Do We Lack a Plan B?

[prenzlauerbear]

I've read a lot of comments about bottle, mentality and whatnot, but for me, the biggest issue is our tactical inflexibility when things aren't going well. It was the same up at places like Dundee last season. We won against Kilmarnock with two goals from set-pieces, similar to yesterday.

This is a team more than capable of scoring goals but some times the opposition turn the game into a battle and our creativity goes out the window. Yesterday, I felt sorry for Morelos, who was often left isolated with only an off-the-boil Arfield in support.

What's the solution, then?

Aribo didn't look comfortable off the striker against Celtic, but I'd like to see him further forward. I think he's arguably the most gifted player at Ibrox but he needs to step up and make it happen for himself and games like these.

Perhaps the biggest issue, however, is that we can't, or refuse to, get both Defoe and Morelos on the pitch at the same time. Both are flying at the minute and it seems a waste to replace them like for like, especially when chasing games like yesterday. Could Morelos drop deep and playoff Defoe? He's always effective dropping into the hole as the striker, although it's completely different doing so when you have someone ahead of you.

Before anyone jumps down my throat, this isn't a big criticism of Gerrard - sometimes you need to grind out a result and perhaps that was the plan yesterday. Still, we didn't create a single chance, or even half chance, from open play, which is why it's something worth discussing.

 

[Teddyjohn]

As much as I am delighted to have Gerrard as our manager I also think that he could be better tactically when things are against us. He also waits far too long imo making substitutions at times.

He may prove us wrong eventually and hopefully he does.

 

[wilso10]

Ojo was on the field for 15 minutes longer than he should have been yesterday, the game was crying out for Kent at HT.

Agree with the OP, we have to somehow find a way of making Defoe and Morelos work even if that means Morelos dropping a little deeper or playing the Arfield role, he'll still be as dangerous as he is just now IMO.

Defoe had no chance in that game yesterday when he was thrown on.

 

[RFC4ME]

Nah, I wouldn't imagine so.

I would imagine the highly educated coaches we have, a couple of whom who played elite football for fucken years would have considered the idea the team they manage goes on the park with a few options.

"no Plan B" only gets mentioned when a team drops points.

How do you propose we have games where things fail but yet we end up getting points? You know like when we have had games and results in the Cup this season when we have grind out a result.

 

[Twosignals]

Let’s face it and I do agree with most of your comments, when at a game you can tell within 5/10 minutes how we’re going to play. Classic examples Scum game and yesterday, if we get a goal early all’s normally well, if not it’s squeaky bum time.

 

[prenzlauerbear]

Nah, I wouldn't imagine so.

I would imagine the highly educated coaches we have, a couple of whom who played elite football for fucken years would have considered the idea the team they manage goes on the park with a few options.

"no Plan B" only gets mentioned when a team drops points.

How do you propose we have games where things fail but yet we end up getting points? You know like when we have had games and results in the Cup this season when we have grind out a result.

I literally acknowledged that at the end of my post. No need to be so aggressive. Some of us just want to talk about the football.

 

[RFC4ME]

I literally acknowledged that at the end of my post. No need to be so aggressive. Some of us just want to talk about the football.

So you address the answer to your own question, short chat about football then.

 

[prenzlauerbear]

So you address the answer to your own question, short chat about football then.

A potential answer.

Honestly, is there a reason to be so mean spirited towards other fans? If this is the standard of debate then we may as well give up.

 

[RFC4ME]

A potential answer.

Honestly, is there a reason to be so mean spirited towards other fans? If this is the standard of debate then we may as well give up.

What are you talking about.....

 

[Coplandbear]

We have one way of playing and the same set of tactics and unfortunately when the tough gets going we don't seem to have an alternative system.

I'd be looking at ways to get both Morelos and Defoe starting together it needs to be explored.

We need a plan B and C with different formations and options this needs to be looked at.

Quicker changes need to be implemented why do we have to wait 15/20 minutes sometimes longer to make a substitution it frustrates the hell out of me.

 

[Drumchapel-Bear]

Yes. And it's something I have spoke about a number of times on here, even when we have been winning games.

