Reality check

I love these new supporters. They'll get it eventually.
:ninja:
Edit, oh no :ninja: doesn't work. What year is this?
 
Outside of a Lyon away type performance (and luck) we were never winning by 3 in Leverkusen.

I was expecting a better performance however. But it happens. Sometimes quality is just too much.

Got another campaign to get to in a couple of weeks anyway.

Plus, I'd prefer 100% focus on the league please. We've waited too long
 
Try as I might I cant adjust to the new reality. I grew up seeing us regularly reach finals and semi finals. For the first 30 odd years of my life we went into Europe with serious hopes of going deep in the competition. I know a lot has changed since then and we face a much tougher task these days, but i cant bring myself to seeing Rangers reaching the last 16 of Europe's secondary competition as something to celebrate.

I know its me and I should get with the times and all that but on night like tonight I wonder about how we can increase our income and make our club one of the top players on the continent again, rather than feel good about what is in the grand scheme of things a very average cup run.
 
Try as I might I cant adjust to the new reality. I grew up seeing us regularly reach finals and semi finals. For the first 30 odd years of my life we went into Europe with serious hopes of going deep in the competition. I know a lot has changed since then and we face a much tougher task these days, but i cant bring myself to seeing Rangers reaching the last 16 of Europe's secondary competition as something to celebrate.

I know its me and I should get with the times and all that but on night like tonight I wonder about how we can increase our income and make our club one of the top players on the continent again, rather than feel good about what is in the grand scheme of things a very average cup run.
We won it in 72 , made the final 12 years ago. Now it's multi millionaire stuff. I'm unsure what you think is going to happen. Scottish football is never going to compete at the premier level. It's a miracle we had two clubs in a final that is now out of reach due to elite clubs dropping in .
 
Try as I might I cant adjust to the new reality. I grew up seeing us regularly reach finals and semi finals. For the first 30 odd years of my life we went into Europe with serious hopes of going deep in the competition. I know a lot has changed since then and we face a much tougher task these days, but i cant bring myself to seeing Rangers reaching the last 16 of Europe's secondary competition as something to celebrate.

I know its me and I should get with the times and all that but on night like tonight I wonder about how we can increase our income and make our club one of the top players on the continent again, rather than feel good about what is in the grand scheme of things a very average cup run.

Regular Champions League income would go a long way but realistically we’re still a bit away from competing against a team like Leverkusen. Their squad is worth hundreds of millions.
 
We won it in 72 , made the final 12 years ago. Now it's multi millionaire stuff. I'm unsure what you think is going to happen. Scottish football is never going to compete at the premier level. It's a miracle we had two clubs in a final that is now out of reach due to elite clubs dropping in .
It wasnt only 1972 and 2008, we made a Euro final in 61 and 67, and should have in 93. We had semi finals in 60 and 69 and reached the quarters in 62, 65, 68 and 79. Its ancient history to many I know, but if you lived it, our current status is hard to swallow.

Some realignment of leagues is the only hope I can see, or us somehow getting a bigger share of the TV pie commensurate with our support through independent broadcasting. Anything is better than where we are. Being tied to Scotland and the clowns in the SFA and SPFL is only going to drag us further into obscurity.
 
Regular Champions League income would go a long way but realistically we’re still a bit away from competing against a team like Leverkusen. Their squad is worth hundreds of millions.
Regular Champions League participation would definitely help, but we still need to command a better television income through domestic competition. I dont know if that is through a different set up or taking control of our own broadcasting rights, but we cant go on letting our future being decided by the corrupt idiots at Hampden.
 
It wasnt only 1972 and 2008, we made a Euro final in 61 and 67, and should have in 93. We had semi finals in 60 and 69 and reached the quarters in 62, 65, 68 and 79. Its ancient history to many I know, but if you lived it, our current status is hard to swallow.

Some realignment of leagues is the only hope I can see, or us somehow getting a bigger share of the TV pie commensurate with our support through independent broadcasting. Anything is better than where we are. Being tied to Scotland and the clowns in the SFA and SPFL is only going to drag us further into obscurity.
You’ve had some great memories :). Whilst I’ve not lived through of your memories, I’ve got memories of a few. Getting to the last 16/quarter finals is a good result for our current team, we are still making our way back from what happened over the last 9 years.

