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I’m amazed that my fellow fans are getting in such a tizzy over this , never in my 54 years have I witnessed teams such as these , adopt the tactics they currently use . The first time livi were in our box was the 42nd minute when Barclay went on a run , and they were at home . we simply need to find a midfielder that can shot from distance , aka Albertz , we simply do not have that in our team , and given how good our manager was it amazes me that he isn’t trying to find a player like that .

A couple of times we took short corners too which I didnt really get. Surely take every chance to get it in the box

The English club faced most often by Rangers is Everton. Reference Chelsea, I attended the first three friendlies, all Rangers victories. The first was a 0-1 win at Stamford Bridge, a thirty yard screamer by Jardine in a '71 testimonial. The second and third games were weeks apart in the mid-eighties, home and away. I suspect they were arranged because both clubs were out of Europe. Rangers won both 3-2, Chelsea's Micky Hazzard was the stand out player in both matches. Interestingly, the game at Ibrox had a twenty minute hiatus because of floodlight failure. I have also witnessed a dozen friendlies against both Arsenal and Spurs; however, the only game where I saw real bad blood was a match at Loftus Road circa 1968. The game ended 2-2 with punches and kicks being regularly exchanged between players. It culminated with Rodney Marsh booting Kai Johansen in the face. The action in Acton was keen that evening as ten thousand Bears righted perceived wrongs. My old man booked a hotel in Kensington, it was our Butler who reported the violence.

To be fair he showed more in his cameo than Hagi, Arfield and others showed.

I'm obviously in the minority, but what do people see on McCorie? He is not the standard we require and shown nothing to suggest he could become a mainstay in the team. Sticks on my throat wishing him well at Aberdeen, but I do, wish the lad all the best.

This. Long balls into channels get defenders turning. Long balls to target men has low returns for me. I would love for once to see SG totally go against type and go into games like yesterday with a different approach. What would happen if WE sat back and made Livingston come out more? Would it open up the play more for balls over the top and counter attacks? In turn stretching the play more. I understand the onus is on us to dominate and take it to them but what's the point of having 80% possession with nowt to show for it.

Hence why we need proper wide players as was too congested in the middle of the park. Get the ball out wide and attack from wide areas to get deliveries into two (not one) strikers. And did we really need a back four and two sitting midfielders against a team who sat in all game on Sunday ?

I was very surprised his butler was assigned such duties, in my experience contact with the constabulary was always a footmans responsibility.

You're both correct, I think. It's not long balls to a target man, though, is it? Cross diagonals are common (we do attempt that from time to time), and balls in behind (in behind for us is the byline!). I don't like long balls into a target man, but I do think we should be attempting long diagonals, long passes into feet, and perhaps into the channel when applicable.

It's alright saying shoot from distance but even the it will be like pinball bouncing off the sardine defence and only luck getting on target. Set pieces looked our best chance but we were denied by poor refereeing and cute defending.

His treatment of Murphy is strange though. He went to Burton and in 10 games scored 7 and assisted 2. He showed that he still has it. But Gerrard won't even put him on the bench. As I said, I think he likes a certain type of player and it is disappointing when quality players like Murphy lose out.

The manager and his team see the players in training each day and they have obviously come to the conclusion that neither Murphy or Middleton are good enough as they are not even included on the subs bench. With respect to Middleton he did not hold down a regular place in the Hibs side where he went on loan. There he was playing in a team that does not play against sides that park the bus the way they do with Rangers. This should have given him a good opportunity to showcase his skills and pace but he did not take the opportunity. I rather suspect he has a limited future at Rangers.

I'm not surprised by that. I still can't believe we spent that much on him. With Aribo missing and Hagi not living up to expectations, Kent was our best creative player. As usual, there were flashes but more often than not there's no end product.

I feel like we're not working on offensive movement; it's too off-the-cuff. I think they set the general positions -- Morelos central, Kent and Hagi roaming around, with Barisic wide left, Tavernier wide right, which is fine -- but then they leave it to them to do something, and they don't know what to do. We need to be working on attacking movements (if player A has it, then x, y, z move here and there, etc.) and set patterns in passing (Jack into Morelos, with a first time ball into Hagi, who should be aware of this, and then Morelos spins in-behind). That's an over-simplification, but that's the idea. I don't think a formation change will help, because the issue is the way we play with the ball.

