Gersnet Podcast 338 – Final day disapppointment

As Rangers once again display the good and the very bad in a disappointing final day draw with Hearts, Brian is joined by Alec and Grant to discuss that game and what has gone wrong in the last couple of months. Can we rectify this for next week’s Scottish Cup final?

The pod is brought to you in association with our partners: Forrest Precision Engineering and Football Prizes.

The Gersnet Podcast: the independent Rangers FC podcast, by fans, for fans. LIVE and FREE every Sunday on YouTube at 9.30pm with match preview shows ahead of each game as well. All available from a range of other platforms on the following day (including iTunes and Spotify).

e [Music] [Music] good evening welcome to another edition of the jaet podcast the independent Rangers podcast by fan sport band with all your content is absolutely free coming to you in association with Forest Precision Engineering I’m your host Tonight Ryan AR as always we’d encourage you to get on to the jet website and check out our forums for all your latest strangers news and discussions we’re live tonight on the YouTube channel and we would ask you continue to share the social media spread the world and please subscribe to the YouTube channel before I introduce my guests for tonight I need to give another mention to our partners over at Forest Precision Engineering they are a Glasgow based engineering company I’ve been a big commercial support Rangers for a number of years and we’re delighted to have them support the P want more information about then please visit the website at www.us precision range.com they also have a stunning executive LNG in the I main stand and for more information on that email the club Hospitality at rangers.com right now to bring in my guests joining me tonight is gr grand house things yeah good mate good mate what a weekend day sun’s been out beers flowing barbecue is out Rangers down out no great was it no not at all we’ll get in also joining tonight is Alex Anderson Alex how you doing um back in March 2016 my mother-in-law died really suddenly and it was the worst thing ever happened to me and because I couldn’t to help my wife and all that my mother-in-law and my father-in-law originally for the West Coast the two of them but they moved through to the east coast years ago he’s a farmer spent all his time on the landine didn’t have time to go to theb he had Rangers sympathies my wife um obviously grew up with Rangers sympathies my mother-in-law R sympathies but a daughter another daughter who just went with the local stuff and she she went to see hibs for a couple of Seasons when she was younger and um then they kind of packed it in and that and later on she she married a guy a hi supporter they had a kid my wife might interested in having kids so we absolutely loved my nephew H he grew up to be a we H as well he was about six years old at this time and he was going to about the house we to go through all the time my father-in-law was lacking kind of Mobility he just turned 80 the day after he’s lost his wife and so my wife and I have to drop over and just through the East Coast all the time helping my sister an absolute Nightmare and eventually um it was like go to the F because my fa wants to hear these stories about the F he wants you to go to F Al and come back and just tell them stuff to cheer them up just visceral stories about being at eyb all that so I was allowed to go and see that semi-final against Celtic at hon and on the the Friday um before that was mother-in-law’s funeral and my brother-in-law and I are h a be drink and I said to him see the next day was the semi-final hibs against and United and I said see if hibs win tomorrow they’re going to win the cup because we going to beat Celtic on Sunday and we only need to beat Celtic doesn’t actually matter about us wining the Scottish cup we just need to beat Celtic a mar key win against Celtic we near the league above us to go into next season back in the top flight and hibs you know my nephew wants to see hibs win the Scottish cup for the first time in hard on 14 years so went to that that’s exactly how it happened really emotional weekend I thought my mother-in-law be looking down wanting NE W her grandson to get hibs wearing the Scottish cup and and went and the other side of the family and other daughter and husband to have Rangers having a good result against Celtic this was all working absolutely fantastic and uh I went along to Scottish cut final as well of course against hibs and even though part of me was almost wanting hibs to win for my we nephew we got to the stage where we um we went two one up and I nearly I nearly fainted because I wanted Rangers to win it so badly but final whistle goes and you know H you know what happened then and I couldn’t have go in the park I couldn’t have go and fight him even though I wanted go you that cuz last time my wife was needing at time I was me on the park and get myself arrested i f myself inel get involved with the PO and stuff so I just had to sit there and I watched him lifting the cup for my we nephew and I got a text for my brother-in-law who had never gotten his face with the fat bar you know was all asking about HEBs he never went to Fat yeah beuty get it R haha HEBs have won the cup how do it feel on that relationship with my sister-in-law my brother-in-law kind of changed at that point in time um but obviously didn’t want to follow with them stuff it was really really bad I started hating hibs at that point in time because I actually hated them I hatte hibs more than Celtic for a good couple of years don’t really care about them now and then my wife and I the first chance we got for a holiday was we went over to Copenhagen and if you’re grieving Copenhagen sometimes a beautiful place and we we went to T Gardens and all that was it was air that French group and had sexy boy they were on they were they were on that was part of the the deal the ticket to get in there and it was a beautiful night it was really sad but it was also good to kind of chill out a bit and all that and we can try to get back to normal and I were in the airport coming back to Copenhagen after one of the most emotional bit needed holiday of my entire life thinking everything’s going to be okay you know we’ll never make up for the fact my mother-in-law is no here anymore it’s just something you have to live with but everything’s going to be all right and in the airport it’s flights back to Edinburgh and the airport in copenhagen’s not very big and there’s a glass kind of wall partition for the fol are coming in you can see the flight coming in and you waiting to get on the flight and it was delayed we to wait for the flight to empty the plane to come in and I thought I can see a green white top I can see another green and white top and it was hibs I forgot because they’ won the Scottish cup they’ got the old CS cup spot they’re in the Europa League they’re all coming off this plane [ __ ] massive head support right in my face just at the end of this holiday I was having to go on that plane and sit in their smelly seats that they’ just left and it was just the final boot in the boss the bad thing had happened there was nothing we could do about it you know my M mlaw wasn’t coming