A lack of pace is hurting us when we win the ball and counter.

[Laudrup is God]

I watched the game again today and first half we were even better than I thought at the game second half was worse than I thought.


What really stood out was a real lack of pace when a team turns the ball over to us everything seems to be slow the pass the movement and the players running with the ball especially Alfie.

If we done things quicker I think we would’ve opened up Hearts even more and stopped a lot of their last ditch block tackles.

Tav and Borna seem a yard down on pace this season and struggle to get forward as much but we genuinely miss Kent so much.

Sakala wide could help this going forward imo because it was so noticeable.

 

[snoopyboymason]

Far too slow in possession we need Kent fit and in form as well as Morelos if possible we need fresh blood in January and starters not squad players looking very stale at the moment

 

[Papa_bear]

We are a very, very slow team. I’d like to see the stats and compare to others but apart from maybe Patterson and kent , and maybe Aribo I can’t imagine any of our players being in the top 50 for pace even in the SPL. Our midfielders especially are all static , with the exception of Aribo who can travel with the ball at his feet.

 

[Laudrup is God]

Far too slow in possession we need Kent fit and in form as well as Morelos if possible we need fresh blood in January and starters not squad players looking very stale at the moment

It was the thing that really stood out at how slow we were at getting forward and it lets defences get back and we don’t punish other sides mistakes anywhere near enough

 

[bobba]

It was the thing that really stood out at how slow we were at getting forward and it lets defences get back and we don’t punish other sides mistakes anywhere near enough

by the time we push the ball out wide for the eventual cross in, you find that not only are we outnumbered in the box, there's nobody there at all.

 

[snoopyboymason]

It was the thing that really stood out at how slow we were at getting forward and it lets defences get back and we don’t punish other sides mistakes anywhere near enough

This time last year we were flying totally different team now the defence is a lot dodgier midfield far more pedestrian and the forwards and team are scoring far less I’d like to see us maybe try a different formation the 4-3-3 like the team is becoming predictable.

 

[Rangersman2008]

We are a very, very slow team. I’d like to see the stats and compare to others but apart from maybe Patterson and kent , and maybe Aribo I can’t imagine any of our players being in the top 50 for pace even in the SPL. Our midfielders especially are all static , with the exception of Aribo who can travel with the ball at his feet.

I reckon Kent, Wright and Sakala are all top 10

 

[Battle Fever's On]

When Bassey and Patterson play they give us energy down the flanks and it seems to speed up our play.
Tav and Borna sometimes look like they are running in cement.

 

[Hallers]

Even McGregor's distribution is slow. We he collects the ball he never throws it out right away. There might be a lack of options sometimes but others he's happy to take his time.

 

[Altogether_now]

Thought that for a while and taking too many touches

 

[Papa_bear]

I reckon Kent, Wright and Sakala are all top 10

We haven’t seen enough of Sakala . There must be stats out there though. Sakala rarely plays for us , perhaps it’s time that changed

 

[Rangersman2008]

We haven’t seen enough of Sakala . There must be stats out there though. Sakala rarely plays for us , perhaps it’s time that changed

To be fair, a lot of posters on here said Sakala's pace wouldn't shine domestically due to the 2 banks of 5 we usually play against

 

[Papa_bear]

To be fair, a lot of posters on here said Sakala's pace wouldn't shine domestically due to the 2 banks of 5 we usually play against

I think we need to start using him , Alfie is off the boil and wright for me flatters to deceive with no end product. Let’s see what Sakala can do

 

[Dcalm]

Do we even have a counter attack, we seem to lack the ability to make a good break forward, it isn't as bad as it used to be, but in all honesty our counter-attack ability is border line embarrassing. We get the ball, play it out to a CB who will then play it back and forward till the other team get their positions back and we then try to make it go forward.

 

[sammy1872]

Yesterday was the perfect game for sakala to replace Wright . Hearts had to chase. Dunno why bacuna came on instead albeit he wasn’t as bad as some try and make out . If Alfie and roofe score he’s being talked about a break out performance

 

[1914-18]

Aribo is bad for it, rather than driving right through the defence he cuts back onto his left and allows the opposition to get back in a defensive shape

 

[willieluc]

Sakala should have come on second half for his pace and energy if not why is he at the club. Seems to me Gerrard has his favourites

 

[Javi]

We had a couple of breaks and fell apart when we got into the final third. Tab and borna aren’t getting forward quickly enough, kamara constantly tries to find one more pass than needed as well

 

[geronimo]

Sakala was the man needed.

