If it was your decision.

[nokiss 0]

A wee look to the future here lads and lassies.

 

Let's just say that things stay the same for the rest of the season. Inconsistent team performances, under-achieving players, poor tactics, a nightmarish battle for 2nd place and finally NO TROPHIES.

 

What would YOU do?

 

Do you accept that it was a 'settling in' season for PLG and his signings and trust him with what financial support you can? Hoping that he'll learn from his mistakes and prove himself to be the coach that you hoped he would be.

 

Is getting 2nd place(irrespective of how you got there) and a wee run in europe enough for you to still have confidence in Le Gaffer?

 

Next season we make an other slow start and nothing much has changed.

 

Do you keep the faith? Or how long do you leave it before you swing the axe?

 

This is not a vendetta against PLG. I'm just interested in what everybody would do if they were in charge.

[craig 5,199]

I still would give him one more season, swinging the axe after a year isn't going to help IMO - lack of stability and you then have another manager brought in with a shoe-string budget again no doubt which doesn't help things at all

[Guest loyal and blue]

I was glad to see the back of McLeish so what has happened this season to make anything better infact you could look at the last 20 years and where it matters we have been found wanting at every hurdle its difficult to see how we start climbing the ladder. yes i remember nine in a row but europe is what its all about

[ascender 352]

Its difficult to say. PLG deserves our full support, but its very worrying for me how he seems to be making similar mistakes as AM did last season - questionable signings, playing players out of position, persisting with tactics & players when they don't work, not sorting out the defensive problems, possibly lacking motivational skills needed. Etc.

 

Without knowing exactly what the money situation is in terms of what's left, how much was actually spent, what there will be to spend in the summer, its hard to know what the overall game plan is.

[ian1964 10,761]

I just don't see it getting any better for god knows how long, as the bottom line is we do not have cash to spend to bring in the quality of players we're used to.I can't blame PLG as before a ball was kicked yeterday the team he put out is the same one we've had for a few games and should have been capable of beating most teams never mind Falkirk, the buck stops with the players for me.

[craig 5,199]

I just don't see it getting any better for god knows how long, as the bottom line is we do not have cash to spend to bring in the quality of players we're used to.I can't blame PLG as before a ball was kicked yeterday the team he put out is the same one we've had for a few games and should have been capable of beating most teams never mind Falkirk, the buck stops with the players for me.

 

I agree Ian.

 

Re sorting out the defensive prioblems I just don't know how he goes about that when new players can't be signed just now.

 

Yes, he works with them on the training pitches and I am sure he is - but if they aren't listening or they can't adapt then what else can PLG do ???

 

I do think he is too stubborn to stick with the formation - it is obviously not working when we haven't won even 50% of our SPL games. He needs to change it to a 4-4-2 - get back to basics and when we are winning whilst playing well and cruising in 2nd THAT is the time to tinker.

[Leppardized2001 0]

Well when it was announced that Paul Le Guen was going to be our new manager I, like most us, was delighted. He was probably the most high profile manager available on the market, was wanted by a lot of clubs and had been very successful in France. What i did not envisage is that we would be 16 points behind Celtic by early Decemeber, getting well beat by Falkirk at Brockville and basically getting to point i'm dreading every away game.

 

As the season has progressed i've been advocating to give him more time, that his record in France proves he can do it. However, with every week it seems a case of 2 steps forward, 2 steps back. We are now in December and despite what le gaffer says, I still don't think he knows what his best team is. His stubbornish in sticking with his 4-2-3-1 formation or whatever is is proving one of his major failings. It just doesn't seem made for the high tempo of Scottish football, more for the slower tempo of the European game. This formation would be alright if we had a solid back 4 and 2 quality wideman who can provide both crosses and cut in from the flanks, something we had an inkling of when Lee Martin and Chris Burke were fit although neither of this 2 players is the finished article. Persisting with a clearly unfit Dado Prso and Nacho Novo in these positions is sheer folly. As for the defence, well it isn't getting any better now is it??

 

 

Looking at it, we don't have the players currently to play his preferred formation. Our lack of a genuine wide left player would deter me from going the 4-4-2 route, and our lack of defensive solidity would favour me towards a 3-5-2 formation. This would give us 3 centre backs, Hutton and Smith as the attacking full backs...dropping back when required so effectively giving us 5 at the back. You could play Ferguson, Clement/Hemdani and Buffel/Adam in the midfield with Clement/ Hemdani dropping back to collect ball from defence or if Hemdani was one of the centre backs he could bring it out and leave other 2 CB's sitting back and Clement beside Ferguson, Ferguson being the central playmaker and Buffel/Adam roaming wherever they can cause most problems. This would leave you with Boyd and Sebo up front, the phyical presence of Sebo allayed to the goal scoring of Boyd.