back just to same as that the league title is over we kind of end about that but you’re looking forward to in that case I was looking forward to the next season we’re going to be back in the Top Flight Rangers and just right now we’re looking forward to the Scottish cut final next week at a chance to redeem ourselves but just right at that minute we try to get a grip on it smacking the copon or booting the ball and yesterday to have that equalizer for two up down for two-nil up to have an equalizer in the 95th minute with the very last kick of the ball of That League season was um was exactly how I felt that day in Copenhagen against Hibbs so apart for that mate I’m absolutely fine yourself I I kind that I I say and leave it there I don’t know if talk that not not normal F normal folk would just say they’re scunnered but I need to explain just how scunnered I was so um that’s me for the night just use guys ahead talk a bit about the game not much in detail it was it felt a bit like a training pre-season game at times was very like state but the thing that stood out to me is over the whole 90 minutes we pretty much saw The Good the Bad and the Ugly yeah kind of game that kind of summed up our season BS with you Brian you know um I don’t think we actually played that badly we knock the ball about pretty well I was watching hars TV because um the stream My Stream wasn’t working properly so it was cutting in and out so maybe that was for the best but um I don’t think we did actually that badly um yeah it summed up our season right right we’re right through Des has a chance to put his one n up and he he hits the keeper I don’t know how he hits the keeper it actually hard to hit the keeper and hit the back of the net and then five minutes later L shankland right through and you know fine where when he’s running through where the ball’s going right in the back of that great finish and that’s us usual one n down in chasing the game and it’s happened so many times the last I don’t know four five six weeks now going behind try to chase our tails and yeah just kind of summed up our season we missed WS of changes again yesterday um same old story can’t score up the top can he keep them out at the back um yeah just really really poor um that’s the difference but when you you have a guy up top that takes his chances when he gets him it it so it so easy for him to be fair cill loses the ball in middle of the park and it’s one pass and the defense is split and he’s through it’s just so easy like we’ve seen it so many times and even in the second half he had another one as well was a one pass and he was right through he took a bad touch it through jack Buton thankfully that would have been another goal but just we’re so po at the back like it’s been like that for the last I don’t know two once now down both flanks and two c I know the two Center house been changed a lot but there’s just no there’s just no fight there we’re getting beat down the Sid tavers getting beat down the sides again and the ball’s coming across and other field backs no covering and he’s knocking the ball in the net it’s just it’s so bad um defensively so I it sumed uper season be hon with you Brian and um I’m kind of glad the Le the league campaigns come came an end and just have to look forward to the Cup Final next week yeah Al like was that a perfect microcosm of our season it felt like the squad was rolling out the The Not So Greatest Hits all in the one game I know it was it was unbelievable wasn’t it AP apart from the fact that we like we started reasonably well for the first half hour yesterday you know we kind of quite tidy put a few passes together looking quite intricate in attack I thought Scott right actually played reasonably well in that first half and K well was do a few kind of flecks and all that it was it wasn’t too bad so I suppose the start of the Season we get beat by K day one at rugby park it was it was pretty awful for the word goal but I once you you get to the fact that um as Grant saying we go a goal behind um that’s that feels like that dat of Park and just you know Lo Celtic I Brooks when they seem to be a we bit on the ropes with a real chance and B set us up really strangely and then next thing we’re getting tanked at home by Aline and it’s all over the thing that really made it a perfect kind of analogy or metaphor for the season as a whole was the fact you get your hul SP up your know that bothered when clont arrived in October I’m thinking okay big man I’m not expecting Miracles here I’m not thinking we’re going to win the league just steady the ship you know so we get in the second half and we score three goals and what about 20 minutes and that’s us you know we look like we’re going to run away with the game you actually got myself quite excited think this is a good response the players are looking good we’re going to we’re going to finish this off in a high and then go into the the Scottish Cup Final next week uh a bit of kind of a bit of a buzz a tiny Buzz about us um and that’s a bit like the season itself you know we got our hopes raised under clont got to the point looked like the league was us to throw away but we did throw away just the same as yesterday we we threw the game away and so I I think it was I think it was a perfect microcosm and again like we’ll come on to discuss this I even in that I don’t think it’s all on clemont which is a perfect micro a perfect you know comparison with the season as a whole it’s just the players he’s got the situation he’s inherited and it all came H to Bear yesterday I I think came pass yesterday I think Craig had mentioned in the the WhatsApp group I know what what gets mentioned the jet WhatsApp group stays in the jet WhatsApp group but I don’t want to take the credit um away from him for coming up the amount of times we’ve lost these really late equalizers he’s talking about end of season games it’s become a thing but we’ve been doing this ever since 2012 you know I mean it just seems to be you obviously really guilty you’ll be feeling really guilty after what you said about the you know hoping it was going to be the five each game with HS again true that’s what you said in Friday nights you know that’s what I predicted you want to a six5 but same thing you know and I remember even when you know and when were in League two or the third tier of Scottish football and we’ been through the whole season on beating the league but the first time we actually dropped any points it was a last minute goal by was St I think stous one of the St anyway and boxing day I was at that one getting set up to go for a drink my mates after it it just a total Downer and we just young boys burn qualified for the next round but we get the group but on top place and then we could see the last minute equalizer today mother well you know and when Gerard just started that mad 3 each game they scored with the last kick of the ball it just seems one of the things where if yesterday had been a it’s one each it’s two each you know we go 3-2 up like you know 20 minutes to go and hearts equalize with qu of an hour to go and then we just kind of play it out that been that have been perfectly acceptable end the season stuff but it was just it was like really was adding insult to injury a