Next Season

[Sutton_blows_goats 5,345]

6 minutes ago, Blue Moon said:

I think it is too soon to be thinking of replacing the manager.  I have some doubts but have more doubts about the players who only seem at their best in Europe.  Tells us where their heads are at.

I think this is fair. Its also crossed my mind that the teams strength is playing European football and not dominating Scotland. How many years were we dominant here but useless in Europe? Look at Celtic recently in Europe V domestically.

[ascender 352]

Part of why I think we've done well in Europe is because we're typically up against sides who try to play football so there's more space for us and it suits our style of play.

 

But its also not an unreasonable question to ask if some of those players are raising their game for Europe (glamour ties, they get to express themselves, they're in the shop window etc) and just doing the absolute minimum in some of the league games.

This is the time to have a clearout and you'd hope we could fund it by selling a few players who blow hot and cold. Look at what Celtic have spent this season as an example.

[Sutton_blows_goats 5,345]

2 minutes ago, ascender said:

Look at what Celtic have spent this season as an example.

The boy that ripped them apart for bodo/glimt is available for about half a million supposedly. Value is out there.

[weebluedevil 1,239]

So let's assume Gio will be the manager next season, I think we all agree that won't change. He needs to be backed and we need to sell first, again probably no debate there. 

 

Morelos, Kent - last year of their contracts will be sold. I think we also need to sell Aribo, Kamara -with those four our most saleable assets and could bring in 25m - conservative estimate. I know I keep saying but Wilson needs to bring in money for players that have largely failed lately: Barisic, Wright, Simpson.  

 

We will also free ourselves from some hefty wages - McGregor, Goldson, Davis and those on loan: Amad and Ramsey. 

That provides the opportunity for Gio to model the team as he wants and if all the funds from sales are made available, that's not a big ask.

 

I know many will say we don't need wholesale changes, but I think we need a full restructure of the team as I think it's the collective that's the problem versus a few individuals regardless of how it seems at times. The opportunity is then there to play a different system starting at the back with good defensive FBs (not to say they can't bomb forward but they need to be able to defend better than Tav) and so yes, I believe Tav is part of the issue despite his stats. I also think that's how Gio would want to set up with his keep the zero. We also need better options up front who have the ability to play solo or in a partnership depending on the opposition and a couple of good wingers that are also good finishers. One commanding midfield general in the mold of Barry Ferguson that can chip in with goals wouldn't go a miss. 

 

It's not impossible and we've restructured brining immediate success before and it gives Gio no excuses to go and prove to us what he can do if backed. 

 

Or we bring in an other couple of squad players and hope they break through to be regular starters. and hope Gio is a miracle worker. 

[ascender 352]

19 minutes ago, weebluedevil said:

So let's assume Gio will be the manager next season, I think we all agree that won't change. He needs to be backed and we need to sell first, again probably no debate there. 

 

Morelos, Kent - last year of their contracts will be sold. I think we also need to sell Aribo, Kamara -with those four our most saleable assets and could bring in 25m - conservative estimate. I know I keep saying but Wilson needs to bring in money for players that have largely failed lately: Barisic, Wright, Simpson.  

 

We will also free ourselves from some hefty wages - McGregor, Goldson, Davis and those on loan: Amad and Ramsey. 

That provides the opportunity for Gio to model the team as he wants and if all the funds from sales are made available, that's not a big ask.

 

I know many will say we don't need wholesale changes, but I think we need a full restructure of the team as I think it's the collective that's the problem versus a few individuals regardless of how it seems at times. The opportunity is then there to play a different system starting at the back with good defensive FBs (not to say they can't bomb forward but they need to be able to defend better than Tav) and so yes, I believe Tav is part of the issue despite his stats. I also think that's how Gio would want to set up with his keep the zero. We also need better options up front who have the ability to play solo or in a partnership depending on the opposition and a couple of good wingers that are also good finishers. One commanding midfield general in the mold of Barry Ferguson that can chip in with goals wouldn't go a miss. 

 

It's not impossible and we've restructured brining immediate success before and it gives Gio no excuses to go and prove to us what he can do if backed. 

