Will we hit form?

Ryan Jack is huge for us and how we play.

It's no coincidence Tav and Goldson are looking a bit shaky again down that side when Jack isn't there.

He also started to add a bit of quality going forward and scored a few crackers to help unlock defences.
He’s been out for so long that I don’t even know if we can still say that.

We’ve put in some sensational performances both offensively and defensively in his absence.
 
Disagree. We were blowing teams away last season even when Kent was badly struggling for form.
We beat hamilton 8/0 and Aberdeen 5/0 roundabout this point last season, can anybody look me in the eye and tell me we will see scores like that again this season? The fact is last season was a one off we won’t see the likes of it again
 
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The return of any one player out injured is not the solution to our problems. The way to regain our form, focus, tempo and intensity could be to ditch the mid block and play a high press ( as a unit) from the kick off.
Not for the whole game obviously.
Sitting off SPL opposition is ludicrous given these teams are filled with defenders least suited to cope with a press. Exploiting mistakes high up the pitch in numbers will give us more opportunities than passively recycling the ball in front of a positionally well organised and packed defence.
 
It certainly doesn't look like we will.

Maybe it's just going to be one of those season where we scrape through most games and win the league
 
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We beat hamilton 8/0 and Aberdeen 5/0 roundabout this point last season, can anybody look me in the eye and tell me we will see scores like that again this season? The fact is last season was a one off we won’t see the likes of it again
Nah we will never ever win another game with a big score :(
 
We beat hamilton 8/0 and Aberdeen 5/0 roundabout this point last season, can anybody look me in the eye and tell me we will see scores like that again this season

We had drew away to Livvy and were heading into a draw away to Hibs this time last season and people were saying nothing had changed and some said it was time for Gerrard to go.

It was November and 14 games in by the time we beat Hamilton 8-0
 
Yes.

What a place to be, eh? From nowhere to now questioning whether we will win the league in average form, or hit form and romp it.

Thank you to the board, coaching staff and playing squad.

Fantastic.
 
We beat hamilton 8/0 and Aberdeen 5/0 roundabout this point last season, can anybody look me in the eye and tell me we will see scores like that again this season? The fact is last season was a one off we won’t see the likes of it again
Celtic have been better at hammering teams at home, we’ve been better at getting wins away from home. It’s easier to fix the former.
 
I think we will hit better form but we might not hit the heights of last year for a while. There are a few problems right now some of which are interlinked
Key players missing or off form (Kent)
Not enough pace and energy in the team
Disrupted preseason
Not taking chances we do create
When the above happens the pressure build on the defence and they are less assured

I think we will improve but I think it’s going to be very gradual. Roofe and Alfredo (and others) to hit goal scoring form would go a long way to helping us!
 
By this time last season we had drawn with Livingston and Hibs whilst been unconvincing against Ross County, Kilmarnock and Hamilton.

Even into November we were clinging on at Rugby Park.

We'd also had a few convincing performances including in Europe. Every game so far has been scrappy. There's no fluidity in our play at all anymore.

Ryan Jack is huge for us and how we play.

It's no coincidence Tav and Goldson are looking a bit shaky again down that side when Jack isn't there.

He also started to add a bit of quality going forward and scored a few crackers to help unlock defences.

The myth around Ryan Jack is growing by the day. We played most of the season without him and strolled it. It was realistically a toss up between Tav or Goldson for POTY...without Jack.
 
"Hamilton were there for a stronger scoreline," said Gerrard.

"Our play up to a certain point was outstanding. But if you were a player in the top half of the pitch you should have got a goal or an assist.

"There has been three or four times this season that we should have got more goals. At some point that might come back to bite us."


This season? Nah 6 games in last season.
 
By this time last season we had drawn with Livingston and Hibs whilst been unconvincing against Ross County, Kilmarnock and Hamilton.

Even into November we were clinging on at Rugby Park.
As much as some people seem to think we never really hit top form last season till about October November time when the fixtures got harder, our players seemed to relish it.
 
Morelos and Roofe together doesnt seem to work. Our forward line have been struggling although tbf they havent had much service. Hopefully the management team can figure it out. I still feel like the players look over coached everything we do is too safe slow and rigid.
 
"Hamilton were there for a stronger scoreline," said Gerrard.

"Our play up to a certain point was outstanding. But if you were a player in the top half of the pitch you should have got a goal or an assist.

"There has been three or four times this season that we should have got more goals. At some point that might come back to bite us."