total smack in the face I thought the way we we ended that yesterday um I’ve got very psychological reasons for taking it so badly but I it was it was it was it was the season in microcosm make you’re correct yeah definitely one of the play I wanted to touch on was young Robie fer first start for him yesterday how did you think he performed could he potentially as backup left back next season save was a bit of money to spend on other other areas of the squad yeah I didn’t really know much about him to Bon Brian I know um he was a B team captain for a about um 21 year old but he looked good when he came on midweek um against dund D at home yesterday um he was okay I think he got a tough time that Bo was OD he gave him quite a tough time in the first half an 45 minutes and by him a few times but no listen he’s only 21 he looked decent going forward um so yeah he he is one that could definitely play back up the next year but who’s he going to be playing back up too are we going to have y next year are we going to go back in for the bilian boy Jeffy so yeah there’s a lot to a lot to think about left back we don’t know what’s going to happen ma as well is he going to stay and but yeah I don’t see why you couldn’t step up and be um like back up in there this is what we can really want we want young guys in the academy able to step into the team when we don’t have our first choice so yeah we definitely need to need to um use that more often and yeah as you said will definitely save his money we need to spend money elsewhere on the pitch we need to improve other other um positions they’re more important than left back to Bon us with you so yeah I would like to see him um stay in there and play back up to either y ma whoever it’s going to be at left back next season save us a bit of cash I’d like to see the kind of youngsters fulfilling that role of potentially playing back up to some of the positions just to try to get something out the academy at whole and to be honest and now getting the game The Players would KN that we’re pretty much playing for a place in next week’s final and the first player T John’s Ross mland a goal in h last two appearances do you think he’s done enough there on the spot in next week’s starting lineup yes yes yesterday I thought he did I think is particularly as the manager mentioned in his his postmatch press at time castle yesterday he’s getting back to the fitness he had before he was kicked off the park was it Dan Casey that mother player um that defeat to motherwell back in March what that’s probably the strangest decision for me the whole season you know VR decision those kind of stuff Absolut brutal tackle put him in the game and I thought if nothing else even if he doesn’t play next week Ross MC was a lovely moment for him because that’s obviously what he makes his wings debut two years ago almost to the to the week if you like against hearts at T Castle you know when we’re going on to the the Scottish Cup Final the following weekend again but this time we had a European Final in between times and we we played a lot of the young boys that day I think Ross mcin come on for the last half hour that day I think that was his first time playing for the first team and there he was yesterday easily our man of the match I think everybody’s agreed he’s he’s just the man of the match in general yesterday and better than any hearts player on the park I thought his attitude was absolutely perfect and his application was absolutely perfect and I think um I mean you kind of it was it was it was too each when Robie fer come on the other night against d d we win the game 5-2 so you know enough said but Robie fer maybe a few mistakes just a few moments where you could see he’s got a lot to learn in terms a first team football a long way to go but I think we with Ross mland he has got the quality as well I don’t think he’s by any means perfect physical attb I think he needs more Pace what have you but I just think compared to some of his teammates particularly his effort yesterday what he does when he sets up Grant was talking about one of the chances Des Miss straight away it’s r m just pouncing on any Deli dalion whatsoever by the heart’s defense and um I I was that was my first time ever yesterday on a VPN I didn’t work how do that I was watching on Rangers TV in my kitchen and when he scored the goal I was actually standing up like applauding I’m clapping the screen and on my Tod you know because it was just such a lovely goal and I was so happy for him and he thoroughly deserved it but H yeah I don’t know I don’t know if we’re looking at maybe tav’s going to need more protection you know we can we’ll have to chat of Sterling obious particular to chat where he’s going to go when we previewing the final next week but but H I would I would like to see Ross Mosin getting his start against Celtic because you just know he’s going to apply himself I think d game the other night if you been hypercritical you can maybe say has he know been tight enough the two goals than D scored they come down that side may have should be taken the blame for that Ross mcos just doing what he can think does he gave you the foul for the the second goal and he maybe doesn’t he get tight enough to his man it’s the same that’s the the D left back that causes both their goals and Tuesday night I think maybe Ross mcin could have done slightly better than then but certainly not totally blame and he comes back straight away and he scores a goal before halim in that game as you say but yesterday I think he’s back to full fitness as well and I I just he deserves it I was watching you know talking about Grant’s talking about Robbie faser there seeing him playing for the B team I went to all the the UFA Youth League games up at fill before then went to see r i getting stuff in the Champions League not last season and Ross Mosin were a goal down and a man down to Ajax biley rice gets himself sent off you know what a go down and he goes and he scores two goals and we’re briefly winning the game 2-1 end up getting tanked by the ax youth team but he’s just a fighter he gives it he all and he’s got the talent to back that up we could all be Fighters you’ve got have the talent as well but I think he’s got enough talent in there enough application and he’s getting to Stage he’s got enough experience as well so I would have lost my cause in start next week M yeah the thing is Brian as well people forget how young he is you know what I mean he’s only this is his first full season at Rangers and it’s what say 21 22 even um people forget how young he is he’s came on Leaps and Bounds this season um he takes his he takes his man on all the time he’s very direct me you can label that he’s direct he Clos his down so I don’t see why he doesn’t start next week he’s adding goal to his game now that was a cracking finish on his on his bad side as well oh great finish he could put it anywhere else you know absolutely perfect so I don’t see why he doesn’t get a start um against Celtic we’ll come on to the Sterling chat later on I we’ll discuss that later on but yeah I I don’t see why he doesn’t start two goals two games I yeah for me yeah I think the thing for me is it’s you can actually see the development in him since he first came on as a