match thread (image) [FT] Hamilton 1 - 4 Rangers (Kent 40; Tavernier 84 pen, 87 pen; Morelos 90+4)

[Rousseau 10,823]

The fixture pile up that participation in Europe has brought is something that bluenoses have relished this season, and whilst the arrival of another international break was not welcomed by the fans there’s little doubt that is was by Gerrard.

 

The international breaks have split the season up very helpfully for Gerrard. A hectic early season schedule brought 13 games before the September break. Our introduction to Gerrard in these games saw an assured Rangers side navigate their way to the European group stages comfortably and start well domestically before running out of steam with points dropped at Fir Park and the first Old Firm derby of the season ending in defeat. The September break could not have come soon enough.

 

As expected and hoped, Rangers emerged from the international break looking rejuvenated. The next group of seven games were crucial and almost went exactly to plan. On the European front, Gerrard’s side stretched their unbeaten run to 10 and re-asserted themselves as serious players on the continent with a draw away at Villarreal and an impressive home win over Rapid Vienna. The five domestic games, however, painted a mixed picture. Four exhilarating home wins averaging four goals scored per game were in risk of being overshadowed by another worrying performance away from home, this time to dark horses Livingston.

 

Incredibly, after a positive opening few months to the season we find ourselves in 6th position in the league, behind the worst Celtic side in decades and amazingly still 7th in the goals conceded table!

 

The Opposition

 

Hamilton away presents Gerrard with the perfect opportunity to smash the unwanted record of having not won away from home in the league and start fresh. After all, the last time a Rangers side left Hamilton empty handed World War 2 was brewing and Bill Struth was the manager.

 

The Accies started the season losing to Annan Athletic and needed penalties to beat Airdrieonians. More recently, they lost at home to fellow strugglers Dundee and St Johnstone before being annihilated in their last outing by in-form Hibs. They have lost 6 out of 8 in the league. It is a strange game to bill as a must-win but to drop points on the road again against a struggling Hamilton side would certainly put pressure on Gerrard.

 

Danger Man

 

Despite how poorly the Access have started, there is little question who Gerrard will be singling out as a threat. Responsible for 55% of Hamilton’s goals this season, 22 year old forward Mickel Miller will be watched very closely by Goldson and co. Miller is fast and isn’t afraid to shoot from distance on his left foot .
Rangers News

 

The international break hasn’t been too kind on us this time round. Arfield returns with a hamstring injury which is still to be assessed, and Lafferty will not feature at Hamilton after the IFA invoked the 5 day rule after he pulled out of Northern Ireland Nation League double header due to an apparent Achilles injury.

 

Borna Barisic withdrew from the Croatia squad due to a muscle rupture and Nikola Katic withdrew from the U21 squad due to injury.

 

Predicted Line-Up

 

As Katic, Barisic and Lafferty didn’t start the last couple of games their likely absence will only affect the depth of the squad at Hamilton. Arfield’s injury on the other hand paves the way for the returning Jack.

 

Due to the likely absences, the team seems to pick itself. Worrall will take full advantage of Katic’s recovery time and continue to form a partnership with Goldson at centre back with Tavernier and Flanagan at full back. Jack will join Coulibaly and Ejaria in centre midfield with Kent and Candeias retaining their spots on the wings. Morelos will miss next week’s semi final against Aberdeen and with Lafferty ineligible and he won’t be looking over his shoulder for big Sadiq on this occasion who will be lucky to make the bench.

 

What to Look out For

 

Halliday continues to be popular with the gaffer and Dorrans and Rossiter haven’t even made the bench in the last three games. With Arfield potentially rested, will either finally join Halliday on the bench?

 

Next week’s semi final will be a huge game for the Gers, but we go into it without a recognised striker. Given Rangers have scored at least 4 on our last three trips to Hamilton, will Gerrard be planning to take Morelos off to trial a striker-less system if we manage to get a cushion?

 

Grezda got precious game time with Albanian over the international period with 45 minutes in a friendly before playing the full 90 against Israel. The fans are desperate to see how good he is and will be hoping to see him at his best as soon as possible and this is exactly the kind of game we’d like to see him get an extended time on the pitch, especially if he’s in Gerrard’s plans for the final.

