Is Ally the Man for the job? - The McCoist Thread

[54andcounting 0]

To be fair to the keeper Letizi he was never accepted from the day he stepped on the park, then he made a bad blunder then got an injury - he came straight back into the team despite impressive performances from McGregor and made another bad blunder in a game, his confidence was shot to pieces along with the fans giving him gyp.

 

It's all here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Letizi

[calscot 0]

Strange thing is that statistically our best central defensive partnership that season was Hemdani and Svensson. So it didn't really work in spades at all.

 

Anecdotally I remember the defence being vastly improved as well as our results (and the statistics prove that one) so goals against may not always be the best metric as it's better to win 2-1 every week than to alternately lose 1-0 then win 1-0.

 

There is also the statistic that Eck had the second best defensive record of any Rangers manager after Souness.

 

But I do remember going from being a bomb scare every week to being relaxed and confident of winning.

 

And Weir was a fantastic signing for Rangers.

[calscot 0]

I know it's too early to think we're now sorted (although it was also too early for some to say we were going to struggle to win the league) but is everyone encouraged by the latest four wins in a row including two away games?

 

Our overall record is not brilliant but then we have had a rocky start which has been affected by many factors; however, even if the results repeat themselves over the season it looks like we would win the league by 16 points - a pretty fair margin.

 

However, I do think it was a stumbling start and we'll lose far less points per game till the end of the season and are about to be fully in our stride. I'll put my neck on the line and predict we won't lose more than 10 points for the rest of the season, putting us on at least 89 points and winning by over 20 points.

 

I can see people at the end of such a season still bemoaning the start but when a runner hasn't had time to train and has had stressful financial problems then stumbles out of the blocks but wins the race by a wide margin, I don't think you'd dwell on his bad start - in fact you'd make that story into a Holywood movie...

 

I personally feel the team is starting to gel and playing more the way Ally wants them to. I'm not saying Ally is a fantastic manager and can do no wrong (which some challenged people seem to be incapable of understanding) but I thing he keeps proving he's not a bad or "clueless" one either. At worst he's mediocre, but I think he needs a long, clear run with no off-field crap to deal with, to show where he really stands.

 

That doesn't mean he can't be sacked if he loses five games in a row or finishes second this season.

[Darthter 542]

The results and the performances are certainly improving (IMHO..)

I think the 4-4-2 (4-4-1-1) type formations that have been played recently have suited the players better - they appear more comfortable. The team also appears to be controlling matches more so than @ the start of the league.

 

Hopefully this progression will continue (slowly, but surely) as the season progresses. The end result being a well oiled and confident team, ready to progress to DIV 2.

[calscot 0]

I've always prefered a 4-4-2 but have been proven wrong on this on many an occasion and openly adopted a formation that is doing the job.

 

I think you can see why we were trying what could be considered a more attacking formation against 3rd division opposition but like most things this esoteric, you have to try stuff and see if works and change it if it doesn't. There is no set formula for winning - otherwise everyone would be doing it. (Actually something like that happened in baseball and just means the richest team is now even more likely to win).

[BlueMazza 0]

I've been much encouraged the last few games. The standard is improving and I genuinely think the younger lads are getting more confident with each game. Maybe everything is settling down within the club too so it's more relaxed again, people feel safer than they have. It's only fairly recently the media have begun to become less than frozen to Green and some of these players were at the club throughout all the crap that went on.

[kuznetsov 0]

we have went 4-4-2 for the last 4 wins and performances have improved slightly but not greatly. still a few things to tweek like taking little out of midfield. i am also still interested to know what exactly lewis macleod brings to the table. no wonder kyle hutton aint happy.

[Waltersgotstyle 307]

we have went 4-4-2 for the last 4 wins and performances have improved slightly but not greatly. still a few things to tweek like taking little out of midfield. i am also still interested to know what exactly lewis macleod brings to the table. no wonder kyle hutton aint happy.

 

MacLeod is a far better player than Hutton.

 

Hutton makes McCulloch look mobile

[craig 5,199]

I've always prefered a 4-4-2 but have been proven wrong on this on many an occasion and openly adopted a formation that is doing the job.

 

I think you can see why we were trying what could be considered a more attacking formation against 3rd division opposition but like most things this esoteric, you have to try stuff and see if works and change it if it doesn't. There is no set formula for winning - otherwise everyone would be doing it. (Actually something like that happened in baseball and just means the richest team is now even more likely to win).

 

No it doesnt. When was the last time the Yankees won the World Series ?

[craig 5,199]

MacLeod is a far better player than Hutton.

 

Hutton makes McCulloch look mobile

 

I am with kuznetsov on this.

 

Either MacLeod does the "Stuart McCall" (which, to me, is doing all the important stuff whilst going un-noticed) or he just doesnt do that much.

 

MacLeod has failed to convince me I am afraid, yet he still gets his start. He may be more mobile than Hutton but Hutton is more physical, a better passer, better vision and actually contributes more to a game, in my humble opinion of course.

 

In fact, the only thing I see that MacLeod has over Hutton aside from the mobility you mention, is that he is faster than Hutton. But when being asked to be the holding midfielder starting the attacking phase you dont need as much pace.

 

Hutton would be in before MacLeod in my opinion. That said, MacLeod CAN do a job - I just dont see the job he is doing nearly as often as some do on here.