Strongest team for the run in

My team for the run in.
……………Butland
Tav Goldson Souttar Yilmaz
….Lundstram Sterling
Sima……..Cantwell..Matondo
……………Dessers

Variations on this
If Yilmaz not fit then Borna
Regular subs…
Diomande to replace Sterling
Lawrence to replace Cantwell
McCausland to replace Sima
Silva to replace Dessers
Dowell to replace Lundstram
Emergency cover…
Balogun to replace Goldson or Souttar
I wouldn’t play Wright or Roofe again unless we are desperate.
I don’t know what’s going on with Raskin that’s beyond me
 
James Tavernier has played 451 times for Rangers, scoring 124 goals, and in 99.9% of those games he started at right-back.

Now, because he didn't have a great game, we have people advocating he is magically turned in to a right winger, or worse, dropped completely. It's "he's quite a big lad, play him up front" levels of tactical nuance.
 
Butland
Tav Goldson Souttar Yilmaz
Sterling Lundstram
McAusland Cantwell Sima
Silva

I still feel that to win the title, and particularly to get what we need from the game at Parkhead, there is a low ceiling to Dessers capability in our tougher matches. I think Silva….a bit like Daniel Cousin or Kyle Lafferty in years gone by….is more capable of finding the level we need to get us over the line in those matches. I’d be ok with seeing Dessers start our home matches and the two against Dundee and Ross County this week but if I’m picking one for all matches it’s Silva over Dessers for me.
 
Chocolateleftfoot said:
Mate, if you want to argue that we should play Sterling ahead of Tav, then fine, there's logic in that, even if it's unlikely to happen but I don't know what you mean when you say play Tav just ahead of him. We have full backs, then we have wide players. We play with a front 3.

We don't play Tav wide for the same reason we don't play Barisic wide. He's a full back. If Sterling is a better option in certain fixtures, then Tav can sit on the bench.
Click to expand...

But it's that kind of rigid thinking with the system that will see the same stuff happen again in future that we've seen at the weekend if the same personnel are used in the same way. If we play 4 3 3 it's not unfeasible to adjust the system to get the best out of players, if that means considering 4-4-2 or 3 5 2.

Now leaving Tav out for Sterling altogether is a point worth noting because that would give me a lot more faith in the security at the back. But do you want to leave out a guy with so many goal contributions? See this is why Tav is a conundrum at this stage. If we just accept he's a right back and can't adapt to being anything else then he'll just be exposed to the same old issues more and more as he gets older and slower. If you take him out of the team altogether you lose God knows how many goals a season. And this current squad can't really do without his contributions going fwd. Its why while he's still at the club I think modifying his position/role in the side for certain has to be looked at if there's any plan to keep him around for much longer.
 
For dundee

Butland

Tavernier Balogun Sottuar Ridvan

Lundstrum Sterling

Sima Cantwell Matondo

Dessers
 
MancGer86 said:
But it's that kind of rigid thinking with the system that will see the same stuff happen again in future that we've seen at the weekend if the same personnel are used in the same way. If we play 4 3 3 it's not unfeasible to adjust the system to get the best out of players, if that means considering 4-4-2 or 3 5 2.

Now leaving Tav out for Sterling altogether is a point worth noting because that would give me a lot more faith in the security at the back. But do you want to leave out a guy with so many goal contributions? See this is why Tav is a conundrum at this stage. If we just accept he's a right back and can't adapt to being anything else then he'll just be exposed to the same old issues more and more as he gets older and slower. If you take him out of the team altogether you lose God knows how many goals a season. And this current squad can't really do without his contributions going fwd. Its why while he's still at the club I think modifying his position/role in the side for certain has to be looked at if there's any plan to keep him around for much longer.
Click to expand...
His goal contributions have all came from full back. There's zero evidence that he can replicate it playing higher up the pitch.

And not content with playing Tav out of position, as an experiment in the biggest game of the season, you also want to change the system the team play, change the entire shape, just to accommodate Tav in his new position.

I take it all back, it's absolutely genius. Clement out. I've found the new gaffer.
 
Chocolateleftfoot said:
His goal contributions have all came from full back. There's zero evidence that he can replicate it playing higher up the pitch.

And not content with playing Tav out of position, as an experiment in the biggest game of the season, you also want to change the system the team play, change the entire shape, just to accommodate Tav in his new position.

