Unacceptable, Inexplicable But Totally Predictable

[CammyF 6,881]

It was just after 11 o’clock on Sunday morning when I received a text informing me that Majid Bougherra was going to miss the League Cup Final and as expected, Kirk Broadfoot would deputise for Boogie. Given that Lee McCulloch had become the sole Rangers media representative in the week leading up to the Hampden showdown, it didn’t take a brain surgeon to determine that he would be starting the game.

 

As news filtered through that our starting 11 was as we’d all predicted with us going 4-1-4-1 the mood in the public house where we were indulging in a few pre-match libations suddenly changed for optimism to pessimism. Sorry, that isn’t really correct, it was more of a ‘here we go again’ mood. Everyone decried the lack of ambition within the starting 11 and this didn’t abate when the substitutions were revealed.

 

Here we were going into a final with only one forward, no recognised wide midfield player (and none in reserve) and playing one man upfront against one of the shakiest Celtc defences that we have encountered. The stench of negativity had finally spread to the foot soldiers, as the vast majority of the fans I spoke to pre-match were all of the same opinion; our chance to win the treble, the first domestic trophy of the season and score a major physiological victory had just evaporated with the announcement of the team and squad.

 

The game itself was as predictable as our starting 11. Two teams devoid of talent, skill, aggression, guile and ideas played out a terrible 90 minutes and the first goal in extra-time was always going to be the winner. The opening goal we lost was a direct result of school-boy defending. A ball that travelled the entire width of the penalty box and was then headed back over our keepers head into the net. The referee would have been entitled to have blown the full-time whistle there and then. We were never going to score one goal, never mind two. In fact, we could still be playing at this moment and we still wouldn’t have scored. In fact, I received 4 texts the minute the ball hit our net, all four said exactly the same thing ; ‘That’ll be that then’.

 

There were few players who could hold their head up high after yesterday’s debacle. Only Papac, Ferguson, Lafferty and Novo gained pass marks with Whittakar put in an acceptable performance, the rest were terrible. Gutless, clueless, heartless and skillless about sums up our entire club at the moment (from top to bottom), we are run by a board of surrender monkey’s, our management team are cowards and our squad of players just aren’t good enough (as well as not being coached properly). No Rangers team should enter a cup final with one forward, with a centre-forward at left wing, a centre-midfield player at right wing and with a mish-mash of a back four. The introduction of Christian Dailly is the single most baffling substitution I have ever witnessed in over 25 years of following Rangers. In the spirit of parity, if we had been winning 2-0 or even by a single goal, I might, just might, have been able to understand this substitution. But to bring Dailly on at 0-0 when we needed to score is indefensible. The introduction of the enigma that is Kris Boyd destroyed any momentum that we had managed to create. The lad may be able to score goals, but he takes away from any positive that brings with his terrible attitude, suspect fitness and all round lazy persona. A lot of fans have questioned those why decry Boyd and wonder how losing or replacing your top scorer can help the team? Well. Just look at Sir Alex Ferguson and his decision to sell his top scorer, Ruud Van Nistelroy. Manchester United only won one EPL title with RVN in their ranks even though he was continually theirs and the EPL’s top scorer. SAF decided that the team would be better without him and he was in the minority when he made that decision with so called experts calling his sanity into question. The result? Man U’s total domination of English football and progression to the highest level in European and World football……

 

However, this decision actually gives an insight into Walter Smiths current mentality and thinking. It shows that he doesn’t trust nor believe that his latest crop of signings are good enough and can’t be trusted. The non-inclusion in the squad of genuine wide players like Beasley and Aaron shows that Walter either doesn’t rate them, or doesn’t trust them. This being the case, why did he sign them? We all know that left wing has been a problem area for us and yesterday, Walter came up with a novel way of trying to eradicate this issue. In the 2nd period of extra time, he decided to play not one player out of position wide left, but two and both at the same time. For some inexplicable reason Walter deployed both Steven Davis and Dailly wide left at the same time. This meant we left gaping holes down our right which Celtc fully exposed at the second goal. The above added to the continual overlooking of players like Edu and Velicka and with other recent signings like Davis and Lafferty continued to be played out of position shows that our manager doesn’t know what he is doing.

 

All of the valid points raised above are a sacking offences in my opinion and show that Walter Smith MUST be replaced (and not by McCoist – he and Kenny Mac are guilty by association) NOW. We are still in with an opportunity of winning the SPL title, and now there is no ‘ifs’, ‘buts’ or ‘maybes’ about it, we must win the SPL title. If we are to win this title, then we must replace the manager. There is no way, under his stewardship and coaching that we are going to win all our remaining SPL games, something we have to achieve to win the title.

 

So the question is who could guide us to the title? Well, lets be brutally honest here, all it would take is a manager who had a tried and tested formation, how played players in their correct positions and who could coach them the basics. Now, I am no expert, but there are bound to be numerous coaches out there who are currently looking for a role that fit the above criteria. Another positive is that in reality, we probably won’t have to win all our games, as Celtc are as bad as we are. However, this doesn’t negate the fact that if we don’t change manager (and we won’t), we won’t win the SPL. The current regime is engulfed in negativity that cascades from the top and as said above, is now even starting to effect the foot-soldiers.

