How do we approach Leverkusen game?

LiviLoyal

LiviLoyal

Well-Known Member
If I’m not mistaken, the Leverkusen game falls bang in the middle of our first two league games?

With the tie essentially already being over, and with us simply having to get off to a winning start in the league, do we focus on Aberdeen then St Mirren and send a weaker side for the 2nd leg, or do we try and go full strength in all 3 and risk dropping early points in the league?

Personally, I’d be quite happy sending a weaker side for the return leg with some youngsters in there for experience of a European game. We just have to get off to a strong start in the league, there’s no two ways about it.
 
Reserves no chance of qualification and we have plenty of league games to worry about n before someone’s starts they were streets ahead of us at Ibrox
 
Mackania said:
What an opportunity to get the first team up to speed on massive competitive games after a lengthy lay off.

With little pressure on them to win the tie then there is nothing to lose.

Play the boys, christ.
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Leverkusen have months of games on us.

We are already out and a drubbing could destroy confidence right at the start of the league season and Euro qualifiers, it's not worth it.
 
We approach it to win the game. With the semi final being only 1 game, we're just 3 games from lifting a European trophy. Yes, Leverkusen are big favourites but I can't believe some of the defeatist attitudes I've read on here about this game. We go to do our best and win the game.

My concern is striker. We only have Morelos and Defoe. If Morelos goes before the game we can't replace and we only have Defoe to play lone striker, and maybe then have Dapo Mebude on the bench. We could bring back Kamberi but would need to take him for at least 6 months on loan, or on a permanent deal. We won't be giving out perment deals for just one match so the coaching staff will have to really believe he is a good enough striking option for the next 2 or 3 years.

If there's interest in Morelos and the deal meets our price, we would normally want it to happen ASAP so we can get a replacement in to join our pre season. The Aberdeen game is only 3 weeks on Saturday.
 
It should be treated as a game to get minutes in legs.

It was always going to be a difficult tie and I can't see us overturning the deficit anyway.
 
To win it. I could maybe see if this scenario occurred in February and March if we were in a title race to maybe rest players. So far we don’t know what friendlies or how many we will be playing so by the time Leverkusen comes around it will be needed to get our best X1 as fit as possible so that we can hit the ground running.

I know there is a chance someone could get injured but playing a weakened team and getting hammered isn’t exactly going to help work morale.
 
It will be our best team im pretty sure of it people can say no chance but management will believe 1st goal would get us back in the tie.
 
Go all out to beat Aberdeen certainly. Send a strong team to play Leverkusen. Long shot but still a good workout. St. Mirren at Ibrox should still be a comfortable three points.
 
Ideal game for preparation,competitive game gets the fitness up for the new season , nothing to lose lets just go for it and see what happens
 
Im really interested to see how they approach it. Their season is now done. Are their players being allowed a short holiday before preparing for this? Seems like it could be a Scottish Cup Final 2016 all over again with us in competitive mode and they may be off it.
 
It’s a free hit for us, I’d send the strongest squad we can to get minutes in the legs. Remember that we’ll have qualifiers starting in September also so every bit of match fitness helps.
 
LiviLoyal said:
With all due respect, we were heavily beaten in the first leg too. I’m not saying we play the U18’s but something like;

McLaughlin
Patterson Goldson Edmunson Bassey
Docherty Davis Kamara
Stewart Jones
Defoe
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3 of those players can't play the game Mclaughlin, Bassey and Docherty as it needs to be the squad registered at the time of the tie. Think you can make upto 3 changes but it has to be from 19/20 squad so Helander and Jones would be the only ones that can be added as they were previously unregistered along with Flanagan but he's away now.
 
Anyone thinking we will send the kids and reserves is having a laugh.

Gerrard will be planning on going over to win, full strength team and nothing less. Anything can happen in football, no fans, they might have sold their best 2 players and we have nothing to lose.

Granted I personally think we have no chance but Greece won Euro 2004...so you never know! Optimistic loyal!
 
Of course the chance of us going through is small but am I %^*& ever giving up on Rangers when there is still a chance. Especially since all that has gone on since the last leg.

Stranger things have happened this year, Kanye wants to be president for gods sake.
 
Rangers went a decade since a last 16 tie and got there by rattling off 4 goals without reply in under 90 minutes against a very good side

But yeah, listen to all the posts above that somehow equate not playing as some form of victory for the tired legs that havent played a match in 5 months.
 
Playing a weakened team of any sort would be utter madness, when this comes round we'll have played one game in five months, resting players is the exact opposite of what we want. At this stage of the season players need competitive game time!
 
We should be focusing on the league games either side of it and using it as a bonus game. I've a bad feeling the management team will be prioritising it though.
 
Its a free hit so just go and do our best. Get a goal early doors and you never know. Rather get beat 4-2 than not have a go and go out with a wimper.
 
I think this is a great opportunity to build on our sharpness against top quality opposition.
It can only benefit us for the league games that follow.
 
Teams like st mirren at Ibrox we should be able to use our squad. The likes of mcpake, patterson and mayo would still tear that mob up. Gerrard wont do that though unfortunately.
 
Craig McColl said:
By going for it. Get the 1st with no fans then who knows? Further we get more £ we get.It's the longshots of all longshots but winning the Europa gets you a CL spot while we're still in it there's still a chance .
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That's the kind of thinking I like!
 
One competitive game before we play them not the best preparation.
Difficult to overturn 3-1
 
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