14 Apr 2025 23:11:57
If we get past Bilbao and make semis, I know people say play a weakened team against Celtic, but there is not one player in that changing room who should stand for being rested against Celtic, any other team, yeah, but every one of them should be desperate to play Celtic.
I also don't think Ferguson could stomach not playing a full strength side against Celtic and more than likely throwing a match with them, regardless of next match, just not in his nature from what I can see.
In my opinion, winning 3 old firms on the bounce after narrowly missing out in the cup final puts down a proper marker for next year, showing them that they are struggling to beat us home and away and next year we will push properly.
I fully expect others to disagree, and my opinion could change between now and then depending on results, but Rangers should never not have their strongest team on the park for a game against Celtic, regardless of circumstances.
15 apr 2025 03:18:31
nope, sorry bro
europe is everything now,
this is exactly the attidue only used in scotland
and the real reason Celtic have done absolutely nothing in europe since Rangers went down
they are only interested in beating rangers
we are bigger than that, much much bigger.
15 Apr 2025 05:23:58
How does winning 3 old firms. this season put down a marker for next? That's like saying losing twice to St mirren lays down the opposite marker.
15 Apr 2025 07:00:27
GivetheGuy - Circumstances and major injuries do come into play here - like old cliche goes "One game at a time" - let's see how Bilbao second leg goes firstly before any thoughts drift to OF game - we need level heads but fighting attitude and endeavour and a wee bit luck to beat Bilbao and any UEFA bias regarding refereeing to be visible -as many supposed neutrals want Bilbao to get through to the final on their own patch? also no point Fergie being super concerned and up for the derbies when we can't beat the also rans in our division by giving teams a two goal start most of the time - every game is important! - not just Old Firm?.
15 apr 2025 07:32:03
for many years now Celtic have appeased the less intelligent and more hate filled segment of their support, the ones who are forever saying " as long as we beat you " as long as we won the league etc
well imo Rangers are bigger than that and should continue to prove that, we must concentrate all our energy in europe whe we reach stages like this, beating Celtic will give us nothing now, not a thing, and you can be assured of one thing,
if you give Celtic fans a choice " Rangers beat you another twice, or Rangers get to europa final?
the answer would be an overwhelming " we don't give a fxxk if you beat us twice 3 times or 4 times, we won the league, if Rangers got to another final it would overwhelm anything they have done for 20 yrs and more,
we must rest players and go all out in europe, it could be another chance at legendary status.
15 Apr 2025 07:34:17
Point is it should never have been on that day league is so corrupt
And anyone else now think its funny they are talking about giving teams chance to postpone fixture at start of seasons for qualifying for europe just when its getting to stage Celtic need to qualify and not go straight in.
15 Apr 2025 08:40:08
Agree with what you say sir, but I honestly think BF, love him or hate him, is struggling to put a relatively FIT team on the park. He mentioned this on Sunday, half the bench shouldn't really have been there! @@ and to get what's left uP and running for 3 or 4 huge games is asking a lot.
15 Apr 2025 09:40:27
Forever but only for the play off game which makes it look more suspicious mate, why has this never happened previously with Rangers play offs games? my honest opinion is that never mattered because they were in the cl group, big change next season and that is the reason why in my eyes.
15 Apr 2025 09:44:44
Lets not look too far ahead. I understand it's a hypothetical question "if" we get to the semi final.
Athletic Bilbao are a very good team, a really difficult task on thursday night. let's not underestimate them. One game at a time to worry about, Celtic is a few weeks away yet.
15 Apr 2025 09:54:43
Too many people think. beaten by st mirren and Livingston say. but beat Celtic it's all good. Like Scotland get beat by Luxembourg then beat England. all's well. Let's see how Thursday goes. it's the no1 priority. Win that. Celtic is irrelevant.
