Wonkychops
Well-Known Member
That's OK when you're a couple of goals ahead , but when your only 1 up in any away game in Scotland that is not the way..
Funny how he was a massive upgrade on Gerrard until tonight
Tricks are for the Circus? Gio also didn’t win the CL and Captain his side in a World Cup Final by being laid back. I think you need to take a step back from all the hysteria for a day or two. Hopefully a strong win on Friday with some Academy boys excelling will excite everyone again that we have the right management team in placeDo we need an ex-Ranger on the coaching staff? A Scotsman who will tear a strip of the players if they ain't doing it. Think Archie Knox or John Brown type. I think the Dutchmen might be too laid back.
What about sand dunes?
Yeah, I've been a bit scatter gun with the blame today but very surprised at the level of criticism aimed at WrightWright was the least of our worries tonight.
Midfield was abysmal.
It is a little concerning. I think I had some doubts about the Hearts performance, which was good overall, but kept them at bay. Last night was so poor though and it was obvious to a layman like me what our tactics were. I dont think surrendering possession will ever be a viable option at Rangers for domestic games. It's just not something we'll accept. We're 150 years down the line, so the idea we'll suddenly accept being a counter attacking team is fantasy stuff. All of that said, there's more than enough from Gio and co to be positive about. Let's not totally lose our s**t over one game. The next few are key.
This might sound daft, but our leaders on the pitch are good, but not great.There's no way Gio would want his team to be so passive. Manager's can ask his players/team to set traps and counter attack etc.
Its the players though that need to take responsibility on the pitch. Kamara and Hagi (goal apart) were total spectators. I thought Sands handled himself very well considering it was his first game and the other midfielders were non-existent.
That was the type of game you want Kamara to stand up and be counted. No Davis or Aribo so he should have the confidence, quality and leadership abilities now to take control of the game when we're struggling.
Totally agree. There did appear to be a total lack of any real press though.There is surrendering possession and there is players unable to retain possession.
We didn’t play well last night, it was scrappy but the players are not blameless here
This might sound daft, but our leaders on the pitch are good, but not great.
Never, ever thought I'd say this, but we badly lack someone with Barry Ferguson's *on pitch* mentality. I suppose I'm talking about having a shouter - someone who is good box to box wouldn't be bad.
I think most people said at the time the performances against Livingston, Hibs, Hearts, Dundee Utd and obviously last night were poor.The boom or bust on here is brutal.
I'm unhappy with last night, but I have to say I'm surprised to learn that we've actually been shite in the previous 7 league wins with 1 goal conceded under Gio.
Cant agree with you there. We scored two great goals at tynecastle and put in a decent performance i thought. Same at livingston 8 wins and a draw away at a tough ground with several first team players missing. I think we are doing fine so far.When does off night become consistent though?
We haven’t played well in the League away from home since the Motherwell 6-1 result.
Grinding out results, but we have been lucky and the performances have been way below par.
22 points from 24, how do you define that as getting caught out?Happened far too many times for me and we'll get caught out again and again
I don't think we sat back. I think we were rank, couldn't get the ball and when we did couldn't hold on to it. They were all over us as the possession stars showed. The goal was against the run of play. I'm not sure what we done during that break but we better up the ante big timeHappened far too many times for me and we'll get caught out again and again
We are sitting back letting shit like Aberdeen come at us so we can hit on the counter.This is accurate IMO - & Boyce missed umpteen easy chances at Hearts.
We have Alfie, Kent, Aribo & Roofe (when fit) up front - up against what are generally journeyman SPFL defenders - what on earth are we sitting back for?!?!
We should be on the front foot, home & away, every game, for the whole game.
I can't ever remember Wright (especially away from home) having a great performance when he's started the game. It was a blunder last night from Gio. Also a blunder not changing it at half time. No doubt about it.Wright was garbage. Sakala should be ahead of him. Every time.
He tries that against Celtic it’s going to end up one way.Whist we got a goal & a freak penalty cost us full points our overall approach was way beyond negative
We were so negative in our play we actually allowed Clancy to have an impact on the game as we were constantly on the back foot giving him the opportunity to get involved with supposed fouls etc
To set up giving complete control of the central area of the park to the opposition was total madness & something I have never seen a Rangers team do before
Yes, we have set up defensively before but they had all the time in the world centrally without a Rangers player near them and at no point did we try to change this & control the game, Kamara & Sands were so interested in protecting the defence that we had virtually no control of the game & the attacking side of the team were totally isolated
I know we were missing central based players but it was as if we started the game without replacements & we chose to do that.
This really can't continue as it has happened to an extent at Easter Road & Tynecastle before tonight but at least in those games we competed centrally.
At least in those games we seemed to play ad a team when breaking- last night there was no cohesion at all throughout the team
Disagree tactics and application are equally important-if you are being asked to counter attack /soak up pressure etc that is completely different from imposing your game on your opponentsWe didn't drop points last night because of the tactics.
