couple of posts tonight that didn't work so hopefully this one will get through.
All those who posted on the Rangers game tonight, we took on a good German team and limited them to a couple of shots on goal, one of them a very good save from Mr McGregor another what I would call a workmanlike save (to those of you who get upset at McGregor/Boruc being compared then waqtch them both, they have a lot in common, they are both good shot stoppers, they both have a weakness in cross balls, they both have a temprement. Where I would place your keeper abobve is on one one one, he seems to have that good keepers ability to fill a goal as he goes down)
We more than held them in the midfield and I would say dominated them. In front we had one very lucky goal due to a keepers mistake but if you don't shoot you can't score, a second goal from a quick follow up. You may think all the above is nothing to do with you, then watch the game, we are not a bad team, we are not a team who are hammer throwers and are going to collapse. Your title is in danger and I honestly think we will take ir from you. I know everyone on here will disagree with me but I reckon we can take 3 points at Ibrox and at least 1point from the games at C.P
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Ed.
It'w well past your bed time so go brush yer teeth and sleep ;o)
And a wee well done to you mate!
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Paul
Do we not play on Sunday as well as Rangers? I thought it was Sunday 12.30?
I agree with you on 'playing the long game' though I went with this strategy as far as this round. I was happy to see them beat the Greeks, but they might just be getting a bit too close for comfort to actually doing something in this tournament. At least that mob won't get a holiday out of it, though Manchester is a bit more exotic than they may be used to I suppose!
I really hope we get to play them on March 19. This would be the best time to play them, especially coming off the back of them losing the CIS Cup Final the previous Sunday and a 4 goal defeat in Bremen the midweek before!
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Congrats at the result EU. Thought Bremen were ordinary and the gers were fortunate, but as you said they controlled the game.
Not a bad result for Celtic, makes the run in important.
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It's time all you residents of the UK were tucked up in bed.
This is Paul's gift to the graveyard shift.
You don't all want to be in the questionable company of the night ghouls, do you?
Unspeakable things happen after the witching hour.
We are all polite to one another and indulge in wee sing songs.
I only saw the goals from Ibrox and I reckon the Bremen goalie couldn't hold a candle to Arthur. In fact he could hold a candle safely.
Now I need to make sure this shiny new thread stays clean for the early morning guys.
Finish up your drinks bhoys and ghirls and get home to your wives and families.
'GG building the agenda for the
Friday Night Is Music Night
coming to a CQN thread on surprisingly enough Friday.
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Edward:
You must be dumbfonded as to how McCulloch didn't just hammer throw the ball into the net after getting past the keeper, it looked like he wanted to run it into the net!
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Just got back from B'cna but thought this may be intersting. My Catalan is fairly rough but here goes:
L'AFICIO DEL CELTIC DONA UN EXEMPLE DE CIVISME!
La presencia de 10,000 escocesos a BCN conclou sense incidents.
"....Tot el contrari que la imatge que van oferir els seus conciutadans del Rangers quan van visitar Barcelona el novembre passat,on l'incivisme va ser el trist protagonista de la jornada....."
A Mario Fort (metro catalunya Dimecres 5 de marc de 2008)
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Twelthman
The Spanish press seems to have given us gold stars for the way we conducted ourselves and have drawn favourable contrasts with the unfriendly visit of the Visigoths.
I am holding my breath waiting to see it reflected in the local media.
Well done to everyone who enhanced our considerable reputation as ambassadors for Celtic.
'GG
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Anyone else getting tired of this patting ourselves on the back for being wonderful supporters? What is so extraordinary about behaving as civilised human beings? Don't get me wrong, it is good that we are not feared in the way some football supporters are but is is not a cause for celebration.
What would be a cause for celebration is having a side capable of competing with top 16 teams. We haven't done that yet and we were so far behind Barcelona for 135 mins that it was demoralising to watch.
I would also celebrate getting back to the top of the league but we are running out of games. We cannot depend on them being tired after so many games or on anyone else taking points of them. Let's stop assuming this. We need to beat them ourselves and to do so we are going to have to play stronger and smarter than we have done to date this season. As things stand right now we could end the season empty handed and that quite frankly is a disturbing thought.
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MNCelt
Fear not. We have an opportunity to take 9 points from them, 7 will do for me.
