T-1000

Hamilton 0 Rangers 3 FGS: Kent

Agreed, but I don't think Alfie helps himself by his petty retaliation fouls and needless bookings.

The signing of Roofe and Itten by SG I think indicates that he does not believe Morelos will be around this season which is unfortunate but when we signed him we knew, if he proved himself in the league, he would not be around very long.

Rangers 3 Kilmarnock 1 FGS: Roofe

Yes, Kamara and Jack were the defending midfielders and usually received the ball from Goldson and Helander in our half but for most of the match they were in advance of the centre line, at times even Goldson was in advance of the centre circle. We had plenty of players in Livi's half, it was more just a case of not being able to capitalise on the possession we had. Against teams like Livi scoring that first goal is important because it settles the team and then requires the opposition to be more offensive. If we don't score in the first half we seem to become tense and our football loses its composure.

From what has been reported in the papers McCrorie is instigating the move away from Rangers. I wonder if he feels he is being overlooked for match squads meaning limited playing time, more so, since Patterson appears the back-up to Tav and we have plenty of cover for centre back. That leaves midfield and here he seems principally behind Jack, Kamara and Davis, the latter being on the wane, for the defensive role. If Jack were to be injured and/or Kamara to be transferred it would leave us with limited cover in that area. Given this possibility if SG is willing to let McCrorie go he must now be low down the pecking order which is surprising since just over a year ago he talked about him in terms of a future Rangers captain and so on.

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.

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.

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.

Livingston 1 Rangers 3 FGS: Morelos

Borna for his part in the goals but honourable mentions to Kamara and McLaughlin, with the latter making a couple of good saves which kept the momentum with Rangers.

Rangers 3 St.Johnstone 0 FGS: Morelos

Rangers 3 St.Mirren 1 FGS: Morelos

Pick of the bunch were Goldson and Helander. I gave the nod to Helander as an acknowledgement that he had a good performance given he had not played a competitive match for a while.

Bayer outclassed us but hopefully the match provides SG with some idea of areas where we need to improve tactically. When McGregor had the ball Bayer pressed our back line making it difficult to play out from the back. When as an alternative McGregor kicked long then we invariably lost the aerial dues or didn't hold the ball up thus using possession. I think this led to us not really gaining a foothold in the match and with Bayer in control which was enhanced by their ability to pass and move. In contrast, when the Bayer goalkeeper had the ball he had the choice of outlets knowing that not all the back line was marked. You might argue that perhaps we should have played a more pressing game but given the quality and movement they had I am not sure this would have been any more successful. Another aspect that is of concern is the limited space within which we play our passes. Too often players were so close to one another that Bayer were able to intercept the passes or make a tackle. We have to mix up playing the short passing game with spreading the play and stretching the opposition.

Bayer Leverkusen 2 Rangers 1 FGS: Morelos

I hope so, but if you look at the record last year the number of goals conceded was identical but they scored 25 more than us, all be it, we had played one game less. As Rangerrab and Gonzo1979 suggest we need to up our strike rate.

Whilst I agree with the point you make, another difference between Celtic and ourselves is that they are more incisive in attack and create more chances. Plus, as we saw today they have Edouard who takes his chances. I hope his performance catches the eye because then I think it is more likely there will be a bid for him and, if successful, that could be beneficial for us.

I think the problem in this game was that most of the players had a sound game without any particular individual standing out. It was Balogun's first game, he settled in well and looked composed and therefore one could argue a case for him being man of the match. However, in response one could argue that since Aberdeen's attack was dire, particularly in the first half, he wasn't put under any pressure and therefore it is difficult to assess his ability, but first signs are positive. Tav, Goldson and Borna did fine but nothing spectacular. Kent scored a fine goal but other than that he just had a reasonable game, Morelos made some good layoffs but never looked like like scoring, Aribo again showed his class but perhaps was a bit quiet compared to how he performed in the pre-season friendlies. Jack and Kamara were quietly efficient, breaking up play and being the anchors in the team. One issue with playing both Jack and Kamara is that neither strikes you with their capability to go forward with purpose and take the game to the opposition, that is, they tend to be more reactive than proactive. It would be good to sign a player that could complement either Jack or Kamara rather than someone who plays the game similarly to them.

Good result but second half performance was average and we didn't work the Aberdeen goalkeeper enough.

Aberdeen 1 Rangers 2 FGS: Morelos

A mobile forward would be fine but our build-up play at times can be so slow that it partially negates the mobility of any forward due to the lack of space when the opponents have the time to arrange their defence. If we want to utilise mobility we need to be quicker in our build-up play. I recognise having a front line that can interchange is beneficial but more so if we break quicker. On many occasions we seem to rely on Barisič or Tav slinging crosses into the box. This being the case then we need a forward who has a physical presence in the box. This is part of the reason Defoe can look ineffectual in games because he relies on predatory instinct and for that he needs to be able to make a yard or two of space which in a crowded area is difficult. To provide us with alternatives I would hope we sign two forwards, perhaps Roofe for the mobility and versatility and maybe Dykes for the physical presence. It would be useful if our midfield could also chip in with some goals but last season suggests that they are not very prolific in this area.

With Wigan going into administration I thought you would be lobbying to have Windass back.

I noticed that Rangers did not review his contract. Seems a bit odd since the women's team has only professionalised in the last year and have signed a number of new players and Vignal has been central to those changes. I wonder if there was some underlying issue that prompted the decision.

Also, possibly he wasn't very keen on the idea of playing second fiddle to McGregor.