Dundee 2 Rangers 1 post match discussion

[Gonzo79 13,714]

For 5-3-2n I'd go with:

 

McCrorie Alves Cardoso

Tav Jack John

Dorrans Pena

Herrera

Morelos

[der Berliner 3,263]

dB, Jack in a back 3 makes absolutely zero sense whatsoever. He’s the only midfielder presently who offers cover to a back 4, so quite why anyone would want to move our only proper defensive midfielder from a position he has done well in and put him into a back 3 is beyond me.

 

Pena, Krancjar and Holt as the central midfield 3 is too weak. Which is why if we go 3 at the back then we need to keep Jack in there.

 

If we are to play 3 at the back then use 3 CB’s - Alves with Wilson and Cardoso either side of him (McCrorie if fit could replace either one).

 

craig, you've got a tendency to dismantle other people's line-ups and ideas without offering much of your own. Just in case you missed that. But you did miss a few things more, like me saying ....

 

and Jack on the right side - unless McCrorie is fit.

 

Jack/McCrorie - Alves - Cardoso

 

While I am at it, a) Jack has played right-back for Aberdeen as well and recently in a narrow 0-1 defeat for Scotland against the Dutch, who usually are quite adapt at wing play et al. B) we usually play with 2 at the back anyway, as our full-backs join the midfield as soon as we have the ball. John less so than Wallace and the latter less so than Tavernier. Thus c) Jack would essentially cover the right flank of a back 3 or can equally do what he always does and that is cover Tav's backside. Does he have a physical presence you questioned? IMHO, he more or less has good anticipation where the ball goes and where his fellow players / defenders are. He is no Hurlock though. That said, I would have no problem if McCrorie slots in at the right of the 3-man back line if fit, and Jack takes over the Holt role in midfield. This is nothing exclusive, of course.

Hurlock in turn reminds me of McCrorie, who does have a physical presence and it might be worthwhile thinking about him in front of a back-three, as he is rather quick and has a good anticipation of the game as well. Before you ask, he's played there before while on loan recently. For some reason, our midfielders and fellow defenders have used him and Bates before as the one to lump the ball to the front, which usually gives and gave me some dispair. For that is the job of a creative midfielder ...

 

You say Pena, Kranjcar and Holt are "too weak" in midfield, but do you really think adding Jack instead of them will turn the tide? It's not exactly that Pena is too small, or, as we have seen of late, Holt lacks aggression. Our main problem is that we lack creativity, pace and ball control in midfield to keep the ball away from our defence. As well as people up front to keep the ball there and convert the chances.

 

If we'd take the line-up I suggested, I would also expect that it will be somewhat dynamic, with Cardoso and Alves staying at the back at all times,e.g. Jack patroling the right side of defence (more than his usual DM slot) and John and Holt the left and centre. Kranjcar remains the creative focus in the middle, while the strikers, Pena and Candeias offer the pace and bite up front. If McCrorie is in that back 3, he'd stay there, of course.

 

And yes, I'd drop Miller, Wilson and Tav to the bench without losing sleep.

[cooponthewing 1,139]

I don’t know what your issue is Tav dB? I noticed something you posted a while back too. He is our main threat along with candeias at the moment.

 

I don’t see what you see with Pena and Niko. This is not a dig when I say this but I think your ideas stem from watching the ball on tv, and not the match. I watched the game last night and you can’t get a look at off the ball attitude and work etc.

 

Pena and Niko are between not fit and not interested. Although, the same could be said for th whole team.

 

Couldn’t agree more regarding Miller and Wilson. The two of them are hopeless and Miller should b nowhere near the club now.

[Gonzo79 13,714]

Miller is useless and Wilson is prone to regular cock ups.

 

Tav...I can see both arguments. He's good going forward but a poor defender. Pena is a strange one - one minute he's scoring or setting up a goal and the next he looks like he's never seen a football in his life.

 

Ultimately, the new manager and January are huge if we stand any chance of stopping the scum winning 10.

[der Berliner 3,263]

I don’t know what your issue is Tav dB? I noticed something you posted a while back too. He is our main threat along with candeias at the moment.

 

I don’t see what you see with Pena and Niko. This is not a dig when I say this but I think your ideas stem from watching the ball on tv, and not the match. I watched the game last night and you can’t get a look at off the ball attitude and work etc.

 

Pena and Niko are between not fit and not interested. Although, the same could be said for th whole team.

 

Couldn’t agree more regarding Miller and Wilson. The two of them are hopeless and Miller should b nowhere near the club now.

 

A couple of seasons ago Tav was scoring screamers from open play as well as free kicks, as well as providing a similar amount of assists. Yep, opposition wasn't great, but it does not exactly matter who stands in the wall of a free kick. You are quite right that for a number of games he's been great with Candeias on the right flank, but you get your starting slots on form and for the amount of time he spent up front, he has very little end product. His defensive backside is saved time and again by either his fellow defenders or Holt / Jack. Yesterday, not least when Candeias was shifted left - for whatever reason - he was all over the place. And his overall passing and crossing was indeed woeful. Methinks the stats guys have marked that out too. Candeias in turn runs his socks off and has the pace to cover the flank alongside a right-sided CD in a 3-man backline.

 

Kranjcar hardly kicked a ball for us this season, so how do we know how he will get on with the new guys like Morelos, Candeias, Pena and Co., players with a bit more footballing sense than what our Scottish/British players usually have? Pena himself has played an average of less than 50 mins in 9 games thus far, yet whipped in 4 goals. I don't mind if he looks overweight (did Maradona or Le Tissier ever look fit? ... and no, I don't compare him to either chap), but if he's there and does what our midfield does not, I don't mind. We'll never know if we don't play him.

[forlanssister 3,050]

If Miller and Wilson are fit for Wednesday then we're f*&ked.

 

Wilson plays as if he has narcolepsy, he simply keeps switching off all through games.

 

Tannochside was right about miller, period.

[der Berliner 3,263]

A couple of sidenotes. Accies almost did to Hibs what thex did to us. One shot at goal, one goal ... in a game dominated by the guests. Thus they kept Hibs in striking distance, and the latter have played a game more than us.

 

It was said on FF that Neil McCann arrived late for the game due to some health issue with his father, and also left quickly after the game. Looked rather distraught throughout. Still, before he left he apparently took time to applaud the Rangers end ... who, it must be said, made for a good atmosphere throughout.

Edited November 26, 2017 by der Berliner