“Control”

[Albertz_Was_King]

The manager is obsessed and seems more pleased with how we “control” a game as opposed to actually winning it and scoring goals.

He keeps mentioning the need for a moment of magic or being more clinical but these are things that you can’t, ironically, really control.

You can’t simply say “well today we won’t do what we did at Livingston because this week we WILL produce magic”.

You can’t suddenly decide “oh today, I’ll be clinical”. Gerrard made a big deal about this an interview in the summer where he claimed to reflect on our failings last year, essentially saying we need to become more clinical.

I am becoming really worried we simply have one way of playing and we are literally clueless to do anything different.

It’s just so predicable. We will never change shape, never play 2 strikers, never play anything less than two conservative midfielders. It’s that way or the high way.

You can’t keep just putting it on the players, you need to be far more reflective in your role in this management team because for me your failing everyone here.

I’ve had enough of Gerrard going on about control, or Beale telling us how we use 2 number 10’s even though they clearly are not suited to it whatsoever. Or having 2 midfielders drop into defensive line for no benefit to the team at all.

Your making the same mistakes, time after time. Take ownership and change.

 

[Fergie90]

The thing is any decent team would control that today, livi hardly moved out their own box nevermind half.

Most teams tactics are to actually let us have the ball so I dont see how we can go about saying yeah but we had control. It means absolutely f*ck all in all honesty.

 

[TN8]

3 hours after full time? Were you working today or something?

 

[TN8]

The thing is any decent team would control that today, livi hardly moved out their own box nevermind half.

Most teams tactics are to actually let us have the ball so I dont see how we can go about saying yeah but we had control. It means absolutely f*ck all in all honesty.

You're absolutely right. So we then need players to be clinical, take chances, bit of brilliance, or a mistake from them. We got none of that today.

 

[Davie86]

The thing is Livi are happy to let us control possession. Possession means nothing when its side ways and backwards when the opposition is happy to just sit in. Can't remember their gk being tested apart from the barasic free kick . All of that possession and our only meaningful effort was from a free kick.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

3 hours after full time? Were you working today or something?

There is nothing wrong with what's he's said.

 

[Cyberniv]

The thing is any decent team would control that today, livi hardly moved out their own box nevermind half.

Most teams tactics are to actually let us have the ball so I dont see how we can go about saying yeah but we had control. It means absolutely f*ck all in all honesty.

I agree, it was Livingstone who controlled us for most of the game.
Their tactics succeeded, ours didn’t.

 

[bearspakora]

We rarely forced them into conceding free kicks by running at their defence. Trying to play through it was never going to work.

 

[frankie_dux]

The passing back all the time is giving me aids

 

[Mr Wilton]

Do you think there’s an over analysis of our game up here? When do we get to the point of route one football, Helander get into the box with Itten and Roofe and get the goal we need! They weren’t coming into our box so we could have coped. It’s about winning the game first and foremost!

 

[Fergie90]

I agree, it was Livingstone who controlled us for most of the game.
Their tactics succeeded, ours didn’t.

Agreed mate.

We really dont help ourselves either tbh, we struggle to break them down in open play and manage to force a corner and what do we do ? Play it short when they have every man behind the ball and you have two men to beat in a tight space. Ridiculous decisions today.

 

[CoopBlue]

It's easy to control a game when the opposition have no interest in attacking you and are just wanting to camp in their own half for 90 mins.

That "control" needs to be turned into constructive returns. We failed miserably today.

 

[TN8]

There is nothing wrong with what's he's said.

No there isn't, just a wee bit of jest.

 

[PT98]

We must be one of the easiest teams to prepare for and set up against. Everyone and their granny knows how we are going to play.

 

[CoopBlue]

We must be one of the easiest teams to prepare for and set up against. Everyone and their granny knows how we are going to play.

The predictable nature of our play is very concerning.

 

[steve1873]

Despite how much we controlled the game, it was one of the most inept performances I've seen for a so called title winning expectations Rangers side!

53 mins until we got a shot on target.

 

[Brant Hurley]

We are not learning. Makes us predictable & easy to play against

 

[PT98]

Despite how much we controlled the game, it was one of the most inept performances I've seen for a so called title winning expectations Rangers side!

53 mins until we got a shot on target.

Controlling a game like today doesnt really mean anything. Livingston knew we would control it and were happy to let us, in the knowledge that we would struggle to break them down.

If we came out and played like Livingston and tried to let them control it, they wouldn't have a clue what to do.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

No there isn't, just a wee bit of jest.

It's frustrating as %^*& though as could have been posted in season 1 and 2 of the Gerrard era. Season 3 and it's still the same issues that crop up.

 

[steve1873]

Controlling a game like today doesnt really mean anything. Livingston knew we would control it and were happy to let us, in the knowledge that we would struggle to break them down.

If we came out and played like Livingston and tried to let them control it, they wouldn't have a clue what to do.

