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There are folks on this forum whose understanding of modern formations and tactics are ahead of mine and, I would appreciate if my perception can be explained? I have attended all three of the home friendlies in the last week and I understand the purpose is to increase both fitness and sharpness. Since the first half hour against Newcastle United I got the impression which has prevailed throughout. Out of possession, we appear too narrow. All three opposition sides worked out early to play out to in and bypass our front and middle three. Two or three passes sees them on the edge of our box. In possession; again, too narrow. Until we reach the opposition last third, then both full backs are charging to get up to provide the necessary width. An opposition interception at this point sees us caught out on the transition. Further, having watched the Servette/Genk match on Tuesday evening, both sides have the smarts to sidestep our current system.

My first trip to Ibrox this season, with my Dad and my 2 sons, I was looking forward to a pleasant summer evening watching Rangers fine tune our new team. There were some positives. Souttar continues to impress both as a stopper but also his ability to carry the ball out of defence. If, and I accept that's a big word in this context, he can stay fit he could have a big season ahead. Reading this thread I suspect not everyone will agree but I thought Lammers played quite well. His touch, his movement, his link up play all impressed me. He was unlucky with a chance in the second half from our best move of the game too. I think he and the players around him just need to get to know each other a bit better and he could be a really good signing. McCrorie didn't do anything wrong, he was blameless at the goal and looked comfortable in the first half. I didn't think Tav did much wrong either. He was a bit quieter going forward but his short passing and link up was decent, nothing we didn't know before of course. Raskin was comfortable, missing a bit of sharpness but he looked like he's a week or so away from the season starting, so right on course. However, the negatives far outweighed the positives. Cantwell hasn't found the form of last season, hopefully that happens soon. In a competitive match he'd have been lucky not to be sent off last night. Sima gets into good positions but doesn't yet seem to know what to do with them. His career to date suggests he doesn't score many goals, nothing I've seen so far contradicts that. So far he doesn't feel like an improvement on Kent, but it's still early days. Dessers hasn't played 90 minutes of football for us yet, I can't judge him on what I've seen. He's less mobile than I thought he'd be, for a big guy he was easily dispossessed last night, but he doesn't look fit far less match fit. Again, he needs a bit of time to bed in and find form. I liked Dowell in the previous two games, but he was a bit lost last night. Barasic is getting a lot of flack, much of it justified, but Dowell didn't do much defensively last night to help. I'm inclined to agree that Cantwell and Davies were most culpable for their first goal, but no one covered themselves in glory and the Greeks were getting a lot of joy down our left and really should have scored before hey did. This isn't news to anyone who has watched Rangers in the last few seasons, that it hasn't been addressed yet is a concern. Yilmaz reputation continues to benefit from not being Barasic, but from what I've seen before, and again last night, he's just as suspect defensively. He's not the answer. Lundstram and McLoughlin had particularly bad cameos, Matondo and Sakala had better ones. There's only one side in Scotland as good as Olympiacos, however Kilmarnock have been in Cup duty and will be sharper come kick off. There's still a lot of work for us to do.

It's not the results. It's the complete lack of a style of play.

A disappointing result last night at Ibrox. Obviously it was made worse by the concession of three very cheap goals but more worrying for me was the fact we seem to be struggling shape-wise over the last few friendlies. Lots for the coaching staff to iron out as August approaches. Some thoughts: Yes, it makes sense for the manager to rotate his side and ensure minutes for the whole squad but I was surprised not to see Butland start. He's new so needs to develop a relationship with his defence so play him. Similar can be said at left back with Yilmaz. Who is first choice? Play them and stick with them please. Despite being somewhat culpable at the first goal, I thought Davies played well last night and his partnership with Souttar looks to be improving. Yfeko has done fine and was unlucky at the second goal when McLaughlin gave up, but Davies it is for now. Hopefully we can see Sterling provide depth on the flanks as we need another RB option as Tav needs competition. Into midfield, I'm not sure of the system. It doesn't look like a diamond as the main striker has been too isolated in Newcastle/Olympiacos games but it's far too narrow with likes of Dowell and Cantwell not appearing to understand their role. Arrival of Cifu might be the glue we need as Raskin was asked to do too much last night. Further forward we clearly have lots of options and Lammers looks particularly positive but neither he or Sima seem sure of their positioning meaning we have huge gaps on both flanks on the defensive transition. That might be OK domestically but better teams will take advantage. All things considered, I'm not overly concerned. Familiarity will help, Danilo will help as Dessers finds his sharpness, fitness will help and I'm confident improvement will come. Pre-season is all about delivering that (not one-off results or exaggerating mistakes) but manager has to realise clock is already ticking. Pressure is on!

