Ross County team

No disrespect to Ross County but if we really are serious about winning the title we should have no worries whatsoever about getting the 3 pts next weekend as long as our attitude is spot on.

Our attitude in the first 45 today was poor, we played as though nothing at stake, had the feel of a pre-season kickabout. Approach games like that again and more dropped pts are inevitable.
 
Kent gets loads of criticism on here, some of which is justified.

Quite a mystery how Aribo manages to dodge it though. He was been shocking since coming back from injury. His performance against celtic was comfortably the worst I've seen from one of our players this season. He was better against Aberdeen but he was back to being infuriating today.

He has had some really poor games, but the bit in bold just isn't true at all mate.

In the away matches in Paisley and Perth either side of Xmas, he was arguably motm in both games. And at sheepland, he was far from SHOCKING.

That's just 3 games off the top of my head as I cannot remember exactly when he returned from his injury lay off.
 
If someone isn't putting it in from the beginning take them off, we need a concerted effort from the kick off with 110% being put in, there are plenty of subs and let them know if they don't give it everything they have they will be replaced quickly and at best on the subs bench for the next game. .
 
After watching today's game again, I don't see why we can't change shape slightly for this game.

Shagger

Tav
Goldson
Helander
Borna /bassey

Zungu
Kamara
Hagi

Itten
Morelos
Defoe

Just feeling that this game is made for JD. we will control it and any half chance in the box I want him on the end of it.
 
This is a tie we will need to be careful with. Hughes will have them playing with the ball on the deck and they have had a couple impressive results under him so far. Aberdeen pumping and away to Hibs
 
FFS we've drawn against a well organized Motherwell side, on a poor surface at Fir Park, after 15 straight wins.
We should be confident that whatever side Gerrard picks will be good enough to go out and batter Ross Co at Ibrox. We're not playing Barca! We just need the right attitude and with 6 days to prepare, I fully expect we will blow them away.
 
It's been coming for a while, we've definitely not been performing as we can on a fair few occasions. But grinding out results is what champions do.
 
Do you not think Aribo defended extremely well today and took up nice positions in the attack that let's us play in and around the box Coop?

A number of times he won the ball back today when he just did not have a right to, and then ran away with the ball.

For me he did well today. Could have been better, like almost every single player today aside from perhaps Davis, but he got bigger pass marks from me than a few others.
I was thinking the same myself. He was the main ball winner for us today. There was times today when I was starting to think he was the only one that could tackle
 
McGregor
Tav Goldson Helander Barisic
Davis Kamara
Kent Hagi Itten
Defoe

Subs: McLaughlin, Patterson, Balogun, Bassey, Jack, Zungu, Aribo, Jones, Morelos
 
Hopefully Roofe is back. We are a far better and more dangerous team with him in it. Yesterday is the type of game we have had in recent months but Roofe has popped up with the important goal in the match to turn the game in our favour.
 
If Jack and Roofe are back I'd be tempted to put them in. However, if we are working on the premise that they are out:

McGregor

Tav
Goldson
Helander
Barisic

Davis
Kamara

Itten
Hagi
Kent

Morelos
100% this assuming Roofe won't be fit.

We don't need Zungu in there beside Davis & Kamara.. we need more creativity & goal threat against these teams that have everyone behind the ball.

Ideal scenario is we get the game won and give Jack half an hour from the bench before Easter Rd.
 
The good thing is that Yogi likes his teams to play football. He doesn’t usually park the bus so there should be space to work with for our creative players

Exactly what I was thinking. Them coming go Ibrox and attacking is the best thing that could happen to us.

Would allow us space to play instead of putting in a cross every 2 minutes in hope
 
Jack for Aribo.

Hopefully Roofe is back as a sub or for Kent
Jack hasn’t kicked a ball since November, and wasn’t even on the bench yesterday, he needs a couple of sub spots first, and not sure if Roofe has recovered yet. As good as our squad is, we are struggling for a change to midfield, and it’s difficult to drop Kent when there’s no suitable cover.
 
The thing with Kent is, the pitch at Ibrox always suits his play so much better, so if he's on his game that should be ideal for him.

I'm sure SG will be keeping a close eye on him though as he has been really poor lately.

Don't be surprised if Barker gets a start by the way.
 
Naturally disappointed with the result today, started slow again and we were made to pay for it this time. However the last 15 mins of the first half and the whole 2nd half we were clearly the better side and the only one threatening, doing largely the things that we've done throughout the season which is generally enough to win, so i'm not going to overreact.

Thinking ahead to the County game at home, i'm thinking there is a few players that need a rest and maybe another that needs dropped for below par performances of late.

