“I need Helander back fit sharpish”

JMCK said:
Was today a player being found out? The lead up to the second goal begins with some strange mix up with him and Goldson; I'm a fan of Goldson, but he was also to blame there.
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Not just today no , anyone who’s watched him recently will know he’s been found out a few times , got away with the one against Aberdeen for a start.
 
Graemeh89 said:
Not just today no , anyone who’s watched him recently will know he’s been found out a few times , got away with the one against Aberdeen for a start.
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What aspect of his game would you say he's been found out in though?
 
True but why say that in a post match interview? Katics confidence will already be low after his performance and comments like that will only make it worse.
 
frankie_dux said:
When tav was having his nightmare, I’m sure Gerrard defended him.

why is it some players and not others?
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A very pertinent question.

Tav has had some absolutely shocking games where he has almost single-handedly dropped us points. Not just a couple either, he had a run of some right brutal form. I don't remember any of this then and it seemed very much arm around the shoulder stuff.

I get the argument that players need different treatment, but if anything you would expect the seasoned pro to get the hairdryer treatment and the young guy the guiding hand. I'm not particularly comfortable with how it's gone the other way tbh.

And even if a bollocking is good for Katic, in the media like that? Smashing him to bits so publicly?

Not for me.
 
AmsterdamBear said:
My question to Gerrard would be if Katic was so bad why was he allowed to continue?

The performance being bad is one thing, it happens, the fact it wasn’t changed by the manager sits firmly with him and he can point and say he needs Helander back all he wants but that sits with him.
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He should have been taken off at half time, everyone could see what kind of game he was having.
 
CaptainCourageous said:
Tavernier has and not a peep. Goldson too.

Costly errors and mistakes in numerous matches; Young Boys, Tynecastle, bheggars...
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None of them are good enough other than Barisic, Helander looks decent and deserves more time.

Tav is our best right back but that's 4 seasons now of constant failings and I would be happy to sell him, Goldson, Morelos and Kamara and get what we can with the money we get from them.
 
Craig McColl said:
So he's here for eternity? Who will replace him or how will we pay him off? Isn't an argument for keeping him.
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What is the solution then? We don’t have (and as far as I know, can’t raise) sufficient cash to fund the idea of getting rid of him. Thereafter pay compo to another club to take their manager and then fund building a new squad.

Eternity? No.
Short to mid term? Yes (unless he walks away)
 
Its-Sebo said:
What about Edmunson? He was singing his praises a matter of weeks ago.

Very worrying comment. Helander doesn't fix a midfield that looks like it couldn't give a fück and an attack that's creating next to nothing.

Need Helander to beat St Johnstone ffs.
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He was singing Stewart's praises after the Hearts and Aberdeen matches earlier in the season at Ibrox then he ditched him????
 
Recoba said:
He should have been taken off at half time, everyone could see what kind of game he was having.
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I don't understand why though; in a short space of time so many players look to suddenly lack confidence. I don't agree with those who say Katic has been found out, but he along with Morelos, Kent, and Kamara are suddenly playing as if they lack confidence; the other night kamara was making very basic errors, just as he had done at Tynecastle a few weeks ago. Davis is off form into the bargain. It's frustrating to witness such a rapid sequence of bad form.
 
Football can be an easy game if you let it be so.

We have players who are used to plastic pitches but never play on them, players who get a game regardless and a rigid 433 no matter the circumstances and lastly a huffy striker who keeps getting into trouble but gets a raise every transfer window.

Turning into a shambles.
 
Daft comment.

Hes lost control in his interviews.. hes contradicting himself in what he says and how he follows up with team selection etc.
 
See this don't throw your players under the bus mentality? Nah. If they perform like a pub team centre back no matter what the surface they should be called out and maybe just maybe its the kick in the arse they need to get the head down and go to the next level. I love big Niko and I think he has a great future but he had an absolute mare and Goldson wasn't much better so maybe Gerrard was firing a salvo to both of them to improve. One shining light in that shit show today was Kamberi's efforts. badly needed when Alfie looks to have lost form and confidence.
 
