Helander

[CaptainCourageous]

Got to agree with this, his lack of pace is a concern at times.

I don't think it is to be honest as he reads the game well and times a challenge.

We saw that yesterday in the first half when a ball was played through the middle. Helander looked done for pace but managed to time his sliding challenge well and got the ball to safety.

 

[PMB1872]

Only slight concern for me is his lack of pace.

As I said in the match thread Dykes is quite quick and it looked like Helander was running in quick sand trying to chase after him.

Yep this is the weakness. Saw the same in the first half at Hampden. He gets closed down very quickly. Otherwise he’s looking good.

 

[Dumfriesbear]

in Gerrard we trust

 

[Coplandbear]

Another calm, solid, and composed performance by Helander. His positional awareness and anticipation of danger is his best attributes

Very impressed so far.

 

[Arminius]

12 starts...9 shut-outs (conceded 4)

Those are stats of which any defensive unit would be proud

 

[Sebo1872]

Helander and Goldson are forming a formidable partnership at the heart of our defence.

He oozes class and i thought big Golson was a warrior yesterday as well.

 

[Recoba]

I think he is brilliant and Goldson is getting better aswell, the 2 of them look solid together.

 

[Brian Laudrup]

Going to admit that i judged him too early,i thought he looked slow and not suited to the physical game in Scotland but i was wrong

 

[Scarlett]

Was so pleased to see him have a good game yesterday. The fact he had learned from the first game at Livi, where I think he just got caught out by a playing style and pitch he'd not expected, and played faultlessly yesterday shows he's another one thats mentally strong imo. He could have backed off, but he didn't, he controlled his area of the pitch, didn't get dragged into Livis game and strolled it.

He's clearly an intelligent guy, and could prove to be a bargain, just like big Goldson imo.

 

[Hank]

Where were they going?

She actually didn't recognise him, it was the attention he was getting from others that prompted her to text me a pic asking who he was.

Well, that what she said...

 

[The Huguenot]

Helander is the final piece in the jigsaw. His intelligence, composure and experience has made Goldson perform better who last season partnered an inexperienced and eratic Worrall and an inexperienced but potentially talented Katic. It also helps that we now have an established left-back who also is playing some terrific football. We have a solid back 5 which allows the forward players to excel. A another great purchase by SG whom none of us had ever heard of before he joined Rangers.

 

[RFC4ME]

He is an absolute bastard

Never gives a player a minute - he is the football equivalent of a kid asking "are we there yet" over and over until a kid brakes an adults spirit.

Forwards are 100% just telling him to %^*& off by the time they are done playing against him, a big muckle rash of a CB

 

[Graemeh89]

Only slight concern for me is his lack of pace.

As I said in the match thread Dykes is quite quick and it looked like Helander was running in quick sand trying to chase after him.

That one bit of play gave me the fear , rest of the game he was spot on.

 

[The Golden God]

That one bit of play gave me the fear , rest of the game he was spot on.

To be fair to him, he recovered very well and forced Dykes to play a ball all the way out to the left wing.

 

[GovanFront4]

Our entire back 5 is looking solid. We look a hard to beat unit.

We would need to spend serious cash to improve the team.

We are looking solid all over the park. Hard to beat and free scoring.

 

[Valley Bluenose]

Keep reading this, yet he's not been caught out for pace, even against higher quality strikers in the Europa League.

Both statements are true in effect. He does appear to have a worrying lack of pace. Yet, as you say, he's (not yet) paid the price for it. As many have said, Davie Weir was slow at Rangers but it didn't stop him being a rock in our defence.

 

[HunterRFC]

I am a big fan of Katic but Helander has been great since coming in. I am just happy we have a settled back 4 now. Great defenses are built on consistency and we seem to have that now.

 

[Stez64]

Only slight concern for me is his lack of pace.

As I said in the match thread Dykes is quite quick and it looked like Helander was running in quick sand trying to chase after him.

Same last week against Hearts. He was caught out big time and if it hadn't been for Tav covering quickly, I reckon we would have went 1 nil down

 

[LiviLoyal]

Best CB at the club. No surprise Goldson looks better alongside him too.

