Rangers v Aberdeen Match Preview

[JohnMc 2,765]

At what point do we start to accept that a mistake has been made with the appointment of our current manager? Do we accept the evidence of our own eyes that he's tactically inept, slow to change formations and seems unable to motivate and communicate with players? Or should we wait until he's spent our summer transfer budget on players his successor might not want?

 

I'd be willing to give him time if I could discern even the slightest clue as to what he's trying to do, but his formations are puzzling and tactics currently seem to involve a long ball to Garner for a knock-on. I'm sorry but Pedro Caixinho was a mistake and we'd be better grasping that nettle now rather than in six months time.

[Uilleam 5,948]

It was a very poor performance.

What we are seeing is a group of players, who as a collective lack drive and will to win. The team lacks heart, and displays little aggression. Some of this will relate to confidence, or, more properly, its lack. That can change, sometimes overnight, but what is more evident, increasingly so, is that a no of experienced players are not up to scratch, not, alas, even as squad members.

They lack physical and mental strength, skill, poise, game intelligence, tactical adroitness, and struggle to master some of the very basics of the game (trap, pass, move; defend, ffs!!)

A lot of this is obvious, and will be even more noticeable to the coaching staff.

We can hope only that PC will be able to bring in some spirited and technically accomplished players, who, and following a judicious sifting of the present staff, with a full pre-season of training and tactical instruction, will lift performances, and results.

 

Of course, Radio Scotland last night (a pre match slaver fest of anti Rangers bitterness, of an intensity surprising even by its disgracefully low standards) was able to advise listeners that Rangers' recruitment will be from the lower leagues in Portugal, and, yes, although I scarcely believed my ears, that this kind of player will not fancy it on a wet February night in Dundee (or wherever). The national broadcaster's default position of Rangers hatred seems to have received unnecessary stimulation from the Club having the temerity to appoint a foreign intellectual as coach, and not Derek McInnes.

 

Personally, I like to think that PC will have, by now, a fairly clear picture of what is needed, and that he will be aware that his team will have to deal with the muck and the nettles. He does not strike me as a stupid man.

 

We await developments with interest.

Edited May 18, 2017 by Uilleam

[JohnMc 2,765]

It was a very poor performance.

What we are seeing is a group of players, who as a collective lack drive and will to win. The team lacks heart, and displays little aggression. Some of this will relate to confidence, or, more properly, its lack. That can change, sometimes overnight, but what is more evident, increasingly so, is that a no of experienced players are not up to scratch, not, alas, even as squad members.

They lack physical and mental strength, skill, poise, game intelligence, tactical adroitness, and struggle to master some of the very basics of the game (trap, pass, move; defend, ffs!!)

A lot of this is obvious, and will be even more noticeable to the coaching staff.

We can hope only that PC will be able to bring in some spirited and technically accomplished players, who, and following a judicious sifting of the present staff, with a full pre-season of training and tactical instruction, will lift performances, and results.

 

Of course, Radio Scotland last night (a pre match slaver fest of anti Rangers bitterness, of an intensity surprising even by its disgracefully low standards) was able to advise listeners that Rangers' recruitment will be from the lower leagues in Portugal, and, yes, although I scarcely believed my ears, that this kind of player will not fancy it on a wet February night in Dundee (or wherever). The national broadcaster's default position of Rangers hatred seems to have received unnecessary stimulation from the Club having the temerity to appoint a foreign intellectual as coach, and not Derek McInnes.

 

Personally, I like to think that PC will have, by now, a fairly clear picture of what is needed, and that he will be aware that his team will have to deal with the muck and the nettles. He does not strike me as a stupid man.

 

We await developments with interest.

 

What have you seen Uilleam to make you think PC has the first idea what's required and how to achieve it? I'm not trying to pick a fight but I'm curious what you're seeing in what Pedro is doing that's invisible to me?

[Rousseau 10,642]

PC's team selection's have been unorthodox to say the least, but I think they've been forced. Injuries to the back four have meant he's had to play youngsters; the positive there is that they've done not too badly and we've actually looked a tad more solid.

 

We were light anyway in midfield -- both in terms of numbers and physicality -- so he's been forced to play certain players, like Miller and Windass, out of position.

 

He's been ruthless with players too, and clearly doesn't trust some of them; Halliday played a couple and was shafted, same with Holt -- he seems to prefer Barjonas at the minute.

 

I'm not sure the formations have been "puzzling", because it's clearly a 4-3-3; which, again, I think is forced. MW played that way and has players more suited to that formation, like Dodoo and Waghorn; again, PC seems forced to adopt it too. Ideally, he'd like to play 4-2-3-1 with a more compact structure but we just don't have the players to do so.

 

Positives? He's managed to incorporate a bunch of youngsters into the team; we're a tad more solid defensively, despite having the same crap; we've generally scored more goals; there's a directness that we've wanted for months, which maybe goes too far at times, but I doubt this side's capable of playing better any other way; he's managed to get the best out of Garner and the youngsters, who don't look out of place; he's tactically versatile, willing to change when he gets it wrong, or if some players are not doing it, or we just need to change it depending on the opposition.

 

There are positives if we choose to look. I'm mystified as to this reaction to a man that's just in the door, and been saddled with the same chronically under-performing team.

 

(Apologies -- it was a general point that seemed to morph into a response to JohnMc!)

Edited May 18, 2017 by Rousseau

[Uilleam 5,948]

What have you seen Uilleam to make you think PC has the first idea what's required and how to achieve it? I'm not trying to pick a fight but I'm curious what you're seeing in what Pedro is doing that's invisible to me?

 

I think that PC is struggling with a group of players, a significant no of which, in significant positions, are not good enough to compete at SPL level. It is a stretch too far for them, and when you ally this to a complete change of coaching staff, and of coaching philosophies and methods, you are going to see less than optimal performances.

