Rangers sealed European qualification with a hard fought victory over Standard Liege at Ibrox last night. At times our opponents made it extremely difficult taking the lead twice only for Rangers to dig in and recover to win by the odd goal in five.
The most pleasing aspect was the team dug in, stayed with it and managed to turn around a very difficult game, before forcing their quality onto our visitors, then winning the game.
The first thirty minutes we struggled before gradually pushing ourselves back on level terms through a lovely Goldson header. That lasted shorter than most things do, as Liege went forward to go ahead again.
Both goals we lost were poor and littered with moments we could have done better, but impressively this team simply kept at it equalising on the stroke of half time. That was most certainly vital but the courage and mentality of this side has certainly improved to the point where they are finding ways to win, that is so important.
The second half we changed formation and it was a masterstroke because we dominated from there on in. Only several moments of magic, at least four top saves, from the Standard goalkeeper kept Rangers out, but he could not stop Scott Arfield notching another fine strike to add to his terrific early season form.
The formation change gave support up top and freed both full backs to overlap, that allowed our overload in those positions which then meant we could counter press higher up the field. This brought about our winning goal.
But this team now has that, legitimate threats from set pieces, strength from wide and goals littered around the place. We are in a very good place and there is lots to be admired.
The thing is I firmly believe we can get better and play better, but sometimes you credit the opposition for their own quality. They made it difficult but this team managed and grew again in a position where previously we wouldn’t.
All credit to them and I love watching them, they have a little bit of everything and a sprinkling of absolute quality.
But onwards we must go and I will sound boring when I repeat myself, but nothing is won yet. Keep going, keep pushing and we won’t be far away.
Well done Rangers, you are making us all happy. Onwards to Dingwall on Sunday
Club 1872 and Dave King recently announced the ‘Never Again’ campaign to allow fans the opportunity to buy a legacy membership to Club1872 and help them buy Dave Kings remaining shares.
This is undoubtedly huge news and like everything is a hugely emotive subject for everyone in our support.
This is an opportunity but it also poses lots of questions.
Myself and Chris Jack will sit down with Dave and Laura Fawkes, from Club1872, next week to discuss everything whilst answering as many questions that are consistently appearing on social media. You will get that opportunity to listen to that interview next week on episode 29 of the fourlads podcast and I will keep everyone updated with that.
I will then transcribe that for everyone into a blog (or Chris will because he’s good at that!) and it will also be available after the podcast release.
It is important for us to answer everything we can and be neutral in that process to ensure we get the answers people desire.
I have no problems saying I am pro fan ownership, I am pro fan media (hat tip because the boys are doing fantastic) and I am pro this Rangers board. It is our club so to have a greater say would be wonderful.
I’m looking forward to finding out more, working with both Dave King and Laura Fawkes to allow fans that insight, I hope it will be helpful to everyone.
https://heartandhand.co.uk/the-50-greatest-rangers-games/
Finally, as we approach Christmas, a cracking gift may be the brilliant ‘The 50 greatest Rangers games’ by Martyn Ramsay of the Heart and Hand empire. I’m fortunate enough to know Martyn and he is an articulate and passionate guy which shines through in this book.
Martyn told me;
The project was a poll and pod that followed up on the 50 greatest Rangers goals show that I did for Christmas 2018. It was when making the initial plans that I wondered if it would make a good book. The first publisher that I asked agreed and that was that!
It soon became clear, as the hundreds of votes came in and I gave it more consideration, that it would have to be far more than a simple collection of 50 match reports or summations and that I had to ask the bigger questions about why the games resonated with fans and why other famous games didn’t. The book would have to have a bigger theme running through it about how well we cultivate our clubs history and how some of that is being lost to time or simply badly understood.
I think it achieves that as well as including the basics of the who, when, where and how. ‘Why’, however, is always the most important question in history and I genuinely think that this book is different to other football books in that regard.
I hope that it entertains, reignites some emotions, inspires an interest in new areas of the Rangers story and of course, causes a lot of debate!
I have bought and read this book throughout several sittings.
It is a fantastic trip into nostalgia and an education into games through the vision of other supporters. It’s not just victories, it an emotional trip into some of our biggest moments.
I love reading anything about our club and anyone looking for a new book this Christmas should definitely check this book out, can’t recommend it enough.
Rangers things by Rangers fans
https://heartandhand.co.uk/the-50-greatest-rangers-games/
Ignore the nonsense, the irrelevant and the noise 🔴⚪️🔵
Four Lads Had A Dream 