Rangers

New Wales manager Craig Bellamy says he is free to call up Tom Lawrence despite suggestions the Rangers midfielder has not played for his country since 2021 because of his involvement in a car crash incident while at Derby County. (Daily Record), external

Ally McCoist remained coy when asked about a Daily Mirror report, external suggesting ITV bosses are very hopeful the former Rangers and Scotland striker and current football pundit will accept their offer to appear on "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here" despite rejecting approaches in 2019 and 2022. (TalkSport), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Rangers head into the October international break in relatively similar shape to the previous one, still trailing Celtic and Aberdeen by five points in the league.

They're impressing in parts of games but only rarely putting together a solid, sustained 90-minute performance to give the impression of a team on the up.

That may seem harsh to some, particularly as they have won all four of their domestic games in the intervening period without conceding a goal, reaching the League Cup semi-finals in the process.

Yet I would challenge anyone who has watched their games to offer a different opinion. There was a nerviness to the league victories over Dundee United and Hibernian and even the most recent win over St Johnstone was not wholly convincing.

Their best performance was, surely inarguably, the 2-0 win over Malmo in Sweden and yet even that display served to underline a glaring deficiency within the team – their inability to kill opposition off, to turn good play into goals, to show a ruthless streak when opportunities are created.

That came back to haunt them last Thursday when Lyon – a class above everyone else they have encountered since the last international window – came to Ibrox and put Rangers to the sword, punishing both their profligacy at one end and a defensive frailty that still rears its head even while clean sheets are being registered domestically.

Rangers have seven more games before the next round of internationals, including the League Cup semi versus Motherwell and two more European games against Steaua Bucharest and Olympiakos, from which at least three points are a must.

Of the four league games they will play, the visit to Pittodrie looms largest, but in truth they have to be perfect in the Premiership to stay on the leaders' coattails, otherwise a lingering feeling of discontent hanging over the club will grow.

Rangers football operations director Creag Robertson is set to depart the club before Christmas to pursue "new opportunities", joining the list of high-profile Ibrox exits. (Daily Record, external)

Read the rest of Wednesday's Scottish gossip.

John Souttar "has a point to prove" with Scotland after missing out on Euro 2024, says assistant manager John Carver.

The Rangers centre-back is in Steve Clarke's set-up for Nations League matches away to Croatia on Saturday and at home to Portugal next Tuesday.

Although the defender was called up for the previous games against Poland and Portugal, he was an unused substitute for both. But a lengthy injury list has bolstered Souttar's chances of featuring in the upcoming double-header.

"We've got a number of centre-backs out at the moment," Carver said.

"And you can see there's a little glint in his eye because he thinks, 'I've got an opportunity now', and he wants to put the record straight [after his Euros omission].

"When I first came here, I remember John was in the squad and he did exceptionally well and he wants to get back to that standard again – and he's playing well for Rangers, which is great.

"Players that are in can use it as an inspiration. Go on, get on with it and see what you can deliver. Because if it was me, I would want to stay in this group.

"I would want to be part of a Nations League game and then eventually the World Cup, so it's an absolutely fantastic stage for these guys."

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

This week has given me lots to ponder where Rangers are concerned.

The 4-1 defeat against Lyon was one I was expecting, in all honesty, given where we are and the quality of players we have if you match it with a team like theirs.

The 2-0 win over St Johnstone was fine. Still, it certainly won't be a match I will be rushing back to watch in its entirety.

This team has major issues beyond the quality of the individual players we have. The shape when we don't have the ball is a basic 4-4-2 but you could drive a convoy of double-decker buses through the spine of our side.

At the match on Sunday, our shape without the ball seemed we are solely relying on the midfield to win their one-on-one duels. Yes, you can get away with it against most of the bottom six at Ibrox but as we have seen, when you come up against sides like Lyon and Celtic who have better players, you can get picked off at will.

That sort of style without the ball is not sustainable and it looks like a mess most weeks. You have to hope the manager will look to address it, but given his answer in a recent press conference, he will point to the clean sheet record.

I was going to cover the lack of quality in the attack, but there is no point, I could copy and paste that every week. I would allow Hamza Igamane to start games and try and get himself into some rhythm because I would rather watch him develop than the other option just now.

Going into the international break, you have to hope we avoid injuries and come back ready to kick on, because if nothing else it will be a chance to close the gap at the top.

But given how much of a slog we are determined to make matches and Kilmarnock's comeback win at the weekend, the trip to Rugby Park will be anything other than routine for us.

Rangers should have had a penalty against St Johnstone for a shirt pull on Cyriel Dessers, believes former referee Des Roache. (Daily Record), external

Ianis Hagi will miss Rangers' next three games after his red card against St Johnstone since he is suspended for two Scottish Premiership games, which are followed by a Europa League match he is ineligible for. (Daily Record), external

Ianis Hagi sent an Instagram message to fans thanking them for the warm welcome back after his long absence from the first team at Rangers. (Football Scotland), external

Read the rest of Tuesday's Scottish gossip.