 

Or we bring in an other couple of squad players and hope they break through to be regular starters. and hope Gio is a miracle worker. 

That's exactly what I'd do - sell those four & Tav - to fund a rebuild and reduce the wage bill. Having sold Patterson, we should be able to reinvest the majority of that back in to the playing side whilst putting some in to the bank so to speak.

 

Could we do that all in one window given those others are retiring/moving-on? I suspect we could if we move quickly, but its a massive change to undertake and we also have some doubts about Ross Wilson's ability.

(I realise this is a "Football Manager" type scenario where its not quite as easy to do this in real life!)

Edited April 6, 2022 by ascender

[Bill 13,717]

1 hour ago, ascender said:

This is the time to have a clearout and you'd hope we could fund it by selling a few players who blow hot and cold. Look at what Celtic have spent this season as an example.

I posted almost a year ago that the time for a clearout was after winning the league. If you fail to strengthen when you're winning then you're asking for stagnation. 

[craig 5,199]

17 hours ago, Bill said:

It's not that they're the first or only ones, or that there haven't been some in the past who might have favoured Rangers, but in my assessment Clancy and Collum are cheats who have deliberately disadvantaged Rangers. It's the easiest thing in the world to do, given the first two alternative conclusions most people reach is that it's either just incompetence or the usual biased bellyaching from bluenoses. While some refs have been hounded out of the job, I'm not aware of any that have been removed for deliberately cheating. To do so would bring into the question the entire basis of the game in Scotland, so everything has be be continually swept under the SFA's carpet. In this climate of corruption and denial I see absolutely no hope that VAR will be anything other than a tool to maintain the status quo and protect refereeing incompetence. Of course in time-honoured fashion, anyone who suggests this will be dismissed and ridiculed as a sore loser. To get fair refereeing you first have to control the SFA.

Whilst this may be true I dont think there can be any doubt that it will shine a brighter light on decisions being made.  VAR allows refs to stop the game and assess..... right now, their incompetence, or cheating if you take a more extreme view, can be brushed aside as "honest mistakes".  The one thing you can't do with VAR, particularly with blatant decisions, is put it down to honest mistakes.  

 

There are plenty of examples of this - Kyogo's offside goal, twice, against Hearts, to secure them wins.  The Goldson shirt pull on Sunday, the CCV handball on Sunday, the shirt pull on Sakala at Ibrox against Dundee Utd, the Dundee Utd handball when we drew 1-1 at Tannadice, the Celtic handball late in the game against Livvy.

 

There are decisions VAR will highlight that can't be interpreted any way other than the fact of the situation - that at least makes things better - where interpretation can be applied then, yes, we will have the same old issues

[Rousseau 10,640]

I really don't think the squad is the issue - it's the tactical approach; it's just brutal. 

 

Our squad depth next season looks like (strikethrough those that look surplus to requirements):

 

Morelos

Itten

 

Kent - Hagi - Arfield

Sakala - Aribo - Wright

 

Jack - Sands

Lundstram - Kamara

 

Bassey - Helander - Souttar - Tavernier

Barisic - Balogun - X - Zukowski

 

McLaughlin

McCrorie

 

Yongsters: Lowry, Kelly, McPake, Mayo, King, Middleton

 

I don't think that's all that bad. 

 

We're really lacking up front and on the right. 

 

Another CB is needed - especially with the injury record of Helander and Souttar!

 

I feel like some youngsters could fill in, but we don't seem to trust them - or they're not thought good enough. 

 

Our best 'assets' are Kamara, Morelos, Aribo and Kent. Any of those could be sold to free up funds to re-invest. I have been saying for ages that Kamara and Morelos should have been sold long before now. 

[Sutton_blows_goats 5,345]

1 hour ago, Rousseau said:

Balogun

out of contract after this season and intends to go back to Germany i believe but Katic will be back from loan

[Bill 13,717]

1 hour ago, Rousseau said:

I have been saying for ages that Kamara and Morelos should have been sold long before now. 

It's a huge disappointment we haven't exploited these financial opportunities.