With some continued investment, I hope we can make that step up to the next level (CL)and get to a similar stage, it may be a dream, but who knows.

In the meantime, let’s get #55.
 
Try as I might I cant adjust to the new reality. I grew up seeing us regularly reach finals and semi finals. For the first 30 odd years of my life we went into Europe with serious hopes of going deep in the competition. I know a lot has changed since then and we face a much tougher task these days, but i cant bring myself to seeing Rangers reaching the last 16 of Europe's secondary competition as something to celebrate.

I know its me and I should get with the times and all that but on night like tonight I wonder about how we can increase our income and make our club one of the top players on the continent again, rather than feel good about what is in the grand scheme of things a very average cup run.
As a team we are punching well above our weight in Europe. We have had teams with the likes of Laudrup etc being put out before the summer ends.
We have come a long way since 2012, let's concentrate on getting back to being the elite in Scotland first, our stock in Europe has risen under Steven Gerrard, but anything we gain or achieve there is a bonus.
Like others have said, you have some great memories there, you're a lucky man.
 
I know this place goes mental on match days but can we not just step back and appreciate the achievement of last years squad. We just lost to a team likely to win the completion after starting from first qualifier, we shoujd be so proud our team achieved that

Better never stops let’s go we don’t do walking away!
 
You’ve had some great memories :). Whilst I’ve not lived through of your memories, I’ve got memories of a few. Getting to the last 16/quarter finals is a good result for our current team, we are still making our way back from what happened over the last 9 years.

With some continued investment, I hope we can make that step up to the next level (CL)and get to a similar stage, it may be a dream, but who knows.

In the meantime, let’s get #55.
I was a young boy for a lot of them mate, so I only really remember a european run was a frequent occurance. I wholeheartly agree with you though, 55 is top of the agenda.
 
I know this place goes mental on match days but can we not just step back and appreciate the achievement of last years squad. We just lost to a team likely to win the completion after starting from first qualifier, we shoujd be so proud our team achieved that

The same folk that had this game marked down as an inconvenience and a hindrance to our domestic goals are now marauding about threads slating every single player, total hypocrites.
 
I don't think the forum has been that bad tbh, most people just accept they are a much better team.

Yes we could have played better but its onto the league now and that's our main concern.

I wasn't in the match thread but agree the aftermath hasn't been too bad.

If nothing else I think it's confirmed we are happy with our defence (apart from the obvious target), excited about the new forward options and keen to refresh/push on the midfield.

(Some positive reframing and diplomacy in there but along those lines)
 
It wasnt only 1972 and 2008, we made a Euro final in 61 and 67, and should have in 93. We had semi finals in 60 and 69 and reached the quarters in 62, 65, 68 and 79. Its ancient history to many I know, but if you lived it, our current status is hard to swallow.

Some realignment of leagues is the only hope I can see, or us somehow getting a bigger share of the TV pie commensurate with our support through independent broadcasting. Anything is better than where we are. Being tied to Scotland and the clowns in the SFA and SPFL is only going to drag us further into obscurity.
Alongside those years we also had some desperate humpings in Europe mate, better Rangers teams than this were embarrassed over the years.
We should be proud of how this side had played in Europe over the last couple of seasons, last night was just a tie too far with one competitive game to prepare for a genuinely great side.
 
You might have memories of finals, semis etc but you'll have fresher memories of the ball stuck in the hedge at Brechin.

We've come from that being the first Scottish team in how many years to win a knockout round in Europe. Rapid progress on that front.
 
To be fair i think the majority of us accepted that we were beaten by a team of superior players.
I can still understand some frustrations though in that nobody in the midfield seemed to want go try grab the game by the scruff of the neck and try driving us forward but again that may just have been down to opposition being better but its also an issue domestically.
Still need one or two improvements but we are getting there.
 
