Champions League 2007/2008

[johnnybluenose]

This years CL starts for me anyways today with a trip to the RSC to see Rangers take on Zeta from Montenegro. They knocked off Kaunas (Mad Vlad Romanov of Hearts other team in Lithuania) in the first qualifying round.

The only other teams of note playing this round are Besiktas, Shaktar, Copenhagen, Rosenborg and NK Dinamo Zagreb...

A bunch of real heavyweights for sure...

[Captain Shamrock]

Rangers 0 Zeta 0 (half-time)

[rangerforever]

Yeah baby - The veteran just made it 1-0 Rangers.

Couple more please.

[Captain Shamrock]

So Bluenosejohn, did Rangers just kick the **** out of the opponent and 'earn' the 2 - 0 win? Was the Zeta goalie shocking? Did 'the Gers' look good today in 'dismantling' Zeta? Honesty please.

[Billy boy]

Originally Posted by alikira

So Bluenosejohn, did Rangers just kick the **** out of the opponent and 'earn' the 2 - 0 win? Was the Zeta goalie shocking? Did 'the Gers' look good today in 'dismantling' Zeta? Honesty please.

Just watched the game Shocking performance by Rangers, great performance by the Zeta goalie

Back to my beer
Billy Boy

[rangerforever]

Albeit apparently not a great performance - Bottom line is Captain we have a healthy 2-0 lead going to their ground.

The two goals were shit but % of possession was CLEARLY in
Rangers' favour.
Dominated the play even when we went down to 10 men after Hutton having a lapse when he took two yellows in a minute.

The only honest thing I can say other than that is we're going to hump Celtic this year.

Did anyone else get the BBC feed?
It says no one outside the UK but I was able to get it for a while, then lost the feed to not get it back when I re-tried.

[rangerforever]

What do you know anyway BB?

Hope you're having a great holiday,
RF

[johnnybluenose]

1. Rangers were rank, mostly.
2. Hutton and Adam need to be sent off on permanent loan to Boston Utd as no manager in their right mind would give Sir Murray a red cent for either of them. Hutton was a bully on the field, and not in a good way, he was shocking to say the least. Adam's final ball and shot attempts were amateurish at best
3. Ferguson was fairly useless today, never once tried to play a one two around anyone, although he really had nobody to play with as Hemdani stayed behind him and Adam is a flake. You would have to stuff a fish supper into the ball carriers socks to get Bazza to tackle anyone. Hemdani was good on the tackles today. Barry goes from crunching tackles against Chelsea to this rubbish!?
4. McCullough is a steal at what Rangers paid for him, he was great.
5. Darcheville was alright, Boyd missed two sitters that I could have scored, That isn't saying much at all for poor Boydy, and I am being honest.

All in all it is a result, and the referee was piss poor for both teams I'm afraid. He got almost everything wrong on the day except for the two yellows on Hutton (What was he thinking taking off at the Zeta Kick taker!?) And both Gers goals could quite easily have been disallowed (I probably would have disallowed the second for sure as Novo fouled the defender.

Oh well. Result is a result

[Captain Shamrock]

Good honest response, gentlemen. I didn't even mention the fact that both goals were 'controversial'.

Good luck in the second leg.

[johnnybluenose]

Both goals were very controversial.
The first one was a goal if Darcheville scored (like he claimed he did by his helicopter run follwing the ball crossing the line) But if Weir is credited with the goal as Darcheville doesn;t touch it, he then fouled the keeps right?

Same with the second, I thought it a dead cert that Nacho was going to be called for a foul on the back of the defenders leg...

[Captain Shamrock]

Johnny,

The first one was a drastic mistake by the keeper and they did make contact with each other but the keeper was as much at fault as Fat Albert. The second one was honestly unbelivable that it wasn't called.

[Buckfast]

Yes, it's hard to believe Rangers aren't playing world class football on July 31st. Disgusting.

[johnnybluenose]

They play well enough to beat a Chelsea side containing Terry, Drogba, Cole, Kalouda etc 2-0 and have Barry laying out crunching tackles and have Darcheville running past Terry like he is standing still and they have that result yesterday against THAT team?

The team lacked pace and quality balls into the box. I thought that was why they brought Beasley in. Where was Burkey? The team would have been much more Frightening to play against if McCullough was up front with Boyd and Burkey was on the right and Beasley on the left...Instead the two balls played in from the wings were snapped up because Darcheville, whilst blindingly fast, is a midget.

I honestly think Smith underestimated Zeta while filling out his lineup card.

[Buckfast]

Hmmmm. A friendly against old time chums versus a Champions League match that if lost would financially cripple the club. Pressure works in mysterious ways. That's why you didn't see me ranting away about the Chelsea result. I've made an arse of it too many time before.

Do you ever wonder why Terry didn't, in typical fashion, lay Darcheville et al on their arse. Ahh, it was friendly.

Re; Boyd. He would have been better left out of the side. Did you forget about his sitter and general lack of enthusiasm? A striker in need of confidence, if there ever was one.

Re: Burke. He doesn't do well in hot weather. The wee lamb has a fainting problem. Apparently. He wouldn't have made a difference.

Fcuk sakes. Up 2-0 without giving up an away goal, is far from a crisis. Particularly with it being the first competitive match of the season.

[johnnybluenose]

I never siad crisis, I just scathingly bollocked my boys for a poor performance IMHO. Nobody can say they played well can they? Not in a sober state anyways

[Guinness]

Apparently, the 07/08 season has brought a more positive Bucky! I may get along with you after all sunshine.

Johnnybluenose, yer a right cnut. Leave our lads alone this early in the year ya bampot!

Where is sliversforever?

[Buckfast]

Originally Posted by Guinness

Apparently, the 07/08 season has brought a more positive Bucky! I may get along with you after all sunshine.

When did we stop getting along. I've always held a flame for you. These colours don't fade.

[Walks]

Champions League qualifying draw held in Switzerland today :

Ties to be played August 14/15 & August 28/29

FH Hafnarfjordur / FC BATE Borisov v Zaglebie Lubin / FC Steaua Bucuresti
Tampere United / PFC Levski Sofia v FC Astana / Rosenborg BK
FC Spartak Moskva v Celtic
Werder Bremen v NK Domzale / NK Dinamo Zagreb
FK Ventspils / FC Salzburg v FC Pyunik / FC Shakhtar Donetsk
AFC Ajax v MSK Zilina / SK Slavia Praha
Valencia CF v Debreceni VSC / IF Elfsborg
KRC Genk / FK Sarajevo v Dinamo Kiev
Fenerbahçe SK v RSC Anderlecht
Rangers FC / FK Zeta v FK Crvena Zvezda / FC Levadia Tallinn
Toulouse FC v Liverpool
Benfica v FC Kobenhavn / Beitar Jerusalem
S.S. Lazio v FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti
AC Sparta Praha v Arsenal
FC Zurich v FC Sheriff / Besiktas JK
Sevilla FC v AEK Athens FC

At first glance, a few tricky away draws for Celtic, Liverpool & Arsenal. If Rangers get past FK Zeta, things should look good for them to get to the group stages.

[johnnybluenose]

Some other good matchups there.
Bremen v Dinamo will be a good 2 matches as well as:
Sofia v Rosenborg
Salzburg v Shakhtar

Rangers definately got a good draw...

Spartak Moscow is my new favorite side

[johnnybluenose]

I just realised that FK Crvena Zvezda is actually Red Star Belgrade...so they are by no means a walk over.