Is it Espanyol?

I expected to see that against Olympiacos, which is probably why I'm so disappointed.

In more ways than one unfortunately..

It looked to me to be switching between a diamond and a Christmas tree type set up, with Lammers behind Dessers but Sima switching between being high beside Dessers when we do have the ball but being in line with Lammers when we don’t have the ball. When we played the Christmas tree formation under Gerrard, we had Kamara/ Davis, Jack and Aribo in the 3. I’d say that’s a much more solid 3 with 2 traditional centre mids and 1 more attack minded. At the moment, we only have Raskin who is a traditional centre mid, with basically 3 attack minded midfielders in front of him. I don’t see the balance there at all, and it shows. One thing that is consistent in football is that defenders look terrible when they aren’t protected by the midfield. I think there is too much focus on personnel in defence and not enough on the system and the protection from the midfield.

I'm not concerned about the result. These games are meaningless in that regard. We beat Real Madrid last season (?) and were awful when the proper games started. What I am concerned about is the lack of a recognisable style of play; it was so aimless and disjointed. It doesn't have to be perfect but there has to be something. Tottenham were beaten by West Ham 2-3, but the fans were raving about the football. They were excited; they saw what Ange was trying to do. It's just all so flat and boring from us. I feel like that's MB to a tee. How long until the #BealeOut meme stops being a joke? Asking for a friend.

The Euro Conference Cup match is currently being broadcast live on the BBC Scotland i-Player. The Andorran minnows are striving to take the Hi-bees scalp on their open bowl of a ground. The Pyrenean Principality has a lot of topography and the far side of the ground has a thirty foot high retaining stone wall. Atop is an olive grove containing a motorhome park. There are two late middle aged guys standing up against the wire fence, hands in pockets watching the game. One is bald, wearing glasses and, looks well shifty. The other is a grey haired bespectacled even shiftier character. When the Andorrans scored on the 15th minute, the actions of both suggest Happy(unhappy) Hibbys. When Polis Scotland arrested and interviewed Peter Murrell, they took his Passport, didn't they? Similarly, Susan Aitken's husband, Gordon Archer was banned from holding Directorship office for six years last November, after £400,000 was transferred out of his green energy firm days before it went bust. Maybe, they have got a couple of those Humza citizenship burgundy passports? Anyways, it looks like Rangers will have to sail(not Cal Mac) the Scottish coefficient ship alone again. Hibs have not created a single chance and at half-time it remains Inter d'Escaldes 1 Hibs 0.

I expected to see more of the same as last season - or, the end of the season - with better players. What we've seen is tinkering, without a consistent approach. That's the same whether you have a bunch of sh*te players or good players - albeit the latter will mask it more. I find that a bit concerning. Like I've said, I'm not expecting the final product, but I expected to see something. It's still all so disjointed. It's frustrating.

We can talk about shape, formation, grasp of pitch geography, etc. until we are blue (what else?) in the face, but when we give the ball away, consistently, due to poor decision making, poor execution, desperation, or lack of options, does it matter?

The guys who made those errors are mostly still here from what I can see. McLaughlin, Soutter, Davies, Barisic, Tav etc?

Indeed some would prefer it.

Yesterday was rubbish bit it doesn't really matter lets be honest. As @yuddie posted earlier in the thread the players legs looked heavy and the manager has since said this is intentional. I get the complaints from supporters that the game wasn't enjoyable and hard to watch but if this leads to a fit and firing team in 9 days at Killie then is for the greater good. Pre season isn't about results or entertainment.

It has not been a joke for me since the trophyless season we endured last year. Not answering for a friend.

Just wanted to add a post script to previous comments... We have Danilio coming in and everyone will undoubtedly get excited but Danilio won't make any difference if we don't have a discernable shape/identity. That is the key to getting the best out of our new recruits (and old faces).

