It feels like we’ve gone backwards

C

Coisty09

Well-Known Member
Official Ticketer
For me, so far this season it seems like we’ve gone backwards.
We seem to have lost the fight and urgency that was such a factor of our game last season.
I did expect Lyon to outclass us on the ball this evening but I really did not expect us to be so passive and be bullied across the park.
Right from the start of the season against Malmo and Dundee united we were bullied.
It happened again tonight and we were not up for the physical challenge.
The last three seasons we were very rarely bullied by any team but it’s happened an alarming number of times already this season.
In the first half against St Johnstone at the Weeknd we were not winning the physical battles at times.
It is worrying because we are lacking the warrior type performances that we have produced especially in Europe.
 
At Rangers you can be top of the league, beat your nearest rivals, and be stale, or have gone back the way. We had our chances tonight, but we also played with discipline; had we equalised, who knows what would have been the outcome of the game, but suggesting we have gone back the way isn't quite the fairest objective perspective of the last three years.
 
Backwards dont talk pish, but we haven't kicked on from a position of strength that we were all expecting.
 
We played some very nice stuff tonight against a side whose squad is valued at over £300M, yet looked lost against a plucky Dundee United.

Sort that out and we'll be fine.
 
JMCK said:
At Rangers you can be top of the league, beat your nearest rivals, and be stale, or have gone back the way. We had our chances tonight, but we also played with discipline; had we equalised, who knows what would have bee n the outcome of the game, but suggesting we have gone back the way isn't quite the fairest objective perspective of the last three years.
Click to expand...
Said on another thread I didn’t think we did all that badly tonight, against a good side. I’m not really panicking about the league yet.
 
Feels like we have stood still to me.

Felt it before tonight's game though. The way we are is enough to win this years league but Europe? We are looking at a knockout game then out of the thing at best.
 
I think we've had a Covid disrupted pre season,so many player just look off it,i just hope we can kick start some sort of form soon.
 
I'm sure people were saying this after the Hibs and Livingston games as well last year.

We're doing fine. The best Rangers team of the last 30 years regularly got humbled in Europe and we were actually getting far better at it under Smith the second time around with a couple of similar exceptions. We've actually overperformed for the last 3 or 4 years and it's still going to be a success if we finish 2nd in this group. We're top of the league.

These are absolutely separate points to the discussion about where we were this time 4 or 5 years ago. I think social media has just multiplied the amount of moaning faced fans and given them the sort of validation they used to be denied in person by most reasonable, normal people.
 
We are looking a bit stale and need to find our energy again.

Despite that we're still top of the league, and I have full faith the management team will find a way to get things back to a higher standard again.

I believe Lyon will beat every team in the group.

Get a result (draw or win) away to Sparta, beat Brondby at Ibrox, and suddenly we'll be on at least 4 points, second in the group and in a fairly comfortable spot going in to the remaining games.
 
I thought the warning signs were there in pre-season. We needed to get through that Malmo tie by hook or by crook and came up short against 10 men at home against a very average team.

That was surely a signal that this season was going to be a bit of a grind and thus far it's been that and more.

Why we never looked to sell one of our assets and refresh that squad in the summer is maybe looking like the wrong decision now as certain areas of our team are crying out for something different and indeed better quality. That midfield is clearly not working out.
 
Lyon just have much more money than us and can afford better players.

We ramped up spending to the max to stop ten in a row so there there was just no money to spend in the summer.
 
CF4 said:
Backwards dont talk pish, but we haven't kicked on from a position of strength that we were all expecting.
Click to expand...

Statistically we have gone backwards. In our opening 11 fixtures of last season vs this season

Av. goals per game 2.8 vs 1.6

Av. goals conceded per game 0.3 vs 0.9

Now, there will be factors involved in that basic set of stats. We have played more European opposition in first 11 fixtures due to the 1 legged ties last season. But even taking that in to account, that is a very noticeable drop off in both attacking proficiency and defensive efficiency.
 
Standing still is going backwards. Gerrard also has a huge problem with picking far to many players who are simple not doing it. We talk about having a squad and yet Wright who has been our best player needs a injury to get back on the pitch while Kent who has been injured and utter shite since day one this season is picked no matter what.
 
