[FT] Rangers 1 - 0 Kilmarnock (Bates)

[Bluedell 5,627]

15 hours ago, DMAA said:

I didn’t see t but the report said Cummings was dropping deep a lot. I find that very frustrating, what’s the point in playing two up front if the strikers just drop deep anyway. 

We didn't play 2 up front. It was 4-2-3-1  

[der Berliner 3,747]

9 hours ago, pete said:

Cummings second touch was a tackle. Not Rangers class let him return to NF.

Maybe because he wasn't fit? Also the reason for his substitution at HT ... instead of that tactical semi-masterstroke re McCrorie.

 

 

 

It was clear to see that - as expected - Killie would play the closed ranks game and with our tactic of 4-2-3-1 we weren't going anywhere - again - for large spells.

 

As for Cummings, we shall see. His age and talent would still make him a steal at 650k and we need people like him for the SPFL campaign.

 

 

[buster. 5,199]

55 minutes ago, Blue Moon said:

Apart from the goal and the performances of Goss and McCrorie the rest was depressing stuff.   We need to take something from Tuesday's game and hope Hearts do us a favour.  I have the fear for Easter Road.

Post-split fixtures thus far have tended to go to form / reflect who has something to play for.

 

We managed to beat negative set-ups from Hearts and Killie that had an end of season feel.

We lost heavily on the other side of the city as they had a big carrot dangling.

 

Aberdeen have beaten Hearts and Killie and drawn with Hibs who are also in fight for 2nd place.

 

Hibs have beaten Celtic and Killie and drawn with Aberdeen who are also in fight for 2nd place.

 

-------------

 

The one notable result was Edinburgh green beating Glasgow green but that wasn't as much of a surprise as it would have been in 'usual circumstances'.

 

Rangers 2 important wins and a predictable defeat with air of no fight when going gets tough

Aberdeen and Hibs both 7 points from 9

Hearts and Killie are 0 points from 15 

 

-------------------

 

Aberdeen v Rangers

Hearts v Hibs

Hibs v Rangers

Celtic v Aberdeen

 

Will we be up for a sustained battle at Aberdeen ? If we aren't, we'll lose.

 If Hibs need to win that game next Sunday, the sad probability is they will.

 

We have 68 points (67 final total  last season) and I'll be surprised if this team add to it.

 

 

[Gonzo79 15,294]

I agree, buster.  I expect Hibs and Aberdeen to beat us.

[Tannochsidebear 2,413]

I think Buster has nailed this pretty much spot on.

 

We look like a totally broken side with a huge lack of confidence throughout, a dressing room who are already on holiday when we need to be fighting to give us the best possible scenario for next season, both financially with league placings, and length of pre-season depending on when we start in Europe, (IF we actually qualify at all).

 

There seems to be nothing Jimmy Nich can do to restore a team spirit and confidence into our side, and we go to two very difficult venues this week with everything on the line. While Aberdeen have a history of bottling the big games, surely they will be right up for this one while we all know the hivs will be super-charged for this one, while the tims will be playign their second string against Dolly at the piggery. 

 

We have second place in our own hands only until kick off on Tuesday night, by Sunday night I expect us to be 4th and I dont think anyone could reasonably argue against that scenario given our performances over the last couple of months.

 

We certainly can win these two games if you look at the quality in the squads and the probable line-ups, but unless we find some commitment, desire, fight, hunger and finishing we will be watching more disappointment. 

 

With some of the worst performances in our entire history coming this season from Luxembourg to the SCSF, it looks like a fitting end to this will be us actually having to rely on celtic winning back to back trebles (something we have never managed) to secure us a European place for next season. That makes me totally sick to my stomach to know this will be the likely scenario.

 

Surely this should be the message (one of at least) to the players, a lot of whom are Rangers supporters, and if they owe us anything for their underachieving this season they at least owe us that they avoid this scenario for our support for them in huge numbers despite the continual disappointments.

 

Cmon bears, lets finish the season properly with two wins and put these two scum teams with scum supports back in their holes.

[buster. 5,199]

28 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

I agree, buster.  I expect Hibs and Aberdeen to beat us.

The sheep aren't made of stern stuff so I'd give us a chance of taking something up there but the thing is, our team isn't really a team anymore, they are a collection of indivduals wanting the end of the season to come.

[Gaffer 1,665]

I fully expect us to win the last two games, and comfortably.  If we play our better players like Goss, we should do it.  My on,y reservation is that our interim manager, JN, doesn't appear to know that McCrorie can play in midfield!!!!  Really!?!  I've never heard such a bizarre comment and I'm honestly utterly bewildered at how he has been able to provide Murty with any support if he doesn't even know the players.  The players will want to show SG that they want to be he next season.  The last two games is a brilliant weeding opportunity because it'll be obvious who should be be shown the door.

[Tannochsidebear 2,413]

I dont know how you can "expect" us to win these two games Gaffer?

 

If the players were to have a positive effect from the SG news, surely we would have seen it yesterday, at home, against a team already on the beach mentally? My MOTM yesterday was Alnwick for a great double save which was the ONLY highlight (bar a late scrappy goal) of the game. The players were abject yesterday, especially the first half and I didnt see any additional effort from any of them from the last month.

 

I really really HOPE we can find it somewhere to just get these 2 wins, scrappy or otherwise, in the next 2 games, but there is absolutely no basis to expect it.

[Gaffer 1,665]

18 minutes ago, Tannochsidebear said:

I dont know how you can "expect" us to win these two games Gaffer?

 

If the players were to have a positive effect from the SG news, surely we would have seen it yesterday, at home, against a team already on the beach mentally? My MOTM yesterday was Alnwick for a great double save which was the ONLY highlight (bar a late scrappy goal) of the game. The players were abject yesterday, especially the first half and I didnt see any additional effort from any of them from the last month.

 

I really really HOPE we can find it somewhere to just get these 2 wins, scrappy or otherwise, in the next 2 games, but there is absolutely no basis to expect it.

We have better players than they do.  We have beaten Aberdeen every other game.  That's why I expect us to win.  I expect us to beat all teams, other than Celtic at the moment.

[Tannochsidebear 2,413]

Just now, Gaffer said:

We have better players than they do.  We have beaten Aberdeen every other game.  That's why I expect us to win.  I expect us to beat all teams, other than Celtic at the moment.

So you dont think form, confidence, lack of management, and a broken dressing room has any influence on results? okay-dokey!

 

I would normally expect us to beat all teams too, including celtic, but this annus horribulas (repeated) has shown that our players, better on paper as you rightly say than the opponents, rarely show the gap in quality on the pitch that matches the gap in pay/talent between them and their opponents.

 

The realism is that we have no right to expect this group of players to go out there and beat our opponents, simply because there is so much evidence to the contrary.

 

Hopefully the new management team can bring a new reality to our viewing for next season, I for one am just clinging on to the hope that we can somehow manage to get the combination of results that see us finish 2nd. Whether we expect it, or just hope for it, we can certainly all agree that we will be delighted if we get it.