Rangers 1 v 1 Hearts - The Quest for 55 begins slowly

[Super_Ally 0]

That was not the best today and I don't like Ally in the stand the whole game. that's Walters trade mark, be your own man Ally and get to the dug out.

 

Sam Alardyce was probably the first British manager noted for doing this. Does that mean Walter shouldn't be copying him?

 

Or should our employees just seek to undertake their role to the best of their abilities regardless of who has done it first?

[Guest Dutchy]

You got a problem with me SA?

[bluebear54 0]

Well, first of all, the league's not been won and lost today. From our point of view it was a game of two halves. We weren't at the races in the first one.

This game has me thinking. What could we serve up without Davis? Precious little in my opinion. Thought we looked so much better when he was in the middle. But we need one more like him. Someone else to pose a threat in the middle and create things. Big Jig creates zero. However, thought Edu looked good today.

Ortiz is an enigma. Personally I wouldn't play him on the left. He's too predictable, and he keeps cutting in. Maybe, he's a better right back? Talking of which, Whittaker needs a couple of games on the bench. He really needs to give more - thought he was poor today.

Thought Wylde was good when he came on.

Anyway, long and the short, we really need to up our game on Tuesday.

Big time.

[metlika 0]

Sam Alardyce was probably the first British manager noted for doing this. Does that mean Walter shouldn't be copying him?

 

Or should our employees just seek to undertake their role to the best of their abilities regardless of who has done it first?

 

Pretty sure I remember Walter being up in the stand in his first spell. Personally I like a manager to be at the touchline.

[Guest Dutchy]

Pretty sure I remember Walter being up in the stand in his first spell. Personally I like a manager to be at the touchline.

 

It's all a game of opinions and I agree with the above opinion, some folks just can't appreciate others opionions.

[bmck 117]

I think today showed that CM is a problem position for us. Unlike positions like CB and CF, it's not just one quality individual we need. I think Ally done well today to make an effective tactical change, which is easier said than done. Who else spotted that that change would have made a difference? I do think Templeton going off also helped, but nonetheless, it was a perceptive spot.

 

However, who you play and what kind of player you play at CM defines your whole philosophy of play. If you play two holding midfielders, you need two out and out wingers, or one winger and an attacking playmaker. This means the ball has to get quickly out wide via full backs or quick incisive passing from your holding midfield players. That didn't happen. When we moved Davis into centre midfield we have someone to up the impetus and pass and move from a more influential position. The effectiveness of this increased when young Wylde came on because as Hearts moved in to cover the give and gos Davis is capable of, space opened up out wide. Naismith, moved wider, makes excellent runs - both through the centre from deep/wide and out wide. But something's still missing - I think we need, rather than a winger, a genuinely creative attacking central midfielder. Davis can be extremely creative in his passing and running, but to me he's more like Barry when he was younger, except that he can go past someone. He's someone who builds play, but is always looking forward as he does so. He's definitely a player capable of opening up a defence, but that's not the thing that defines him - he's far too rounded. As much as I think Ally's change was a perceptive and correct one, that we had to change central midfield suggests we're not quite sure of the type of play we're aiming for. I'd like to see Davis at centre mid with McCulloch or Edu, one winger, and one new genuinly creative final third midfielder who lives to make defence splitting passes. I know they're not ten a penny but it would be nice. Failing that, I think Ally has to decide what sort of midfield he's after, how it's supposed to function and how it intends to create. By and large - and Hearts may actually be an exception - teams ought to have to adapt to deal with our system.

 

All that over analysis aside, though - today's not a disaster. Ally's shown himself to be competent, and the draw only puts a little more pressure of those upstairs to make things happen.

[ian1964 10,724]

Reading elsewhere about the Rangers fans booing the players at HT & FT???,WTF!!!

[bmck 117]

It happened mate. Could hear it on the telly.

[craig 5,199]

Davis MUST play CM. If his partner is either Edu or McCulloch then we need someone else, neither of them are of a high enough standard IMO. Ohhhh to have a Stuart McCall in there for us.....

 

That said I would welcome having Jamie Ness in there rather than the other two.

 

My midfield 4 as things stand would be, from left to right, Wylde, Ness, Davis and Naismith. This also means though that we need another striker if Naismith is to be considered a right sided attacking midfielder.

[craig 5,199]

There were also some "paedo" chants too. Not too noticeable.

 

TBO and UB were in fine voice Though Ian.