Not sure if we've stood still or gone backwards. The players we've brought in are not improving the first team, and a lot of players look stale / carrying niggles. With the likes of Jack out and better players such as Kent struggling, the fringe players we've brought in are not up to standard.

We're looking at the prospect of having to play even Simpson due to injuries, so we have to a degree gone backwards.
 
Last edited:
Bum chin said:
We've certainly not improved
Click to expand...
I agree mate but I am maybe being an optimist by saying yet.
I also don't think we have improved the starting 11 but in a few months I hope to be proved wrong once the new arrivals settle in, find their feet and are match fit.
 
I think our lack of quality/investment is severely highlighted at that level. U need to keep the ball or teams with that quality punish u.

in the middle of the park I should have said.
 
Part of me is quite happy with where we are, considering we know the team are capable of playing to a much higher level. Gerrard was honest about us last night, saying we hadn't found our level. Think how fun it'll be in December when the team start motoring towards the league title!
 
A team a level above us even if we were going into the game on good form.
We haven't been playing to our standard all season though. But there are multiple reasons for that. Pre season disruption because of Covid,Euros etc etc.
No consistency in selection because of Covid issues and players getting injured. We led quite a charmed life on both last season.
But we're top of the league will be in a 3 way fight for 2nd in Europa and we will start to pick up form at some point soon imo.
 
Slickrick said:
Standing still is going backwards. Gerrard also has a huge problem with picking far to many players who are simple not doing it. We talk about having a squad and yet Wright who has been our best player needs a injury to get back on the pitch while Kent who has been injured and utter shite since day one this season is picked no matter what.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Gerrard is loyal to his core starters to a flaw. Wright needs to be starting.
 
We are playing for a guaranteed minimum of £30 Million if we win the league as entry to CL this season, I’m baffled why we didn’t improve the first team squad although apparently we don’t have the funds which has showed the quality of player we’ve brought in without spending an outlay fee.
 
You can't just keep the same squad, things get stale, guys run down their contracts and aren't as committed as a result. No one likes to sell players, but it's necessary to keep the squad fresh and hungry.
 
Coisty09 said:
For me, so far this season it seems like we’ve gone backwards.
We seem to have lost the fight and urgency that was such a factor of our game last season.
I did expect Lyon to outclass us on the ball this evening but I really did not expect us to be so passive and be bullied across the park.
Right from the start of the season against Malmo and Dundee united we were bullied.
It happened again tonight and we were not up for the physical challenge.
The last three seasons we were very rarely bullied by any team but it’s happened an alarming number of times already this season.
In the first half against St Johnstone at the Weeknd we were not winning the physical battles at times.
It is worrying because we are lacking the warrior type performances that we have produced especially in Europe.
Click to expand...
We seem lethargic. There is little to no creativity from the midfield. All too predictable.
 
Sorry
Coisty09 said:
For me, so far this season it seems like we’ve gone backwards.
We seem to have lost the fight and urgency that was such a factor of our game last season.
I did expect Lyon to outclass us on the ball this evening but I really did not expect us to be so passive and be bullied across the park.
Right from the start of the season against Malmo and Dundee united we were bullied.
It happened again tonight and we were not up for the physical challenge.
The last three seasons we were very rarely bullied by any team but it’s happened an alarming number of times already this season.
In the first half against St Johnstone at the Weeknd we were not winning the physical battles at times.
It is worrying because we are lacking the warrior type performances that we have produced a especially in Europe.
Click to expand...
Sorry Pal, but what a load of fvcking shyte
Not the 1st time I've said this but this place after a game is horrible
I even read a bit last night on here of a guy telling us where Michael Beale went wrong ffs
 
mdingwall said:
Strongest team we’ve played since Leverkusen in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Lyon are a good side. They weren’t on the same level as Leverkusen were, IMO. I’d have fancied us to have given Lyon a game last night, had it been last season.

We’ve yet to get going this season. There is a staleness about our side. Lundstram comes in and doesn’t improve us. Our midfield still lacking. We aren’t the same team in the final third and we are losing cheap goals.
 
Vader said:
You can't just keep the same squad, things get stale, guys run down their contracts and aren't as committed as a result. No one likes to sell players, but it's necessary to keep the squad fresh and hungry.
Click to expand...
I don’t disagree with the principle, however if people aren’t meeting your valuations what are you supposed to do - you can’t force a team to offer what you want for a player.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top