Match Thread Rangers v Spartak Moskva - 20:00 Thursday - BTSports

Perspective bears.

Unbeaten after 11 European games. In the group stages a draw against a good La Liga side, a win vs Vienna and a draw against the currently 2nd best team in Russia (champions a year ago).

Only a few short years ago we were playing f***ing Brechin. I’ll take where we are now any day of the week and then some.

Tonight we played really well 1st half. Spartak played well 2nd half. A draw probably about right over the 90 minutes, although I think we deserved to be in front at half time.

Ejaria was excellent tonight. Composed on the ball and when he lost possession he fought to win it back.

Worrall again showed why he’s getting picked alongside Goldson - he’s the stalwart defender alongside the more cultured centre half. It’s a fine pairing. I like him.

Kent a really good attacking outlet again. Boy has real skill and talent.

Morelos was also very good again, led the line well.

We should certainly have won it with the last kick of the game but Grezda should not be crucified for that. I’d probably have put Middleton on before him, that would be the only thing I’d have done differently.

Finally, our gaffer and our team will be frustrated tonight and I look forward to them taking out that frustration on the sheep on Sunday.
 
theweeman said:
Something Pena was great at too.

In the limited time I've seen him, Grezda has looked terrible. Being rusty doesn't stop you being able to control a ball.
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Have you ever played football? I know when I’ve not played for a while and I’m “rusty” or maybe not as sharp, I don’t control the ball as well.

It’s pretty obvious the guy has some work to do and needs game time. Gerrard must see something to have him in the squad.
 
We put a hell of an effort in and kept going but just didn't have the quality when it mattered, mind you the ref didn't look like he was going to give us anything tonight. Thought they looked a pretty ordinary team tbh - guess we will just have to do them in Russia.

Kent I thought had an absolute beast mode of a game - we need to build our team round him and Morelos and we can really go places this season.

Flanagan offers absolutely nothing for me and it is hard to believe he has been capped for England as he is so far off the pace it is frightening at times.
 
interbear said:
Perspective bears.

Unbeaten after 11 European games. In the group stages a draw against a good La Liga side, a win vs Vienna and a draw against the currently 2nd best team in Russia (champions a year ago).

Only a few short years ago we were playing f***ing Brechin. I’ll take where we are now any day of the week and then some.

Tonight we played really well 1st half. Spartak played well 2nd half. A draw probably about right over the 90 minutes, although I think we deserved to be in front at half time.

Ejaria was excellent tonight. Composed on the ball and when he lost possession he fought to win it back.

Worrall again showed why he’s getting picked alongside Goldson - he’s the stalwart defender alongside the more cultured centre half. It’s a fine pairing. I like him.

Kent a really good attacking outlet again. Boy has real skill and talent.

Morelos was also very good again, led the line well.

We should certainly have won it with the last kick of the game but Grezda should not be crucified for that. I’d probably have put Middleton on before him, that would be the only thing I’d have done differently.

Finally, our gaffer and our team will be frustrated tonight and I look forward to them taking out that frustration on the sheep on Sunday.
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Excellent summary and some of our doubters should read that
 
Thought yet again Kent was great tonight, at times we fell flat and got frustrated but I’m still pretty happy at having 5 points from the first 3 games, I think 8 points will see us out the group stages so I’m far off from panicking
 
They came with a game plan to make it scrappy and bitty. They fouled everybody all night and lay down at every opportunity. We were guilty of getting frustrated with that. Ejaria was a stand out for me but the rest were disappointing.
 
Mr Shakedown said:
They hung on,used gamesmanship and pure luck and restricted us to half Chances that we couldn't convert,the way we've done to much better teams than us in the past .
It's a gutter to draw a game we were clearly the better team but it's a positive that we played with no fear,played to win and took a point in Europe
Spartak are a good team and so are we,we're holding our own in Europe,which is nice :)
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Well said man, spot on for me.
 
Rotten tonight. Hardly created a chance. Kent aside, looked devoid of energy and guile. Hard work was enough for the draw but we will need a lot more than that in the last three games to qualify.
 
linthousebear1981 said:
Look we played excellent in the first half and in spells in the second half we still played well and looked dangerous. We defended excellently as well.

Let's put this in some context, 2 years back this team were the champions of Russia. The Russian League is ranked 6th in the Country coefficient league. Scotland are 20th, some 27th Co-efficient points behind them. As a team they are 83rd overall, we are 221st.
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Good point mate, I'm a realist and would have bitten your hand off for a draw,before ko,their are some bears who get ambitions beyond their capabilities,this is a new team we have nearly,none of us expected to even qualify!
 