We're a bit too predictable. Teams that are happy to play for a point know how to set up against us. Gerrard should have changed things sooner yesterday. We never looked like doing anything until the final fifteen minutes.

Aribo is our most important player and I was immediately worried when I saw he wasn’t playing. We rely on him as a team to break down teams and create goals. It is so unfortunate that we lost him for this game. I’ve only seen the RTV highlights (10 mins long). A lot of possession and wee half chances but quite worrying that there weren’t really any good chances at all. The best chance was probably the one Kent hit wide from a run. Hagi & Morelos barely featured, which is a worry. Kent featured quite a bit but nothing came of anything he did, and he seemed to be turning himself into a centre midfielder at times? I don’t want my forward/winger roaming around the middle of the park. In a game in which we have 77% possession the forwards need to be doing better to turn that into chances, I don’t think you can just blame Jack and Kamara. That’s not to say I don’t think the management got tactics wrong though. I think it’s time to try 3-5-2 or something in these games. Celtic used it to great effect in the second half of last season.

Last season we conceded 4 goals in our first four matches and lost one of them. Keeping clean sheets would have earned us an additional 15 points in the matches played last season. We would still have dropped points in a few turgid nil - nil matches but we would also have been top of the league.

Its interesting that in his post-match interview Gerrard seemed to place most of the blame on the forwards not having enough creativity and considered that the defence was fine and that Jack and Kamara controlled the game. This would seem to suggest he believes Hagi, Kent, Arfield? and Morelos did not do enough. I thought Hagi had a quiet game and wonder if he is suited to the type of physical and aggressive game played by Livingston. Kent was a bit better but, given the fee we paid for him, I would like to see more end product coming from him.

Yeah bud. It is a creative writing project. I am a creative writing student, from Arkansas, on a Glasgow Rangers fan site...because that would make perfect sense. Are you writing a book of inane questions?

It isnt that simple though when teams play like Livvy did - they had a bank of 4 and their midfield 5 sat about 5 yards in front of them - there was literally zero space to be able to play balls into feet and hold it up.

Yes, I just don’t think he has stood out much against us.

I actually don't know whether that's irony, but these three don't face up to 7-9-man defences every other week.

Patterson seems a better player than Hickey. Very strange.

I think that's the point though, the game was so stale and stagnant that it needed shots from distance or crosses to inject that piece of randomness. You can call it luck but really what it is is creating uncertainty for Livingston in their box.

When the clock was ticking away fast at the end, we had essentialy 2 striker in Roofe and Itten up front and were raining crosses and shot in from all angles. Granted, Livi were tiring, but we had more chances and more chaos in their area than the 90 before. It would do no harm to at least test a 4-4-2 with but one DM but 2 real wingers to hit the line and rain crosses into an area occupied by 2 strikers. With our fullbacks in support more often than not, it would sure create a more attacking threat than what we see now, as the main striker as well as any inside left / right is well covered by one or more defenders. Said inside left / right guys are far too often out of position to establish a good link with the respective full-backs. Likewise, what good it is to have 60 - 80 % of possession each game, but that possession is mainly our CHs and DMs? They don't hurt the opposition and the latter know it.

Everton? I'm surprised, know we have faced Arsenal 27 times so thought they would have topped the list.

Wouldn't go wrong to just lump the ball up into their box because everything else failed, a good old up and under as Eddie Waring used to say .

I think he will do well. There will be a good chance of a sell on fee. Maybe he will do well enough to win a move back one day.

He is on form and has started the season confidently. He is actually fulfilling more of a Windass role at the moment, not creating goals directly much but dangerous on the counter attack and starting to score more goals. I still think he would do very well on the right wing though where he could more easily use his pace and get to the byline.

I'd be happy with that loan switch.

We missed Aribo yesterday as some already said but I actually think big Balogun would have been an asset yesterday. He has already shown he can ping a ball 50 yards into feet plus he likes to take the ball for a run. That being said we had enough talent out there to win that game. I'm for keeping Gerrard n co in charge but I can't for the life of me understand why this problem hasn't been solved yet. Maybe it's just going to take us pumping one of these lot convincingly to finally get it through to the players heads, that to win these games you have to go to different lengths.

On that subject, not including goals he has scored himself, Rangers have scored 47 league goals since Kent's last league assist in February 19 vs Hamilton Accies, 28 games ago. He plays in our front 3 and we spent £7m on him to create goals. I said when we signed him that I would be bemoaning his lack of end product and here we are.

