DMAA

Of course the 11 are capable of winning but we don't need 3 in the middle of the park, their centre midfield is rubbish, they don't even have Mulumbu tonight.

I think we are wasting Defoe on the bench, it's been painful to watch the wastefulness in front of goal the last couple of games in particular but all season in all honesty.

3 hours ago, Rousseau said:

McGregor

 

Tavernier - Goldson - Worrall - Barasic

 

Kamara - Jack

 

Candeias - Arfield - Kent

 

Morelos

 

(Just as @ian1964 posts the Press Conference Tweet where SG states there will be changes to the team...  )

Can't believe you were predicting no changes ? I think it's reached a stage where an unchanged side would be met with near hostility, but more importantly I think Gerrard recognises that you just have to drop players after two very costly poor performances. The other side of that is that you have to give guys a chance when they are watching the guys starting ahead of them failing. Defoe especially needs a chance. I have been a fan of Middleton all season I would give him a start but surely he can make the bench at least, the wingers are misfiring and I can't understand why you wouldn't have him as an option.

23 minutes ago, craig said:

His honesty in interviews is refreshing... I just wish the quality of performance was as good as his interviews are candid.

The best thing to hear in that interview was that he was still too angry to talk to the team

6 minutes ago, 26th of foot said:

He congratulated both Shinnie and McLennan for taking cautions for the team. 

This is just clever management, it's part of the game of football and if we'd done more of it we might have had some different results this season.

7 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

I know you're not saying this per se, but, I don't believe that the 4-3-3 is some mysterious formation that only the best players in the world can play. Moreover, that we can't play it because teams are just defending against us. Teams defend against Man City. It's all about the right execution. 

I agree with all of your comment but the movement and style of the team as a whole can change dramatically based on those two wide players and their movement and quality. It's not just execution it's having the right type of player to play in the system.

And you're right Sterling isn't a brilliant player but Guardiola is a genius in how he uses him, I actually think similar could be done with Kent on the right and Middleton on the left because both have searing pace 

5 minutes ago, DMAA said:

Sane and Sterling's searing pace gets them in behind and on their strong foot already so they can shoot or cross/cut-back on their strong foot

Of course this is where the creative centre midfielder/no10 comes in, Man City have outstanding passers of the ball who routinely loft deft through balls over the full backs onto Sane and Sterling. It's a joy to watch and they make it look so easy. I'd like to see Kent played on the right so he can focus on timing his runs in behind and making cut backs, I think that would play to his strengths far more than his current role.

13 hours ago, Gaffer said:

 It's painful because there's nothing wrong with the formation, or even the players we have.

I agree with what you and @Rousseau say on tactics, but I just can't agree that it's nothing to do with our players. I've been saying for most of the season that we don't have the players to pull off 4-3-3 in the type of game we had last night. That was the 10th domestic game we've lost or dropped points huffing and puffing in a 4-3-3 against a low lying defence. We just need better than Kent and Candeias in the forward 3, they're rabbits in the headlights time every time they get to the 18 yard line.

In 36 games Kent has 5 goals, 4 of which have been against the bottom 4 in games we've cruised to 3+ goal margin win. The other was the open goal against Hearts when they totally messed up playing the offside trap. The other 31 games he hasn't scored, and has barely assisted. Candeias has slightly better stats but it's largely the same story, quality badly lacking when we're not counter attacking.

Watching Man City last night what is interesting is that they play their wing forwards on the "right" wing, Sane and Sterling's searing pace gets them in behind and on their strong foot already so they can shoot or cross/cut-back on their strong foot. Kent on the left is just not getting behind the full back and putting in low crosses or cutbacks often enough, he normally just vacates the position altogether and moves towards Arfield in front of the opposition defence. I think this is why his stats are so low, unless you are very gifted shooter or passer that position is no use for you.

6 minutes ago, Big Jaws said:

I understand that but Kent and Candeias arent playing as midfielders in that set up. They start wide and stay wide. if they were playing in the way you seem to be suggesting they should then they would be much tighter to Arfield breaking out to the wings. We'd get far more quality crosses into the box and they also contribute more goals too. We play with one AM and two wingers.

Hmm, I wouldn’t say Kent stays wide at all he drifts all over. It’s a matter of definition, I count them as AMs because they have minimal defensive duties and are considered as part of a front 3 by most. In any case, with two holding midfielders a big part of their responsibility is scoring and creating and they very often don’t do it when they are up against half decent opposition. 

Just now, Big Jaws said:

I agree with you but we dont play with three attacking midfielders we play with one. Jack and Kamara are never going to be running through the lines finding space to receive the ball they are sitting mids. The only player we have that can do that is Arfield and its farting agaisnt thunder expecting him to do it in a packed defence/midfield.

