match thread (image) [FT] Celtic 1 - 1 Rangers (Morelos 38)

[CammyF 8,129]

4 hours ago, weebluedevil said:

If by ‘intentional’ you mean not getting out of 2nd gear unless we had to, you could be right. We certainly don’t seem to exert ourselves so much if it looks as though 2nd gear is enough. 

And still we never looked like losing the game. 

[the gunslinger 3,366]

3 hours ago, craig said:

Lol.  In a season we have dominated domestically, in a week where emotions will have completely drained the squad, our 5th match of the month to Celtic's two, we had two days of preparation to their two weeks work of preparation.... in all of that, and we have won the league the earliest it has been won in a century, undefeated in the league.... all of that... and you are raging.

 

I would hate to see what you have been like the last decade then.

 

Over-reaction may be an understatement

watched it again today our players were walking about. Clearly exhausted yet we got a draw. 

 

 

[Tannochsidebear 2,420]

I thought we strolled the game in first gear and only upped it to second gear when we were behind.

 

Gone was our usual press and high energy, gone was our attacking full backs, gone was our long diagonal balls in behind a square and wooden defence, we went there for a point and were happy to play out the second half in cruise control.

 

Not something I ever want to see from a Rangers side, especially at the mhidden, but completely understandable. I said at FT that they would jump on a “we were the better side again” and it proves there isn’t a gap between the 2. Perfect, I hope they truly believe that and recruit accordingly.

[Gonzo79 15,294]

23 minutes ago, Tannochsidebear said:

I thought we strolled the game in first gear and only upped it to second gear when we were behind

Strange because I thought we went into reverse gear for the period between the two goals.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

4 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

Strange because I thought we went into reverse gear for the period between the two goals.

they certainly got their tails up for 10-15 mins. 

 

 

[Tannochsidebear 2,420]

Perhaps i need to see that period again, I was on the Peroni!

 

I just recalled I wasn’t surprised we equalised when we did. They had some joy down our RB area getting in behind Balogun in the first half but strangely I never felt the game was getting away from us. Perhaps that just comes from knowing the gulf between the 2 sides.

[weebluedevil 1,239]

12 hours ago, CammyF said:

And still we never looked like losing the game. 

Not with McGregor to save us, no. 

[craig 5,199]

18 hours ago, der Berliner said:

Craig, you obviosuly see these dire affairs against the trench diggers from just one perspective. So be it. IMHO, we seriously underuse the options we have and it was far from easy going nor pleasing to the eye to have our 4-2-3-1 against the 0-5-5s et al.

Each to their own, but I have THOROUGHLY ENJOYED watching Rangers this season.  We have played with a panache, swagger, and intent about us all season long, with minor, very minor, blips along the way.  Some of our play has been absolutely sublime, even when struggling to break teams down.

 

I do believe it was you yourself in seasons past who has lamented, rightly so, that "there are two teams on the pitch and it isn't just what we do that makes the game" or words to that effect.  If you are expecting every game to be pleasing on the eye when going up against brick walls then I suggest you may need to watch another team because that is going to be the way forward for our opponents in the vast majority of domestic matches.  It is a 5-5-0 that they deploy, not a 0-5-5.  We have dropped points in 5 games from 33 so far this season - that is we have won 85% of our league games, drawn 15% and lost 0%.  And very few, very few, have been turgid affairs from OUR perspective - we can't dictate how opponents play against us, that is up to them.

 

As I said, we have averaged 2.36 goals per game - you will be one of very few football fans unhappy with their team scoring an average of 2.36 goals per game, being undefeated in the league, won the league before the split, the quickest it has been won in a century.  It is almost as if some of our fans are completely forgetting the last decade already.  The progress made by this team is absolutely remarkable - yet scoring 2.36 goals per game just isn't enough - now we need to do it playing like the 2011 Barcelona team, no matter how our opponents line up.

 

Yes, we know you want guys like Stewart to get game time and we know you aren't particularly keen on Kent.  But Kent has been integral to our team and anyone who looks at just his goals and assists is completely missing the other aspects of his game and also how dangerous he is for opponents, such that they double team him.  Stewart is a decent squad player and, I too, would have liked to have seen him get more game time - but this season was about ONE thing and one thing only - winning the league - Gerrard was highly unlikely to rotate a great deal from a winning formula - he did that in seasons past and we fell apart after Christmas.

 

One thing that we ALL have a tendency to forget is that we are not the ones who see these players every single day in training - it could just very well be that Gerrard doesn't fancy him because he isn't showing enough on the training pitch. 

 

Some players become better than they actually are simply because they aren't playing - I have a suspicion that Greg Stewart is one such player.  Speaking of players becoming better because they aren't playing though.... is ANYONE any longer in doubt as to just how important Tavernier is for us ?  Took pelters from some sections of our support for a long time - but now that he has a prolonged period out it is clear to see just how vital he is - and it is abundantly clear to see that opponents are now attacking our right side, because he is out.

[craig 5,199]

14 hours ago, Tannochsidebear said:

I thought we strolled the game in first gear and only upped it to second gear when we were behind.

 

Gone was our usual press and high energy, gone was our attacking full backs, gone was our long diagonal balls in behind a square and wooden defence, we went there for a point and were happy to play out the second half in cruise control.

 

Not something I ever want to see from a Rangers side, especially at the mhidden, but completely understandable. I said at FT that they would jump on a “we were the better side again” and it proves there isn’t a gap between the 2. Perfect, I hope they truly believe that and recruit accordingly.

It is exactly that attitude that has them where they are.  If it wasn't for us going for an invincible league season I would grudgingly been comfortable with us losing that game if it meant Kennedy getting the job.  We basically treated it like a training session.  The only time we looked like it was a competitive game was, as you say, when we went behind.

 

You could tell we were treating it like a training game when Celtic scored.  McGregor almost looked like he didn't care that we had conceded - very, very unlike him not to be bawling and shouting after conceding a goal.

 

We weren't fussed about winning, we just wanted to not lose.  Hopefully in the game on May 2nd that changes and the squad want to finish the last OF game with a performance to be proud of - though, again, I would take a draw if it meant Kennedy getting the Celtic job

[craig 5,199]

14 hours ago, Gonzo79 said:

Strange because I thought we went into reverse gear for the period between the two goals.

Think that was more to do with Celtic being in the ascendency - we didn't improve a great deal but they had the impetus - when treating it like a training game it is difficult to move through the gears at will.

 

Was the most comfortable I think I have ever felt in an Old Firm game.  Even when they scored I was like "meh, no biggie".