Heart of Midlothian Football Club

[Concrete Whale]

Partick Thistle 1-2 Rangers: Boss Pedro Caixinha pleased with side's passion

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39838277

Barrie McKay's goal and a stoppage-time Joe Garner header earned the Ibrox men three Premiership points after Kris Doolan's opener for Thistle.

Caixinha admitted the performance was "disorientated" but felt his players showed they are fighting for him.

"If we were not together as a group I don't think the players would celebrate like that at the end," Caixinha said.

"I really like the way the players understood and were committed. There were a lot of moments I really felt the passion from the players."

The result secured a top-four finish and European football for Rangers next season, but for much of the match they were second best to Alan Archibald's side.

Caixinha made a series of system and personnel changes, with substitute McKay making a big difference, but for long spells the Ibrox men struggled to get into any sort of rhythm.

The manager, however, defended his changes as his side responded to back-to-back Old Firm defeats.

"Today was really important for us to show a reaction," he added. "We showed it in the second half and I need to be happy with that.

"We needed to change the course of the game and we managed it.

 

[Goonerview]

Partick Thistle 1-2 Rangers: Boss Pedro Caixinha pleased with side's passion

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39838277

Barrie McKay's goal and a stoppage-time Joe Garner header earned the Ibrox men three Premiership points after Kris Doolan's opener for Thistle.

Caixinha admitted the performance was "disorientated" but felt his players showed they are fighting for him.

"If we were not together as a group I don't think the players would celebrate like that at the end," Caixinha said.

"I really like the way the players understood and were committed. There were a lot of moments I really felt the passion from the players."

The result secured a top-four finish and European football for Rangers next season, but for much of the match they were second best to Alan Archibald's side.

Caixinha made a series of system and personnel changes, with substitute McKay making a big difference, but for long spells the Ibrox men struggled to get into any sort of rhythm.

The manager, however, defended his changes as his side responded to back-to-back Old Firm defeats.

"Today was really important for us to show a reaction," he added. "We showed it in the second half and I need to be happy with that.

"We needed to change the course of the game and we managed it.

I think Celtic will continue to rack up the titles as long as Rodgers is their manager.

 

[Concrete Whale]

I think Celtic will continue to rack up the titles as long as Rodgers is their manager.

Yeah I don't know he was a bit of a flop at Liverpool wasn't he, not that he was totally incompetent but in the really big games he just wasn't quite coming up to scratch. Ok with Rangers weakaned Celtic are running wild in the Scottish League but it's easy to be a big fish in a small pond. Honestly the sooner they at least put Rangers and Celtic into the English League the better if not just merge the leagues completely.

So if you look at the CL results it's not very encouraging, bottom of the group with 3 losses and 3 draws and goal difference -11. The 2 draws with Man City were good but the rest was pretty poor, including 7-0 to Barca. Conclusion big fish in a small pond.

 

[Concrete Whale]

Rangers 2 - 1 Hearts
Aberdeen 1 - 3 Celtic

The stratification continues. The Rangers Hearts game was very solid for rangers, scored after 6 minutes, Buaben for Hearts got a straight red for pushing, Hearts equalised at 51 and Rangers got another 2 minutes later. Hearts put Noring in goal for this game and he had mixed results, made some mistakes but also a couple of good saves and was always in position. Rangers are looking positive and dangerous and are probably going to go on a spending spree this summer. Hearts gave another mediocre performance but obviously a very tough matchup.

 

[Twelve75]

Yeah I don't know he was a bit of a flop at Liverpool wasn't he, not that he was totally incompetent but in the really big games he just wasn't quite coming up to scratch. Ok with Rangers weakaned Celtic are running wild in the Scottish League but it's easy to be a big fish in a small pond. Honestly the sooner they at least put Rangers and Celtic into the English League the better if not just merge the leagues completely.

So if you look at the CL results it's not very encouraging, bottom of the group with 3 losses and 3 draws and goal difference -11. The 2 draws with Man City were good but the rest was pretty poor, including 7-0 to Barca. Conclusion big fish in a small pond.

A Stevie Me slip from the title,i'd suggest Brentan is a better manager than you give him credit for,as for the CL,Barca can do that to anyone,he's now got a full season with the players under his belt and he'll bring in more quality as the CL is his benchmark,he has nothing to fear domestically,Rangers are a joke and a mile away from being close to challenging.

 

[Goonerview]

A Stevie Me slip from the title,i'd suggest Brentan is a better manager than you give him credit for,as for the CL,Barca can do that to anyone,he's now got a full season with the players under his belt and he'll bring in more quality as the CL is his benchmark,he has nothing to fear domestically,Rangers are a joke and a mile away from being close to challenging.

Brendan Rodgers is a good manager, especially if you put him in the Scottish leagues.