sub against M I think he came on for in that game when Ste Davis was manager but you can actually see the development in his game which is really good to see so hopefully that continues and Grant another player I kind of similar B I guess toy cosland is can’t well also scored a goal in each of his last two games but given he’s started the last two F games and for me he often feels to turn up in the big occasion is he ear his opportunity next week um well personally I like Tod kwell I think he’s one of our better players when when he’s on form um and he’s setting for him at the right time hopefully for us um he’s the kind of guy that can produce magic out of nothing he can see a pass he can play that pass that probably nobody else in our Squad can do so I would quite like to see him in there but yes I know he’s been left out of the old firm games before but look how they’ve ended look look at our Midfield with Lawrence in there Lawrence offered absolutely nothing the last time he was in there with John lrom offer nothing so I would like to see him in there I think he gives you legs he works hard um and he’s got an kna goal as well we scored two in the last couple of games as well the problem in the big games is it seem well the old F games anyway we seem to get overran the middle of the park every single time we played him and C’s obviously playing Advanced foot number 10 if you like so I think he kind of been hung out to dry away bit in these games I know he’s been pushed out wide right as well in the European game and clont wasn’t happy with him not sticking out there but for me on his day he’s one of our better players and he makes things happen I know I know he loses the as well to honest with you but listen we all in these kind of kind of fixtures but for me I would play them we’ve tried different combinations the M the part against Celtic four times this season different guy so it’ll be interesting to see who who who we play does Raskin s in there with the de Monday with can’t M Advanced does lrom come back in I hope not but there there’s loads of there’s loads of thinks to Sterling go in there as well like we just don’t know what team he’s going to pick but for me I would have I would try something different than have c in there just to give you the legs and try and stop the Celtic Midfield from playing because that’s where they’re dangerous the Midfield three or Celtic are dangerous they’re top quality players and we need to have our best players in the park for me yeah Alex Grant mentioned rasing there being suspended he’s obviously started the last two and it’s kind of his best run he’s had in the team for a good few months how do you think he’s performed you think he’ll retain his place for next week um I I don’t I don’t think he performed that well Brian I don’t know the past few games he’s been unfortunate rasing the two games he’s come back for is when we’ve had so much to chew over we’ve been mulling over the defeat at Park head when he’s playing against D and then mulling over the fact yester that we lost the league that’s it that that game yesterday was it was really strange a really difficult one to judge because you’re kind of looking for two things it was that it’s that kind of it’s like a kind of horror movie kind of Human Centipede type thing you’re stapling together it’s kind of preseason friendly Vibe and a but also it’s a it’s a big warm-up for next week and I think we’re looking at the players of the squad going to give us aons you now know Celtic officially Champions first time I’ve seen you since you officially lost the league what’s a response to that are you going to play for Pride play for the Jersey but also we’re looking to see what you’re going to do are you focused on the cup final next week and that amounts to the same thing you’re looking for them to be intense but you know and the manager was saying this in his press or afterward as well that a lot of players have been rested a lot of guys have been you know they’re Place fillers so as rasing being told you’re just place for for lrom he’ll be he’ll be get back in at the cut finals Squad maybe that’s affecting the amount of effort he’s given I don’t know but I’m my head’s kind of all over the place same way we can’t well as well been Grant saying abely spot on about can’t well I’m confused about him um I don’t know if he’s going of Baroque reactions to everyone too much self-consciousness or they the kind of spiky edgy stuff that we actually need at a time like this I think the chief role when we play Celtic these days seems to be to stop 10 is not so much creative is destructive Lawrence couldn’t do it didn’t have the fitness and I think the game at Christmas time New Year can’t well couldn’t he do it either just you know Todd C play a couple of games now he’s been really good offensively so you’re hoping maybe he can take that the game next week but I don’t know if we’re going to look at I think di Mandy has played like in the 10 position for us and a more advanced I personally would have lrom um diamandi and Sterling hopefully in Midfield beside lrom and the sit two if you like and of diamandi to go Rush about and do that crushing job on McGregor and just stop them at source it seems to be seems to be the manager’s main tactic cl’s main tactic going by the way we played him at parkhead uh but I I don’t think I didn’t see anything from rasing to say that he was going to come back or even particularly looked like he was ready to come back couple of nice touches there was a lot of space in Midfield at times yesterday was quite an extended game quite an expand expansive game at times is total end of season stuff but I didn’t I didn’t really see enough from me I have to be honest with you and I don’t know if it’s just a lack of Fitness his injur has been Wasing be realizing it’s taking off a to get back or he’s just no fancing it maybe he knows he’s at the door he’s going to go back to belg or whatever I really don’t know but judg him his last two performances I I didn’t see enough but I don’t know also what the situation is with John lrom because you’re talking about rasing no playing next week that means for me John lundstrom would but maybe John lom’s complet I know he didn’t got a touch in the old FM game or whatever until he put itet and got his sell sent off but he was getting dogs abused before that game he was getting twed by the whole whole range of social media yes right you’re going to costed this game and he kind of did almost like a self fulfilling prophecy so I don’t if his head’s completely gone all together the week before that he’s he’s been involved in three three goals set up two goals and you know got the command up player sent off he was absolutely fantastic zero praise for that everybody tell him you’re crap you’re going to costes it next week so I don’t know if that’s just go to him all together and he does just want to go to trbs on sport or whatever but if I had if I had make my choice it wouldn’t have been asking for me next week but I think it’s quite telling that Raskin Belgian and clemont’s Belgian you know normally stick together these kind of guys don’t he’s not playing them so there something right there is for me scoring his first game as well Grant you know true first game and