Concerned about our form

Rangerstillidie said:
I don’t really see how anyone can genuinely decry people for being worried about our lack of goals when it’s plain for everyone to see that if Morelos doesn’t score we struggle to score. Regardless of dodgy decisions or standard of opponent that’s the undeniable truth. It’s far more evident against the better quality teams as well.
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We in part tactically pitch for that though. The vast majority of our play is channeled and weighted in favor of getting chances for our boss goal scoring forward, it sort of just makes sense.
 
I think some of our passages of football have been outstanding.

However I've been saying all season SG needs to find a way of getting 90 minute performances out of the team.

We need a bit more from the other forwards, not just Morelos.

We need a little more quality in cover in the middle of the park. Take out either Davis or Jack and we're not the same team.

We need to switch on and make sure with the attempts at slick passing. Last night it was often the right ball, just sloppily executed.

We do look a little tired.

Overall I think we're in a good position and it's just a case of some tweaks and the ability to rest one or two players a little more at times. On top of that, an on-form Kent and Morelos are capable of hurting any team we come up against. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.
 
RFC4ME said:
We in part tactically pitch for that though. The vast majority of our play is channeled and weighted in favor of getting chances for our boss goal scoring forward, it sort of just makes sense.
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Not one team ever wins something relying totally on one player scoring their goals. We need more from the men in the wider areas on the goals front.
 
first half of the last three games we have been outstanding, and if decisions had gone our way we would have won all 3.
 
MSF said:
If we want to get better and start winning the big important games? More.

If you watch us and think the goalscoring threat coming from Jack/Davis/Kamara/Kent/Aribo etc is good enough then thats fine. I disagree, and so does Morelos clearly judging by his reaction at full time, did any of them even manage a shot last night?
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You want more than a goal a game from midfield? Good luck with that because it's entirely unrealistic. You'd be hard pushed to find any team that scores a goal from midfield every single game never mind more than thata.

And aye they managed plenty of shots. Off the top off my head Arfield had at least 3, 2 blocked and one saved at the near post. Aribo was unlucky with a header that narrowly went by the post. I plan to watch the game again so I'll get back to you later with the figures if you like.

As for Morelos' reaction :)) :)) That could've been about anything, complete and utter fantasy to suggest it's the apparent lack of goals from midfield.
 
It’s a huge achievement to qualify for the KO rounds and I’m delighted but the OP has a valid point. From the 4 perceived bigger and tougher games we’ve won 0, lost 1 (probably the biggest one) and drawn 3. The most alarming thing is that in the 3 we’ve drawn we’ve been ahead in all of them and surrendered cheap goals, in two of those games we’ve battered the team and still not won (Aberdeen and YB).

That’s an issue, and like it or not goals within our team just aren’t plentiful enough outwith Morelos. We scored 7 goals in the group of death, 6 of em coming from Morelos. Yeah your striker is there to score the goals, but the fact is teams who have a more potent midfield turn more of these draws into wins and it could (and probably will) ultimately be the difference between 1 or 2 trophies and 0 trophies come the end to the season. I’m sure Gerrard will be concerned about it too rather than lazily take the “aye well we qualified so it’s sunshine and rainbows, nothing to worry about” outlook.
 
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We need someone else around Morelos or, more accurately, need more bodies in the box when we make a chance. I think Kent is being asked to do too much and he's feeling it, hopefully he'll get his second wind. Same applied last night to big Joe. Both were done in. So the manager has to start introducing subs earlier, be pro rather than re-active. Ojo was poor last night but a sub needs ten minutes to get into the game before he's really playing. I'm also certain that Scott Arfield hasn't the legs to play the way the manager wants us to play.
I think the poster earlier on who said that Gerrard was so focused on controlling the midfield that we were light up front when it mattered got it bang on.
 
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Leif Erikson said:
You want more than a goal a game from midfield? Good luck with that because it's entirely unrealistic. You'd be hard pushed to find any team that scores a goal from midfield every single game never mind more than thata.

