Pedro, a man with dignity. Rangers v Dundee preview.

[Rousseau 10,823]

I'm still drooling over Candeias' back-heel to slide in Morelos for the first; sublime. I didn't catch it when I was watching live.

 

We were comfortable without being spectacular. It's nice to see us taking our chances, though.

Edited September 10, 2017 by Rousseau

[Rousseau 10,823]

[tweet]906868824619847681[/tweet]

[Gonzo79 15,299]

Good stuff from Foderingham.

 

Hopefully Morelos continues his form and Pena takes a lot of encouragement from his goal and we get a couple of victories against Thistle before the yahoos turn up.

[MacK1950 2,399]

IMHO we are gelling and I am looking forward to better things.

[JFK-1 1,693]

I'm still drooling over Candeias' back-heel to slide in Morelos for the first; sublime. I didn't catch it when I was watching live.

 

We were comfortable without being spectacular. It's nice to see us taking our chances, though.

 

The cross for Windass who isn't even a striker to head in was absolute perfection. Pedro's key signings are rapidly becoming key players.

[Davie P 4]

I'm still drooling over Candeias' back-heel to slide in Morelos for the first; sublime. I didn't catch it when I was watching live.

 

We were comfortable without being spectacular. It's nice to see us taking our chances, though.

 

Was it not Kranjcar's back-heel? Irrespective, it was a lovely piece of skill.

 

I thought that we made loads of chances in the first half, just didn't take them. Overall, a comfortable victory and really pleased for Candeias. His work rate was phenomenal and Tav is looking much more solid defensively as a result of Candeias efforts in front of him.

[ian1964 10,761]

[Frankie 8,663]

Some strange posts in this thread.

 

Negative stuff first - we weren't clinical enough for the first hour or so and we should have been well clear by the time we did score a second goal. Secondly, we cannot afford to come out after half-time so lethargically against better teams - I hope the manager addresses that slackness over the next few days. I found both of these issues very frustrating and the late goal also spoiled the day just a wee bit.

 

Thankfully there were plenty of positives. Not sure where the stuff about a slow tempo came from - yes, we didn't always play at a high pace but, especially when Windass and Pena came on, we created space by maintaining possession through the phases and both full-backs along with the wider midfielders attacked the flanks with speed when we did spray the ball wide. Moreover, we weren't afraid to go direct at times either and for all that Morelos isn't the tallest player, he's very physical and wins his fair share of high balls and/or can take it on the ground and shield possession. He really is a top, top player.

 

However, even Morelos can't do it all by himself so it's good to see players like Candeias and Jack/Dorrans start to use him more effectively when he drops deep or works the channels. Similarly, because they know he can win the ball in the air, they're not afraid to play in early crosses which can make all the difference in creating chances. However, all three all worked hard throughout the game. Jack was again pretty much flawless (his backheel for Windass to help create the Pena goal was superb) but his reading of the game is second to none. Another great signing.

 

I have been a wee bit disappointed with Dorrans so far but I thought he came onto a very good game after half-time. He was a bit more physical and a bit more direct with his passing. He also tried to get into the box more often and was unlucky with a few good runs - even in the first half actually. Pena also looked a bit sharper as well: taking his goal well and generally playing the false nine role quite nicely.

 

All in all, it was a good day and when we have Rossiter, DJ, Nemame and Herrera all busting a gut to get involved (the latter almost did a pre-season workout during the game) then that bodes well.

[Frankie 8,663]

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[Gaffer 1,665]

When I've seen Pena play in the past, he has had a knack of being able to find space, and on Saturday I thought he, Jack, Morelos, Miller and Candeias found acres of it. Pena is an exceptional talent and I'm hoping the goal is the catalyst he needs to start building momentum, because there's nothing like him in Scottish football since Gazza (although he's not in that league yet) and he could be an incredible player for us. I mention the others that were able to find space, because it's a real talent, and one that PC needs to implement his style of play. The problem we have is that the other midfielders and attackers need to develop this too, and it's one of the most difficult skills to teach. Of course, Miller has always been great at finding space, but he doesn't then have the consistent technique or decision making skills to do the right thing with the ball when he receives it. He's a workhorse though and there's no doubt PC rates that attribute highly.

 

Jack is a signing that few of us would have been excited about initially, but he could be pushing Morelos and Candeias for player of the season if he keeps up with this performance level. His positioning is excellent and he has enough composure to fill the stadium. He could be our next captain.

 

Although it's still very early days, Morelos is the one we've all been hoping for. He has all the key skills and attributes you'd want in a forward and gives it his all for the 90 minutes, meaning that he's even more likely to continue to be a fans' favourite. He will no doubt be working on his support play for team mates (in particular where he could be making runs to create space for them), but this is a relatively minor issue for someone who contributes so much for the team already.

 

Although PC has demonstrated his ability to spot and sign top players, I think it's worth pointing out that MW did leave us with one top player and that's Wes. He can look suspect sometimes (with his positioning), but what goalie doesn't. However, his shot stopping and reactions are top class, and his distribution can be as good as Neuer's, if not better. His pass out wide to Candeias would have attracted more attention and acclaim had he been Brazilian and playing for Real Madrid or PSG. That ability he has is worth millions if done consistently and there must be a good number of top teams watching him with interest. Fortunately he is OUR goalie and I hope he does indeed add a few more hundred to his appearances for us.

 

It's said that first you form, then you norm, and then you storm. I feel like the team has now just about formed, and PC seems to know how he wants the team to shape up to play the style he wants. The players seem to know exactly what they're supposed to be doing, and they appear to be enjoying it too which is great to see. We now need to start to norm, and for this to happen we need a dozen or so good games and results. If we keep this going this season, I'd really like to think we'll be ready to start the storming next season, if not for a cup before then.

Edited September 11, 2017 by Gaffer