This year's C/L

[rbr 1,270]

Well thank god that is over , some times you just have to call a spade a spade or in this case a poor side , a ......... poor side , but what could have been .

 

The reality is that investment in players is a necessity irrespective of which team you support , obviously Real Madrid dont really need players as badly as us but to attempt to get result's with this squad is just a pipe dream in my opinion .

 

We have a very good keeper , a 40 year old center half, and another who will probably be sold in January, two back's that have proved they can do a job when playing to a certain style of play , the midfield has been awful , Thomson was rushed back not just for Europe but domestically as well , Davies grafts without too much end result , McCulloch is well McCulloch and Mendes posted missing though that's maybe unfair after he got injured .

 

Up front our only real goalscorer isn't trusted whilst we rely on a guy who can run all day with no end result , we have no wingers therefore no width , therefore no supply to the striker .

 

BUT can we do better , well if we had a striker who can hold the ball up to allow the midfield to join the attack then maybe , if we had a midfield that was mobile enough to allow the defence to move closer and therefore further up the park to squeeze the game , and if that defence had the belief that they had a midfield that wasn't going to get played through at every opposition attack then maybe .

 

But a hell of a lot of chaanges must be made , first thing is to win this league at all costs , the midfield must be addressed , with creativity and width a necessity and a system of play to allow us to actually attack other teams and put them on the back foot , christ it isn't rocket science if you let a team pass and move without getting tackled you are in trouble , no teams like being turned and playing facing their own goal , we have done it in the past and it works.

 

Hopefully things will improve , that's about all I can hope for and I will accept any type of footall right now from now till may if we win this league

[wabashcannonball 0]

The important position to be addressed is the managerial position and staff, without the right appointments more money will be wasted.

[rbr 1,270]

The important position to be addressed is the managerial position and staff, without the right appointments more money will be wasted.

 

The important position is the owner , but I fully accept your point , after everything that has come out these last few weeks though I cannot bring myself to give Smith grief , if he had walked god only knows where we may have been , and I am not one of his biggest fans

[wabashcannonball 0]

You are quite right, the other problem is finding someone of stature to accept the managers position.

[Union City Blue 0]

It's been a total shambles, obviously.

 

Many of the players are not good enough and some don't appear to be trying enough. In the old days at Rangers the manager could sell them - now he's got to play them.

 

I fully appreciate Smith's faults but Ive never felt sorrier for a manager. He doesn't even need this shit but he's sticking around. Much respect for the man from me.

 

We are in deep shit and unless something changes, things will only deteriorate

 

Big ups again for all the Bears who still went to Seville. We have a fantastic away support - amongst the very best in Europe.

[maineflyer 0]

Humility has been in short supply at Ibrox and amongst Rangers fans in general for a long time now. It's perhaps not the worst of conditions to refamiliarise ourselves with.

 

The "no one likes us, we don't care" attitude hasn't been helpful and the rank arrogance in the Rangers boardroom has been totally destructive, ultimately and ludicrously also being brought to bear on the club's own fans.

 

It's my own opinion of course but David Murray has been a disaster for Rangers, as have many of his appointments on and off the park. But as fans we could also do with taking a look at our own contribution. Too many of us have been prepared to swallow some quite awful bullshit and have acquiesced when perhaps truer hearts would have questioned more openly the taking apart of a great club and a long tradition, much of which is now lost forever.

 

This season's Champions League is just part of the harvest we are going to have to reap before this episode passes. What I really hope above all else is that, collectively, we actually learn something from this and it persuades us not to repeat the mistakes of the last twenty years.

Edited December 10, 2009 by maineflyer

[Gribz 919]

Complete failure this year. We cant blame bad luck although we did have a little bit of that in 1 of our home games.

 

But going into the group everyone was optimistic about finishing in the top 2, we fancied our chances of coming runners up to Seville. We were saying we were due a bit of luck following the group of death 2 years ago. We ended up performing much worse this year in 1 of the weaker groups.

 

To not even have a chance of a 3rd place finish going into the last game is unacceptable with this standard of group. This has been as bad as any CL season under WS.

 

WS has made some baffling decisions again and it lies with him. Ibrox should be a fortress yet even SPL teams are coming there having a go at us in the last 2 seasons.

[Zappa 0]

and if that defence had the belief that they had a midfield that wasn't going to get played through at every opposition attack then maybe .

Good point, but the defense aren't good enough to push a high line. One or two of them break off & make runs, but generally the back line is extremely vulnerable against European opposition of high quality.

[Totti 0]

Good point, but the defense aren't good enough to push a high line. One or two of them break off & make runs, but generally the back line is extremely vulnerable against European opposition of high quality.

There's quite a gap between defending a high line and standing right in front of the 18 yard line the whole game.

 

Somewhere in between would be ideal...

[Tannochsidebear 2,429]

Results wise, Stuttgart away was a good start, Seville at home would have been interesting had the penalty and red card been awarded in the games major incident that went against us, Unirea at home was dreadful, Unirea away we should have won and were unluck to lose 2 points to yet another wonder strike, Stuttgart at home was nowhere near good enough, and Seville away was a bounce match played at half tempo the whole way through.

 

As for the players, too many look out of their depth at this level (Miller and McCulloch especially) , with some having no confidence in their own ability amongst good players (Thomson and Whittaker especially). Some players have performed ok (Papac and Bougherra). Only 1 player has enhanced his reputation, getting 6 MOTM awards from me out of 6, McGregor of course.

 

As for the manager. Away from home was not a problem, with the system seemingly suiting us better not having to go forward or retain possession, and the 2 draws could arguably have been 2 victories with a bit more luck. But at home we did not play at all well, apart from the first half against Seville, and we seemed to not be confident or perhaps have enough ability to play with possession and mobility, a simple pre-requisite for CL football.

 

Will Walter have learned from this season? We have got to hope so. Of course it may be irrelevant if he moves on before the next campaign starts, but even if he stays he must have learned that Miller cannot play at this level (certainly not as lone striker) and that McCulloch and Weir are far too slow for the slicker passing and movement at this level.

 

Some friends of mine were telling me last summer, never mind the CL as a competition, just take the money and reduce the debt, but after 2 points from 18 and only 4 goals for over �£900 of trips and tickets before even a solitary beer, it is scant consolation today that this was our reward for our hard-earned title of last season.