match thread (image) [FT] Rangers 2 - 1 Hearts (Cummings, Candeias)

[buster. 5,200]

2 minutes ago, JohnMc said:

Put me in the 'don't read too much into that performance' camp. Hearts were abject, yet were still only the width of the post away from a draw. 
We showed a bit of spirit and energy and dominated possession for long spells but were toothless in the first half and profligate in the second. Murphy, Candieas, Holt and Dorrans showed up and took control which was pleasing. Am I the only one concerned about McCrorie at centre-half? He clearly has talent but I'm not convinced that's his position and a better more attack minded team would have caused us more problems today. Him and Martin together don't look solid to me, their goal yesterday was an unchallenged header. 

It was 3 important points and serves to switch attention away from the lows of last week.

 

I think Murty is now 'window dressing' and the players are pretty much motivating themselves. I'd imagine they'll want to show that they can compete this coming weekend and we'll at least be in their faces. 

 

We are fragile at the back, no doubt and that isn't going to be resolved in what is left of this season. We'll have to aim to score more goals than we concede.

[Frankie 8,570]

15 minutes ago, JohnMc said:

Put me in the 'don't read too much into that performance' camp. Hearts were abject, yet were still only the width of the post away from a draw. 
We showed a bit of spirit and energy and dominated possession for long spells but were toothless in the first half and profligate in the second. Murphy, Candieas, Holt and Dorrans showed up and took control which was pleasing. Am I the only one concerned about McCrorie at centre-half? He clearly has talent but I'm not convinced that's his position and a better more attack minded team would have caused us more problems today. Him and Martin together don't look solid to me, their goal yesterday was an unchallenged header. 

Hearts were (for the second time this season at Ibrox) very, very poor but I was happy with the improved effort and attitude from our players and think they deserve some credit for doing the business.

 

Yes, we wasted far too many chances and were awful at their goal but I think the hard work we put into the midfield especially and the pressure we applied to Hearts in that regard was just as important as their poor play.

[aweebluesoandso 290]

2 hours ago, ian1964 said:

Manager Craig Levein emphasised the need for good possession prior to kick off and was frustrated by the number of times the ball was given away.

"I thought we could have won the game today," he said.

"I didn't feel Rangers were at their best. We assisted them on many occasions by coughing up possession of the ball too easily."

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43858305

Hearts came on a damage limitation exercise, defended in depth all game, apart from one maybe two quick breaks, trying to catch us in the counter, i thought Hearts were poor yesterday.

[D'Artagnan 173]

On 21/04/2018 at 17:53, RANGERRAB said:

I really don’t know why we took him on loan as he’s started so few games.

I’d like to see him & Morrlos up front. I don’t think we’re good enough to play just one striker.

Agreed Rab. I thought Windass yesterday was nothing more than a passenger who didnt know where he was meant to be going.

[pete 2,499]

26 minutes ago, JohnMc said:

Put me in the 'don't read too much into that performance' camp. Hearts were abject, yet were still only the width of the post away from a draw. 
We showed a bit of spirit and energy and dominated possession for long spells but were toothless in the first half and profligate in the second. Murphy, Candieas, Holt and Dorrans showed up and took control which was pleasing. Am I the only one concerned about McCrorie at centre-half? He clearly has talent but I'm not convinced that's his position and a better more attack minded team would have caused us more problems today. Him and Martin together don't look solid to me, their goal yesterday was an unchallenged header. 

 I agree with your post in general but your second sentence is of course nonsense. A miss is a miss and if we count all the times that we hit the bar or the post then we possibly would have won the league and would have been further in Europe than we went as we hit the bar a good few times in Luxembourg. I agree that I prefer McCrorie in the midfield and I doubt if they would have scored that goal if big Alves was playing.

[buster. 5,200]

15 minutes ago, aweebluesoandso said:

Hearts came on a damage limitation exercise, defended in depth all game, apart from one maybe two quick breaks, trying to catch us in the counter, i thought Hearts were poor yesterday.

You have to feel almost sorry for the poor souls who follow Hearts away from home or in other words, to watch buses being parked badly.

[alskoosher 14]

A good deal better than last Sunday even if Hearts are everything that would turn you off of football, still a long way to go though.

Just as importantly I hope that Hibs dominating celtic by constant closing down has been noted by our manager and players, if you don't compete or indeed surrender before a ball is kicked you will never win anything. I have never before in many years ever seen such a lack of pride and conviction from any players who have the honour to wear our strip.

[Tannochsidebear 2,420]

After the (rightful) criticism and anger at our SF performance, you again look to see a reaction in a fairly routine home game next time up. The exact same lack of pace, passion, creativity and desire as we witnessed at Hampden was in show in a first half that if it were shown to someone who had never seen football before, would have ensured they never watched another match ever again. The only difference between yesterday and last Sunday was that our opponent was worse than us.

 

In the first half, I couldnt see any shape to the team, any obvious tactics, any desire to get the ball into certain areas, no Hearts player had been picked out as the weak link to attack, there was no closing down quickly, no neat triangular passing to create space, nobody wanted to go past a man. It looked a team that hadnt been coached, had no confidence, no gameplan, nothing. It was Murty-football.

 

The second half was much more like it. More desire, more effort, faster, closing down opponents in the final third, creating chances, passing quicker and more accurately, and, thankfully, taking a couple of chances as well. It couldnt have been any more different from the first half. I wanted to see the second half performance in the first half as if to say to the fans that they were sorry they refused to turn up for our biggest domestic game of the season and they were going to finish the season with 5 wins, nothing less will be acceptable to them.

 

Alas, it was only after half time that they played like they can, and I suppose I should be thankful for small mercies that we at least looked like we want to try to finish second.

 

The team looks broken to me, there were plenty of arguments going on between players that didnt look like just about the moment but something festering. Candieas run right past Murty to go straight to Halliday and the ones who had been dropped when he scored said a lot about what they think of the hapless youth coach who continues to be thrown to the wolves by a board who seem to have 2 pencils up their nose and their underpants on their head (Blackadder fans will get it!)

 

I dont even want to think about Sunday yet....

[JohnMc 2,764]

4 hours ago, buster. said:

It was 3 important points and serves to switch attention away from the lows of last week.

 

I think Murty is now 'window dressing' and the players are pretty much motivating themselves. I'd imagine they'll want to show that they can compete this coming weekend and we'll at least be in their faces. 

 

We are fragile at the back, no doubt and that isn't going to be resolved in what is left of this season. We'll have to aim to score more goals than we concede.

Yeah, I agree, the hope for the weekend must be that player pride will motivate them to fight as if their lives depend upon it. Preventing them winning the league, if even for only a week, would feel like some kind of moral victory. 

[JohnMc 2,764]

3 hours ago, Frankie said:

Hearts were (for the second time this season at Ibrox) very, very poor but I was happy with the improved effort and attitude from our players and think they deserve some credit for doing the business.

 

Yes, we wasted far too many chances and were awful at their goal but I think the hard work we put into the midfield especially and the pressure we applied to Hearts in that regard was just as important as their poor play.

Yes, we were better, and the changes Murty made largely worked, so credit there. However, considering the experience that Hearts side had (every single Hearts player yesterday was either a full international or an under 21 international with the exception of Randall who is on loan from Liverpool) I was amazed how poor they were. They sat off us and seemed unable to string more than three passes together. We were better, it would have been hard to be worse, but a better side than Hearts would have caused us a lot more problems. Every side we've to play for the rest of this season is better than Hearts.