 

[Twelve75]

Brendan Rodgers is a good manager, especially if you put him in the Scottish leagues.

He's still good enough to be working in the prem.

 

[Concrete Whale]

Why did Liverpool sack him then.

 

[Concrete Whale]

Celtic 2 - 0 Hearts
Partick Thistle 0 - 6 Aberdeen
St. Johnstone 1 - 2 Rangers

Rangers back up to 3rd spot for the end of the season

Celtic 106
Aberdeen 76
Rangers 67
St. Johnstone 58
Hearts 46

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39993493

Manager Pedro Caixinha says Rangers fans can expect to see a far more competitive team next season.

The Ibrox men finished the campaign third in the Premiership, 39 points behind champions Celtic and nine behind second-placed Aberdeen.

But ahead of his first transfer window as Ranger boss, Caixinha has assured supporters of a brighter future.

"We're going to have a competitive, strong team that will please our fans and the history of this club," he said.

"The team will be something different next season, definitely.

"We have four competitions to fight for and we will see (if we are celebrating with silverware at the end of next season). The first rule is to build a squad, the second step is to create a winning mentality and the third is to put it into practice in the games."

 

[Concrete Whale]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39988689

The Celtic class of 2016-17 has set a number of new SPL/Premiership-era records on their way to a sixth consecutive title.

Here are the key figures behind Scotland's 'invincibles'.


0 defeats

No Scottish champions have gone unbeaten since the late 19th Century. Celtic managed it in 1897-98, with Rangers going one better the next season, winning every game. However, those league campaigns were over 18 matches, not even half the duration of the current one.

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Only Juventus in Italy's Serie A (2011-12), Arsenal in England's Premier League (2003-04) and Barry Town in the League of Wales (1997-98) have been unbeaten champions over a 38-game campaign in recent history.


106 points

The previous Scottish record was 103 points, set by Celtic in 2001-02, Martin O'Neill's second season in charge.

It is also a new European record, surpassing Welsh side Barry Town AFC, who reached 105 in 1996-97.

Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona are the other European sides to have hit 100 or more points in a season.


34 wins

Again, Celtic surpassed a record of their own, having won 33 league games in the 2001-02 season.


30 points clear

Paris Saint-Germain set a new European mark last season when they finished 31 points clear in Ligue 1.


106 goals

Stuart Armstrong's second-half strike against Hearts on Sunday meant Celtic bettered the 105 league goals they scored in 2003-04.

The champions scored in every league outing, averaging just over 2.7 goals a game.

In 1966-67, under the legendary Jock Stein, Celtic netted 111 goals in 34 Division One games, returning an eye-watering 196 in all competitions on their way to a domestic treble and European Cup glory.


8 games to spare

The title was wrapped up in early April with a thumping 5-0 win at Tynecastle.

The previous record was seven games to spare, set by Rangers in 1928-29 and equalled by Celtic in 2013-14, both over 38-game campaigns like this one.

 

[Concrete Whale]

Outstanding cup final, very professional from both sides and Aberdeen ran their hearts out, they were deep and well-organised in defence, their marking was intense, they competed for the ball throughout their own half and midfield relentlessly, they were composed in possession and positive in creating chances, really a performance to be proud of and I was sure it was going to ET but Celtic grabbed a sly second goal in injury time. Aberdeen scored after 9 minutes (Hayes) but Celtic went level after 2 minutes then the finisher in IT.

Celtic 2 - 1 Aberdeen

That gives Celtic their 3rd treble and the only unbeaten treble in history. Aberdeen got a treble 2nd ie they came 2nd in everything and deserve a lot of credit for their performance too. Celtic have beaten them 6 times in a row now but that's Scottish football. The boys will be back in town next season and we'll see how big Celtic look against a reinvigorated Rangers.

 

[Twelve75]

Outstanding cup final, very professional from both sides and Aberdeen ran their hearts out, they were deep and well-organised in defence, their marking was intense, they competed for the ball throughout their own half and midfield relentlessly, they were composed in possession and positive in creating chances, really a performance to be proud of and I was sure it was going to ET but Celtic grabbed a sly second goal in injury time. Aberdeen scored after 9 minutes (Hayes) but Celtic went level after 2 minutes then the finisher in IT.

Celtic 2 - 1 Aberdeen

That gives Celtic their 3rd treble and the only unbeaten treble in history. Aberdeen got a treble 2nd ie they came 2nd in everything and deserve a lot of credit for their performance too. Celtic have beaten them 6 times in a row now but that's Scottish football. The boys will be back in town next season and we'll see how big Celtic look against a reinvigorated Rangers.

Celtic are miles ahead of Rangers,there will be little or no change next season.

 

[Gazwald]