The reason we seek to enhance our reputation abroad is that in our own wee bigotry riddled country we are not given equal treatment or coverage.
Whether it's on or off the field, our detractors continually seek to force us into second slot because of our ancestral connections and historical religious affiliations.
Much to the chagrin of the old order we continue to break the glass ceilings they had imposed on us up until the '60s, and they are uncomfortable, very unhappy and fearful for their future.
The Rangers Football Club was one of the main manifestations of their position and now that is being undermined by a financially secure and successful Celtic, saved from its demise by the power of its fans.
Believe me we'll be top of the league before before St Patrick's Day.
'GG
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Edwardo Ursus-
your credibility is on the same line as that of Sean South' as your appearances to gloat after Celtic losses and Rangers wins seem to concur.
Unless you and him are the same person?
Don't kid yourself about your beloved Teddy Bears-
A bigger shower of hammer throwers haven't been seen on these islands since The Braemar Highland Games in 1961.
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Games to the split
Celtic
Celtic Vs Dundee Unt 12/3
Motherwell Vs Celtic 15/3
Gretna vs Celtic 23/3
Rangers vs Celtic 29/3
Celtic vs Motherwell 05/4
Games Outstanding
Celtic Vs Rangers (Possible fixtures 26th March /2nd & 9th April)
Rangers
Rangers Vs Hibs 23/3
Rangers Vs Celtic 29/3
Dundee Unt vs Rangers 6/4
Games Outstanding
Celtic Vs Rangers (Possible fixtures 26th March /2nd & 9th April)
Motherwell vs Rangers (Possible fixtures 26th March /2nd & 9th April)
St Mirren Vs Rangers (Possible fixtures 26th March /2nd & 9th April)
Potential dates before split
Rangers will be playing
13th against Weder Bremen
19th Scottish Cup against Partick Thistle as long as the progress against Hibs. If they fail to progress this date will become available for tie against Celtic / Motherwell / St Mirren
Possible fixtures available 26th March for game against Celtic / Motherwell / St Mirren as long as Rangers have no replay in the Scottish Cup tie with Partick Thistle.
Possible fixtures available 2nd April for game against Celtic / Motherwell / St Mirren as long as they don't progress in Uefa Cup. If they progress this date will not be available and Rangers next date will be 18th April.
Possible fixture available 9th April for game against Celtic / Motherwell / St Mirren as long as they don't progress in Uefa Cup. If they progress this date will not be available and Rangers next date will be 18th April.
If Celtic can continue winning league fixtures we will be 1 point ahead assuming Rangers also continue winning.
At the end of the split Celtic will have played 33 games having played 16 at home and 17 away. This will require 3 at home and 2 away from the last 5 games. Rangers will have played 33 games 17 at home and 16 away. They will require 2 at home and 3 away from the last 5 games.
Games after the split
19th April
26th April
03rd May
10th May
TBC
Celtic to play
Motherwell vs Celtic
Celtic vs Hibs
Celtic vs Rangers
Dundee Unt vs Celtic
Celtic vs Falkirk / Hearts vs Celtic / Celtic vs Aberdeen
If Hearts qualify for the top 6 the Hearts fixture would be required to change in order to maintain 19 home and away games
Rangers
Celtic vs Rangers
Hibs vs Rangers
Rangers vs Motherwell
Rangers vs Dundee Unt
Falkirk vs Rangers / Rangers vs Hearts / Aberdeen vs Rangers
If Hearts qualify for the top 6 the Hearts fixture would be required to change in order to maintain 19 home and away games
Progress by Rangers in the UEFA cup will mean that they will be playing sat/Sun / wednesday/thursday until the Scottish Cup Final.
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Also just back from Barca. I bought the catalan newspaper el periodico. The banner headline which accommpanied pictures of bhoys having a good time was "the Good Scots"
Translated story using Google, a bit dodgy as it was probably written in Catalan.
THE GOOD ESCOCESES
The initiative to focus followers of Celtic in Montjuïc desatascó downtown NCB
There were many Scots who pasearon through the streets and squares of the most famous Catalan capital. But they did so in small groups, among other things, because nobody had banned the free movement through the city.
