Tannochsidebear

Of course there are. There must be dozens of good quality centre halfs within our budget. I have seen 8 already this season that are better than Wilson, Hill & Kiernan. 2 at Hamilton, 2 at Dundee, 2 at Motherwell and 2 at Killie. Not one bad mistake from any of the 8 of them in 4 games, while our guys have made numerous mistakes already this season. I'm not saying go out and buy these guys, but if the bar is set so low as to just bring in better than what we have, we see it almost every week with every team we play against. The problem is we are trying to find centre halfs in an over-inflated market (England) instead of searching the European leagues. I know we are rebuilding the scouting, but this is where agents can help you with an initial search, then we try to focus in on a few potentials from the lists. When you have had a year to find the player, there are no excuses for not getting it done.

The other table they showed was defensive stats, which showed we clearly have the worst goalkeeper in the league as we have conceded 4 goals from only 10 shots on target, the highest percentage of any side in the league. As I said, you can do anything with stats.

I must be in the minority now that believes that we belong in the Scottish leagues and we just have to make the most of what we have. It can most certainly be improved upon if we can get good people to run the game and remove those with only a one-team vested interest in favour of the game as a whole being pushed forward. I dont mind having some sort of Euro league for midweek competition, while remaining true to our Scottish heritage and fanbase. We dont belong in any other countries league set-up, we belong here. If we get our infrastructure right, as is underway, we can operate on a decent level outwith the big leagues. That is simply a population thing. We belong to a country that is small in European terms. We need to deal with this instead of whoring ourselves around Europe looking for bigger scraps than we get at home. It is not that long ago that we beat teams from France, Germany, Italy, Greece, and Portugal on our way to a European final while downsizing our debts and quality of squad. It is not impossible to get back to that from our current location.

78.4% of all statistics are entirely fictitious.

I hope so too Pete, but MW will have to improve the defence and get his key players fit and in form for that to happen. Not impossible, but we cannot afford to give them too much of an early lead. As early as game 5 of 38, we cannot afford to lose our next league match if we wish to be called contenders.

I think it's the same thing and is only being used as an excuse because we have started dreadfully. I think there are more accurate reasons for our poor start, as discussed here and on other threads, mainly key players not being on the park or not being match fit.

The undefeated bit doesn't bother me. The two draws have felt like defeats. I don't mind not winning every game as long as our standards are high. Our standards so far this season have not been anywhere near high enough, and that bothers me big time. I'm also not buying the gelling in period as an excuse. See last seasons start with a lot more changes and from a much worse inherited position for why. I do think the injuries/ fitness is a big part of it though. MW said many times that he couldn't get the pre-season he wanted because of the horrible new league cup setup. Add to that the players who weren't ready for action when league business started, or who were not match fit. There is no magic wand, or hat, that can make injured/unfit players play at the top of their game. The frustration comes because we are back and we are desperate to shove 55 down the throats of all our haters who ganged up to try to kill us off, and we have started badly, coupled with how bad our city rivals are and we fear we are missing a big chance. We can't win or lose the title in August or September, but momentum goes a long way in football and we have missed a great chance to put down a marker in our first four easy league games and get our rivals rattled. As always it seems at Rangers, we will have to do it the hard way. We will see in 14 days time if we are anywhere near ready.

I wouldn't have a problem if we played with the same pace, passion and intensity as at this stage last season but had lost a game, say last nights game, due to one of those days. The fans frustration is solely down to the fact that the football is dreadful to watch so far this season, the dropping points is secondary. We had a great fixture draw to start the season and we have made a total mess of it. Yes, injuries haven't helped, but its the style of play, so lauded by us 12 months ago, that is so brutal today. I don't recall the same "new players bedding in" line last season when we won our first 10 or so games and played fast, pressing, moving, fluent, beautiful football. Apart from in defence of course, where many fans, myself especially, called for patience to allow the new pairing of Wilson & Kiernan to bed in. Unfortunately by about the end of November it was clear that the problem was not bedding in, it was that the partnership doesn't work. Never mind we said, the manager will sort it in January surely. Many fans were puzzled when no centre half came in during the winter window. Must be keeping his powder dry till the summer. Must have someone lined up that can't come in during the season. And still we wait............ We were fully warned by the Brentford fans who told us exactly how MW would set up, use subs, good to watch but dreadful at defending. I am now reluctantly accepting that we are going to have to score at least two goals to win any match because our manager doesn't believe in defenders that defend first and foremost. I hope and pray that his philosophy works out because he is doing everything right off the field in rebuilding our club, is a great ambassador for our club and deserves our backing and support. I have never seen a side win a top tier title without a solid defence, but I hope we are the first. I am confident We can, and will, find our attacking form again, the sooner the better. Perhaps when we get our pacy attacking players like Holt & Waggy back in the side and we pick one of Barton/Rossiter, not both, and reduce to benchwarmers, the players not up to the mark like Halliday & Miller. We have a few days left in the window, and we hear the club are working tirelessly to try to get in the players we need, and hopefully the two weeks before our next game allows our injured players time to get fit to play and we see a very different side on 10 Sep than we have seen so far.