you think that’s great right in there with the new manager same same country same as yourself thinking this is going to work fantastic has Happ yeah it does seem not trust Rasin to be honest there’s been times when he’s not even made the squad and surprisingly Alex mentioned he would have um stellin and Midfield next week I was actually surprised when Stelling came on he want a center back do you think that was with next week in mind in case Bagan doesn’t make it Jer I didn’t even notice that at the time stream cut out at this point it was just when you mentioned it I watch I know I watched it in sports scene um it’s a strange one I don’t know as Alex said I would like to see ster in the middle of the park because he just gives you legs he gives you he’s just a Powerhouse in there and I think he’s wasted at right wing or left wing or Center back you know what I think he’s wasted in there you need these powerful guys who legs in the middle of the part for me yeah strange for him to come on at Center half I don’t know what the thinking was behind that was D Davis picking up a not we just try to get him off for next week I don’t I don’t know it was a very strange um shout for me is Bal balagan going to make it for next week I just don’t know I don’t know man it’s just a total can him but yeah I would I would hate to see stering wasy that Center back I really would and for the Celtic game I want I see him in the middle of the park as Al Alex said just for his drive he just gives you it just gives you something I don’t know he just have an absolute Powerhouse in there and uh I I would I’d be quite happy will lrom with um Sterling and dandi I even thought i’ actually put him further forward those choices there so i’ be interested to see what clont does at the weekend but I um stering has to play the middle for me yeah just hopefully try something different in that Midfield mostly in the last two ter games now before we go to discuss the season as a whole let me give a shout to friends on football prizes are currently running a competition to win at Brian L drop signed and framed but for more information on how to enter please visit football prizes. co.uk product3 now Alex rather than talk about the season as a whole I’m tempted to just ask you to Reg with facts with Brian L but sadly it’s a sign it’s a sign I mean Brian L boot right we played the Jambo yesterday Scottish caught final next Saturday know the L final it’s 1996 all over we’re going to beat them 5-1 next week that’s that’s what’s going to happen when Brian low Drop in that game H jury scores hatrick and Brian L scores two and but jury set up the two for L the the last touch it was jury L Dr load up to jury all five goals in that game I mean I don’t want I talk about I don’t want I talk about season either well if that’s anen then maybe it’ll be the cwell final next Creek and Des SC a hatrick excellent I’ll take that I suppose we talk about the the season as a whole now I’m going to kind of talk about it from when clont came in now from having the league in our own hands in February how have we managed to find ourselves eight points behind that injuries I’m going to go injuries I was I put a tweet out the other other day um to my restricted audience on I’m don’t really I’m not saying that CU I want to P my Twitter account I’m just sometimes I just need to get it my system you know it’s 2:00 in the morning you can’t get sleep because you’re pure ring because just won the league and you just need to say something but it’s like everybody and you make the mistake I go on Rangers Twitter and everybody you notice how it’s always got to be one thing and it’s it’s always tell you I said Tav is a loser that’s a big one um the other one injuries the other one clont a fraud the board n puts them all together and goes these things are quite complex there lots of different reasons they all add together it’s always got to be a one kind of solution and I’m laughing at other folk doing that while I’m going to be going it’s definitely injuries definitely inj other one was mentality the mentality that was the other one and I think physicality definitely affects your mentality H but look one thing I I think the we played nine more games in Celtic this season this is an ongoing thing I think it’s all shortterm medium-term and longterm reasons you know I’m not going to do the whole 2012 thing but there’s definitely an under toe there we don’t it’s going to be another 10 years I think before we were infrastructurally on the same kind of solid foot in the Celtic again that’s a big thing you you’re kind of you’re a bit desperate all the time you’re kind of lunging forward all the time clutching at stuff to try and get the money and getting through four rounds qualifying in Europe and that kind of thing under Gerard the first few seasons he was in charge and sometimes you get to a European final sometimes you go the whole season unbeaten and set a new British defensive record sometimes you end up making a complete ass yourself in various games but I hav Absolut honking Seasons I think an under Trophy 2012 which means we’re constantly trying to catch up and in kind of financial terms but I think medium term it’s aen Hy the manager keeps diagnosing a problem some sort of problem maybe aen Hy but use that as a as a catch all term for the medical situation for the number of injuries I think the previous manager I think Michael be takes a lot of responsibility for stuff that’s going on this season he seems to have set them back we a terrible preseason and I remember going to se against Olympia against Hamburg and these preseason friendlies and thinking no I know it’s his preseason but they just don’t seem to have any bite they don’t even look at they [ __ ] from know your your favorite Brian you know running so hard that they’re puking their guts up it just looks like they’re not very sharp they look like they’re very energetic at all and I think we’ve also and we have to be maybe talk about this later on but in terms of the signing policy I think we were all quite happy last summer we forget even though it’s just last summer to give Bill his own heads you know let him because POA Cog was doing the same thing he’s a de facto um you know director of football operations let him just sign his own players basically and if it’s left as with a squad that’s absolutely bed I think you could see in s des who by the way I like S I think he’s cracking and he need definitely need to start next week and he will score goals we don’t expect it and he’ll he’ll miss chances you don’t expect him to to miss but I I think in his person you see um the best we can manage the best we can get out of bad signings bad fits know Square pegs for round holes thanks to Michael be and then I just think I think we’ve gotten a good manager I still get Faith that it’s a good manager we have in CL but he’s wanted the players to hit this he’s talked about himself he wants to hit this level of intensity and if they don’t have the preseason in them they’re going to get burn and that’s what’s been happening to him he mentioned his pressor on Friday seeing how players for the first time in his career he was he couldn’t give players a week after they’ recovered from injury to let them properly recover he had