Niko Katic Must Start on Sunday

Stanley Yelnats

Stanley Yelnats

Well-Known Member
I think we can all agree on the pecking order of our centre halves:
1. Goldson
2. Katic
3. McAuley
4. Worrall

Sunday’s game is a perfect opportunity to get big Niko back to his best.

Earlier on in the season, Goldson and Katic were proving to be a formidable partnership and both looked so comfortable next to one another. For a strange reason, Gerrard replaced Katic with Worrall, who hasn’t exactly set the heather alight and also introduced McAuley who has been a solid 6/10 but hasn’t quite hit the heights. It’s annoying for us, as we know how good Katic can be, not just defensively but offensively from set pieces. Surely the gaffer will return to our winning formula of Goldson and Katic for Sunday’s visit of Hamilton.

If the pair can somehow regain some of their early season form, it will stand us in good stead for a tough run of fixtures coming up.

A back four of Tavernier, Goldson, Katic and Barisic is the answer for Sunday.
 
I would be shocked to see him play personally.

Really like big Niko but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out Gerrard just isn't having him.
 
Stanley Yelnats said:
I think we can all agree on the pecking order of our centre halves:
1. Goldson
2. Katic
3. McAuley
4. Worrall

Sunday’s game is a perfect opportunity to get big Niko back to his best.

Earlier on in the season, Goldson and Katic were proving to be a formidable partnership and both looked so comfortable next to one another. For a strange reason, Gerrard replaced Katic with Worrall, who hasn’t exactly set the heather alight and also introduced McAuley who has been a solid 6/10 but hasn’t quite hit the heights. It’s annoying for us, as we know how good Katic can be, not just defensively but offensively from set pieces. Surely the gaffer will return to our winning formula of Goldson and Katic for Sunday’s visit of Hamilton.

If the pair can somehow regain some of their early season form, it will stand us in good stead for a tough run of fixtures coming up.

A back four of Tavernier, Goldson, Katic and Barisic is the answer for Sunday.
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I agree that back 4 should be used consistently
 
Must've had a fall out with Gerrard otherwise I can't understand his omission.
 
I don’t think we can all agree.

People are wilfully ignoring the fact Katic was absolutely horrendous the last 2.5 games he played. He’s only getting the better the more he doesn’t play.

He’s due another chance at some point, but I’d far rather see a settled defence.

Not to mention, as shown the last time he played, he doesn’t fix our attacking impotence. The argument over the defence is a total misnomer.
 
Said it the other day can’t understand why we play a 38 year old free transfer and a loan player who might not be here in a few weeks ahead of a young Croatian international CB?

Don’t know what’s gone on behind the scenes but something must have happened.
 
I thought Katic was a player we would get serious offers for in the summer. He's far superior to Worral.
 
It’s obvious that we don’t have a settled back 4, of the group they have had several partners due to injuries and poor form.
A settled 4 in form would be a dream, but the ones who have played are inconsistent.
 
Pick a four now and keep with it.

I haven’t really taken to Worrall.

Not sure if it’s attitude/style, or his actual ability. Something not likeable about the lad.
 
Get him in beside tonight's defence and Let them build together and stop the messing about.

Next 5 games if available.

Take it from there.
 
Coda said:
I don’t think we can all agree.

People are wilfully ignoring the fact Katic was absolutely horrendous the last 2.5 games he played. He’s only getting the better the more he doesn’t play.

He’s due another chance at some point, but I’d far rather see a settled defence.

Not to mention, as shown the last time he played, he doesn’t fix our attacking impotence. The argument over the defence is a total misnomer.
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I know he wasn’t great, but that’s what happens when you keep chopping and changing with the back line. I’d like to see him start on a Sunday and regain a bit of confidence, because from the evidence so far, Goldson and Katic have been our best partnership.
 
I don't actually know who our best centre half pairing are, but what I do know is they will become the worst centre back ever as soon as they make a %^*& up.

Worrall in fairness hasn't ever really been liked by a lot of the support, but I do remember when Katic came back after a while and was looking rather rusty, you had loads of folk saying "see that's why Worrall is playing". Then when McCauley came into the fray he was the best thing since sliced bread. Well until tonight anyway.
 
