Indicative stats.

[wabashcannonball 0]

Stats don't win games, but they give an indication as to aspects of a teams strength and weaknesses. The biggest weakness that I can see and have seen in Rangers playing style is the reluctance to tackle until the ball is almost on our 18 yard line or worse. Getting men behind the ball is all very well if they are going to do something other than admire the oppositions holding of the ball, we could do with a heavy dose of combativeness and grit, it would also help to tackle the opposition in their own half.

 

The stats from last night.

 

Sevilla Team Statistics Rangers

1 Goals 0

1 1st Half Goals 0

7 Shots on Target 1

11 Shots off Target 2

8 Blocked Shots 0

13 Corners 4

6 Fouls 14

1 Offsides 2

0 Yellow Cards 3

0 Red Cards 0

87.7 Passing Success 73.8

23 Tackles 19

73.9 Tackles Success 78.9

63.6 Possession 36.4

56.9 Territorial Advantage 43.1

[Frankie 8,187]

I don't disagree - the way we stand off teams is really quite strange at times - particularly when we allow opposition players the time and space to cross balls from dangerous areas.

 

However, the reason we suffer from allowing space is two-fold:

 

1. David Weir - I love the auld guy and think he's been an excellent addition over the piece. Without his experience and positioning I doubt the likes of Hutton, Papac, Cuellar, Bougherra and Wilson would have developed in the same way. However, his lack of pace means we have to compensate to avoid balls in behind so we sit very deep leaving gaps between defence and midfield for good teams and intelligent players to exploit.

 

2. Our creative edge (or lack of it) - Because we often lack genuine width and/or forwards who can take in the ball, shield it and bring midfielders into the match; no player is confident enough to make decisions outright. Everything is reactive instead of anticipative so players are hardly ever in the right position. The amount of times our midfield are caught out of position because they're unsure whether to sit deep or support the attack is obvious in many games. Meanwhile, using central players in wider roles (such as Fleck, Davis, Lafferty and Naismith) means they come inside too often and leave gaps in wide areas.

 

If unqualified fans like me can see this, then real students of the game in managers and players will be rubbing their hands whenever they play us.

 

Apply the general malaise of the club where we appear unfit, slow and physically weak; then that explains our inconsistency. When we do score a couple of goals, we do look quicker, stronger and play better football. Yet, we can't appear to retain that throughout the same game, never mind take it into the next one. Even after wins over Celtic and good results elsewhere, we seem to be back at square one for the next match.

 

I believe we have a distinct mental problem at the club.

[wabashcannonball 0]

I think you are right about the mental point Frankie, but I think it all Smith's and he transposes it to the players. His mantra appears to be we start every game with a point, let's not lose that point, not let's get steamed in and take all three points.

I think the bottom line is Smith is a luxury we can't afford, but we may be stuck with him.

[Frankie 8,187]

Our manager's cautious nature is definitely an important contributory factor as our defensive tactics of the 2007/08 season are still clearly affecting player decision-making now.

 

Add in his erosion of genuine wide/creative players then we're extremely one dimensional and rather easy to play against.

 

Walter Smith is very much a percentage gambler and, domestically at least, that has served him well wherever he's managed (even at Everton one could argue). As such, it is difficult to criticise all that much when, no matter how bad we're playing, we're still a game in hand off top spot.

 

The problem is that Celtic are likely to strengthen further, are starting to string some good results together and we have a run of difficult matches culminating in an away game at Celtic Park to begin 2010.

 

I'm extremely worried we don't seem to be anticipating the above. I'm extremely worried we seem unable to motivate ourselves for any game - never mind the tough ones. I'm extremely worried that we're struggling to react or are flexible enough to improve.

 

I don't see many easily workable answers unfortunately.

Edited December 10, 2009 by Frankie

[elderslieblue 0]

What really depresses me is, our players NEVER pass a ball first time. For some reason, this basic skill seems to be beyond them. Every single player seems to need to stop the ball to bring it under control before attempting a pass.

 

Not to mention being incapable of passing a ball to a team mate allowing him to move FORWARD onto it. Invariably the guy receiving the ball will have to either check out of a run or go backwards to pick it up.

