The lack of characters - the woeful first half.

B

blueaway

Well-Known Member
I'm trying to temper my feeling of negativity by realising the characters don't exist across football it seems or generally in life from 9IRA, Advocaat's tenure, helicopter Sunday or Walter's return.

But the first half today was just woeful in a game of such magnitude.

Barisic - was constantly letting Forrest run with the ball towards goal, no engagement - he should have been told several times to start engaging before again he let him in for the O'Reilly goal.

For that goal he then turns his back on the shot.

Lundstrum of course at fault for both goals and the sending off - why he doesn't just go and fill the space O'Riley goes into for the first I'll never know - and the second how he can't get side on to block the cross is a shocker - I gave an own goal like that once - I was 10 years old.

Sending off- again Amateur stuff it's in a nothing area of the pitch.
 
Lundstram was a disgrace for the first and second goals. Casually running back and letting players run off him. The sending off sums up his time here, a complete let down.

Tav was his usual pish misplacing passes and not engaging Meada

Souttar almost cost us in the first couple of minutes.

Davies should have been out to close down O'Reilly before he got his shot away.

Diomande chasing shadows

Silva did trouble big eyes but again failed to hit the target with two sitters and didn't track O'Reilly for the goal.

BB was his usual self but at least put in a decent cross for Sterling to set up Dessers.

Dessers had a thankless task upfront top but did ok I thought

The only other players with pass marks were Butland and Sterling.
 
Character- there is not much, I just watch this team and I have no insight to them as individuals or who fulfils what role in the group- it’s like they are all timid clones of one another, barring a few.

Never see any emotion, aggression, people trying to organise, gee up others etc. All I see is the odd stupid goal celebration.

The majority of the spine of the team is so timid.

If I was a young guy growing up as a supporter, I don’t think I would identify with any of the players, there is no connection.

For me this is all fundamentals.
 
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Dashboard Jesus said:
Lundstram was a disgrace for the first and second goals. Casually running back and letting players run off him. The sending off sums up his time here, a complete let down.

Tav was his usual pish misplacing passes and not engaging Meada

Souttar almost cost us in the first couple of minutes.

Davies should have been out to close down O'Reilly before he got his shot away.

Diomande chasing shadows

Silva did trouble big eyes but again failed to hit the target with two sitters and didn't track O'Reilly for the goal.

BB was his usual self but at least put in a decent cross for Sterling to set up Dessers.

Dessers had a thankless task upfront top but did ok I thought

The only other players with pass marks were Butland and Sterling.
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Agree with most of that. I thought Davies done well overall and kept the diver quiet. He had a few great blocks.

Dessers did have a tough task but I thought he was shocking tbh. He is the last striker you would want to go to the Piggery with. His movement is absolutely dreadful, he has no strength, can't hold it up and has zero pace.
 
this is bang on, and real part of the problem we're struggling.

Everything we do (and especially against them) is so half-hearted. We should be snapping into tackles, buzzing with energy - but instead everything has the feel of a pre-season friendly.
 
All the comments in here; character, leadership, visible signs of communication and encouragement etc. These all come up time after time then discussing who should be captain instead of Tav.

The truth is we should be selling Tav this summer with Lewis Ferguson a ready made captain on our midfield. We missed that boat.
 
Spineless and gutless. That wee turncoat McGregor was smiling and laughing the whole game with absolutely no one laying a glove on him. This team are bully victims against that lot.

No convincing passing from us. No aggressive pressing. No one going and taking the game by the scruff of the neck. Just meek, timid surrender.

Can’t wait to see the back of a number of these cowards.
 
There is a lot of chat about PC tactics and line up but what you have outlined as the issues today is very simple. Very ordinary footballers not doing their job in their biggest game of the season. This was not ground breaking football that cut us open. A simple give and go when two players could have tracked him (silva and Borna) yet none did. As for the og and red card….absolute negligence. It’s the inevitable crash and burn for a squad that needed gutted three years ago.
 
Yet again McGregor was smiling and rnning his mouth. I don't want our players to behave like that but you'd think they'd have the professional pride to want to put a stop to it.
 
DerekSSR said:
Wit sit far too deep IMO, the amount of shots on goal we allowed Celtic to have in the first half was honestly unacceptable, it was a matter of time before they scored.
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Our approach at their shit pit for 2-3 years has been no intent or shape to our play. Simply passing time until they score 1/2/3 goals then we might start playing. It’s like our players want them to score and be in front so they stop pressing them and they get time on the ball.
 
Dashboard Jesus said:
Lundstram was a disgrace for the first and second goals. Casually running back and letting players run off him. The sending off sums up his time here, a complete let down.

Tav was his usual pish misplacing passes and not engaging Meada

Souttar almost cost us in the first couple of minutes.

Davies should have been out to close down O'Reilly before he got his shot away.