Neither of them are really DMs for a start.

I've not seen the interview, but this was my feeling. Our defensive control was superb. Kamara was superb, I thought, because he reads the game, covers, creates angles for ball recycling etc - Jack less so, for me, in this particular game. I love the diamond we create, where Kamara creates a situational back three, with jack just in front. We were able to pass out from the back quite easily. Kamara and Jack were guilty of hanging on to the ball, but only because no one was showing for it. I lost count of the number of times we played out, giving it to Jack in space, only for him to dawdle because there's no one to pass to! (I don't subscribe to this 'we don't need 2 DMs' argument - it's a bit of a naive argument, IMO. ) And, I still criticised their inability to commit men, as you state above. The forwards are not doing enough. Hagi and Kent especially were receiving the ball back to goal, and then only went back. Is it so difficult to receive side on, so they can swerve out of that first pressure? McCann made that point in the last game. The pass into Kent went backwards, whereas when Morelos received it, he's side on and turns his man to make something happen -- I think he then wins a foul which Barisic scores? I even thought Barker was better in the few minutes he got! He's not great at all, but he was able to turn and try to take on a man.

I think, like most, I'm also scratching my head at Barker still getting opportunities. He must be great in training or something because I just don't see what he brings to our team, unfortunately.

Everything must be so easy for you over on the tranquil East coast. How would you like it if someone you knew was killed twice?

Three of the four boys have killed one of the girls twice? Or one of the boys twice? Scary stuff.

I don't want to see another manager at this point or anytime soon. As has been mentioned many times across many forums and topics it took Alex Ferguson 5 years to turn it around at Man U. And he inherited nothing like the dysfunctional mess nor the huge financial disadvantage Gerrard did.

Absolutely NO reason to front the formation we did given the opponents faced. It is not like we didn't know who or what Livi were about. Why are we lining up four at the back with two CDMs for a team who have no attack? Why? A formation designed for a team with offensive threats... e.g. NOT Livingston. Rangers had 78% possession. Yet they sat...in that same formation the entire GD game trying the same things for 90 straight minutes...AGAIN. He just kept slapping more speed on his failed plan....he sent in Roofe...and Barker who spun their wheels... Gerrard is NOT cutting it. This is a tactics problem...this is not about our players...this is a coaching strategy problem. A Thought. I may be risking the ban hammer here...but. Gio van Bronkhorst is sittin in China right now...the guy won the league with Feyenoord (first in 18 years) ...and a League Cup as their manager (4 yrs). He has played in the SPL, and understands the Scottish game. And he is managing...in China. Me doesn't think Rangers would be a hard sell. If I were upper management at Gers I might give old Gio a call...just to check up on him. See how much he likes China...get that friendly rapport growin. Ya never know...one never knows...just a thought.

I thought off the evidence of the Sheep game we were tweeking our game to handle this problem. But it was much the same as last season. Glaringly obvious what was the issue today, whenever they turn the ball over, Jack/Kamara or whoever picks up the ball take too many touches and take the safe option. Morelos didn't drop deep to receive today like he did in the first match, a simple tactic that creates space in behind. As well as being very frustrating to watch it's somewhat amazing to me that we can't work this out. You need good movement and quick forward passing to cause disruption but it's very slow and predictable from us. Crossing was good today from Tav and Borna but again predictable going through them. I'm looking for Jack and Kamara to get involved more. If one of them plays into one of our front 4 then follows the pass and receives back then space has opened from the defender shadowing our attacker. Jack or Kamara then needs to play forward to one of the other 3 attackers who should then play off that 4th attacker who first receives from jack/Kamara and off we go. While this happens, depending what side of the pitch it is, Borna or Tav can tuck in for jack/Kamara. Got to pull defences around. All we make them do is shuffle side to side and defend crosses.

Hagi has had 60 good minutes since he arrived. Sooner he is a sub the better

It’s not a cult rule. It’s called respect or, in your assessment of Gerrard, lack of respect.

The scum are better able to overcome these difficulties. Better attacking players. Better coach?

The way we play at present from the back creates an imbalance in the forward areas. We have Helander and Goldson who pass the ball to Jack who then relays the ball Kamara which Livingston were quite happy for us to do because it results in us having only six forward of the ball whilst they have nine at the back meaning everyone is tightly marked. As Rousseau has suggested one of the centre backs has to break forward and commit a Livi player to create space into which Jack or Kamara can then set up the attack but from a more forward area.

