Fragile - Barry's most telling observation

[der Berliner 4,033]

Fragile ... that was the most telling observation Barry made after the game. It encompasses the whole sorry affair the club find itself in.

 

As has been observed at the start of the season and repeated time and again, this current squad is on many levels the most fargile in - dare I say it - living memory. They are physically fragile in terms of body strength, not least in midfield. Jefte much like Ridvan can be shoved of the ball with ease ... and usually no action being taken by the refs either. (Which is especially frutsrating as these fridge-throwers usually fall over at the lightest of touches themselves - like we saw yesterday.) Our central defence is fragile as soon as they get hit on the counter, something we never compensate with a change in system. I remember days when Sterling (if fit) or even King was played as DM to stop any such attempts. Back in the day, that job fell on Jack, Lundstram, or Davis, which we never replaced adequately. Barron tries his best, but is probably the smallest chap I have seen wearing a Rangers jersey.

 

As soon as pressure is upon them, be it from the opposition or the circumstances, they get mentally fragile, which you can easily spot with these jittery actions around our penalty area, stray and over-hit passes, overdoing of the simple things, and playing others into trouble with needless touch and go passes, even if the recipient is covered. And there is no-one out there, even our 500-game captain, who takes control of matters. You can talk all day, but if there is no result, it's but empty words. Another clear signal is the brutal lack in one own's confidence in front of goal. Only Cerny, Dessers and Igamane (less so of late) try to hit the target at every opportunity. The rest tries to shift responsibility to the "next best positioned player", which in 9 out of 10 cases ends in nothing. Danilo was the prime example yesterday.

 

Worst of all is the strengths in depth. We are fragile in manpower that it beggars belief. For the excuses with regard to injuries, which are another matter of concern, we simply haven't got any sort of adequate quality beyond the first 11 (or maybe 15).

Our injury record, especially with central defenders is abysmal. How can that come to pass? People will turn their noses up on players like Gogic, but he's essentially another Katic or Petric, rock solid, no-nonsense and de facto injury free since 2021. Could have grabbed him on a free last summer. 

Right now we play a our wee leftback on the right side, have a physically weak Jefte on the left. And effectively no-one to replace either fullback. Sterling, looking like an ox, has probably too many muscles that he can twitch or tweak, so is rarely about for more than two or three games. Most Dundee, Motherwell and Kilmarnock youngsters are consistently fitter than than. 

Our current fit central midfield consists of Raskin, Diomande, and Rice, all not imposing figures and varying fits of form. Barron adds "a little" physique, but got the Auchenhowie bug.

Wingers is another ongoing disaster. Cerny is doing his job, and one can probably not ask more from your normal winger, who goes hot and cold. Hagi tries his best on the left hand side, but it is clearly not his. Like Bajrami, he is shoe-horned in there because Matondo wasn't fit or deemed adequate enough. Cortes is essentially another Roofe-case. How we managed to acquire so many fragile people is truly beyond me. McCausland, who looked good early on in the season, has been (IMHO) mentally wrecked by Clement, so all his late cameos have been less than impressive. Lawrence is some sort of Rolls-Royce, who will have cool moments, but is sure not made for the environment of the Scottish game. That he, the left-winger, was used in the slot reserved for Bajmrani and Hagi is anyone's guess.

We've got just three strikers, probably down to the sad fact that managers want to play with but one central striker these days. No matter that it is a terrible tactic against Scottish brick walls. 6m Danilo's is only slightly better in terms of injuries as Roofe, so the responsibilty fall on Dessers, who does admirably enough, and Igamane, who is raw but looks promising. The latter had obviously his wings cut by PC, who told him to fall deeper. Alas, he's build like an ox and has some fine ability on the ball. Beyond that there is emptiness. Lovelace was sold, other let go.

 

There is effectively nothing that Barry can work properly with. And I doubt that he's a man of soothing words.

 

From a team that essentially managed to throw a title away within two weeeks same time last season, we are down to a hollow body that threw away the title before christmas and is on record to provide them with another free run for silver even before the split. This has been some car crash of a(nother) project season. The utterly embarrassing winter transfer window surely raises the question about our financial fragility too. There has been so little influx of adequate personal (compared to those who left) in the summer too, you have to wonder what the board and management was thinking. Are our hands really bound that hard? And how could that happen, given European runs and - despite all the anger - full stadiums?

 

Fragile is so adequate right now ...

[BEARGER 1,853]

And the whole sorry mess is compounded by the most inexplicable manager/coaching team chosen by our incompetent board. Multi millionaire’s who have absolutely not read the room, if beggars belief how crazy some of they’re decisions have been.

[buster. 5,450]

23 minutes ago, BEARGER said:

And the whole sorry mess is compounded by the most inexplicable manager/coaching team chosen by our incompetent board. Multi millionaire’s who have absolutely not read the room, if beggars belief how crazy some of they’re decisions have been.

Our board are looking to interest the Americans with the 'The Banters Years' concept, for them to monitize.

 

Eg. TV series.

[RANGERRAB 4,007]

Wee tip for BF- play a central MF 3. Add Barron. Drop igamane who hasn’t scored for weeks

[CammyF 9,120]

This latest defeat was unsurprising and now Celtic are 9 points away from securing yet another uncontested title. Given yesterday was 1st of March, it feels the inevitable is happening sooner ans sooner each season.

 

Heard that Cavanagh who's involved in the consortium / takeover was at Ibrox today, hopefully to kick a few arses.

[RANGERRAB 4,007]

2 hours ago, CammyF said:

This latest defeat was unsurprising and now Celtic are 9 points away from securing yet another uncontested title. Given yesterday was 1st of March, it feels the inevitable is happening sooner ans sooner each season.

 

Heard that Cavanagh who's involved in the consortium / takeover was at Ibrox today, hopefully to kick a few arses.

Cavanagh probably worried he’s wasting his money

[RANGERRAB 4,007]

4 hours ago, BEARGER said:

And the whole sorry mess is compounded by the most inexplicable manager/coaching team chosen by our incompetent board. Multi millionaire’s who have absolutely not read the room, if beggars belief how crazy some of they’re decisions have been.

The malcontents got their way & got shot off Clement. As I constantly warned, the replacements mentioned worriedme. 

[CammyF 9,120]

18 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

Cavanagh probably worried he’s wasting his money

Why? 

[RANGERRAB 4,007]

31 minutes ago, CammyF said:

Why? 

Have you watched any games lately?

Just lost 3 on the bounce at home

[CammyF 9,120]

9 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

Have you watched any games lately?

Just lost 3 on the bounce at home

Why would that put the takeover in jeopardy? I think any new potential investors will know we're a basket case. The last 3 home games won't make a difference.