Sticking Defoe on for Morelos yesterday, rather than trying to get both of them on at the same time was weird. But perhaps Gerrard was A) worried about Morelos being sent off or B) was actually happy to get away with a point considering how poor we were.

You need to be flexible and adaptable though in certain situations. We need to find a solution that allows us to get Morelos and Defoe on the park at the same time, even if it's just to chase games in the final 20 mins. Surely we can get both of them on the park even if it means playing Morelos off the right for 20 mins?

Even watching the Liverpool game yesterday, Klopp changed shape within the game at least twice to find a solution because he could just see it was going to be one of those days and the normal plan wasn't working.

 

[Leif Erikson]

I literally acknowledged that at the end of my post. No need to be so aggressive. Some of us just want to talk about the football.

What sort of bubble do you live in if that's aggressive?

 

[It'sHammertim]

We need to do plan A better.

 

[Recoba]

Yesterday the midfield was far too deep.

The whole team should have been 10 yards further up the park, the gap between Morelos and the 3 central mids was ridiculous and it caused us to be disjointed.

Its not as though they had a striker with electric pace that we had to worry about

 

[The Lone Ranger]

The lack of tactical awareness from the manager is a worry, we never adapt to what is going on in front of us. The tactics stay the same, the subs take forever to get on.

I know some on here are sure he will be the saviour but im not convinced. I think our manager and team are about an equal level at the moment. That level is high bit not high enougb to have us back dominating the league right now

 

[prenzlauerbear]

Yesterday the midfield was far too deep.

The whole team should have been 10 yards further up the park, the gap between Morelos and the 3 central mids was ridiculous and it caused us to be disjointed.

Its not as though they had a striker with electric pace that we had to worry about

This was exactly how I saw it, too. It's not the first time that gap between Morelos and the rest has been there.

What sort of bubble do you live in if that's aggressive?

Not sure, perhaps it was the gratuitous sarcasm, swearing, and inference that I was claiming to somehow know more than our management team.

 

[Chester Loyal]

We just played badly, it really is that simple.

This season we’ll play 60+ games and we’ll play badly in a few of them. That’s just the way football works.

As much as we’d like to, we can’t win every game. We just need the fans not to shit the bed every time we don’t win a match.

 

[S English]

I've seen nothing to suggest playing Buff and Defoe together is something that we should try again, I can't recall a goal scored at anytime when they've both been on the pitch ?

 

[wilso10]

We just played badly, it really is that simple.

This season we’ll play 60+ games and we’ll play badly in a few of them. That’s just the way football works.

As much as we’d like to, we can’t win every game. We just need the fans not to shit the bed every time we don’t win a match.

The simplicity of this post seems to be completely lost on so many folk.

This expectation so many on here have of us winning every single game is far from reality, we don't possess the players of the 9IAR or Advocaat era's who could conceivably go on such a run, that's the truth of it.

And even when we did have those guys and were winning trophies, we still dropped silly points at tough grounds like Tynecastle who are always up for it when they play against us and the bheasts.

To be clear, this is nothing to do with us lacking bottle or the right mentality as has been suggested, this is just the reality of football, sometimes we won't play well and we'll still have to grind out results which we did yesterday.

And rest assured if that was a Warburton/Murty/Pedro side yesterday the result would have been far, far worse.

 

[jackstar]

Let’s face it and I do agree with most of your comments, when at a game you can tell within 5/10 minutes how we’re going to play. Classic examples Scum game and yesterday, if we get a goal early all’s normally well, if not it’s squeaky bum time.

Simple answer,mate we roll the sleeves up and battle,especially in the away games. Sometimes we are too slow in bringing the ball forward quicker ,it does my head in when we play it across the back,I know we need to to stretch teams but we are so ponderous and I can't wait til Kent is up to full speed and having the wee man back is the one positive to take from it. I know we didn't lose but it feel like a defeat. We'll need to be well on it against Porto,if we play like that I can't see us taking anything and as you say I know within ten minutes how we're going to play if we're slow in transitions we always drop points. Roll the sleeves up lads.