match thread (image) [FT] Rangers 3 (Morelos 6; Tavernier 50pen; Coulibaly 86) - 1 Maribor

[Rousseau 10,823]

15 minutes ago, DMAA said:

Quote from Gerrard

“But, there was something about our shape and something about our distances tonight that didn’t really feel right from probably 15, 20 minutes to half time. As a staff, we put that right, and as a team, we asked them to go and carry that out with a better shape, more togetherness and going and pressing the ball as a team rather than individuals doing their own thing within it."

 

Aside from the fact that they have the tactical knowledge and ability to address what was happening, I could help but notice his humility in his willingness to publically share the praise with the rest of his team.

Now that you mention that, I did think we're not as compact in that spell. 

 

 

[Rousseau 10,823]

Anyone else think we played a situational back-three last night, at least initially?

 

I felt Flanagan was narrow, with Kent and Tavernier bringing the width on either side; Candeias was narrow too, allowing Tavernier space wide. 

 

We went back to a more orthodox shape halfway through the first half, when the distances between players started to stretch.

 

It may be that Flanagan was being conservative, and Tavernier was his normal bombing self? 

[DMAA 3,658]

8 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

It may be that Flanagan was being conservative, and Tavernier was his normal bombing self?

Yeh I think it's just what will naturally happen due to the players' styles

[Rousseau 10,823]

4 minutes ago, DMAA said:

Yeh I think it's just what will naturally happen due to the players' styles

That will come into it, but Flanagan did eventually play higher up, which made me think it was a ploy. Perhaps just having the FB at the opposite side tuck in, while the ball side FB plays high?

[DMAA 3,658]

30 minutes ago, rbr said:

Plus thankfully Ryan Jack will return for the return leg .

 

26 minutes ago, Bill said:

That could be a major plus factor in that setting.

Jack returning is huge because Flanagan will be suspended. That means we won't have a recognised LB.

 

That leaves Gerrard with the decison of whether to risk Halliday there. I'd go solid and ask McCrorie to play there. Halliday would be far too big a risk defensively. In any case it's a bit of a predicament and will be interesting to see whether we change formation to fit the players we have or stick with what we know.

[Waltersgotstyle 307]

Tavernier was all over the park, he was so far up at times you would have thought he was a striker!

 

Edited August 10, 2018 by Waltersgotstyle

[T-1000 174]

Very promising performance but still a few areas where improvements can be made.  I felt at times Maribor's strikers found space a bit too easily especially between the lines and were dangerous at corner kicks and balls into the box where at times we looked a bit static and were not attacking the ball sufficiently.

[trublusince1982 243]

Watching the game again and removing the stress of watching we were even better than had thought

[DMAA 3,658]

Most disappointing aspect was the consistently poor deliveries.

 

Whether from open play or set pieces the crosses were consistently shocking. If it got past the first man it was in the stand. If Candeias in particular could get that fixed he'd be a fantastic player but it just keeps happening over and over again.

Edited August 10, 2018 by DMAA

[buster. 5,262]

9 hours ago, DMAA said:

 

Jack returning is huge because Flanagan will be suspended. That means we won't have a recognised LB.

 

That leaves Gerrard with the decison of whether to risk Halliday there. I'd go solid and ask McCrorie to play there. Halliday would be far too big a risk defensively. In any case it's a bit of a predicament and will be interesting to see whether we change formation to fit the players we have or stick with what we know.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2018 by buster.