Rousseau

I doubt it unfortunately: Norwich have been consistently effective.

FT 0-1. Sheffield Utd go 2nd, Leeds drop to 3rd.

Those changes were enforced (Jack and Arfield carrying knocks, according to SG at the press conference), except maybe Halliday being preferred for the 'battle' it'll be.

0-1 Sheffield Utd. Shame it was a mistake that looks to have decided the game.

Cracker of a game here. Bielsa plays the game the way I want to see it played. The fluidity is just wonderful to watch. Leeds play a basic 4-3-3, but they build out from the back in a back-three (the RB stays back). It's still 0-0 at the moment, but it's a good game.

You think a midfield two -- whoever it might be -- is good enough to out-play a 5-man midfield?

I think it'll be enough--they can play very well. The question is whether we get that reaction.

You're right. But, I believe that's our strongest team, and I just couldn't see who would come in. Maybe Davis and McCrorie, but that wouldn't change much, IMO. And, as we all know, we're desperately short of options out wide. Frankie's 4-diamond-2 would be the obvious change. Even then, I didn't expect many personnel changes.

Dammit! I had just written a match preview. I really should have looked at the rota. Here's a bit of it (the rest @Frankie has covered excellently): It was a dark night. Rangers went down 0-2 at home against Aberdeen in the Quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup last tuesday night. Conceding an early goal gave us an uphill struggle and played right into Aberdeen’s hands. Eight yellow cards were picked up by the ‘Dons as Rangers huffed and puffed against physical, man-marking ‘tactics’. Despite having 63% possession and three-times the shots at goal, the Rangers attack failed to breach. Rangers were out of the cup. For many, the Scottish Cup Quarter-final replay was our last chance this season to realistically win silverware. The ‘Dons again had knocked us out of the League cup back in October. Our league form had stuttered. Another 1-1 draw against Hibernian had many believing that was the final nail in the coffin of a potential title challenge. It was a dark night. Jermain Defoe sees a bright future. Our Old Firm rivals had failed to capitalise on our latest slip-up at Easter Road. And our performances were not that bad; We are dominating games--albeit not taking the chances we should. “Fans are going to be frustrated,” said Defoe, “just like the players. You have to play well every game. The fans expect you to win, expect you to progress in these kinds of tournaments”. “I think if you look at the quality we’ve got in the dressing room, the international players we’ve got, it’s a time for the football club to be excited”. “I just think it can take time for things to build; it’s not going to become an unbelievable team overnight. Sometimes it takes time”. “I’d definitely be excited”, said Defoe. “It’s a club and a team definitely going places.” Rangers take on Kilmarnock this Saturday at Ibrox. It’s a chance to get a league challenge back on track, against a side that were knocking on the door. And we couldn’t be playing them at a better time. Kilmarnock beat St Mirren 0-1 last Monday in what was their first win in NINE games--including a 5-0 defeat against Rangers. They have scored one goal. Their so-called title challenge has disintegrated. Kilmarnock will likely set up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Brophy leading the line and looking to harry and harass the Rangers back line. A stubborn low block will seek to frustrate Rangers into committing more and more players forward, as they look to counter with wide-men Burke and McAleny. The other option--which was deployed in the previous clash at Ibrox--could be a 4-1-2-1-2, ultimately with the same strategy. An early red had scuppered any chance of that working. Kilmarnock will be without Kris Boyd and new signings Alex Bruce and Youssouf Mulumbu through injury. [And, of course, the obligatory team prediction:] McGregor Tavernier - Goldson - Worrall - Barasic Kamara - Jack Candeias - Arfield - Kent Morelos (Just as @ian1964 posts the Press Conference Tweet where SG states there will be changes to the team... )

We could swap in Sane and Stirling for Kent and Candeias -- and OK--their individual quality would allow them to beat players and make things happen to a certain extent -- but without an improvement in the tactics, it'll still be sh*te. I agree the movement [of a Sane and Stirling] from our two would result in better play, but that's little to do with the player, IMO; Guardiola completely controls how those players move, so it's the tactics, not the players per se. Have you seen Guardiola's grid system? Every player is told where to move and how. Anyway--we'll need to agree to disagree. I think we have this debate every couple of weeks! I would settle for Guardiola as Rangers manager.

