CammyF

What a player and what a kit! Hopefully Castore replicate this next season!  

Back to basics - let's play players in their natural / best positions. 

Would be surprised if Yilmaz makes it tomorrow (may make the bench) so Barisic should come into defence and Stirling moved into midfield. 

Think our issue will be who plays in the offensive positions as we'll need to score goals - for me, Dessers over Silva at 9, Sima and Matondo wide and Cantwell at 10. 

Cammy F giving the Vs to The Govan 😁

Didn't a Rangers player (Eric Morris?) get shot with a pellet gun in a reserve game at Parkhead? 

Can't see Yimaz making it, so huge decision on whether Sterling plays LB of CM. I'd prefer him in midfield as we've been lacking in there recently. Who plays LB? God knows. 

I'm actually dreading Sunday. 

Great Post @Frankie and hard to disagree with most of it. 

On Cortes, I'd imagine any deal (permanent or loan) will not be finalised until we know how he has recovered from his injury. 

Sima - would love to see him back next season on loan but this will all depend on Brighton and his contract situation (they may want to sell if he is nearing the end of his current contract).

As you say Butland and Yilmaz may have to be sold to finance the "restructure" and my feelings on Yilmaz are different from yours and others so I'd sell him regardless.

I'll be in the minority but I'd only sell Tav is a huge bid was received. We need to have a succession plan in place but currently he offers more offensively than any other player we have. However, we can't keep relying on our RB digging us out of trouble.

I like Goldson and Lundstrum but feel their time at Rangers has come to a conclusion.

No matter which way you cut it, a huge job for Koppen, PC and the recruitment team .

Funnily enough, Tav and Goldson have said similar previously and got crucified for it........

20 minutes ago, Yorkie Bear said:

OK. We've had nearly 24 hours for reflection. Time to throw off the sack cloth and look ahead to better times. As the good book tells us:

 

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;

Corinthians 4:8

 

 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God"

Marvin Andrews 2005 (also Luke 18:27).

58 minutes ago, PoohBear said:

No one said we will magically become successful, come on....

So what will it lead to? Marginal improvement? More of the same? Further regression? 

2 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

I'd keep Yilmaz (good player, still very young)

 

Goldson is one of our best defenders, so I'd still use him - but we do need better competition. There's no real value in letting him go as we're not getting a fee for him - other than freeing up wages. 

 

Dowell and Wright can go. 

 

Lammers I'd keep. I'd like to see him get a run in the #9 position. 

The OP was restricted to 5, I could have posted more 

The 5 picked will still be there next season, but it's just a bit of fun 😉 

4 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

@CammyF's list:

 

Yilmaz

Yilmaz

Yilmaz

Yilmaz

Yilmaz

 

Dessers gets a bonus and a new 10-year contract. 

 

@der Berliner's list:

 

Tavernier

Tavernier

Tavernier

Tavernier

Tavernier

 

Scott Wright gets a bumper new deal, and is made captain. 

Blatantly wrong as I've posted my list 😁

12 minutes ago, CammyF said:

Excluding the out of contract and loan players - these 5 :

 

Yilmaz

Lammers

Dowell

Goldson

Wright

 

 

@Rousseau- serious question

Would you keep those 5 and if so why?

I think it's a given that the loanees and OOC players will all leave, so what 5 outwith those should be shown the door. 

Excluding the out of contract and loan players - these 5 :

Yilmaz

Lammers

Dowell

Goldson

Wright

6 minutes ago, PoohBear said:

How long are you willing to accept failure? I have backed them all the way, particularly Tav who I think is a fantastic football player. The reality is that they have returned little in way of trophies for the club. At some point you have to change things, you have to say that enough is enough.

So we sell Tav and magically we become successfully? 

All out ills are down to Tav and Tav alone? 

Tav time is coming to an end, but can think of at least a dozen players who deserved to be chopped before him.

(Disclaimer - I have said on numerous occasions that if the Saudi interst in Tav is genuine than we have to sell him z but we can't force him to leave). 

3 hours ago, Franc Ergs said:

Indeed, if the cap fits and all that 😉 .

 

i'd stick him in Lawrences' position ,because when we get a new right back next season that's where he'll end up playing anyway.

The punishing runs from RB position aren't getting any easier for Tav .

How dare you have the audacity to mention that Tav could / should be here next season 😁

Read the room - he, along with Lundstrum and Goldson are the modern day equivalent to witches and must be treated as such.

23 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

I agree but the 3 you mention have been pretty much ever present over the past 3 years and IMO have ran out of steam.

 

We play much more games that any other team in Scotland year on year. With a squad full of perma injured. That's got to take its toll on the guys who turn up is all I'm saying.

Also blows the myth that those three hide and / or are sh1tbags. 

They never hide and are always available. Hence, they are over relied on. 

Weirdly, players that are seldom available are thought off more highly. 

