Sheff Wed V Rangers

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I tried it and it was cool enough then when she asked if I had sugared it I told her I did but there were no clean spoons.

Dunked it in thinkin it would be funny and let out a yelp, told her to get ice and give me a blowy but she couldn't stop laughing.
 
Match report

A first defeat of the summer, a first goal conceded. Regardless of how little import you place on pre-season results, this one had to sting Rangers just a bit.

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Wonderful banners in the well behaved crowd

A little perspective, though, please. Because there is no doubt that Ally McCoist's men took a step up in terms of warm-up opposition here at Hillsborough last night; there may not be too many SPFL Premiership teams who would fancy their chances of beating a Championship side.

Having embarked on a campaign that has seen them face teams from the foothills of the Scottish and English senior game, plus the German regional leagues and even a Dutch Second Division side, this was something else.

A 1-0 defeat to an ugly early goal from flying winger Michael Antonio, then? Hardly a total momentum wrecker on the eve of the new season.
As preparation for Sunday's Ramsdens Cup tie against Albion Rovers at the neutral venue of Livingston goes, this fixture - in front of 16,428 - might have been considered over-clubbing the situation a little.

Yet, for a side with publicly declared short-term ambitions far beyond being crowned champions of the new SPFL League One (that's Second Division, in old money), this could hardly hurt.

Former Rangers kid Rhys McCabe, the first player to walk away from Murray Park when he refused to transfer his contract across the newco last summer, was given the inevitable allocation of stick from the visiting support, who had travelled to South Yorkshire in large numbers.

Rangers quickly found themselves stretched by a Wednesday side looking polished and pacey. Antonio, in particular, looked set to give former Scotland left-back Lee Wallace a test from the outset, the right winger carving open a chance for Gary Madine within 90 seconds - only for the striker to head over from a tempting cross.

Jermaine Johnson hit the target after peeling off into the inside-right channel soon after, exposing Emilson Cribari's limitations in the process, but his effort was straight at stand-in keeper Scott Gallacher.

McCoist had juggled his line-up for this one, keeping some of his seven trialists in reserve with a view to the weekend's action, when competition rules allow him to field only two.

They certainly looked to be missing the steadying influence of central defender Bilel Mohsni, left on the bench after playing in all five previous pre-season games. All victories. All clean sheets.

If there was hardly a shock factor to the home team taking the lead, though, the ugly nature of the goal will have been particularly galling to all in the Rangers staff.

Joe Mattock's in-swinging corner from the right sclaffed off the head of Sebastien Faure to the back post, where Antonio's attempt at a volley resulted in the ball thudding down into the turf, back up into the air and in off the underside of the bar.

Antonio was a constant menace, while left winger Jeremy Helan also looked to have the running of Faure. With Johnson and Gary Madine looking a very effective strike paring, Rangers found it increasingly difficult to relieve incessant pressure in their own half.

Nicky Law showed promise in flashes, while Ian Black played one ball that came within half an inch of being a beauty. For the most part, though, Rangers found their best attempts to impose themselves anticipated and snuffed out.

In terms of fitness, Rangers certainly looked up to the pace of anything they'll face - including cup ties against teams from further up the newly-rebranded divisions - in the season ahead.

When it came to getting their foot on the ball and playing, though, it never quite clicked. Or, rather, they were never allowed to fall into place. Yet Law very nearly provided a surprise equaliser just before the hour mark, racing on to a Lewis Macleod pass and standing up his defender before dragging his left-footed shot wide.

Energised by this rare example of picking a hole in the hosts' defence, Law was quickly involved in another promising move moments later, dancing down the left and putting in Andrew Little for a shot well saved by sub goalie Adam Davies. Would Rangers' little bit of extra match sharpness show in the closing stages?

It certainly looked like it as, within seconds, Little spun and drove a shot just wide of the far post after yet another bit of Law creativity had penned Sheffield into their own area.

Substitutions tend to disrupt these friendlies but, in the case of Rangers, two of their replacements very nearly combined to provide an equaliser after 65 minutes, Nicky Clark somehow guiding the ball wide unmarked following a glorious Richard Foster pass.

Yet more changes to the team saw former Dundee United striker Jon Daly inherit the captain's armband for the latter stages of the game, one of the few times a neutral observer would have noticed the hard-working target man on a trying night of few chances.
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Moses McNeil said:
From other reports I have read on the game I think we should get the finger out and sign Mohsni.
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He's been offered a contract but seems to be stalling in the hope of a move to England . He is quality but carries more baggage than Ryanair . We could well end up regretting it if he does sign .
 
aldotheapache said:
He's been offered a contract but seems to be stalling in the hope of a move to England . He is quality but carries more baggage than Ryanair . We could well end up regretting it if he does sign .
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That does seem to be the case Aldo. The only thing I would say about the baggage aspect is that at least Walter's at the club at present. He has a fairly good record with these sort of players.

Yeah heard he has been in good form all pre-season.
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Apparently he's even made Cribari appear adequate<laugh>


Mohsni or not we definitely need to get somebody in at centre half. We have been saying that on here since about last August. I would actually play big Daly at the back. We surely have enough strike power for division 2 already.
 
Moses McNeil said:
That does seem to be the case Aldo. The only thing I would say about the baggage aspect is that at least Walter's at the club at present. He has a fairly good record with these sort of players.



Apparently he's even made Cribari appear adequate<laugh>


Mohsni or not we definitely need to get somebody in at centre half. We have been saying that on here since about last August. I would actually play big Daly at the back. We surely have enough strike power for division 2 already.
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Tbf we should have enough already defensively to win the second division too . A decent centre hawf would be nice though .
 
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