Unfortunately with dropping points today, i'd be loathed to field too much of a weakened team this Saturday so for me the majority of the performers stay on.

I'm probably looking at resting Davis, he's played alot of football at a high level recently. Preferably that would be Jack that replaces him after a good weeks training, but if it needs to be Zungo then he can get the nod.

I'd completely drop Kent. And I'd tell him "this isn't you being rested, this is because right now I believe there are others performing above what i'm getting from you right now".

As much as i'd like to give Tav and/or Barisic a rest, i'm not confident enough in the back up for this game, I don't think I'd want to be taking chances.

So my thinking is: 4-3-1-2 with Itten in for Kent and playing him up front ALONGSIDE Alfie, with Hagi in behind with freedom to roam. Additionally i'm bringing Helander back into the fold.

Jack in for Davis, if not, and zungu is doing the business in training, then Zungu.

---------------------Shagger
Tav ----------Goldson------Helander------Borna
--------Aribo-------Jack-------Kamara
--------------------Hagi
-----------Itten-----------Alfie

I'd probably add that Kamara is lucky we don't have the midfield depth just now or he would be getting dropped after today as well. Hagi has just did enough for me over the last run of games to get given the benefit of the doubt and I like his hunger and dig.
There’s five full days to go before starting to guess this.
We don’t even know of any niggles, injuries or illnesses yet.
 
Regardless of the starting eleven, I want their attitude to be spot on. No feeling our way into the game, get into them, press them, go for the throat. We haven't been playing well for a few games now so it's time Gerrard got them pumped up and ready, because it will be another tough game with a team having a new manager bounce.
 
Kamara has been outstanding recently. Absolutely flawless in fact. His numbers from the Aberdeen game were insane! He allowed the game to pass him by first half yesterday, but played well second half.

You don’t drop Kamara off the back of one ordinary half in the midst of the best run of form he has shown in a Rangers jersey. That would be a mistake.
 
Jack hasn’t kicked a ball since November, and wasn’t even on the bench yesterday, he needs a couple of sub spots first, and not sure if Roofe has recovered yet. As good as our squad is, we are struggling for a change to midfield, and it’s difficult to drop Kent when there’s no suitable cover.

If he is fit, we could start him with the intention to sub him at ht or on the hour.
 
I don’t understand the criticism of Davis and Kamara. They totally dominated the game today, prodding, prompting, moving Motherwell around. We missed chances. Aribo should have scored from a loose ball in the penalty area but blazed it over the bar. Every other shot went straight into Liam Kelly’s midriff. One of those days.
 
There’s far too much getting made of yesterday’s performance, yes we were below par in the first half but we played very well on a shocking surface 2nd half. I can’t believe there’s people in here looking to change formation, we’ve dropped our first points in 15 games and sit 21 points ahead in the league.

on any other day we win that game yesterday, we had enough chances to, Morelos header, goldson header cleared off the line, aribo’s chance that he puts over the bar from inside the box and Defoe’s chance at the death.
 
Kamara has been outstanding recently. Absolutely flawless in fact. His numbers from the Aberdeen game were insane! He allowed the game to pass him by first half yesterday, but played well second half.

You don’t drop Kamara off the back of one ordinary half in the midst of the best run of form he has shown in a Rangers jersey. That would be a mistake.
Kamara will not be dropped/rested. As you say, he's had 1 poor half of football. Show me a Rangers player that didn't yesterday. Also, with Jack & Arfield out, it's imperative that Kamara & Davis continue to play. Zungu is still getting to grips & Aribo is not best suited to playing in the midfield 3, but he has to play there just now.

I wouldn't be racing to get Jack back into the starting 11 either. He was supposed to out for 1 or 2 matches & its been 2 months.
 
No way is Jack coming straight back into starting, we will scud Ross County if we come out and play for 90 mins.
 
One thing about John Hughes teams they compete, and like so many other threads re complacency, we will still have to be on the front foot. We’re also starting to go back to tippy tappy football, not taking the shot on first time, it was noticeable with Kamara, and Aribo.
 
Can't see Jack as a starter. Why would we drop Davis but keep Aribo in? I fancy SG will stick with Balogun and Kent.

Other than that .....
 
We'll thrash Ross county ffs they are garbage , strongest team that means Davis starts , take him off at HT if we are comfortable
 
Strongest team and a much quicker pace required to try and put this game to bed before halftime, they have already beat Celtic and Hibs away from home and thrashed Aberdeen so they are perfectly capable of making this game difficult.
 
Strongest available team next Sat and Weds...then they get a rest the following weekend as we dont have a game.
 
This will be a difficult fixure and having dropped points last week and a trip to Easter road the following week we have to be ruthless and dont give celtic even a glimmer of hope.
 
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