Rousseau

Barker looks alright; picks up some nice positions, and is always looking for a forward pass. 

1 minute ago, the gunslinger said:

Kamara has been one of our best and most consistent players so far. Can't understand why he's been dropped 

I agree with you, but I think it's just for a more offensive option; nothing wrong with that. 

I think Itten is playing in the wider role, a bit like Mandzukic used to do in Bayern's 4-2-3-1. 

We've started the season with a 4-2-3-1, and I don't see that changing. 

Roofe will come into the wider position or in behind, with Itten up top,

They're not wingers anyway, they play narrow. The width comes from our FBs, Barisic and Tavernear. 

I much prefer Kamara and Jack. Davis has been a wonderful player, but his body is not responding, IMO. He's certainly more capable of playing a forward pass than Kamara.

However, it's been Jack that has been tasked with playing the forward pass, but he's not done it, despite being capable, like Davis. 

For me, the issue was the forwards being unavailable for the pass, not so much Kamara and Jack. 

28 minutes ago, der Berliner said:

This looks more like a 4-4-2 with Roofe and Itten up top, but we shall see. Hopefully, come 5 o'clock, I will be smitten bei Itten  ?

We play 4-3-2-1, and you incorrectly maintain we're playing 4-2-3-1. 

We play 4-2-3-1, and you (incorrectly) suggest we're playing 4-4-2. 

Brilliant. 

44 minutes ago, Tannochsidebear said:

And at last the Jack-Kamara partnership is binned for this type of game, with Jack retaining his place and joined by Davis, with Barker Roofe Itten & Kent all playing with Hagi benched.

To be replaced by Davis-Jack, which is basically the same.

Sorry I'm late - I thought it was a Sunday game. 

Rangers 2 - 0 Kilmarnock

FGS Kent

I can't wait for Walter to give McCann a wee skelp on the back of the head when we're drifting in the game. 

2 minutes ago, Bill said:

Except Josh, who can have the shirt of his choice at any time. 

2 hours ago, compo said:

Who would we leave out to accommodate Messi

No player should walk into our team. He has to earn his place.  

2 hours ago, Gonzo79 said:

Sounds like our transfer strategy is a bit stupid.

There's a distinct difference between our DoFs, which is to be expected. 

Allen was good at the business side of it, and pretty much built our DoF structure from scratch, but his recruitment record is patchy. 

Wilson looks to be much better in recruitment, thus far. 

Was Middleton not bought for the Academy? He wasn't actually first-team material, he just performed well and had an opportunity at the time. 

32 minutes ago, craig said:

Nobody interesting is what I’ve been told

So it wasn't Messi?

@ian1964, you liar...

4 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

I was of course joking about Windass being the trialist although Wigan still do owe us £500k for his transfer 

9 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

I’m told Wigan Athletic (in administration) still owe Rangers £500k for Josh Windass.

Could the trialist be him ? ? 

This story seems to have come out of nowhere. 

Unless @DMAA has leaked it... ? ?

It's strange that we're all firmly in favour of moving him on, arguably one of our 'best' players.  

I would take £10-12M. 

He doesn't quite fit into the system, despite doing well enough without setting the heather alight, and it would represent a decent profit. 

Will Liverpool not have a sell-on fee due?

I am confident Wilson will do the right thing. 

For me, it wasn't so much the dropped points -- that happens; you have to take it -- but the performance, which showed echoes of familiar issues. 

It was the complete inability to create chances which was so frustrating. It's not even the fact that we didn't take the few we did create - like I said after the game, I would have felt better if we were creating a bucket-load, but failing to take them, because at least then we're doing something right. I was a wee bit annoyed at the St Mirren game, I think it was; I thought we were drifting through it and not creating too much, despite scoring three goals in the end.

I would just like to see us be more proactive; take the game by the scruff of the neck. They are more than capable. 

Leipzig fairly shot themselves in the foot last night! Gifted PSG 3 goals. 

11 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

Two things that annoy me about us:-

1) kick-off, the ball goes back and we can’t get out of our own half

2) the amount of times we needlessly pass the ball backwards

The first point is nonsense - @T-1000 has given the example from Sunday's game. 

The second, I completely agree with. The principle is sound -- to drag players out of position -- as @MacK1950 has said above. Kent especially annoys me in this regard, though. OK-- sometimes he's got someone touch-tight, so he has to go back first time. However, most of the time he has time to take it and turn. Even if he has a close marker, he still should be able to turn on the ball by changing his body position. His body position is always wrong. He's very much a winger, playing inside; and he doesn't quite have the knack for it. @DMAA has mentioned that on several occasions.   

2 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

Don’t the tactics need to be better?

A back four & two sitting MF players against a team camped in their own half virtually all game.

Did you even watch the game?

Barisic and Tavernier were high and wide.

We only had Goldson, Helander, Kamara and Jack staying back - Jack even had a bit more license to get forward.

55 minutes ago, DMAA said:

I give you Julian Nagelsmann

 

https://themastermindsite.com/2020/06/06/julian-nagelsmann-rb-leipzig-tactical-analysis/

It's still more of a 4-2-2-2, than a 4-4-2, for me. 

The style of play is a delight to watch. 

If you're advocating that, I'm with you!  

I think his other favoured formation, 3-4-1-2, would actually suit the players we have. We have the double pivot, we have wingbacks, Hagi as #10, and now a couple of forwards. We'd just need to draft in another CB. 

Quote

“Other teams were stuck in old thought patterns, once a 4-4-2, always a 4-4-2,” Tuchel said.

That was around ten years ago; perhaps more so. 

Here, in Scotland, it's still the favoured approach. 

There are even some advocating that Rangers should adopt it. Dinosaurs...

*cough* @DMAA *cough* ?

8 minutes ago, BlackSocksRedTops said:

It's amazing how many long balls the Champions of England hit to Make, Salah and Firminho.

1 minute ago, der Berliner said:

I actually don't know whether that's irony, but these three don't face up to 7-9-man defences every other week.

You're both correct, I think.

It's not long balls to a target man, though, is it? Cross diagonals are common (we do attempt that from time to time), and balls in behind (in behind for us is the byline!). 

I don't like long balls into a target man, but I do think we should be attempting long diagonals, long passes into feet, and perhaps into the channel when applicable.   

1 hour ago, DMAA said:

Bizarre

They're just picking up a promising youngster for their Academy, or Bayern Munich II. 

Standard practice, is it not?

I'd be happy with that loan switch.