match thread (image) [FT] Kilmarnock 2 - 1 Rangers (Defoe 12)

[buster. 5,261]

Game may be in doubt..................

 

 

[Stevie - 4lads Blog 922]

I’d go 4-2-3-1 

 

McGregor, Tav, Worrall, McAuley, Halliday, Jack, McCrorie, Arfield, Kent, Candeias, Alfredo 

 

(same team as Mhanks as they earned shirt) 

 

How we will go in my humble opinion 

 

4-4-2 Diamond 

 

McGregor, Tav, Worrall, McAuley, Halliday, Jack, Davis, Arfield, Kent, Defoe, Alfredo 

 

(which I think is a mistake & leaves us vulnerable down the wings) 

 

But we will see 

[Frankie 8,665]

I can't see us going with the diamond for the moment.

 

4-2-3-1/4-3-3 remains our best option for tougher matches but we do need to get Defoe and Davis playing regularly so I think the diamond will become more prevalent over the coming weeks - not necessarily as the starting system but certainly in games where we need to open up (e.g. the corresponding match v Killie at Ibrox).

[buster. 5,261]

20 minutes ago, Stevie - 4lads Blog said:

I’d go 4-2-3-1 

 

McGregor, Tav, Worrall, McAuley, Halliday, Jack, McCrorie, Arfield, Kent, Candeias, Alfredo 

 

(same team as Mhanks as they earned shirt) 

 

How we will go in my humble opinion 

 

4-4-2 Diamond 

 

McGregor, Tav, Worrall, McAuley, Halliday, Jack, Davis, Arfield, Kent, Defoe, Alfredo 

 

(which I think is a mistake & leaves us vulnerable down the wings) 

 

But we will see 

Tend to agree with keeping same XI (minus Goldson) unless Davis has showed up particularly well in training.

 

Don't think we can play Defoe from the start tonight and you certainly can't start both Davis and Defoe in this type of game at their stage of match fitness.

[alexscottislegend 2,378]

I have a vague recollection of my Dad singing that song; I thought I must have imagined it so thanks to 26th for confirming it. Of course, we must win - no wriggle room now.

[DMAA 3,658]

I agree he'll probably ease Davis and Defoe in. But I for one am sick of showing SPFL sides too much respect. I don't think the old firm starting 11 should be untouchable because it's not the only game they've played this season. We all love Candeias but he's not title winning quality in the final third. We've seen that repeatedly. And although the diamond is definitely a risk at this stage, replacing Candeias with Defoe makes us far more threatening and replacing McCrorie with Davis makes us far more creative. We don't need as many defensively minded players in our starting line-up as we've been playing. Every time we've done it away from home we've seen attack after attack break down due to lack of ability in that area.

 

Whatever the line-up tonight I'm hoping we will see (at least at some point) Defoe giving their defenders a nightmare with his movement and Davis playing some defence splitting passes and creating space for our wide men with the quick quality cross-field passes that we haven't seen enough of.

 

If we do go with the diamond and Kent is at the head of it he needs to prove he's got end product or for me Arfield should take that position and McCrorie reclaim his spot as the anchor man with Jack pushed on.

Edited January 23, 2019 by DMAA

[buster. 5,261]

6 minutes ago, DMAA said:

I agree he'll probably ease Davis and Defoe in. But I for one am sick of showing SPFL sides too much respect. I don't think the old firm starting 11 should be untouchable because it's not the only game they've played this season. We all love Candeias but he's not title winning quality in the final third. We've seen that repeatedly. And although the diamond is definitely a risk at this stage, replacing Candeias with Defoe makes us far more threatening and replacing McCrorie with Davis makes us far more creative. We don't need as many defensively minded players in our starting line-up as we've been playing. Every time we've done it away from home we've seen attack after attack break down due to lack of ability in that area.

 

Whatever the line-up tonight I'm hoping we will see (at least at some point) Defoe giving their defenders a nightmare with his runs and Davis playing some defence splitting passes and creating space for our wide men with the quick quality cross-field passes that we haven't seen enough of.

 

If we do go with the diamond and Kent is at the head of it he needs to prove he's got end product or for me Arfield should take that position and McCrorie reclaim his spot as the anchor man with Jack pushed on.

Forget the formation for a moment and think attitude and determination (plus match-fitness/in press).

 

For me these next three away games in the league will need the attitude and determination in spades. This was the main reason we got the monkey off our backs on the 29th and those who stood up to be counted deserve more gametime. 

[DMAA 3,658]

28 minutes ago, buster. said:

Forget the formation for a moment and think attitude and determination (plus match-fitness/in press).

 

For me these next three away games in the league will need the attitude and determination in spades. This was the main reason we got the monkey off our backs on the 29th and those who stood up to be counted deserve more gametime. 

Match fitness is what we don't know and the reason why Defoe and Davis probably won't start, at least not both of them. 

 

Home games are totally different from away games and attitude and determination are all well and good but these are the players who have repeatedly failed away from home in the 4-3-3. Not a one-off, it's been consistent.

 

Only 4 wins and 15 goals from 10 away games so far. St Johnstone managed 7 wins from 10. And in the games I watched it seemed that our lineups were just too defensive and didn't have enough attacking ability. No penetration because the players playing just didn't have the ability. I think change is essential and I hope we'll see it. If the new boys aren't fit then I hope Gerrard and his tactical gurus have used the break to crack what's gone wrong away from home and we don't see a repeat of what we saw in the first half of the season.

Edited January 23, 2019 by DMAA

[buster. 5,261]

6 minutes ago, DMAA said:

Match fitness is what we don't know and the reason why Defoe and Davis probably won't start, at least not both of them. 

 

Home games are totally different from away games and attitude and determination are all well and good but these are the players who have repeatedly failed away from home in the 4-3-3. Not a one-off, it's been consistent.

 

Only 4 wins and 15 goals from 10 away games so far. St Johnstone managed 7 wins from 10. And in the games I watched it seemed that our lineups were just too defensive and didn't have enough attacking ability. No penetration because the players playing just didn't have the ability. I think change is essential and I hope we'll see it. If the new boys aren't fit then I hope Gerrard and his tactical gurus have used the break to crack what's gone wrong away from home and we don't see a repeat of what we saw in the first half of the season away from home.

Agree with much of what you say but I just think that at this challenging but vital juncture it'll be more about attitude and determination.  It's what won us the OF game and it's what we need if we want a good return from the next 3 league aways.

 

[craig 5,199]

4 hours ago, buster. said:

There is an old school quality that a fit McCrorie brings to the team and if he is given the chance of a prolonged run in the team, I think we'll see one of the best Scottish midfielders to emerge for some time. 

 

I've often said he'll be a Rangers captain one day but for SG to come out and say that tends to suggest how highly he is thought of where it matters.

Employees at the Academy have been talking about Ross McCrorie as a future Rangers captain for some years now