Midfield performance today - awful

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Never strung 2 passes together, we were terrible.

Candeias and Arfield both trying to pass the buck for hitting a shot towards the end pissed me off big time. Ejaria back to his casual stuff, wanting too much time.

Scunnered with that. Livi were far hungrier today.
 
Arfield was invisible for about 80 mins of that game.

Ejarie recieves the ball half the time and spins round and round until he falls on his arse.

Coulibaly did nothing either.

We're seriously lacking something.
 
Ejaria needed a rocket after 10 minutes. Get the ball move it get people in space and see when you are 1/2 goals up by all means try to play a bit but earn that right.
 
No creativity what so ever . Winning these away games goes along way to mounting a title challenge. Based on our away form so far we are miles away
 
We could do with a fit Ryan Jack for starters.

However, there is real competiton for places in the middle of the park.

Our inability to match the fight and desire of a team of journeymen was completely unacceptable.
 
That comes from the management imo , arfield tried and was ok, I thought the big mistake was leaving Ejaria on and taking coulibaly off at half time , to much time wanted on the ball from Ejaria and went round and round in circles instead of popping it off, that is what frustrates me as the lad is talented but wasteful as he looses it too often imo.
 
Compared to the rest of the team i didn't think Ejaria was that bad. Kept possession at times when others lost it, it didn't matter what he did with it unless he was going to bang it in from outside the box as the majority of the squad were hopeless as soon as they got it
 
Coulibaly's been mince since he got back from injury. Arfield was coming into the game towards the end of the first half, then disappeared second. Ejaria had a lot of the ball, but his touch wasn't there. I think the psychological effect after Murphy got injured at Killie had a lot to do with today's performance.
 
I think in away games we need more physicality in there - two of Jack/Coulibaly/McCrorie with Arfield or Ejaria ahead of them.

That being said, when the whole team is as dreadful as that you’ve got no chance.
 
It's beginning to look like the midfielders who were here last season might be our best options.

I do like Ejaria but not for games like today's.
 
Even with Ayr in mind, I think the manager should not be changing the team. We have a squad full of young guys who shouldn't be jaded...just keep making good substitutions and relieve it that way. We need to build momentum and it was going well.

I think this loan system is a horrible catch22 for Rangers in that we need it but not at the expense of when we sign better that we can loan in.
 
Midfield lost us that game today. Was abysmal. Never in control of that game at any point. And Arfield let the runner run away from him inside penalty area that led to goal.
 
Ejaria needed a rocket after 10 minutes. Get the ball move it get people in space and see when you are 1/2 goals up by all means try to play a bit but earn that right.

He was taking far too many touches first half today and slowing everything down.
 
Said this three or four weeks ago and got shot down.
All of our midfield want to make short passes and none have any creativity.
I am not including wingers in this assesment. Kent and Middleton IMO should be starting with ONE striker (Morelos) every game.
That leaves three spots which at least one has be be someone that creates, Arfield is the best option at the moment but is not creative enough.
 
I dont get the love in for Arfield. He's been a massive disappointment in my opinion.
Wouldn't say disappointment. He's had some great games, he's had some average games and he's had some shite games. Today was one of the shite ones but there's no need to act like he's just there doing nothing every match
 
Said this three or four weeks ago and got shot down.
All of our midfield want to make short passes and none have any creativity.
I am not including wingers in this assesment. Kent and Middleton IMO should be starting with ONE striker (Morelos) every game.
That leaves three spots which at least one has be be someone that creates, Arfield is the best option at the moment but is not creative enough.
Ejaria certainly has creativity, he's really the only one though, plenty of times he'll get into tight situations that any of our other midfielders would lose the ball in and he'll come out of it still having the ball and creating an attack
 
There was no midfield in a game like that.

Condense the middle and force the olay wide.

We have watched it 1000 times, why do people still think a central midfielder will be effective when they are playing 25 yards from the opponents goal with no space to play?

Gerrard got it wrong. The formation was wrong from the start and we didnt get a high paces start. Lafferty amd Candeias wide were the wrong players for this tyoe of game.

Once we let Livi get settled in that formation we were screwed as we had no width.
 
Never strung 2 passes together, we were terrible.

Candeias and Arfield both trying to pass the buck for hitting a shot towards the end pissed me off big time. Ejaria back to his casual stuff, wanting too much time.

Scunnered with that. Livi were far hungrier today.
What midfield?.
 
Compared to the rest of the team i didn't think Ejaria was that bad. Kept possession at times when others lost it, it didn't matter what he did with it unless he was going to bang it in from outside the box as the majority of the squad were hopeless as soon as they got it

He had two, three players on him all match.

Livi countered us today. They completely parked the bus, they are the most negative team I have watched in a long time.

8 players in DM, Defence all match long. They punted the ball up the park and sent three MF chasing the second ball. An utterly shit set of tactics that seem to work.

They are all over our players and as soon as we react they throw their hands up and plead innocent. Ref played right into their hands.

The pitch was absolutely dead, the ball lost momentum instantly, so players like Ejaria, Middleton and Kent to a lesser extent found themselves with the ball under their body instead of on their toe.

These pitches should be banned from Div 3 and up, they ruin football and as long as we play on them, the game will not see skillful players grow.

Shit pitch, shit opponent and shit day all round.
 
There’s a reason many on here wanted Davis back and today it’s that bit of quality that gets on the ball and creates something. Woeful from the midfield.
 
We got too many midfielders who want to turn back towards their own goal,take too many touches,and lack confidence when they receive the ball.this for me lets the opposition regroup.
This, it's cowardice and does my nut in, stop just lazily hitting it back hoping someone else will 'do something', try to create. The midfield were hopeless today but, generally speaking, apart from Kent it's far too common right across the team.
 
I think in away games we need more physicality in there - two of Jack/Coulibaly/McCrorie with Arfield or Ejaria ahead of them.

That being said, when the whole team is as dreadful as that you’ve got no chance.

Agree. We need more physicality away from home. When Couli is injured or off form we are outfought.
 
Ejaria had a lot of the ball but the movement from the others was shocking.

Probably take pelters for this but I'm not impressed with Coulibaly.

Even against St Mirren when everyone praised him for going on a run (when he got injured), but I thought the rest of the game he looked off the pace and his touch was poor.
 
We also need someone who can carry the ball and try and break the game line...no one gets forward with ball.
 
Coulibaly was very poor today along with Arfield.

I thought ejaria did well in the first half but then was too deep in the second half after the tactical change

Thought Ejaria held onto the ball too long slowing down play. In saying that he wasn’t any worse than the rest of the midfield they were all poor today. Felt that’s where we lost the game - in midfield
 
Game was perhaps one for McCrorie.
He doesn't get bullied in midfield and has a physical fearless presence that maybe would have freed Arfield to get further upfield and into their box.
Gerrard is really still learning in regard to his squad and the league we are playing in.
The only plastic Gerrard would have seen down south was in his and other players wallets.
 
Basically nothing worked today.
CD- slack in possession
LWB/RWB- distribution / final ball terrible.
Midfield- slow, no creativity, slack.
Wingers- totally ineffective.
Striker- just not at the races, more interested in a shoulder barging session than worrying where the ball was. Very huffy.
Although he never gets the benefit of doubt when he’s involved the ref just assumes merelos is guilty.
All in all bad day at office again away from home when the going gets tuff!!
 
Ejaria only plays if Arfield does not. Coulibaly plays ok but we need either McCrorie or Jack holding 100%. That is basic management that.
 
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