match thread (image) [FT] Rangers 2 (Tavernier 5' Pen; Morelos 57') - 0 Hibernian

[CammyF 7,171]

30 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

Last season ended nine months ago.  

Did it - oh OK.... never knew. 

 

Still doesn't take away from the fact that Kent has struggled with injuries this season, played whilst injured and when on it (like last 2 games) best player in league. 

 

Also doesn't take away from the fact we are a far better and more dangerous team when he plays well.and we have no one to replace him, so you can see why successive managers continue to have faith in him.

[CammyF 7,171]

13 minutes ago, ian1964 said:

 

Absolutely disgusting

 

Also reading reports of Hibs fan throwing a bottle of whisky into BF5 - steward took bottle and gave it to police. 

[craig 5,199]

4 hours ago, der Berliner said:

No problem with that either, Cammy. Just play another striker and him on the wing where he usually is or behind the strikers. His runs from deep can sure hurt opponents, it is the end product that doesn`t.

His end product as a winger is to assist - he has had 4 in his last two games.  I would say that, presently at least, his end product very much hurts opponents

[craig 5,199]

4 hours ago, Gonzo79 said:

I think that's the main issue.  How often is Kent 'on his game'?

 

About 10% of the time this season.

He hasnt been at his best for sure, but he also spent time on the sidelines injured and struggled to get back to his best - what we have seen in the last couple of games is Ryan Kent at his best, absolutely terrorising defences.

[craig 5,199]

2 hours ago, CammyF said:

Did it - oh OK.... never knew. 

 

Still doesn't take away from the fact that Kent has struggled with injuries this season, played whilst injured and when on it (like last 2 games) best player in league. 

 

Also doesn't take away from the fact we are a far better and more dangerous team when he plays well.and we have no one to replace him, so you can see why successive managers continue to have faith in him.

I have said this before but some people either dont realise or they wilfully ignore.... Ryan Kent hurts teams and helps us in ways without having the ball.  Example.... when he was out of the team we had no real pace to hurt players in behind - we were using Roofe one side and, I think, Wright or Aribo or whomever.... the point being, opposing teams didnt need to sit deeper because of Kent's pace, which meant they could flood our midfield, make it compact and prevent us from having the ball.  When Kent plays those same oppositions naturally sit 5-10 yards deeper because Kent can crucify you in behind.  Goldson and Kent also have that "connection" whereby Goldson notices Kent's movement and knows exactly when to hit that raking diagonal.  We have missed that too.

 

It isnt just what Kent does WITH the ball that hurts opponents and helps us, it is what he does without the ball and the fear his pace strikes in opposing teams, and creates more space for our midfield.

 

It also shouldnt go unnoticed that last night, at times, as soon as Kent got the ball, he had as many as 3 players surrounding him - that also creates space for others.

 

Having the ball is great, but what you do without it can be just as devastating. 

[der Berliner 3,431]

14 hours ago, craig said:

His end product as a winger is to assist - he has had 4 in his last two games.  I would say that, presently at least, his end product very much hurts opponents

Only that he is not used as a winger, but de facto an inside left attacking player in a nominal 4-3-3. And of those I expect a certain goal-return or send him out on the wing and play another striker with an end product. We`ve seen in these last two games two that his shooting is - still - quite erratic. And that is against teams that play quite open. Against the low blocks his pace and trickery has become blunt ... and not just last week. Teams know how to nullify most of his strengths in such games ... he gets frustrated an vanishes from games for 30 to 50 mins. 

While Hearts and Hibs are tough opponents on their own, not least when they are up for it and press our players, they play open football. That is when Kent, Sakala and Co. have their day and hit them with their pace. Those are not the games we toil though. 

 

Quote

Having the ball is great, but what you do without it can be just as devastating. 

The moment we get points for having possession, for yards of completed passes and "striking fear into the opposition", we`ll be out of sight before x-mas.

 

In the here and now we create 10 to 30 chances per game, have 5 to 15 shots on target, but fail to score time and again. In the here and now, the 3-0s, 5-0s or even 8-0s are just deviations from the norm - something you can easily verify by looking at the results from this and last season.

 

If you have a Robben, RIbery and Lewandowski or Müller in a 3-man front line and all hammer in 10+ goals ALONG with their wing-/striker-play, fine.

If you play Kent - Morelos - *insert anyone deemed to be a right attacker on the day* time and again and hope that Alfie drags us out with his goal-prowess (if he`s on fire) or Kent actually finds the net or Aribo come up with one of his specials ... and have no-one bar Arfield with some sort of predatory instinct and will to shoot, you essentially hand games and points away with relative ease - or at least make us toil for all points in a way that is not necessary.