 

FFS, I was taught that at the Lifeboys when I was about 10.

[gisabeer 409]

smiths number is up. hes been found out in all departments this season and i fear the worst should he continue to manage rangers after christmas. The smokescreen in the media yesrerday has got all the lap dogs patting his back telling him how wonderful he is and how lucky we are to have him.

 

So hes working without a contract? he should go one better and give back his wages. I would have been sacked for performing so poorly at my job. He has squandered millions apon millions chasing the European dream only to surrender to every pub team in the qualifiers.

 

the next time they update the oxford dictionary under the words humiliation and failure they will write SEE WALTER SMITH.

[wabashcannonball 0]

Smiths and Rangers benchmarks should be somewhat higher than a two horse race the SPL. There have to be hard decisions made at Ibrox, unfortunately there does not appear to be anyone in a footballing sense, who has either the gravitas or experience to make those decisions amongst the present board. Bain's transfer dealings have and are the sort of negotiating prowess, that would have had him shown the door in any other walk of life.

Irrespective of all that is written on countless message boards, the fans will have no say in future developments. Rangers fans have been known to show their displeasure by voting with their feet, there is a danger in that if that happens this time the money people, investors, prospective buyers or perish the thought the bank, would be of the opinion that if the fans can't or wont support their club, why should we.

All in all the usual scenario, the fans caught between a rock and a hard place, with their loyalty being prostituted by all and sundry around them, but still refusing those same fans a voice.

[wabashcannonball 0]

From another place and says it all, stat 21 may be a revelation, or not.

 

 

Why I think Walter should go now:

 

1) Has spent �£30 million on SHITE.

2) Has lost the ability to motivate these players.

3) FC Kaunas, two 4-5-1's, Lee McCulloch, Kaunas are now in the Lithuanian amateur league. .

4) Unirea , fielded his own side worth �£20 million yet lost to a team worth �£1.3 million.

5) 3 home defeats in Champions League group stages, 1-4, 1-4 and 2-0.

6) One of our 4-1 defeats being against a �£1.3 million team.

7) Losing 5-2 on aggregate to the same �£1.3 million team.

8) Lee McCulloch.

9) Constantly buying players to play out of position.

10) Finishing a Champions League group stage with 0 WINS !

11) Failure to win at Pittodrie in 3 years.

12) 1 win at Tannadice in 2 years. ( league at least )

13) Finishing 1996/1997 Champions League with ONE win ( I know, better than this year )

14) Calling a 1-1 draw with Unirea " a good result "

15) Ruining players, mainly young players with potential.

16) Kenny Miller.

17) Kyle Lafferty.

18) talking down the poor players HE SIGNED constantly, rather than at least trying to fire them up.

19) his inability to take criticism (see Richard Gough, Chick Young, Mark Hateley, the post match Unirea press conference.)

20) his flat, lifeless, depressing, aged demeanour.

21) equalling Paul Le Guen's losses and draws this season in FOUR LESS GAMES than it took PLG to do it.

His achievements and *reasons for :

 

1) completing 9 in a row. * unlevel playing field, competition being Motherwell, Aberdeen and an almost bankrupt Timmy.

2) Brian Laudrup and Gazza. * he could afford them.

3) Manchester. * bit of luck, ressurected formation and tactics from the 80's that baffled modern day footballers, actually WAS ABLE TO GET HIS PLAYERS UP FOR IT, many goal posts, Alan McGregor, good performance in Lisbon, Christian Vieri's lack of confidence, Novo's big game mentality.

4) steadying the ship. * took over from PLG.....I'll leave it at that ! !

5) Job from Fergie. * couldn't get a job in England for love nor money so his good pal helped him out.

6) Scotland. * Turned it round after it couldnt get any worse, still lost to Belarus at home and just made us hard to beat.

7) Last years title. * timmy team falling apart, Strapon's bHoys got stale after 4 years as tends to happen without investment.

 

Think most will agree , the con's VASTLY outweigh the Pro's. Also when looked at objectively his achievements arnt exactly remarkable considering the unlevel playing field in Scotland and his support.