 

We are a club in series decline and there is no sign of this abating. This isn’t the result of the woeful performance yesterday, this is an opinion that has been structured witnessing one of the most gutless Rangers teams that I have supported. I came away from Hampden yesterday gutted. I was bursting with frustration at the tactics, the team selection, the performance and the realisation that whilst they are absolutely garbage, we are worse. The halcyon days are gone and there is no sign of them returning. The moonbeams have been extinguished. All that is currently on the horizon is dark clouds and long periods of total darkness.

 

Cammy F

Edited March 16, 2009 by CammyF

[UCF2008 0]

Thought Boyd should have come on for Mcculloch as Lafferty was having a good game. Dailly shouldn't even have been on the bench. Novo did well considering his obvious lack of match fitness an should probably have been introduced earlier as Miller was by far the worst player on the park. Despite not getting much in the way of service, any time he did get a shooting opportunity he either fell over the ball or looked to pass it back - Shocking performance.

 

Mendes, Davis and Ferguson all played below their usual standard. The best contribution Ferguson made was his track side shove on Lennon which would have been funnier if the scoreline wasn't as depressing. I'm absolutely gutted, but hopefully this will put a bit of fight into our performances for the remainder of the season.

[CammyF 6,881]

Can't agree, I wouldn't bat an eyelid if Boyd never plays another minute for Rangers - his attitude stinks. Totally immobile, caught offside too often, has no pace and his saving grace, his scoring record, doesn't look too great since he refused to leave Rangers in January (comfort zone anyone????????).

 

Mendes and Davis were woeful, totally inaffective and over ran by the Celtc midfield. They aren't 'ball winners' and don't have the appitite for a 'battle'. We urgently require a Stuart McCall or Ian Ferguson in our midfield.

 

Worst player on the pitch? well, there were a few contenders.....

 

Cammy F

[calscot 0]

I thought Boyd was big time at fault at the goal, scratching his nuts while O'Dea went for the header.

 

You can start to see what people mean about his "all round game".

[Zappa 0]

I thought Boyd was big time at fault at the goal, scratching his nuts while O'Dea went for the header.

 

You can start to see what people mean about his "all round game".

 

Can't agree with that at all mate. Where were the 'defense'..??? None of them were anywhere near that ball when knacker whipped it in, that's for fookin' sure. Shocking is the only word that comes to mind.

 

I personally think that Davis had a better all round game than Mendes or Fergie yesterday. I'm convinced that Mendes is a shadow of the player he was before Fergie came back in. When Pedro was running the midfield he was a different class. Now with Barry in there with him he seems to have adopted Barry's negative brand of controlling midfield - scared to death of taking on a couple of players & just constantly passing back or sideways at best most of the time. Both of them DO occasionally play a quality defense-splitting pass, but those are too few to be worth mentioning.

[CammyF 6,881]

Yip, its all Barry's fault ..... The only game that Mendes truly shown in when Ferguson was missing was the OF victory at Parkhead. The player that we are missing is Kevin Thomson - the only midfield battler we have in our ranks.

 

As for Boyd, he does have defensive duties as well. It would interesting to hear from the coaching staff who was supposed to be marking Darran O Dea at set-pieces as he had the freedom of Hampden at the goal

 

Cammy F

[Zappa 0]

I'm not saying it's all Barry's fault Cammy, but Mendes isn't the first midfielder that's been impressive for us, only to fade out of the picture when Fergie came back in. As for Thomson, even he was a better player when Fergie was out injured & he was in the middle with Mendes. That's no coincidence in my book.

[CammyF 6,881]

I'm not saying it's all Barry's fault Cammy, but Mendes isn't the first midfielder that's been impressive for us, only to fade out of the picture when Fergie came back in. As for Thomson, even he was a better player when Fergie was out injured & he was in the middle with Mendes. That's no coincidence in my book.

 

But he wasn't that impressive in Barry's absence thats what I'm saying. When was he impressing exactly? The OF victory apart, I can't recall Mendes dominating a game for start to finish. Did having Barry Ferguson in the team make players like Gio, Arteta, Albertz, Reyna, Rino, Tugay et al 'fade'? Maybe you have to ask why players like Mendes have faded rather than just blame Barry Ferguson's presence in the team.

 

Cammy F

[Zappa 0]

But he wasn't that impressive in Barry's absence thats what I'm saying. When was he impressing exactly? The OF victory apart, I can't recall Mendes dominating a game for start to finish. Did having Barry Ferguson in the team make players like Gio, Arteta, Albertz, Reyna, Rino, Tugay et al 'fade'? Maybe you have to ask why players like Mendes have faded rather than just blame Barry Ferguson's presence in the team.

 

Cammy F

 

Fergie was barely out of nappies back then Cammy. Having Fergie as captain was probably like having him as a team mascot. Seriously though, he was a much better player back then & didn't continually berate his teammates whilst having plenty faults of his own.

[CammyF 6,881]

Fergie was barely out of nappies back then Cammy. Having Fergie as captain was probably like having him as a team mascot. Seriously though, he was a much better player back then & didn't continually berate his teammates whilst having plenty faults of his own.

 

So as captian, he shouldn't berate players? Gough berated players continually when Captain. Players of a better standard than we currently have. It just appears that Ferguson is blamed for all our faults. I know he is not the players he was, but he certainly aint solely to blame for our inept performers

 

Cammy F