to put them straight back in after a few days as soon as the doctor says he’s good to go you know he’s basically putting him back on the park and straight away first team competitive football something he said he’ never done before because it’s been a crisis the injuries and I think that’s definitely affected we things like see the two postponements at dens kind of fragile momentum that happened to us already that season I think that I think when they arrived and how they arrived really cost us we end up drawing that game and I think that was massive um we had the moment the three each draw with Celtic we were telling ourselves great comeback focusing a great comeback in the second half if we’d gone to den park on the Wednesday night we could have made that concrete if we taking it out on them feeding off the buzz we’d got for that second half I think having the whole week to think about it by the time we got up to ding well it was like we chucked against Celtic know we gave them a two goal lead we should have won that game and they just Dand had an injury that was one that was one injury too many but um I that’s you’ve also got the idea we should have seen Lauren shankland I think that’s kind of pine the sky stuff but should we have got another out out goal scorer in January but we looked absolutely fantastic in February the whole of February so we can’t of see with a big problem at that time with the January signings but I think it’s there’s various problems but the biggest problem for me this season has been has been injuries Bri because the team that was running away with looking fantastic in in February come March you’ve lost Cortez you’re already get sea out the game and he’d been brilliant for us and then you lose dandi as well and next thing we’ve got Conor goson wonder if bagan’s going to be fit it’s just the reason the reason we brought on Sterling at Center half yesterday was to make sure we could get Ben Davis off the park you know and protect him because we have to make sure we get minutes in his legs but also make sure he doesn’t get injured you know cuz he’s no he’s only played like he’s only two starts since September or something so it’s I for me the biggest the biggest Factor overall his injuries but I think it’s been compounded by Michael Bal given a terrible preseason yeah and yeah the managers reg earned plenty of PR since he came in you know he got us into the position where we were in a position for a league title fight and let’s not forget he delivered a trophy but how much of this collaps that we’ve seen over the last two months lies with the manageres the squad for you it’s a difficult one M you know Alex over there we had so many injuries like nothing that I’ve probably ever seen to be honest with you um as you said we’ve been rushing sea back we’ve been rushing thear back just to get guys in the park I think clont when he first came in we get the bounds we we start we start picking up results and and and Alex absolutely SP on there the 33 Old FM game I we all there thinking if we win this we’ve got a right good chance of winning this league that was a turning point for me for having to do that in 22 seconds You’ seen the heads G down and then gave another goal so that for me that was a day that I I remember at the end clont was sh a moral Victory all that I was dght that was a day I thought we could won the league if we go and win that get to three points the mentality changes we go to Ros we win we don’t we don’t lose we go to den Park we don’t draw we go and get the win I just it shifted for me that day and even going to iBooks the next couple of weeks you could feel it people knew we’ lost a big a big chance to go ahead there and that was a turning point for for for me um comeon for me I I do like him I want him to get time I think he’s made some dodgy decisions maybe substitutions and team selections at times which have I’ve questioned but he’s he’s been dealt terrible hand injuries let’s be honest I mean he signings in in January Cortez he’s out for this season he’s not Danilo he’s not Sima he’s not ym he’s not goson he’s not balagan he’s not Suter I mean it’s just the risk is on Raskin another one we just we’ve just had terrible time injuries and I definitely think that is what’s what’s caused you can only ask these guys to go to the well um so so many times but Jan for me was spent reportedly 2.5 million on Silver we should have spent that money La shankland were crying out for a goal scorer for me we could have easily paid the 2 and a half million and then more in the summer didn’t of staged payment like we did with d mday pay the extra in the summer whatever because I think you one the league to be honest with you were walking up front and we all said at the time so I think that was a bit a bit I don’t know that was Clon or that else cing we don’t know um but I thought so well at the time in s sign we all said I mean this guy’s done really not really done much yeah came a big price tag but I I thought it was a bit of a strange one at the time but um no I’m all for cl we need to back him the summer and give give him the money to change in the squad and then go from there but I’ve seen enough from um we should back him we got to back them we can’t just keep sacking managers and paying them off and recycling the squad again we can’t do it we can’t afford to do it yeah Alex gr mentioned this Su to me this all feels a bit too similar to this time last year we’re kind of saying things things will improve own players in and he’s got a proper pre-season what do we need to do to kind of do better this summer so that we’re not back in this position again this time next year yeah B that’s the most brutal thing that is the most brutal thing is just sitting here going catch it it was you I think you tweeted it or something I I I you seen it for Brine and I was just like oh he’s right I don’t want him to be but he’s totally that to we an exact the same situation he’s going to be I’m I’m say I have faith in clont you know I think he’s going to be good I was saying the same thing with be last last season all right beat Celtic but last and going Beyond just the we need you know back this manager I’d heard all these rumors or whatever I picked it all up wrong Pal’s talking to me say no that wasn’t the case at all that van Bron had the players a proper preseason you know1 2022 so I was like this is going to be great bill is going to get them totally sorted this summer and the two we’re losing the two games at hamon against Celtic I’m s good seats for both three games I’m up high and I’m watching going the only difference here is they’re sharper than us the only difference is theyve had a better preseason right once we get the pre absolutely it’s going to be great um and we went backwards we’re slower this season under B so I’m sitting here going clont knows there’s a problem the injuries he knows there’s a problem with the health of the players he’s going to get that sorted he’s going to get that sorted out we got to back him do we need do do we need Grant I’m getting so desperate mate let’s just have something to talk about drop the old grenades I think we do need to sack a manager every we can’t have a manager last than a year because Gerard won as a trophy we punt him right