match thread (image) [FT] Osijek 0 - 1 Rangers (Morelos 18)

[the gunslinger 3,366]

 
1 final point , tonight was the first time since the year 2000 that the home side have failed to score at home in Europe .
just saying .

Goan explain that one to me?

[Gaffer 1,665]

17 minutes ago, Crimson Dynamo said:

I thought we played well and deserved to win. 

 

Croatian football has a great record of producing future talent. Look at Modric, Rakitic and Kovacic. 

 

I'm not saying we're world beaters but it's a result not to be sniffed at.

Osijek just showed how much talent there is in these countries.  I had never heard of most of their players and yet they were all more technically gifted than anything we will face in the SPL.  Many people (including a couple of the usual suspects earlier in this thread) seem to think that these are weak teams just because they don't have the big names or a European football pedigree.  Anyone with any knowledge of football watching Osijek tonight though must appreciate the quality in these leagues.  Maybe Katic can help us identify a few of his fellow countrymen to come and join us.

[Gonzo79 13,620]

I've been saying for a while we should be looking players in Croatia/Bosnia/Serbia.  England is an inflated market where you rarely get value, whereas the Balkans is a hotbed of talent.

[colinstein 294]

they showed good football, couldn't capitalise on it

I watched it not quite fuzzy, commentary switched off

I'm a fan of wes but greegsy is better

liked what I saw.....

.PHEW !

[pete 2,499]

1 hour ago, the gunslinger said:

2 hours ago, rbr said:

 
1 final point , tonight was the first time since the year 2000 that the home side have failed to score at home in Europe .
just saying .

Goan explain that one to me?

Osijek had scored at home in every game they played since 2000 I have read.

[JFK-1 1,674]

As we know they beat PSV home and away last season in the third qualifying round then narrowly lost on away goals to Austria Vienna after a 2-2 aggregate in the play off round. They're no pushovers regardless of what some may seem to think.

 

[Rousseau 9,372]

Quite satisfied with that result. 

 

Coulibaly looks very good, although a bit sluggish still. He was playing as an 8, so it's not a double pivot we have, although he, Jack and Ejaria changed position several times. 

 

We were comfortable; although we conceded several chances, they were restricted to half-chances that I'd expect McGregor to clear up -- I have missed having a  'keeper that can take the pressure off; I love how he takes his time at the back to give the team time. 

 

Defensively, we were pretty solid, although our Full-backs had to be bailed out a few times, by Goldson -- who was immense, positionally -- and Kent on the other side. Perhaps our Full-backs were put under more pressure, as it looked like we set-up to block off the centre, allowing them wide. Risky, but it was perhaps more risky to be sloppy in the centre.  

 

There were a few things that annoyed me:

 

I was frustrated with Kent. Yes, he covered very well -- which is excellent -- but his attacking play was naive; perhaps it's just because it was his first game. I felt he was too eager to take players on, and I lost count of the number of times he was robbed. 

 

I though Ejaria was sloppy in possession.That's fine in the final-third, but not when he's swapped position with Jack at the base of the midfield-three. We conceded a very dangerous break when he failed to shield the ball. He looks like a youngster, but he also looks to have the talent. Hopefully he improves. (We looked more solid when McCorie replaced him, but I doubt that will be needed in most matches.)

 

I was annoyed with Murphy; his positioning is poor. We were comfortable with the ball at the back, but we couldn't progress the ball. We needed someone in the half-space. I recall Coulibaly waiting ages to thread a ball into the half-space, to progress the ball forward between the lines, and the chance had passed when Murphy finally moved. 

 

Our lack of chance-creation in open play is a worry. But, perhaps it's just early season rustiness, which will be ironed-out. 

 

progress made; still plenty more to be improved upon. And away goal and a clean sheet. I'm satisfied. 

[Frankie 8,150]

I think the way we played tended to minimise our attacking options as, especially after the early goal, we sat very deep at times so didn't get players (or the ball) forward as quickly as we maybe would otherwise.

 

Like you I thought the full backs tucked in centrally just a bit too much at times but it was fairly effective in terms of crowding out their big striker who was half-decent. 

 

Generally we did OK but too many players were guilty of switching off and making daft errors which were lucky not to be punished.  Plenty room for improvement and given the stage of the season, we have to include that in our analysis.

[der Berliner 3,246]

Only saw the 22 mins highlights from Russian Rangers and it was probably (finally) a revelation to see our new defence shape up against a capable attacking side. From those minutes you could get nightmares because of Tav's defending though. He easily could have cost us 2 or 3 goals ... and yes, I know it is early days yet. Sadly enough, we've all seen it before. I would assume that in a 3-man defence, Flanagan comes over to his natural righ-hand slot and Tav is been given a right wingback role ... perhaps.

 

Did we ever had a chance after Morelos scored? The Croates pressed and had decent chances right through to the final whistles ...

[rbr 1,247]

11 hours ago, the gunslinger said:

11 hours ago, rbr said:

 
1 final point , tonight was the first time since the year 2000 that the home side have failed to score at home in Europe .
just saying .

Goan explain that one to me?

last night was the first time since the year 2000 that the home side failed to score a goal at home in Europe , lol , its not difficult bud