This season? Nah 6 games in last season.
There is a massive difference between the first 6/7 games this season and last. We are creating far fewer chances and conceding far more, the stats are there for all to see.
 
There is a massive difference between the first 6/7 games this season and last. We are creating far fewer chances and conceding far more, the stats are there for all to see.

I think massive difference is pretty overstated to be honest, we weren't good at Hamilton or against Livvy early on last season, the win at Aberdeen wasn't overly different to our win against the tramps, as I said when we drew at Easter Road a hell of a lot of people were at the "this is just the same" stage.
 
I think massive difference is pretty overstated to be honest, we weren't good at Hamilton or against Livvy early on last season, the win at Aberdeen wasn't overly different to our win against the tramps, as I said when we drew at Easter Road a hell of a lot of people were at the "this is just the same" stage.

As someone just mentioned though, we're leaking goals all over the place.

Add in the Malmo farce and how poor we were against a pub team in Alashkert...
 
As someone just mentioned though, we're leaking goals all over the place.

Add in the Malmo farce and how poor we were against a pub team in Alashkert...

leaking goals all over the place is slightly overstated, we can't help the fact Alashkert were a pub team, a point that is neither here nor there in all honesty, we faced them in the second leg the week after the squad had been heavily hit with Covid tracing, our actual manager didn't even attend one of the games.
 
I think massive difference is pretty overstated to be honest, we weren't good at Hamilton or against Livvy early on last season, the win at Aberdeen wasn't overly different to our win against the tramps, as I said when we drew at Easter Road a hell of a lot of people were at the "this is just the same" stage.
We hadn't conceded in the first 7 games and our xG against was ridiculously low. I'm pretty sure we had barely conceded 7 shots on target in our first 7 games actually. The difference in how likely we look to concede goals is stark.

Our own xG was far higher too. I don't have the stats to hand but these are objective facts, not subjective like some of the opinions on here.

These things can change fast, but there is genuine cause for some concern it isn't all just people exaggerating.
 
We’re approaching the point where we may need to accept that this is our new level.

You can only keep expecting a big performance around the corner so many times - facts and form suggest that’s not the case.
That's a depressing thought.
There is a staleness in our tactics and set up at the moment. I will leave it at that as there are too many issues to highlight.
I will continue to hope things improve as it's extremely distressing watching these turgid performances.
 
If the players give an extra 20% and start moving and pressing more then yes we will.

Everything has been too pedestrian.

Lacking effort Im afraid. Very little movement up front so crossy in tactics are pointless.
 
We hadn't conceded in the first 7 games and our xG against was ridiculously low. I'm pretty sure we had barely conceded 7 shots on target in our first 7 games actually. The difference in how likely we look to concede goals is stark.

Our own xG was far higher too. I don't have the stats to hand but these are objective facts, not subjective like some of the opinions on here.

These things can change fast, but there is genuine cause for some concern it isn't all just people exaggerating.

I appreciate the depth of your post, but after Easter Road it wasn't something many were taking into consideration, Rangers have often started seasons with patchy performances it isn't exclusive to this season or a new thing.
 
Lacking effort Im afraid. Very little movement up front so crossy in tactics are pointless.
None of our strikers are particularly strong at winning headers or scoring from headers. Our crossing is too often predictable or haphazard.
Our strikers, particularly Morelos just don't carry sufficient threat either. Whilst the current Morelos is more stable, he no longer bullies defenders.
 
Are there many clubs sitting top of their league, who won away from home on saturday, who's fans are now into their 3rd day of an inquest in where it's all gone wrong?
 
Are there many clubs sitting top of their league, who won away from home on saturday, who's fans are now into their 3rd day of an inquest in where it's all gone wrong?

It might not be an inquest from everyone it might be an aspiration on the part of some to watch some more interesting football again after not seeing any games for our money for months
 
Are there many clubs sitting top of their league, who won away from home on saturday, who's fans are now into their 3rd day of an inquest in where it's all gone wrong?
Surely that’s what separates big clubs from the diddies though?

We can’t phone in performances and expect to be able to step it up on demand when someone challenges us or hits us with a surprise setback. We’ve already seen with with Malmö, Dundee United and Motherwell.
 
Simple answer is yes - we have 2 many good players to be off form every single week.

we have seen it in spells (first half against Motherwell) and first half against Dunfermline (granted lower level team)

once people are back fit and a bit of continuity we should be ok.
 
None of our strikers are particularly strong at winning headers or scoring from headers. Our crossing is too often predictable or haphazard.
Our strikers, particularly Morelos just don't carry sufficient threat either. Whilst the current Morelos is more stable, he no longer bullies defenders.