Alongside those years we also had some desperate humpings in Europe mate, better Rangers teams than this were embarrassed over the years.
We should be proud of how this side had played in Europe over the last couple of seasons, last night was just a tie too far with one competitive game to prepare for a genuinely great side.
I am proud mate. I'm more angry at the system that puts us at a distinct disadvantage and how we cant seem to do anything to change things.
 
We were beat by a quality team and the best team we have played in a very long time. There's no shame in that. We had a great run in Europe and beat some cracking teams on the way.

We could still use a couple of upgrades in midfield and it is time for Morelos to go though.
 
I find it hard to take where we have been since 2012 and not winning anything.
We were winning trophies that often and hammering the filth that regularly people were just going home after the games and taking everything for granted.
The older fans like myself are demanding when it comes to success but you also have the newer type Rangers fan who seems to be satisfied with mediocrity and just challenging for cups and the league.
We are nearly there, just a bit more patience is required and once we get there the groundwork is done for a good successful few years ahead.
 
Our european run has been terrific. Not so long ag Progres bumped us out. Now we disposed of the likes of legia, porto and braga. No shame in losing to a very good leverkusen side. Mon the Rangers!
 
It’s a good OP, fully understand it.

The current surreal circumstances, the match fitness/sharpness of our players, the level of opposition and the absolutely sweltering 33 degree heat mean that you probably can’t take an awful lot away from individual performances.

However, as I’ve said about 1,000 times since last night, I am really concerned that tactically it’s the same old as the past two years and I was really hoping that Gerrard and Beale had worked on something newer.

We’re likely to line up against St Mirren at home with roughly the same system we use for Leverkusen away, and that’s not right.
 
It wasnt only 1972 and 2008, we made a Euro final in 61 and 67, and should have in 93. We had semi finals in 60 and 69 and reached the quarters in 62, 65, 68 and 79. Its ancient history to many I know, but if you lived it, our current status is hard to swallow.

Some realignment of leagues is the only hope I can see, or us somehow getting a bigger share of the TV pie commensurate with our support through independent broadcasting. Anything is better than where we are. Being tied to Scotland and the clowns in the SFA and SPFL is only going to drag us further into obscurity.

I know how you feel but it is just the way it is now. TV money has shut us out of our former european elite status.

Ajax are the only club I can think of that have managed to retain some of their former glory with their world renowned academy system.

Other than them, it’s Germany, England, Spain and Italy who have the only elite european clubs now due entirely to TV money.

As you say, whilst we remain tied to Scotland, it’s not easy to see a way of changing the situation.
 
Try as I might I cant adjust to the new reality. I grew up seeing us regularly reach finals and semi finals. For the first 30 odd years of my life we went into Europe with serious hopes of going deep in the competition. I know a lot has changed since then and we face a much tougher task these days, but i cant bring myself to seeing Rangers reaching the last 16 of Europe's secondary competition as something to celebrate.

I know its me and I should get with the times and all that but on night like tonight I wonder about how we can increase our income and make our club one of the top players on the continent again, rather than feel good about what is in the grand scheme of things a very average cup run.
An average cup run :))

From the first qualifying round to the last 16 overcoming the likes of Porto, Feyenoord, Legia Warsaw and Braga.

You certainly do need a reality check because you’re tuned to the fucking moon :D
 
I’ve tried to avoid most of the initial emotional reaction from last night on here, ultimately we did unbelievably well to make it as far as we did. I remember sitting at the Legia game at Ibrox nervy as hell thinking we might not make the group stage, I couldn’t have imagined at that point that we would get to the last 16.

It wasn’t a great performance by any means but then I think people are too quick to point to our own failings rather than the fact Leverkusen are a quality side and pressed us relentlessly in both games which didn’t allow us to play our best stuff.

They could go all the way in the tournament and will fancy their chances against a tired looking Inter side on Monday night.
 
Try as I might I cant adjust to the new reality. I grew up seeing us regularly reach finals and semi finals. For the first 30 odd years of my life we went into Europe with serious hopes of going deep in the competition. I know a lot has changed since then and we face a much tougher task these days, but i cant bring myself to seeing Rangers reaching the last 16 of Europe's secondary competition as something to celebrate.

