Rangers banter 5

20 Jun 2026 11:55:35
Penalties or not penalties?
The ref was consistent throughout, preferring to let the game flow instead of stopping it for every small misdemeanour.
And as professionals, I thought the Scottish players were very slow in picking his stance up.
Time and again, the slightest contact and they went to ground.

Putting the defence under pressure looking for fouls that were never coming.
We've all seen penalties given for less.
But I thought McTominay could have got a shot away instead of going to ground.
McGinn for me was the one that might have been given but for me was a 50/50. Jubilant if given for, rsging if given against.

20 Jun 2026 12:19:05
Tonight McGinns was a definite pen. On the other hand, Scotland seriously got out of jail v Haiti as their penalty was clear as day.

20 Jun 2026 12:51:31
I'm not a Scotland die hard by any means, but both were penalties, no contact on the ball, clear contact on McGinn and McTominay. I'm pretty sure England would have got both of them, and that's not me having a go at England, just looking at past records.
I thought the referee was very poor. It is all very well wanting to let the game flow, but he didn't seem to be able to spot a genuine foul; he gave ones that weren't and let others go that were.

It's interesting that the standard of refereeing is this bad from minor FIFA countries, and they are even using women refs but not one from Scotland got selected, says it all really.

20 Jun 2026 13:20:31
"Even using women" - what an utterly pathetic post.

20 Jun 2026 13:32:27
Wsl, that's a ridiculous post. Jesus wept. 🤦‍♂️ Have a word with yourself.

The more I see the McGinn one, it's never a pen in a million years.

20 Jun 2026 14:26:32
I actually agree with the sentiment tbh - I appreciate that women refs can be every bit as good as male refs - there isn't any reason why they couldn't be.

However, very few refs are performing weekly at the highest level of the game.



It makes sense for the best, most prestigious competition in world football to have the best referees.

If they are ranked higher, then fair enough, but I don't see many women refereeing week in week out in high pressure games in top leagues.

20 Jun 2026 14:27:55
Last night I was shouting for the McGinn one, but watching it back today it probably would have been soft.

20 Jun 2026 14:29:44
The McGinn incident was as clear a penalty as you will ever see. No contact with the ball and eased him off the ball. Penalty all day long.

20 Jun 2026 14:31:36
They both went down far too easy looking for the pens imo. McGinn was at it all night, which was sad to see.

20 Jun 2026 15:54:39
Spot on MPH and EHL. Ref was allowing contact, so players should have adapted. The penalties would have been soft, but could have been given on another day. The more controversial for me was Diop only getting a yellow midway through 1st half for taking out Adams when Adams would have been through on goal. Should have been a red and could have been the difference.

20 Jun 2026 16:34:57
Personally, I thought McGinn dived, so definitely not a penalty for me. He did it several times during the game. The McTominay one was 50/50. I thought the ref let a lot go and was pretty consistent. Overall, I thought Scotland were very poor and were far too negative and didn't really create anything, so they didn't deserve anything from the game.

20 Jun 2026 17:18:48
As a woman, it saddens me to see that we haven't really come that far at all, and that we still have to deal with the oppression and misogyny that clearly still exists.

Growing up as a kid in the 80s, I always dreamed of playing for the Doncaster Belle's! they were the big women's team at the time. Back then, there weren't many female role models if you wanted to play football.

Because of my love for the game, I lived with constant hate, comments, and bullying. I was called a man, a dyke, and told I should have been a boy. Even my parents said that they must have brought the wrong kid home from the hospital. I was never accepted for simply being a girl who loved football. The message was always clear: football is for boys, women can't play. I grew up thinking that I was wrong and didn't belong, all because I loved football.

To have moved on another 35+ years and still read the things I do really pains and saddens me. The bias and stereotypes are sickening. Some of the things I've read about Emma Hayes over the past few days are appalling—from comments on her body and looks, to the classic "get back in the kitchen."

I am so glad that we now have women who choose to do what they love, regardless of what others think, stand tall, be authentic and be the role models that I always needed.

I have to believe that the men making these comments are just looking for a reaction and attention, because it upsets me to think there are still so many ignorant and demeaning men in the world who actually believe women are less than.

20 Jun 2026 18:19:39
Gazza, I completely get why you're fed up with it. It's exhausting hearing those lazy, outdated comments as if men actually own the sport. Those trolls are a loud minority, and hopefully most real fans are moving past them.