And aye they managed plenty of shots. Off the top off my head Arfield had at least 3, 2 blocked and one saved at the near post. Aribo was unlucky with a header that narrowly went by the post. I plan to watch the game again so I'll get back to you later with the figures if you like.

As for Morelos' reaction :)) :)) That could've been about anything, complete and utter fantasy to suggest it's the apparent lack of goals from midfield.
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The manager explained exactly what Alfie’s reaction was due to, and it certainly wasn’t because nobody else is scoring or any demented scenario being dreamt up on here. He wanted a pass to score again and never got it.
 
Rangerstillidie said:
We need more from the wide men. We rely on Morelos to score the majority of our goals.

Do you really think that is not a valid concern to have?
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We 100% do rely on our forward for the vast majority of our goals, that's clearly a conscious choice and quite normal for a football team really.

I can't say it's something I overly concern myself about re who scores goals etc.
 
Jaws II said:
We have now thrown strong winning positions away against Feyenoord, Aberdeen and Young Boys and also failed to beat Celtic despite dominating the play in most of these games . We had numerous opportunities to win them and couldn’t take advantage while our defence has looked fragile at times also. There is also the concern that apart from Morelos nobody else seems to be scoring also.
This has to be sorted over the next few busy game schedule until the winter break, I am just thankful we got through last night.
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We need to take our chances we had enough over the three games to win them all.
 
RFC4ME said:
We 100% do rely on our forward for the vast majority of our goals, that's clearly a conscious choice and quite normal for a football team really.

I can't say it's something I overly concern myself about re who scores goals etc.
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I think you are kinda missing the point to be honest. When we step up a level, and if we want to win trophies, we require someone other than Morelos to chip in with goals. So far this season against the better quality teams in Europe and the tims unless Morelos has scored we’ve not. That’s not good enough and it’s unhealthy. It also puts a mass amount of pressure on Morelos shoulders.

Trying to keep them out the discussion but they can rely on goals from Edouard, Forest, Christie and Elyanousi. They’ve also got McGregor, Griffiths and Rogic capable of getting goals.

You can surely see how it’s beneficial to have a main goal scorer (which we have) however he cannot score in every game therefore we need more goal scoring in the team. It cannot really be argued against.
 
I am the complete opposite, although results have not gone the way we wanted there is real signs of us developing as a team and at some point it is all going to come together.

Aberdeen was the one that annoyed me because we battered them then let them back in it with sloppy goals. I really don't think the team can be faulted for the cup final, the players all gave it absolutely everything but everything went against us on the day.

We were excellent for 50 minutes last night then the tiredness from the physical and emotional efforts got the better of us but we have been the better team in just about all our EL games which is incredible.

We need to cut out the basic mistakes and concentration issues but we have real quality in that team. Gerrard will also relentlessly keep ensuring that the quality of our players improves.

Its been a difficult week or so but good times are on the way, the biggest threat to that is the negativity of our own fan base
 
Rangerstillidie said:
I think you are kinda missing the point to be honest. When we step up a level, and if we want to win trophies, we require someone other than Morelos to chip in with goals. So far this season against the better quality teams in Europe and the tims unless Morelos has scored we’ve not. That’s not good enough and it’s unhealthy. It also puts a mass amount of pressure on Morelos shoulders.

Trying to keep them out the discussion but they can rely on goals from Edouard, Forest, Christie and Elyanousi. They’ve also got McGregor, Griffiths and Rogic capable of getting goals.

You can surely see how it’s beneficial to have a main goal scorer (which we have) however he cannot score in every game therefore we need more goal scoring in the team. It cannot really be argued against.
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No, I get the point I am meant to have concerns and fears that it is all on Morelos etc and look at how Celtic do it and act on the narrative that Morelos is our only player who scores goals, but the issue with that is, he isn't - games of football happen that make me think things - actual events take place, games are played and goals are scored by more players than Morelos to make me think things

Celtic, who might have more players capable of scoring goals have managed....1 more league goal than us and despite the supposed scoring exploits of McGregor, Griffiths and Rogic they as a 3 have scored the same number of league goals Jack, Goldson and.....Greg Stewart have.

