Blantyre_Braveheart

A toss up between McGinn and Gilmour for me.

VAR will save him... From embarrassing himself anymore.

Man Utd fans were the exact same with Fletcher until late in his career. He's an easy target.

Leon King on the bench for the first time this season. GVB must like what he has seen. McCrorie, McLaughlin, Patterson, Jack, Kelly and Wright on the bench aswell. Even with our injury issues Gerrard always went with McClelland (who's chosen NI) or no young CB.

I reckon it will be Tav tonight but as you say if he keeps performing as poorly defensively then he will be out regardless of his assists and goals. A lot of Tav's assists come from set pieces so it massively inflates what people see as his contribution as an attacking fullback. Set pieces are important and he (and Turnbull) probably have the best delivery in the league. So I'm not trying to downplay Tav. It's just If you put Patterson at RB and Tav at RW or CM Tav's numbers probably wouldn't change much, but you'd add the more dynamic and powerful running of Patterson to the right hand side. Hopefully Gio can find a solution. Gerrard claimed he would but never tried and then stopped even giving Patterson a chance.

Gemmell is currently playing 5 out of 11 players outside their natural position. I know a few of them are versatile but that is a bit ridiculous. Burroughs - CM playing RB. He is very versatile tbf to Gemmell Clayton - CB playing LB Florini - CM/CAM playing LW Leonard - CM/CAM playing RW Middleton - LW playing ST While some have played in these positions here and there. That is a ridiculous volume out of their natural position in one game. This is Youth football, you are supposed to be prepping them for the top team and helping them progress. This is just fitting players in to try and get a result.

Technically he is unreal. He still needs to work mentally and on his work rate but he has potential. He just looks so natural with a ball at his feet.

I'm sure regardless of performance in nations league, we are pretty close to guaranteed a playoff, once the teams have qualified through their groups. Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Rep. of Ireland all finished bottom in the B tier and still got a playoff place.

Tbh if it wasn't Rangers, Smith would never have left. I think Clarke would be similar that unless it's a club very close to his heart he wouldn't leave. The only club I can think of close to his heart is Chelsea, were he is a living legend. That's never going to happen, so I don't see Clarke leaving for quite a while.

That counter before the goal was genuinely world class. Unbelievable play!

Absolutely delighted for Souttar. Guys had 3 very nasty long term injuries. Worked his way back and has gotten his reward.

The SPL is going to lose a lot of young players like this now. Brexit has stopped the English sides being able to fill their academies with young foreigners. They'll pick up the cream of the crop from here, Ireland and n.ireland to supplement that loss. Could be good for the national team if they develop or they could just as equally get lost in the system. It also weakens the SPL longer term, as the best young talent will go at 16/17, instead of playing here until 21-23.

His contract is up this coming summer. It depends on the new manager. If they are just Gerrard 2.0 then King should let his contract run down and leave. If the new manager is willing to give youth a chance and actually follows through with giving them a chance, then he should stay. He is injured just now so I'm not sure if he'll get the chance to try and impress the new manager. Hopefully he is back by the winter break to try and impress in the training camp. On a side note Gerrard was never, ever going to use him as a CB. Gerrard hates CBs under 6'2/3. King is 6 ft

Yet can't get a game for Rangers 😂😂 Hopefully the new manager changes it about. Stick Tav at RW and Patterson at RB. Tav is good enough to beat players stand up (not running from deep) and allows Patterson to develop in his natural position.

You would think but it's been about 3 years since he became a regular. Hopefully it gets to a point where he realises it's stopping him from getting that good money move. I mean there is a player there. He's quite quick, built and has good technique for a CB. Positionally he has to improve but that comes as you grow older.

Strange call up. Hasn't been great, is extremely rash and has shown no signs of growing out of it.

At length... Stopped just short of nominating him for "rear of the year" 😂😂

Very much deserved. He is a great example of hard work to improve yourself and grabbing your chance when given it. Any young player struggling at 21-23 should look to Ralston for inspiration. That may sound like hyperbole but it isn't. The guy went from mocking and questions being asked why he was given a new one year deal, to being one Celtic's best performing players, getting a new long term deal and a Scotland call up all in the space of 5/6 months. Though I am a little surprised, I didn't think Clarke would call up another RB.

We've been knocked down to unseeded after Wales gubbed Belarus. Same Goal Difference but they are ahead in Goals For. We now definitively need something from the Denmark game or we are barring a miracle all but unseeded. Its going to be incredibly difficult Denmark have only just conceded their first goal in qualifying and are going for a 100% record. Hopefully we have a full and rocking Hampden, that helps the lads.

See if that McGinn/Patterson link can be developed over the next couple of years, we could have a very potent threat down that right hand side.

He has a surprisingly good strike on him. Scored that belter against Antwerp for Rangers aswell. He scored a great goal for the u21s aswell. It's good to have a fullback that has a good strike on him. Robertson doesn't really seem to have the best strike. He seems to just rattle it and not try to aim it across goal much.

Armstrong seems a rather strange choice. Especially if he is employed as a makeshift striker or playing just off the ST. Surprised it isn't Nesbitt instead tbh. Given we've struggled for goals, it might be a change to 5-2-2-1 that helps fashion more chances. Hopefully get an early goal and settle everything.

Middleton performed well. He was an 18 year old who was mostly an impact sub and started maybe 9/10 games in total. He scored 5 Goals and had 5 assists, I think he had a goal contribution every 100-110 minutes. For an 18 year that is very impressive. He put in big performances against Spartak and Villarreal. Then come January he got dumped in the youth team. I think he made 2 sub appearances after that and rarely got near the bench. Stuff like that can absolutely destroy a kids morale and mentality. Then when you see guys like Ojo and Barker not doing aswell as you, but still get more opportunities. It can affect you. Long term Middleton may not have been the answer (we won't really know as he got ditched after 6 months), but in Gerrard's first 2 seasons he would have saved a lot of money on wages and gotten similar levels/numbers had he persevered with Middleton.

Aye Rory Wilson. I'm not sure tbh. A lot of talk with Liverpool and Man City taking him when he turns 16 in January. It will be to soon for him to see if there is a change by then. Even with the greatest hope in the world I don't see Patterson, Kelly, Robbie McCrorie or other young players starting every game. All 3 will be miles off it in terms of sharpness. You hope with a new manager they will go all out in training and try desperately to impress the new manager. Rangers winter training camp will be interesting. We could see a few lads trying to stake a claim for a first team squad spot. It's what got Patterson and Kennedy a boost in terms of first team progression a few years ago. Obviously Gerrard never followed up with giving them a chance but both got more first team training after that.

Wilson is potentially the next big one as well but he looks like he will be offski in January. I'm sure Rangers have won the u18s for the last 2/3 years. There is talent there it just isn't being harnessed. If anything it seems like a lot end up disheartened. McPake wanted out on loan straight away after just turning 17. He hasn't really recovered since. Kennedy had massive amounts of speculation about him being unhappy for years. About 3 or 4 promising players left and went to EPL sides. Gerrard always liked a soundbyte about pathways but he has shown with his actions it was complete bs. I'm hoping for a guy like Knudson at Bodø glimt. He has shown a willingness to bring through young players and using homegrown players to great effect. Without dropping levels of performance. It's looking like it will be Gio. I'm sure he worked on a small budget with younger players while keeping up with Ajax and PsV.