match thread (image) [FT] Motherwell 1 - 1 Rangers (Itten 72)

[the gunslinger 3,366]

21 minutes ago, craig said:

That’s an interesting point - assuming Celtic win ALL their remaining games including against us twice (no laughing at the back) we need, technically, 10 wins and a draw - realistically just the 10 wins given goal difference....

 

so if we win 7 of 8 at Ibrox (assume Celtic beat us at home) we then need 3 wins from 6 away - 3 wins from 5 assuming Celtic beat us at Parkhead

 

And all of that supposes Celtic win out for the remainder of the season....

will say this again they haven't won a hard game all season. Their games in had are all harder ones. 

 

only decent team they have played 3 times is hibs an they have 5 points from 9. 1 from Aberdeen 0 from us. 

[ian1964 10,761]

 

[Gonzo79 15,299]

One game at a time.  Win.

 

This is all the team needs to think about.

[ian1964 10,761]

 

[DMAA 3,658]

Well, those dropped points have been coming. Since Dundee United on December 13th we haven’t been playing well but have still managed to get full points every time until now (loss to St Mirren was in the cup of course). We have done very well to take so many points from those games but it is a bit worrying that we have gone 9 domestic games without recovering our form. Incidentally, we lost our form when we lost Jack. We were 4-0 up against Aberdeen when he went off on the 56th minute and that game ended 4-0 and we entered a period where I would say we have had less control. The loss of Roofe and Arfield more recently made dropped points far more likely too, Roofe in particular a player who we have relied on when the other forwards weren’t producing. 
 

As for the game itself, some credit has to go to Motherwell. Their new manager has them set up well and they did well to stop us building up attacks. But ultimately we only have ourselves to blame for not being able to beat possibly the worst team in the league at the moment. 

 

Balogun was caught out at the goal, bizarrely leaving his man in the 6 yard box to close down a man he didn’t have to close down, and even then he didn’t have the urgency he should have to rush back to cover his man, he seemed to continue watching the ball and didn’t get back in time to stop an easy finish that should never have been allowed to happen. Others should have done better too of course, I’m not discounting that. But I hope Helander is brought back in now because that has been coming from Balogun, there has been a slip up in a good number of games from him that he could have been punished for, despite otherwise good performances. 
 

Davis was excellent. His reading of the game/interceptions and passing were big positives. I’m a very big Aribo fan but he’s just struggling to make a impact consistently throughout the game. I still think he’s an important player and he did create a couple of wee chances, but we expect much more. A player who misses Jack I think. 
 

As for the front 3, Hagi hadn’t made enough of an impact but he was the most likely to make something happen and was hooked. I don’t know why Gerrard favours Kent and Morelos so much over him. And so much over Itten and Defoe. I just don’t get it. It was no surprise to see Itten do well when he came on yet again, and Defoe to come very close to scoring a very good goal in a short cameo appearance. These guys have earned more minutes on the pitch but they just don’t get them. Morelos didn’t have a bad game. He did have too many misplaced passes for my liking but if anything he came into it in the second half and was making more positive passes. Kent had one of his poorer games, running the ball out of play 3 times I think and his second touch a tackle far too often. 
 

Luckily Jack and Roofe are nearing returns but what does Itten need to do to earn an opportunity when the players playing ahead of him just aren’t doing it. 

[the gunslinger 3,366]

13 minutes ago, DMAA said:

Well, those dropped points have been coming. Since Dundee United on December 13th we haven’t been playing well but have still managed to get full points every time until now (loss to St Mirren was in the cup of course). We have done very well to take so many points from those games but it is a bit worrying that we have gone 9 domestic games without recovering our form. Incidentally, we lost our form when we lost Jack. We were 4-0 up against Aberdeen when he went off on the 56th minute and that game ended 4-0 and we entered a period where I would say we have had less control. The loss of Roofe and Arfield more recently made dropped points far more likely too, Roofe in particular a player who we have relied on when the other forwards weren’t producing. 
 

As for the game itself, some credit has to go to Motherwell. Their new manager has them set up well and they did well to stop us building up attacks. But ultimately we only have ourselves to blame for not being able to beat possibly the worst team in the league at the moment. 

 

Balogun was caught out at the goal, bizarrely leaving his man in the 6 yard box to close down a man he didn’t have to close down, and even then he didn’t have the urgency he should have to rush back to cover his man, he seemed to continue watching the ball and didn’t get back in time to stop an easy finish that should never have been allowed to happen. Others should have done better too of course, I’m not discounting that. But I hope Helander is brought back in now because that has been coming from Balogun, there has been a slip up in a good number of games from him that he could have been punished for, despite otherwise good performances. 
 

Davis was excellent. His reading of the game/interceptions and passing were big positives. I’m a very big Aribo fan but he’s just struggling to make a impact consistently throughout the game. I still think he’s an important player and he did create a couple of wee chances, but we expect much more. A player who misses Jack I think. 
 

As for the front 3, Hagi hadn’t made enough of an impact but he was the most likely to make something happen and was hooked. I don’t know why Gerrard favours Kent and Morelos so much over him. And so much over Itten and Defoe. I just don’t get it. It was no surprise to see Itten do well when he came on yet again, and Defoe to come very close to scoring a very good goal in a short cameo appearance. These guys have earned more minutes on the pitch but they just don’t get them. Morelos didn’t have a bad game. He did have too many misplaced passes for my liking but if anything he came into it in the second half and was making more positive passes. Kent had one of his poorer games, running the ball out of play 3 times I think and his second touch a tackle far too often. 
 

Luckily Jack and Roofe are nearing returns but what does Itten need to do to earn an opportunity when the players playing ahead of him just aren’t doing it. 

have we forgotten ittens last start 

[DMAA 3,658]

32 minutes ago, the gunslinger said:

have we forgotten ittens last start 

He doesn’t deserve more starts because he started against St Mirren? 

[the gunslinger 3,366]

5 minutes ago, DMAA said:

He doesn’t deserve more starts because he started against St Mirren? 

because of how he performed. 

 

he certainly deserves more time of the bench for now at least. 

[BlackSocksRedTops 3,810]

1 hour ago, the gunslinger said:

because of how he performed. 

 

he certainly deserves more time of the bench for now at least. 

The entire team were terrible that night to be fair

[Bill 13,717]

14 hours ago, DMAA said:

Luckily Jack and Roofe are nearing returns but what does Itten need to do to earn an opportunity when the players playing ahead of him just aren’t doing it. 

I think Cedric Itten's time is fast approaching. For the first time I'd say he looks genuinely ready. Far more important right now is to get Ryan Jack back in the midfield before it completely runs out of steam. I just wish Scott Arfield was closer to a return too. I'd like to see this option tried.....

 

Itten - Roofe - Hagi

Davis - Jack - Kamara

Barisic - Helander - Goldson - Tavernier

McGregor

 

Edited January 19, 2021 by Bill