[FT] Rangers 1 - 0 Kilmarnock (Bates)

[pete 2,499]

 

See-Saw Marjory Daw

Rangers have a new master

The board will get an investor to pay

To make 55 that bit faster.

 

This is of course play on the old nursery rhyme. The reason it sprung to my mind was that in the last few weeks the life of a rangers supporter is like sitting on a see-saw. One day your up the next day you are down. Just a few weeks ago we all thought that we were still in with a chance of catching Celtic. Twice we took the lead and the see-saw was pushed as high as it could go. 46 minutes later the See-saw careered down to the ground with Celtic winning 3-2. I will spare us all the details of the games after that but before every game and certainly a reasonable performance against hearts we managed to get the see-saw up to the top just to have it careering back down to the ground at a space-travel velocity.

 

Even this past week news stories seemed to go up and down. After the brutal whipping Celtic gave us, news started to filter through that Steven Gerrard was in talks to be the next manager. To be honest with many fans the see-saw never hit the top of it's curve, it was more the Grand old Duke of York feeling, "When we were only half way up we were neither up nor down". With the failure of the board not to get the Derek Mc Innes deal over the line this latest news was covered with a lot of doubt. First of all about the coming of Gerrard and secondly whether a person that has only coached at under18 level has the ability and experience to manage such a big club as Rangers. After all that was the main reason given for the failure of our interim manager Graeme Mutry, that he was only ever a youth coach. My take on it is that people are different and all have there own speed of development. There are plenty of examples of managers who have made the transition quickly, like Pep Guardiola and plenty others who have failed like Mutry. In my opinion a persons character is more important than years of experience. Yesterdays winnings are no guarantee for the future. Plus the fact in football training techniques and equipment change almost on a yearly basis. I very much doubt if the old Jock Wallace hard hand tactics would work with the ego's of the modern football player.

 

Now with the deal is deemed to be done and dusted the see-saw has lifted and a new positive feeling is starting to slowly breeze through the thoughts of the supporters. If Gerrard will play any role in the three remaining games is uncertain but with Jimmy Nicholl and Jonatan Johansson having been put in place until the end of the season I doubt if Gerrard will play any visible role until he takes over for next season. His work will all be in the background.

 

On Saturday we get a visit from Kilmarnock in what is now a must win game. In fact our last three games are must win games if we want to take that valuable second spot which will bring a European spot and give five-hundred thousand pounds more than a fourth place. That will at least go some way to paying a players wage for a season.

 

Our last game against Kilmarnock at Ibrox ended in a 1-0 loss with Kilmarnock really winning the midfield battle and easily soaking up any pressure Rangers tried to assert. Since Steve Clarke took over he really has transformed them taking them from the last place into the top six to play in the top half play-offs. What we can expect from Kilmarnock is a well drilled, difficult team to beat, who will play with three central midfield players. This was the problem area with Rangers under Mutry as he stayed true to playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Windass which left us in most games struggling to win a midfield battle. Kilmarnock will try and get that important first goal and then shut up shop.

 

Now that Mutry has been replaced the question will be what formation Nicholl will go for. Will he have learned from the mistakes of Murty or will he go for a different formation. Many would like to see Cummings and Morelos in attack and I remain of the opinion that it would be criminal for the season to finish without giving these two players a chance to play together. I wouldn't play them as a double strike force but as Morelos is from origin a midfield player I would play him in the Windass role just behind Cummings breaking from the midfield. Morelos will put far more work in than Windass does and it will give the Kilmarnock defence the problem of who to pick him up.

 

Whatever the setup they choose at this stage of the season finishing lower as third is not an option. Not only the feelings of the supporters is on the see-saw but also a European spot for next season and therefore a financial load. If that comes crashing to the ground then it could have an effect on the amount our new manager will get in his war-chest for next season and his plight to give us our fifty-fifth league title.

 

I would go for if all fit. As Boyd isn't the quickest.

 

Alnwick

 

Tavernier Cardoso Alves john.

 

McCrorie Holt

 

Candeias Morelos Murphy

 

Cummings

 

 

 

C'mon the Gers

 

[der Berliner 3,747]

Killie won't try to run us over, they will sit back and try to hit us on the counter. Hence ...

 

Alnwick

 

Cardoso/Martin - McCrorie - Alves

 

Candeias - Holt - Goss - Murphy - John

 

Morelos - Cummings

 

 

[compo 7,048]

A hard game as killie are doing well under their new manager and I am sure Boyd will be wanting to put one over on his old employers .

[Darthter 542]

Hopefully the players will realise that they are literally playing for their Rangers futures & put in a performance that we know they are capable of.  Our players have the talent/skill to demolish Killie.....if they show a bit of pride & passion, that's what will happen.

 

I can't see SG tolerating mediocrity.

[ian1964 10,724]

CARETAKER manager Jimmy Nicholl wants the Rangers players to show their fighting spirit and battling qualities when they take on Kilmarnock for three important league points on Saturday.

https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/players-must-show-personal-pride/

[buster. 5,199]

“......A manager or coach can say different things in the dressing room pre-match to try and motivate and organise their group but when the players get out in front of the fans they have to take personal pride in their performance......"

 

Jimmy Nicholl today

(Link in Ians post above)

 

Sounds like a familiar disclaimer of sorts  

 

 

Difficult to know what to expect, several ways you could look at it. Guess we'll know soon enough.

 

The probable absence of Windass (picked up knock??) will enforce a fresh look about our attack.

[der Berliner 3,747]

Quote

Nicholl has confirmed that David Bates has trained with the squad this week having recovered from an ankle injury but Josh Windass and Lee Hodson have picked up knocks. Wes Foderingham (shoulder) and Declan John (hand) remain out.

https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/players-must-show-personal-pride/

 

Well, if I go with my 3-5-2 line-up above, I'd exchange John for Docherty or even Dodoo, with Murphy either moving to the flank or stays were he is as inside left.

[buster. 5,199]

Might be a bluff or mean nothing but in the behind the scenes/SG video from yesterday, you see Jimmy Bell in the dressing room,  hanging the tops for tomorrow and Windass went up. He might provisionly be in the 18 man match-day squad.

[ian1964 10,724]

Murty! not Mutry!.

 

Maybe the timing of unveiling SG will turn out to be perfect? maybe a kick up the arse the players need? they all need to show the watching manager that they deserve to be involved in the thoughts of SG? let's hope so!. 

[alskoosher 14]

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