Morning all, now that our CL "adventures" are over for the year what are the reflections on where our game is at.
From a Rangers perspective it's been absolutely horrible. It has however been interesting to see the change over the last 10 years in the game since we were last there. Football has moved on significantly.
The only positive was Celtic, who took the breaths away with a new brand of football never before seen which captured the imaginations of supporters across Europe. "Ole" they chanted as Jota celebrated his wonder goal in Madrid to bring the scoreline to 5-1. Celtic of course are an exception to any criticism and brought great pride to our game with the way they played and results achieved.
However, Celtic aside I look at our game now and wonder where we are going. I'm in my late 30s and it feels that question could be asked for the last 20 years. The lack of progress in Scotland is masked a little by a Euros qualification that was almost harder not to manage given the way the competitions are set up now. Even then despite 2 home games and a decent group we scored 1 goal and only managed 1 point.
The old firm seem locked in a never ending battle for any kind of one upmanship without any real grand plan for anything better. The rest of the teams seem to get worse each year - evidenced by Celtic's record of 1 domestic league defeat in a year although as we know they are one of the top performing teams in elite European competition so perhaps we can't judge other teams too harshly on this - or by Motherwell going out to a part time team and Dundee United being humiliated in Holland. Despite years of hopeful exceptions, we aren't producing any top level modern day players or coaches - arguably in 20 years we have produced at best 5 players who could play at a high level. In fact one depressing aspect of how bad both teams have been at this level is that even then hardly any Scottish players are good enough to play for either of us.
So where does our game go? What needs to change? Will the old firm and their fans ever realise that they could be a formidable force if they were to find a way to somehow work together for the better of the game rather than find a way to contest every single move the other makes? What do other teams need in terms of support to add value to our game? Is it a societal issue or a coaching issue? One slight positive is that more young players seem happier to go down south or abroad at youth level where they will get a better education and grounding in the game. Whilst they might not make it at Man City or Liverpool, it might allow them to play regularly at a good level rather than dropping in to the lower leagues up here.
Feels to me that the Scottish game has been going backwards for a long time and shows no signs of ever recovering. I don't buy the size of nation nonsense when you look at Holland, Croatia, Belgium etc. We are now reaching a point where on the very rare occasions when both teams actually manage to reach this level they are exposed for being miles out their depth in line with the national team. A very sad state of affairs.
How Bad Have We Become?
posted on 5/11/22
comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 12 hours, 14 minutes ago
Imagine how many xA Kent would have if we didn’t play at five miles per hour.
The stats on how slow our build up is are damning and why everyone can’t stand how we’re playing, relies heavily on individual quality vs Ange’s machine. One of the big reasons why the criticism of Kent is so daft, he’s not playing well but is our only creative midfielder.
If we had a style of play, runners from midfield and played at a decent tempo Kent’s stats would be better.
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...but they aren't
And to play a different style...what needs to change??
The manager perhaps???
Something that all of us getting tore into Kent are basically asking for
posted on 5/11/22
comment by St3vie (U11028)
posted 44 minutes ago
comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 12 hours, 14 minutes ago
Imagine how many xA Kent would have if we didn’t play at five miles per hour.
The stats on how slow our build up is are damning and why everyone can’t stand how we’re playing, relies heavily on individual quality vs Ange’s machine. One of the big reasons why the criticism of Kent is so daft, he’s not playing well but is our only creative midfielder.
If we had a style of play, runners from midfield and played at a decent tempo Kent’s stats would be better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
...but they aren't
And to play a different style...what needs to change??
The manager perhaps???
Something that all of us getting tore into Kent are basically asking for
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That’s my point the criticism directed at Kent is ott and shows a complete lack of understanding of how bad we are playing, folks expecting of one player to change a game are mental, he’s no Laudrup or de Boer. He’s been poor, just like everyone else, but he’s still creating.
Celtic have that many creative players and play at speed that they’re not going to have one guy doing everything, stats show that. Never mind it’s clear just watching them. We effectively have Tav/Kent and Barisic at times from wide areas. Then you’ve got Lundstram behind picking up any second balls, although still didn’t expect him to be that high.
If we were playing with a clear style of play and not so feckin turgid then obv you’ll get more from your attacking players. Folk underrating Kent, saying he’s not good enough for bang average sides in England is just daft, shown how good he is against top teams last season, so anyone saying he can’t do that is simply wrong.
posted on 5/11/22
comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 32 minutes ago
comment by St3vie (U11028)
posted 44 minutes ago
comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 12 hours, 14 minutes ago
Imagine how many xA Kent would have if we didn’t play at five miles per hour.
The stats on how slow our build up is are damning and why everyone can’t stand how we’re playing, relies heavily on individual quality vs Ange’s machine. One of the big reasons why the criticism of Kent is so daft, he’s not playing well but is our only creative midfielder.
If we had a style of play, runners from midfield and played at a decent tempo Kent’s stats would be better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
...but they aren't
And to play a different style...what needs to change??
The manager perhaps???
