Draw for the CL

[Totti 0]

I don't think you watched the game and don't understand your attitude towards a team you reputedly support.

 

Rangers made a decent fist of the final but were beaten by a better, more expensive team who were far fresher due to 17 days rest compared to 3.

 

That Rangers team was knackered and played more games in a season than any Scottish team in history and how many games was it in last 22 days? Scott Symon and Willie Waddell never had to cope with that.

 

I really don't remember it being a bad game except for the fact any game we're losing tends to feel bad. Throwing men forward is the most naive tactics in the book, especially when your team is already punching above their weight.

 

I doubt some of Walter's critics could manage a subbuteo team and no manager who wins anything worries about entertainment more than winning.

 

So you say you and others would rather have a 5-0 drubbing while pushing forward? Where was the praise after the 4-1 defeat to Unirea?

 

Thing is, we shouldn't have to point all this out to Rangers fans. I've heard less negative spin and vitriol from the Tims.

What did we get, 2 or 3 shots on target?

 

As for your Unirea example - they were minnows and we were expected to win that game. Slight difference.

 

"throwing men forward is the most naive tactic in the book" - no, it's standard procedure when you are losing and approaching the end of an important game. Try telling that to Sir Alex Ferguson's 99 CL team who threw players forward to turn a 1-0 defecit into a 2-1 win in the last minutes

Edited August 27, 2010 by Totti

[wabashcannonball 0]

Stats for stats sake can prove whatever you want them to prove.

 

Smith has come in and won what, 6 out of 9 domestic trophies ? A 67% hit rate whilst not purchasing anyone would be deemed a success, not failure.

 

See, I can use stats to prove my point too.

 

Why would anyone use domestic stats to "support" a Euro failure, bizarre doesn't even begin to explain it.

[Guest Flying Hippo]

Just what would you deem as realistic European expectations for the likes of Davie Weir, Sasa Papac, Steven Whittaker, Lee McCulloch, Kyle Lafferty, Stevie Naismith, and Mo Edu, out of interest?

[Totti 0]

Just what would you deem as realistic European expectations for the likes of Davie Weir, Sasa Papac, Steven Whittaker, Lee McCulloch, Kyle Lafferty, Stevie Naismith, and Mo Edu, out of interest?

Considering they are nearly all Smith's signings, how does that refute what Wabash is trying to say.

[Guest Flying Hippo]

Considering they are nearly all Smith's signings, how does that refute what Wabash is trying to say.

 

And they've been good enough for the job they were signed to do; win the SPL

 

We don't sign players in the hope that they'll take us to a new level in Europe. It's not 1998 anymore

[Totti 0]

He's done a bad job in Europe every year of his two Rangers terms outwith 92/93 and 07/08, yes. I don't think anyone can say otherwise?

[Guest Flying Hippo]

He's done a bad job in Europe every year of his two Rangers terms outwith 92/93 and 07/08, yes. I don't think anyone can say otherwise?

 

And it's still a better job than any other Rangers manager of the last 30 years. Even Advocaat gets endless credit for supposedly taking us to a new level in Europe, despite his only real successes coming against 'new money' sides with little history

[calscot 0]

What did we get, 2 or 3 shots on target?

 

As for your Unirea example - they were minnows and we were expected to win that game. Slight difference.

 

"throwing men forward is the most naive tactic in the book" - no, it's standard procedure when you are losing and approaching the end of an important game. Try telling that to Sir Alex Ferguson's 99 CL team who threw players forward to turn a 1-0 defecit into a 2-1 win in the last minutes

 

How can you say the champions of what was the 8th ranked country in European competitions are minnows? Especially when Scotland was 13th? If they are minnows, what in the hell are we? Why then do we hope to win anything in Europe to richer clubs? It's completely illogical to me.

 

We should not "expect" to win any game in the CL. There are two football teams on the pitch who have earned the right to play in the CL, how can you "expect" to win? Have you ever played a competitive football match?

 

The weird thing is that we lost to three freak goals while scoring one ourselves and then played them off the park on their own patch but only earned a draw. That's just football. Shit happens.

 

Anyway, back to the point: our tactics were more gung ho against Unirea than two seasons previous, and we unluckily lost badly, but no-one seems happy that we played that way and lost badly.

 

Celtic played gung ho against Art Media and lost 5-0. I don't remember much praise for it.

 

England won the world cup by introducting 4-4-2 compared to most teams playing 4-3-3. They get lots of praise.

[Guest Flying Hippo]

How can you say the champions of what was the 8th ranked country in European competitions are minnows? Especially when Scotland was 13th? If they are minnows, what in the hell are we? Why then do we hope to win anything in Europe to richer clubs? It's completely illogical to me.

 

We should not "expect" to win any game in the CL. There are two football teams on the pitch who have earned the right to play in the CL, how can you "expect" to win? Have you ever played a competitive football match?

 

The weird thing is that we lost to three freak goals while scoring one ourselves and then played them off the park on their own patch but only earned a draw. That's just football. Shit happens.

 

Anyway, back to the point: our tactics were more gung ho against Unirea than two seasons previous, and we unluckily lost badly, but no-one seems happy that we played that way and lost badly.

 

Celtic played gung ho against Art Media and lost 5-0. I don't remember much praise for it.

 

England won the world cup by introducting 4-4-2 compared to most teams playing 4-3-3. They get lots of praise.

 

The second half against Unirea showed exactly why 'gung ho' tactics or even a simple 4-4-2 is suicidal in Europe

 

None of the big clubs, apart from Man Utd in home games, would contemplate playing just 2 central midfielders in a European tie nowadays. Tottenham received fierce criticism for doing it in the first leg against Young Boys

[wabashcannonball 0]

The sum total of what I am reading equates to us being a small team in European terms, who should have little or no expectations of things above our station, although we are big fish in our own little pond and WS is a God who has succeeded in this small pond of ours against all odds.....bollox about sums it up.

 

Some of us remember the great European Cup nights, when to be a Ranger meant something to those inside the jersey, in my own humble opinion the greatest night was 03/03/1965, when Inter came to town, never ever experienced an atmosphere or a crowd like it since or before, and I have experienced many.

 

We had expectations then and I still have them now, Ibrox always will be my theatre of dreams.

 

GLASGOW RANGERS-INTERNAZIONALE MILANO 1-0(1-0)

Ibrox Park Glasgow 3.03.65 Ref: Kurt Tschenscher (WG) Att: 78.872

RANGERS: William Ritchie; David Provan, Eric Caldow (Cap); John Greig, Ronald McKinnon, Roger Hynd; William Henderson, James Millar, James Forrest, George McLean, William Johnston. Tr: James Scotland Symon

INTER: Giuliano Sarti; Tarcisio Burgnich, Giacinto Facchetti; Carlo Tagnin, Aristide Guarneri, Armando Picchi (Cap); Jair da Costa, Alessandro Mazzola, Joaqu�­n Peir�³, Luis Su�¡rez, Angelo Domenghini. Tr: Helenio Herrera

Goal: Forrest (6)

 

And yes Inter went on to win the trophy.

Edited August 27, 2010 by wabashcannonball