 

Sunday is the perfect chance for Gerrard to put our unwelcome away record behind us and start this next section of the season as we mean to go on, as Championship contenders with a comprehensive away win. The Spartak and Aberdeen coming up, this is a crucial stretch of games and if there’s anything we learnt in October it’s that we can’t take any away domestic game for granted.

[Tannochsidebear 2,429]

This is our latest chance to show we can play away from home domestically when faced with a difficult pitch and an opponent who will try to stifle our play at every opportunity. The big difference for me between Livvy and Hamilton is the current mood and form of the home team, as Hamilton are struggling again this season and even this early it looks like it is between them, Dundee & St Mirren for the relegation/playoff slots. 

 

Our away form has been well documented and has been absolutely awful. 2 points from 12, sitting 11th out of the 12 in a table of just away games, and no wins yet is the one piece of the SG jigsaw that is really letting us down to date. We can start to put that right tomorrow with a convincing win which will give us the confidence to go into the two massive games in the next week. 

 

On a personal note, I am going to enjoy a bit of hospitality for the game tomorrow courtesy of Spice Hamilton and I am looking forward to that as well. 

 

It shows the difference this season as I am fairly comfortable with whatever starting 11 SG picks as all our top 16 or so players are of a fairly even standard. With Lafferty's stupidity and O'Neill's obtuseness preventing us from having the big striker available, the pressure to score will again fall to Morelos, and I have a feeling he will deliver tomorrow. Of course he needs supply and Kent has been bang in form recently and will no doubt be asked to provide chances again, as well as getting into the box to try to score himself.

 

Let's Go!!

 

 

[Gonzo79 15,299]

I just checked the league table and wish I hadn't.  If we win tomorrow, we go joint fifth.

 

We need to win tomorrow.   

[JFK-1 1,693]

3 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

I just checked the league table and wish I hadn't.  If we win tomorrow, we go joint fifth.

 

We need to win tomorrow.   

None of todays results helped us much. In an ideal world we would have had the sheep beating hearts and yahoos v hubz maybe a draw. 

[compo 7,223]

We need a win on Sunday to kick of a series of good results to give the team and the fans confidence in the run up to the turn of the year .

[JFK-1 1,693]

I think we're all a shade nervous due to the away record in the league this season. In my view we're too good a team for that to continue and if Dundee can beat Accies 2-0 away which they did to collect their only points from the entire season so far we should be looking at a comfortable win.

 

Hopefully it's a done deal by halftime leaving a half to experiment with the front line with next week in mind.

[Gonzo79 15,299]

Teams in Scotland generally up their game to play us, so their matches against Dundee are largely irrelevant. 

 

We have been disappointing away from home - no doubt about it.  That needs to change but until it does and while we lie sixth in the table, I'll refrain from being anything other than hopeful.

[Gribz 919]

Aberdeen away on matchday 1 we deserved 3 pts in that game. You could argue we let in a late one at motherwell also but we were 2 down in that game so its the Aberdeen game that hurts more. But a win today and we are right in the pack and it will get a monkey off the back and then its Killie at Ibrox a week on Wed, 6 points will have the table looking more clear.

[JFK-1 1,693]

At this stage I'm still not overly concerned about the away record though if we faltered at Hamilton I would be. Day 1 at the sheep pen was a travesty in which we should have won by at least a couple of goals.

 

The Motherwell game they were still gelling while getting used to the managers requirements and appeared somewhat taken aback by the standard Motherwell strategy of kick, wrestle, and roll. Again still should have been a win but for almost literally last kick of the ball slackness.

 

At the piggery they appeared to freeze like deer caught in headlights. The only truly woeful result was at Livingston where they just never turned up at all. All teams have games like that and hopefully that's ours for the season.

 

As I said if we don't beat Hamilton and convincingly at that then I would begin to worry about it but I feel confident the Gerrard express will be back on track at Accies.

[compo 7,223]

Time to remind Stevie and Gary the honeymoon is over it's points that make prizes ..