 

The problem:

 

Pretty simple but I'll play ball with the Walter fans and maybe show them a different way of looking at it rather than the polarised mind-set they seem to have. Say all Walters achievments ARE what the mythos says they are. The 9IAR era WAS on a level playing field. We WERE playing top class opposition in Scotland week in week out. We did outplay some of Europe's top sides to make the UEFA cup final, we DID thrash timmy into oblivion last season and took the lead comfortably. He didn't WANT another job in the english premiership after Everton, lets say he turned Scotland into a footballing powerhouse......lets take all his achievements and the mythos as true.....well what we are seeing now is simply............ the end of an era.

 

Things have gotten stale under him as tends to happen to ALL teams after 3-4 years without constant investment and squad maintenance. The players know what to expect in training every day, they know Walter is at a stage where a good result to him is a draw, they know they can get away with 3 years without a win at pittodrie. Guys like Lee know where and that they will be playing every week. It is just a case of a stale team and there is no more the manager can do with them.

 

The Solution:

 

Walter, Ally and Kenny should go and ANY manager and staff should take over. Thats right.......ANY. We as a club are in a period of transition, we are rudderless, we are up for sale and in the red. Our playing staff are poor but have shown signs that when they are really really up for it, hell for leather up for it, they can perform a bit better than this. We bring in ANYONE just to do the basics until we are sorted off the park ( the basics is BEAT all teams in Scotland every week but for the once or twice a season blip, beating Celtic both games at Ibrox and let what happens at CP happen, were in transition mind so we are not fit to be completely dominant.....but we should be fighting for dominance at least ). ANYONE will change a dynamic behind the scenes and it might have a short but basic effect, we cant get much worse anyway and you have to break the egg to make the omlette!! Alot of people dont seem to acknowledge we are in this transition period, the least we can get is what we already have so just shake it up a bit just to at least get some renewed freshness and atmosphere about the club.

 

Im right on this one same as I was right all those months ago and now those predictions have all came true. Think long and hard about this one bears.........all we have is hoping to get one over the worst Timmy side in 20 years......is this what you choose as not to offend the memory of your childhood icon?

[calscot 0]

In the present financial climate I don't see how any Rangers manager can be expected to compete well in the CL.

 

What justification is there for us to be expecting to beat richer teams from far larger countries with better pools of talent? Just what reason is there to expect a Rangers manager to be able to beat the likes of Stuttgart and Seville and sack him if he fails? Why should we be better than them when we've hardly any money, play in a very poor league and have a dearth of local talent to draw upon from a very small population?

 

Unirea may not be richer but when you take the relative economies into account they are capable of employing top talent from Romania and the eastern block who are at least equivalent to the player market we are constrained to. They are Romanian champions, and you have to remember that Romanian teams have been excellent in Europe over the last 5 years and are currently 8th in the UEFA rankings, compared to our 15th. Internationally they are 14 places above us.

 

Rangers generally have a very poor record in Europe and from our whole history, two of our best six European runs have been at the helm of our current manager.

 

The manager should be mainly judged on his domestic record and if people on here would be sacked for doing as poorly as Smith they must be doing a fantastic job in an very unforgiving company.

 

The question is, can you really sack the manager with the best record in the country?

 

Will we be sacking subsequent managers who don't produce even better results?

 

Just how good will we be while sacking a manager pretty much every season?

 

Will we be able to cope with the contract payoffs and just who will we be able to attract?

 

If you were a very good manager in demand, would you be happy take a job where the manager was sacked after the success of the last couple of seasons?

 

So what should the minimum, easily measurable, key performance indicators for a Rangers manager be?

 

It's all very well to dislike a manager for his tactics, style of football, and team and position choice, but to say he should be sacked as some kind of obvious conclusion after winning and competing so much in every domestic competition he's been party to, just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

Could someone explain it to me in a non-sarcastic and enlightening way?

[Frankie 8,187]

Fair points by the guy and the ongoing form of the team (or lack of it) coupled with the obvious problems we do have should concern every fan - Walter Smith supporter or not.