I take it all back, it's absolutely genius. Clement out. I've found the new gaffer.
Click to expand...

Adaptability within the system. That's all I'm advocating for. Its really not that unfathomable. It's actually pretty common in modern football. And players at a certain age usually have to tweak their position or their style of play to prolong their playing time. Baffles me that you refuse point blank to understand the point.

Or, we can just leave Tav where he is at right back, and watch the car crashes continue at the back as he gets older and even slower with his reactions. If that's what you want then you'll see the consequences especially in games that really matter.[/QUOTE]
 
Most games:

Butland
Tav Goldson Souttar Yilmaz
Lundstram Diomande
Sima Cantwell Matondo
Dessers

Matondo has be rotated with Silva

At Parkhead (Gerrard formation):
Butland
Tav Goldson Souttar Yilmaz
Lundstram Diomande Sterling
Sima Dessers Matondo
 
HarryBosch said:
James Tavernier has played 451 times for Rangers, scoring 124 goals, and in 99.9% of those games he started at right-back.

Now, because he didn't have a great game, we have people advocating he is magically turned in to a right winger, or worse, dropped completely. It's "he's quite a big lad, play him up front" levels of tactical nuance.
Click to expand...
Yep, absolutely mental thinking, all because he had a terrible 45 minutes, it’s like the rest of the season where he has been outstanding at RB is all forgotten about.

Tav will start at RB every game from now to the end of the season, and rightly so.
 
Jim Prideaux said:
Butland

Tav Goldson Souttar Yilmaz

Lundstram Dio/Lawrence

Sterling Cantwell Sima

Dessers.


Not a fan of Sterling right wing in the run of the mill fixtures, but our options are almost non-existent unless you move Sima out there and put Matondo/Silva on the left.
Click to expand...
Dio over Lawrence for me, otherwise spot on.
The more Dio plays the better he will become, the OF game passed him by but far better players have suffered that fate. He will be far better for it and would start him every gsme
 
hms said:
For dundee

Butland

Tavernier Balogun Sottuar Ridvan

Lundstrum Sterling

Sima Cantwell Matondo

Dessers
Click to expand...
Ridvan not available, and do you risk Sima on that shit tip of a pitch? We might have to, but it’s risking him for the rest of the run in.
 
MancGer86 said:
Adaptability within the system. That's all I'm advocating for. Its really not that unfathomable. It's actually pretty common in modern football. And players at a certain age usually have to tweak their position or their style of play to prolong their playing time. Baffles me that you refuse point blank to understand the point.

Or, we can just leave Tav where he is at right back, and watch the car crashes continue at the back as he gets older and even slower with his reactions. If that's what you want then you'll see the consequences especially in games that really matter.
Click to expand...
The time to use "adaptability" is not at the tickly end of the season, when playing him at right back has taken us to a EL Final and has us in a position to go 2 points clear at the top.

Baffles me that you even contemplate that.
 
HarryBosch said:
The time to use "adaptability" is not at the tickly end of the season, when playing him at right back has taken us to a EL Final and has us in a position to go 2 points clear at the top.

Baffles me that you even contemplate that.
Click to expand...

So the only solution to combat the same issue that Tav runs into time and again in the exact same fixture is to just set up the exact same and expect a different result? Bizarre.
 
MancGer86 said:
So the only solution to combat the same issue that Tav runs into time and again in the exact same fixture is to just set up the exact same and expect a different result? Bizarre.
Click to expand...
Nope. The solution is to play somebody more mobile who tracks back in front of him. You know, like Sima did second half.

The solution certainly isn't to either drop Tav, or play him in a position he is unaccustomed too, and which means disrupting the back four as well.
Absolute Football Manager lunacy
 
HarryBosch said:
Nope. The solution is to play somebody more mobile who tracks back in front of him. You know, like Sima did second half.

The solution certainly isn't to either drop Tav, or play him in a position he is unaccustomed too, and which means disrupting the back four as well.
Absolute Football Manager lunacy
Click to expand...

I wouldn't exactly say Sima tracked back that much. He's undoubtedly mobile enough to do just that but we were on the front foot all second half bar the odd break so Sima wasn't exactly needed to bail Tav out at the back. But I hear what you're saying in terms of having more mobile legs in and around him. That is a point I can be on board with no problem if Sima is prepared to sacrifice his own attacking instincts to be there alongside Tav to limit the times He's exposed 1 on 1 against the kind of pace he struggles to contain.

