Scottish Premiership match day three
Rangers vs Celtic
3rd September 2023 1200
RANGERS: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Souttar, Sterling, Raskin, Jack, Cantwell, Matondo, Dessers, Roofe
SUBS: McCrorie, Ridvan, Lundstram, Lawrence, Lammers, Cifuentes, Sima, Davies, Danilo
Three changes to the Rangers side from midweeks PSV fixture, Sterling replaces Barisic, Jack in for Lundstram and Kemar Roofe is in for Cifuentes. Borna Barisic misses out altogether, Ridvan returns to the squad on the bench.
A seemingly front foot selection from Rangers, Matondo on the left with Roofe on the right behind Dessers. Cantwell, Jack, Raskin in the engine have a battle to win.
Huge performance required. Let’s do this Rangers.
First half action –
1 min – Goal but flag is up, Matondo slides to put Dessers pass in. VAR confirms the decision. Remains 0-0.
15 mins – Abada ball across goal is well cleared by Tavernier.
Rangers incredibly deep and disconnected from front line, can’t get any momentum.
25 mins – BLOCK! Twice! Kyogo through as Souttar slips, Goldson blocks on the line as ball is past Butland. Celtic come again and Goldson clears across face of goal outstretched. Rangers hanging on somewhat. Tremendous defending by Goldson.
Celtic exploiting the full back areas.
30 mins – GOAL! Dessers robs defender and squares for Roofe who powers home!
VAR! Chopped off for a foul by Dessers. Remains 0-0.
43 mins – Tavernier cross and Hart fumbles a touch, Matondo puts the half chance over.
45 mins – Tavernier corner headed down and wide by Roofe.
GOAL! Kyogo first time as headed back in, Rangers caught cold. Defence sleeping and Kyogo rifles in first time. 0-1
HALF TIME – Rangers 0 Celtic 1
Second half action –
57 mins – Kyogo through and checks back in to sky over.
63 mins – SUBS Off Roofe, Matondo, Sterling, On Lammers, Danilo, Ridvan
75 mins – Lammers through and rounds Hart but clips wide. 0-1
83 mins – Double chance for Danilo as Hart blocks both. 0-1
FULL TIME – RANGERS 0 CELTIC 1
Toxic full time reaction at Ibrox as the players are heavily booed and jeered as they walk round.
That was a dreadful performance by Rangers throughout, the style completely missing aside of long ball. The press was wrong, the front players went and the midfield didn’t and it was all completely disjointed. The pre season performances have just carried into the season and it’s not good enough.
Once again Michael Beale has lost a big game and the fans are fast losing patience. Even myself who has backed the manager is completely struggling to see what our shape is, the style of play, the tactics, because it lacks so much.
If we weren’t winning but could see something, then I’d be more patient, but this is miles away from being good enough.
It feels like a long way back for the manager and this squad both individually and collectively.
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Four Lads Had A Dream 
I just can’t see where we go from here, there is nothing that points to a team settling in together. I don’t believe that the manager (who I have backed since his appointment) knows his best 11 or the best formation to play. The frustrations are now being voiced in the stands. How long will he be given to get things right? The clock is ticking……..
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Totally agree , we have went backwards this season, from being terrible last season we are worse this season , the manager should not survive this , we need a football manager not a coach. Absolutely shocking display .
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Stevie I know we are all hurting but see in cold light of day we are only 4 points behind them do you in your opinion think there is any chance that the board will be looking & sounding out a new manager.I honestly believe if we had a Graham Potter for talking sakes that we could catch them no problem. I am utterly baffled with what Beale tried today
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Toothless display Steve, no dig, no hunger and begging to wonder if Beale is the man to take us forward he looked lost again at times.
We have no style and too many players not being played in their best positions, basically there’s too many questions to ask and I don’t know if the gaffer has the answers.
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Mate this is what I was trying to get in your last blog there is no shape players don’t know what their doing & a manager who continually changes tactics not in a sense like gio when in that European run he seen things & changed to be pro active, Beale constantly changes tactics because we are woeful 2 watch, now we could pick apart that game all day but I will stick with this simple observation from game, everytime they had bye kick in first half we sat off them why I don’t know but it was the manger’s instructions but our manager said we rectified it in second half, so why did it take our manager a full half 2 work that out when Stevie Wonder could see it, if you press them they are either going 2 lose the ball because quite frankly they are terrible at it but we made them look like Barca pep days at times, now what happens if you press & they go long bingo they are playing with kyogo up front so they ain’t winning any high balls & we regain possession, said 2 you that we have our act together off the pitch now, if this board has any sense go out & get Graham Potter & Billy Reid before the sack race begins in the epl because I can see Ibrox getting even more toxic very soon don’t know if you seen what went on in broomloan stand after game but not nice to see.
Ps I don’t think the players that Beale has brought in are the worst players in world I just think he is clueless
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That was an appalling performance, no direction, no tactic, no plan, nothing. Our goal that was deemed to be a foul should have stood but that apart, disappointed is to small a word. Michael can go and take these duds with him, they just don’t know how to score goals. It’s back to the drawing board as far as I can see. That celtic team were poor and there for the taking and we still couldn’t do it. These rangers players ate just not going to gel because they simply are not good enough.
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Mate they are not going 2 gel because we have a manager that continually changes his tactics during because & that’s because he continually sets us up wrong, look at last game against them last season Cantwell playing as a ten on top of McGregor 2 men side pressing their full backs worked great Cantwell ran the show today played right he has played about 5 different positions this season so far, boy must be wondering what’s going on, I honestly don’t believe they are the worst players in the world but Beale is setting them up 2 look like it, my son said on the way back from game that Beale said there has been a bit much made of the amount that we have spent on transfer fees as in we have spent much less than people have alluded 2, so making out he hasn’t spent fortunes my son said fine & well but we only started with 2 of his signings from this season today & 1 of them was a goalkeeper, I honestly do not know 1 fan that wants him still in a job if I was chairman i would be sounding out Graham Potter right now seen few people saying we couldn’t afford him don’t think Graham Potter would worry about money man won the Swedish cup & got ostersund into Europa league they started in fourth tier when he took over & Billy Reid would jump at it let him know what it’s about
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