 

I am totally at a loss how people can`t get beyond that 4-3-3 against low blocks when we play people up there who hardly score while having regularly 2 strikers on the bench who can actually fill either slot in that front 3. Strikers who are far more lethal in the few minutes they get ... while still keep the likes of Kent on the pitch. We de facto have been playing into the hands of each of the low block teams for the best part of 3 or even 5 seasons, getting away with it ONCE because of the quality we brought in and a defence worthy of its name. Now we again start pointing at certain players in defence or goals and lament their fall from grace, but fail to acknowledge that our main problem is not conceeding goals, but not scoring enough from the chances we create. 

[Gonzo79 14,173]

The Kent debate rears up every once in a while but no one really changes their mind.

 

I doubt any Bear would disagree that Kent at his best is a terrific asset.  I doubt any Bear would disagree that he's also inconsistent.  

 

It's all about balancing these things up - which the current management team will no doubt be doing, constantly.  

 

 

 

[Bill 13,717]

36 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

The Kent debate rears up every once in a while but no one really changes their mind.

 

I doubt any Bear would disagree that Kent at his best is a terrific asset.  I doubt any Bear would disagree that he's also inconsistent.  

 

It's all about balancing these things up - which the current management team will no doubt be doing, constantly.  

It's a classic example of supporter derangement. Willie Johnston, Tommy McLean and Davie Cooper were probably better than any winger we have today and Cooper in particular was notoriously inconsistent. No doubt his failure to deliver stellar performances every week would see calls for him to be dropped today. It seems the better the player, the greater the intolerance of the supporter but I suppose that's what it's all about though. We supporters are all deranged to some extent, it goes with the territory.

[stewarty 1,909]

59 minutes ago, der Berliner said:

Only that he is not used as a winger, but de facto an inside left attacking player in a nominal 4-3-3. And of those I expect a certain goal-return or send him out on the wing and play another striker with an end product. We`ve seen in these last two games two that his shooting is - still - quite erratic. And that is against teams that play quite open. Against the low blocks his pace and trickery has become blunt ... and not just last week. Teams know how to nullify most of his strengths in such games ... he gets frustrated an vanishes from games for 30 to 50 mins. 

While Hearts and Hibs are tough opponents on their own, not least when they are up for it and press our players, they play open football. That is when Kent, Sakala and Co. have their day and hit them with their pace. Those are not the games we toil though. 

 

The moment we get points for having possession, for yards of completed passes and "striking fear into the opposition", we`ll be out of sight before x-mas.

 

In the here and now we create 10 to 30 chances per game, have 5 to 15 shots on target, but fail to score time and again. In the here and now, the 3-0s, 5-0s or even 8-0s are just deviations from the norm - something you can easily verify by looking at the results from this and last season.

 

If you have a Robben, RIbery and Lewandowski or Müller in a 3-man front line and all hammer in 10+ goals ALONG with their wing-/striker-play, fine.

If you play Kent - Morelos - *insert anyone deemed to be a right attacker on the day* time and again and hope that Alfie drags us out with his goal-prowess (if he`s on fire) or Kent actually finds the net or Aribo come up with one of his specials ... and have no-one bar Arfield with some sort of predatory instinct and will to shoot, you essentially hand games and points away with relative ease - or at least make us toil for all points in a way that is not necessary.

 

I am totally at a loss how people can`t get beyond that 4-3-3 against low blocks when we play people up there who hardly score while having regularly 2 strikers on the bench who can actually fill either slot in that front 3. Strikers who are far more lethal in the few minutes they get ... while still keep the likes of Kent on the pitch. We de facto have been playing into the hands of each of the low block teams for the best part of 3 or even 5 seasons, getting away with it ONCE because of the quality we brought in and a defence worthy of its name. Now we again start pointing at certain players in defence or goals and lament their fall from grace, but fail to acknowledge that our main problem is not conceeding goals, but not scoring enough from the chances we create. 

You sound like you're planning your squad for your Football Manager game.

 

Formations are starting points for the structure of the team.  Players naturally will adjust positionally during games to  find and exploit space, to counter opposition tactics, cover for team mates, etc.  

 

We play with a nominal front line of 3 players, but there are a number of considerations for the manager when picking which ones - form, fitness, playin style, training performance, opposition-specific tactical adjustments, etc.  Yes we could pick our best 3 strikers and that might get some results, but some players are better suited to the wider areas and Kent is one of them. 

[compo 6,483]

Every player has his poor games