Article Great Expectations

[mdingwall]

Great Expectations

Great Expectations

By Lee Clarke When Michael Beale took over as Rangers boss, his initial expectations were relatively modest. Already trailing Celtic by a sizeable margin, most Bluenoses felt the league title was an…

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[LC 1872]

Wee bump for those who missed it first thing. .

I still can't believe we set up the way we did and essentially took Cantwell out of the game to protect the right hand side. It's a game we had to win and really should have gone for it early on.

 

[Bluefin221]

The performances just aren't there. There's nothing to hang your hope onto and say "well, I can see that it could get better."

It's a disjointed mess. Nothing looks right and nothing looks like it's just a matter of time it clicks. I read online that it's like he's bought new clothes online based on how they looked on the model but they've arrived and they're too tight on him. I don't get the sense of a structure underpinning it all.

 

[LC 1872]

The performances just aren't there. There's nothing to hang your hope onto and say "well, I can see that it could get better."

It's a disjointed mess. Nothing looks right and nothing looks like it's just a matter of time it clicks. I read online that it's like he's bought new clothes online based on how they looked on the model but they've arrived and they're too tight on him. I don't get the sense of a structure underpinning it all.

Spot on. No one seems to know exactly what style he is trying to implement. Too many times we had Goldson and Souttar lifting their heads, looking around aimlessly, before launching it up the park.

 

[Wilso54]

2 week break, have the players do normal hours of 9 till 5, and I don't mean solid training or running about. Get them in and work on the mental side like what are they supposed to be doing and where things are going wrong. Get the PowerPoint presentation out.

 

[Bluefin221]

Spot on. No one seems to know exactly what style he is trying to implement. Too many times we had Goldson and Souttar lifting their heads, looking around aimlessly, before launching it up the park.

We've went the opposite way of keeping possession - now we just launch it and try and win headers, flick ons, etc. It was dreadful against PSV and only occasionally worked yesterday because their defence was mediocre. If Carter-Vickers had been playing, we'd have played the same tactic and he'd have won most of the headers.

Part of the fury in the stands yesterday was that everyone could see it was throwing stuff at a wall and hoping something would happen rather than any plan to make it happen.

 

[LC 1872]

We've went the opposite way of keeping possession - now we just launch it and try and win headers, flick ons, etc. It was dreadful against PSV and only occasionally worked yesterday because their defence was mediocre. If Carter-Vickers had been playing, we'd have played the same tactic and he'd have won most of the headers.

Part of the fury in the stands yesterday was that everyone could see it was throwing stuff at a wall and hoping something would happen rather than any plan to make it happen.

There has only been a couple of games since MB came in that I've truly enjoyed watching us. Aberdeen at home stands out and Hibs away. Celtic at home too, of course but, with the league already done that game has been quickly forgotten about.

I said in my article this morning that I thought his stubbornness would be his undoing and I stand by that. He cannot be watching that yesterday and think that any of it was good enough?

 

[Mad John]

2 week break, have the players do normal hours of 9 till 5, and I don't mean solid training or running about. Get them in and work on the mental side like what are they supposed to be doing and where things are going wrong. Get the PowerPoint presentation out.

With a new manager.

 

[SIRBLUE]

There has only been a couple of games since MB came in that I've truly enjoyed watching us. Aberdeen at home stands out and Hibs away. Celtic at home too, of course but, with the league already done that game has been quickly forgotten about.

I said in my article this morning that I thought his stubbornness would be his undoing and I stand by that. He cannot be watching that yesterday and think that any of it was good enough?

I hope our fans now accept that the 3-0 at Ibrox was absolutely meaningless instead of hailing it as a pivotal moment

 

[SIRBLUE]

Try to pass out from our own 6 yard box a la City or Real, never once considering that our players don't have the passing or controlling skills required.
Result, a hopeful ( or hopeless) punt up the park.
Rinse and repeat.
It's pathetic

 

[LC 1872]

I hope our fans now accept that the 3-0 at Ibrox was absolutely meaningless instead of hailing it as a pivotal moment

In hindsight it is. At the time I was excited by the performance, I won't lie. I really felt like he was going to set us up to play with a high press and allow Cantwell to roam free.

First game of the season and he isn't even in the starting XI. Madness.

 

[LyonGer]

I stayed in a hotel called Great Expectations once.
Probably worst hotel I've ever stayed In.
Looked like someone had been murdered on the carpet.
Guess though when you like nice things it's shite settling for 2nd best.

 

[SIRBLUE]

I stayed in a hotel called Great Expectations once.
Probably worst hotel I've ever stayed In.
Looked like someone had been murdered on the carpet.
Guess though when you like nice things it's shite settling for 2nd best.

Must have been a Dickens of a hotel

 

[LyonGer]

Must have been a Dickens of a hotel

It was in Reading mate.
Bit of a shithole, similar to our current predicament.

 

[DC Anchor]

Beale was not the man for the significant rebuild that was required.
He has added serial failures to the serial losers within the squad.

The needed rebuild cannot be done on the cheap (a net spend of 3mil +)
and cannot be done with a trainee manager.

 

[Hateley's Mullet]

The problem is that he gives every team more respect than they deserve, plays far too defensively in every game. He hasn't changed those tactics and this is where we are.

 

[Cooky RFC]

Beale was not the man for the significant rebuild that was required.
He has added serial failures to the serial losers within the squad.

The needed rebuild cannot be done on the cheap (a net spend of 3mil +)
and cannot be done with a trainee manager.

Spot on mate

 

[LC 1872]

The problem is that he gives every team more respect than they deserve, plays far too defensively in every game. He hasn't changed those tactics and this is where we are.

That was something he said in yesterday's press conference. He was asked why the front three had changed so much and he answered along the lines of matching up to the opposition. I understand there will be a bit of that from every coach and the others teams threat should be given attention but, at what point do you trust your best players to do their job and let the opposition to worry about you?

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

A good article, because it sums up the fustration.

I like when we have people with their finger on the button as opposed to just wanting to deny reality.

 

[dh1963]

Cantwell is by far our most important creative player, and he also has aggression to go with skill.
I can't believe how badly Beale is wasting him by playing him in strange defensive roles instead of using him where he us best.

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

Cantwell is by far our most important creative player, and he also has aggression to go with skill.
I can't believe how badly Beale is wasting him by playing him in strange defensive roles instead of using him where he us best.

And at this stage (and hopefully it changes) the signing of Lammers doesn't make sense.

We also need to remember the manager came out in the summer and told us specifically all the 'hidden qualities' or 'talents' all the new signings have.

Which suggests he brought players in with specific roles in mind. As I see it just now, if Lammers plays it is to the detriment of the team as Cantwell then plays deeper.

Cantwell can hurt teams but only if he's whisking around the opposition penalty box.

 

[LC 1872]

And at this stage (and hopefully it changes) the signing of Lammers doesn't make sense.

We also need to remember the manager came out in the summer and told us specifically all the 'hidden qualities' or 'talents' all the new signings have.

Which suggests he brought players in with specific roles in mind. As I see it just now, if Lammers plays it is to the detriment of the team as Cantwell then plays deeper.

Cantwell can hurt teams but only if he's whisking around the opposition penalty box.

Best players in their best positions.

Don't know how many times it needs to be said? He is overthinking it.

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

Best players in their best positions.

Don't know how many times it needs to be said? He is overthinking it.

The thing is with Cantwell playing deep it is as obvious as Marilyn Monroe's hooters that the side suffers because of it.

One, perhaps even two games in, you must think to yourself this isn't working.