New Footy Season 2016/17 ..How's your team doing?

[struth]

Often think a 0-0 draw at home is the best result in many ways. All the pressure is on them at home not to lose a goal.this can be so strong that you often get one and they leave the door open trying to get 2 back, and you just pick them off

[Marco]

Often think a 0-0 draw at home is the best result in many ways. All the pressure is on them at home not to lose a goal.this can be so strong that you often get one and they leave the door open trying to get 2 back, and you just pick them off

Indeed, and I've seen that happen so often to teams at home, including us! However, to do that job properly, you need to carry a real goal threat away from home - and make it count...

Marco.

[Marco]

Steaua Bucharest.

Cool. These games are never easy, but I think you'll comfortably progress from that one. Good luck, anyway

Marco.

[Marco]

Well pleased with the results in the SPL this weekend!

We beat Hearts today 1-2, with a superb winner from our new £5m signing from Aston Villa, Scott Sinclair, whilst both Rangers and Aberdeen drew their games. Hearts played well, and were arguably the better side overall, although they were awarded a penalty that never was, which they promptly scored

Still, it's a sign of champions when you're not at your best but still win. It's also obvious even this early on that Kolo Toure is a class act.

He just strolls through games, hardly breaking sweat, and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He's going to add some much needed solidity to our defence this season. With him in the side and Sviatchenko, Boyata and Simunovic all imminently coming back from injury, and the likes of young Tierney and O'Donnell doing well, I can't see us losing many goals this season, certainly in the SPL.

And with Dembele, Forrest, Griffiths, Roberts and now Sinclair, in the side (amongst others), the amount of pace in the team is frightening.... When they all settle into the team and start to click, we will definitely be worrying a few defences this season!

Marco.

[Marco]

Nothing to say, Granty me old son? Normally you comment on discussions like this

Or are you in a bad mood because Rangers dropped two points?

Marco.

[struth]

Not really been watching the news and only saw that result a few mins ago mate. Good win in an even game it seems and away too, PLUS a goal for your newstart lol. My Villa mate Larry, is less than pleased he was allowed to leave. Gers will take some time to acclimatise, of that there is no doubt. Playing against packed defenses and better orginised sides needs the key.... also needs a good, wide awake defense, which they do not have at the moment... that Hill guy seems to be a car crash as far as I can see lol...

[struth]

Also see Utd won the Shield with Ibrahimivich scoring the winner. Though Jesse Lingard s goal was good enough to be goal of the season. superb feet. Thought the Japanese Striker for Leicester, Shinji Okazaki was very promising too this season. if he keeps that up he and Vardy will be a handful. Not sure Leic didnt deserve more on what I saw

[Marco]

No worries, matey. Larry must consider Sinclair to be a good player then? I must confess to knowing little about him. Perhaps Chris could offer an opinion on him from his time at City?

Based on what I saw today, however, I think he'll do well for us.

The Rangers thing is interesting.... I fully expect them to get better as the season progresses and be up there towards the top of the table, but the Scottish media seem to be convinced that Rangers will automatically be Celtic's biggest challengers for the title this season, and I think that's a bit off and also somewhat of an insult to the likes of Hearts and Aberdeen, who IMO right now are much better than Rangers, never mind Celtic.

They also thought it was a 'shock' that Hamilton got a draw at Ibrox - a team who went to Celtic Park last season and won, defeating a Celtic side then that man for man was streets ahead of the current Rangers team... So no 'shock' for me at all. Hamilton are well established in the SPL, Rangers aren't yet.

I mean, here's a thing: can you think of any other time in history, for example, when not ONE current Rangers player would get into the Celtic first team? And probably not even into their second team! I don't mean to be disrespectful or nasty to any Rangers supporters; I'm simply stating facts.

The trouble is, the media are treating this current Rangers team the same as the 'old Rangers', you know the one who had players of the calibre of Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup in their starting line up?

Well, sadly (and I do mean that), the 'old Rangers' is long gone, and may never return, as Rangers now simply don't have that kind of money to spend, so they should be judged accordingly, as a recently promoted side from the lower leagues, because let's not forget that's where they've been playing their football for the last four years, instead of being touted as automatic SPL title contenders in the first season they've been promoted from the Championship, which let's not forget either, took them two seasons to win!

Therefore, as you correctly say, Rangers will take some time to acclimatise to a much higher standard of football in the SPL, particularly when facing defences that are much better organised than those found in teams from the lower divisions. In that respect, unless the main man at Ibrox releases millions of pounds for Warburton to spend this season on quality players (whom incidentally I think is a great manager and working miracles with what he's got), there's simply no way that the current Rangers squad is good enough to challenge Celtic for the title.

Perhaps next year it might be different, if significant investment is made on players. However, right now, aside from Rangers having the ability to beat Celtic in a one-off old firm match, or cup game, they are not, IMO, capable of competing with Celtic at the same level over the course of a season - and if Celtic get into the CL group stages, and pocket, what, £25m from doing so, to further strengthen the team - the gap between the clubs will grow from huge to veritably chasm-like...

Perhaps there's a big money investor, waiting on the wings, ready to plough millions of pounds into Ibrox (and clear their significant debt), to transform the team? I would welcome that, as a strong Rangers can only make Celtic stronger too, but I doubt that will happen. It's the only way, however, for me, that the glory days will ever return to Ibrox.

Marco.

[struth]

Dont think the millions will ever happen in near future, nor do I want it to personally. I'd rather they bring young hungry players in, but thats just me. Hamilton should have been beaten and it was a fairly poor performance up front with only 4 of their 20 shots on target. Losing a cheap goal too is typical but they will have to learn, and thats the best way. As to top 4, I would expect those 4 to accomodate the places come end of season.
Larry reckoned he was piss poor under last manager but felt the new one(RDM) would have got the best out of him and Ciaran Clark who he really thinks a lot of.
Di Matteo obviously didnt think enough of them to keep. Often horses for courses. Trouble Celtic have is too many players in squad. it is always detrimental to harmony.... and expensive tboot

[Marco]

Dont think the millions will ever happen in near future, nor do I want it to personally. I'd rather they bring young hungry players in, but thats just me.

Always the best way, but is that actually happening at Ibrox - who are the current young 'wonder stars' coming through the Murray Park academy? I don't see many...

As I've said, I'd love things to return to the good old days, when both teams were full of top-class international players and doing well in Europe, and where the title used to go down to the wire, but it largely takes big money to achieve that these days, and big money Rangers don't have.

Hamilton should have been beaten and it was a fairly poor performance up front with only 4 of their 20 shots on target. Losing a cheap goal too is typical but they will have to learn, and thats the best way. As to top 4, I would expect those 4 to accomodate the places come end of season.

Which 4 are you referring to - care to make a top 4 prediction for the end of the season?

I agree that Rangers should've won, especially as they were the home side, but it's the *automatic presumption* in the Scottish media that Rangers would win, simply because they were 'Rangers' that I'm disputing. Rangers have to realise that they're effectively starting from scratch, and so will have to work hard to EARN that type of reputation again.

I'm afraid that those are the cold hard facts. I had that argument with Derek Johnstone and Hugh Keevins, on the Clyde 1 Superscoreboard phone-in on Saturday!

Larry reckoned he was piss poor under last manager but felt the new one(RDM) would have got the best out of him and Ciaran Clark who he really thinks a lot of.

Ah, I see... Interesting

Marco.