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So Alfie, Jack and Ramsey in squad, wonder how many minutes we'll go get out of them? I'd start all 3 and replace as and when necessary.

Hm. Disappointing isn't the word i would use. But suppose you are not going to get real honesty from these press conferences. All the usual soundbites about wanting to see a reaction no doubt from the manager. I don't want to see a reaction. I want to see an aggressive team on the front foot. High pressing not letting Hearts settle. Put them under pressure. I want to see Aaron Ramsey even if he can only play 60 mins. We can make 5 subs. I don't want to see Barisic, Kent or Kamara. I want to see a team with a shape and a midfield presence. A forward line that can impose on the game and work together, not two wide wingers and a forward stuck leading the line himself against Hearts back 3. I want us to control the game and dictate the tempo. Not sit back to wait and see what happens.

Absolutely. Best feet forward from the off.

The game was going to be different in the second half to be fair. In-game changes were absolutely essential after about 10 minutes to stop them slicing through us down the right hand side but they weren’t made and we paid the price.

By the way, I would like to see Gerrard’s diamond against them. CCV started almost all their attacks with incisive passes to Juranovic or Abada. If we had two strikers we could cut that out at source. It would present other challenges but it might have worked better than the wide 4-3-3 anyway which was absolutely disastrous with one pass repeatedly getting them into a promising position on the right and Kent in no man’s land.

Maybe I misinterpreted. Like I said, "[T]heir signings are based on Angie; players that he knows and likes, and that work within his system. When he goes that collapses." I would not swap policies. I think we've got the better, strategic approach.

Cap'n Cook Endeavours. Today, BBC Scotland announced their successor to Sarah Smith as Scotland Editor. Sarah has decided to cast off for the calmer waters of the USA. Of course, her Father was former Labour Leader, John Smith and her six years at PQ have been largely ignored by the Gang Hut. She is very much the old establishment and her designation is in reality the liaison link to BBC UK. Further, she has criticised Nicola for using the Covid pandemic as a means of control, lots of air time handed over for daily briefings. Most importantly to the Gang Hut, she appears not to have hated Rangers and Rangers supporters. Her successor has very real Rangers hating credentials, his determined approach in this regard is probably only trumped by James Cook's naked ambition. You may remember Ally McCoist's tenure as Rangers manager? It was turbulent and in those days the club continued to converse with PQ. Dairmid O'Hara(brother of SNP MP Brendan) was News Editor and he was responsible for showing stock footage of the Rangers support singing, with a bouncing ball along the bottom of the screen highlighting the lyrics. He sent James to interview McCoist at Ibrox. BBC Scotland broadcast a three-four minute piece that showed Ally laughing off tough questions on supposed sectarianism. It also showed Ally looking off camera and raising his eyebrows(not taking the question seriously) after James Cook had pleaded for the issue to be addressed. McCoist's reaction to the broadcast was genuine anger, he disagreed with both content and presentation. He and the Club submitted a complaint. It took a few weeks but James Cook and his Producer both apologised. They admitted they had Edited the footage to make it look like McCoist did not take sectarianism seriously. They had cut the film and inserted clips of McCoist laughing before the interview began, as reactions to questions. James Cook was promoted for giving his Editor what he wanted, he headed off the States as BBC's USA Correspondent. BBC Scotland followed by broadcasting opening credits to a live Rangers match, heavily influenced by the Mad Men series. It was a graphic depicting Ally McCoist throwing himself through the second storey Ibrox window. PQ apologised for that too as they have had to do on a dozen occasions since. I am told James Cook supports Dundee United, he has navigated and satisfied his burning ambition upon the troubled waters of Rangers hate. He should be reminded at every opportunity.

100%. They were very well coached, and we hadn’t done our homework. There’s individual responsibility in there too, experienced players being drawn to the ball like moths to a flame.

The jambos will be confident come Sunday and rightly so because our lot dont know if they need a shite a shave or a haircut

Even if GVB picked the right midfield and defensive options, we would still have been pulled apart without the mentality that he should have instilled in the players. They gave them too much space and time and that's the aspect that worries me most.

