match thread (image) [FT] Rangers 2 - 1 Hearts (Cummings, Candeias)

[pete 2,499]

Rangers v hearts match preview.

 

So, that was probably the most turbulent week for Rangers since 2012 with rumours of physical fighting in the dressing room, players suspended for undermining the manager and a manager who has probably become more unpopular than Maggie Thatcher was to the Scottish people. Most fans expected his own resignation on Monday but when that failed to happen everyone was sure the board would step in and remove Graeme Murty. If for nothing else then for Murty's own best interests. Yesterday the board decided to play Russian Roulette with Murty;s career and possibly Rangers Chances of playing in Europe when they confirmed that Murty would remain in office until the end of the season. Whether that is a brave or stupid decision will pan out in the next five games of football for Rangers. Murty looks to have lost the dressing room and has certainly lost the support of a huge majority of the fans. Unless Murty really gets this team winning and heading into Europe, the dugout is going to be a very lonely place for him in these coming five games. One scenario that could pan out is that we are praying that Celtic win the Scottish cup and therefore the treble so the fourth placed team in the league can qualify for Europe.

 

On Saturday we begin the play-offs when Hearts come to Ibrox. The million to one question is can Murty pick this Rangers team up from the total capitulation against Celtic. Can he get the supporters feeling good again, instead of feeling like we are watching a  footballing equivalent of the Killing fields. Can he get this team to become a fighting unit that can go on and claim the second place in the league. Lets face it, on our budget that should be the lowest place thinkable.

Hopefully he has been working hard all week to get the players on his side. He has seen to the suspension from work of Kenny Miller and Lee Wallace for undermining his authority so they will be missing from the line-up. Wallace hasn't played for much of the season so his physical presence will not be a miss but his popularity as club captain could affect the performance of other players. Kenny miller is a player who is a valuable option but has also missed much of the season and is not really a fans favourite at the best of times. Again his popularity with other players could play the biggest role on which Rangers team turns up

My vision is that Rangers have to get off to a real fast start to get the fans onside. If the first half is lacklustre as it has been at Ibrox regularly this season then the crowd will start to turn on Murty and the team. Craig leveign is a wiley old fox and he will know that. He will set his team up to frustrate Rangers and try and get that first goal that he knows will turn the Rangers crowd. The supporters can of course play their share and get behind the team. The Union Bears have said they will not be singing at this game as a protest to the board but personally I think that is more letting the team down more than hurting the board but that is their decision. It is of course probably the softest message to the board possible that the support is not happy but I think they already know that.

 

So who will Murty trust to put on the park to get him the result he so badly needs. I think his Andy Halliday adventure will be over and he will go back to his old and obviously trusted for him 4-2-3-1 system and his team will be.

 

Foderingham

 

Tavernier Martin McCrorie John

 

Docherty Dorrans

 

Candeias Windass Murphy

 

Morelos

 

 

I personally would like us to go with the 4-4-2 for once and see what Morelos and Cummings can produce together. I would hate to see Cummings heading back down south without even having a real bite at the cherry. Lets face it Rangers should be in a position where we can use the last few games as a trial for next season but unfortunately that is not the case and we are instead in a dog-fight for that European place

 

 

I really hope for Murty that he can lead this team to the second spot as he is a really nice guy and I would hate to see his career in tatters due to the pure indecision of an obviously weak rangers board. More important I hope the team stand up and go on to the park and show that heart, that will to win that every football player should have and fight their way to a series of good results, starting against Hearts. The players need it. Murty needs it. What is more Rangers Football Club needs it.

One of my favourite TV programmes as a boy was the Flashing Blade. It had the theme tune with the text ”It is better to have fought and lost than not to have fought at all” Last Sunday they didn't figh they turned on their backs and let Celtic tickle their bellies. A repeat performance at Ibrox on Sunday is unthinkable. Whoever Murty puts on the park needs to show they are up for a fight. They need show they will run through walls for this club otherwise they will hopefully disappear into the horizon for next season.

 

C'mon the Gers!

[pete 2,499]

Frankie when I write a new topic the centre option to centre the team is not open to me. Can you have a look at that or am I missing something?

[buster. 4,808]

Excellent summing up of the situation, Pete !

 

If we don't get a win on Sunday, it's difficult to see where we'll get one at all post-split.

 

Post the very different circumstances of the victorious semi-final in 2016, we played 5 games and didn't win any. I see that month as the moment when something important changed and we entered what has become a long omnishambolic period wrt the first team affairs. One that I thought had perhaps ended at the beginning of this year, but I was wrong.

 

 

 

 

'Flashing Blade' /....those were the days 

 

 

[Scott7 5,173]

I disagree that the crowd will start to turn if there is a lacklustre first half. The crowd will turn unless there is a blistering first five minutes and an opening goal followed by more at regular intervals and plenty of incidents to keep people’s attention on the field of play and not on their several devices. You see, without incident - dirty Hearts, cheating ref -  many will clear off to the pub after the third goal (we should be so lucky)

 

Rangers supporters - the greatest in the world? Probably. But not at a match at Ibrox.

[compo 6,141]

I envisage a dull dreich ninety minutes with both sides cancelling out what footie will be played , I will watch the racing channel instead .

[Frankie 8,151]

47 minutes ago, pete said:

Frankie when I write a new topic the centre option to centre the team is not open to me. Can you have a look at that or am I missing something?

You centred the title at the start of your preview so you just need to select the team and centre that at as well. 

 

I was certainly able to edit it in that regard.

[Frankie 8,151]

Find it really difficult to pick a team for this week.

 

I do suspect though the system will change back to 4-2-3-1 and I'd imagine the manager will give the players who struggled so badly on Sunday a chance to rectify that.

 

Personally I'd like to see Cummings come into the side and I'd also drop at least one of Docherty and Dorrans who've both struggled badly recently.

[Bill 13,717]

I'm desperate for a complete change to Murty's tactics. We might not have endless options in the squad but surely it's clear even to him that this isn't effective at home when teams come and shut up shop.

 

Like Pete I think it's time to shake it up and try a 4-4-2 formation. I'd also like to see Murty start Halliday and let's see what Morelos can do as an impact sub.

 

Foderingham

 

Tavernier Martin McCrorie John

 

Candeias Docherty Dorrans Halliday

 

Cummings Windass 

 

Unlike Pete I think Maggie Thatcher must have been hugely popular with a lot of Scots if she managed to get more votes than Labour scraped up last time.  It's hard not to get out of touch locked away in that Wassenaar mansion.

[pete 2,499]

5 hours ago, Frankie said:

You centred the title at the start of your preview so you just need to select the team and centre that at as well. 

 

I was certainly able to edit it in that regard.

I centred the title in my words document that brought it centred on here. I wrote the team straight in here. If I open start a new post even now then there is no left  centre right options. Strange that you can centre even in edit I don't get the centre options.

[buster. 4,808]

9 minutes ago, pete said:

I centred the title in my words document that brought it centred on here. I wrote the team straight in here. If I open start a new post even now then there is no left  centre right options. Strange that you can centre even in edit I don't get the centre options.

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