Just viewed all our highlights of our European games for 4 years

Interstellar

Well-Known Member
Some journey the club has had in Europe the past 4-5 years.

I know the champions League was a major disappointment but do you think we can view that as an experience that we must better when we qualify again?

I think there's a lot of work to do to get back to that consistent level tbh and that will involve saying goodbye to certain players which we have seen already.

For the slating arfield gets in this forum his contribution since joining has been incredible, he's popped up with major goals in the league/Europe and cup games.

It's sad to see a cycle of a team come to an end but I think we can all see it's needed to progress further.
 
I’m still heartbroken about Seville.

That pain was consolidated by the CL horror show.

Hopefully Mick can restore some pride.
I think we've forgotten how much we accepted or expected European mediocrity bar one decent run in 92 and 2008. I'm not saying you reach the final every year, but we didn't really punish Smith or Advocaat (whose draws admittedly were quite mitigating) for failing to achieve next to anything in about 10 other attempts. Gerrard coming in transformed our attitudes and expectations to Europe in a way that I hope Beale gets to build on.
 
Stating the obvious but this year was so disappointing given the highs we achieved last year. Some may even make a reasonable case to say we over achieved given the resources we have compared to others.

A big part of our previous success was built on belief and creating a siege mentality. It’s been said many times that we lack a mental toughness, Beale has to move the non-believers on and bring back the win at all costs attitude. It doesn’t matter how many ‘effort triumphs skill’ posters you throw up around the training centre or the dressing room, the players must buy into the managers philosophy and run through brick walls for him.

We need an upgrade in every department to get to the next level and compete consistently
 
Was watching full matches we had vs Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow a few weeks ago when I was a bit bored, it's crazy how much we have developed our style of football since then, it's the same in concept for the most part but we were so rudimentary back then. Compared to now at least. I stick the highlights on now and then it was an incredible journey, that Porto game, Antwerp, Braga, Legia Warsaw. Just so many incredible highlights and fantastic memories in such a short space of time
 
Let’s face it, it was about as hard a CL group as we could’ve got.

It seemed to throw the players. I think we’d have tackled a group like the one the filth had with far more self-belief.

Do you think so?

I’m obviously typing this with the benefit of hindsight but it was only a nightmare draw on paper imo.

Ofcourse it was certain far from easy but Liverpool are having a howler of a season sitting 9th in the league and Ajax fans not overly chuffed how their season is going whilst currently sitting 5th.

There’s teams performing to a higher standard than them who we could’ve drawn.
Not Napoli though! They are flying!

Thoroughly agree on the belief aspect. What chance we got when the manager at the time publicly said we can’t compete.
 
God know where we would be without those brilliant European runs.

The one legged Galatasaray play off tie in 2020, in particular, was absolutely massive.

Just imagine the scale of the Covid losses had we not made the group stages that season!?

Doesn’t bear thinking about.
The Leverkusen game brought in about £2million in ticket sales and the Covid shutdown happened the next day :))
 
Do you think so?

I’m obviously typing this with the benefit of hindsight but it was only a nightmare draw on paper imo.

Ofcourse it was certain far from easy but Liverpool are having a howler of a season sitting 9th in the league and Ajax fans not overly chuffed how their season is going whilst currently sitting 5th.

There’s teams performing to a higher standard than them who we could’ve drawn.
Not Napoli though! They are flying!

Thoroughly agree on the belief aspect. What chance we got when the manager at the time publicly said we can’t compete.

Liverpool are on the slide but have been one of the top handful of sides in Europe for a few seasons now and can field a side packed with players who have been there / done that in the CL.

Napoli are a fantastic side.

Ajax were probably the side we could’ve expected to take something from, but a bad night in the opening tie of the group set the tone and i think knocked our players confidence.

I’m probably being a bit hyperbolic with ‘as hard a group as we could’ve got’ but it was a tough, tough group. There were other groups we would’ve been more competitive in imo.
 
It'll be controversial but I'd take another run and a crack at the final over winning the league every day. Last season was like a high even gear couldn't take me too. Need more.

Barring a good group, I don't ever see us getting to a place where last 16 in the CL is even a realistic achievement every season.
 
Liverpool are on the slide but have been one of the top handful of sides in Europe for a few seasons now and can field a side packed with players who have been there / done that in the CL.

Napoli are a fantastic side.

Ajax were probably the side we could’ve expected to take something from, but a bad night in the opening tie of the group set the tone and i think knocked our players confidence.

I’m probably being a bit hyperbolic with ‘as hard a group as we could’ve got’ but it was a tough, tough group. There were other groups we would’ve been more competitive in imo.

Possibly could’ve been more competitive in other groups mate.

Although I think we were quite simply dung thought this seasons european campaign and would’ve struggled whoever we came up against.
We were shïte in Europe and lost.
We were also shïte in the league and papered over the cracks by grinding out wins against SPFL dross (until the wheels came off gio’s bus in Oct/Nov).
Horrible first half of the season all round.

