Lyon game 'Dead rubber'?

Beer Belly Loyal

Well-Known Member
This is a massive game, yes it is a 'dead rubber' of course it is regarding progress, but from a personal and every other Rangers fans point of view we'd want a strong team out playing on the park for this.

Hoping for GvB to send out his strongest team for the match with the idea of securing a good performance along with the 3 points, it may not be Lyon's cup of tea but it is very much ours, like every other game Rangers play in.

Beating Lyon on their home ground would be a good gauge on our progress further in the competition, other than the UEFA pay-outs it also offers important co-ef points for the club into the bargain.

Obviously we all want nothing but success and winning games at Rangers, this tie is no different, bottom line, we have to win it, food and drink for the club as always.

A victory in this 'dead rubber' will do nicely thank you.
 
Two sides...

It's a dead rubber, no pressure on us as we are through, fans can chill, fringe players can impress Gio.

Vs

£500k for match win, coefficient points go up, we always want to win, a xx - nil defeat would feel demoralising (? depending how you view it).



I'm sure there's more points to both sides.

Wonder if both managers (ex colleagues and rivals) will have a gentlemans agreement and say be competitive but don't aim to injure.
 
It’s not a dead rubber because there are incentives to win: namely the win and draw bonuses available which could well represent a portion of the transfer fee for a player in January; and also because the fact that maintaining the winning run will do wonders for the team morale.

However, this forum will be unanimous in that they would trade a defeat to Lyon for three points at Hearts, so it’s an insignificant game in that respect.

If someone like Kamara, Aribo or Goldson was to pick up a serious injury tonight, a lot of posters will go into meltdown so Gio really can’t win with his selection tonight.

We’ll only be able to evaluate whether he made the right calls at 2pm on Sunday.
 
There isn't anything in this game for Lyon beyond playing in of their own fans. From our pov their is a decent amount of money at stake.

In saying that I see a friendly type game being played. No one will want injured in a meaningless game.
 
Going to be a tough game, probably the best side we've faced in our recent Euro campaigns.
Rest a few key players, give guys like McLaughlin, NP, Lundstram, Jack, Wright and Bacuna a chance to impress, if they're all in the Euro squad?
Sunday's more important, but it would be nice to win both :)
 
I bloody loved our victory against Lech last year. It symbolised just how good we were that we could beat fancy foreign teams in their own stadium with our second-string. Proper big-club hubris.

But, aye. Tynecastle is the one that matters.
 
That's bullshit mate sorry. Fkin 'ell :))
I take it your objection is regarding the team selection and the poster suggesting a fringe eleven?
That’d be the only bullshit he posted.
Our first objective this season is to win the league.
Same every season but, this one more than any.
We get nothing for a win against Lyon other than a boost to our pride and credibility.
Even the money takes second priority tonight.
Would you gamble a £30m to £40m windfall for £500k?
Winning tonight would be nice.
Winning on Sunday is imperative.
 
I can't see our strongest 11 being fielded, GvB will have one eye on Sunday and rightly so. To go into this game balls out and maybe end up with 1st team players out for Sunday won't do us any favours. The league has to be the priority as always.
 
This is a massive game, yes it is a 'dead rubber' of course it is regarding progress, but from a personal and every other Rangers fans point of view we'd want a strong team out playing on the park for this.

Hoping for GvB to send out his strongest team for the match with the idea of securing a good performance along with the 3 points, it may not be Lyon's cup of tea but it is very much ours, like every other game Rangers play in.

Beating Lyon on their home ground would be a good gauge on our progress further in the competition, other than the UEFA pay-outs it also offers important co-ef points for the club into the bargain.

Obviously we all want nothing but success and winning games at Rangers, this tie is no different, bottom line, we have to win it, food and drink for the club as always.

A victory in this 'dead rubber' will do nicely thank you.
Playing on this stage, particularly given Rangers absence for such a long time, there is no dead rubber and anyone thinking there is would be fooling themselves.

The money would be nice but there is a lot to be said for Rangers simply having a fixture against a real quality team and showing they can hang at this level, maybe even punch above their weight.

The club are going to have to sign a number of players this Summer and the next. GVB will have to persuade them Rangers are a club that can qualify for and compete in these European tournaments because its hard to sell playing in Scotland as a great career move.

Tonight may not alter the group much but if we went to Lyon and beat them, regardless of their XI, that is a ***** result when you consider how strong they are.
 
Playing on this stage, particularly given Rangers absence for such a long time, there is no dead rubber and anyone thinking there is would be fooling themselves.

The money would be nice but there is a lot to be said for Rangers simply having a fixture against a real quality team and showing they can hang at this level, maybe even punch above their weight.

The club are going to have to sign a number of players this Summer and the next. GVB will have to persuade them Rangers are a club that can qualify for and compete in these European tournaments because its hard to sell playing in Scotland as a great career move.

