Is Sands a natural centre half?

No, a six who has filled in there before.

It is slightly odd he was pitched into a couple of high-octane matches initially only to then miss out.

I'd be tempted to give him a run out there over Bassey, who seems to be regressing in the position each time.
 
prenzlauerbear said:
No, a six who has filled in there before.

It is slightly odd he was pitched into a couple of high-octane matches initially only to then miss out.

I'd be tempted to give him a run out there over Bassey, who seems to be regressing in the position each time.
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We didn’t have anyone else?
 
Sands might be a decent enough MLS centre back but he's definitely not got the stature to be one in Scotland, especially at Rangers.

Centre back does worry me going forward if Balogun is out for a long period of time with Halander not having played in months.

Absolutely mental that we chose to gamble £40m on not bringing in reinforcements in January.
 
Louch said:
He’s played in a 3 before. Thought Borna looked better as the night went on, and was good the crowd supported than went for him.
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West Enclosure certainly didn’t have his back.

Countless idiots hounding him from the minute he came on to the very end of the game
 
WinkieWATP said:
I must have watched a different game to everyone else. I thought Borna played alright when he came on. Got forward plenty and got balls into the box etc.
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No, his confidence is shot to pieces and he is akin to nervous foal.

That is the accepted narrative and what you see shouldn't distract you from it.
However I agree with you, whilst he is not playing at his best and hasn't been for some time, he was actually okay after he came on to replace Balogun.
He seems to have lost something since the summer and he was dreadful against The Filth, but in most other games he has been decent if not the excellent player we had last year.

Something is definitely niggling him and if it is confidence then it may have to come from the support in the Ibrox stands.
 
I think we lose a lot of dynamism to our attack without Bassey at left back. I'd be tempted to play Sands at centre back vs Annan. Won't be much of a challenge for him against that opposition but it'd be an opportunity to gauge his positional sense in that role in the short term.
 
He's played centre back plenty, not only in a 3. I think he'd be positionally better than Bassey and less prone to gaffes.
 
bilkobear said:
No, his confidence is shot to pieces and he is akin to nervous foal.

That is the accepted narrative and what you see shouldn't distract you from it.
However I agree with you, whilst he is not playing at his best and hasn't been for some time, he was actually okay after he came on to replace Balogun.
He seems to have lost something since the summer and he was dreadful against The Filth, but in most other games he has been decent if not the excellent player we had last year.

Something is definitely niggling him and if it is confidence then it may have to come from the support in the Ibrox stands.
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Remember his emotional response when we beat the scum at Ibrox? It was like he was saying goodbye and then we were told it wasn't that at all. Don't know what the problem is but there is no question that he isn't the same player this year.
 
scottwoodburn said:
Remember his emotional response when we beat the scum at Ibrox? It was like he was saying goodbye and then we were told it wasn't that at all. Don't know what the problem is but there is no question that he isn't the same player this year.
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He was carrying a back injury in the summer at the Euros. We never got the same player back from then.

Clearly short of confidence but didn’t help when the groans started last night with his 1st backwards pass.
 
I thought he was okay last night. But you can tell he got his backside kicked after constantly backing off that mob at parkhead.. Because after about 5 minutes, just before he hesitated, he then went right through the Hibs winger.:D

We all know Borna is a confidence player, but has anyone else noticed McGregor is constantly on his case more than any other defender.?. I noticed in the last few minutes last night Tav had to step in when Alan gave Borna another bollocking :D
 
stein and johnston said:
I thought he was okay last night. But you can tell he got his backside kicked after constantly backing off that mob at parkhead.. Because after about 5 minutes, just before he hesitated, he then went right through the Hibs winger.:D

We all know Borna is a confidence player, but has anyone else noticed McGregor is constantly on his case more than any other defender.?. I noticed in the last few minutes last night Tav had to step in when Alan gave Borna another bollocking :D
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The same treatment Papac got
 
Are folk remembering who we play next week? Try oot Sands, King, Zukowski!! We’ll likely chucked about like an empty tracksuit as it is with Bassey and Borna but it’s not a time to be trying things out imo. That goes for the league as well. We just need to hope Helander and Balogun are back asap.
 
Barisic needs to go back to doing the basics by making sure he is getting close and stopping crosses and fully committing to challenges

Sands looks like a tidy enough player on the ball. Maybe an option at centre back in some games but I think he would get bullied by a lot of the physical attacking players
 
JD1872 said:
Sands looks like a tidy enough player on the ball. Maybe an option at centre back in some games but I think he would get bullied by a lot of the physical attacking players
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Agree with that. Nisbet ain’t physical though.

Sands could’ve slotted in at cb and Bassey stay at left back.

No biggy. I’m sure we’ll see some changes at Annan. Just hope he’s careful with the injury prone players on the plastic pitch.
 
Live Forever said:
He was carrying a back injury in the summer at the Euros. We never got the same player back from then.

Clearly short of confidence but didn’t help when the groans started last night with his 1st backwards pass.
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We aren't the most forgiving support. I sat beside a boy one time who slaughtered Charlie Adam in such a way that I wondered if he was mentally challenged. Even when Adam did well this boy hounded him. Never understood that mentality.
 
JD1872 said:
Barisic needs to go back to doing the basics by making sure he is getting close and stopping crosses and fully committing to challenges

Sands looks like a tidy enough player on the ball. Maybe an option at centre back in some games but I think he would get bullied by a lot of the physical attacking players
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He's never been able to block crosses. Lacks the aggression to get close to people and smash them before the ball comes in.
 
WinkieWATP said:
I must have watched a different game to everyone else. I thought Borna played alright when he came on. Got forward plenty and got balls into the box etc.
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He was solid enough, but it was quite obvious at times he was being ultra safe and defensive. Sometimes even making a more difficult defensive pass rather than pass forward.
That said, his confidence obviously took a dent. By the end he was getting there.
Hopefully get the best version of him back for the run in.
 
Quite simple really, either stick with Bassey or play Simpson or King until Balogun/Helander are back. Not ideal but it what it is because we failed to bring Souttar in at the end of January
 
Sands is a strange signing to be honest. His preferred position in midfield is one where we we’re already tripping over similar types of midfielders. It would seem he’s fallen to about 4th or 5th choice in that position.

We were told he could cover RB and CB yet signed another RB and he would seem to be well down the pecking order for CB too.
 
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gu_bear said:
Sands is a strange signing to be honest. His preferred position in midfield is one where we were already tripping over similar types of midfielders. It would seem he’s fallen to about 4th or 5th choice in that position.

We were told he could cover RB and CB yet signed another RB and he would seem to be well down the pecking order for CB too.
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Yeah, bit of a strange one.
 
Yes, no ... well, one might just check his stats,

81 (76 senior) games, 37 as a DM, 34 as a CH and the rest as RB (4) or CM (3)

Going by that, he could play in either DM or CH role, will probably have to suss out the Scottish game before. That said, I reckon that US/MLS strikers are usually a touch better than what he will face in the Premiership every other week.

Annan should be a game where we have lots of the ball, maybe we go 3-at-the-back and have more fun from the middle to front line. Here, he and Bassey might do well either side of Goldson.
 
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