we get G wi he wins a Scottish cup punt him clemont’s got as a leag cup I think maybe we’ve got to do the old Chelsea just just keep recycling it every don’t don’t let it get to a year you know come on pump Celtic 5 n sorry feel like that’s yours you know that’s 11 mon up mate we’re going to have to sck get something else in because we might win something this season I don’t know it’s if we could win this Scottish cup what a difference it would make you know I know it feels terrible just now we’ve chucked the leag a a lot of R supporters like almost like what’s what’s the point the Scot Cup Final we Chuck the league that’s the main thing this man’s got us into a position where we could chuck the league you know that’s some things what happen I I always think about it in terms of you’re talking at the beginning this part about microcosms game being a microcosm of a season see no this season will be played Benfica but you know during Gerald’s the 202 2021 season the 55 season we played Benfica twice in the Europa League and we drew three each if somebody said you’re going to draw three each in the stadium like with Benfica I’d be like I’ll take your I give us that but what we do is we’re 3-1 up and they’re done to 10 men and I’m thinking we’re going to beat Benfica in the stadium like this is one of the most majestic performance historic un loving this in that thing again Darwin [ __ ] Nunes who kind of hit a his ass with a Bano and in England he’s he’s scoring in the very last seconds against us because this is how we have to Chuck it but it’s like there you go you said You’ be happy with a point that’s how it happens sometimes you’ve got to Lunge forward and get too much to end up getting the best result you were ready to settle for and I think maybe that’s what’s happened this season we told ourselves in so many ways or we got we’ve got to kind of maybe try and console ourselves knowing that at the time B left we were a disaster looked an absolute Nightmare and you’re saying if we actually could mount a challenge for the league title this season it’d be a miracle you know consider just got this guy in October and the placees a mess and he’s done that but it’s all you know what the rang supports like you know like as soon as you got a sniff it in and you better win it or you’re sacked you know so I think he’s he has he has managed to actually mount a challenge and if he could win this Scottish C winning two trophies in the in the same season for the first time since Walter it would be that that would be that would be major and I think I can I mentioned this yesterday a brutal really sorry some postmatch reaction pod yesterday absolutely brutal on for ages and ages and ages just [ __ ] and done in with the whole thing but I think we’re actually getting to hamon a lot more often we realize Celtic have only won one game over 90 minutes and they hav won a single game over 90 minutes at hand in this season we won three you know they went to extra time in penalties against D they didn’t even get to the League Cup quarterfinal I think that’s that’s going to cost us because I say we’ve got we’ had to play four extra games in Europe this season We’ve Ended up playing three more games in the League Cup than Celtic we play we got further in Celtic in Europe we’re playing two games in the you know post Christmas in Europe as well massive games against Benfica and you got a squad that’s 40 bits Celtic again just crapping out of Europe and just concentrating in the league just so they can get the Champions League money on our coin on the coefficient we built up for them it’s hard to catch up with that it’s a it kind of becomes a cyclical thing because again next season we’re going to have to the managers already said we’re going to have to get into Europe and have a lot of good signings early doors ready to go to get through two rounds of European FB he get in the Champions League so but I think the man it looks the business to me and I I would definitely be keeping clont um and and hoping for the first time in you know three years we’ve got a manager who lasts more than a year hope there a question I’ll agre you on that one Alex L and in terms of next week just kind of thinking about you know the game and obviously s playing again it kind of feels like we need a moment of beating Celtic for the belief of this squad going into next season it’s almost like to me it reminds me a bit of that game Gerard’s first Victory against Celtic I Brooks where right okay that game didn’t really mean much in the G schem of the season but it was a moment it was we’ll finally beat them we finally got that monkey off a back so you think a win next season’s vital get sorry a win next week is vital get next season as much as the trophy itself yeah definitely the beat us what three three times at a fourth four this this season taking 10 points out of 12 we definitely need put a marker down for next season 100% saying that old FM games there’s not been much in be honest with you it’s been one goal victories um twice at Park head were down to 10 men both times as well so I don’t think there’s much in it to be honest with you Brian between both teams they’ve got slightly a bit more quality in the middle of the park that that’s that’s the main thing for me guys in the middle of the part that can score goals and win games and theyve got a striker up top that wins them games as well that’s the difference um you’ve seen it before kogo scoring against us win winning games we just don’t have that we don’t have that that one man that can do that so but saying that I don’t see why we can we can go and put a a performance on beat I don’t think they’re that far ahead is to be honest with you so yeah I think we have to go next week and just go good go bit a good performance and head in next season and rip the squad up the summer get they got to get the recruitment right this year got to get I know we keep saying it every single year but we’ve got to we don’t have to go and spend 30 odd million pound you just got to go and look at look for players that are decent quality bring them in and uh yeah the recuitment has got to be a lot better clont mentioned as well the physicality Alex mentioned that get a better preseason under our belt so these injuries are not happening he’s mentioned a good few times now so there’s clearly a problem um o and hurry so yeah just the equipment get a better preseason and and see what happens but yeah your question yeah we need to go and beat the next week and start putting out in their mind that we can actually leave one on them that’s that’s a great point I I keep it keep slipping my mind believe it or not that next week is actually a chance to make sure we beat Celtic clont gets his first victory in an old firm game you know because you’re thinking Scottish cup I’m thinking in terms of trophies and blah blah blah but it’s just as G saying spot on in a lot of ways it’s reminded me the 20 2 scenario with ML where he comes in and he won The League Cup beat Celtic the semi-final but um he’s going stady in the ship that been sinking a bit under dick advocat and he comes in and then we win the Scottish C final against Celtic and that really laid the ground work you can see that really um it kind it peed them off but