 

The writing should have been on the wall with his summer signings. Sure Sionko and Svensson were in their country's World Cup squads and I for one think Svensson will still come good. But raiding Austria Vienna for Sionko, Sebo and Papic smacked of desperation to me. I know the transfer budget isn't the biggest we've ever had but surely we could have done better than that?? Le Guen had a year out working in the media having left Lyon. Am assuming that he would have used this time to identify potential signings for when he got back into club football. Either he cannot spot a player, the Lyon scouts found all their fantastic players or the Rangers scouting network needs a serious overhaul.

 

In fact, the only good things that have come out the season so far have been the reemergence of Barry Ferguson, the Uefa cup performances and Charlie Adams.

 

 

I apologise for the over long post, just hurts to see my team going through its current trials and tribulations. At the moment I still think we should give him more time, but unless things improve rapidly I'm afraid it could be a case of au revoir le gaffer.

 

 

 

Malky

[pete 2,499]

Well when it was announced that Paul Le Guen was going to be our new manager I, like most us, was delighted. He was probably the most high profile manager available on the market, was wanted by a lot of clubs and had been very successful in France. What i did not envisage is that we would be 16 points behind Celtic by early Decemeber, getting well beat by Falkirk at Brockville and basically getting to point i'm dreading every away game.

 

As the season has progressed i've been advocating to give him more time, that his record in France proves he can do it. However, with every week it seems a case of 2 steps forward, 2 steps back. We are now in December and despite what le gaffer says, I still don't think he knows what his best team is. His stubbornish in sticking with his 4-2-3-1 formation or whatever is is proving one of his major failings. It just doesn't seem made for the high tempo of Scottish football, more for the slower tempo of the European game. This formation would be alright if we had a solid back 4 and 2 quality wideman who can provide both crosses and cut in from the flanks, something we had an inkling of when Lee Martin and Chris Burke were fit although neither of this 2 players is the finished article. Persisting with a clearly unfit Dado Prso and Nacho Novo in these positions is sheer folly. As for the defence, well it isn't getting any better now is it??

 

 

Looking at it, we don't have the players currently to play his preferred formation. Our lack of a genuine wide left player would deter me from going the 4-4-2 route, and our lack of defensive solidity would favour me towards a 3-5-2 formation. This would give us 3 centre backs, Hutton and Smith as the attacking full backs...dropping back when required so effectively giving us 5 at the back. You could play Ferguson, Clement/Hemdani and Buffel/Adam in the midfield with Clement/ Hemdani dropping back to collect ball from defence or if Hemdani was one of the centre backs he could bring it out and leave other 2 CB's sitting back and Clement beside Ferguson, Ferguson being the central playmaker and Buffel/Adam roaming wherever they can cause most problems. This would leave you with Boyd and Sebo up front, the phyical presence of Sebo allayed to the goal scoring of Boyd.

 

The writing should have been on the wall with his summer signings. Sure Sionko and Svensson were in their country's World Cup squads and I for one think Svensson will still come good. But raiding Austria Vienna for Sionko, Sebo and Papic smacked of desperation to me. I know the transfer budget isn't the biggest we've ever had but surely we could have done better than that?? Le Guen had a year out working in the media having left Lyon. Am assuming that he would have used this time to identify potential signings for when he got back into club football. Either he cannot spot a player, the Lyon scouts found all their fantastic players or the Rangers scouting network needs a serious overhaul.

 

In fact, the only good things that have come out the season so far have been the reemergence of Barry Ferguson, the Uefa cup performances and Charlie Adams.

 

 

I apologise for the over long post, just hurts to see my team going through its current trials and tribulations. At the moment I still think we should give him more time, but unless things improve rapidly I'm afraid it could be a case of au revoir le gaffer.

 

 

 

Malky

 

 

It was a long post but all good points. No need to apoligise for that.

[pete 2,499]

For a Quick short\long term fix i would sign two players. For the short term i would sign Pressley, maybe not everyones favourite but he does give 100% and does attack the ball. For the long term i would go for Alfonso Alves from Herenveen. He plays mostly on the left and can score from 30 yards inwards. He is the top scorer in Holland at the moment and all the top teams will be moving in soon. I reckon he will cost about 6 mill though whether we will take a chance on paying that soort of money is doubtfull.

Scott Brown would also be a nice xmas present.

 

 

Martins Afonso Alves

Geboortedatum: 30-01-1981

Geboorteplaats: Belo Horizonte

Nationaliteit: Brazilië

Positie: middenvelder

Einde contract: 2011

 

clubs

Örgryte IS, Malmö FF, Heerenveen

[fraser54 0]

This was allways going to be a re-building season. I would take 2nd place and a cup and would be happy. But what reallly annoys me is the difference in points between ourself and celtic and it isn't even half way through the year yet , thats whats most dissapointing

Le guen will have next year but if he doesn't get his signings right he will be kicked out the door