The Official Glasgow Rangers UEFA Cup Final Thread

[his holiness nb]

I heard all this anti-football talk about Rangers a while back, but decided to make my own mind up.

I was at the Old firm 2-1 game, and would have to say, they didnt try to play football at all.
But that was the first time I watched them play 90 mins this year so decided to give them another go last night.

Jesus christ but that was one of the dullest games of football I ever saw.

I'm just surprised the peno shoot out didnt finish nil nil.

I couldnt really give a shite if Rangers do well or not to be honest, but if they play in the final like they did last night it will be an insult to soccer.

thats said, given the money involved in doing well these days, I can hardly blame them for using these tactics to overachieve with a squad of very limited players.

[tintin25]

Good week all round for the Blues Brothers!

[his holiness nb]

How do the Celtic fans feel about them making the final?

I'd be happy, its another distraction from the league which could cause them to slip up.

[clarshack]

rangers have to be the most negative team in europe since red star belgrade's disgraceful performance in the 1991 european cup final when they deliberately went for 0-0 and penalties.

at the same time the likes of sporting lisbon and fiorentina need to have a damn long hard look at themselves especially christian vieri.

Wee bit unfair clarshack.  Yes Red Star went for scoreless draw and the penalties win, but in the previous rounds of the competition they were an absolute joy to watch, one of the best footballing teams of that era.  I suspect it was fear of losing that led to their tactics in the final.

that's why it was a disgrace. they had some of the best attacking players in europe at that time yet chose to go for penalties from the kickoff.

a reverse of 2003 is still on the cards BUT celtic have to win big time on saturday. last nights extra time might take it out of the huns a wee bit especially if hibs put it in.

[Evil Genius]

In terms of skill and ability, this Rangers team is very limited indeed (imo). However, whilst no fan of theirs otherwise, I have to say I admire their formidable mental strength, discipline and teamwork - especially after such a long and draining season. To be consistently overturning richer, therefore "better" teams (i.e. with better players) deserves recognition.

Fair enough, it can lead to negative, defensive football, but the simple answer to that is for their opponents to score a goal and suddenly Rangers would have to find a Plan B. With the players at their disposal last night and at Ibrox (Mutu, Vieri etc), Fiorentina can have little cause for complaint, esp when they were conceded so much territory and possession by Rangers in both games.

The Final could end up being a repeat of last night's game. However it could also end up being a classic between a naturally attacking team and a defensive team looking to counter-attack on the break. I wouldn't mind seeing Zenit score early, to see just how much Rangers have "left in the tank".

[stew]

The huns will be creaming themselves at the thought of winning a european title, even if it is the mickey mouse EUFA cup. The good news is the predicament they have put themselves in, should they rest players and  risk dropping  league points or should they play everyone and hope that they can continue to win on the home front yet run the injury risk to key players.

I would love to see them lose the league and in Europe. No disrespect to the lads involved with them now but they were a horror show of an organisation for the guts of a century, that takes some doing.

[GalwayBayBoy]

This Zenit St Petersburg don't sound too nice either.

DICK ADVOCAAT rocked Russian football yesterday by admitting Zenit St Petersburg fans are racists.

With Moscow preparing to host the Champions League Final on May 21, Advocaat confessed his club have no black players because their fans would never accept them.

The former Rangers and Holland manager - who guided Zenit to a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich in Thursday's UEFA Cup semi-final first leg - insists he would have to ask the fans' permission before buying a black player and that they were unlikely to give it.

Zenit, whose top supporter is Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev, are the only club in Russia who have never fielded a black player.

Medvedev takes over the Kremlin next month and Advocaat's admission is a huge embarrassment.

The Dutchman said: "I would be happy to sign anyone but the fans don't like black players

When Advocaat tried to sign Frenchman Mathieu Valbuena recently, the first question on fans' websites was: "Is he a negro"?

Advocaat said: "The problem is our fans. Quite honestly, I do not understand how they could pay so much attention to skin colour. For me there's no difference between white, black or red".

"But the fans are the most important thing Zenit have. That's why I have to ask them outright how they'll react if we sign a dark-skinned player".

"Frankly the only players who can make Zenit stronger are dark-skinned. Look at the Brazilians who play for CSKA".

But Advocaat admitted if the fans did not want black players, he wouldn't buy any.

[AZOffaly]

That is absolutely astonishing. I was going to castigate Advocaat for kow-towing to the imbeciles, but now that I think of it, fair play to him for highlighting it.

[Hoof Hearted]

they will see some "black" players in the final

[his holiness nb]

In terms of skill and ability, this Rangers team is very limited indeed (imo). However, whilst no fan of theirs otherwise, I have to say I admire their formidable mental strength, discipline and teamwork - especially after such a long and draining season. To be consistently overturning richer, therefore "better" teams (i.e. with better players) deserves recognition.

Fair enough, it can lead to negative, defensive football, but the simple answer to that is for their opponents to score a goal and suddenly Rangers would have to find a Plan B. With the players at their disposal last night and at Ibrox (Mutu, Vieri etc), Fiorentina can have little cause for complaint, esp when they were conceded so much territory and possession by Rangers in both games.

The Final could end up being a repeat of last night's game. However it could also end up being a classic between a naturally attacking team and a defensive team looking to counter-attack on the break. I wouldn't mind seeing Zenit score early, to see just how much Rangers have "left in the tank".

agree fully, except for the potential classic comment, they just arent good enough on the break.
If Zenit score first, it will be better ok, but I cant see a classic.

Shocking revelations re the Zenit fans though !

[stiffler]

That match last night was the most boring game of soccer i have watched (and i have seen a few!). Totally predictable, but fair play to rangers for making the final. They had a gameplan that worked, and they stuck to it, similar to Man utds victory over Barcelona.

The best teams don't always win, if they did there would be no fun in it!

[red hander]

In 1972 Rangers played in that now defunct Cup Winners Cup final against a Moscow team.
They were banned from defending it the next year not because of the GBH inflicted on the Moscow team in the 2nd half but because of the behaviour of their fans.

If Rangers win the UEFA cup, there will be calls for the tournament to be abandoned due to it's reputation as a football competition being indelibly stained.

Though Celtic can use the coefficients to good effect in the CL with auto entry to the league format.

Is this not the game that took place in Barcelona in which the huns went 3-0 up but their opponents fought back to 3-2.  With still time remaining, did the red, white and blue-bedecked apes not conspire to get the referee to blow the game up early by invading the pitch and attacking the cops, one of whom was robbed of his gun by the hordes while getting kicked almost to death.  In effect, their only European trophy is null and void as the regulation 90 minutes (never mind added time) was not played...

[Solomon Kane]

I have always had a bit of a dislike of Rangers but to be fair to them, "anti-football" or not they have done very well getting as far as they have. They are far from entertaining to watch but they know what to do to grind out results. I actually think they will lift the trophy now, but something is going to give in their domestic season.

From what I have seen of Russian football I can't say I'm all that shocked about the St Pete's fans.

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

There is no other team in the world I dislike more than Rangers but some of the abuse they are getting on this thread is unfair. Smith had very little cash last summer to rebuild his squad but with a very average group of players he done an amazing job. Its easy to say they play boring football but the reason for that is that they simply arent good enough to go on and open up and play an expansive system. Im sure they would rather be in the final and getting slagged off for playing anti football than having played an open style and being knocked out 3 months ago.

[Yes I Would]

Fair play to them for getting to the final by playing feck all football, but my god lets just hope and pray that they dont feckin win it!