Diomande chasing shadows

Silva did trouble big eyes but again failed to hit the target with two sitters and didn't track O'Reilly for the goal.

BB was his usual self but at least put in a decent cross for Sterling to set up Dessers.

Dessers had a thankless task upfront top but did ok I thought

The only other players with pass marks were Butland and Sterling.
Click to expand...
He’s been like that since the winter break. His head is elsewhere
 
Class of 72 said:
He’s been like that since the winter break. His head is elsewhere
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Because his head is elsewhere. His agent was running his mouth off on the Friday that he’s offski. I’m guessing my mate wasn’t the only person to be told this by his agent.
 
Someone said it on the post match Heart & Hand podcast - tame.

We’ve been tame against them since the SCF under Gio, which is two years ago now.

So little aggression and sharpness in these games.
 
Our squad is bereft of ability, work rate, and guts.
This is why those of us who inhabit planet earth lacked any confidence going into the game.
 
There are a clutch of players that should be leaving Rangers, as they are either unavailable, perma injured or lack character / ability. They have shown repeatedly they cannot be relied upon.

Roofe.
Jack.
Barisic.
McLaughlin.
Lundstram.
Matondo.
Wright.
Silva.
Lammers.
Cifuentes.
Lawrence.

A full team, making up part of a squad that cannot be relied upon.

For me, next season, we need dynamic players with relatively injury free histories. Granted, easier said than done but those players above will never break the cyclical problems we face.

Additionally, I feel it would be better we part company with Goldson / Tav. As "leaders", I could be wrong but I think they are battle scarred and possibly don't believe we can beat the mentally challengeds.

Goldson, for me needs to go, Tav possibly, but cannot remain as Captain. We need a strong character that will grab those around him by the scruff of the neck and drag performances out of them.

Finally, Clement has to understand, winning any football match begins in midfield and TOO often this season we don't start matches trying to impose ourselves.

It's depressing really. But starting now, we can take steps to correct it. Surprisingly, one win against the mentally challengeds this season would have seen on on the same number of points - right now. They aren't any better but from yesterday had fewer injuries to contend with - which I think went a long way to guaranteeing them a win.
 
The players just don't want it enough. You need a winner's mentality to be successful.

The Tramps swagger abouit like winners believing they're going to win the game. We look defeated before we even take to the park.
 
There was a thread after the 3 each game asking what we needed to do differently before the next OF game. I half jokingly replied 'hypnotise the players and tell them it's half time and we're 2 goals down'
And lo and behold that's when we started looking again like we were interested. We simply can't keep giving them a 2 goal start and expect to get anything out the game.
 
Missing an airfield type person who got stuck in, had character and absolutely worked his socks off.

People said it at the time but he should've been kept on to at least bring that character to the dressing room even if he couldn't play every game.
 
The thing with this squad I've noticed is they suck emotion, talent, and passion out of players, when we get a new guy in ie. Cantwell, Raskin, even Hagi, they come in light the place up, we wet ourselves over them, and then they just fade to average or below, is this a coaching issue, or a dressing room issue,
 
BobbyShearer55-65 said:
The players just don't want it enough. You need a winner's mentality to be successful.

The Tramps swagger abouit like winners believing they're going to win the game. We look defeated before we even take to the park.
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A team very content at being second best.
So content they all probably believe its a great achievement.
 
blueaway said:
I'm trying to temper my feeling of negativity by realising the characters don't exist across football it seems or generally in life from 9IRA, Advocaat's tenure, helicopter Sunday or Walter's return.

But the first half today was just woeful in a game of such magnitude.

Barisic - was constantly letting Forrest run with the ball towards goal, no engagement - he should have been told several times to start engaging before again he let him in for the O'Reilly goal.

For that goal he then turns his back on the shot.

Lundstrum of course at fault for both goals and the sending off - why he doesn't just go and fill the space O'Riley goes into for the first I'll never know - and the second how he can't get side on to block the cross is a shocker - I gave an own goal like that once - I was 10 years old.

Sending off- again Amateur stuff it's in a nothing area of the pitch.
Click to expand...
Totally agree, you see at the first goal barisic retreating to protect the space in behind when he’s 8yds off the touch line when opposition players are doing 1-2 in his box in front of him, why Davies is getting stick for not going out when he has a barisic closer to the ball is mental, lundstram stabbed a tie at it because he’s not got an engine to get back to close that space so is always lunging for balls. Done with him, and most of them.
 
None of us would have been surprised if they scored in the 1st minute yesterday, a ridiculous thought when you think about it, and then they nearly fucking did. An absolute disgrace of a team
 
BigTinder86 said:
Character- there is not much, I just watch this team and I have no insight to them as individuals or who fulfils what role in the group- it’s like they are all timid clones of one another, barring a few.

Never see any emotion, aggression, people trying to organise, gee up others etc. All I see is the odd stupid goal celebration.