To be fair, I think this specific comment was just a clumsy dig at the awful standard of Scottish refereeing rather than a direct shot at women, though making that comparison was totally uncalled for.



It's frustrating that the worst voices get heard loudest, making progress feel painfully slow. It honestly feels like the slow shift away from old sectarian attitudes; it takes ages to clear out of the game, but the tide is turning and plenty of us do respect what women bring to football both on the pitch and in the stands.

20 Jun 2026 19:19:14
You are all taking the "even using women comment" wrong, it was not a criticism of female refs or ladies football which I enjoy watching. I meant that you don't see many female refs working in the men's game, and yet there are still some that are at a high enough level that they are selected for the W.C but none of our refs are at that level of the game.


Gazza, I never said and have never said or thought any of those things. I watch ladies football both up here and down south and enjoy it as much as any other football.
Stormtrooper, have a look, in both instances the man was played and not the ball.

20 Jun 2026 20:23:52
Totally agree, WSL!

For my comment, Gazza - I questioned women being chosen as refs based on their lack of involvement in top games, in top leagues.

I know women referee matches in top leagues to a very high standard, which shows they have at least the same ability as their male equivalent (possibly better).

However, if they are not refereeing the quantity of matches, do they have the same experience?

20 Jun 2026 21:27:51
Both were never penalties. If those were given against Rangers, you'd all be throwing Sharks at team bosses.

Wake up, boys.

20 Jun 2026 21:47:35
Gazza, brilliant, and well said, my mrs probably knows far more about football than a big majority of men. This back in the kitchen makes me cringe.

20 Jun 2026 11:01:40
It's hard being Scottish eh?

But at least we can come away knowing we have the best fans in the world and we can create a party atmosphere. How sad!

What do we think our chances against Brazil are then, after the last two showings?

20 Jun 2026 11:18:33
Capable of picking up something from them, Gazza, not going to be easy, but not a chance it's impossible.

20 Jun 2026 11:23:48
I don't think so, especially if we continue to play how we have, especially against Morocco.

A small miracle and a huge serving of bravery from Clark(e).

20 Jun 2026 11:25:10
Even a 1-0 defeat against them should be enough to qualify, but they've not looked great, so if we get on them from the off on Wednesday and don't allow them time to play we can snatch something.

Well, that all depends on the worst Scotland manager ever, his team, and tactics, of course.

20 Jun 2026 11:32:29
Gazza, Morocco would be our biggest ask, and should have picked up something against them last night, mate.
Been watching some clips from the Tartan Army in Boston, makes you proud for being Scottish, not born in Scotland, but been my home since being a toddler, so proud of them, then watched an English one, can only say they're so jealous of the Tartan Army.

20 Jun 2026 11:57:24
If Clarke sets up his usual negativity, we are fecked.
He should go all in.
But, he will play the percentages, hoping 3 points and a negative GD is enough.

20 Jun 2026 12:35:51
I don't like Clarke, but to say he is the worst Scottish manager ever, to me, is just wrong. Got us to 3 major competitions. All these Scottish managers that were better never got us to the
World Cup for 28 years.

20 Jun 2026 12:56:05
They've no chance of beating Brazil or even getting a point. Watching the usual suspects like Hanley, Christie and Tierney lose their man, give the ball away and fall over when tackled just summed them up, plus of course you have the invisible man, Adams up top.

To be fair, he is never a loan target man striker and the only person who can't see that is Clarke. I also though McGinn had another shocker, his goal against Haiti covered it up but that's three hopeless performances in a row.

20 Jun 2026 13:01:00
Morocco have turned over bigger nations than Scotland. 1-0, all things considered, is not a disaster. Gifting them a goal so early on was the difference in the end. We were never going to go on the front foot from the off against either Morocco or Brazil.

I expect much of the same, but hopefully with a different outcome against Brazil, who might be willing to settle for a point if we can carry any kind of a threat in the final game.

20 Jun 2026 13:18:33
I'm very proud to be Scottish and as much as I'm not huge on international football, I will always support them and want them to do well.

I just find it sad that we are remembered more for the atmosphere we bring, the drinking we do and how we sing our anthem.

Rather than our performances on the pitch.

I'd much rather go home having fought and died trying than not.