Beyond that, it's a cop out to call it football manager lunacy to consider an ageing full back might have to adjust his position as he continues to get older. If the solution isn't to drop him altogether then how do you continue to get the best out of him without having him hung out to dry in certain games?

I'm not saying the solution is just drop Tav into right mid at parkhead problem solved. Its a longer term thing I'm thinking of. He's got the perfect foil there for him in Sterling who would slip pretty seamlessly into RB and allow Tav licence to stay further forward where he impacts the game more positively. It would be effectively asking him to start 10-15 yards further forward on the same side of the pitch and get on the ball more like he likes to do anyway so I can't see why the adjustment would be that bonkers.

It would also remove the conundrum of trying to shoehorn Sterling into midfield where he has played well because it would mean actually getting him into his natural position at right back. You talk about disrupting the back four but Jesus christ how disrupted did they look as a unit anyway at the weekend? And in all other OFs this season?

I'm not saying it's the one and only option regarding Tav going fwd but to continue to get the best out of him I think all options are on the table. There is life beyond the next OF after all. Saying Tav doesn't have the intelligence to take on a slightly different role going fwd though? I think there's scope to work on it with a view to maybe seeing it next season onwards.

For the record I'd be more than happy to see us set up how you suggest for the next OF and it be a success. Can absolutely see why that would work too. I can't really give any more detailed explanation behind my thinking I've done it to death with people over the last few days.
 
MancGer86 said:
I wouldn't exactly say Sima tracked back that much. He's undoubtedly mobile enough to do just that but we were on the front foot all second half bar the odd break so Sima wasn't exactly needed to bail Tav out at the back. But I hear what you're saying in terms of having more mobile legs in and around him. That is a point I can be on board with no problem if Sima is prepared to sacrifice his own attacking instincts to be there alongside Tav to limit the times He's exposed 1 on 1 against the kind of pace he struggles to contain.

Beyond that, it's a cop out to call it football manager lunacy to consider an ageing full back might have to adjust his position as he continues to get older. If the solution isn't to drop him altogether then how do you continue to get the best out of him without having him hung out to dry in certain games?

I'm not saying the solution is just drop Tav into right mid at parkhead problem solved. Its a longer term thing I'm thinking of. He's got the perfect foil there for him in Sterling who would slip pretty seamlessly into RB and allow Tav licence to stay further forward where he impacts the game more positively. It would be effectively asking him to start 10-15 yards further forward on the same side of the pitch and get on the ball more like he likes to do anyway so I can't see why the adjustment would be that bonkers.

It would also remove the conundrum of trying to shoehorn Sterling into midfield where he has played well because it would mean actually getting him into his natural position at right back. You talk about disrupting the back four but Jesus christ how disrupted did they look as a unit anyway at the weekend? And in all other OFs this season?

I'm not saying it's the one and only option regarding Tav going fwd but to continue to get the best out of him I think all options are on the table. There is life beyond the next OF after all. Saying Tav doesn't have the intelligence to take on a slightly different role going fwd though? I think there's scope to work on it with a view to maybe seeing it next season onwards.

For the record I'd be more than happy to see us set up how you suggest for the next OF and it be a success. Can absolutely see why that would work too. I can't really give any more detailed explanation behind my thinking I've done it to death with people over the last few days.
Click to expand...
Was he an "ageing fullback" when he scored the winner in the League Cup Final?

'It's not a cop out at all to call it football manager lunacy. Do you, or anybody else, genuinely believe Clement is thinking of playing Tav at right-wing or dropping him?

There is no scope to work on this at all at this stage of the season.

You're asking TAV to suddenly, with 6 games of the league left, to turn in to a right winger. To throw out all his instinctual and positional play, and move forward, like its as simple as "you play there."

Players, with few exceptions, play in there preferred position because they understand the. nuances of that position.

Sterling, for example, is utilised everywhere, and while he is decent and works hard at left back, his right-footedness and positional play is at odds to having Ridvan there. The balance is off, and that effects the team.

You move Tav and pop in Sterling, you now have two players playing in unfamiliar positions, with different expectations placed on them. And that upsets the rhythm of the team.

I would be flabbergasted if Clement did anything other than select Tav at right back, and if Ridvan is available, Sterling wide right.

The time to experiment with Tav is not when theres a league and cup to play for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top