Image source, SNS

Vaclav Cerny reveals a lengthy conversation with Philippe Clement helped build his confidence at Rangers.

The winger scored both goals in Sunday's 2-0 victory over St Johnstone to take his goal tally to three after he missed a glaring opportunity in their Europa League defeat to Lyon.

"We had a long talk and he helped me a lot, I'm not going to deny that," Cerny said of his chat with the manager.

"For me, it's all about giving this trust he has in me back, but also back to the guys, because for the past weeks I've missed big chances.

"I still try to play my best game I can to give it to the team.

"But obviously I'm here to be decisive, assist goals, and I know that and it's been tough for me, but I think this is the best answer possible.

"So, appreciation from my side, for the trust and everything from the gaffer, and let’s go from here."

Image source, SNS

Rangers fans will be delighted to have Ianis Hagi back, despite his sending off against St Johnstone, according to the club's former winger Jamie Murphy.

The 25-year-old Romania international made his first appearance for the Ibrox club since August 2023 on Sunday, having spent the majority of last season on loan with Alaves in Spain.

Hagi had been training and playing with the club's B team since the summer's Euros because of a contractual issue, but returned to first-team training earlier this month.

"I'm sure Rangers fans will be delighted to see him out there," Murphy told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"He's an exciting player, can use both feet, looks for the pass and you can tell from his assist for the goal, he's looking forward.

"He plays a good ball through to Cerny for the goal so it's exciting for Rangers fans to have him back but I'm sure he'll be disappointed going home last night with his red card. I don't think there's any arguments about it.

"I think he probably knows that himself. It's just one of the late challenges where he sticks out a leg and it looks quite bad.

"A disappointing night in the end for him but I'm sure everyone at Ibrox is glad he's back out there."

Watch Sportscene analysis of Vaclav Cerny's performance in Rangers' win over St Johnstone.

Available to UK users only.

Rangers fans, we asked for your thoughts on Sunday night's victory over St Johnstone.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Steve: Competent performance without being very good. Pace of play in opening minute moments was good to see, better control of game after half-time. Vaclav Cerny took his goals very well and Ianis Hagi's slide-rule assist shows his capability. Hamza Igamane needs his first goal soon to settle him

Michael: Three points against team with point to prove, job done. October is massive, we will find out if we are in the title hunt or fighting for second by the end of it.

Anon: Poor, just got lucky throughout the game. Better teams will run right through Rangers.

Robert: We are slowly emerging from the dumps that Michael Beale placed us in and failing to qualify for the Champions league has given us a very small budget. I can't see this squad bringing much happiness to Ibrox.

James: I think we need another striker to help Cyriel Dessers. I feel for him as all pressure is on him to score the goals. It's an absolute joke of a team and I've never been so embarrassed watching them as this past year.

Ronnie: Two good goals from Cerny and three points that's about it. The game was flat, the atmosphere was flat and thankfully Rangers were playing a poor St Johnstone team otherwise we would have been in trouble. Hagi makes his comeback and gets a red card which sums it up. Shambles. Dessers was invisible & Igamane is no better. Philippe Clement needs to find answers and fast.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

What a week for Vaclav Cerny.

Last Sunday against Hibs he vented his frustrations at his own fans, and in midweek he missed a huge chance to score against Lyon.

However, he rounded off a turbulent seven days by producing the goods to get the better of a St Johnstone side that had made life difficult for Rangers at Ibrox.

His first goal was a moment of skill that looked like the sort of thing he's been perfecting since he was a kid - a feigned drag of the ball before nutmegging his opponent and then expertly using the space created to curl home a fabulous finish.

The second was simpler but was still a smart strike from close range which caught the keeper by surprise. Cerny has the flair; can he bring the consistency?

Image source, SNS

• Rangers have won their last three games in the Premiership, their last longer winning streak was from 2 January 2024 to 28 February 2024, a run of nine games.

• St. Johnstone have failed to win in their last six games in the Premiership, their last longer winless streak was from 5 August 2023 to 28 October 2023, a run of nine games.

• Rangers have kept a clean sheet in five of their seven games, only Celtic (six) have done this more often in the Premiership this season.

• St. Johnstone have failed to score in four of their eight games, more often than any other team in the Premiership this season.

• Rangers have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three games in the Premiership, their last longer run of games without conceding a goal in the competition was a run of six games from 1 December 2021 to 26 December 2021.

Watch highlights as Rangers beat St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

Available to UK users only.

James Tavernier insists Rangers are getting better and better as he brushed off criticism over his position following the Ibrox captain's substitution in the Europa League defeat to Lyon. (Herald), external

Read the rest of Monday's Scottish gossip.

Rangers secured a third consecutive Scottish Premiership win, with Vaclav Cerny's exquisite double effectively sealing the points before Ianis Hagi's late red card.