20 Jun 2026 14:31:39
Worst Scotland manager ever? Give your head a shake. I'm not the biggest fan of Clarke by a country mile, but he's done a great job with the national team.

20 Jun 2026 20:02:44
Gazza _8 _78. Totally agree with all you've said. I'm 74 yr old woman and was exact same as you cdnt get in school team because I was a girl etc etc looked down on because I didn't like dolls. 😂😂 Anyway, been taken to see Rangers since I was 5 by my dad, who commentated to blind party and travelled all over. Re Scotland, we know, before game starts, what's his game plan, and to me it's pretty boring football.

Why was Mctomminey so deep in 1st half? Patterson was poor but hadn't played enough after injury, imo, and the subs!! We need to show up as a football nation and not be known as a supporter success only. Ivory Coast, about 62nd in rankings, came out and had a go, it was great to watch and admired that.

20 Jun 2026 10:44:45
Sorry Fork, spotted your question after the thread moved on.

Player recovery processes are heavily influenced by individual fitness levels.

However, the dreaded sports scientists focus intensely on recovery during a specific phase of pre-season.

During this 10-day window, players are deliberately pushed into the "red zone", typically 10% to 15% above their normal load limit.

Afterwards, boffins analyse the physiological impact to draft tailored recovery plans. These blueprints include customised protocols for;

Internal health: Personalised sleep, nutrition, and hydration plans.

Physical therapy: Ice baths, cryo-chambers, saunas, salt-water immersion, cupping, and traditional physio work, aka the magic sponge.

By the end of pre-season, every player has an individualised recovery programme that is monitored and tweaked all year.

This is exactly why it is so difficult to build fitness during the season, especially when playing twice a week.

In a typical seven-day microcycle, two days go to pre-game prep, two days to matchdays, and two days to pure recovery.

That leaves virtually no time for players to work on conditioning.

So of we don't get it right during preseason, we see a repeat of the drop off from last season.

20 Jun 2026 11:43:07
Outstanding info Ehl, much appreciated.

20 Jun 2026 12:39:35
Ehl, so the question as well is, does coming back a week later have a real effect on conditioning for the season, or do they just 'tweak' the programme so the end result is achieved in one week's less time?

20 Jun 2026 12:57:47
You play twice a week and it doesn't get you fit. I've heard it all now!

20 Jun 2026 13:10:54
Thanks Ehl, appreciate the reply, your article peaked my interest on that side of it, gd to get a better understanding of it. 👍👍

20 Jun 2026 13:26:21
Angus, of course it will have a detrimental impact, but only on a small percent of the squad, as players are due to return in three phases - two of which aren't impacted at all, in fact, it probably helps them as they won't be as far behind the first group when they join.

20 Jun 2026 13:23:50
WaltersGuitar, I find it almost impressive that you can read my post and misinterpret it to that extent.

20 Jun 2026 15:46:13
Walters, do you think fitness just means being able to run a long distance? Playing twice a week at the level we do is obviously going to impact players' fitness and bodies with niggles, and they won't be 100% as they will have less recovery time. Your body needs recovery no matter what level of sport you are at.

20 Jun 2026 16:11:48
WaltersGuitar, I presume is a bit more old school and thinks players are too pampered now I guess.

Some interesting data shows average distances run and high intensity sprints doubled between the 1960s and now. It's why all these experts are important. We have seen over many seasons how these small margins make a difference.

{Ed001's Note - and groundsmen, they have had as much of an effect on that as any sports scientist, maybe even more. Not having to struggle through ankle deep mud all winter has made a huge difference on the amount of distance they can cover and number of sprints they can make. Far more than any sports scientist. People always seem to forget that.}

20 Jun 2026 17:25:47
Fair point, so big up the groundsmen.

20 Jun 2026 09:49:13
Have an awful feeling we're going to lose

3 main players this window

Raskin - we know will go?

But other 2

Fernandez
Chermiti - Have a bad feeling on this
Think we will receive a big offer and he will go?

20 Jun 2026 09:57:30
If the money is right what's the issue? Both are replaceable.

20 Jun 2026 10:03:18
Problem being, I think Chermiti will come right into a game this season and him and Shanks can fire us to silverware.

20 Jun 2026 10:16:07
Took time to get on board with Chermiti but I hope and think we won't sell him this summer.
Raskin will be away and maybe Fernandes. Think Diomonde will also be away.

