28 Sep 2026 15:20:23
Just finished listening to the open goal podcast with Connor Goldson. I'm not sure what everyone else's thoughts were, but the one thing that stood out for me was how fragile he was mentally or how insecure he was.
I would have expected better from a Rangers player with the level of experience he had.
And until now, i have totally dismissed the whole playing without fans argument, but after listening to him and how difficult he found playing at Ibrox with the moans and groans then it probably was a factor for those lads.
28 Sep 2026 15:39:23
Zikos if its a factor then they don't have the mentality to play for Rangers in my opinion.
28 Sep 2026 18:14:28
I've always thought the mentality of various leader groups was weak, Goldson included. His comment that he knew we were beat at half time against Hibs said it all for me. No proper leaders for years just finger pointers.
28 Sep 2026 15:45:37
Tbh is the one thing that annoys me most when fans moan and groan when not playing well, not playing forward but when they do and lose the ball it is the same reaction like what are the players meant to do becauseit makes them scared and nervous, our fans never used to be like that.
This isn't just a Rangers problem but think we are the worst for it. I get that you need to give fans something to cheer but it doesn't help from kick off some are already on their backs. I would never boo my team off at full time, nevermind half-time like some do.
28 Sep 2026 18:21:20
right mentality, what does that mean, how do you score right mentality, you boo a player it's abuse, you have no idea how much or how little abuse is needed to affect someone mentally.
how do you scout a player to play for Rangers, no one in any other country has played for Rangers in Glasgow goldfish bowl environment. Connor didn't even leave his house, how sad is that, that anyone is scared to leave his house because of his job.
28 Sep 2026 16:49:49
The moans and groans from the Rangers fans have effected far better players than goldson. Rangers fans are so bad for this now. Been like that for decades. Watched it also and though it was a great interview.
And we all knew the club paid him to leave. If he didn't have to cover Tav way up the park and looking out of position he would have been higher thought of.
28 Sep 2026 17:56:08
Very few players arrive with the required metal strength and resilience to cope with the pressures of playing for Rangers - most have to develop it and the club needs to ensure it has the right infrastructure to support the players, which is something that's been missing for a long time.
28 Sep 2026 18:10:48
Del totally agree.
EHL, to me what I find most surprising is the difference in mentality between individual event athletes and team athletes.
I know it seems obvious but individual event athletes are more confident and assured of themselves. Whereas team event athletes always have someone else to shoulder the responsibility or the blame.
I just think that players when they play as many games at Ibrox as Goldson did then he should be able to block out the crowd.
28 Sep 2026 18:55:35
I still blame him for the Europa cup final defeat due to not stopping the pass across goal, he pulled his foot away for some strange reason.
28 Sep 2026 19:26:43
100% spot on Parlane. Its been an issue for years. Thankfully Jim Gillespie was determind to get McInnes who then brought in proper leaders.
Orygbmb same here, if Goldson stops that ball, which he should easily have done then the game does not got to extra time or penalties and win the game in 90 minutes.
Geesadodothat, again that's down to poor mentality.
28 Sep 2026 19:35:56
Geesa I 💯 agree. He s the best CB we've had in 15 years bar Makanya so far. He's playing 2days after his kids born playing through injury. To me that's the right mentality.
Imagine you became the top/one of the top performers in a company and when you got things wrong 50000 people booed you. Shouted absolute filth at you it might make me question if I was good at my job.
28 Sep 2026 20:09:44
Zikos, I've never really encountered a marked difference in confidence/ self belief in athletes in teams sports vs individual sports.
So that's a new one to me.
28 Sep 2026 21:31:11
Zikos, I don't agree. He also mentioned how world class players in Europe struggled when they came to Ibrox. Our fans are a massive part of the problem sometimes. Thought it was brilliant when he said how he coped with the groans by looking into the crowd and asking himself "how many of these people can actually play football" not many.
28 Sep 2026 22:02:02
Orygbmb and Del gets it, go listen to the reason why he never stopped the cross. In the teams analysis of Frankfurt that player cut the ball back every single time he was at the by line and Goldson anticipated that.
He's damned if he does and he's damned if he doesn't because if he went to the byline to stop it folk would no doubt say he should've stayed back to block the cut back.
28 Sep 2026 23:30:51
Rangers56, don't be in an industry where people stand watching and shouting, cheering or booing at every level from grass roots to huge stadiums in every ground in the whole world then. It's nothing like any other company job. Not many jobs too where u get richly rewarded with safety of long contracts regardless of if players like him admitted giving up in games.
29 Sep 2026 09:44:31
Kaiser you are right to an extent, but it still isn't right. i think our fans are a special lot, who would boo players off at half time, in fact we used to boo certain players being subbed on.
Players do hide if they are being boo'd just how is that conducive to getting them to play better.
29 Sep 2026 10:36:05
I wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to say about the Kostic cross tbh. Was he trying to say that because he never went to the by line he wasn't expecting a cross? Regardless he was in a good position to clear it and decided for some reason to let it go and we all know what happened next. Even now trying to blame the analysis team for his decision or error?
And EHL, you never hear a boxer blaming a defeat on being boo'd. They might refer to a hostile atmosphere but never do they say they couldn't throw the punch they wanted to.
I think there is a huge difference in mentality between the 2 types of athletes and would be surprised if there wasn't studies done on the subject? I know this is your field.
29 Sep 2026 10:38:20
I think players need to learn to embrace it, and if they can it will benefit them their entire careers.
I've never heard him speak on it - but would love to hear Craig Moore's thoughts on it. In his 1st spell with us it really seemed to impact his game, and when he returned he came back a different player. I'd love to know what changed from his pov.
29 Sep 2026 12:31:59
Listened to the podcast last night , Connor said some interesting things . He explained his mistake in the Europa final , no excuses just the reason that he defended the cross the way he did. He also gave a bit of insight into the Ross County and Dundee games which cost us the title , he admitted he played badly but the revealed he had a sore foot which was diagnosed as a stress fracture and that he shouldn't really have played .He also gave the background to the following season when despite missing all pre season Beale asked him to play in the opening game with Killie and how he felt that he was never really fit all season.
Guys like him and Tav who played through injuries when other wouldn't, took the brunt of the criticism inmo. The way Goldson was forced out of the club by Stewart and co was a disgrace and I would love to see him and Tav back at some point for a proper farewell from the fans.
29 Sep 2026 17:08:58
I listened to the podcast and I don't think he came across as having a poor mentality at all. To me he had struggles at the start which he came thru, which imo he did from start of 55 till his injury v Liverpool he was a rock. As he said in the interview he wasn't the same player after that injury and I actually gained a bit of respect for him when he spoke of how many times he played thru injury and pain for the club to me that shows he has the mentality that's needed for our club.
He wasn't the reason we didn't win more trophies during that period.