It is two teams playing a different way, weighting their attacking plays in favor of players with totally different skill sets.

And yet, and yet..... the goals scored is quite comparable - there is more than one way to win a game of football or score a goal, we are leaning on our epic forward scoring us goals

When it comes to Europe we have tended to lean on a counter attacking style of play as despite our attendances etc, we have actually punched above our weight in the group and done well to get out of it - again, given that style of play i would expect most chances to fall to our forward, the notion of free flowing, free scoring football in Europe with goals from all areas given our budget etc v others seems incredible far fetched to me
 
PortoyMortoy said:
Drives me mad how our players dont run to the back post. just adds another option yet too often our players just want to hand out around the penalty spot. If Defoe and Alfie could play together it wouldnt be as bad as both do it but they cant so they're always central
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Alfie wasn't central too much last night. The problem is that when he drifts wide nobody bothers too much about getting into the box.
 
im_a_good_bluenose said:
have to say im the same, Defoes goals have dried up, although granted he hasn't played too much, but the lack of goals from midfield is a genuine concern
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Defoe is suited against dross at home at Ibrox. Morelos is a different beast in terms of the physicality we require up front. Morelos alone destroys teams with his movement and strength, whereas if we want to play Defoe you really need to get players round him, e.g. last year when Arfield was being played off him. There will be a time for Defoe and he will be firing again given the minutes.
 
supersonic said:
Defoe is suited against dross at home at Ibrox. Morelos is a different beast in terms of the physicality we require up front. Morelos alone destroys teams with his movement and strength, whereas if we want to play Defoe you really need to get players round him, e.g. last year when Arfield was being played off him. There will be a time for Defoe and he will be firing again given the minutes.
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They both have the same number of league goals and Defoe scored one every 59 minutes and Morelos had scored every 81 minutes.
Given the same game time I do not think there would be much in it, both play completely different roles though as strikers. both have qualities the other does not have.
 
Jaws II said:
We are talking about our form in the last few weeks, we have not won a game in our last 4. We should have won all of them.
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We beat Hearts, however you’re including Feyenoord so 1 in the last 5.

Of those 4 games 2 were draw against good sides that took us through in Europe, 1 a loss which was freakish in that we absolutely dominated, and the other, the only 1 that should be a concern was an uncharacteristic, for this season anyway, shit show.

We are not on a bad run of ‘form’, we aren’t really on a bad run of results either considering the circumstances.
 
I'm not concerned about our form in the slightest. We stupidly took our foot off the gas against Aberdeen. We had a bad day in front of goal against the smelly lot (and their keeper had a cracker) and last night was a nervy, big European game. People seem to think we're Barca and should win every game at a canter, it's absolutely deluded.
 
It's poor results over poor form, we never put teams away when we are dominant.

Plus we seem to be unable to play well over a full 90 minutes (cup final apart but I refuse to say anymore about that game)
 
I think we've been playing some of the best football I've seen us play. It's just a matter of really tough games and some bad luck.

We do still have a tendency to wobble in the second half which we need to cut out.
 
We need other people to step up and score. Then again - Morelos is banging them in and we're making lots of chances so you're perhaps just robbing Peter to pay Paul.
 
Jaws II said:
We have now thrown strong winning positions away against Feyenoord, Aberdeen and Young Boys and also failed to beat Celtic despite dominating the play in most of these games . We had numerous opportunities to win them and couldn’t take advantage while our defence has looked fragile at times also. There is also the concern that apart from Morelos nobody else seems to be scoring also.
This has to be sorted over the next few busy game schedule until the winter break, I am just thankful we got through last night.
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You have a very valid point,been a strange & frustrating week.Came away last night delighted we'd qualified but also a deflated feeling:confused:
A league win thrown away, a cup lost that should have been won by 1/2 time & the chance of finishing to of our Europa group lost. A brilliant first 1/2 but a very poor 2nd.
Its these mistakes that cost us.
 