The majority of the spine of the team is so timid.

If I was a young guy growing up as a supporter, I don’t think I would identify with any of the players, there is no connection.

For me this is all fundamentals.
Click to expand...

Mm am older guy who is grown up and I've said numerous times about this group of players that I can't identify or like any of them.
It's hard to think any of them really "get" Rangers. They would be the same picking up the same wage at any other club. None of them would run through walls for our particular club.

We need a core of guys who know what the club is about and as I seen in another thread yesterday, guys who know how much we are hated and are willing to hate back.
 
Kaiser said:
There are a clutch of players that should be leaving Rangers, as they are either unavailable, perma injured or lack character / ability. They have shown repeatedly they cannot be relied upon.

Roofe.
Jack.
Barisic.
McLaughlin.
Lundstram.
Matondo.
Wright.
Silva.
Lammers.
Cifuentes.
Lawrence.

A full team, making up part of a squad that cannot be relied upon.

For me, next season, we need dynamic players with relatively injury free histories. Granted, easier said than done but those players above will never break the cyclical problems we face.

Additionally, I feel it would be better we part company with Goldson / Tav. As "leaders", I could be wrong but I think they are battle scarred and possibly don't believe we can beat the mentally challengeds.

Goldson, for me needs to go, Tav possibly, but cannot remain as Captain. We need a strong character that will grab those around him by the scruff of the neck and drag performances out of them.

Finally, Clement has to understand, winning any football match begins in midfield and TOO often this season we don't start matches trying to impose ourselves.

It's depressing really. But starting now, we can take steps to correct it. Surprisingly, one win against the mentally challengeds this season would have seen on on the same number of points - right now. They aren't any better but from yesterday had fewer injuries to contend with - which I think went a long way to guaranteeing them a win.
Click to expand...
Best post I have seen in a long time. 100% correct.
Kaiser said:
There are a clutch of players that should be leaving Rangers, as they are either unavailable, perma injured or lack character / ability. They have shown repeatedly they cannot be relied upon.

Roofe.
Jack.
Barisic.
McLaughlin.
Lundstram.
Matondo.
Wright.
Silva.
Lammers.
Cifuentes.
Lawrence.

A full team, making up part of a squad that cannot be relied upon.

For me, next season, we need dynamic players with relatively injury free histories. Granted, easier said than done but those players above will never break the cyclical problems we face.

Additionally, I feel it would be better we part company with Goldson / Tav. As "leaders", I could be wrong but I think they are battle scarred and possibly don't believe we can beat the mentally challengeds.

Goldson, for me needs to go, Tav possibly, but cannot remain as Captain. We need a strong character that will grab those around him by the scruff of the neck and drag performances out of them.

Finally, Clement has to understand, winning any football match begins in midfield and TOO often this season we don't start matches trying to impose ourselves.

It's depressing really. But starting now, we can take steps to correct it. Surprisingly, one win against the mentally challengeds this season would have seen on on the same number of points - right now. They aren't any better but from yesterday had fewer injuries to contend with - which I think went a long way to guaranteeing them a win.
Click to expand...
 
90sbear said:
The thing with this squad I've noticed is they suck emotion, talent, and passion out of players, when we get a new guy in ie. Cantwell, Raskin, even Hagi, they come in light the place up, we wet ourselves over them, and then they just fade to average or below, is this a coaching issue, or a dressing room issue,
Click to expand...
It's neither imo
It's down to many supporters seeing what they want to see. Bigging average players into something they'll never be.
 
Kaiser said:
There are a clutch of players that should be leaving Rangers, as they are either unavailable, perma injured or lack character / ability. They have shown repeatedly they cannot be relied upon.

Roofe.
Jack.
Barisic.
McLaughlin.
Lundstram.
Matondo.
Wright.
Silva.
Lammers.
Cifuentes.
Lawrence.

A full team, making up part of a squad that cannot be relied upon.

For me, next season, we need dynamic players with relatively injury free histories. Granted, easier said than done but those players above will never break the cyclical problems we face.

Additionally, I feel it would be better we part company with Goldson / Tav. As "leaders", I could be wrong but I think they are battle scarred and possibly don't believe we can beat the mentally challengeds.

Goldson, for me needs to go, Tav possibly, but cannot remain as Captain. We need a strong character that will grab those around him by the scruff of the neck and drag performances out of them.

Finally, Clement has to understand, winning any football match begins in midfield and TOO often this season we don't start matches trying to impose ourselves.

It's depressing really. But starting now, we can take steps to correct it. Surprisingly, one win against the mentally challengeds this season would have seen on on the same number of points - right now. They aren't any better but from yesterday had fewer injuries to contend with - which I think went a long way to guaranteeing them a win.
Click to expand...
Best post I have seen in a long time100% correct. Big summer coming
 
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