You missed the best of the injured lot, Jason Holt. Badly missed this season.

Bar72 is inside our stadium JFK-1, and is most certainly not trying to attract a neutral audience. I don't think our rivals infatuation with all thing Rangers extends to going to Ibrox to watch an OF game being played at Parkhead! I am happy to hear a commentary from our perspective instead of the opposite on offer from Sky. Will phone Ibrox on Monday to find out.

http://rangers.co.uk/news/club/bar72-celtic-match/ I see the club are showing the OF game in both Bar 72 and Argyle House restaurant which is a clever initiative to be welcomed. I am interested in going to this as I won't be going to the piggery anymore. My question is do they show this with Rangers tv commentary or just show sky with the bitter duo of Crocker & Walker? If it's the latter I won't bother going, just watch it in the house on mute, but if it's Tom Miller & guest I will go. Anyone know before I tRy to get through on the phone?

Killie 1 Rangers 2 FGS Dodoo

I didnt watch them last night, I just cant unless they are getting thumped, and last night didnt count as that as they were never behind in the tie. I dont usually worry about how well they are playing IF we are playing well ourselves. A good Rangers team will always beat a good tim team IMO, simply because I am biased that way. That is partly why I get so frustrated about our lack of transfer activity in the two areas that needed it most last season, and still do. Centre defence and centre forward. With Garner's arrival at last along with Dodoo we are to hope we are better equipped up front, but we have done nothing but bring in a different sub (Hill) for the two calamity twins at the back. I cannot hold out much hope for a victory at the piggery if we go into it with those two. They simply make far too many mistakes every single week for us to be confident. It so happens that whatever strength the tims do have seems to be up front as well, with Griffiths Sinclair Dembele etc all supposedly playing well and scoring goals. And so for all that the two clubs have changed enormously since April, the result will be dependant on who can outscore the other, just as it was back then. If we get in one or two centre backs, our task would be made that much easier.

Surely the thread heading should be "The award-winning......"

I would think there is zero chance of him getting a gig in our 3 man midfield barring a pile up of injuries, so he better keep working on his defensive skills if he wants a place, because those places are certainly attainable.

How did Crooks play?

Superb news, very well earned. The sort of good news story our papers/Tv stations should be running with. They won't of course.

It is only your opinion he has been excellent. My opinion is he has been a waste of a shirt. I can analyse any of his performances to back up my point. Neither your nor my opinion matters, we are simply Bears on a forum. I don't hate him btw, I was jumping about daft at his goal on Saturday, I simply don't like his style of play and believe he is holding the team back. We all want the strongest possible Rangers team out every week, and we all have different opinions as to how that team should be made up. I don't see the big deal.

is it really 238 games that waster has played for us? big sigh.

Goals per game is a better judgement of players, as is the quality of opponent, and goals per chances created. If Miller is on 99, he could be on at least 3 times that from chances put on a plate for him. McCoist got 350+, when a thousand could have been possible!

