Match Thread [FT] Rangers 0 - 1 Queen's Park

[der Berliner 3,968]

1 hour ago, Rousseau said:

I think the 'auld yins' have taken my 9.5 comment in jest, which it partly was, but there is a 9.5 position, usually called second-striker. It's used to describe those forwards that are not quite either/or. 

 

I think second-striker is a suitable label for Igamane. 

For some reason, after him being the lethal spearhead in his first few games, he was probably told to fall back somewhat, which he duly did. Quite often of late, he roams around, even to the halfway line. Or he appears on either wing. Given that neither of his fellow attackers is a goalscorer, such tactics have removed quite a chunk of the threat he poses. Yesterday was the same ... and one cannot "blame" this on a fellow striker playing "in front" of him, for there wasn't (until Dessers arrived).

 

A German reporter who commented on a recent Europa League game described PC's tactics as an "attacking defensive" line-up, essentially the 4-2-3-1 we see every week. That may work in Europe or against them, but is shockingly inefficient against teams that de facto hardly ever attack. And even if they do, the line-up shows horrific deficiencies - like yesterday. I knew what was coming when Tavernier appeared time and again near in a central attacking position, trying to play an AM role (or whatever). Thus, our other main goal-threat in this line-up, Cerny, was left alone on the right wing, facing two defenders.

 

It's been a long time since I woke up at 5 a.m. and couldn't find sleep again due to this whole dire state of the team and its management - not the club. It is apparent that PC is not able to understand what it takes to take us to a level able to beat the Scottish dross. While the finance department is sure licking its fingers over the European money, the blood and bones of the club, i.e. us, is being treated with standards unacceptable for Rangers FC. Dozens of far worse Rangers teams were well able to beat the 4th to 2nd tier teams on a weekly basis. Yet here we have to endure internationals and multi-million pound signings unable to string a handful of decent and acceptable results together. And a coach who sticks to tactics that have been proven worthless dozens of times.

[ranger_syntax 4,584]

2 hours ago, CammyF said:

A section of our support staged a walk out and those who participated in it were booed and had objects thrown at them. Then a board member made a joke about them in hospitality a week or so later.

 

I said at the time that the actions of those who booed the protest gave the board and manager a huge vote of confidence.  Wonder how they are feeling this morning.

That got a bad reception because that section of the support is an alien culture.

 

This particular point will continue to be difficult for people to get to grips with.

[der Berliner 3,968]

You know, I fear that in the summer, most of our better players - having seen what happens here or having money-rich suitors - will be off, while we will be left with a coach who assembles a team that he will use to try to cure the symptoms, but not the disease/problem ... 

[Sutton_blows_goats 5,848]

27 minutes ago, der Berliner said:

You know, I fear that in the summer, most of our better players - having seen what happens here or having money-rich suitors - will be off, while we will be left with a coach who assembles a team that he will use to try to cure the symptoms, but not the disease/problem ... 

Raskin and Soutter will be down to 1 year so need to be sold, Butland is a problem, we are not getting value from him as of late. Dessers and Propper will likely go, if we can get our cash back for Bajrami we take it. Ridvan, Sterling (nice new contract bro) Danilo cant get fit and stay fit. 

 

Nothing about this squad has been fixed or can be fixed in 2 years. Yes we have significantly lowered the wage bill but at what cost for future seasons? As I posted previously in this thread, there is a real danger of them getting ten this time around. We are further away now than we were before Gerrard came in.

Edited yesterday at 13:14 by Sutton_blows_goats

[CammyF 8,936]

51 minutes ago, ranger_syntax said:

That got a bad reception because that section of the support is an alien culture.

 

This particular point will continue to be difficult for people to get to grips with.

You are correct but that was an incorrect assumption from the fans who booed. They let their blind hatred of the UBs cloud the fact that this was a joint walk out with RSA.

 

Those who walked, UBs or not had the right to do so without being attacked by "fellow fans". It's a trend with some Rangers fans. Those who protest are to be attacked and cut adrift. 

 

"Alien Culture" is neither a reason nor an excuse. 