I’m referring to Kent, Arfield and Candeias (4-2-3-1)

38 minutes ago, Frankie said:

If Kent isn't on his game then we have nothing as Tav has been poor for a while now.

 

 

Kent simply doesn’t have the quality we need. I said it when the summer transfer window closed,  we were still well behind Celtic in the three attacking midfield positions and it’s shown over and over again this season. 

To wait till the 66th minute before making a change is inexplicable. Exasperating stuff but depressingly predictable. 

Can’t see anything changing unless we change formation and bring on Defoe, we desperately need his quality up the pitch. It’s depressing watching us make such hard work of breaking down such an average side. 

10 hours ago, ranger_syntax said:

Perhaps if he had been looking at the vacant right back area he could have warned Candeias about the danger in enough time.

If you watch the replays Goldson spotted Kamberi and shouted at Candeias and pointed at Kamberi and he was raging at Candeias when the goal went in. Candeias didn't move at all after the shout so can only assume he didn't hear him or know what he was saying but he shouldn't even have needed to be told really.

1 hour ago, buster. said:

A stronger squad is relative to what I think has been generally a stronger league, which in turn has been partly obscured by the weakness of the three teams at the bottom.

 

Last season, at the split (33 games) the team in 7th place had 38 points.

This season, after 29 games, the team in 7th place has 40 points.

 

Last season, at the split (33 games) Rangers had 62 points.

This season, after 29 games, we have 59 points.

 

Last season, at the split (33 games) Aberdeen had 62 points.

This season, after 29 games, they have 51 points.

I agree with your earlier comments re the club, I didn't mean my comment about this stat to come across as a sweeping statement about the club at all. But I don't think it's irrelevant because it does point to a failure to get enough points on the board for whatever reason.

I don't go with the stronger league argument, the bottom 3 are very weak this year. If you look at goal difference you'll see they are terrible. Hibs are far weaker and they were very strong last year. Aberdeen are weaker without Ryan Christie, McLean and Rooney too. Motherwell raked in £2m in transfer fees for Kipre, Moult and Heneghan but their recruits were low level freebies and it's only recently their youth players have saved their season. The league is much of a muchness for me I think it's far from clear it's a stronger league.

9 hours ago, ranger_syntax said:

If you really think it is humiliating then I think you need to get a grip.

 

We also went 4 rounds further than Caixinha in Europe.

 

The league points total is not a measure of success in itself.  It's only relevant when considered within the context of our league position.  If you compare the league tables between this season and last it is a mixed bag of results.  Ultimately it won't be good enough until we are either in a real title race at the end of the season or strolling it.  To characterise it as humiliating is nonsense though.

I meant that fact alone is, given its been with a much stronger squad that’s had 8  million or so spent on it. I think we will finish with a much higher tally but it’s hard to believe we’re there at the moment. 

Rumour on FF that Jim Goodwin (manager at Alloa where Hastie was on loan) says he’s going to Celtic. Others saying he hasn’t made a decision.

2 hours ago, Rousseau said:

One main difference I see is last season I couldn't believe we came away with 3 points (Aberdeen, Partick etc.), whereas this season I can't believe we don't come away with 3 points (Aberdeen, Hibs x2, Motherwell etc.).  

Have to say the formation and set-up looked very effective last night. It’s just a shame the players lacked the quality to kill off the game. 

6 hours ago, ian1964 said:

Nobody believed we would win the title this season but we are getting closer.

How much closer? After 29 games we are 1 point better off than at the same stage last season. The season we had Caixinha and Murty, it’s pretty humiliating.  

14 minutes ago, ian1964 said:

 

In this day and age it’s a free kick but I can’t get very upset about this because it should have been irrelevant. Also the ref was actually quite consistent in not giving these kind of fouls when the player goes down easily. 

47 minutes ago, onevision said:

He was piss tonight

He’s a strange player. He’s still raw technically, passing and touch are erratic and he’s easily dispossessed when dribbling 

Where on earth is the quality end product in this team? That was infuriating. The front 4 have a lot to answer for tonight and it’s not the first time. 

Never been so pleased and so frustrated at the same time in my life. Performance has been outstanding and yet the final ball and composure around the box has been infuriating. Feel a lot better after that goal. 

5 minutes ago, buster. said:

and to do it on the relative cheap, even better.

How much would Motherwell be asking for if he had 4 years on his deal? Probably 1.5 to 2m. 

Absolutely delighted with this. He’s young but has a lot of potential. If we’re sticking with the 4-3-3 we need players like this on the wing who cut inside and score goals. A steal from Motherwell if true who will be fuming. 

He's getting a a full 90 minutes almost every game too, what an experience for a guy who's just turned 19. If he's going to step up he's going to need Rangers to give him a chance though and that's what we're not good at.