Europe now out of the way.

No need to tinker and piss about.

Steady back four for all the games up to the winter break.

Manager has to go with his settled back four and hope it now works.

Their call, not ours.
 
Stanley Yelnats said:
I know he wasn’t great, but that’s what happens when you keep chopping and changing with the back line. I’d like to see him start on a Sunday and regain a bit of confidence, because from the evidence so far, Goldson and Katic have been our best partnership.
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Possibly. My concern for Katic, if he has another stinker, where do we go from there?

I’d rather see him come back in when we’re winning, playing well and injury/suspension free, rather than when we’re desperate for a result and everyone is pinning their hopes on him being the difference.
 
People are either watching different games or are absolutely kidding themselves on about Katic. I thought he was a great signing when he came in and actually still think he will be but since coming back in after the injury/burn out, when he’s played he’s been rotten. The manager sees him every day and must think he’s not currently up to it. The manager is not going to leave out players who are clearly better than what’s playing. At the moment he’s obviously not cutting it.
 
Katic confidence has been knocked a bit . Imo he should never have been dropped to start with. Him and goldson were performing well as a partnership until it got broken up. I would rather give him the game time as he's certainly got ability and he's our player!
 
Niko cannot start. His confidence is shot to %^*&. Last game he played he was that bad he had to be subbed after 45 mins.

Katic would be best getting his head down and come out fighting pre season as SG clearly prefers Worral and now McCauley.

I think hes the 2nd best CB we have but i think hes far to lightweight for SG
 
Gerrard needs to let players play themselves back into form, allowing for mistakes that might happen.

Mccrorie
Grezda
Katic
Barisic

Run of games for every one of them.
 
I just don't get what's happened with Katic.

People saying Gerrard doesn't rate him but that doesn't seem right to me. Think back to early season and the Gerrards comments "I love him", "glad he's ours" etc, followed by the joint presser they did where the gaffer translated and Niko said "I love him too". There seemed to be genuine respect there on both sides and looked like he would be a mainstay going forward.

But then he gets a slight injury, Worral is preferred and his form drops off a cliff. Whats happened there? Reacted badly to being dropped? Confidence shot? Very strange, but remember he is still very young and finding his feet at a big club so maybe all is not lost.

I want the Niko back that looked like a beast of a defender, put his body on the line and played with confidence. Really hope Stevie G can get him to that level again.
 
davyboy83 said:
Katic confidence has been knocked a bit . Imo he should never have been dropped to start with. Him and goldson were performing well as a partnership until it got broken up. I would rather give him the game time as he's certainly got ability and he's our player!
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He never got dropped he was injured first head, then withdrew from Croatia with a leg injury.
 
Alfie_WATP said:
I would be shocked to see him play personally.

Really like big Niko but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out Gerrard just isn't having him.
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Agreed but why? He was playing well got dropped and has been poor ever since? Something is going on at Rangers or that’s how it feels.
 
Stanley Yelnats said:
I think we can all agree on the pecking order of our centre halves:
1. Goldson
2. Katic
3. McAuley
4. Worrall

Sunday’s game is a perfect opportunity to get big Niko back to his best.

Earlier on in the season, Goldson and Katic were proving to be a formidable partnership and both looked so comfortable next to one another. For a strange reason, Gerrard replaced Katic with Worrall, who hasn’t exactly set the heather alight and also introduced McAuley who has been a solid 6/10 but hasn’t quite hit the heights. It’s annoying for us, as we know how good Katic can be, not just defensively but offensively from set pieces. Surely the gaffer will return to our winning formula of Goldson and Katic for Sunday’s visit of Hamilton.

If the pair can somehow regain some of their early season form, it will stand us in good stead for a tough run of fixtures coming up.

A back four of Tavernier, Goldson, Katic and Barisic is the answer for Sunday.
Click to expand...

Has Katic got any better since the last time you seen him against Spartan Moscow?
 
Katic's last 3 games:

Hamilton Accies - Taken off midway through 2nd half.
Spartak Moscow - Conceded 4 goals, could have been double that.
Motherwell - Taken off at half time.