The Czech scored either side of the interval to ensure the Ibrox side end the weekend still five points back from Celtic and Aberdeen.

Hagi, introduced at half-time to make his first appearance since last August following a contractual issue, assisted the second goal.

However, the Romanian's night ended badly, his high challenge on Adama Sidibeh's shin being upgraded from a yellow card after a VAR check.

Were you at the game or see it on television? Either way, give us your thoughts here., external

Rangers manager Philippe Clement said "I still expect more" from his side despite the 2-0 win over St Johnstone.

"But it's an important win and a deserved win," he told BBC Scotland. "It's very positive that we get another clean sheet. It's important we continue in that way."

Winger Vaclav Cerny followed up his much publicised miss against Lyon in the Europa League with two goals.

"He did a really good job - he was really down after Thursday," Clement said. "He had the right reaction today - he has all my trust.

"Glasgow is not easy when you miss a big chance on an important night. Those are things you have to adapt to. This is the best reaction you can have after a miserable evening."

Romania midfielder Ianis Hagi made his first Rangers appearance in more than a year after injury and a contract issue, set up Cerny's second goal but was then sent off.

"More clumsy from a player whose tired and not at his top fitness," Clement said of the tackle. "I hope he can get more minutes with the national team.

"We have a lot of players going away. We pray they come back in good health. We'll have an indoor friendly this week [for the players who are here]."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

This victory over St Johnstone was timely for Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny. He repaid manager Philippe Clement's faith after recent criticism, particularly after his incredible miss in Thursday's 4-1 defeat by Lyon.

Cerny has had an interesting start to life at Rangers. Some early promise, followed by reacting to his own fans, that miss, then deleting his Instagram account.

The winger delivered here and it could be a massive moment for him. He showed the quality he has with his two goals and made a bee-line for the manager after scoring.

Cerny looks like a confidence player and this should bring some.

The half-time return of Romania midfielder Ianis Hagi offered another option for Clement. That will be delayed with suspension to now follow. The guy just cannot buy a break, it seems.

It is another league win that might have been more comfortable with another domestic clean sheet. That eases Rangers into an international break during which they can regroup before a tricky trip to Kilmarnock in two weeks.

Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny has deleted his Instagram account in the wake of his open-goal miss in Thursday's 4-1 Europea League defeat by Lyon on Thursday. (Scottish Sun On Sunday), external

Eccentric FCSB owner Gigi Becali says his side can beat Rangers in the Europa League at Ibrox later this month while he issues instructions from his bed. (Scottish Sun On Sunday), external

Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.

Image source, SNS

Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence picked up a hamstring injury against Lyon on Thursday and is likely to miss out.

Left-back Ridvan Yilmaz is training again after recovering from a muscle injury and attacker Ianis Hagi is available after a contract issue was resolved. Danilo, Oscar Cortes and Rabbi Matondo remain on the sidelines.

Saints forwards Benjamin Kimpioka and Adama Sidibeh return after suspension but Uche Ikpeazu (knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) are still absent.

Image source, SNS

• Rangers have won each of their last six meetings with St Johnstone in all competitions, their longest winning run over the Perth side since a run of seven from August 1993 to November 1997.

• St Johnstone have lost each of their last six away league games against Rangers without scoring a single goal in the process.

• Rangers have won back-to-back league games without conceding; only once since the start of last season have they won three in a row while keeping a clean sheet each time, doing so in January/February last term.

• St Johnstone have lost four of their last five league games (D1), while their 6-0 defeat at home to Celtic last time out was their heaviest in the Scottish Premiership since losing 7-0 to the same opponent in April 2022.

• Tom Lawrence has scored in each of his last three league starts for Rangers (3 goals), surpassing his goal tally in the Scottish Premiership for the whole of last season (2). The last Welsh player to score in four successive starts in the competition was Christian Doidge for Hibernian in November/December 2019 (run of 5).

Image source, PA Media

Gheorghe Hagi says, "I can sleep peacefully now" that his son, Ianis, is set to return to playing for "a huge club", the Romania great having had heated conversations with the Rangers hierarchy while the 25-year-old midfielder was frozen out of the first team. (Herald - subscription), external

Adama Sidibeh, back from suspension, can hurt Rangers on Sunday evening, believes St Johnstone strike partner Nicky Clark. (Courier - subscription), external

After fireworks and flares before the match against Lyon, Rangers could face the closure of part of their stadium for their next home Europa League game on top of a heavy fine if Uefa follows the precedent set when Servette supporters did likewise against Chelsea. (Glasgow Times), external

Former Scotland midfielder Graeme Souness believes the heavy midweek European defeats for Celtic and Rangers indicates where the money is in football. (Record), external

Celtic have the 23rd most valuable squad in the UK with a market value of £104.43m, with Rangers ranking 28th at £67.02m. (Transfermarkt), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip