MOTM Poll Rangers v Ajax - 20:00 Tuesday - BT Sport
- Thread starter DocStone
- Start date
Bluenose1979
Well-Known Member
Just home. Another toothless display and comfortably beaten by a side that could’ve easily gone up the gears and won by more if they needed to.
I can accept us not having the level of technical ability or resources financially to match these teams, but it’s the lack of fight and desire to even leave opponents with a bloody nose that pisses me off.
When they had the ball, three or four players were bursting a gut to get forward and in between our defence.
Off the ball always getting into spaces and arms up looking to receive it.
When it’s us, static, slow, jogging, watching.
Before you even get to the basic passes going wayward or short.
We could give Dortmund and Leipzig a fight. It’s about more than just money here.
Now we get to wear the “worst ever” badge of dishonour with a team that had a number of players in an EL final six months ago, running through brick walls to get there.
I can accept us not having the level of technical ability or resources financially to match these teams, but it’s the lack of fight and desire to even leave opponents with a bloody nose that pisses me off.
When they had the ball, three or four players were bursting a gut to get forward and in between our defence.
Off the ball always getting into spaces and arms up looking to receive it.
When it’s us, static, slow, jogging, watching.
Before you even get to the basic passes going wayward or short.
We could give Dortmund and Leipzig a fight. It’s about more than just money here.
Now we get to wear the “worst ever” badge of dishonour with a team that had a number of players in an EL final six months ago, running through brick walls to get there.
At 1-2 it looked as though we might just pull off a spectacular draw and put all this "worst team ever in the CL" to bed and instead of capitalising on it, we blew it big time!
To say that was a major disappointment is an understatement!
To say that was a major disappointment is an understatement!
Bluemingoodbloke
Well-Known Member
As per Saturday, Sakala followed by Sands for my mom.
Tillman seemed to put a bit more effort in tonight and I was pleasantly surprised when he tracked back half the length of the pitch to cover the Ajax attacker.
Just an observation re Kent in that his best games for me have been when he has played with what appeared to be a free roll.
More recently he seems to be asked to hug the left touchline which results in him almost always receiving the ball from Barasic while facing the wrong way and with an opponent right behind him.
He’s already on a hiding to nothing regarding his chances of getting past that opponent, but I thought he did ok tonight particularly when he did get the chance to run with the ball.
Realistically we were always going to struggle in that group but it would have been more palatable if we had shown more commitment, quicker tempo and been more incisive rather than the tediously slow play across the back that without midfield players moving to create space to receive a pass invariably leads to us losing possession.
It’s easy to simplify things but going forward hope we do show the greater positivity and tempo that we saw against the sheep.
Obviously a different class of opposition but at least it showed we can play that way.
Tillman seemed to put a bit more effort in tonight and I was pleasantly surprised when he tracked back half the length of the pitch to cover the Ajax attacker.
Just an observation re Kent in that his best games for me have been when he has played with what appeared to be a free roll.
More recently he seems to be asked to hug the left touchline which results in him almost always receiving the ball from Barasic while facing the wrong way and with an opponent right behind him.
He’s already on a hiding to nothing regarding his chances of getting past that opponent, but I thought he did ok tonight particularly when he did get the chance to run with the ball.
Realistically we were always going to struggle in that group but it would have been more palatable if we had shown more commitment, quicker tempo and been more incisive rather than the tediously slow play across the back that without midfield players moving to create space to receive a pass invariably leads to us losing possession.
It’s easy to simplify things but going forward hope we do show the greater positivity and tempo that we saw against the sheep.
Obviously a different class of opposition but at least it showed we can play that way.
Nizzy72
Well-Known Member
Obviously not the kind of record you'd want in a million years and the haters will gloat.
So who do we vent our spleens on? The players, the board, Gio?
Me? All three. If we don't win the league then Gio will go but the board will stay and the players, who are too old, not good enough or always injured should be shunted out the club wether they are under contract or not.
I just want a Rangers squad/team and a manager who knows what it means to be involved with our club.
Chris the Bandito
Well-Known Member
I think people are way underestimating just how good Ajax are because Napoli and Liverpool are a further step above them.
With our full squad we'd have been heavy underdogs in every game in that group.
Anybody who thinks we can play at that level minus our best 4 cbs and our entire first choice midfield plus assorted others and not concede goals really doesn't understand football.
By the time we made subs in this game we weren't as much testing our depth as dredging.
Carson1912
Well-Known Member
Oh woopy do we beat Aberdeen 4-1
Iandocgrk
Active Member
Ajax with a mercy performance second half, master stroke in game management didn’t attack second half seen the game out mainly in their own half passing it about with a 2 goal lead
First half 2 goals 6 shots on target 6 corners
Second half 0 goals 1 shot on target 0 corner
Showing us how the real Dutch do it, second half boring right enough
Terrible from us we need better we deserve better I want better
First half 2 goals 6 shots on target 6 corners
Second half 0 goals 1 shot on target 0 corner
Showing us how the real Dutch do it, second half boring right enough
Terrible from us we need better we deserve better I want better
Grigo Yossarian
Well-Known Member
Colak was horrible again tonight, absolutely non existent again, which is worrying.
Bluenose1979
Well-Known Member
He’s an 18-yard box striker and he’s good at it. Give him the chances and he’ll put them away for the majority.
However, right now he’s a Kris Boyd without the Kenny Miller.
He isn’t going to drop deep and create the goals or pull defenders apart so others can capitalise.
At this level he’s not the answer because of how we set up and play.
Grigo Yossarian
Well-Known Member
That’s fair.
I just don’t know why GVB started him tonight. Wrong decision.
On the positive side, Sands & then both wide players got pass marks for me.
waltersgotstyle
Well-Known Member
The interviewer on bt sport at the end was horrific.
instructor
Well-Known Member
Given the circumstances and losing the early goal it was more or less a friendly with our players looking forward to St. Johnstone. I'm not going to criticise them tonight.
Sideys
Well-Known Member
So did Souttar start the game at Livingston injured?
on the fence
New Member
St johnston cant compete with rangers financial advantage,surely...this game is over before a ball kicked, 5 nill
MilanBear
Well-Known Member
That's not the managers fault.
Okay. No one can criticise a youth player, because they are young, I like your logic. The world must be a much better place in your head where only positive thoughts are allowed.
Andre55
Well-Known Member
but our style of play, or lack of it, is!
Andre55
Well-Known Member
what was McGregor doing sitting on his ass at the first goal? Been better off starting McCrorie
We have to be honest and say we were outclassed in every game we played but the issue for me is how easy it was for the opposition
we are not fit
we have no pace on the team
our movement is non existent
we have no system of play
our pass completion rate is Shockingly poor
we have regressed from last season at an alarming rate
we need to start again and rebuild
director of football should be sacked
new manger in and given funds to get two proper midfield players with legs and build a team around them
we are officially shite and beating Aberdeen shouldn’t paper over the cracks
we are not fit
we have no pace on the team
our movement is non existent
we have no system of play
our pass completion rate is Shockingly poor
we have regressed from last season at an alarming rate
we need to start again and rebuild
director of football should be sacked
new manger in and given funds to get two proper midfield players with legs and build a team around them
we are officially shite and beating Aberdeen shouldn’t paper over the cracks
Just need a bit of context when criticising his performance, cards stacked against him massively so why bother getting on his back when he is surrounded by experienced professionals making his job harder?
MilanBear
Well-Known Member
I replied to a post talking about the players who were picked to play.
Macdonsj
Well-Known Member
the usual some flashes of ok play with vast chunks of pish
goalie - just utterly done now
defence
tav - was a liability due to the tactics Gio employed, having him tuck in at their attacks was madness, the first 2 goals and the disallowed one all coming from his side
Sands i thought was excellent, threw himself at everything and tried to push us forward
King - ok but prone to mad passes or decision making, will be a top player but not quite yet
Borna - not his worst performance, did ok
midfield
arfield - runs about a lot for 60 mins then is done - struggling to get on the end of anything due to his pace being shot & takes a age to make a decision
davis - utterly done, unwilling to take a ball down and take responsibility - wants rid asap, cannot turn now so the pass is always whatever way he is facing & spent the first half marking nobody most of the time usually being the last of the stadium to realise that - same as McGregor
Tillman - some nice touches followed by overplaying it, totally unfit, didn't run enough but for the tracking back part- i lay that blame at the two behind him
attack
colak - again starved of meaningful service, worked hard with little reward - needs to spend more time working on his heading tho
kent - the usual performance, the odd good run followed by periods of indecision, laziness and buck passing - had the ability to have the RB on toast but refused to take him on more & even managed to lose the ball to a man who already committed to the tackle and was on the deck!