We dropped points because Aberdeen looked far more up for it and just about every one of their players played like it was their Cup Final (usual) vs many of our players who were far too passive. Our midfield in the 2nd half was completely absent and guys like Hagi and Morelos were unable to get into the game.
My complaint with this squad of players from time to time is the lack of fight we show against these teams who want to make it a physical battle - we need to be able to raise our game above that.
I’m not , it’s Aberdeen we’re playing not Man CityI'm fine with it. Same number of points for a 1-0 as any other win.
Disagree tactics and application are equally important-if you are being asked to counter attack /soak up pressure etc that is completely different from imposing your game on your opponents
It’s really not just about one game! If we had won it folk would say “didn’t play well but won, that’s what champions do”’ that’s what we got against Dundee United and Hibs! Hearts and livi we scored two goals but after say back and lost control of the game. There’s a pattern that needs to be addressed imo! Tactics in these games aren’t rightBrilliant.
We can be a tough bunch, can’t wee.
One game having dropped points leads to “we'll get caught out again and again”!
Hibs as well.The performances against Aberdeen, Dundee Utd & 2nd half against Hearts have been nothing short of appalling.
Lack of chances created against Aberdeen & Utd in particular, protecting 1 goal leads just will not do. Vast improvement required.
Is it maybe just Gio still finding his feet and sussing out the situation? When Walter came back for his second spell the first thing he did was shore up the defence with Weir and Ehiogu then built from it.
Listen no tactics work if you don’t do the basics. However I stated on the prematch thread the team looked too lightweight and so it panned out. I get the downer on Lundstrum as a player but he is experienced and strong and should have started -throwing in Sands was a mistake and all the apologist ratings on him are merely down to him being new and being exempt from criticism-it didn’t work.My observation was that we couldn't even deploy the counter attack system because it seemed like too many of our players surrendered to the physical battle from the Aberdeen players and therefore were giving the ball away sloppily when we had it.
The Lundstram substitute was a bizarre one.
My reply to your question is a definite no.Whist we got a goal & a freak penalty cost us full points our overall approach was way beyond negative
We were so negative in our play we actually allowed Clancy to have an impact on the game as we were constantly on the back foot giving him the opportunity to get involved with supposed fouls etc
To set up giving complete control of the central area of the park to the opposition was total madness & something I have never seen a Rangers team do before
Yes, we have set up defensively before but they had all the time in the world centrally without a Rangers player near them and at no point did we try to change this & control the game, Kamara & Sands were so interested in protecting the defence that we had virtually no control of the game & the attacking side of the team were totally isolated
I know we were missing central based players but it was as if we started the game without replacements & we chose to do that.
This really can't continue as it has happened to an extent at Easter Road & Tynecastle before tonight but at least in those games we competed centrally.
At least in those games we seemed to play ad a team when breaking- last night there was no cohesion at all throughout the team
Needs a bit of perspective.
They way we were conceding goals pre-Gio, I'm not sure we would have navigated Livingston, Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen away with 10 points from 12. So I can understand us changing to tighten things up.
For last night, if Gio has Helander, Jack, Davis, Arfield, Aribo and Roofe all to choose from then I'd like to think the team would be more naturally solid and allow him to be more offensive.
We gave a God awful Aberdeen team a free point tonight and as bad as were on the park Gio didn't do much to change it either.
Likes pace on the wings but replaced the pacey Wright (who was poor) with no pace Hagi (who was also poor) to bring on another holding midfielder option with 30+ minutes to go. Also waiting until the mid-late 70's to bring on Sakala. Absolutely baffling.
This for me, although a don't think it's panic stations just now and on paper it looks all rosey, some of the performances have been a worry early on. More solid yes but we have also been alot more defensive and against the better sides of this league we are allowing them alot more chances than we should. If we go up against the tims in 2 weeks the way we did last night it could be a long 90mins.We got fortunate at Easter Road with the late penalty as we were hopeless that night too and didn’t look like scoring
Away to Livi after the early 2 goals we were utterly abysmal too
Home to Dundee Utd we were atrocious
Tonight was the worst of the lot though. Barely had a shot on goal and their keeper could have had the deckchair and cigar out for most of that game
Tynecastle we got fortunate with McGregor and them missing some decent chances
We were forced back through our ineptitude more than anything else last night.Happened far too many times for me and we'll get caught out again and again
Especially after RTV had earlier in the day put out an interview with Dave Voss in which he spoke about how they had had time to work with the team during the winter breakCan you imagine? Especially it coming after the winter break!!
He was, but he was playing on his own with Sands and Hagi invisible.I would certainly agree with the midfield being abysmal too. I thought Kamara was absolutely terrible tonight.
Thing is this ties back to the refWe didn't drop points last night because of the tactics.
We dropped points because Aberdeen looked far more up for it and just about every one of their players played like it was their Cup Final (usual) vs many of our players who were far too passive. Our midfield in the 2nd half was completely absent and guys like Hagi and Morelos were unable to get into the game.
My complaint with this squad of players from time to time is the lack of fight we show against these teams who want to make it a physical battle - we need to be able to raise our game above that.