I know its me and I should get with the times and all that but on night like tonight I wonder about how we can increase our income and make our club one of the top players on the continent again, rather than feel good about what is in the grand scheme of things a very average cup run.
do you not remember what happened in 2012?

The reason to celebrate is getting back to normality where we are competing with these teams.
 
Although a bit disappointed in our display, they were by far the better team and kept the ball superbly, we chased shadows for the first 20mns at least. You will always struggle to impose your game if you can’t get the ball.
Their passing was sharp and the interplay was excellent, I think we are quite a bit away from that standard of play, but being the last Scottish club in European competition shows our progress as a team and as a club.
 
It wasnt only 1972 and 2008, we made a Euro final in 61 and 67, and should have in 93. We had semi finals in 60 and 69 and reached the quarters in 62, 65, 68 and 79. Its ancient history to many I know, but if you lived it, our current status is hard to swallow.

Some realignment of leagues is the only hope I can see, or us somehow getting a bigger share of the TV pie commensurate with our support through independent broadcasting. Anything is better than where we are. Being tied to Scotland and the clowns in the SFA and SPFL is only going to drag us further into obscurity.
Scotland has fell behind we will not move on from kick and rush football

Untill refs stamp it out driven from the top then we won't go much further unless really lucky with draws etc

The current set up is damaging the game massively as its set up for the scum to succeed

The refs are poor and inconsistent along with one or two who are cheats

The coaching at youth levels if probably not good enough but do produce players with potential but we struggle to produce good players as soon as they come into the team negative football and kick what moves takes priority.

Progressing the players between 18 to skillful footballers is an area we just fall down on

The size of the league means youth doesn't really get a chance to properly develop they need games and experience we should be a 16-18 team leagues times 2 with a proper pyramid system below.

The people running the game need chased and people with proper kpis for improvement put in and managed effectively with strict targets not just for income but youth development but sfa is a closed shop and run by proxy through Mulraney and petrie
 
Also Frazz - the few 'shining stars' who emerge are gobbled up:

Josh Adams - Man City
Liam Morrison - Bayern
Billy Gilmour - Chelsea

How many absolute, genuine talents will we ever see play in SPL?
 
There's levels to football.Leverkusen are a good team from a good league.

We'd need to play very well and catch them on an off night to have a chance. With the quality they have and the effort they put in over both legs, there was never a chance of that.

A learning curve for us. Shows how far we've come in European terms in only a short space of time.
 
Try as I might I cant adjust to the new reality. I grew up seeing us regularly reach finals and semi finals. For the first 30 odd years of my life we went into Europe with serious hopes of going deep in the competition. I know a lot has changed since then and we face a much tougher task these days, but i cant bring myself to seeing Rangers reaching the last 16 of Europe's secondary competition as something to celebrate.

I know its me and I should get with the times and all that but on night like tonight I wonder about how we can increase our income and make our club one of the top players on the continent again, rather than feel good about what is in the grand scheme of things a very average cup run.

What’s changed is these heavily financed clubs (I don’t regard Bayer as elite - we are elite) are now scouring the globe for talent. Until we get on an even playing field financially we cannot compete even at EL closing stages. This new conference cup will be the realistic target for the poorer clubs - a bracket we are unfortunately in.

Make no mistake our runs in the last 2 years are better than the scum. They got cuffed by Copenhagen and would have been battered by Bayer despite their relative wealth in our league.
 
Try as I might I cant adjust to the new reality. I grew up seeing us regularly reach finals and semi finals. For the first 30 odd years of my life we went into Europe with serious hopes of going deep in the competition. I know a lot has changed since then and we face a much tougher task these days, but i cant bring myself to seeing Rangers reaching the last 16 of Europe's secondary competition as something to celebrate.

I know its me and I should get with the times and all that but on night like tonight I wonder about how we can increase our income and make our club one of the top players on the continent again, rather than feel good about what is in the grand scheme of things a very average cup run.

I've been following Rangers since the Souness era and the years we have done well in Europe are outliers with us mostly papped out before Christmas. Even under Advocaat who had a barrowload to spend.
 