Onwards and upwards now hopefully.
 
Gerrard came from a place where European ties were just another game to be won. Winning was not only demanded but expected. Whereas for us it was an exotic adventure, a sort of free hit where poor results were quickly forgiven if we had some domestic success
Our results and performances grew exponentially as the players bought into the Gerrard mindset
I've never enjoyed Europe as much (72 excepted) as I did under Gerrard culminating in Seville under Gio
 
Stating the obvious but this year was so disappointing given the highs we achieved last year. Some may even make a reasonable case to say we over achieved given the resources we have compared to others.

A big part of our previous success was built on belief and creating a siege mentality. It’s been said many times that we lack a mental toughness, Beale has to move the non-believers on and bring back the win at all costs attitude. It doesn’t matter how many ‘effort triumphs skill’ posters you throw up around the training centre or the dressing room, the players must buy into the managers philosophy and run through brick walls for him.

We need an upgrade in every department to get to the next level and compete consistently
Gerrard did a lot of good work in clearing out the shitebags, Beale needs to complete the task
 
Aye like others have said Seville will haunt me the rest of my life, what an unbelievable time I had until that night, that night in Dortmund especially I'll never forget, booking up for the final after that result certainly paid off :D
 
God know where we would be without those brilliant European runs.

The one legged Galatasaray play off tie in 2020, in particular, was absolutely massive.

Just imagine the scale of the Covid losses had we not made the group stages that season!?

Doesn’t bear thinking about.
Without Europe and doing so well in the Europa League we would still be miles behind Celtic tbh.

The European money has effectively managed to get us to a good level again while being hugely beneficial for the finances. £20 million plus on the high end for a competitive rangers in the Europa League.
 
For all Morelos's criticism on here, which I have certainly aimed at him and given criticism which I feel has been justified.

He has been some player for us in Europe some incredible goals and I can understand why folk want him to sign on again for a few more years.

I'll be honest I wanted him gone, it's a shame that it's gotten to this stage with the supporters divided on him.

If he could lose a stone and a bit and maintain it and find that level of performance week in week out there wouldnt be a problem with him getting a contract again, not sure he can though.
 
I’ll never tire of talking about how much I loved those 4 years in the Europa League. From the surpassing all expectations in various qualifiers to going away to some pretty good teams and really taking the game to them. Some tactical masterclasses and really good team performances that ultimately took us to within a penalty shootout of winning the whole thing. Thursday nights were really something to look forward to.

We were victims of our own success in some regard this season. We lost Bassey and Aribo, who were pivotal to our success. There was a bit of a transition of players in the summer, not all hit the ground running and some were injured. We had other injuries in the squad. We had never consistently played the level of opposition we had in the CL group stages. It was a step-up. The first Ajax game came immediately on the back of another scudding at Parkhead, and the players had never been on the receiving end of such a result in Europe. We were a bit unlucky at home to Napoli, then confidence was just completely shot.
 
We were the width of the post away from going 4-1 up away to Benfica. Think about that for a second.

Some might say we should have managed the game better but I loved that Gerrard had the team playing with that mentality and hope that Beale can bring it back.

The 4-0 win away to Willem II doesn’t get the credit it should either. Kevin Thomson on commentary was incredulous that we weren’t parking the bus at 1-0, I thought nah mate - you won’t do for me.
 
Aye like others have said Seville will haunt me the rest of my life, what an unbelievable time I had until that night, that night in Dortmund especially I'll never forget, booking up for the final after that result certainly paid off :D
Oh yesss, Dortmund away was my first Rangers live match. What a night. Okay, Dortmund was on a dry run but in regard to their squad one could not expect the outcome. High flying after the match.
 
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Didn’t think i’d ever see a game like the 3-2 Braga game then Leipzig happened.
Out of all the games, the Braga game gave me the biggest rush of euphoria, not seen since Helicopter Sunday or Nacho’s penalty to get us into the 08 final. That slightest of deflections and the keeper not being able to reach it runs in slow motion in my mind, like a beautiful piece of artwork, followed then by the rush as we all realized it was there!

The lows were obviously the EC Final in Seville and the CL Malmo debacle.
 
CL is too much of a step up for us.
I really hate saying that but it’s true and absolutely brutal to watch
Europa Cup please
disagree. had we taken the same fitness, attitude and approach from last year, we wouldn't have embarrassed ourselves the way we did.

I agree it's a step up, and we can't go in expecting to be top 2, but CL qualification with the a drop down to the EL should absolutely be our main aim in Europe for now.

The idea that a club our size should just give up on the CL because we were a shambles this year is ridiculous - there are plenty of smaller country clubs that do a decent job each year.
 
Genuinely don’t think I’ll ever get over Seville. The adrenaline rush of those last 2 months of the season will never be beaten.
The buzz from getting a ticket for the final , beating Liepzeg, arranging the travel etc and being there will live with me forever.
 
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