The behavior
The Celtic fans had performed much more civil than their traditional rivals Rangers. There was no smell of urine or in the Plaza de Catalunya, which incidentally is behind bars, as a result of works, or in SoHo. In the square Reial, instead of the usual concentration hobby Catholic Glasgow Celtic in earlier movements, were left to see, but far from the crowds of yesteryear.
"The Celtic fans - explained the manager of one of the bars in the Plaza Reial - we usually came here, as is the case with followers of English clubs like Liverpool or Manchester. Was the Rangers fans who threw everything to lose by deciding to focus on the Plaza de Catalunya. " And it was they, with their bad behavior, which forced the Barcelona City Council's decision to promote a scene of the city to concentrate on the hobby visitor, because of the many citizen complaints.
Lessons for the future
The pavilion number 7 of the Fira re-used in the future as a host of rivals swollen. The Barcelona City Council took the Scottish appointment yesterday to take lessons for the upcoming playoffs azulgrana set, or even the Espanyol, if the team gets Valverde square Europe.
Yesterday, for example, preventing most of the 5,100 fans with tickets who arrived in Barcelona is moving to the city centre, as the coach left in the Montjuïc from there led to the Camp Nou and then bring them to airport. Most fans who pasearon by the Rambla part of the group that traveled on their own and without input.
Some of these followers, a figure that varies between 5,000 and 8,000 people, will stay a few more days of vacation in Catalonia, something that has happened in previous encounters Celtic.
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At 07/03/08 00:40, EdwardUrsus said…
I don't think you'll get much joy with that reasoning here. However, I've been beating the drum for a long time about Rangers being a much better side that they're given credit for here. Perhaps they're not the most cultured side in the world but it would be churlish in the extreme not to recognise that they're effective. And at the end of the day when the points are added up and the gongs are handed out, it will be effectiveness that is rewarded. That said, the gap between us is cvurrently small and there are too many games left to be played for anyone to guess with confidence how this one will turn out.
The league is turning into a right good struggle and it is certainly much more engrossing than the past two years. It will be a good one to win and a hard one to lose for either set of supporters. I trust that the League Cup will be adequate consolation for you.
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From todays Daily Hun, any St Matthew's Academy Bhoys out their, can you get me some.
TWO 14-year-old boys caught with the male impotence drug were excluded from St Matthew's Academy in Saltcoats, Ayrshire.
"They were pulled into the headmaster's office and found to be in possession of prescription drugs including Viagra.
"The boys have claimed not to have taken any of them but there has been good reason to believe that was not the case.
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Glover
great peice about the outstanding league games
with their schedule and us having two home games against them , together with a greater number of home games there is little in it .
ED...i thought your team played well last night in containing Bremen
However apart from goalkeeper howlers you didn`t really look like scoring .IMO McGregor was called upon to make similar saves as the Bremen goalie , if he`d had as bad a night heaven knows what the score would have been.A very long and nervy 90 awaits in Germany
BTW
WE PLAY ABERDEEN ON SUNDAY , ON SKY 1245 KO
STAND UP FOR THE CHAMPIONS
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Catching up ...Awe_Naw 6 March 11:04. A thing of beauty. Read it over and over , spans decades but feels like the moment.
DDBIA , I know you are frustrated , we all are. Think about MON's team 1 , the spine that was inherited from years when we could hope to get past the Yoofa qualifiers and the team 1 of MON's legacy with nothing to left give. They had given us glory , championships , cups and pride.
The way Gordon Strachan has had to take risks with home grown green , Aiden , Maloney , Mick. Two SPL's and Two last 16 CL in just over two years. Give the players time to mold into an even better team , haven't Donati and Brown been with us less than 9 months . Rangers are never as bad as we wish them to be and whoever wins deserves to be there , whether MONS team or WGS 3.5 ??? teams in two years. Keep the faith. Keep Strachan , we need him more than he needs us. Hail Hail
Stillthreeinarowherewego.
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HansSolo :- I think you are being slightly unfair on my credibility, I come on here and post whether Rangers get a good result or not, and even if Celtic beat rangers I make a brief appearance and take my lumps. I don't think I gloat though that can be a matter of opinion, I do think we are a better team than many on here will admit and I do think we will take the title this year but I have been posting saying that since the season started. I can state 100% that Mr South and myself are in no way related :-)
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Tauranga- I'm not frustrated; I'm old enoughnow to know that things sort themselves out in time, for better or worse.