20 Jun 2026 10:17:30
Thestigno 1, totally agree Chermiti and Shanks would be perfect fit and would score plenty goals and get us that silverware, but got a horrible feeling that Chermiti will be sold on.

20 Jun 2026 10:22:48
Would accept losing 2 out of the 3 to find others.
As long as we don't replace them with Hearts hand me downs.

20 Jun 2026 10:39:15
Well with the 12 million for Raskin. And then, if the numbers quoted for Chermiti and Fernandes on here, I'd be extremely confident we could get 3 replacements and maybe reinforce other areas.

20 Jun 2026 10:43:24
It wouldn't bother me if Chermiti was sold.
Naderi up top with Shankland behind will do me.

20 Jun 2026 10:51:05
That because you never rated him, Mph?
Iron, we will never replace Chermiti quality, that type of players won't come to our league, unless another unreal find, I'm keeping himself another season, soon be in the Portugal squad, punt him them.

20 Jun 2026 11:04:21
His goals and assists can be got by another striker. I've no doubts there. We've lost better strikers than Chermiti and survived.

20 Jun 2026 11:19:16
I'm clearly talking about his natural ability, Iron.

20 Jun 2026 11:19:49
He'd walk into your West Ham side.

20 Jun 2026 11:24:31
I have to agree, losing Chermiti wouldn't bother me, and, as Iron said, we have lost better strikers in the past. Losing Dessers' goals last season hurt us more than selling on Chermiti this summer would do.

20 Jun 2026 11:36:54
Dessers can only dream about having Chermiti ability, Weker, would love hearing better than him named, only two in a decade get close, Morelos but not as talented, and so close between him and Igamane on ability.

20 Jun 2026 12:25:25
It's not that I don't rate him, MyStar.
I just don't see a strike4 that will fire us to the title.
Loads were greeting about Dessers scoring nearly 30 because he missed some.
But are now championing a striker who scored half because he is apparently full of "ability".
But who also never fired us to the title.

20 Jun 2026 12:38:40
Chermiti had the best scoring record for minutes played in our league, Mph, remember he's only going to improve. Be madness selling him unless for a fee that shatters the Scottish transfer record.

Dessers and Chermiti shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence, mate.
Loved the big guy, but he's not even close to the ability Chermiti has, Chermiti is just a far better footballer.

20 Jun 2026 12:44:01
Dessers was 29 though and had developed to what he was to score 30 goals. Chermiti is 22 and has time to develop. He scored 15 league goals in his first ever season as first choice striker for a team. He arrived not fully match fit (from EHL's article) and was thrown straight in, which had an adverse effect on him.

Once he settled he started scoring. Personally I would prefer to see him next season rather than bringing in someone new again who might take the same time to settle and only scores as much. With a full pre-season and better around him I think he will score more.

20 Jun 2026 13:15:46
Can have the best scoring record per minutes played all he likes, MyStar.
That's just birthday card p$sh.
He's jus5 another striker who never fired us to a title.

20 Jun 2026 13:19:37
Like the rest before him, Mph, again, Dessers shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as Chermiti.

20 Jun 2026 13:37:35
Can't wait to we keep Chermiti and he scores 60 goals this coming season.

20 Jun 2026 13:39:26
Mph needs more than a striker scoring to win the league. Look at Celtic, they had Nygren scoring all season, then at the end Maeda turned. They always have 2 or 3 on double figure goals, so we need others to start scoring.

Be nice to have a keeper who saves something before conceding from the first 2 shots on target too.

Haaland is probably the only striker in the world who could single-handedly win us the league.

20 Jun 2026 13:44:11
Also, not easy to find replacements or we'd be winning leagues, we've never replaced Aribo, Goldson or Bassey (maybe Fernandez for Bassey) & we've only just found a LB to replace Barsic in Rommens, we don't have a player like Hagi before his injuries.

20 Jun 2026 15:08:36
Dessers outscored Chermiti. What I said was we missed Dessers goals, not his footballing ability. As a striker, you are judged on goals scored, and Chermiti doesn't do that often enough, therefore get rid.

20 Jun 2026 15:48:27
If we sell the 3 and all the other players linked with a move we will have a left back as the only starter from last season going into this season. 😂 It is not sustainable to constantly need to replace the full 11 every summer. We cannot afford to sell all 3 this summer if we want to win the title or challenge for it.

