match thread (image) [FT] Shkupi 0 - 0 Rangers

[craig 5,195]

26 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

I expected a win but having not seen any of the game due to work i'm guessing from what I have heard that Shkupi set up to simply not be humiliated at home. I could pull 10 healthy guys off the street who could throw up a wall and make it difficult to score.

 

And these weren't just 10 healthy guys off the street they were professional footballers used to playing together and who were apparently a high scoring outfit in the closing stages of last season.

Schkupi didn't set up that way.  But we did control the game and had enough chances to win 3 games.

[Bill 13,717]

2 minutes ago, Gaffer said:

I honestly did Bill. I felt the problem we had last season was losing goals.  Scoring goals seemed more straight forward.  So when we sorted out the defence, I expected us to win these games by a couple of clear goals.  We've definitely got a much improved defence and despite Shkupi throwing the kitchen sink at us last night, we really weren't in any trouble.  But OMG, I expected us to put away some of those chances.  It would be reasonable to expect any pro footballer (never mind a striker) to put those chances in the net.  Watching some of the efforts at passing/shooting in the 18 yard box was how I imagine I'd act if I was asked to play for Celtic - I couldn't have done a better job at making a bigger mess of it.  We can complain about the players not being good enough, but those players are too good to be missing chances like that.  It's clear that the weight of expectation is too much for them.  They'll be banging in those chances in training I bet.  Windass, Morelos and Murphy can never be doubted for their skills.  They are excellent players, but with Morelos in particular I'm seeing a mental fragility that will no doubt be a real concern to SG.

 

Obviously I want us to do as well as we can in Europe, but the real focus has to be on the league.  Fortunately he has some time to fix this before the opening day against Aberdeen.

 

Its a shame in many ways though, because we should have been allowed to become excited at how well the defence is developing.  Katic, Goldson and MacGregor (and Flanagan to be fair) have made a huge difference and I'm no longer watching through half closed eyes when the opposition attacks.  Instead though, we are all worried about how we are ever going to score goals this season.  Nil - Nil draws each week won't be enough to challenge.

I completely agree with what you say about our new defence and take comfort from the effect Gerrard has had in that department. Perhaps he will now be able to work positive changes further forward.

[craig 5,195]

14 minutes ago, Bill said:

Steel yourself, when you watch the game you'll see we had plenty chances to score but made a pig's ear of all of them. The Morelos heading masterclass is particularly instructive. ?

That header near the end of the 1st half.... I would have been embarrassed if my 13 yr old had made an attempt like that.  Indeed, he and I sat, laughed and then shook our heads at it.  A 10 yr old has better technique than that.  It was embarrassing.

[Gaffer 1,665]

1 minute ago, JFK-1 said:

Morelos is becoming a bit of an enigma. I would like to see us have a coach who works exclusively with strikers and who better than Ally McCoist to teach this boy and the others how to put a ball in the net.

I think he's proven he's knows how to do that.  He was banging them in from every angle last season early on.  It's his head that's a mess in my opinion.  That's what someone needs to sort out.  In many ways though I think McCoist is a great example of someone who can tell them that it's important to forget the chances you miss and focus on putting the next one away.  That's what McCoist was brilliant at.  He was able to do that despite missing 4 chances and while having the majority of Ibrox shouting at him.  Inevitably he'd then bury the next one or two, win us the game, and have us all singing super Ally.

[Bill 13,717]

2 minutes ago, craig said:

That header near the end of the 1st half.... I would have been embarrassed if my 13 yr old had made an attempt like that.  Indeed, he and I sat, laughed and then shook our heads at it.  A 10 yr old has better technique than that.  It was embarrassing.

You wonder if that sort of thing is having an effect on morale/confidence across the team. I'm sure some of the team are as frustrated as we are.

Edited July 18, 2018 by Bill

[craig 5,195]

4 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

Morelos is becoming a bit of an enigma. I would like to see us have a coach who works exclusively with strikers and who better than Ally McCoist to teach this boy and the others how to put a ball in the net.

Ummmmm….. McCoist took a "40 goal season" player in Nicky Clark and turned him into a player that could barely hit the target.

 

McCoist is not one I would be looking to for that. 

 

I would go for Mols, but I am biased, Mols is one of the best strikers I have seen at Ibrox.

[buster. 4,808]

7 minutes ago, JFK-1 said:

Morelos is becoming a bit of an enigma. I would like to see us have a coach who works exclusively with strikers and who better than Ally McCoist to teach this boy and the others how to put a ball in the net.

We probably don't have a spare 750K in the budget.

 

[craig 5,195]

4 minutes ago, Bill said:

You wonder if that sort of thing is having an effect on morale/confidence across the team. I'm sure some of the team are as frustrated as we are.

You could see some of the frustration last night, which is no bad thing.

 

Windass played a pass just behind Murphy and Murphy let him know it wasn't good enough.

 

Murphy (or maybe McCrorie) did the same thing to Windass and he, likewise, let them know it wasn't good enough.

 

Last season there would be a shrug of the shoulders.  I think SG has improved the desire to be better - and that can only be a good thing.

[26th of foot 5,829]

2 minutes ago, craig said:

Ummmmm….. McCoist took a "40 goal season" player in Nicky Clark and turned him into a player that could barely hit the target.

 

McCoist is not one I would be looking to for that. 

 

I would go for Mols, but I am biased, Mols is one of the best strikers I have seen at Ibrox.

Ah, but last evening the McCoist conditioned Nicky Clark missed both a penalty and a sitter in Dundee United's 1-0 defeat in Dingwall. 

 

So, that's good then.

[craig 5,195]

5 minutes ago, 26th of foot said:

Ah, but last evening the McCoist conditioned Nicky Clark missed both a penalty and a sitter in Dundee United's 1-0 defeat in Dingwall. 

 

So, that's good then.

Every cloud.... sorry for Clark... happy about his club's result