We WILL reach another European final before long.

Drop the Shoulder

Drop the Shoulder

Well-Known Member
For all the chat that a European final is once in a lifetime or once in a generation for a club like ours, I have to disagree.

Taking Manchester in 2008 into account, we have since played in European competitions on 10 occasions.

07/08 - UEFA Cup runners up
08/09 - CL 2nd Qualifying Round
09/10 - CL Group Stage
10/11 - CL Group Stage
11/12 - CL 3rd Qualifying Round
17/18 - EL 1st Qualifying Round
18/19 - EL Group Stage
19/20 - EL Round of 16
20/21 - EL Round of 16
21/22 - EL runners up

So in our last 10 European campaigns, we have reached two finals. That isn't once in a lifetime or once in generation. Rangers are not expected to reach finals but there is absolutely nothing stopping us from doing so again, especially with the introduction of a third European competition this season with the Conference League.

I am absolutely gutted about last night's result but I'm immensely proud of the team and my club.

Rangers WILL make another European final before long. Let's just hope we can go one step further when we do.
 
Good post. The introduction of the conference league (horrible name) is one of the few things Uefa have got right in recent years. It's been a lot stronger than people gave it credit for and if you look at the four semi finalists I don't think it's at all out of reach for us to be competing in the later stages most seasons.

And all of that is before we even talk about the fact we have just made the final of the tournament above that one.

Like you I'm optimistic about our future and Gio's tenure.
 
Rosco said:
I'd love to share your optimism, but another final in the next 15-20 years is unrealistic in my mind. 36 years between Barcelona and Manchester points to the more likely scenario.
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But we are a far better team than we were for pretty much all of the period between 1972 and 2008. In fact we were a laughing stock in Europe for a lot of it.
 
Crown_Defender said:
Good post. The introduction of the conference league (horrible name) is one of the few things Uefa have got right in recent years. It's been a lot stronger than people gave it credit for and if you look at the four semi finalists I don't think it's at all out of reach for us to be competing in the later stages most seasons.

And all of that is before we even talk about the fact we have just made the final of the tournament above that one.

Like you I'm optimistic about our future and Gio's tenure.
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i'll say this , I was sceptical about how serious teams would take the conference league but I actually tuned into the knock out games and big teams such as roma, feyenoord , marseille, PSV all taking it seriously. now i'd much rather we got into the CL or Europa but at the very least we can do some damage in that competition.
 
Maybe conference, but we will be extremly fortunate to reach europa again, and last night was a realistic opportunity to win the thing. The introduction of conference has made europa more difficult
 
I understand the sentiment but will we ever get a better chance than last night?

Frankfurt were obviously a decent team but we’ve beaten better already this campaign.

I know that are unbeaten in Europe this season but for me that game was there for us to go and take. Especially after going 1-0 up.

A really sore one to take.
 
Not to dampen what is clearly fantastic optimism. But this team of ours have gone well above and beyond. Punching above our weight is a criminal under estimate of just how miraculous this European run has been these last 4 years, particularly off the back of 2012 and the Pedro debacle.

It could be an absolute age before we see the likes again whilst teams continue to pay for 1 player, what it costs us to put out an entire team.

The odds are so far against us that the chances of it happening again are so slim. I liken our run to the final, particularly if we had won it, to Leicester winning the EPL. It just shouldn’t happen.
 
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Drop the Shoulder said:
For all the chat that a European final is once in a lifetime or once in a generation for a club like ours, I have to disagree.

Taking Manchester in 2008 into account, we have since played in European competitions on 10 occasions.

07/08 - UEFA Cup runners up
08/09 - CL 2nd Qualifying Round
09/10 - CL Group Stage
10/11 - CL Group Stage
11/12 - CL 3rd Qualifying Round
17/18 - EL 1st Qualifying Round
18/19 - EL Group Stage
19/20 - EL Round of 16
20/21 - EL Round of 16
21/22 - EL runners up

So in our last 10 European campaigns, we have reached two finals. That isn't once in a lifetime or once in generation. Rangers are not expected to reach finals but there is absolutely nothing stopping us from doing so again, especially with the introduction of a third European competition this season with the Conference League.

I am absolutely gutted about last night's result but I'm immensely proud of the team and my club.

Rangers WILL make another European final before long. Let's just hope we can go one step further when we do.
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Since 1955 when Euro competitions were introduced we've been in FIVE finals.

That's an average of one final every 13 years.

If you look at where we've come from since 2012, and the fact we played our last 2-3 games with no recognised / proven striker... it's a no brainer...

Rangers will DEFINITELY reach more Euro finals.
 
We’ve been punching well above our weight in Europe in recent seasons and you can argue there was a time when we were cash rich we underperformed quite badly especially in the drop down European competitions.