Tonight may not alter the group much but if we went to Lyon and beat them, regardless of their XI, that is a ***** result when you consider how strong they are.
Do you seriously think our result away to Lyon when we’ve already qualified will have any bearing on whether any potential targets want to come here?
 
We have too many games coming up during rest of month for us not to make changes tonight.

We also have too many good players short of game time for them not to get a game tonight. Give them a chance and trust them to keep momentum going and get us good result.
 
Sunday is the priority but it’s not a dead rubber, it’s a opportunity for fringe/squad players to impress & show they deserve to stay at the club and are part of GVB’s plans.

McLaughlin, Patterson, Balogun, Goldson, Barisic, Arfield, Aribo, Hagi, Kamara, Zungu, Itten - that was the XI that played Lech on match day 6 on the 10th December 2020.

Would expect McLaughlin, Patterson, Lundstram, Jack, Wright, Roofe to all feature.
 
Totally disagree. The benefit of qualifying early is having the luxury of rotation. Risking players on the brink of suspension in dead rubber matches is pretty daft anyway, so those 2 will definitely miss out.

It's an ideal game to give Patterson more game time and get some minutes into Jack's legs too. Fringe players like Wright, Bacuna and Lundstram should start too.

Would be good to see some of the youth players introduced from the bench too.
 
Sorry but I stopped at” this is a massive game”.

No, it’s not.

Sure, we’d all love to win tonight, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not important. Particularly with a critical league game on Sunday.

So sorry, but when someone starts with “this is a massive game” for a game which has nothing riding on it, other than some notion of keeping a “feel good factor” going, I tend to think that person is trying too hard to be revisionist
 
I’d be very surprised if gio sends out his strongest 11 with us already having qualified. We have a much bigger game on Sunday.
 
Do you seriously think our result away to Lyon when we’ve already qualified will have any bearing on whether any potential targets want to come here?
Every result fuels the next for good or bad, beating Lyon would give Rangers huge confidence to play whoever is next which in turn will have a bearing on recruitment, so yes it does.

Its also the continuance of GVB's reign and would further enhance his credentials as an operator at this level. Also important since its been a few years since he last competed regularly as a Coach, at this level.
 
Dead rubber has a ring of arrogance about it. Rankings+Money to be played for here and plenty of players who need to prove they're worthy of the jersey.
 
Every result fuels the next for good or bad, beating Lyon would give Rangers huge confidence to play whoever is next which in turn will have a bearing on recruitment, so yes it does.

Its also the continuance of GVB's reign and would further enhance his credentials as an operator at this level. Also important since its been a few years since he last competed regularly as a Coach, at this level.
Last season our worst 90 minutes followed our biggest win a decade.
 
I'd be resting players 100%.

We're at the start of a hectic schedule and player burn out is a worry.

Sunday is priority.


_______________McGregor

Patterson___Goldson__Simpson___Bassey

_________Jack (if fit)__ Lundstram

Wright__________Aribo___________Sakala

_______________Roofe


McGregor & Goldson Start to bring some stability at the back with Bassey going LB to give Barisic a rest.

Aribo starts as he's been immense but I'd take him off around the hour mark.

Other than that I dont see any of the others starting on Sunday.
 
Is it really only a few years ago Alloa were beating us regularly?
What a fvckin position to be in, I have to pinch myself sometimes wondering not that long ago if we would even have a club.
 
We have too many games coming up during rest of month for us not to make changes tonight.

We also have too many good players short of game time for them not to get a game tonight. Give them a chance and trust them to keep momentum going and get us good result.
Spot on ...its not just sunday, we have a lot of games coming up before the break
 
Not a chance we play the strongest team, he’s already alluded to it in his press conference that players who need minutes and have been doing well in training will get a chance. Plus 600k or 200k for a win or a draw is nothing compared to 25m which beating hearts could help us toward.

Hearts is by a far a bigger game than this, and Lyon will probably play a second string side as well so it’s hardly as if we would be beating a full strength Lyon anyway to gauge our progress as such.

Reckon there will be a good 6 or 7 changes and think that’s fair enough, imagine losing a key player to injury tonight in a game that’s pretty much meaningless in the grand scheme of things, would be brutal.
 
Out of the 2 matches coming up, Sunday is the priority. Based on that I think there should be a couple of changes to the starting personnel, maybe rest a couple so no knocks are picked up. Yep, be great to play the strongest 11 each week but we need to know when (which I'm sure the management team do) to make the decisions on utilising the squad.
 
Ryan Jack also if he's fit enough. Possibly Bacuna as well. Maybe even Defoe?
I don't know if we will go so wholesale with the changes, Defoe possibly with Sakala and Morelos sitting out but I think we need to keep some more established players in there.

Don't want embarrassed.
 
Sunday is far more important. Playing our best team here would be mental.
 
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