Don't talk rubbish ...

I doubt the guy was there then

The Hollicom Pool of Talent? Where to begin? Wednesday has 3 SPFL fixtures, Rangers are at home against St Johnstone so PQ sat Billy Dodds on the naughty step to watch Rangers TV. DrStu' was at pains to tell us all that Clive Tyldesley had a fifty a day habit of mentioning England's 1966 World Cup win during each commentary. Billy did not confirm, in fact said very little other than to offer brief half-time and full time reports. Pat Bonner was at a loss, used to talking exclusively Sellik, he was sent to Fir Park. The question of ra Sellik possibly fielding an illegible player at Rugby Park was NEVER going to be aired on PQ, so Pat had no Hollicom provided script. He observed the faceless cardboard cut-outs in the Fir Park stands and decided they were away fans and they outnumbered the home supporters? Big Dick had to intervene, of course he had made a complete cunt of the faceless cut-outs at the weekend, he thought they were representative of dead folk . Motherwell have entered into an agreement with a mental health charity and agreed to the faceless effigies to represent those folk in sufferance who go missing each and every year. Maybe PQ should consider replacing both Pat and Big Dick with faceless cardboard cut-outs? You would think Pat would be comfortable with closed stands, he was working for BBC Scotland during Ronnie Deila's tenure at ra Stade de Gadd. Wednesday night's Sportscene also drew on the Hollicom pool of talent. The two guests were Stephen McGinn, grandson of former Sellik Chair, Jack McGinn and James McFadden. Last night's Sportscene had Julie Fleeting rawking the big white sannies. Clearly, Sellik's TV's Michael Stewart had paddled across the Olympic size pool in the sannies and provided Julie with the necessary flotation. Tune in to tonight's show to find out who is replete in the perfectly balanced Hollicom provided footwear? If you read back on this thread, a big part of it was the weekly media review on PQ, involving DrStu' and Dr Eamonn O'Neill. A decade of no balance saw the show moved off the national megaphone, and on to Talk Media Podcast. Friday had Angela Haggerty on with ra twa' nationalists, ooooohhh all warm and fuzzy. They discussed John Swinney and the SQA, and all arrived at the conclusion that John should not resign, should not face a vote of no confidence, because the people of Scotland don't really want it. The tartan trio are imbued with such arrogance that they speak for the common weal. Angela's Twitter feed is excellent, everyday we see another Sellik minded type stepping soaking wet out of the Hollicom pool. As well as Cosgrove and O'Neill being bigged up by Angela, she reveals her new born son, Francis has former Sellik View Editor, Kevin McKenna as his Godfather. Of course, Kevin was allowed to resign that particular designation, in light of the revelation he thought the IRA bombing of the Enniskillen cenotaph was, "a legitimate act of war". Recently, a number of photographs have surfaced of Kevin happily posing with a number of Sellik Boys' club officials, currently in the jail. Further, the benefits of swimming in the Hollicom pool has seen both DrStu' and Kevin pitch up as columnists on the National. Yesterday's Off the Ball had Davie Farrell as the guest, today's show has Connie McLaughlin as the contributor. Even when Sellik are not playing, you have to establish your Sellik supporting credentials to have an opportunity at a PQ standard of life. Michael Stewart appeared on Sportsound on Saturday, he banged on about the unfair nature of the SPFL's dealings with the Aberdeen Eight and Bolingoli. Why were Hearts told to cease training? Further, why was Hull City training at the same facility in Edinburgh allowed to continue training? Well, he would NOT be allowed to voice off on such matters on Sellik TV. Actually, on PQ no one listened. Finally, a wee bon mot from yesterday. Jason Leitch was on for 40 minutes again, I don't know if he's dropped the Professor bit or maybe the SQA have downgraded him? However, he provided the Scottish Government guidelines across the spectrum. The question not asked by DrStu', was asked by Big Dick right at the end of his contribution. He wanted to know if anything was stopping Hearts moving to Hull to continue their training? A stuttering Jason offered, "the First Minister wouldn't like it". Anyways, ra Sellik are back on CL qualifying duty during midweek. The Blarney Bhoys will be reunited at ra Stade de Gadd and no one will deviate from the Hollicom provided script. The Icelanders will also be told not to even think about raising the question of ineligibility of players. The precedence set by ra Sellik against both Legia Warsaw and Sion must not be recalled. The Hollicom pool surface must always remain calm.