Agreed but playing both Kamara and Jack, or rather deploying them both to perform virtually the same role when they ha e zero ambition of even mounting a serious counter attack us baffling. Far too much emphasis placed on control by the manager and coaching staff. In games like today control isn't about having possession, it's about having meaningful possession in areas that hurt the opposition. I'd argue in that case that our performance was utterly devoid of any control.

 

[NDC bear forever]

The manager is obsessed and seems more pleased with how we “control” a game as opposed to actually winning it and scoring goals.

He keeps mentioning the need for a moment of magic or being more clinical but these are things that you can’t, ironically, really control.

You can’t simply say “well today we won’t do what we did at Livingston because this week we WILL produce magic”.

You can’t suddenly decide “oh today, I’ll be clinical”. Gerrard made a big deal about this an interview in the summer where he claimed to reflect on our failings last year, essentially saying we need to become more clinical.

I am becoming really worried we simply have one way of playing and we are literally clueless to do anything different.

It’s just so predicable. We will never change shape, never play 2 strikers, never play anything less than two conservative midfielders. It’s that way or the high way.

You can’t keep just putting it on the players, you need to be far more reflective in your role in this management team because for me your failing everyone here.

I’ve had enough of Gerrard going on about control, or Beale telling us how we use 2 number 10’s even though they clearly are not suited to it whatsoever. Or having 2 midfielders drop into defensive line for no benefit to the team at all.

Your making the same mistakes, time after time. Take ownership and change.

We’ve changed shape this season from a 4-3-2-1 to a 4-2-3-1. I agree the manager’s in game decisions could do with being better with regards to shape but ultimately his midfield options with regards to changing it up aren’t great and that is on his recruitment.

 

[Danger Zone]

3 hours after full time? Were you working today or something?

Maybe he was out celebrating the point and the clean sheet with the Happy Clapper Loyal and only now sobered up and realised it was a shite performance and shite result and exact repeat of the same shite we’ve been subjected to so many times before.

 

[Albertz_Was_King]

We’ve changed shape this season from a 4-3-2-1 to a 4-2-3-1. I agree the manager’s in game decisions could do with being better with regards to shape but ultimately his midfield options with regards to changing it up aren’t great and that is on his recruitment.

The 1 up top is the important bit, that is the one that never changes though mate.

Imagine being a central defender against Rangers, nullify Morelos and you are in for a reasonably quiet day.

 

[NDC bear forever]

The 1 up top is the important bit, that is the one that never changes though mate.

Imagine being a central defender against Rangers, nullify Morelos and you are in for a reasonably quiet day.

I think having a striker like Morelos who thrives on the physical battle & challenge of leading the line himself & only really performs when he is up top himself nullifies Gerrard’s options to an extent. Perhaps it is something we will see more of when he leaves.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

The 1 up top is the important bit, that is the one that never changes though mate.

Imagine being a central defender against Rangers, nullify Morelos and you are in for a reasonably quiet day.

How often do we create for our one man up top. In four league games it's been very little.

Morelos was getting it tight for a lack of goals. The service is appalling. How much of Roofe and Itten did we see today?

 

[HandsomeHead]

I think the players are possibly over coached.

There’s a seeming obsession with systems and formations and an endless and at times aimless recycling of possession, but perhaps it’s at the detriment of allowing players to be a little more off the cuff?

Are they actually so heavily drilled and micro managed that they can’t offer up moments of inspiration and genuine expression?

Whatever it is, I don’t get the impression Gerrard’s sense of footballing aesthetics will ever permit him to stick a big guy up front alongside Alfie and give ten man defences something more to worry about.

 

[Coplandbear]

We’ve changed shape this season from a 4-3-2-1 to a 4-2-3-1. I agree the manager’s in game decisions could do with being better with regards to shape but ultimately his midfield options with regards to changing it up aren’t great and that is on his recruitment.

Any successful Rangers team over the years and decades has always had players with dig and who could drive us on and give that extra bit of quality to power us over the line.

Unfortunately as it stands this current squad doesn't possess the type of midfielders required to win a title.

Davis is pretty much done
Arfield pretty much is heading into similar territory
Kamara is too neat and tidy
Jack for all his improvement is just the same
Aribo looks to be the only player capable of creating chances and proving some kind of goal threat

And I will take a guess all will be here come the end of the window so bringing in much needed reinforcements is going to require some big decisions made by Gerrard in the coming weeks.

We need two quality dynamic players in DM, CM immediately but players need to go.

 

[Albertz_Was_King]

How often do we create for our one man up top. In four league games it's been very little.

Morelos was getting it tight for a lack of goals. The service is appalling. How much of Roofe and Itten did we see today?

Yeah, I wasn't criticising Morelos there.

We fling lots of crosses in and that seems to go down as "creating chances".

 

[Coplandbear]

Yeah, I wasn't criticising Morelos there.

We fling lots of crosses in and that seems to go down as "creating chances".

All our main ball play goes through our full backs which by passes the midfield and even the two number 10's we play.

Even when we do try and play it through the midfield it mostly ends up with Tavernier and Barisic.

I have to say through Aribo was a massive loss for us today.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

Yeah, I wasn't criticising Morelos there.

We fling lots of crosses in and that seems to go down as "creating chances".