we’ve been drawn with Celtic under mlash when he first come in in the league so they wer getting the result against him they start he was had going to go under the skin and we beat in the Scottish Cup Final all from Cup Final in The Following season it’s a treble uh for Rangers that was against Martin Celtic absolutely they plenty of money powerful team I keep I can help myself thinking about 1998 as well I know it was Hearts we played in the Scottish Scot final that time but we just lost the league really late in the season even later than we’ve lost at this season and it’s breaking up the squad’s breaking up and they could raise themselves you know they just could raise themselves they’re running on empty Running on Fumes that Rangers team they got just lost out in 10 in a row as well and so I I don’t don’t know because that’s I think that’s a big factor in next week and I think clont was going of dialing back on it yesterday his last his previous two pressers before this game he was starting to have a goal have a pop at the fact you know the players weren’t good enough just talking seeing the performance against the dens was was good and all that try to manage the situation try to keep keep this team cobbled together try to give him some sort of Sheen of belief to because he’s don’t get him to work with doesn’t any other players to work with I think the moment we actually officially lost the league it’s like he just lost the and just couldn’t help stuff was coming out after the game against d d and on Friday’s presser before the Hearts game just and he ends up saying we’re coming to the end of a cycle and almost has to check himself at the end of that press conference but hopefully we can end that cycle on a you know on a good note and it’s like players know they’re not going to be there next season I’m not saying they’re going to go and not give a [ __ ] in the Scottish C final because they’re not going to be there next week every player wants medals they want a bit they want a bit of Glory for themselves but I think when it if it’s a hard game a difficult game you just don’t have anything left in the legs knowing that you’ll be checking out and you’re going you know that subliminally subconsciously that can have an an effect on your performance I think that’s an absolutely massive thing you got so many players who are not going to be there next season going into that cut final next week come on can get them to actually beat a Celtic team who will feel they’ve got you know um the sign over us because we we can beat them as opposed to the fact they never actually give us a doing I think it’s going to be a massive a massive fill up and it would completely change the atmosphere for us through the summer yeah Alex Grant mentioned getting the recruitment right this summer and how important a role do the board have to play in this rebuild how crucial a point could this be for their legacy Rangers I don’t yeah I mean obviously the boards we don’t do anything we don’t get anybody signed or whatever without the the board backing it um again get back to what was a really interesting press conference for clemont last week I thought Tuesdays after dunde game and the pre Hearts press really interest me so manag a Different Light he was he was taking a different tack all together I think you can see that the league was done um and it was changing the way he was talking about things but he mentioned how when he came in The Bard had been really upfront about the amount of problems there was with the club this might been Clon again trying to say you know it’s not my fault we lost the league there was problems here before I’ve done well to get us you know to the second last round of fixes before we lost the league but he was saying that the board were really really honest with him and then he said but I didn’t realize the extent of the problems with the health of the players so I don’t know if you meant the board didn’t know that or it was like that but that was one thing they W completely honest with him I I don’t think the actually know what’s going on in terms of the injuries or whatever so it seems like he gets on well with them you know 50 plus one is the model we really want a situation where Rangers are owned by H the fans and run by the fans but it’s you know Club 1872 all it’s proved impractical so far too much in fight really great I mean we should definitely keep trying that it’s a great um a great exercise to try and get it more fan representation if not outright fan ownership but I think the best we can manage until then is to have Rangers fans oning the club and I think you know John Bennett whatever we do have proper Rangers people on the board James B Grove is just you know he’s a killer he’s just one of these guys who would just you know obviously stab his in granny to make you know a FIV he’s just focused I mean you don’t you don’t get to work for UEFA in Switzerland unless you are a money maker machine so he’ll do whatever it takes um he’s working on a Midfield enforcer if you like when when it comes to the financial stability of the club but I don’t know if we need to be talking about legacies I don’t think the board have done anything particularly wrong we had the minute there was protest against him last season I mean Ross Wilson’s away maybe he was going to away anyway and then we got a reshuffle we a new chairman Etc it’s like they’re reacting to the fans and saying right okay it’s going be good enough we’ll reshuffle this I think they will back the manager I think they might have learned lessons by how much they backed Michael the Neils coping things seems to be a great move um and I think getting the club we’re constantly because of 2012 we’re constantly trying to build foundations we course try to top up the foundations underneath as well as making sure things are going on better above you know the manager and we need to keep doing that but um I don’t know if you there’s always ego involved there’s a lot of money involved um I we we board members but I’m not sure we’re at the point where need to worry too much about their their legacy whatever it’s more a case of if it doesn’t happen they uh they’ll be getting hounded out I don’t think that’s right I don’t I think we’ve got be more patient but we just know that just now it really is it will be it will be the old day Crush barriers morphing into sharks on edmon drive this time if there’s more another manager has to go doesn’t get backed but I it’s it’s a big summer mate it really is a big summer he says coping out yeah definitely a huge summer ahead right I think we call time there all that’s left for me to do is thank my guest Alex thanks as always it was brby HS were playing Bron that’s I forgot to mention that and that’s just outside Copenhagen so sorry about that folks just rewind to beginning and that will make more sense now thanks very much guys Grant great of you mate thanks Top hosting there Brian and thanks everybody for putting up in my PK you man thanks for joining that was good man enjoyed that thank you cheers as well as being live tonight the show will be available on all podcasting platforms iTunes Spotify aast Stitcher and we’ll be back on Friday evening to we head to the Scottish Cup Final until next time bye for now