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I have said this before but some people either dont realise or they wilfully ignore.... Ryan Kent hurts teams and helps us in ways without having the ball. Example.... when he was out of the team we had no real pace to hurt players in behind - we were using Roofe one side and, I think, Wright or Aribo or whomever.... the point being, opposing teams didnt need to sit deeper because of Kent's pace, which meant they could flood our midfield, make it compact and prevent us from having the ball. When Kent plays those same oppositions naturally sit 5-10 yards deeper because Kent can crucify you in behind. Goldson and Kent also have that "connection" whereby Goldson notices Kent's movement and knows exactly when to hit that raking diagonal. We have missed that too. It isnt just what Kent does WITH the ball that hurts opponents and helps us, it is what he does without the ball and the fear his pace strikes in opposing teams, and creates more space for our midfield. It also shouldnt go unnoticed that last night, at times, as soon as Kent got the ball, he had as many as 3 players surrounding him - that also creates space for others. Having the ball is great, but what you do without it can be just as devastating.

If Kent was consistent he wouldnt be at Rangers. It is the price you pay for having such a talented player playing in the backwater Scottish league

You sound like you're planning your squad for your Football Manager game. Formations are starting points for the structure of the team. Players naturally will adjust positionally during games to find and exploit space, to counter opposition tactics, cover for team mates, etc. We play with a nominal front line of 3 players, but there are a number of considerations for the manager when picking which ones - form, fitness, playin style, training performance, opposition-specific tactical adjustments, etc. Yes we could pick our best 3 strikers and that might get some results, but some players are better suited to the wider areas and Kent is one of them.

The Kent debate rears up every once in a while but no one really changes their mind. I doubt any Bear would disagree that Kent at his best is a terrific asset. I doubt any Bear would disagree that he's also inconsistent. It's all about balancing these things up - which the current management team will no doubt be doing, constantly.

Here's my tattoo, pretty impressive eh ?

porteus took 3 separate dives last night trying to win pens or get players sent off. He thinks he is scott brown but shit like that only works if you play for celtc. Should have been sent off.

The same is true for three at the back. Various galaxy brained contributions on the topic will persist regardless.

You simply don`t get it, do you? Roofe and Sakala can play alongside another striker or even in a front 3, they have done so before, occasionally at Rangers too. If you look at the goal stats and minutes of play, you might acknowledge that both Sakala and Roofe are more prolific than Kent. The latter plays nigh every game ... and methinks he had 3 good chances to hit the target (not to mention to score) on Wednesday and whipped all shots wide. And we do not get points for missed chances. His goal tally (stats in brackets for league games) stands at 2 (2) in 25 (17) games, having played 1,965 (1,404) mins. Sakala 30 (20) games, 7 (6) goals, 1,209 (803) mins and Roofe 25 (16) games, 10 (6) goals in 1,259 (798) mins. His assists are fine, 8 in the league ... for a winger. He`s played roughly 600 mins more than either Roofe and Sakala in league games, so why even debate that he is not as lethal? Said it before and only a post or two above. As a provider his contributions are admirably. I would not chop him per se, but we need a cutting edge up top and he ain`t providing it, neither does the right flank. As long as we persist with but one striker up front and non-scoring folk either side of him, we`ll toil against the low-block sides, as we have done for years. Play him on the wing and two strikers up top, no problem.

The winger conversation again?!

And the opposition too. I'd prefer us to set up a couple of bounce matches for them but that's just my opinion.

Only due to the plastic pitch I assume. They need game time to get up to speed. Tomorrow, against inferior opposition, is the perfect time to get them minutes in the legs because both will be needed soon enough.

I'd be keeping the likes of Helendar and Ramsey well away from tomorrow's match.

You have to have blue in your profile name to be correct 😏💙

That's what I thought.

Why not apply that same principle to all the other players? I just don't understand this need to single out certain players for special scrutiny. It's absurd.

Can't see him starting ahead of any of those I named but I'm sure he'll feature from the bench.

Sasa Papac disagrees.

Every player has his poor games

It's a classic example of supporter derangement. Willie Johnston, Tommy McLean and Davie Cooper were probably better than any winger we have today and Cooper in particular was notoriously inconsistent. No doubt his failure to deliver stellar performances every week would see calls for him to be dropped today. It seems the better the player, the greater the intolerance of the supporter but I suppose that's what it's all about though. We supporters are all deranged to some extent, it goes with the territory.

Only that he is not used as a winger, but de facto an inside left attacking player in a nominal 4-3-3. And of those I expect a certain goal-return or send him out on the wing and play another striker with an end product. We`ve seen in these last two games two that his shooting is - still - quite erratic. And that is against teams that play quite open. Against the low blocks his pace and trickery has become blunt ... and not just last week. Teams know how to nullify most of his strengths in such games ... he gets frustrated an vanishes from games for 30 to 50 mins. While Hearts and Hibs are tough opponents on their own, not least when they are up for it and press our players, they play open football. That is when Kent, Sakala and Co. have their day and hit them with their pace. Those are not the games we toil though. The moment we get points for having possession, for yards of completed passes and "striking fear into the opposition", we`ll be out of sight before x-mas. In the here and now we create 10 to 30 chances per game, have 5 to 15 shots on target, but fail to score time and again. In the here and now, the 3-0s, 5-0s or even 8-0s are just deviations from the norm - something you can easily verify by looking at the results from this and last season. If you have a Robben, RIbery and Lewandowski or Müller in a 3-man front line and all hammer in 10+ goals ALONG with their wing-/striker-play, fine. If you play Kent - Morelos - *insert anyone deemed to be a right attacker on the day* time and again and hope that Alfie drags us out with his goal-prowess (if he`s on fire) or Kent actually finds the net or Aribo come up with one of his specials ... and have no-one bar Arfield with some sort of predatory instinct and will to shoot, you essentially hand games and points away with relative ease - or at least make us toil for all points in a way that is not necessary. I am totally at a loss how people can`t get beyond that 4-3-3 against low blocks when we play people up there who hardly score while having regularly 2 strikers on the bench who can actually fill either slot in that front 3. Strikers who are far more lethal in the few minutes they get ... while still keep the likes of Kent on the pitch. We de facto have been playing into the hands of each of the low block teams for the best part of 3 or even 5 seasons, getting away with it ONCE because of the quality we brought in and a defence worthy of its name. Now we again start pointing at certain players in defence or goals and lament their fall from grace, but fail to acknowledge that our main problem is not conceeding goals, but not scoring enough from the chances we create.

Ahem....😗

He hasnt been at his best for sure, but he also spent time on the sidelines injured and struggled to get back to his best - what we have seen in the last couple of games is Ryan Kent at his best, absolutely terrorising defences.

Never once regretted getting Bo'ness Young Team tattooed on my forehead. Complete personal choice.

It was an observation, based on conversations I've had with friends and colleagues who visit tattoo parlours. I'm a big fan of sweeping generalisations. 😀

I have two tattoos, so fucking what? imagine judging people because they have a tattoo!!!, crazy!

Steady on!!

Decent performance. Still concerns about the defence, particularly with Balogun's departure. Morelos was great again. That Jasper clearly tugged Kent's shirt with no punishment and then went on to commit at least another two clear fouls, with no card forthcoming. Scottish refereeing is so poor/inconsistent. As for Porteous' spot of breakdancing after a 50/50 with Arfield - that boy really is a complete fanny.

Yeah, I mean, injury prone suggests you can't get over those niggles and knocks, or maybe reoccurrence of same injuries. Any of our players on the weekend taking that same tackle Jack did would be getting rested this evening would they be injury prone too ?