As much as I feel that it's too early to start getting concerned, I have to agree with Frankie and Rousseau's previous comments. I have not seen any of the games but from what I'm reading from our learned bretheren on here we are rather disjointed and at this stage seem to lack an identity. Early days I know considering the mass rotation used over 3 games and the amount of new faces, its maybe not too surprising. What has surprised me is the rotation of key positions, for example, the goalkeeper. What could we possibly learn from playing goalie 2 and 3 in these games? Maybe Butland had a knock but for me this is a vital position that should be cemented early doors by the management. Butland hasn't come up here to rotate with 2 other keepers so get him playing every bloody game at this stage. The same with Ridvan. If he is your preferred left back, play him now and get him up to speed. Cameos and 45 minutes here and there are not what he needs. Much to ponder, but it is making me think that having too many options on the face of it is a luxury but can also be a curse. Don't keep tinkering Michael Beale. Pick your preferred team and go with it.

I drove 5 hours to watch that absolute shambles tonight. I couldn't believe what I was watching, woeful doesn't begin to describe it. It was utterly disjointed, embarrassing. We were given a football lesson by Olympiacos and if we play like that in a couple of weeks we'll get another one. We should be past the stage of giving everyone a run out. We need to be playing our primary choices and assessing any changes needed. Someone please introduce Dessers to the ball because I don't think they've met yet.

Oh dear that age old problem at the back continues defenders that can’t do their job teams with this type of player are doomed to struggle oh dear oh dear .

I'm disgusted by talk of a new manager. Yes, we face challenges but to suggest crap like this before a competitive ball is kicked is deranged. By all means criticise what we saw last night but show some composure ffs.

Wos it the altitude, rather than the aptitude, or, even, the attitude, wot dun for them? Whatever, d'Escaldes were too hot....

I have a horrible feeling that you might be right: the strategy might not be good enough - it gives the appearance of being easy to read, hence easy to counter, and thus is -and may be likely to continue to be- ineffective.

I left Ibrox last night feeling the same deflation. I think it was the excitement of perceived progress at last that came from recent recruitment, followed by the stark realisation that I had just watched all the same old flaws all over the park. I don't know why but it was true.

Perhaps it is harsh. I've always said Beale doesn't excite me. He's quite limited in his set-up, IMO. Hopefully we see it in the next game. I just really expected to see something, anything in the last couple of games, but they've left me feeling deflated.

Surely the tactics we employed in the second half of last season, but carried out by better players, would be enough to see us qualify for the Champion's League (which we managed last season) and win the league, or at least put a proper challenge in? I mean against Celtic, under Beale, our main problem was individual errors. Won't our better players make fewer errors? Haven't we brought in better players? I thought second half of last season our tactics were pretty good, it was error prone defenders, keepers who wouldn't leave their line and goal shy forward players that cost us. What am I missing here?

At Hoffenheim, our last public pre-season game, you would like to see a starting line-up and tactic for the next few weeks. Once the CL qualifiers happen by, we need a settled team.

Reminds me of when I went to the Chevy dealer and offered them 25K for that new Corvette....they haven't called back for some reason. We need to sell a couple guys before we can handle that tab.

Give it time. We are trying to integrate 7 new players during pre season friendlies which have involved highly rotated line ups? I get the lack of style argument and don't fully agree with MB's rotational teams (why play McLaughlin) but we need to show calm heads here. Last year we had a great pre season and looked amazing vs a Premier league team and look how that unfolded.

This 100% If we win on Saturday we'll be certs to win CL. If we draw or God forbid lose, we'll want everyone sacked.

Personally, his quality is what makes his constant unavailability so hard to take. No one cares when Matondo is injured.

not the way we shoot

It’s not the result or the performance of individual players but the absence of any discernible organisation or style of play that is of most concern. It’s one thing to perform poorly, it’s another thing altogether when it’s apparent they didn’t seem to understand what was required of them. If the manager has been clear with them, there’s been ample time for professional players to absorb what’s expected. We seem to be in the same place as last season but with different faces.

Unless they prove us otherwise in weeks and months to come, IMHO, Roofe is still our most clinical striker. Lammers looks to me more like the Laudrup type of attacker, Dessers a straight centre forward who feeds off others, and Sima a decent enough left sided attacker / striker. Who knows where Danilo fits in, but if we pay serious money for Dessers and Danilo, it is most likely them being meant to be first choice. Sakala fits in all across the front line, always a pest, always a danger - even if his end product is lacking somewhat (but is - without doubt - still there). MB has a task on his hands to check out who is working best against what type of opposition. As of now, if everyone is fit, our attack force it heavily loaded with people, of whom we essentially know only Sakala, Cantwell, Roofe and Lawrence, the last two in patches only. The front and second row union needs to be made to click and while it may take a month or two, we won't run out of attackers like the last few seasons. That should give us some hope. My main concern remains the defensive, as we simply concede too many cheap goals. Get these chap fit and make it a back-3. We need to get this particular house in order.

