der Berliner

In a 3-up-top, Kent shouldn`t have stats of a winger. Sakala and Roofe have played in 4-3-3s and done admirably. We create chances by the score and don`t take them. You saw what Kent produced yesterday. If that in your eyes validate a starting and 90-min-playing slot ahead of Roofe and/or Sakala, so be it. I don`t. I said where I would use Kent instead. Kamara played ahead of Lundstram and more or less alongside Aribo and Arfield, who was covering Tav`s runs time and again. Why use a CM/DM there and not an AM (or indeed another striker) who would have given as more penetration? Simple question.

TM in this case deals in facts, no matter how you want to turn it. They list his appearances without afterthoughts or wishful thinking.

Wee sidenote. The Scum`s 3rd goal was rather debatable again, as one of their players was offside and then stopped Bates getting to the ball and Jota, who scored, thus becoming actively interfering with play.

Yes, if we play 3-up-top I want strikers Sakala, Roofe and Morelos there, who all can play in a front line and have an end product. Kent, Aribo and Co. can still play provider and chip in with the odd goal too.

You can sing laurels on Kent all you like, if someone plays as an attacker/striker he should have a better goal return than a bang average left winger. As I said, he can play as a left winger or from a deeper role, no problem. He thus can go on and run teams ragged and create chances ... who others can put away. Kamara must play for a different Finland then. His goal thread as a DM or CM is de facto minimal. If we have Lundstram, Jack or Co. doing the DM`s job, there is no need to play another DM/CM with no real attacking threat in him ... right now.

Any reason given why the game wasn`t played at the RTC instead of Dumbarton`s bog?

I watched the last two games and don`t think we need Kamara in an advanced role. It is fine if he can adjust his current, more defensive-minded game to one more akin to Jack`s, but why use a DM in a AM role? I saw that he scored a cracker in a game already won against a toiling Hearts side, it was his 2nd (sic!) goal of the season. It hasn`t been our problem to keep possession and recycle the ball in defense and midfield, we simply don`t put away the chances we create. When you have 3 or more attackers etc. on the bench, it only makes sense to utilize them ahead of non-attackers or folk like Kent who simply can`t put his shots between the sticks.

Truth be told, why trial a CM/DM in a more attacking role instead of playing another AM/striker. Lundstram and Jack cleared any danger vs Hearts, the former was well able to handle the Hibs threat yesterday. We can trial Kamara in such a role against Annan or the like, but could easily have used all 5 subs and give Diallo, Roofe, Sands or even Zukowski (spoken: tsu-kovski, not tsu-cowski as Tom Miller tried) some game time. Balogun will be a miss, hopefully not too long. I wondered how he went into some tackles full steam from the off though. IMHO, if we play Goldson and Bassey, we should go to a back three with one DM cleaning up before them. Bassey is no full-blooded CH and playing a bit more to the left with some back-up in the middle might help. Annan should be a good chance to play Sands, Simpson, Roofe and some others, preferrably not Ramsey, since their plastic turf and physical approach might lead to unwanted time on the sidelines.

... when you see that pitch, you do wonder why we didn`t play at the RTC as previously scheduled. Our women`s team won there against Glasgow City and the pitch looks a galaxy apart from the bog at Dumbarton.

... with Kirsty Howat back amongst the goals. Let`s see whether the highlights from the City game works https://qiumi.de/forum/thread/40024-the-rangers-women-girls/?postID=5321039#post5321039

And onwards we go ...

The defence loks a touch more shakey since Balogun went off and Hibs having a go, but Lundstram looks a rock in front of them. Kamara plays further forward and has some good runs, but I would prefer another attacker in there instead of trialling someone while every point counts. Kent should finally start rewarding himself with an end product ... far too often he lacks that cutting edge to warrant start ahead of a true striker in that left attacking slot. IMHO, he`d be even better used coming from a deeper place. Arfield thrice ran into dangerous spaces, scores a beauty, only being a touch offside. Porteous is just an embarassement again. WOnder whether he will see the end of the game.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10489351/Norwich-Rangers-tabs-Schalke-goalkeeper-Martin-Fraisl.html Checked the German websites and they say - rather predictanly - that "reports from Britain say" that there is interest. Haven`t seen the lad play, so no idea what he is like, though from what I read he only now had a good season at Schalke and was almost throwing the gloves into a corner last summer for good.

That pitch is brutal ...

And life for free on UEFA TV https://www.uefa.tv

They are still studded to the hilt with talent, usually come off the boil after the winter break. Lost in the cup to BL 2 side St. Pauli, 2-5 yesterday against Leverkusen. They will play far more open than most of the teams in the SPFL, no surprise there, and that will be essentially like yesterday`s game. We need a tight defence and solid midfield, but its tailor made for the speed of Kent, Sakala and the power of Morelos. Let`s see how Ramsey fits in there, as he can be the creative force needed to set up our strikers.

Noted that Sands, Diallo and Ramsey have been added to our EL squad, Itten not yet. The list also still included Patterson and Kelly, for some reason.

His celebration? We have two buffaloes! 🤣 https://twitter.com/fashionjr10/status/1490411883190435840/ SPFL highlights

Glasgow City is still the benchmark in Scotland and if you beat them, you know you have a good chance. Us and the Scum have invested "heavily" into the women teams, City has probably better contacts. They have poached good players from all "lesser" teams for the best part of a decade though, so they better don`t lament any financial disparity.

Neither did stop from Tavernier being here for years and being made captain. Against Ross County, Goldson (again) made a mess of a header, leaving make-shift centre-half Bassey with his fresh air swing - yet who gets the blame? The rest was McGregor`s calamity show. Sure, Bassey made a couple of errors, yet at the end of the half (just ahead of their corner), Tav allowed a chap to run free on the right and we probably have Goldson to thank for his last gasp tackle that it didn`t get worse. If we like to balance Tav´s "contribution to the team" with his assists and overall play, maybe we don`t forget Bassey`s cool pass to Kent for the latter to set up Morelos for our first goal? Bassey`s 22 and will get this out ofhis system. Tavernier is 30 and still prone to errors, some fatal ones at that. Maybe we lay off the players every now and then. Hearts played their game, always pressed us, always tried to get forward too. If the opposition does that, we can hit them hard. We find the space and e.g. Kent the room to run into. These games are not the problem and we have to wait and see how Hibs will approach it. Breaking down the "low-blockers" is the area that we really need to improve.

... BTw, we should play Kamara further forward now every now and then. Tell him how the goal looks like and he`ll become a player 😎

The reaction required. Interesting line up with Arfield in the right attacking slot, but all worked tirelessly and got the result we deserved. Keep up that level of performance and we`ll come good again. BTW, Dortmund lost 2-5 at home against Levrkusen earlier in the day, they tend to have a bad spell after the winter break, let`s hope it continues 😉

Shocking from Collum, but`s been coming.

Let`s ask a soothsayer on game-day noon how Kent will perform later then. Lot of bite in midfield, calmed much of any Hearts' gall. Even by law-of-averages we should be 3 or 4 up, as it stands, it remains tight and Hearts need one lapse to look dangerous. Wherever our captain was in the last minute (when we have enough DMs on the park), it was not where he was meant to be.