Financially the challenges we face are off the scale getting to this final was absolutely remarkable.
Even the most optimistic Bear has to realise a repeat is unlikely in the near future.
I’ve been alive whilst we made 4 finals which averages out about once every 14 years-2 of those finals were during an era when Scotland did well in Europe. Since I’ve been 8 we’ve been in 2 finals that averages out at one every 25 years.
Maybe we should embrace last night as being special and realise how rare these achievements are.
 
The ECL might be seen as a European equivelant of the League Cup but it's still a competition and if we're in it, I want us to win it or at the very least make the final 4. Don't think we'd fancy Ibrox being bedecked in black and green though...

Realistically, the EL is our level unless we receive a massive cash injection to really compete in the CL. We've come to expect last 16 at the very least in the EL.
 
Next year will be an interesting one - there will be changes to the team but we are certainly at a level of consistency in Europe that leads to an expectation of getting into the knock-outs of the Europa.
 
Papac said:
I hate posts like this. Based on what?

We've been quarter finalists and then runners up three years in a row.
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It’s an opinion on how difficult it Is for a team from Scotland to go against the odds.
 
Drop the Shoulder said:
For all the chat that a European final is once in a lifetime or once in a generation for a club like ours, I have to disagree.

Taking Manchester in 2008 into account, we have since played in European competitions on 10 occasions.

07/08 - UEFA Cup runners up
08/09 - CL 2nd Qualifying Round
09/10 - CL Group Stage
10/11 - CL Group Stage
11/12 - CL 3rd Qualifying Round
17/18 - EL 1st Qualifying Round
18/19 - EL Group Stage
19/20 - EL Round of 16
20/21 - EL Round of 16
21/22 - EL runners up

So in our last 10 European campaigns, we have reached two finals. That isn't once in a lifetime or once in generation. Rangers are not expected to reach finals but there is absolutely nothing stopping us from doing so again, especially with the introduction of a third European competition this season with the Conference League.

I am absolutely gutted about last night's result but I'm immensely proud of the team and my club.

Rangers WILL make another European final before long. Let's just hope we can go one step further when we do.
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I admire OP's optimism but for me this is pure cope. Reaching 2 finals in the relatively recent past is no indicator that we'll get this far again anytime soon. PSV Eindhoven got to and won 2 finals in 10 years between 1978-1988 and haven't been back in the 30-odd years since.

It's possible (but not likely) that we get back to another final soonish. It's also possible that it could be 30, 40, 50 years before the next one.
 
Papac said:
The once in a generation stuff is small-time acceptance. Ajax and Porto are the gold standard of clubs that we should be aiming to emulate in European football from smaller countries. I don't see why we can't be there or thereabouts next year given we've had four decent campaigns by and large improving year on year.
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Excellent point
Sure they have a conveyer belt of youth coming through ,but hopefully we are now starting to do the same

We are now an established European club again and have the experience from the last few great years in Europe,we have updated our European CV,gained tremendous exposure and plaudits from all over Europe

Reaching finals isn't easy and takes a bit of luck as well ,but this p@sh from some that we won't reach another final really is draining and pointless
We are all heartbroken over last night ,especially to lose on penalties,but goodness some of the stuff being posted on here truly is dreadful.
 
PT98 said:
What if it was? There's absolutely nothing wrong with that
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Nothing wrong with it but it’s another step down . Europa league is the pinnacle of what a Scottish club can achieve nowadays and we were 21 mins away from doing it
 
superallythe2nd said:
The ECL might be seen as a European equivelant of the League Cup but it's still a competition and if we're in it, I want us to win it or at the very least make the final 4. Don't think we'd fancy Ibrox being bedecked in black and green though...

Realistically, the EL is our level unless we receive a massive cash injection to really compete in the CL.
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The Champions League is an utterly closed shop - over the last decade it has been won by any of 5 clubs from England, Germany & Spain.

The Europa League is a good competition, presents more challengers.
 
The People said:
Excellent point
Sure they have a conveyer belt of youth coming through ,but hopefully we are now starting to do the same

We are now an established European club again and have the experience from the last few great years in Europe,we have updated our European CV,gained tremendous exposure and plaudits from all over Europe

Reaching finals isn't easy and takes a bit of luck as well ,but this p@sh from some that we won't reach another final really is draining and pointless
We are all heartbroken over last night ,especially to lose on penalties,but goodness some of the stuff being posted on here truly is dreadful.
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A culture of mediocrity in Europe was established in the 90s when we were cleaning up domestically. Thankfully for us Celtic copied that.
 
Partickger said:
Extremely unlikely we will reach one at Europa level against such a beatable opponent again.
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Think this is the worst thing about it. Last night was a very winnable game. For both teams. An opportunity like that is rare.