 

[Saturnblue]

You will probably be able to see information about player pace on Wyscout but it is expensive to see the information on there.

 

[Angrybluebear]

Sakala should have come on second half for his pace and energy if not why is he at the club. Seems to me Gerrard has his favourites

Sakala was the man needed.

I dont know when he got back from playing for Zambia, but it’s a day travelling across time zones.

Hardly ideal preparation and not giving much time for anything to be worked on in training.

Probably the same reason Roofe was benched.

I think if Gerrard had the choice none of the dozen or so that were away with their countries would have started.

 

[rfc_chris_rfc]

We miss kent in transition, should probably give sakala a run for this reason alone. Aribo has some pace but he’s not fast, neither is Morelos and hagi. Roofe has got a little pace and I mean a little

 

[JamesyMRR]

To be fair, a lot of posters on here said Sakala's pace wouldn't shine domestically due to the 2 banks of 5 we usually play against

100% but in the last 20 minutes yesterday we broke away several times and had to hold the ball up due to the lack of pace. I thought Sakala instead of Bacuna was the sub we needed to make.

 

[derek145]

We don't get midfielders into the opposition box, they are all wanting to stand outside the box and keep recycling possession.

 

[Govanfront66]

It has been noticeable this season how long we take from defence to attack and also the numerous passes we make

 

[Arran Honey Pear]

I think the lack of pace in certain areas is an emerging issue for us.
It’s especially evident in Europe when you need to be quick in transition and most teams we play have this quality.
I hope we’re looking at this.

 

[Gilberstoun Bear]

I watched the game again today and first half we were even better than I thought at the game second half was worse than I thought.


What really stood out was a real lack of pace when a team turns the ball over to us everything seems to be slow the pass the movement and the players running with the ball especially Alfie.

If we done things quicker I think we would’ve opened up Hearts even more and stopped a lot of their last ditch block tackles.

Tav and Borna seem a yard down on pace this season and struggle to get forward as much but we genuinely miss Kent so much.

Sakala wide could help this going forward imo because it was so noticeable.

Add Goldson to that Hagis dads got more pace than him.

 

[LarkfiedLoyalNS]

I had a nightmare last night that Kent came back then pulled his hamstring in the first game doing so.

 

[Commentator]

Posted this elsewhere but it’s relevant here, too, My concern is our mantra of “own the pitch, own the ball and dominate the penalty boxes.” There’s nothing in there about outworking the opposition, aggression, tempo or creating opportunities.
It’s too passive and I think that shows in our play.

 

[Bluetou]

I think the lack of pace in certain areas is an emerging issue for us.
It’s especially evident in Europe when you need to be quick in transition and most teams we play have this quality.
I hope we’re looking at this.

Said that yesterday mate, good European teams get the ball in their own half, 3 passes later they are having a shot at goal, we win the ball in our own half, 6 passes later we are still in the centre circle !

 

[Airplane]

we are a much better team when we press high, we don't seem to do that for a full game

 

[big_blue]

I watched Relentle55 during the week and the one thing I noticed from almost every goal we scored was Kent’s involvement at some point.

He either scored, assisted or made a run that created space for the goalscorer.

We need him back ASAP.

 

[THEGOVANFRONT]

Having been rrqlly good first half we allowed missing g several good chances to impact our play
We certainly didn't continue to play the way we played the first 45mins for the entire 90mins
But, we also didn't appear to try n hit them on the break.
I'm not sure as the game went on that the team actually knew how they were playing as a unit.
I know we missed chances which some there were no excuses for but we simply stopped trying to control the game & there is no real excuse for that. I know Hearts came into the game a bit but I feel we allowed them to which makes no sense as from what I saw we then didn't try to hit them on the break because if that was the plan the subs made wouldn't suit that tactic.