However, I do think that the way forward is not to underestimate the opposition, nor to exagerrate our own qualities when clearly they're not there.
This particular Rang##s team, for all their limitations , is proving remarkably resilient .In fact their limitations may be one of their strengths. We may need to win at least two of our remaining 3 encounters against them ,but in the last 3 games we haven't even managed to score a goal.
Anyways, I'm reading Duncan Hamilton's biography of Brian Clough. I didn't know that the managers he most admired[ apart from himself] were Shankly and Stein. Also Stuart Pearce used to advertise in the club programme, offering his services as a qualified sparks. Well worth a read.
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ExaGeRRate- d'oh!
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Ianin Budapest :- I agree it is going to be a very close run in and perhaps bottle will decide it in the last couple of games, it will be interesting to say the least. I have to differ with you on the league cup as I see that as a springboard rather than an end result.
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test
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Paul67..
the management speak is ''groupthink''
if you come on this blog and say rankers are crap, hutton is rotten, celtic will easily win the league, strachan will win the old firm games, etc
you will be patted on the back with a ''well done mate''
despite all the evidence pointing to a different conclusion.
rankers are strong favourites to win the league.
Lets accept that, and discuss why, despite a head start, strach has fallen behind.
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Ed,
Would agree, their keeper aside that the performance did make me think somewhat.
My main concern with us playing one up front has always been that Aiden aside we are usually very slow in getting up to support the striker if he has been able to hold up the ball.
Few occassions last night say your team do that very well.
Fair play and should be a very interesting return leg...then again more likely a close down the back shop and try to hit them on the break!
Enjoy it anyways mate!
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Maybe I’m stupid, maybe I’m gullible, maybe I have an inherent and indelible, vested interest, but why do I believe this man over any acclaimed mongrel beast of a journalist.
Might not come to pass but I have every faith that the mutual intent is there.
I just love being a Tim. Every day, any day, come rain or hail, feast or famine, every day is a Hoopy Tim day. Besides family… what else is there?
So let me be the first to say cheerio Gordon.
What do you mean you ain’t going anywhere? But they said…. He said…
Ah well!!! What do any of us know?
Gordon Strachan you’re one of us, go on admit it, you know you want to…you’re a closet ‘TIM’ aren’t you?
I can’t ever remember any other Celtic manager ever getting as many suspensions as you Gordon Bhoy. Is that passion for our badge, our club, I see? Or are you just a Kestral Ned as some would have us believe?
PL on the BBC
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According to the bookies, neither team is strong favourites to win the league. As it happens, were we not strong favourites to win in 03 when we allowed an average Rangers team to win a treble?
Right now, in March 08 it's time to support the team 100%. Any talk of discussing why 'Strach has falled behind' is doing the devil's work for him.
As it happens, there was no 'head start' - both teams started the season on 0 points. Previous season's results add nothing towards this season, that's why we keep watching. Bearing in mind that there has been at least 3 20+ swings over the last decade.
I'll spend all night and all day debating where it all went right or wrong on the day the season finishes. Not before.
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hmm....
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Porridgeand, correct, thanks.
Mcgrory for… I can help answer that one.
In April I said that our chances of winning the league this season were 50/50. The teams were pretty level then and I reported that Rangers would spend big – way above their means – and allow themselves a real chance as a result.
I was not happy with our transfer activity in the summer, although I was not particularly impressed with how Rangers spent all that money either.
The January window looked to have a huge importance before it started and, I think, went our way; Celtic strengthened and Rangers sold their POTY candidate.
Notwithstanding the fact that we are four points behind (for good reason), we are not far away from where I predicted we would be in 11 months ago.
It will be tight, tighter than it might have been or, perhaps, should have been, but the weight of home fixtures coming up, and our recent improvement in form, offers reasons to believe Celtic will win the league.
Some people have come on and said “Rangers are crap, Hutton is rotten”, but the group is more diverse than that. I, for example, said neither.
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The results against Bremen and Barcelona change nothing as regards our quest for three in a row.
I think most of us stopped believing Celtic were going to get any help in overtaking Rangers after Hearts' capitulation ten days ago. It is in our hands.