[CammyF 8,936]

12 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

 

 

Nothing about this squad has been fixed or can be fixed in 2 years. Yes we have significantly lowered the wage bill but at what cost for future seasons? As I posted previously in this thread, there is a real danger of them getting ten this time around. We are further away now than we were before Gerrard came in.

And that's all on the board who for some reason are bullet-proof when it comes to criticism.

[der Berliner 3,968]

3 minutes ago, CammyF said:

And that's all on the board who for some reason are bullet-proof when it comes to criticism.

The board does not select the line-up and players. That is where we failed, first and foremost.

 

The board can't generate money from nothing, nor can they make other teams buy players at the prices we want. I have no doubt that they look for investment, but if nothing is about, they can't conjure things up either. Thus, criticism where it is due. But a reality check and objective considerations are required too.

[ranger_syntax 4,584]

24 minutes ago, CammyF said:

"Alien Culture" is neither a reason nor an excuse. 

It really is the reason.

 

Admittedly it is not one that critics of U.B. will ever be able to acknowledge.

[JohnMc 2,974]

It's hard to be anything other than emotional after a result like that. Months, indeed years, of frustration rise to the top and spill out. Players, management, directors, owners and indeed other supporters are to blame. People need sacked, someone, anyone. The need for blood is a given. 

 

In January 1967 Rangers lost to Berwick Rangers in the Scottish Cup, until yesterday a match regarded by many as our worst defeat in the tournament. By 1967 Rangers hadn't won the league for 3 years, and it would be another 8 years before we won it again. In total we went 11 years without a title, from 1964 to 1975, difficult times to be a bluenose I imagine. There was a demand for blood after the Berwick defeat. Jim Forrest and George McLean were dropped and never played for the club again, both left the club permanently within a few weeks. It was a difficult season for Rangers in 67. We reached the final of the Cup Winners Cup, a match Jim Forrest would almost certainly have started in had we not sold him a few months before. We lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich, playing the match with a centre half up front. Celtic won the treble and the European Cup. Manager, Scott Symon, had credit in the bank after 13 years at the club, but he was gone by November. We'd appoint 3 more managers before we won the league again. 

 

The manager who finally took us to the league title again was Jock Wallace, who was in goal for Berwick that day. Wallace is unfairly maligned as an old-school blood and thunder manager. In actual fact he was a tactician and a genius with psychology. It took Wallace 3 seasons to finally win the league. He recognised that what Rangers lacked was mental, not physical. The players didn't believe they could win so he took them to a beach in East Lothian and made then run up and down the sand dunes until they were sick. Afterwards he told them they were now the fittest side in the country and they believed him. It was nonsense, but that doesn't matter, the mental barrier had been broken. Rangers won 3 titles in the next 4 seasons. Wallace left and we wouldn't win the league again for another 9 seasons. Sometimes it's difficult being a bluenose. 

 

Yesterday is still raw. That will pass and we'll realise the Queen's keeper had the game of his life, he saved 5 goal bound shots, plus one was headed off the line. We'll realise they had one shot on target and it went in.Defenders and keeper need to look at themselves. We'll also realise our captain failed to convert a penalty. Under pressure, knowing not scoring would see us lose, knowing not scoring would pile untold pressure on the players, knowing not scoring might cost the management team their jobs. He didn't score.

 

I wonder how much of our problems are mental, not physical. 
 

Edited yesterday at 13:57 by JohnMc

[CammyF 8,936]

3 minutes ago, der Berliner said:

The board does not select the line-up and players. That is where we failed, first and foremost.

 

The board can't generate money from nothing, nor can they make other teams buy players at the prices we want. I have no doubt that they look for investment, but if nothing is about, they can't conjure things up either. Thus, criticism where it is due. But a reality check and objective considerations are required too.

The wage bill is on the board.

The consecutive wrong footballing appointments is on the board.

The vanity NEH project is on the board.

The crippling debt is on the board.

 

We have 2 issues at the minute. One is the manager and the other is the board/investors. 

 

One is easy to resolve but relies on the board doing their job.

 

The other is more difficult to resolve but again relies on the board / investors doing their job.