1 minute ago, Franc Ergs said:

Given that our only faint hope of winning the league now requires us to score lots of goals, i'd be playing our top goal scorer a tad further up the park.

 

 

 

Tav at CF? Could be onto something.

3 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

People are deluded, there is no one else other than these guys and maybe some U-14's if they dont have any homework.

 

Even guys like Lovelace, Lowry and Stevens who might be able to come in from the youth set up are injured or one foot out the door.

The quote that gets me is "play the youths, they can't be any worse".....

Really? Last season the "youths" (B Team) struggled to beat Bo'ness United and the likes. This season they are not participating in any meaningful domestic games / league structure.

5 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

I don't think so. Many teams - see Leverkusen - play with two. 

 

I think it's the press: teams can break our press quite easily. 

 

It's also a specific problem in Lundstram's game; it has been for a while: Even in Beale's diamond he was quite poor in this metric. He is actually in the lowest 3% in the whole league for this metric.

 

Either he is particularly bad at it, or our press is so poor they are exposed. I lean towards it being a bit of both. 

Our press has regressed dramatically. 1st half against Celtic, only Dessers and Lundstrum were attempting any press at all. Rest of team retreated into our half when ever we were out of possession. 

Not sticking up for Lundstrum but until a few weeks ago, he was being touted as POTY.......

Just now, Rousseau said:

The stats also show that Lundstram was dribbled past twice. 

 

We've discussed this before, haven't we? 

 

It looks to be an issue with his reading of the game or positioning. 

Or with us essentially only playing 2 in midfield, we are being overran in this area? 

Meh.........  eeny meany miny mo.....

2 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

Yes, this is how they will prove their value. Koppen & his team especially.

 

We need to bring in guys to beat Ross County and Dundee. Not Man City and Juventus. 

You'd hope that as part of any interview process, Koppen presented the board / interview panel with a list of players he'd identified to pursue and get on board and that were within our budget. 

23 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

Replacing Butland like for like would be almost impossible unless we’ve got millions stashed away somewhere.

 

 

Maybe so, but a player trading model that actually works would dictate we sell him. 

Let's not forget that we plucked Jack Butland from the EPL on a free and he had played 10 games in 3 years. Many thought it was a gamble (it was).

I'm sure Koppen and Clement will know of similar scenarios where similar keepers are available.

Weirdly, I'd sat earlier in the season Butland showed no signs of rustiness, but has done over the last few weeks - is this down to fitness??

5 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

Remember too we could end up losing three GK’s at the end of the season. Just think of the problems that could cause 

If we are serious about recruitment and player trading model then any offers for Butland over £7M should be accepted. 

Brought in on a free transfer, had a decent season (but like most, been shaky over last few games) and will attract interest from EPL. 

6 hours ago, weebluedevil said:

I agree, but I'm not a football recruitment expert. That's Koppen's job to figure it out. Yeah, we won't get rid of everyone, but let's start with one, two or three of your list above.  Who'd have thought we could have off-loaded Lammers on loan and now potentially be able to sell and recoup our costs. 

 

I also think, and I know you disagree, I would keep Cantwell and Ridvan from your list. But Goldson, Lawrence, Dowell, Dessers and Wright should be told they can look for new clubs and that they won't get much game time if they stay. If some Saudi club are interested in Tav, I think the club would bite their hands off. 

 

Jack, Roofe, Barisic will be off the wage bill and I expect the loans will end for Sima, Silva and Cortes. 

 

So I think we'll see an ever bigger change this summer than we did the last. Whether they are replaced with better depends on whether the board are hungry enough for the CL money or not, knowing each season of failure makes the next a bigger mountain to climb. 

 

What I do know is that the team needs a solid defence, that should be the priority. I've said before, last season and the season before, that I felt that we wouldn't win another title with Tav and Goldson and I stand by that. 

 

Keeping Cantwell would be fine with me, but he needs to be more consistent as when he is in form, he is a good player. 

We can't rely on Ridvan, that's a matter of fact, not opinion. Just look at his availability / selection since he arrived. Plus his stats show that he is no better or worse than a declining Barasic (who'll thankfully leave at the end of the season).

I'd be agreeable to extending Sima's loan (as we won't be buying him). Same with Cortes but will depend on how he recovers from his injury. Silva should be sent straight back to Wolves.

The board are at a cross-road. The squad requires major investment / surgery this summer and that will come at a cost. 

It took SG 3 seasons to assemble a team that eventually won us the league, I'd say we are in a similar position now as we were when he took over. 

Recruit is key - we simply havent replaced the likes of Aribo, Kamera, Morelos, Kent, Helander and even the likes of Arfield.

We might not win another title with Tav and / or Goldson but moving them on / dropping them wouldn't  magically transform us into title winners. 

The issue is far more deep routed that just Tav and Goldson.