We play to win every game to keep them in sight going into the final straight where we will catch them, kick on and reach the line in first place.
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As mentioned so many times by others I think the 3 head-to-head matches will go a long way to deciding the outcome. That is if Rangers manage to avoid dropping any points in the fixture glut they face.
As Ed has mentioned they will look to win at Ibrox and then most likely sit in against us at Celtic Park and look to hit us on the break. Or they will simply try to bully us. I think with the recent additions the bullying job will be that more difficult and for me we must ensure 6 points from our 2 home games.
Every game is important now so time to get right behind the team for 3 in-a-row!
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new article posted.
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Paul67 suggest you delete your last comment for language violation, before Paul sees it and deletes it for you.
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I don't think I can quite articulate what I mean but not for the first time in recent weeks I'm reminded of calls for Celtic to lose to Hearts to ensure r@ngers finished 3rd in the league. It didn't feel like the Celtic way to me.
Celtic should concentrate on playing their own game and winning football matches. Every match should be played to win. The rest can look after themselves.
I'm also reminded of our indifferent form of last season. There is no benefit to losing games. Winning is a good habit.
Empty trophy cabinets or packed fixture lists?
Chris
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DBBIA - Everyone on this blog , Ed excused , wants us to go forward and get better. Me, I think we need to win all three games to win 3inarow. I think we can do it and I don't think rancid are crap. If we don't win at Ipox then I think that I will be looking at season 2008-2009 hopefully with a wee ginger headed warrior leading our charge. : )
threeinarowherewego
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If that happens, it won't be long before wise tomes appear on how Vladimir Romanov ruined a Scottish institution (not the second biggest, but an institution nonetheless).
Me, I'd be much more interested in what Vladimir Romanov has made of Scotland.
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Edwardursus,
I think you are over estimating German opposition. German football is in dissarray at the moment. They are caught between playing their own regular german way and the continental short passing way. Bayern only humiliated Anderlecht due to an atrocious sending off decision. Schalke needed penalties to get passed Porto and are not exactly inspiring. Bremen rely to heavily on Diego. If he gets marked out the game or he´s no interested Bremen are ordinary. I´ll also be interested to see how many teams that are in CL qualifying positions within their domestic league and still in contention in the UC lose their focus on the UC competition.A guaranteed 10-12m is not to be sneezed at.
I have a couple of good blue nose friends who have been telling me all season how poor they think Rangers are. They agree with Walters pragmatic approach but are very frustrated by it. They also agree with me that Rangers have been lucky (last night was only one example). I have received many sms berating Novo or Adam this season and normally during European games.
They were of the opinion until last night I reckon that Rangers might manage to scrape the league this year.
What I thought was poignant was that I wrote them an sms last night stating that the current SPL leaders have this season beaten Celtic at home and the best French champions ever 3.0 away. They have beaten the German champions and those currently 2nd in the Bundesliga. They have drawn with Barcelona and seen off currently the best Greece has to offer.I also offered them a draw or a Rangers win in Bremen and asked if the Quadruple is on ?
That was last night and I still have not received an answer. The fact that they haven´t answered tells me that they are dreaming of it.
I think Watty has done a marvelous job under the circumstances and has managed his resources well. I think if he sticks to his perfected 4.5.1 until the end of the season against quality opposition his luck-pragmatism-conseravtive approach might pay some dividends. For kudos and finance it already has. At the beginning of the season a cup double would have been unthinkable.
Last year after Milan Celtic never played. They didn´t have too. This time they will have to fight and scratch all the way to may. I reckon they will be up for it and I think your schedule will be telling in the end.
So what about you? are you dreaming of a quadruple ?
Hail Hail .. we shall not be moved.
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A technical question. It strikes me that everytime I see the Ipox pitch, it looks remarkably narrow in comparison with other grounds including our own hallowed turf. Indeed, the dimensions as viewed on the telly lastnight suggested that it had been narrowed even further ! Am I confused about this ? Can anyone help ? It certainly appears to assist Rankers game in preventing the opposition from playing an expansive game against them - they flood the midfield and the pitch also ensures that Cuellar and Weir are not stretched.
For me, when we come to play them, we have to adopt the Barca tactic - the straightforward one of always close down the man with the ball, restrict his opportunities.
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