Rousseau

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.

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

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.

So it wasn't Messi? @ian1964, you liar...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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* ?

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.

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.

I tend to agree. He's not the most creative. He's just a pacy player that likes to take a shot - he does have a good shot on him at times. He looks to have started this season better, in terms of an end-product (goals), though. Of course, he still has to maintain that.

I think we kind of develop into that on the pitch. Kamara swerves out to make a situational back three, with Jack in front; We had Arfield and Hagi just in front of Jack; Barisic and Tavernier wide; and Morelos up top with Kent beside him - even if the latter roamed about, he was the one constantly pressing the 'keeper. That's basically a 3-5-2. Which plays into my point: it's not the formation, it's the way of playing. I completely agree we could go more direct. But, for me, it's as simple as taking off Kent, or Hagi, and bringing on Roofe or Itten. But then what's the plan? Is it crosses from the wing-backs? Long passes from deep (Jack, Goldson) into Itten and Morelos?

I wasn't suggesting Barker was effective - he wasn't in the end. I think the point is he tries to do the right thing. He's not good enough, yes, but neither were Hagi and Kent in the end. He had a very good pre-season, by all accounts, I think. He is obviously showing flashes of ability. As @DMAA says, SG likes that type of player. He seems to have the raw attributes that SG likes and he tries to do the right thing. Is he ultimately of the required quality? No. But, why wouldn't you use him? He's trying to do the right things. I wouldn't say he has had "decent opportunities" - he only gets a few minutes towards the end - which, arguably, is when his pace can do most damage.

What would you prefer: a top class player that's not doing what you want them to do, or a below average player that is doing what you want them to do? You can only use what you've got.

I agree, but that's not a formation change - or at least it's not needed. We can do that with this formation, and we kind of did towards the end with Itten and Roofe on the pitch. Like I said, the offensive movements are non-existent - that includes being direct.