match thread (image) [FT] St Johnstone 1 - 4 Rangers (Tavernier 12 pen; Windass 25; Goss 41; Morelos 56)

[Rousseau 9,507]

Clinical performance.

 

Goss strolled it; quality touch, control, vision and a sexy left-foot. Superb. I'm worried we won't be able to afford him now... 

 

My MotM was Morelos; he didn't stop, held the ball up well, and pleasingly, he took on a few defenders with his pace which he tends not to do too often. 

[Rousseau 9,507]

Apparently the assist table has 4 Rangers players in the top 4 spots: Candeias, Tavernier, Windass and Docherty (not sure it includes his Hamilton exploits, but it must). 

 

We've got some real creativity in there.

[Rousseau 9,507]

Cummings played in the No.10 role last night, and I didn't think he did that well. 

 

He lays it off well, and holds it up, but that's a No.9's role; as a #10 I though he didn't make any good runs like Windass, or had the vision or running ability to break the lines. No surprise our attacking play dwindled as soon as Windass went out wide...

 

Where are the Windass haters?    

 

Halliday did well at LB; nothing special, but he did nothing wrong. 

[Rousseau 9,507]

That refereeing performance was baffling; incompetence of the highest order. 

[pete 2,499]

1 hour ago, DMAA said:

And one mitigating point on the ref, he at least gave the free kick that led to the goal when all the BT pundits were saying Davidson got a touch, despite the replays clearly showing he didn’t.

Even if he did touch the ball if the referee judges it as a dangerous tackle then it would still be a foul. In saying that I am not sure if it would be indirect in that case.

[buster. 4,808]

Job done (very well). 

 

As far as the league is concerned, we now need to beat Celtic. 

Best if the manager and the lads don't shout about if's, but's and title races in the lead-up to the game.

Just concentrate on putting a high tempo performance in and see where it takes us.

 

[der Berliner 3,290]

43 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

Cummings played in the No.10 role last night, and I didn't think he did that well. 

 

He lays it off well, and holds it up, but that's a No.9's role; as a #10 I though he didn't make any good runs like Windass, or had the vision or running ability to break the lines. No surprise our attacking play dwindled as soon as Windass went out wide...

 

Where are the Windass haters?    

 

Halliday did well at LB; nothing special, but he did nothing wrong. 

 

No-one "hates" Windass. He's hit peak form with regards to goals and in parts with consistent application for 90 mins. Not exactly expectable after the first half of the season, same with Tavernier.

 

Made a point before the game that we might try Cummings in the shadow striker or even second striker role instead of having Windass making runs. Some will argue that Windass shot this argument down in flames ... yet, we threw Cummings on late (again) when the game was won yet we lost some cohesion and he, much like Windass were all over the place, because our balance was off when Candeias and later on Murphy went off. The more critical point is that while both Morelos and Windass do a phantastic job, hand either or both of them an injury and we are left with people who have hardly played for any lengthy spell (in our current system). IMHO, last night was tailor-made for throwing on Herrera and Cummings after 60 mins (at the latest) ... in place of Morelos and Windass. Maybe we see either from the start against Falkirk, but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

In any case, as long as Windass, Murphy and Morelos keep Miller out of the starting line up, I'm okay. (Well, I don't mind their assists and goals either, of course )

 

[der Berliner 3,290]

SPFL Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYErC-1cEKg

 

 

Full game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa82rREy-kk

[Gaffer 1,665]

I think every one of us is now quietly confident going in to the old film game.  I'm not saying we will win, but we have a decent chance for the first time in a while.

 

The team is just clicking at a good time.  We always knew Morelos was going to be a great player for us, and he was the top man last night, but I'm amazed at how well Docherty has played.  I can't believe he's not made more headlines before he joined us because that boys is absolute class.  I don't think there's a single bear that would have imagined that our best midfield doesn't include Jack, McCrorie or Dorrans.  However, the way our midfield is performing right now I have no idea how anyone else can break into the starting eleven in there.  I'm keeping all fingers and toes crossed that we can convince Goss and his club to prolong his stay with us.  He's a class act, and I'm hoping that no one new sees him as being able to do it in the English leagues or we won't be able to afford him.

 

Docherty is an absolute steal at 600k, and I'm now thinking already that we won't hold on to him for more than a couple of years before a big money bid comes in.  Talk about a diamond in the rough!?!?!

 

Murphy and Candeias look like they're playing for fun and it's so entertaining to see us slice through teams these days.

 

Tav is unbelievably (to me anyway) turning into a Rangers captain.  His game has been transformed over the past few months, but in particular since being named captain.  He gets what it means at our club and that's unusual.

 

Bates hasn't been someone I rate very highly, but Murty has him doing a job for us and he's doing it so well.  I can't see him being left out now.

 

I don't know why so many players have been transformed recently, but I'll gnever be Murty a lot of credit for that.  Sometimes a team reaches a tipping point where more players "get it" than don't, and at that stage the others just seem to click too.  That's what has happened with us now and the games can't come quickly enough.

 

We will inevitably still lose games, and may lose to them in the old firm game, but there's light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel.

 

Stewarty, I hope you got your bandwagon serviced because it might be time to get it moving.  I'm jumping on it now and I think we won't be alone in that.

[buster. 4,808]

I wonder how much of an effect Jimmy Nicholl is having wrt man management of players and a more consistent attitude ?