We can play all the defensive midfielders we have all at once, it isnt going to change the fact that W&K (as dumb & dumber seems to be frowned upon) cannot defend and continually give up good chances. As one of over 30 examples gathered over the last year, take the most recent one. While the start of the move brings errors from others, when Kiernan goes out to block the man, he turns his back instead of staying strong, hence the deflection towards McDonald. Watch McDonald and Wilson together as the move develops. Wilson is tight on him as the ball comes into the box, then when Kiernan does his big fairy routine, McDonald peels off and Wilson is standing still ball-watching. Its really really bad defending from both of them, and its not an isolated incident. Neither are making good decisions in their play, and neither are good defenders. Both are still fairly young, but should have enough experience to do the basics properly at this level. I was delighted at Wilson's re-signing, but it has gone terribly wrong for him and he looks no more a defender than Jig before him. Very sad to see a lad who had so much potential that Liverpool paid £5M for him in the days when that was still a meaty sum. Something clearly went very wrong with him, and we should be cutting our losses and getting rid. I was hoping the introduction of the experienced Hill would bring a calm head and a leader to the defence alongside either Wilson or Kiernan and we would see both players improve on their dismal first seasons. The fact Warburton is not even playing Hill despite W&K being so poor is even more worrying. We seen the same last season when Ball seemed to be most fans first pick at centre half but MW thought different, despite the evidence in front of him. No team wins a competitive title with a poor defence. Ever.

I think it is more to do with players out of form rather than the number of new players, only two new players started the game on Saturday. There is no change to our system, only the players playing it. Warburton will never change his system, so we are told, we can only play it well or play it badly. Since April 10 we have been playing it badly. I dont for one minute believe that Hamilton, Dundee & Motherwell are much, if any, better than Raith, Falkirk, QotS, or Hibs. Last seasons cup results around the country back that up.

Thanks Roussaeu. No apology required, appreciate you taking the time for our enjoyment.

Look at Wilson marking McDonald at the goal. One of 4 or 5 really bad individual errors that led to the goal, as others have pointed out about how the ball got to even come into our box was awful play, Kiernan's big jessie attempt to block the shot, and Wilson ball-watching as McDonald peels off him into space for the ball to arrive. He looked miles offside from my seat, but on replays looks very close due to Wilson statuesque positioning. Miller again has 3 easy chances and takes only one, as well as contributing the square root of hee-haw for the rest of the game while playing centrally. I maintain the only contribution he can make is as coming off the bench and coming in off the wide position late in the game. He scored a few at the start of last season like this and it keeps him out of the central position where he does nothing and is never available in a centre forward position to either take the ball to hold up, or be ready to get the ball and shoot. Halliday needs to be taken out the team, he is contributing nothing. It seems he hasn't a clue where he is supposed to be playing and what his role is supposed to be. Mr anonymous. Barton had a mare yesterday, never stopped trying but nothing came off for him. He will have better days for sure. Rossiter was poor also. He is going to need to be drip fed in and out of the team this season, his lack of experience and first team games in his career will show as the weeks go on if we dont look after him properly. Clint Hill must be wondering why he bothered. If Warburton thinks dumb & dumber are better centre backs than Hill, then Clint may as well go home just now. MW is looking like a stubborn fool with the continual playing of this failed partnership. The fact I am now desparately pinning my hopes on Crooks, a guy who last played 6 months ago for Accrington, and was so good in defence they moved him into midfield, is not good. Senderos (and/or another) has to be signed and playing on Friday night to give him the chance to at least get some action before the OF game which is looming large and is looking scary with Griffiths on fire, Sinclair hitting the ground running, and even Forrest being talked about as on form. We all knew last season's team wasnt good enough. A work in progress. We signed 9 or so players in the summer and thought good, we have strengthened. Then MW only plays two of them and we wonder why we look rubbish. Its not rocket science, its what we all could see all last season. Of the nine players signed, most are being used as backups, so the squad might be stronger, but the starting 11 had to be strengthened and if MW thinks last years players are better, why did he sign these new guys? On top of this, the flow and tempo is all wrong. Gone are the lovely triangles, closing down high up the pitch, midfielders running into space at all times, energy, skill and confidence all over the pitch have been replaced with slow passing, no movement, nobody beating a man, a real lack of confidence showing throughout the side. That of course can change quickly and we must hope this starts on Friday. We have only played bottom 6 teams to date and have struggled to put any of them away, dropping points against Hamilton and almost repeating the crime against Motherwell. Far tougher tasks lie ahead, September is looking ominous already with difficult trips to celtic & aberdeen lined up. This next 10 days before the window shuts is going to be important and I am pleased we have signed a striker, but it is at the back we need major surgery and we must not arrive at Sep 1 without at least one centre half coming in, although in all reality we need three centre backs coming in and three going out, but thats not going to happen so hopefully we can get Senderos/Hill into the team for Friday and perhaps get another proper centre half before the piggery.

Hey Rousseau, Dont think I got any points updated this week, despite my Forrester prediction for FGS. Can you check please?