RFC4ME said:
No, I get the point I am meant to have concerns and fears that it is all on Morelos etc and look at how Celtic do it and act on the narrative that Morelos is our only player who scores goals, but the issue with that is, he isn't - games of football happen that make me think things - actual events take place, games are played and goals are scored by more players than Morelos to make me think things

Celtic, who might have more players capable of scoring goals have managed....1 more league goal than us and despite the supposed scoring exploits of McGregor, Griffiths and Rogic they as a 3 have scored the same number of league goals Jack, Goldson and.....Greg Stewart have.

It is two teams playing a different way, weighting their attacking plays in favor of players with totally different skill sets.

And yet, and yet..... the goals scored is quite comparable - there is more than one way to win a game of football or score a goal, we are leaning on our epic forward scoring us goals

When it comes to Europe we have tended to lean on a counter attacking style of play as despite our attendances etc, we have actually punched above our weight in the group and done well to get out of it - again, given that style of play i would expect most chances to fall to our forward, the notion of free flowing, free scoring football in Europe with goals from all areas given our budget etc v others seems incredible far fetched to me
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I do not expect us to be free scoring in Europe.

Legia
Celtic x 2
Feyenoord x 2
Porto x 2
Young Boys x 2

These are the best teams we’ve played this season. All goals accounted for by Morelos bar 1.

I’d like the rest of our team to help him out. I suspect the manager feels the same. As I said against better quality if he doesn’t score we have zero goal threat. If you want to win trophies that needs fixed.
 
Careca said:
The two wide players need to score. Countless times over the last week the ball has been loose in the 6 yard box waiting on a tap in.

Alfie has at least one of those diagonal shots per game. The player from the opposite side must match his run for any rebounds.
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Agree.

There have been two glaring incidents in the last 5 days (one on Sunday, one last night) where Alfredo has fired in really dangerous shots across the keeper, both spilled and the ball left sitting there in the middle of the goals, in the six yard box, begging to be tapped in but both cleared by defenders getting there first.

Alfredo had another excellent match last night.
 
As usual the OP is over egging the argument and being negative.

I will agree with one pint made on this thread though - Unless we start getting regular goals contributed from someone other than Morelos we are going to fall short this season.
 
This place is mental :))
I agree that we need goals from elsewhere. Yes we need to finish teams off better.
But can we just enjoy, what is an amazing achievement for a few hours.
It’s depressing enough with the election results.

Roll on Sunday!
 
It all comes back down to a lack of ruthlessness and not taking the “big moments”, as the gaffer would say, when they come.

At the moment we’re lacking that cutting edge that is required in the “big” games.

I’d be interested to see what our conversion ratio of goals to chances created is.
 
Jaws II said:
We have now thrown strong winning positions away against Feyenoord, Aberdeen and Young Boys and also failed to beat Celtic despite dominating the play in most of these games . We had numerous opportunities to win them and couldn’t take advantage while our defence has looked fragile at times also. There is also the concern that apart from Morelos nobody else seems to be scoring also.
This has to be sorted over the next few busy game schedule until the winter break, I am just thankful we got through last night.
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Wooohooo we just qualified for last 32 of europa when we were bottom seeds so let’s have a negative thread.
Ffs
 
As others have said, it's the inability to kill off teams lately that's costing us. Aberdeen should've been dead and buried at half time. Celtic should've been a complete pumping and we should've been more than 1-0 up last night as well.
 
CaptainCourageous said:
The tougher matches. No point in mentioning St. Mirren or St. Johnstone away as they are bread and butter wins. We've had a relatively easy run of away fixtures up until December.