Play with two strikers, create, score more goals and take the pressure off the defence.

Their margin for error is too small. St Mirren, Hearts, Aberdeen, Ross County, Kilmarnock, Livingston, Hibs and St Johnstone may have been out of the game completely if we had two strikers and Katic may not look like a nervous wreck.

We've scored 10 and conceded 7 goals in those 8 games. Defence isn't the problem.
 
our defence needs sorted out, we are so un organised at dealling with a big hoof up the park it is embarassing
 
buc11 said:
Play with two strikers, create, score more goals and take the pressure off the defence.

Their margin for error is too small. St Mirren, Hearts, Aberdeen, Ross County, Kilmarnock, Livingston, Hibs and St Johnstone may have been out of the game completely if we had two strikers and Katic may not look like a nervous wreck.

We've scored 10 and conceded 7 goals in those 8 games. Defence isn't the problem.
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I take your point to a degree re scoring more but if you don't think we have a defensive problem after that today... and lets be honest a few games now, then you are blinkered. It doesn't matter how good your attacking play is when the opposition win it back, hoof it up the park and your centre backs are like the chuckle brothers ( may one of them rest in peace) then its a problem.
 
Wishbone said:
I take your point to a degree re scoring more but if you don't think we have a defensive problem after that today... and lets be honest a few games now, then you are blinkered. It doesn't matter how good your attacking play is when the opposition win it back, hoof it up the park and your centre backs are like the chuckle brothers ( may one of them rest in peace) then its a problem.
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I didn't think we were in any real danger until we reverted back to having one striker, with two we had the ball a lot more and St Johnstone never had the chance to make our centre backs look like the Chuckle Brothers (may one of them rest in peace).

That applies to the last few games as well, even Braga who were giving us a doing until we were forced to change.

I do recognise a defensive problem though. I think the four we have are decent but lack a leader. Any of the four would be great with David Weir.
 
AmsterdamBear said:
My question to Gerrard would be if Katic was so bad why was he allowed to continue?

The performance being bad is one thing, it happens, the fact it wasn’t changed by the manager sits firmly with him and he can point and say he needs Helander back all he wants but that sits with him.
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Exactly. Everyone could see he was somewhere else. I really wish the interviewer had asked him that question. Seems like Gerrard temporarily forgot he’s the manager and he had the power to remove him.
 
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Lizzy's 11 said:
Clearly got his favourites. Would never throw Goldson under bus like that. Kent and Tav immune as well
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^ That's my issue,he's consistently dropped Katic or Edmundson who are both very young as CB's go and therefore very much still learning and developing.
Goldson went through a terrible run of form earlier this season after a similar one last year and not a peep was said,never mind him being dropped.He let him play through it.
Tav at times this season has been awful,particularly of late and again-not a peep.Ditto Kent.

The gaffer when under pressure lately,has shown an alarming lack of consistency.
If I was one of the players,that would be pissing me off.
 
It is worrying that the gaffer is making comments like this publicly. I've always said Helander is a stick on starter, ahead of Katic, but he has to consider his management of a young player.
 
GovanFront4 said:
He turned it round in the second half with changes and tactics.

Individual errors cost us.
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Plenty wanted to see us start with two strikers on the park. He continued with his usual set up and it was far from good enough in the first.

Within 4 minutes of Aribo left back and two strikers on the park we were level.

From five minutes in you could see Katić was struggling. He even had words with Edmundson as if he was looking to bring him on.

We go 2-1 up, continue to create - Kamberi sticks a ball across goal that no one gambles on, Morelos wild - then we take a striker off and go back to the set up that's seen us struggle through the last 9 fixtures. We fail to get a grip of the game with Davis on the park, St. Johnstone equalise.
 
When all is said and done, neither of our current CB's are good enough - Goldson is a vastly overrated defender who is far too focused on doing the spectacular rather than the basics, and Katic is far too raw, erratic and inconsistent to be playing in any Rangers team chasing a league title. They both have undoubted attributes, but sadly we require more than potential, or a 1 in 5 type defender.