And we wait another 14 years for a final, then are we sharing it with the same people that help make it so special :(
 
FifeBlue said:
Since 1955 when Euro competitions were introduced we've been in FIVE finals.

That's an average of one final every 13 years.

If you look at where we've come from since 2012, and the fact we played our last 2-3 games with no recognised / proven striker... it's a no brainer...

Rangers will DEFINITELY reach more Euro finals.
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Came on to post that about the averages, going by the stats we’d be due another final by about 2035, and that’s without even factoring in the Conference League.

Though my dad (who stayed at home for this one) did point out that by the next one I could well be the dad staying at home worrying about my kid going abroad to a Rangers final!
 
Prometheus said:
I admire OP's optimism but for me this is pure cope. Reaching 2 finals in the relatively recent past is no indicator that we'll get this far again anytime soon. PSV Eindhoven got to and won 2 finals in 10 years between 1978-1988 and haven't been back in the 30-odd years since.

It's possible (but not likely) that we get back to another final soonish. It's also possible that it could be 30, 40, 50 years before the next one.
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I'm 60 and I just said to my brother that I may not see us in another Euro final and I hope to see my 80's.
 
RabSpackman said:
The Champions League is an utterly closed shop - over the last decade it has been won by any of 5 clubs from England, Germany & Spain.

The Europa League is a good competition, presents more challengers.
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Bar a strange period in the 80s when English teams were at their strongest and banned, it's never been that varied and particular nations have always dominated. I think 80% of European competitions have been won by Spanish, German, English and Italians across the board. The only outliers from smaller leagues are Ajax and Porto.
Devil's Advocate said:
Think this is the worst thing about it. Last night was a very winnable game. For both teams. An opportunity like that is rare.

And we wait another 14 years for a final, then are we sharing it with the same people that help make it so special :(
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I reckon we're making another one in the next 5 years.
 
A team that cost 9.5 million should be nowhere near a major European final, what we did is one of the most remarkable achievements ever in football history. Ibrox and the supporters were a major factor in overcoming the odds, for several seasons now, so with our backing yes it’s possible again
 
The problem we have is "qualifying" for the conference league.

With hopefully winning the league more often we'll go in to the champions league, which then failing through qualifiers drops us into the Europa, it would take a spectacular failure of celtic proportions to drop again into the conference.

Or record in Europe recently and hopefully going forward will predominantly be as a europa league team regularly in the last 8 or 16 with the odd year moving into the semis or hopefully final.

With that in mind it could be quite a few years before we see another final.

Hopefully I'm wrong as I'd love the experiment if seeing a European trophy held aloft by a Rangers captain even if it was the conference league
 
1690 said:
Came on to post that about the averages, going by the stats we’d be due another final by about 2035, and that’s without even factoring in the Conference League.

Though my dad (who stayed at home for this one) did point out that by the next one I could well be the dad staying at home worrying about my kid going abroad to a Rangers final!
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Same mate. I've told my teenage kids that I've maybe got one more final in me; but they've likely got 3-4. So not to be too down hearted.
 
TBagg said:
A team that cost 9.5 million should be nowhere near a major European final, what we did is one of the most remarkable achievements ever in football history. Ibrox and the supporters were a major factor in overcoming the odds, for several seasons now, so with our backing yes it’s possible again
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We should fancy ourselves against anyone at Ibrox. Genuinely our biggest threats are Scandinavian countries that are well into their league season. A team that cost £9 million is now worth well over £100 million. Selling and trading right takes us up levels.
 
This season proved that ambition at this level is realistic; if that was the effect of this campaign it would help soften the blow given by losing the Final. Let's be honest, we had a very real chance of winning that last night.
 
The People said:
Sadly that's true ,
We should have done a good bit better with the players and resources we had
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Looking back at that, and listening to the H&H programme Dominant recently, the issues of tactics and formations was a big thing.

At that time, the idea of changing formation or approach was huge and was effectively a change that was implemented over an entire season… during individual matches in this European run you’ve seen us change formation 2 or 3 times without fuss.
 
I think the chances of me seeing our team in another final are slim & I am 33. This is what keeps ringing round in my head.

I do feel incredibly lucky & privileged to have witnessed the team in 2 major European finals.

I pray my son who is nearly 3 will get to witness this on at least 1 occasion, hopefully with a better outcome.
 
RabSpackman said:
Looking back at that, and listening to the H&H programme Dominant recently, the issues of tactics and formations was a big thing.

At that time, the idea of changing formation or approach was huge and was effectively a change that was implemented over an entire season… during individual matches in this European run you’ve seen us change formation 2 or 3 times without fuss.
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Pains me to say it

And I thought it at the time when I was attending those European game ,Walter was possibly needing an experienced European coach as no 2 along side him for Europe
Don't think he would have excepted though and the focus was on nine in a row
 
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