match thread (image) [FT] St Mirren 0 - 2 Rangers (Candeias 80; Morelos 90+2)

[les186 271]

One of the earliest games I remember between St Mirren and Rangers was the 1962 Scottish Cup Final. The semi-finals had Rangers beating Motherwell 3-1 at Hampden, at the same time as the Grand National.

 

Meanwhile at Ibrox St Mirren were 3-0  up against Celtic when their fans invaded the field. Eventually order was restored and the game ended 3-1 St Mirren. The final was a fairly  straightforward 2-0 win for the Gers with Brand and Wilson scoring.

 

Our team that day was: Ritchie, Shearer, Caldow, Davis, McKinnon, Baxter, Henderson, McMillan, Millar, Brand and Wilson -- 

What a team!

 

George McLean stood out for St Mirren that day and we duly signed him. He was obviously a talented player but did not live up to his promise. He and Jim Forrest never played for Rangers again after the Berwick Rangers defeat. 

 

Anyway, onwards and upwards. St Mirren will obviously play a defensive set-up against us on Saturday so hopefully we provide some attacking threat.

 

St Mirren have a new Manager in charge, Oran Kearney, who was appointed in September after the sacking of Alan Stubbs. The former PE teacher had a successful spell at Coleraine winning the Irish Cup for the first time in 15 years and, just before leaving, brought about a 3-0 win against reigning champions Crusaders.

 

Kearney brought swagger and ambition, declaring on his appointment, "I want to win the league because the day I started [at Coleraine] I wanted titles and trophies."

 

Clearly, St Mirren are nowhere near that level, and their start has been bumpy to say the least. St Mirren have lost 6 of their last 7 matches, although they did manage a 0-0 draw against Celtic in Kerney's first game in charge -- perhaps a warning if Rangers don't approach this game with the right frame of mind. 

 

Hopefully Tavernier recovers his form after an indifferent spell. I expect the team to be along the same lines as Wednesday, although with McGregor coming back between the posts.

 

Possible XI:

 

McGregor

 

Tavernier - Goldson - Worral - Flanagan

 

Halliday - Coulibaly

 

Candeias - Arfield - Kent

 

Morelos

 

[Scott7 6,009]

How well I remember that cup final. I was baby watching two miles from Hampden as a result of a rash promise to let my sister and brother in law go to a wedding. In those days radio commentary was the last twenty minutes only.

Did Kelly not concede the riot semi-final? I only saw news footage but it was about the worst I’d ever seen inside a park.

This weekend I’d like to see some driving forward replacing a bit of the sideways possession. 

[buster. 5,196]

This is a non-negotiable 3 points.

 

St.Mirren are all over the place and alongside Dundee are in a race to the bottom.

 

They had won their first league game against Dundee before they visited Ibrox and started a run of 11 fixtures, with only one draw to show for it. Ironically that was against Celtic in Oran Kearney's first game in charge.

 

 

Sun	12/08/18	PRE	Rangers	2 - 0	St. Mirren	View events	More info
Sat	18/08/18	LEC	Aberdeen	4 - 0	St. Mirren	View events	More info
Sat	25/08/18	PRE	St. Mirren	0 - 2	Livingston	View events	More info
Sat	01/09/18	PRE	Hearts	4 - 1	St. Mirren	View events	More info
Fri	14/09/18	PRE	St. Mirren	0 - 0	Celtic	View events	More info
Sat	22/09/18	PRE	Hamilton Acade…	3 - 0	St. Mirren	View events	More info
Sat	29/09/18	PRE	St. Mirren	0 - 1	Hibernian	View events	More info
Sat	06/10/18	PRE	Aberdeen	4 - 1	St. Mirren	View events	More info
Sat	20/10/18	PRE	St. Mirren	1 - 2	Kilmarnock	View events	More info
Sat	27/10/18	PRE	St. Johnstone	2 - 0	St. Mirren	View events	More info
Wed	31/10/18	PRE	St. Mirren	0 - 2	Motherwell

 

 

A sea of red and numbers you might expect to see in a schools league......

3 goals scored in 990 minutes

26 conceded

 

Apparently they are bringing in Jimmy Nichol to help coach the team once he is recovered from a recent hip operation but he'll play no part in the build-up to this game.