I agree about Morelos. Despite what some on here think he just doesnt make the kind of runs needed to get service.
 
If the players give an extra 20% and start moving and pressing more then yes we will.

Everything has been too pedestrian.

Its a long season, I believe apart from Malmo, we have just done what has been needed. I think december will be the month you will see us stepping it up to cement our place as the elite club.
 
Surely that’s what separates big clubs from the diddies though?

We can’t phone in performances and expect to be able to step it up on demand when someone challenges us or hits us with a surprise setback. We’ve already seen with with Malmö, Dundee United and Motherwell.
We maybe a big club in scotland, but I can guarantee you that malmo never ran scared of us and to put them in the same sentence as Dundee utd and Motherwell is way off the mark.
 
We beat hamilton 8/0 and Aberdeen 5/0 roundabout this point last season, can anybody look me in the eye and tell me we will see scores like that again this season? The fact is last season was a one off we won’t see the likes of it again
League is stronger this season mate
 
While I don't think we're playing at our best, I think these kinds of thoughts are currently being amplified by the mhedia. All we heard for weeks was how class that mob are playing, prime Guardiola football, wouldn't know the difference between them and prime Barca, all the rest of that crap. They haven't won an away game since February and they're sixth.

We are top of the league. A drop off from last season should be expected - we will likely never hit that level of form within the next 10-15 years at least. Back the team, we are top of the league and we will extend that lead at the weekend. We can't and won't keep this form up all season. I have complete faith in the team.
 
Yes we will hit form.

This weekend should be a huge catalyst for that, grinding a win and opening up a bigger gap to Celtic is a big motivational boost.

No we have a game against our direct rival at top of the league. A positive outcome in this will see the players know it’s in their own hands to take the league.
 
Our form isnt good at all and we don't look the same team, whether that's in Europe or the league. There's no use kidding ourselves on. The tims being garbage has taken the heat off us a little but vast majority of games we've struggled in.

For me, it's the midfield balance. Davis was never gonna be in his pomp forever and he's been off it. Goldson defensively has been awful and he was arguably our best player last year. Barisic was a huge huge attacking threat with his crossing last season, and that hasn't happened for him this season. Morelos isn't banging them in although hes been excellent in other areas. Kent , probably our main man in terms of creativity has been off it then injured.

The problem we have is that multiple things that were good for us last year have went the opposite direction. Not just 1 or 2. Helander being injured is a sore one too as he's our best defender and we look all over the shop without him.

I felt in the summer our first team needed freshened up whether that was selling and replacing one or 2 of our main men or something else

We've had a few get out of jail cards played very early in the season. We scraped into the Europa and we've dropped points in the league but the tims have dropped more.

We need a rocket up our arse and fast.
 
It's bound to come together at some point - although, feck knows what the problem is with some of the players. Especially in defence.

However, there is no doubt. At some point we will click and some of the Scottish teams will be onto a hiding.
 
We just need a few individuals to start hitting form really. Morelos and Tav being the two who aren't fully at the races. Getting Kent back will be a big positive as well, think people underestimate just how much he occupies the opposition, especially when it comes to man marking etc. Borna also is crucial and provides assist and creates dangerous opportunities for our attackers. We'd worry less about our leaky defence if we knew our attackers were putting away the chances as well.

Think it's a tad unrealistic to think the whole team is going to be on form all at once. It didn't happen last season, well, not very often at least. Select games it did.
 
I think that's our level for this season , the players haven't shown otherwise . We've stagnated and failed to improve the first 11 . The only saving grace is the form of other teams in the league . The next two league games could see us push away from the rest or end up 4th or 5th behind Motherwell , hibs and hearts . Going by what we've seen there's nothing to suggest we will up our game for hearts or hibs.
 
Maybe Wont hit form like last year, but I think what we are doing now is gonna be enough for the league and a cup!
Hibs and Celtic battle it out for 2nd

We will then go on to champions League group stages due to the new coefficient, the money will ensure we keep winning the league for the forseeable. 10 in a row for us ☺️
 
We struggle with the 10 behind the ball teams.
Hopefully Sunday we will have more space.
 
The only time we've really looked like ourselves was the first half against Malmo,if ever there was a Jekyll and Hyde performance from us,that was it. Seen it in patches,but much more to come from us I think. Certainly not a good watch at the minute. I'd like to see Sakala and Bacuna given a run,but will the Gaffer risk that.
 
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