BaTmAn said:
What did Goldson do wrong?
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Quite a few aimless punts and I counted at least 4 times where his first touch, under no pressure, was really bad. A couple went out straight out for corners too.

He wasn’t our worst but I don’t think he’ll be happy with his performance.
 
NO a Worrall fan but I thought he had a good game a bit disappointed with the result but we are miles ahead of what I thought we would be in Europe.
 
HowdenEnder said:
Tav's was definitely easier, rolling back towards him, coming onto it straight. Grezda's one is coming across him, he made decent contact just lifted it a bit. I'm not even sure which is his strongest foot?
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I thought Tavs , while not a sitter , was an easier chance he seemed to try and sidefoot it into the top corner when he had the chance to just keep his head over it and smash it in.
 
On another night we'd have won that. Sometimes poor finishing, other times the ball didn't run for us in the goalmouth. Grezda should have buried that though. McGregor didn't really have to make a safe.

I think bringing on Middleton with five minute left is too much. Substitutions need to be a bit sharper on for me.

It's a bit of a concern that 3 of our buys aren't really contributing much, unlike our loan players. Katic can't get in the team and Barisic and Grezda are unfit or injured. I expected those 3 to have a big imapct.
 
I think we have as much chance taking points in Vienna and Moscow. That's how confident I am. Well done Rangers
 
Not the result we wanted but we are more than capable of picking up three more points, which will probably see us progress. We've come a long way in short time.
 
Gutted at only getting a draw in the end, especially with the late chance. In hindsight Kent should've rattled it across the keeper but you can't blame him for teeing up Grezda. I think it's a big ask to get through now.
 
Kaiser said:
I think we have as much chance taking points in Vienna and Moscow. That's how confident I am. Well done Rangers
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We need to think of taking at least a point in Vienna after Villarral’s humping of them. 3 however would be an outstanding achievement. Getting something in Moscow will be much much more difficult. We’ve a better chance of taking a point off Villarreal at home imho
 
Ffs I think some folk watched a different game Rangers were unlucky not to win and played well imo
Ffs we dreamed of just makingthe group stage now we have a chance to go further
 
HowdenEnder said:
Tav's was definitely easier, rolling back towards him, coming onto it straight. Grezda's one is coming across him, he made decent contact just lifted it a bit. I'm not even sure which is his strongest foot?
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That's what happens when you go for the posy sidefoot instead of putting your laces through it.
I can usually put up with his randomness, but he really got to me tonight. Woeful.
 
interbear said:
Perspective bears.

Unbeaten after 11 European games. In the group stages a draw against a good La Liga side, a win vs Vienna and a draw against the currently 2nd best team in Russia (champions a year ago).

Only a few short years ago we were playing f***ing Brechin. I’ll take where we are now any day of the week and then some.

Tonight we played really well 1st half. Spartak played well 2nd half. A draw probably about right over the 90 minutes, although I think we deserved to be in front at half time.

Ejaria was excellent tonight. Composed on the ball and when he lost possession he fought to win it back.

Worrall again showed why he’s getting picked alongside Goldson - he’s the stalwart defender alongside the more cultured centre half. It’s a fine pairing. I like him.

Kent a really good attacking outlet again. Boy has real skill and talent.

Morelos was also very good again, led the line well.

We should certainly have won it with the last kick of the game but Grezda should not be crucified for that. I’d probably have put Middleton on before him, that would be the only thing I’d have done differently.

Finally, our gaffer and our team will be frustrated tonight and I look forward to them taking out that frustration on the sheep on Sunday.
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The only thing I disagree with in your post is about Kent. I thought Spartak had sussed him and he had a lot of heavy touches where he lost control or possession. He is young and he will learn from that. He did have those two great bits of skill late in the game but I did think he was running around like a bit of a headless chicken for quite a lot of the match. To be fair the Spartak full backs were really good players.
 
interbear said:
Perspective bears.

Unbeaten after 11 European games. In the group stages a draw against a good La Liga side, a win vs Vienna and a draw against the currently 2nd best team in Russia (champions a year ago).

Only a few short years ago we were playing f***ing Brechin. I’ll take where we are now any day of the week and then some.

Tonight we played really well 1st half. Spartak played well 2nd half. A draw probably about right over the 90 minutes, although I think we deserved to be in front at half time.