You may get away with having such players for 12-15 game a season, but over the course of 38 games they are always going to cost you dearly. I'm well aware Helander is currently benefitting from the old 'when injured for any period, he becomes 10x better than he actually is' syndrome, but he is far and away our best defender, with emphasis being on the word defender - he may not be the quickest, or the most comfortable on the ball, but he defends first and foremost and he reads the game far better than either of Goldson or Katic do.

Haste ye back, Filip.
 
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Slightly different take on things but looking at a few different comments from Gerrard. He has had a go at the fans for not backing the team and some of the abuse dished out (it is awful but that's for another thread). He comes out yesterday and slates one of HIS players in the media, he also manages to extend that to a guy who didn't even get off the bench. What is the difference?

For the record, I do think we miss Helander. Katic is right footed and I feel at times that is exposed playing at left CB. Edmundson looks a bit more comfortable, so perhaps should be given an extended run.
 
Needing a center half back sharpish to beat fucking St Johnstone. You want players to play for you Steven, stop throwing them under the bus and accept part if the blame.
 
Danger Zone said:
Still chucking his players under the bus to protect himself. Pathetic

You should have hooked Katic first half when he started passing out the park and it was clear his head was gone. Maybe that’s what he was reminiscing as he slouched down in his seat after their equaliser
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Has been doing so since last season.
The more you criticise individual players via the MSM the harder it is to gain their respect.
His man management of players is extremely poor.
 
I agree that SG shouldn't have said that. We all know that Katic had a bad day yesterday.

For me, at a club like Rangers, centre-back is too important a position to develop promising younger players. You really need experience, reliability and solidity there.
 
Foolish and stupid comment yesterday, even more infuriating today.

When Helander was injured, most knew we'd be lucky to see him until after the split if at all again this season. He's nowhere near a return and Gerrard is saying this. Stupidity from the manager.
 
its a fair comment
currently we have 4 CBs - two experienced and two less so (one of which is v raw)
with Helander out the options are limited - which is why we see players staying in the side despite horrendous performances
 
and when did helander become our superstar centre half
he was sometimes a bit shaky too, in my opinion
we have just hit rock bottom with far to many players not understanding
what playing for rangers means
 
As is the case with many Helander has benefited from his inactivity. He is vastly overrated by some on here and also it seems by current manager, he would for me at best be a back up and thats being generous.
 
I’m backing Gerrard to get this right, but that comment is, from a productive perspective, inexcusable.

He’s managed to alienate 3 centre backs and heap undue pressure on another returning from injury.
 
Resident_hammy_bear said:
i need a manager who can pick the correct team instead of waiting until we are behind sharpish
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There was enough quality on the park to at least see the game out,the way the team played has nothing to do with tactics but attitudes,we are not killing teams off the way we did before the break and it's as bewildering as it is frustrating why that is, we're not even doing the basics right at times.
 
govantrueblue said:
Has been doing so since last season.
The more you criticise individual players via the MSM the harder it is to gain their respect.
His man management of players is extremely poor.
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It sounds like Katic gets more respect, trust and guidance from Richard Gough than he does from his own manager. Which is a shame really.

What I don’t understand is why Gerrard has been so desperate to drop Katic previously, but when the guy is having an absolute howler and probably the worst game of his career, that’s when he chooses to keep him on the park for the full 90. Baffling...
 
Anyone thinking Helander is the answer is kidding themselves on , he was rank before his injury and I remember several members on here wanting him replaced with Niko.
IMHO Goldson is terrible and can't pass out from the back , 9 times out of ten losses the ball and the defence is instantly on the back foot , did this a few times against Braga.
 
Coda said:
I agree. As woeful as the defence were today, they’ve generally been quite solid.

Morelos takes his chance at 2-1 and we’re not discussing dropping points.
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If Morelos has just got his head up and seen Kent all alone on the penalty spot staring at an empty goal instead of lashing it from a ever more acute angle. Alfie has really regressed over the past couple of months, from taking wild swipes when players are in better positions to missing one on ones where it was easier to score.
 
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