It wasnt only 1972 and 2008, we made a Euro final in 61 and 67, and should have in 93. We had semi finals in 60 and 69 and reached the quarters in 62, 65, 68 and 79. Its ancient history to many I know, but if you lived it, our current status is hard to swallow.

Some realignment of leagues is the only hope I can see, or us somehow getting a bigger share of the TV pie commensurate with our support through independent broadcasting. Anything is better than where we are. Being tied to Scotland and the clowns in the SFA and SPFL is only going to drag us further into obscurity.

It’s our only hope realistically, the rich are just disappearing over the horizon and getting further away from the rest who are basically just making up the numbers.

Long gone are the days where we could reasonably expect to do better on the European stage..that should be obvious to most people by now particularly after the self destruction that’s occurred in Scottish football in recent years.

I hold out some hope for a better opportunity to see meaningful change that will give us a better chance of competing and having some success in Europe...there’s plenty of other distinguished clubs from the smaller Leagues in a similar situation to us and they too are pushing for change so hopefully it’s coming in the not too distant future.
 
I’m not particularly fussed about the result last night, but I can’t help thinking we’d have made more of a fist of it against Leverkusen over two legs had we faced them last autumn.
 
Didn’t expect us to even win last night let alone by three goals.

Thought we might manage to lay a glove on them or at least go down with a fight.

I think Goldson’s header was our first attempt on target
 
I don't think the forum has been that bad tbh, most people just accept they are a much better team.

Yes we could have played better but its onto the league now and that's our main concern.
Twitter has been a riot. Some absolute half wits on there.
 
We were beaten over 2 legs by a very good german team ,we had to have every player on the A game last night to compete and sadly that was not the case
 
We were beaten by an excellent team. No gripes here. Best I was hoping maybe for a draw for the coefficient points in all honzesty. If we did get thru I reckon it would hamper our title ambitions This season to be Perfectly honest
 
I know this place goes mental on match days but can we not just step back and appreciate the achievement of last years squad. We just lost to a team likely to win the completion after starting from first qualifier, we shoujd be so proud our team achieved that
Our Europa league run was a brilliant achievement but the further went the bigger the financial disadvantage got with teams we were playing against and when Peter Bosz is up against financial parity or disadvantage,he is a serial loser,I`d be astonished if they won the Europa this season.
 
Tbh there is a majority of the ‘football comment’ posts which cannot even be taken seriously .

joke posts / fake posts imo
 
An average cup run :))

From the first qualifying round to the last 16 overcoming the likes of Porto, Feyenoord, Legia Warsaw and Braga.

You certainly do need a reality check because you’re tuned to the fucking moon :D

Wire me to the same fc_cking moon then.

Legia Warsaw and Braga?

List their European achievements. Pretty sure there aren't any.

That we've came from Pedro and Progres' to actual progress in just two seasons is wonderful, but it is a measure of how far we have fallen that a win over non entities like Braga is feted as some kind of achievement.

We have overcome a mountain and then some from 2012 to be anywhere near where we got to last night. BUT, it was an average run, and one that a club of our stature should be making every year.

But hey, you wallow in averageness.
 
Wire me to the same fc_cking moon then.

Legia Warsaw and Braga?

List their European achievements. Pretty sure there aren't any.

That we've came from Pedro and Progres' to actual progress in just two seasons is wonderful, but it is a measure of how far we have fallen that a win over non entities like Braga is feted as some kind of achievement.

We have overcome a mountain and then some from 2012 to be anywhere near where we got to last night. BUT, it was an average run, and one that a club of our stature should be making every year.

But hey, you wallow in averageness.
An average run compared to what? I've been watching Rangers for 30 years and we've more often than not been punted out before the last 16. Including eras when we could mix it financially with the elite.
 
It used to take 9 games to win the European cup. It's nowhere near what it used to be, before money completely dominated football.

For many years, even when we were spending it was a case of a getting by xmas was an achievement.

The way footballs going, there may soon be a time when clubs like ourselves may never play competitive football against the reals Madrid's or Bayern's ever again.
 
Last 16 is superb. Never expected that in a million years. Well done Rangers for getting that far.
 
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