Of course, having excellent passers helps -- a lot -- but it's not the main reason Man City get in behind. Guardiola's positional play is all about ball retention, and having one more player spare, to overload areas in order to isolate the wingers 1-on-1. How many times do you see Man City go through simple passing triangles on one side, sucking teams over, then switching the play -- not always with one raking pass -- to isolate Stirling or play him in behind. It's not always deft passes. I don't think Stirling is the greatest of players, but his pace is unbelievable. If you combine that with Guardiola's tactics, of setting him up on 1-on-1's -- which he does at every club, and it doesn't always need blistering pace -- it's a potent combination. And, when they get in behind on the near side (not switching play), it's the third-man runs from the 8s that are crucial to getting in-behind. Of course, here a good passer would help, but I don't believe it's necessary if the players are well-drilled. I know you're not saying this per se, but, I don't believe that the 4-3-3 is some mysterious formation that only the best players in the world can play. Moreover, that we can't play it because teams are just defending against us. Teams defend against Man City. It's all about the right execution. You could put Stirling in for Candeias and it would still be sh*te.

Excellent post! Yes, in a 4-3-3, one of the 8s should be occupying that half-space -- watch Man City or any Guardiola side; that space is occupied. In our 4-2-3-1, I think one of the 6s should be occupying it. Jack drops to be a lone 6, with Kamara sliding into that channel. Arfield could, but I think he should be in the other half-space threatening runs into the box, to get on the end of a cross -- it would also pull the defense inside leaving space for the other winger. But, yes, in neither of those formations are those half-spaces occupied. I do hope that SG is learning and developing this side. There have been improvements.

The CL has been cracking this season. The Juventus-Atletico game was a nice tonic to our game.

Rangers and Aberdeen will play each other for the sixth time this season when they meet in their Scottish Cup quarter-final replay on Tuesday. However, it will be only the second time they have played at Ibrox, with Aberdeen winning 1-0 in their Scottish Premiership meeting there in December. Rangers manager Steven Gerrard said: "Any game against Aberdeen is always huge. The message from me is forget the semi-final. We have a big, tough challenge smacking us in the face and we need to go and perform at a level that is capable of getting us the right result. "I think it would be very naive of the players to think about Hampden. We have a job to do at Ibrox first and foremost." Aberdeen have won two of their encounters against Rangers this season, but manager Derek McInnes does not think those other fixtures will have a bearing on Tuesday's game. He said: "We won there the year before last as well. We went down there after the split and won a game that helped us get second spot again and we've had some decent results against Rangers this season, but I don't think it counts for much what's happened previously. "The perception for maybe being seen to be more equipped or more resilient to deal with games in Glasgow from the press there may be something in that, but we've always felt we can take on teams home and away. I think each game's different and what's happened in the past I don't think has much bearing on tomorrow night." Team news Rangers will be without Gareth McAuley as he continues to recover from a hamstring problem but Borna Barisic is available having had an illness. Aberdeen's top scorer Sam Cosgrove, who has 18 goals for the season, is suspended. Gary Mackay-Steven and Niall McGinn will be assessed ahead of the game. https://www.skysports.com/football/rangers-vs-aberdeen/406406

I think we need some Man City style shithousery. Any sniff of a counter and we should be getting stuck-in with niggly fouls. To be fair, none of our players have any real experience of a 'winners mentality' -- outwith McGregor, which I have relished; the saves, the fouls, the time wasting etc. How do you buy that? Can you buy that?

Oh dear. How sad. Nevermind.

One main difference I see is last season I couldn't believe we came away with 3 points (Aberdeen, Partick etc.), whereas this season I can't believe we don't come away with 3 points (Aberdeen, Hibs x2, Motherwell etc.).

Aye, I'd be be ok with that. I just hate that I need to keep looking at their scores.

I'm still furious. We've never been as good as we are now -- since the journey -- and I firmly believe if we were more clinical and stopped these stupid periods of complacency, then we'd be top. The number of stupid points this team has dropped is criminal. We are in need of more attacking options. Once again, when it finally looks like we've cut a decent gap between ourselves and the rest of the pack, we let them back in.

When he signs I expect the CO to come back to that tackle.

Oof! I never thought of that, but that makes us look even worse!

Shinnie is an arsehole. We could use more arseholes in our team. Although, I think McGregor and Morelos are carrying the team just fine in that regard.