 

[Tpol_rfc]

Don't think a lack of pace is theaon problem more so a complete lack of urgency. Fannying about too much and sideways or backwards passes when we have a break on is the problem whilst letting the opposition all get back.

 

[Sir Know it All]

Gerrard made mention of it being a thing we needed after last season, said it was something he wanted to add in the summer - pace

We are a slow slow football team, it’s why Wright is getting a game in the absence of Kent, without either in the team we aren’t quick at all in transition

 

[Captain Black]

Everyone can see the lack of pace opposition included,but it does not just stop there we side pass our way forward until we loose possession, very predictable.

 

[Raindog]

Not sure it's pace, but I am constantly complaining about how the breakouts fade to nothing, either from poor decision making, or nobody busting a gut to join in the rush.

 

[RfcIbrox]

We recycle it to death when the obvious thing is to break forward. We seem to think we are playing against Bayern Munich.

 

[Alan Johnson]

Pace as well as simple things like playing a pass in front of the man,the amount of times we trickle a simple pass behind our players is unreal,Aribo had one yesterday when we had a potential break on and he under hit is so badly,so frustrating.

 

[Coplandbear]

We recycle it to death when the obvious thing is to break forward. We seem to think we are playing against Bayern Munich.

That's the downside to having three possession based defensive midfielders a lot of the time.

It was said in the summer we needed a mobile creative box to box midfielder someone willing to drive centrally and make things happen still hasn't materialised.

Could Bacuna be that player I'm not so certain.

 

[willieluc]

I dont know when he got back from playing for Zambia, but it’s a day travelling across time zones.

Hardly ideal preparation and not giving much time for anything to be worked on in training.

Probably the same reason Roofe was benched.

I think if Gerrard had the choice none of the dozen or so that were away with their countries would have started.

Yes worst thing about having quality players they get dragged all over the world and not much time to get back but I’m sure he could have put in a good half hour shift to push them back

 

[londonbluenose]

We need Kent back and another wide player in Jan

Could not and still can't believe Sakala didn't come on yesterday

How about last seconds of the game when Kamara passes instead of shooting. Dont have enough players capable of having a dig

 

[Partickger]

It’s speed of thought rather than physical pace that’s our problem when we turn the ball over. Too many just happy to turn inside and allow our opponents to reset when we should be taking advantage of their players caught upfield.

 

[Whats up doc]

Theres a reason the tims have scored the most goals in the league, george michael, the litter picker and abada are all rapid. Our forward players we generally play are slow. We never see two rapid players plus morelos for example. Its always either kent or wright then morelos, hagi, aribo, roofe who all lack real pace.

Id like to see kent one side, sakala the other and roofe in the middle, who I think is a better player than morelos tbh.

 

[KGer29]

I love Hagi so much and think he’s a brilliant player but he’s slow as a week in the jail. We need Kento back ASAP

 

[A1bertz]

I watched the game again today and first half we were even better than I thought at the game second half was worse than I thought.


What really stood out was a real lack of pace when a team turns the ball over to us everything seems to be slow the pass the movement and the players running with the ball especially Alfie.

If we done things quicker I think we would’ve opened up Hearts even more and stopped a lot of their last ditch block tackles.

Tav and Borna seem a yard down on pace this season and struggle to get forward as much but we genuinely miss Kent so much.

Sakala wide could help this going forward imo because it was so noticeable.

Modern day footballers need to be able to run.
We don't have enough with that basic attribute.

 

[Laudrup is God]

Modern day footballers need to be able to run.
We don't have enough with that basic attribute.

Morelos was especially bad yesterday in that respect he looks slow ponderous and overweight

 

[tazzabear]

Sakala should have come on second half for his pace and energy if not why is he at the club. Seems to me Gerrard has his favourites

I’d agree with your first line but Gerrard signed Sakala, and Bacuna, for that matter.
Can’t understand why Gerrard would have favourites in the way you imply.

 

[barcelonabear]

We don’t play a quick transition anymore, aribo and our two full backs are really bad for slowing down our attacks which allows teams to resettle

 

[CoopBlue]

Even McGregor's distribution is slow. We he collects the ball he never throws it out right away. There might be a lack of options sometimes but others he's happy to take his time.

Agreed.

Much prefer McLaughlin's distribution.