15 Apr 2025 10:30:37
So the European referees have now joined this huge conspiracy against us and want us beaten on Thursday and then the SFA are agreeing for last play off game to be allowed a break from domestic which we also wanted. who cares if it benefits Celtic as long as it benefits us. at last the SFA doing what is right and we still moan. TBH at the moment they don't even need to bother as we are so far away from challenging it is scary but carry on believing that in the same way that Celtic fans think that the SFA, media, referees etc are all against them. it may be that both are right and the fans of other teams complaints about OF bias are right as well. ?.
15 Apr 2025 10:36:28
Angus why was cancelling of games for pay offs already not in place?
15 Apr 2025 10:39:00
Gets put in place for next season and you wonder why we think this way Angus or me anyway ?.
15 Apr 2025 10:53:19
OrangeT that is exactly what it means, it's about mentality and building momentum, if you think that St Mirran beating us twice doesn't give them the confidence to say "we've got them beat, we will win this" then that's very naive, we should absolutely aim to beat Celtic every time we play them to help mentality and momentum against them. Resting against other teams is different as were expected to beat them regardless.
15 Apr 2025 11:13:30
Beating Celtic clearly not our issue. Its beating anybody outwith them. Genuinely not confident in us in any game. Aberdeen, hibs, st mirren, dundee, Motherwell. Embarrassing.
15 Apr 2025 11:30:42
You think then making the fixtures didn't know the 4th of May is right between the games of a semi final if we make it? we do win on Thursday we need to do everything possible to not play that game on the 4th.
15 Apr 2025 12:23:48
Correct Paul the rest is our problem hopefully that changes soon mate.
15 Apr 2025 12:26:07
So next season, we will have a new manager with a hopefully largely different squad and using his own preferred tactics but beating them this season 3 times will put down a marker for next season. Sorry a proper marker, I just don't get that way of thinking. I do agree that there's not one player that should want rested against celtic. Let's wait and see what happens on Thursday before we worry about it.
15 Apr 2025 12:30:48
The big question that needs asked is why did the SPFL schedule the OF fixture for between the two legs of the semi. They had a choice of 5 fixtures they could have put there yet they chose the hardest one for us despite the fact that we are once again enhancing Scottish footballs reputation and co efficient . They have even scheduled 3 HOME games in a row to facilitate this happening something almost unheard of .
Its a scandal and its just as well that we are not in contention for the title like we were the last time they screwed us over fixture scheduling .
We have no friends in the authorities in Scotland and its time we stopped kidding on that we do.
15 Apr 2025 12:34:04
Rangers league performances this season have been nothing short of disgraceful.
15 Apr 2025 13:36:57
My Star I assume your 3 scattered posts are in reply to my conspiracy theory response. I agree it should have been in place before but both teams have had play offs before and they weren't so it is IMO coincidence they will be in from next season. world cups etc create longer seasons so not as many free dates to fit additional fixtures in and no wonder break as well because of that.
I also understood that the fixtures as created by computer so is the computer in on this conspiracy as well. Imagine if that draw came out and they changed it what would be said then.
I just don't believe there is a conspiracy and funnily enough that Celtic think it is against them. My mates who support other teams think it is in favour of both OF so go figure that.
I would put it down to SFA at last seeing common sense and the computer spouting out that date for the OF.
15 Apr 2025 13:53:55
Angus, clearly you think very differently from me then.
15 Apr 2025 14:04:58
We have posters ironically moaning about a "dead rubber" fixture and a game they are "happy to play a weakened team " in being slap bang in a potential EL SF?♂️
If you want to talk about sporting integrity, why not feel anger and pity for a system that sees Hibs and Motherwell finish a league campaign with 18 home games and 20 away. ?.
15 Apr 2025 14:26:53
Well said tom. Only in Glasgow would that even be a question, it's pathetic tbh mate.
15 Apr 2025 18:55:33
Star clearly and at least stops the one-time rumour of us being the same poster.
BB (and Tom) I agree as winning the league is the goal and if we did that and lost 4 games to Celtic then I would be upset but no more than losing 4 games to Aberdeen or St Mirren.