I take comfort in the fact that we've played quality opposition in pre-season. Olympiacos, Newcastle and Hoffenheim are European level opponents imo and even Hamburg are steps above what we'll play domestically.

I haven't been convinced yet by Sima, Dessers and Lammers (to lesser degree) to allow Sakala, Matondo or Roofe to be sold yet, and I'm also not holding my breath for any of those to be replaced by better quality at this stage. I'm beginning to think we've gambled too much by brining in ALL (?) of MB's targets in one go. I'm yet to be impressed by any of them so far, so I hope Cifuentes and Danilo make the difference. I know it takes time for new players, who have moved to a foreign country to settle in and be their best on the park, so maybe being a little unfair to judge at this stage, but recruiting more players now might be a bit too much, unless we can find better quality here in Scotland....

Ross Wilson is a genius.

I watched the entire game live last evening between Servette and Genk and, the genuinely surprising aspect was the hammer and tongs approach of both teams. It was mostly end to end. I think Genk shaded the possession stats, certainly more studied in their build up play. Two players for the Belgian side caught the eye, the Nigerian centre forward, Tolu Arokodare scored the opener. He is 6 feet 5 inches tall and easily rose above everyone else in the box to nod home. He is big and awkward. The other was a wide right midfielder/forward, Joseph Paintsil is a tricky, fast footed Ghanaian. He was Genk's continual out ball. However, he displayed a fair bit of petulance towards the officials and, was deservedly cautioned. He could be worked on. Both sides were quick in the transition but, Servetted were marginally quicker. They caught Genk out on three-four occasions with the long diagonal switch, probably because Paintsil pushed too far forward. They had two one on ones with the Keeper but failed to convert. The Swiss looked a bit pacey in the wide areas. Further, they picked up four bookings. Both clubs did not look too clever defensively. Next week, we will find out whether it is the plucky Belgians or the punctilious Swiss who are visiting Ibrox the following week?

Leaving Rousseau's addled line ups aside ... ... one of my first dictionaries of English was published in 1957 (fair city of Leipzig, deep in "commie land"), which is actually a picture dictionary. It has a neat draw of many a sports game and the football page gives you the goalkeeper, the right back and left back (either side of the penalty area), with centre half in the middle. Ahead of him the right and left half, ahead of those the centre forward, flanked by the inside right and inside left, with the outside right / right winger and outside left / left winger on the touch lines. Those were the days, right?! On paper a clear 3-2-5 or perhaps 3-4-3, if you count the outside left and right guys a "midfielders". That's how we should approach most games in Scotland, anyway.

Easy. Half 8 = 4 = Right Half.

Interesting article on Cifu: https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/set-to-join-rangers-jose-cifuentes-has-elements-of-caicedo-and-pogba/view/news/417267 Looking forward to Rousseau explaining the half 8 role to der Berliner as the season goes on.

I agree. But who? Beale, has experience as a (first class) coach, less as a manager, so that was the thinking here . I can't think of any 'proven' managers outside smaller country leagues that would come to us.... but I'm not knowledgeable enough to know in any case.

News that Sakala has rejected an offer from Saudi 🤦‍♀️ Rangers star 'REJECTS big money move' to Saudi Arabia to fight for Ibrox future | The Scottish Sun We really need to get some of these guys moved on. McLaughlin Barisic Davies Lundstram Kamara Sakala Matondo Roofe Can all go ASAP Would listen to offers for Tav Hagi Ridvan McRorie Expect this to pick up in the coming weeks.

I’ve always believed that friendlies do give you a pretty good idea of how the team is shaping up. It isn’t just a workout. Especially when you are testing out a whole new system. There should be signs that it is working.

I watched that for 90mins, and it was a shambles from back to front, and from front to back. Not only did they play like they had never seen each other before, they played like they had never seen a ball before. Were there any +ves from the performance? No. Did any of the new players look the part? No; they looked like duds. Where does MB go from here? Don't know, but it's not likely to be the Champions' League.

I agree. I’ve seen more than enough to see he is not the quality we are looking for and we vastly overpaid for his services. Hoping he just needed time to settle but he will not get into this side ahead of Borna on current or past form.

No, no and, thrice no. Half 8 is a pie with three bites out of it.