Ejaria was excellent tonight. Composed on the ball and when he lost possession he fought to win it back.

Worrall again showed why he’s getting picked alongside Goldson - he’s the stalwart defender alongside the more cultured centre half. It’s a fine pairing. I like him.

Kent a really good attacking outlet again. Boy has real skill and talent.

Morelos was also very good again, led the line well.

We should certainly have won it with the last kick of the game but Grezda should not be crucified for that. I’d probably have put Middleton on before him, that would be the only thing I’d have done differently.

Finally, our gaffer and our team will be frustrated tonight and I look forward to them taking out that frustration on the sheep on Sunday.
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Yet some zoomers are claiming to be embarrassed.

Either wired to the moon or looking forward to mass on Sunday.
 
Coisty09 said:
The only thing I disagree with in your post is about Kent. I thought Spartak had sussed him and he had a lot of heavy touches where he lost control or possession. He is young and he will learn from that. He did have those two great bits of skill late in the game but I did think he was running around like a bit of a headless chicken for quite a lot of the match. To be fair the Spartak full backs were really good players.
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That is an astoundingly unfair summary of Kent's performance i'd say.
 
Super_Hans said:
Gutted at only getting a draw in the end, especially with the late chance. In hindsight Kent should've rattled it across the keeper but you can't blame him for teeing up Grezda. I think it's a big ask to get through now.
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He thought about it, but played the percentage pass. Grezda should have done far better. Surely not leaning back when you take a shot is basic knowledge. I think someone was telling us porkies when they said he was the best player at Osijek
 
I must of watched a different game to some on here. I thought we were excellent first half played some good stuff and second half they got into it more but we still controlled it.

The level of subs they were bringing on shows the quality they have and they were trying every trick in the book to waste time. A wee bit more quality we would have won it but I think we have come so far in such a short period of time considering how gutted I am we drew against Spartak Moscow
 
Grezda (and even Middleton) were almost trying too hard. Didn't show a lot of composure because they want to do something straight away.

Overall though I feel as if it's two points dropped.

First half Candeias should've squared it for a tap in...second half Coulibaly could've got on the end of Morelos' square ball and we were also denied a stone wall penalty.

Got a feeling that draw will come back to haunt us.

The ref was pissing me off at times. Can't believe he booked Morelos for bugger all. Not only that but he watched a guy nearly break Candeias' leg and never even gave a foul.
 
Kent, Worral and Morelos were good.

Tavanier extremely poor all around. Coulibaly was mostly a liability.

Grezda showed glimpses and should’ve finished.
 
Prod Wallace said:
Well said man, spot on for me.
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Cheers bro,we just lacked the edge to put them away ,can't see how anyone can be raging and calling certain players pish when they all put in the effort we expect of them,a few bad passes and wrong choices during attacks but nobody had a mare,fair play to spartak they came away with a point ,hopefully we can go there and take a point or 3 from them
 
Coisty09 said:
The only thing I disagree with in your post is about Kent. I thought Spartak had sussed him and he had a lot of heavy touches where he lost control or possession. He is young and he will learn from that. He did have those two great bits of skill late in the game but I did think he was running around like a bit of a headless chicken for quite a lot of the match. To be fair the Spartak full backs were really good players.
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I don’t think so. Kent bamboozled them a few times and always put them on the back foot. I agree that the Spartak defence were good but I thought Kent was always looking forwards, always making them think and showed some good skills in the process.
 
I wanted a win,3 points that would take us nearer the knock out stages sick we didn't get but I can't fault the players for effort or the fans for their backing and I am not going down the road of criticising individual players because imo there were no glaring failures.
 
broxi_bear83 said:
Thought yet again Kent was great tonight, at times we fell flat and got frustrated but I’m still pretty happy at having 5 points from the first 3 games, I think 8 points will see us out the group stages so I’m far off from panicking
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Looking at the fixtures to come, and the fact Rapid seem to have given up the ghost, I reckon we may need 9 points. What we cannot afford is for Villareal v Spartak on the last matchday to be a game where a draw sees them both through.
 
Bluerhap said:
I would definitely play Grezda up front on Sunday. The boy will be itching to shut up the doubters. Still think he’s a player.
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On Sunday I think will be Grezda on the left, Candieas on the right and Kent playing centrally dragging there centre backs all over the place
 
They definitely targeted Flanagan in the second half which stopped the ball to Kent, it worked for them and we struggled without the outball. Candeias was struggling and should have come off much earlier and I would have put Grezda out right.
 
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