Wasn't meaning you personally.

We don't create chances for our strikers and that's down to a number of issues.

Don't want this to turn into a Morelos thread but he needs dropped, he needs his career sorted out ASAP and we need to find a different way of playing, and fast.

We had Itten and Roofe on the park, how many opportunities did they get. Roofe was dropping deep screaming for the ball only to be ignored whilst Jack went to Kamara and Itten passed a simple ball out the park.

 

[Mr_Miscellaneous]

There are some games that you have to have an element of control over them otherwise things can spiral out of control pretty quickly.

Livingston away ain't one of them.

 

[Albertz_Was_King]

There are some games that you have to have an element of control over them otherwise things can spiral out of control pretty quickly.

Livingston away ain't one of them.

This is about "getting" the nature of winning a league, indeed winning a league in Scotland.

There is a proven formula, it isn't particularly complicated and a lot of it is down to a numbers game. get as many goalscorers into goalscoring positions against the small teams in the league, which make up the majority.

I just don't think Gerrard understands this.

 

[barrheadbear]

The manager is obsessed and seems more pleased with how we “control” a game as opposed to actually winning it and scoring goals.

He keeps mentioning the need for a moment of magic or being more clinical but these are things that you can’t, ironically, really control.

You can’t simply say “well today we won’t do what we did at Livingston because this week we WILL produce magic”.

You can’t suddenly decide “oh today, I’ll be clinical”. Gerrard made a big deal about this an interview in the summer where he claimed to reflect on our failings last year, essentially saying we need to become more clinical.

I am becoming really worried we simply have one way of playing and we are literally clueless to do anything different.

It’s just so predicable. We will never change shape, never play 2 strikers, never play anything less than two conservative midfielders. It’s that way or the high way.

You can’t keep just putting it on the players, you need to be far more reflective in your role in this management team because for me your failing everyone here.

I’ve had enough of Gerrard going on about control, or Beale telling us how we use 2 number 10’s even though they clearly are not suited to it whatsoever. Or having 2 midfielders drop into defensive line for no benefit to the team at all.

Your making the same mistakes, time after time. Take ownership and change.

Spot on.

Just put a bloody winning side on the park. We now spend enough money on players and salary that there are no excuses for not beating a bottom half Premiership side home or away.

 

[Fergie90]

I think the players are possibly over coached.

There’s a seeming obsession with systems and formations and an endless and at times aimless recycling of possession, but perhaps it’s at the detriment of allowing players to be a little more off the cuff?

Are they actually so heavily drilled and micro managed that they can’t offer up moments of inspiration and genuine expression?

Whatever it is, I don’t get the impression Gerrard’s sense of footballing aesthetics will ever permit him to stick a big guy up front alongside Alfie and give ten man defences something more to worry about.

I remember Thierry Henry saying he was playing for Barca under Pep and he told him to stay out left wing, Henry went inside and opened the scoring and he was hooked at half time for not listening basically. That's crazy imo, Football is about winning first and foremost.

 

[Up the road]

In my opinion if you are controlling the game then by effect you should be creating good scoring chances. We created next to nothing considering how much “control” we had. We had plenty of the ball though but Livi more than likely conceded possession in certain areas of the park and concentrated on flooding the final third with bodies making it very difficult for us to break down. Let’s face it has worked before against us with other teams and unless we tactically change it will more than likely happen again.

 

[Mr_Miscellaneous]

This is about "getting" the nature of winning a league, indeed winning a league in Scotland.

There is a proven formula, it isn't particularly complicated and a lot of it is down to a numbers game. get as many goalscorers into goalscoring positions against the small teams in the league, which make up the majority.

I just don't think Gerrard understands this.

Walter's style at times was brutal. However, it was brutally effective

That's why the poets use it.

Three centre backs and a fullback. One of the centre-backs needs to commit a midfielder when bringing the ball forward. When the fullback goes forward the three center-backs shuttle over to cover the space.

Three central midfielders and a winger, the full-back and the central midfielder should be one the same side so he can cover the forward run from the full-back, the winger should go forward and when he does, one of the midfielders shuttle over to cover the space another goes forward and one drops back, covering the full-back whilst watching for any weird long-balls down the middle.

One striker has a free-role, a Center-mid is going forwards, the full-back is bombing on as an option, the winger covers the other side and there is one poacher in the middle waiting for a ball to get to them.

4-4-2 on paper, an M-W when attacking. 4-1-4-1 when defending.

 

[Burgh-Ger]

How often do we create for our one man up top. In four league games it's been very little.

Morelos was getting it tight for a lack of goals. The service is appalling. How much of Roofe and Itten did we see today?

Thats where the top strikers earn their bread though!!

AM had 2 or 3 chances today, one he went for power, the other was an ok turn but pulled his shot, the last was a header6 yards out that he couldn’t control.

AM is either all in or him and his agent find him a move

 

[ICA_86]

He says a lot of things that I don’t think he truly means.

Criticised the team after St Johnstone for overplaying and taking too many touches, yet zero evidence today that any alternative had been worked on.