sakala - standard fashion show, full of effort & running, some great slaloming runs ending with a wild shot or poor final ball BUT in the league that will reap rewards and he will score plenty given game time
subs
kamara - one faux pas aside, was far better - managed to turn and get play moving - have to get him playing and regularly in the CM role
matondo - v good run to win the penalty, other than that trying too hard to impress and making bad choices
lowry - not putting him on in the 10 role was madness
wright - putting him in the 10 role was madness, took him ages to actually intentionally find a blue jersey, continually broke our attacks down and despite being on for 5 mins was struggling to run - spends more time sorting his hair than actually contributing
morelos - awful miss, shocking - some good running coupled with some piss poor tackling - at least he tried to press tho
Gio
team selection restricted due to the ones avaliable - that said, putting Wright on at 10 role with lowry on the bench was idiocy
and the fitness issues rearing its head again
goalie - just utterly done now
defence
tav - was a liability due to the tactics Gio employed, having him tuck in at their attacks was madness, the first 2 goals and the disallowed one all coming from his side
Sands i thought was excellent, threw himself at everything and tried to push us forward
King - ok but prone to mad passes or decision making, will be a top player but not quite yet
Borna - not his worst performance, did ok
midfield
arfield - runs about a lot for 60 mins then is done - struggling to get on the end of anything due to his pace being shot & takes a age to make a decision
davis - utterly done, unwilling to take a ball down and take responsibility - wants rid asap, cannot turn now so the pass is always whatever way he is facing & spent the first half marking nobody most of the time usually being the last of the stadium to realise that - same as McGregor
Tillman - some nice touches followed by overplaying it, totally unfit, didn't run enough but for the tracking back part- i lay that blame at the two behind him
attack
colak - again starved of meaningful service, worked hard with little reward - needs to spend more time working on his heading tho
kent - the usual performance, the odd good run followed by periods of indecision, laziness and buck passing - had the ability to have the RB on toast but refused to take him on more & even managed to lose the ball to a man who already committed to the tackle and was on the deck!
sakala - standard fashion show, full of effort & running, some great slaloming runs ending with a wild shot or poor final ball BUT in the league that will reap rewards and he will score plenty given game time
subs
kamara - one faux pas aside, was far better - managed to turn and get play moving - have to get him playing and regularly in the CM role
matondo - v good run to win the penalty, other than that trying too hard to impress and making bad choices
lowry - not putting him on in the 10 role was madness
wright - putting him in the 10 role was madness, took him ages to actually intentionally find a blue jersey, continually broke our attacks down and despite being on for 5 mins was struggling to run - spends more time sorting his hair than actually contributing
morelos - awful miss, shocking - some good running coupled with some piss poor tackling - at least he tried to press tho
Gio
team selection restricted due to the ones avaliable - that said, putting Wright on at 10 role with lowry on the bench was idiocy
and the fitness issues rearing its head again
Because as fans we are entitled to criticise when someone is shite repeatedly, even if they are younger and have still to develop.
Worth pointing out that this can only happen next season - once the new format kicks in, there's no parachuting from the groups into other competitions.
But it does look like the money for being in the group stages is going to go up by a fair amount then too. Nothing confirmed that way.
BoomSong
Well-Known Member
Didn't know there was a new format, that makes winning the League all the more important especially after this season. Big rebuild needed given the age and performance of the squad even to dominate domestically.
Ced's Atomic Dustbin
Well-Known Member
Tilman is among the worst players I've ever seen when he doesn't have the ball - and he is really good with the ball
Stationary, unaware of his surroundings, does a lot of half hearted runs into the general vicinity of the player with the ball without actually pressuring him let alone getting a tackle in. Its pathetic and baffling because we've seen flashes of what he can do when he gets out of his rut: his awareness, anticipation and effort in closing down the defender effectively put us into the Champions League. He's also very good at getting his body in between the man and the ball, easing him off it and coming away with the ball when he actually does make a challenge.
His performances have been about the most fustrating of anyone.
Macdonsj
Well-Known Member
Hes in the luxury position of no 10
Id be more worried about players having free reign to move closer the box once past him
stillAlwaysblue
Well-Known Member
Watched Tillman track back more than any others and also got forward looking for a pass. For me Davis might not have been on the pitch he was a great player but now well passed his best. Tillman is way ahead of Arfield and if we had Lawrance and Hagi back then we would have a decent midfield who have some skill.