To be fair we were 6 points clear at the top of the league and thats with a manager whose heart was not in it for a few months while the Aston Villa job was on his mind. I've heard that was on the cards for a long time before it happened, you only need to look at the speed with which it did happen once the rumours were made public. Gio played the wrong midfield if we were going to adopt the sitting in approach. We surely needed Davis and maybe Lundstram if we planned to defend (assuming Jack wasnt fit enough to play the 90 mins) playing defensive football with a midfield of Aribo, Arfield and Kamara was just plain wrong. I still feel there is enough in that squad to win the title. Celtic arent as good as we made them look by sitting off them. They struggled past Dundee Utd at home only a w eek ago. I also really hope Jack is back for the season, he and Ramsay could be the heart of a terrific midfield for us. We'll soon have Morelos back and with Balogun back at Centre back instead of Bassey and Helander on the way we are good enough to win this league provided Gio learns from his mistakes. I wonder if part of the problem with Gio is that he never brought in a Scottish assistant. Somebody like McCann or KT could have given him more up to date knowledge of Scottish football and the Rangers squads strenghts and weaknesses for that matter.

I was just watching the game back there and there was a move which absolutely summed up what I said pre-match about GVB's system. Under Gerrard, Kent would tuck in and block the passing channels and Celtic really struggled to build attacks. In this move, the ball is with Carter-Vickers, Kent is wide (in no man's land), Carter Vickers passes through to a centre mid who then plays it out to Juranovic who is now miles away from Kent (who is still in no man's land watching the ball), Barisic is also ball watching and is drawn to Juranovic and leaves Abada to run off him and he then receives the ball in acres of space and gets the by-line and they nearly score from the cut-back. Individuals do need to take responsibility but tactically, you have to wonder what they talk about before games and how GVB didn't see that coming.

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Against previous managers, to be fair, but yes.

Yes. Even a narrow 4-3-3, zonal defense would have been better: let them buzz about; we'll control the space. But, nope...

Spot on!

Not my intention to slate anything, I was more being objective. I dont think i've slated anyone or anything in my post? Merely a comparison and trying to illustrate there are bargains out there if you know where to look. Bassey and Hagi are definitely good signings. Sakala the jury is out. Sands, Soutter and Zukowski will need a good number of games before I'll judge.

Could be indeed! But, something we have not discussed on here (I don't think) and may not be supported by many, is the notion that Celtic lost the title last season because they were even more is disarray that we are now. 25points margin could suggest otherwise, but I don't know. Do we have a squad with the right mentality AND capability to deliver the tactical instructions given to them? Gerrard indirectly may have hinted at this when complaining about spending nothing in his last 2 windows and then jumps ship so not to tarnish his reputation when the first decent job comes along.

Don't recall that happening, possibly beer in your case mate and maybe my tea was too strong.

In light of the result last night. And the player that scored twice against us. A 900k signing from Japan who likes a shot outside the box. We have all speculated that we pushed the boat out to get Ramsey as there were no alternatives available. We reportedly paid a 2 Million loan fee despite subsiding a very small portion of the wage. Ramsey is a great signing and I'm going to enjoy watching him play for us. But was it the right signing? time will tell. That little chap has played a few games for Celtic so far yet had a big impact. They also signed a MK Dons player with a small outlay. Midfielder. He did ok against us although I admit i didn't watch him closely. There are players out there if you are looking in the right places. Perhaps the 'only bring in better' approach we had should (in retrospect i admit) been replaced with 'lets bring in hungry players we can improve'. I say that given the likely turnover of players we are sure to see in the summer, and the fact most of this squad has been here for some time and the squad seems to have gone stale. To add. Wilson is a DoF. Not a scout. Are our signings not adding value down to Wilson, or Scoulding and the scouting team for not providing the right options?

I think you cant have one without the other. Application is the prerequisite to any tactical victory. I don't the believe our players applied themselves as much as they could have. Of course the Tactical side also had a big impact but it did so because the Celtic side had players that applied themselves better.

Its simple Celtic won because they were the more superior team in every department players manager the lot .