We will see where we are after the next three away league games; Motherwell, Hibs and the bheggars.

Many predicted an absolute pummeling last night of Young Boys. We battered them first half but failed to take our chances - that's a concern. I've no complaints on Europe, we've been excellent but given the circumstances last night I can see why some are slightly disappointed at not topping the group.
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I agree re the slight disappointment at not topping the group given the opportunity we had - but anyone that was predicting that is mental. Swiss champs & a lot of the same team that beat Juve and drew with Valencia just last season.
 
I don't think we're 'savvy' enough

I know there are all sorts of reasons that affect a game's outcome & most of the selection, formation, styles of play & tactics regularly get done to death on here - ( & rightly so - that's what this type of forum is for) -
but I can't help thinking that we don't have the right level of 'flyness'

Our last 3 games we've been guilty of some madness late on - mistakes that experienced & savvy teams don't do -

We need to learn to properly shut up shop in the last 10 minutes of games - & hold possession longer - not become involved in petty un-necessary fouls, bookings & giving away free-kicks in dangerous areas late in games

I'd like to think this will improve soon -
 
Careca said:
The two wide players need to score. Countless times over the last week the ball has been loose in the 6 yard box waiting on a tap in.

Alfie has at least one of those diagonal shots per game. The player from the opposite side must match his run for any rebounds.
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Certainly last night the ball was cut back into the box at least twice by Morelos and no one there to knock it in.
 
Dashboard Jesus said:
It is slightly concerning and there is a reliance on Alfredo for goals. It is also undeniable that when we concede that anxiety spreads through the team and support rapidly.
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10 of our 26 goals in the last 10 matches have been scored by our midfielders, Alfie has scored 10, Helander 2, Defoe 1, Stewart 2 and an OG.
 
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Careca said:
The two wide players need to score. Countless times over the last week the ball has been loose in the 6 yard box waiting on a tap in.

Alfie has at least one of those diagonal shots per game. The player from the opposite side must match his run for any rebounds.
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Arfield scored v Aberdeen, playing as one of the wide players. Same game, Jack scored from exactly the scenario you mentioned.
 
Careca said:
The two wide players need to score. Countless times over the last week the ball has been loose in the 6 yard box waiting on a tap in.

Alfie has at least one of those diagonal shots per game. The player from the opposite side must match his run for any rebounds.
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Spot on, also Barisic and Tav need to be pushed right up to make sure we have a man over in those situations as well
 
Jaws II said:
That happens every game for most clubs (apart from the scum). However we have had numerous easy chances to win these games and nobody is scoring apart from Morelos.
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YBB - Morelos
Aberdeen - Jack and Arfield
Hearts - Morelos, Kent, Stewart (2), Berra OG
Feyenoord - Morelos (2)
Hamilton - Jack, Kent (2)
Livingston - Aribo, Morelos
Porto - Morelos, Davis
Hearts - Helander, Morelos (2)
Ross County - Jack (2), Morelos (2)
Motherwell - Defoe, Helander

Last 10 games, 26 goals. 10 by Alfie. Doesn't back up what you say.
 
CaptainCourageous said:
The tougher matches. No point in mentioning St. Mirren or St. Johnstone away as they are bread and butter wins. We've had a relatively easy run of away fixtures up until December.

We will see where we are after the next three away league games; Motherwell, Hibs and the bheggars.

Many predicted an absolute pummeling last night of Young Boys. We battered them first half but failed to take our chances - that's a concern. I've no complaints on Europe, we've been excellent but given the circumstances last night I can see why some are slightly disappointed at not topping the group.
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It really doesn't matter who the opposition are, you'll always get several folk predicting or indeed expecting, and absolute trouncing.
The same folk then work themselves into a shoot if their 'prediction' doesn't come to pass.
You'll often find them after a disappointing result telling us everybody is shite, or that they'd take a terrible performance but a win every time, then losing the heid when we have a poor performance but a win.
 
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