Some might have expected that a new coach/manager would have led, automatically, to better performances (an arguable proposition, at best), but what we are seeing is merely the continuing exposure of sub par players.

I think that we have to take it on the chin.

Mind you, we are 3rd, completely unsatisfactory, but it could be worse, so not everything/everyone is irredeemable.

Don't panic. Maybe we should look at PC's time this season as much as experimental as anything else.

 

I think that the time to judge Caixinha is after two transfer windows, ie, more or less this time next year.

 

I hope that I am right.

Edited May 18, 2017 by Uilleam

[der Berliner 3,747]

I'm not one to jump on bandwagons etc but I'm a bit confused by the whole thing really. In an, according to the manager, must win match at home he plays a group of kids in defence (regardless if they were competent or not). Clint Hill in what is presumably his last game for the club is fielded as injured. Unless of course Clint has told him tae fak off you'd have to ask Clint to give you at least a decent 45. In doing so he can walk out to the fans, take his due applause for services rendered, and be Clint Hill in defence for 45 mins. The midfield was completely over run as a 3 against 5 with no alteration from the manager. As I say I'm bamboozled with that whole situation there.

 

Hill was interviewed after the last game at home and said that it was sadly his last game at Ibrox. I assumed he was suspended, but apparently got an injury that day.

 

Had he been fit, I have no doubts whatsoever that PC would have used him.

 

BTW, since 3rd place was confirmed at the weekend, there is no harm to trial players in the remaining fixtures, as quite a few have demanded. Alnwick would have been a good alternative, but I would expect that having two CHs and a new goalie would have been too much even for that line of thought. Against Aberdeen, it was a "baptism" of fire, but from the odd expected mistake, the youngsters held their own. It were the more experienced and/or "better" players who didn't show up and/or caused the young defence concern. I wouldn't be surprised to see Barjonas from the start in Perth.

Edited May 18, 2017 by der Berliner

[les186 271]

SPFL teams now know how to play against Caixinha's Rangers - just flood the midfield. Pedro persists in rigidly playing only 3 midfielders against 5 opposing. I know we are short of quality midfielders but Aberdeen play donkeys like O'Connor and get away with it.

[boabie 230]

The goals, for anybody interested -

 

http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/10882464/dons-first-ibrox-win-since-1991

[JohnMc 2,765]

I think that PC is struggling with a group of players, a significant no of which, in significant positions, are not good enough to compete at SPL level. It is a stretch too far for them, and when you ally this to a complete change of coaching staff, and of coaching philosophies and methods, you are going to see less than optimal performances.

Some might have expected that a new coach/manager would have led, automatically, to better performances (an arguable proposition, at best), but what we are seeing is merely the continuing exposure of sub par players.

I think that we have to take it on the chin.

Mind you, we are 3rd, completely unsatisfactory, but it could be worse, so not everything/everyone is irredeemable.

Don't panic. Maybe we should look at PC's time this season as much as experimental as anything else.

 

I think that the time to judge Caixinha is after two transfer windows, ie, more or less this time next year.

 

I hope that I am right.

 

Interesting, thanks.

 

See, I do expect the 'bounce' that a new manager brings. The players who have been underperforming suddenly start performing, the changes in training and coaching staff pick the place up and the players are keen to impress the new gaffer. It might only last for a few matches but it's discernible even to the uneducated eye of a supporter. I've not seen that.

 

I disagree that most of our players aren't able to compete at this level. They aren't good enough to win the league and compete with Celtic but they are capable of competing with every other side. A good coach makes the best of what he's got, again I'm not seeing that. Our tactics against Celtic at Ibrox were bewildering, against Thistle and Aberdeen last night again there seemed to be no plan beyond a long ball to Garner.

 

When McCall took over you could see right away how he wanted his team to play, there was a clear pattern to our play. It was also clear the players understood it too. Likewise when Warburton came in, you could see very clearly what he wanted his team to do, it didn't always come off but there were no doubts what was being tried.

 

My big concern is no one seems to know what PC is trying to do, and I include the players in that. Why is Kenny Miller in midfield? Why play Toral when the league is finished and he's going back to his home club?

 

I recall discussing PLG with BlueDell back in the day. I was a believer, give him time was my mantra, don't judge him on performances and results 'yet' he needs time to instil his ideas, it's the fault of the players not the manager. Basically everything I'm hearing said now about PC.

 

The team last night looked demotivated, slow and disorganised. Being organised and 'up-for-it' is the bear minimum I expect from a Rangers team. A manager should be able to achieve that at least, whether they are his players or not.

 

Rousseau explained we played a 433 . Well a 433 as I understand means you play a 451 when you don't have the ball. We didn't do that last night. We were completely over run in midfield, as we were against a 10 man Hearts and against Thistle before that.

 

I hate criticising a Rangers manager, I've stuck up for almost all of them in past long after most had turned on them. But I'm afraid I fear the worst with PC.

[Tannochsidebear 2,420]

At what point do we start to accept that a mistake has been made with the appointment of our current manager? Do we accept the evidence of our own eyes that he's tactically inept, slow to change formations and seems unable to motivate and communicate with players? Or should we wait until he's spent our summer transfer budget on players his successor might not want?

 

I'd be willing to give him time if I could discern even the slightest clue as to what he's trying to do, but his formations are puzzling and tactics currently seem to involve a long ball to Garner for a knock-on. I'm sorry but Pedro Caixinho was a mistake and we'd be better grasping that nettle now rather than in six months time.

 

Said the exact same on the bus home last night. It is glaringly obvious Pedro is miles out of his depth (as his CV suggested he would be). Failure to make the difficult decision NOW will see another stroll to the title for our enemy and another wasted year.