I don't understand this preoccupation with the same old platitudes; hunger, desire, 'pashun'. That's not why we lost the game. It plays its part, but we would have still lost with those aspects at full-power. Celtic's rotations out wide completely stumped us. The use of inverted fullbacks was just like Pep. Tactically, we couldn't work it out. Our players were dragged all over the place.

Yes I agree. This is at the heart of everything. Too many of last season’s squad have sunk deep into their comfort zone and decided to stay there. GvB will know this - he’s been through it himself and knows what’s missing. The question is whether he can find a way to re-energise the players. I just don’t see him shouting and intimidating but I do think he will simply drop certain players, explain why and leave it to them to decide if they want a future here. I suspect we might have seen the last of at least one first team regular.

No man of the match thread? (I know)

Please enter me, thanks Frankie!

Please enter me for the draw. Many thanks.

Too big and too nice for the trolley mate.... Size – 44mm x 3mm Weight – 35 grams Metal – Brass Plating – Antique Bronze

Look superb! please add me. What size are they? Will it fit in the Tesco trolley slot. 🙂

I thought it was a bold strategy by them to sign a team of wee lads like 5"8 Japanese, Croatian left backs, Kilmarnock left backs and Israeli wingers. Turned out their wee guys bullied ours and just about every other team in Scotland over the past few months. Maybe Scottish football is changing and the days of Scott McKennas, Darren Dodds etc are long gone.

If 2022 could have started any worse for Rangers fans, then I think only avoiding defeat against Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup counts. Draws away to Aberdeen and Ross County and our long unbeaten run blown into smithereens with as bad a performance as we’ve seen at Parkhead in many a year means not only have we dropped seven points in the four league games this year, we’ve now surrendered our position at the top of the table to Celtic as well. What has gone wrong? I’d imagine we’d all have our own opinions on that – personnel wise at least. However the bringing forward of the winter break is arguably the biggest factor. Yes, we weren’t exactly firing on all cylinders through December but we did win all six league games and only Lyon managed to score against us in the Europa League. Meanwhile key players like Morelos and Kent seemed to be finding some much-needed form, confidence was high and we were going into games with Aberdeen and Celtic as favourites. The three week break stopped that momentum and it’s fair to say we’ve not got going again since. Nevertheless, the break cannot be used as excuse – quite the opposite in fact. For one thing, when Gio arrived in late November, fans were worried he’d not have time to bed in with a tricky run of games in December. However, the Dutchman started well and his ‘keep the zero’ mantra as well as scoring more goals meant our form was healthy. Yes, a premature break was disagreeable but it allowed us to regroup, get injured players fit and work on tactics under the new manager. One or two players were going to be missing through international duties but there’s something far wrong if a 26-man squad can’t cope with the loss of a few players. Unfortunately, struggle we have and the loss of confidence right through the side appears stark in the last week or two. From the goalkeeper, through the defence, midfield and attack, it’s difficult to point to any player and say they’ve turned up in 2022. McGregor had a nightmare in Dingwall, the full backs were appalling at Parkhead, the centre backs seem unable to communicate, our midfield is non-existent, our wingers rarely beat their man and our strikers lack presence. All in all, if there is a system to speak of it’s not working. We carry a minimal threat and ‘keep the zero’ seems to have instilled a defensive mindset in periods of matches that is now difficult to shake off. Last night’s game at Parkhead summed much of these criticisms up. The starting XI was one many supporters (yours truly included) predicted and wanted. It was a strong line-up, one with attacking intent and a defence more than capable of providing the platform. Yet, almost immediately Celtic forced us back and it quickly became evident, we could not contain our hosts. Worse, as is becoming a habit this year so far, it was very difficult to suggest a Rangers player that did their job. Substitutes Ryan Jack and Leon Balogun undoubtedly steadied the ship but, by that time, Celtic players were smoking cigars. In retrospect, it’s easy to criticise our starting line-up and I’m happy to concede I under-estimated the opposition. If we had to contain Celtic in the first half, then a double-pivot should have been deployed but, if not, why were so many players incapable of following instruction? Celtic could have driven a bus through either flank and, even when we did get the ball, in possession we were so weak – mentally and physically – it was obvious we didn’t believe in our own abilities. So much so, waiting until half-time to make changes resulted in the game being out of our reach by the time the whistle did go. What now for the team? Well, that’s a very difficult question to answer. It’s fair to say the honeymoon period for the manager is now well and truly over. But, it’s also fair to say, all is not lost yet and that must be the mindset going forward, even if our next two matches against Hearts and Hibs won’t be easy. With both games at home and the return of the hugely missed Alfredo Morelos, the Rangers camp simply must remain positive over the next week in particular. Yes, losing our place at the top of table hurts but everyone, from the manager to the players and supporters should use that hurt, that palpable pain of an Old Firm humbling, to turn things around. Of course that can be easier said than done so it will be interesting to see how the manager achieves it. Does he change his system back to something more familiar to the players? Does he make wholesale changes to his personnel and, if so, who is dropped? And, who among the squad will show the leadership qualities required to change our fortunes? One thing is for sure these players are capable. Right through the squad, we have more than enough talent to win us games and many of them demonstrated this last season. The addition of Aaron Ramsey will help and, whilst Amad Diallo had a dreadful evening against Celtic, he won’t be the last to do that. Both come with impressive reputations but their profile won’t be enough to deliver results. Effort, humility and teamwork will also be required and that goes for all of the existing squad. The winning of league title 55 is still fresh in the memory for many of us and shows what remains possible for this group of players. Delivering a 56th title will now be much more difficult but that challenge should be something successful players crave and face head-on. The next few weeks will show if last season was a one-off and if a genuine winning mentality is something we can rely on at Rangers. At this point I could conclude with a suitable Bill Struth quote but I’d rather Gio and his team made their own history. I cannot wait to get back to Ibrox on Sunday afternoon – I hope the players are making their way onto the training pitch today with the same hunger, determination and belief.