Something that all of us getting tore into Kent are basically asking for
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That’s my point the criticism directed at Kent is ott and shows a complete lack of understanding of how bad we are playing, folks expecting of one player to change a game are mental, he’s no Laudrup or de Boer. He’s been poor, just like everyone else, but he’s still creating.
Celtic have that many creative players and play at speed that they’re not going to have one guy doing everything, stats show that. Never mind it’s clear just watching them. We effectively have Tav/Kent and Barisic at times from wide areas. Then you’ve got Lundstram behind picking up any second balls, although still didn’t expect him to be that high.
If we were playing with a clear style of play and not so feckin turgid then obv you’ll get more from your attacking players. Folk underrating Kent, saying he’s not good enough for bang average sides in England is just daft, shown how good he is against top teams last season, so anyone saying he can’t do that is simply wrong.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
While I take your point.....he's still not consistent enough in my view
His form was taking a dip long before Gio came along, so it's not just down to the tactics....it's down to him aswell
And although you are saying he's still creating...it's what he's creating thats the issue...it's cut in and shoot or play a cross, everytime...Barasic can do that, he's meant to be a pacey winger taking people on and beating them, he isn't doing it very often at all
posted on 5/11/22
comment by St3vie (U11028)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 32 minutes ago
comment by St3vie (U11028)
posted 44 minutes ago
comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 12 hours, 14 minutes ago
Imagine how many xA Kent would have if we didn’t play at five miles per hour.
The stats on how slow our build up is are damning and why everyone can’t stand how we’re playing, relies heavily on individual quality vs Ange’s machine. One of the big reasons why the criticism of Kent is so daft, he’s not playing well but is our only creative midfielder.
If we had a style of play, runners from midfield and played at a decent tempo Kent’s stats would be better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
...but they aren't
And to play a different style...what needs to change??
The manager perhaps???
Something that all of us getting tore into Kent are basically asking for
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That’s my point the criticism directed at Kent is ott and shows a complete lack of understanding of how bad we are playing, folks expecting of one player to change a game are mental, he’s no Laudrup or de Boer. He’s been poor, just like everyone else, but he’s still creating.
Celtic have that many creative players and play at speed that they’re not going to have one guy doing everything, stats show that. Never mind it’s clear just watching them. We effectively have Tav/Kent and Barisic at times from wide areas. Then you’ve got Lundstram behind picking up any second balls, although still didn’t expect him to be that high.
If we were playing with a clear style of play and not so feckin turgid then obv you’ll get more from your attacking players. Folk underrating Kent, saying he’s not good enough for bang average sides in England is just daft, shown how good he is against top teams last season, so anyone saying he can’t do that is simply wrong.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
While I take your point.....he's still not consistent enough in my view
His form was taking a dip long before Gio came along, so it's not just down to the tactics....it's down to him aswell
And although you are saying he's still creating...it's what he's creating thats the issue...it's cut in and shoot or play a cross, everytime...Barasic can do that, he's meant to be a pacey winger taking people on and beating them, he isn't doing it very often at all
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Can’t argue with that St3vie 👍
posted on 5/11/22
Both were pumped well and truly however one geain of comfort is that this Celtic team are on process of building....there was no way this group of young inexperienced group of players were going to achieve anything realistic. They will acquit themselves better next year.
posted on 5/11/22
Problem is Kent try’s stuff
A lot of it doesn’t work
The rest didn’t even try its the safe ball all the time
Kent has been ok not great but ok in the last month
Rangers problems are in midfield offensive and defensive
Not Ryan Kent
posted on 6/11/22
From The Glasgow Times
‘Rangers are all-but done in the Premiership. And Van Bronckhorst is all-but done as boss. In both situations, it is only a matter of when those at Ibrox wish to admit it.’
Ooft!
posted on 6/11/22
comment by MaHeed'sNippin aka I’m the competent Wullie Collum (U3633)
posted 8 seconds ago
From The Glasgow Times
‘Rangers are all-but done in the Premiership. And Van Bronckhorst is all-but done as boss. In both situations, it is only a matter of when those at Ibrox wish to admit it.’
Ooft!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Quite the exclusive
posted on 6/11/22
comment by Lauders - 55 time predictor champion (U9757)
posted 33 minutes ago
comment by MaHeed'sNippin aka I’m the competent Wullie Collum (U3633)
posted 8 seconds ago
From The Glasgow Times
‘Rangers are all-but done in the Premiership. And Van Bronckhorst is all-but done as boss. In both situations, it is only a matter of when those at Ibrox wish to admit it.’
Ooft!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Quite the exclusive
----------------------------------------------------------------------
posted on 6/11/22
comment by Lauders - 55 time predictor champion (U9757)
posted 2 hours, 34 minutes ago
comment by MaHeed'sNippin aka I’m the competent Wullie Collum (U3633)
posted 8 seconds ago
From The Glasgow Times
‘Rangers are all-but done in the Premiership. And Van Bronckhorst is all-but done as boss. In both situations, it is only a matter of when those at Ibrox wish to admit it.’
Ooft!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Quite the exclusive
----------------------------------------------------------------------
'all-but'
Wtf is that?