 

[Truffle Shuffle]

Some clowns had him written off after the 1st game vs them too.
He's nowhere near as slow as some have him down too, he's not Weir slow or "rUnNinG tHroUgh TrAcLe" Katic should be ahead of him according to some too.

 

[Beer Belly Loyal]

Interestingly Edmundson has started 4 games this season and defence has not conceded.

 

[SuperGers07]

defence is looking very able at the moment.

The amount of games coming up will make or break the season. The back to back games v Sheep and Celtic in the final will see how far the defence have came

 

[MSF]

Interestingly Edmundson has started 4 games this season and defence has not conceded.

St Josephs, Progres, Hamilton & East Fife.

Not that interesting.

 

[insanicdrunk]

Same last week against Hearts. He was caught out big time and if it hadn't been for Tav covering quickly, I reckon we would have went 1 nil down

Thats what meant to happen (Tav covering), players working for each other. 2nd half yesterday Jack lost the ball and up popped Kamara to take the ball.

Most players will not go through a full game and not be beaten once. Thats when the team have to step up and cover as well.

We have a settled back 5, but we also have a pretty settled middle as well. Jack, Davis and Kamara with Arfield or Aribo dropping in at times. You can see it is paying off.

 

[btl456]

He was my man of the match yesterday, and its great that we have katic as back up for the 2 that are starting at the moment.

 

[Stez64]

Thats what meant to happen (Tav covering), players working for each other. 2nd half yesterday Jack lost the ball and up popped Kamara to take the ball.

Most players will not go through a full game and not be beaten once. Thats when the team have to step up and cover as well.

We have a settled back 5, but we also have a pretty settled middle as well. Jack, Davis and Kamara with Arfield or Aribo dropping in at times. You can see it is paying off.

I hear what you are saying and mostly agree, but he does appear to be lacking a little in pace

 

[SoGo]

My wife sent me a pic of him in Edinburgh Airport earlier tonight. Cool story etc.

Heading to Sweden for the Internationals. Saw him in Edinburgh the night of the last scum match heading to Copenhägen (closest airport to his home town Malmö - which means he speaks funny too) on Ryanair. Obviously he knows how to save a penny or two.

 

[SoGo]

Heading to Sweden for the Internationals. Saw him in Edinburgh the night of the last scum match heading to Copenhägen (closest airport to his home town Malmö - which means he speaks funny too) on Ryanair. Obviously he knows how to save a penny or two.

And just seen him on TV in the Swedish Teams hotel in Cyprus so that's where he was travelling. They are playing Romania on Friday in Bucharest.

 

[frankbear]

Has took him a while to get to grips with the nuances of Scottish football where you don't get any time on the ball but he's now getting up to speed and looking like a good partner for Goldson. As was previously mentioned the defensive balance looks good with two right footed and two left footed players. Gone are the days when we had to play Flanagan at left back, always gave his best but was continually taking the ball inside into trouble 'cause he didn't have a left foot.

 

[Arkansasgerstill]

Only slight concern for me is his lack of pace.

As I said in the match thread Dykes is quite quick and it looked like Helander was running in quick sand trying to chase after him.

That was my take too. He looks a good acquisition but really lacks pace. He may well get left out of games against more mobile front men.

 

[The Harbour Master]

He was absolute class today and bossed Dykes out the game, he is settling in now and we are starting to see why we paid the money we did for him.

He’s just a really good defender. Reads the game well, positioning is solid and he makes the right decisions. The back four is really well balanced now. No coincidence that Goldson is now enjoying a rich vein of form Either.

 

[Danger Zone]

I get nervous sometimes when I see how slow he is on a ‘sprint’, but the truth is his lack of pace is rarely exposed because he’s intelligent and takes up the right positions.

Everyone knows I didn’t think Katic deserved to bow out with Goldson staying put, and I stand by that. But Goldson’s been outstanding lately and Helander’s looking good too so they’re a pretty solid and fair first choice partnership now.

 

[Blue Steel]

Both him and Goldson are a massive threat
from set pieces , when Tav gets his confidence back , wit a back four .