That would be putting politely / lightly especially 1st half and the last 5 mins of 1st half in particular.

It could be argued they had a better team / players in August than they did last night. We had Kent playing clearly injured, McCorrie in goal, Balogun at right back but found ways to nullify them and win the game (from a set-piece).

I come to this thread nearly a full 24 hours after last night's debacle. I was hurting so bad from what I witnessed last night I just couldn't face it. Nearly a day later I don't feel much better but I have now read through the now 39 page long match thread and now this Winners or Losers thread. A wide mix of opinions as you would expect. Bill's post above probably some up best my own POV . I am 100% in agreement. A few of my own thoughts in support. The Gerrard v GVB debate. The former left us before a major cup final taking the whole backroom along. The latter parachuted in by DoF very quickly. A new and better launchpad? Well, window is closed, squad is "as good as it gets" and it must be time to start making tactical and player adjustments. The Weird Celtic manager? The turnaround is astounding. He has single handedly (with 2 Lennon buffoon coaches still there) identified replacements and a new team ethic that is fast gaining momentum. The game itself? Completely blew us away. As most would agree it could have been a 7 - 1 from the 1950's. We did not "win" the 2nd half. Unlike Walker baying for 4 or 5, this weird Aussie quickly realised game won, drop the tempo, concede possession and see game out. He even had the audacity to bring some pimply kid on for experience. Looked more focused on the next game than rubbing our noses in it. Even post match, there was celebration with fans but no excessive "over reaction" like the old Broonie / Griffiths days. Their captain very measured and grounded on the games ahead. A steely determination. It really is over to us now to respond. Leaders need to be found and step up quickly. The next 2 games are now crucial. 6 points from 6 a necessity. We can't rely on them having no resolve and crumbling. I see no sign of it. We must match their results "toe to toe" at least until OF game.

We could do with a few more players with the spirit and attitude of young Mr Bassey.

We have 3 centre mid positions. If you go with say Ramsey, Aribo and Jack you have Kamara, Arfield, Davis, Lowry, Lundstram and Sands on the bench. Compare that to only Scott Wright and Sakala (a centre forward to trade) covering the wing positions. One position clearly has stronger competition than the other.