20 Jun 2026 09:25:34
Not sure if it was a blessing or not!

I was sitting watching the game last night, having a wee blather on the live chat, and with about 10 minutes to go the power went out. Everything off. It stayed off until about 5am and now it seems to be going on and off every 30 minutes. Apparently there's some fault on the line.

As for the game, I really feel we could have got something from it.

We're now in a position where we need to decide: do we sit in against Brazil, or do we go for it?

If we go for it, we could get ripped open, lose by a few goals, and seriously damage our chances of going through as one of the best third-placed teams.

But if we sit in, concede a few anyway, and don't lay a glove on them, we'll be kicking ourselves for not having a go.

What an absolute shambles from Clarke last night.

Even against Haiti, we should have been on the front foot and looking to score two or three. Instead, once again, we were far too defensive and happy to sit in.

What's everyone's thoughts?

20 Jun 2026 09:41:14
Honestly, it's gone exactly as I predicted. Haiti (think Iran), we didn't score enough goals. Morocco (think Peru), they eased off big time & imo, could have done us some serious damage. Brazil (think Brazil!), once again we are clutching at straws & 'only need a result against Brazil'.

How has that gone in the past?
God knows the permutations for best placed c3rd?? Are?
At least our reputation as a country (small), hasn't had any damage done. Not a fan of the T Army, but they've shown up well.

20 Jun 2026 09:46:59
When you set up to stop the opposition rather than trying to score yourself and that plan goes out the window after 2 minutes, then we deserve everything we got.
We were crying out for an out ball all night and never got it until Doak came on.
The result was on Clarke.

20 Jun 2026 09:52:23
Agree MPH. 👍 😩

20 Jun 2026 10:02:15
Agree, if we set up like that it all went out the window after the first minute. Was crying out for Doak and Curtis to come on.

20 Jun 2026 10:18:45
Have never been a fan of SC ~ for me, he got the team wrong last night & played far too pedestrian in the 1st 1/2. Morocco were not great guns & if we had a goal scorer, could have at least got a draw. Scotland have lacked a decent striker or two for at least 10 years now.

20 Jun 2026 10:26:17
I think we need to learn lessons from how other lesser teams approach the game. Our skill levels are so poor. Do our players not get coached? Always amazes me how lesser nations still want to play football, and we seem stuck in a spoiler approach. Our movement / passing / awareness are times.

20 Jun 2026 08:30:38
Expected us to lose badly to a much better team but end up angry and disappointed when only losing by one. What a mad game we follow. Clarke got things wrong and a masterclass in how to not get the best from any of his star players.

20 Jun 2026 09:19:23
Kaiser
I just don't get him - it's the same every competition - we do great to get there and then he doesn't like to just go for it
I'd rather get best fair and square by giving it our best go.

20 Jun 2026 09:44:19
Everyone says our midfield is our strongest part, but he completely nulified them trying to fit Tierney in. McGinn and McT look shadows of themselves. And the Dykes obsession is inexcusable when we now have forwards who can actually score goals and create chances.

20 Jun 2026 09:49:04
Should never have gone back to 3 at the back.

20 Jun 2026 09:51:05
💯 Mate in regards to the forwards.
What the feck was he doing?

20 Jun 2026 10:47:20
Why they let SC sign a new contract before a ball was kicked is beyond me. Same old same old for the next four years.

20 Jun 2026 11:45:49
Strom, it was 4411 he played last night. Tierney was the LM/W & did nothing, whilst Curtis & Doak, the actual wide players, sat on the bench & he only brought on Doak.

20 Jun 2026 08:00:34
Yet again Clarke fits his luv brat into the starting line up, starting with one striker was poor, give him credit thou 5mins to go and we had a striker🤔 and a winger on terrible tactics.

20 Jun 2026 11:00:18
Scotland were unlucky not getting something last night. Morocco are a top nation, no time for Clarke, but he didn't do much wrong.

20 Jun 2026 11:49:03
My star, don't know what game you were watching.

20 Jun 2026 12:02:21
Aye, Mystar, apart from the lineup, formation, tactics, and subs he didn't get much wrong. 🤷

20 Jun 2026 12:08:52
Lol Kaiser, meant in game time, credit needs handed out for a very talented Morocco side.