 

Caution

The anomaly in those results is that 2 of the three clubs with the highest goals totals in the league (Hibs, 21 and Celtic, 22) are the two teams that the St.Mirren defence has had relative success against at Home, with a combined one goal conceded in 180 minutes.

We are the other team of the three, 23.

 

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

 

Another unpredictable guess the starting line-up game suggests at one of our problems that we need to sort out during November as we head into a difficult and heavy glut of games in December.

 

- You'd imagine McGregor will be back in goals

- Halliday deserves a starting place at LB* or the midfield

- I'd bring Katic back in for Worrall*

- Drop Coulibally

- Shake it up final third

 

* unlikely but not impossible we go 3-5-2

 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2018 by buster.

[Frankie 8,562]

Thanks for taking the time to contribute Les - excellent stuff! 

 

FWIW, I think we will see changes tomorrow.  Coulibaly is well off-form so needs dropped and I think Grezda or Middleton should replace Kent who deserves a rest - or, if necessary, he could be moved centrally in behind Morelos.

 

I think Halliday will play at left back and Jack will start as well as he did well when he came on.

[26th of foot 6,082]

George McLean, aka Big Dandy, aka Brain of Britain, ................

 

I remember liking McLean, he scored regularly. I was a Primary schoolboy, my elders ridiculed Big Dandy; apparently, he missed twice as many chances as he scored. Another player who was sacrificed in the wake of Scottish Cup defeat at Berwick.

[BlackSocksRedTops 3,752]

14 minutes ago, Frankie said:

Thanks for taking the time to contribute Les - excellent stuff! 

 

FWIW, I think we will see changes tomorrow.  Coulibaly is well off-form so needs dropped and I think Grezda or Middleton should replace Kent who deserves a rest - or, if necessary, he could be moved centrally in behind Morelos.

 

I think Halliday will play at left back and Jack will start as well as he did well when he came on.

Grezda is a must start for me. We need to shake up the final 3rd badly and as someone* else said on another post, we need to start getting  players beyond Morelos.

 

*apologies to whoever poster it. I can't remember who it was

[Craigy1881 79]

it's a tough slog being in europe as well.  We only seem to rotate at the back and centre mid so I agree with everyone we need to try and run some fresh legs.  I also don't see why we broke up the Katic/Goldson partnership.  I would like to see that reinstated as well.  Worral has done ok at times but I preferred the Katic partnership.

[der Berliner 3,744]

Right now, I'd try ...

 

McGregor

 

Goldson - Worrall/Katic - Halliday*

 

Jack

 

Tavernier - Candeias - Grezda - Middleton

 

Lafferty - Morelos

 

 

If we lose the ball, Tav can drop back and we switch to 4-4-2. Candeias as well as Middleton usually track back well too.

 

Grezda should be given a trial as creative attacker, but I would expect to see Arfield from the start.

 

I have no doubt whatsoever that should Ejaria and Kent be fit, they will both start.

 

*Flanagan had an off-day on Wednesday, but Katic was "worse" the last time he was out there. I'd assume they will be both benched.

[MacK1950 2,378]

Don't know what anybody else thinks but to me Wallace is the best overlapping left back we have had through the "journey" and done well enough in his SPL appearances so if in full training is a possible answer.

Katic should return in place of Worral who over the last two games made several schoolboy passes that put us in trouble.

Kent needs a rest so we should see Middleton start,Arfield and Jack should start as Coulibally has gone off the boil and Halliday should get a place as he is beginning to show promise at last.

[BlackSocksRedTops 3,752]

2 minutes ago, MacK1950 said:

Don't know what anybody else thinks but to me Wallace is the best overlapping left back we have had through the "journey" and done well enough in his SPL appearances so if in full training is a possible answer.

Katic should return in place of Worral who over the last two games made several schoolboy passes that put us in trouble.

Kent needs a rest so we should see Middleton start,Arfield and Jack should start as Coulibally has gone off the boil and Halliday should get a place as he is beginning to show promise at last.

I tend to agree. If he is fit then he would be worth a shout. I'm not sure how long Barisic is out for? I remember a few years back Wallace was the best Scottish player on the park at Wembley (3-0 defeat) and if he could offer performances like that, surely he is a better shout than Flanagan?