Centre-backs are rarely taken off unless injured, but he was twice substituted for performance reasons and hasn't played for over a month. On recent form, allied to lack of playing time, we cannot risk giving him a run of games, or our season could be over by the end of the year.

I appreciate that he started the season well, but his last few games were very poor, considerably worse than anything Worrall or McAuley have produced, yet everyone seems to be willing to forgive him and slaughter the other two. Personally, I can't understand it.

Decent performances from July & August will count for nothing on Dec 29th.
 
Gerrard management of our defence in general has been poor.

Katic dropped out of the blue then Gerrard comes out publicly and says 'he knows why he's been left out'.

We're now at a stage where all 4 centre backs are shot of confidence due to rotation.

Its cost us points and has to be fixed now.
 
Alfie_WATP said:
I would be shocked to see him play personally.

Really like big Niko but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out Gerrard just isn't having him.
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How can this be the case? Where did he go wrong? What happened to the “I love him” post match press conference
 
Katic not playing is a mystery to me... not sure what's gone off. Gerrard really doesnt fancy him at the mo.

I'd like to see him back but our biggest problem is up front..
 
Worrall has been far better than McAuley in Europe. McAuley a little better in the league. Neither anywhere near good enough to be starters for a challenging Rangers. McAuley is finished and Worrall is a Forest reserve.
 
Yer da said:
I think people are forgetting Katic' last few performances in a Rangers shirt. Woeful.

The fact we haven't been great at the back in recent weeks seems to turn Katic into Baresi in the eyes of some.
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He was thrown in after being dropped for no reason, one poor performance and hooked yet Goldson and Worrall can get away with bloopers every other week.
 
Why - his presence will not improve the creativity of our midfield which is where we are falling down.

Btw, I would love to see Katic back partnering Goldson but expecting him to turn our fortunes round is wishful thinking.
 
Katic has been dealt with disgracefully tbh, boy was flying and then gets dropped down the pecking order for that big lump Worrall and his confidence and performances has been poor since.
 
Gerrard needs to suck it up and give him a chance again. It's weird how he had a bad game and never got another chance but others are bang average constantly and keep starting.
 
Now that I've picked myself up from the floor with laughter I'll tell you: I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately it probably won't happen. Katic should have started today on a day when we needed fresh, young legs against a young team, and on a pitch that looked like a fking turnip patch, our manager, in his wisdom, played a 39 year old defender. Bizarre as fk and questions need answered. What has the boy done that deserves this horrible fkin treatment.
 
It's a fact that when Katic was in the team we lost fewer goals. Coincidentally or not, Flannigan's form also went rapidly downhill when Katic went out the team .
I think he gives us better balance than any other CB.
For me the back 4 would be Flannigan Goldson, Katic, Barasic.
 
Walters80 said:
Said it the other day can’t understand why we play a 38 year old free transfer and a loan player who might not be here in a few weeks ahead of a young Croatian international CB?

Don’t know what’s gone on behind the scenes but something must have happened.
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I agree.
But it's strange as there seemed to be a bit of a bromance between Katic and Gerrard in the early days.
 
I agree that Katic should start, but I just hope that fans don`t expect too much from the lad. He was inexplicably dropped for a `lump o` I prefer men` and his confidence has definitely taken a knock, so I would expect it to take him a wee bit of time to get back up to speed and let`s face it, our support isn`t the most patient on the planet. It troubles me that the manager dropped a player, who at the time, at least in my view, had been our best defender and hasn`t seen fit to restore him to his role partnering Goldson, at a time when we are struggling badly in central defence. That, in turn, has led me to wondering if there is some behind the scenes problem between manager and player that I haven`t heard about?
 
Coda said:
I don’t think we can all agree.

People are wilfully ignoring the fact Katic was absolutely horrendous the last 2.5 games he played. He’s only getting the better the more he doesn’t play.

He’s due another chance at some point, but I’d far rather see a settled defence.

Not to mention, as shown the last time he played, he doesn’t fix our attacking impotence. The argument over the defence is a total misnomer.
Click to expand...

But he was playing well and scoring. Then Worral took his place and the original Katic hasn't appeared
 
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