match thread (image) [FT] Spartak 4 - 3 Rangers (Eremenko o.g. 5; Candeias 27; Middleton 42)

[buster. 4,808]

8 minutes ago, compo said:

To take the lead three times and lose is pretty poor all good teams have a settled defence get it sorted and once it's fixed only injury should be the reason to change it .

Moscow seems to have something in the air.

 

Villareal led twice and couldn't win (FT:3-3)

 

Looks like we need 4 points from the two remaining games to qualify.

As it stands, odds against unless we can put together a couple of complete performances.

 

Edited November 9, 2018 by buster.

[Rousseau 9,360]

Ach... these group stage games were always a bonus, for me. I didn't expect us to get past Maribor -- I did expect us to give Ufa a good go, but thought it would be very tough.

 

It's just desperately disappointing because we positioned ourselves wonderfully with some brilliant results.

[compo 6,116]

And to make it worse those hopped horrors across the city got a win ? the monkey faced ones .

[buster. 4,808]

1 minute ago, Rousseau said:

Ach... these group stage games were always a bonus, for me. I didn't expect us to get past Maribor -- I did expect us to give Ufa a good go, but thought it would be very tough.

 

It's just desperately disappointing because we positioned ourselves wonderfully with some brilliant results.

Much better squads than this one have started groups well and fell away (plus we still have a chance).

 

I saw very little of the game last night but a couple of positives

 

- Middleton can take a corner (we have been lacking the hard whipped ball in) and it was his delivery that forced the first goal.

 

- Candeias is very capable of magic moments from his backheeled assist against Rapid to last nights incredible touch to set himself up for an excellent finish and suggest that he is at least capable of intending to score goala like he did at St.Mirren.

[Frankie 8,146]

11 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

The defending was criminal at times, but outwith individual mistakes / poor decision-making (Goldson going with the outside of the foot) or pure flukes (deflection), I felt like it was more down to the wide midfielders, or even central midfielders that cost us defensively. 

 

Flanagan was exposed time and time again, because Middleton didn't track his man. It was the Full-back that was getting in behind; that's Middleton's job, not Flanagan, who's covering the winger.

 

For the 1st, Tavernier was caught inside, but there was an overload of 3 against 1. Where's Candeias or a central midfielder to cover?

 

For the third, again Tavernier is caught under the ball, but again it's the Full-back, so it's not strictly his man. 

 

4th was a pure fluke, starting from the ball squirming out from Arfield's (?) tackle in the build-up.

Yeah, that is my worry about playing Middleton who has shown in other games he seems to switch off defensively and/or is uncertain of where he should be positionally. He's still young but it's an aspect of his game he needs to work on if he wants to become a top player and get a game in a 4-3-3.  

 

Candeias is usually a good example of how to do that but he was guilty a few times of not tracking back too and with the defence looking uncertain all night, that was always going to cause us problems and I never felt comfortable that we wouldn't concede.

 

In a positive sense, we attacked very well at times and made the most of any space afforded to us.  Yes, once or twice, our passing was poor but that's being overly critical given no-one is perfect.

 

The most important thing is we bounce back on Sunday and go into the international break with some renewed confidence.  Hopefully after that fortnight off, we'll also have guys like Barisic and Lafferty fit to help give the side a better balance.

[Waltersgotstyle 297]

Really disappointed with result last night and our inability to keep things tight at the back.

 

However we should have been 4-2 up at half time if it wasn’t for poor refereeing.

 

With that said - it was a fantastic game for a neutral. I watched it with two English mates and they loved it.

Edited November 9, 2018 by Waltersgotstyle

[buster. 4,808]

32 minutes ago, Waltersgotstyle said:

Really disappointed with result last night and our inability to keep things tight at the back.

 

However we should have been 4-2 up at half time if it wasn’t for poor refereeing.

 

With that said - it was a fantastic game for a neutral. I watched it with two English mates and they loved it.

When we were keeping things tight at the back in earlier European away games, I think our approach was different.

 

We tended to camp in, park a bus or two when necessary and concentrate on a clean sheet.

(Quality obviously comes into to it and Group Stage opponents will have more but....)

 

Last night (didn't see it all ) but by all accounts we were much more ambitious wrt scoring goals and were prepared to go toe to toe. We aren't yet good enough to go for have your cake and eat it tactics at this level.

 

In other words, we can't expect an Iron Curtain at the back and free flowing attacking football.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2018 by buster.

[der Berliner 3,234]

Highlights from DAZN

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slryJSNNsdY

 

Still somewhat disappointed with Tav's defending for 1-1 and 3-3, as he twice lost his side's attackers. Didn't get much help either ... which is why I bemoaned Jack's absence.

 

Really tough day for Goldson, first with the o.g. and then the deflection.

 

Once again, Fortune wasn't with us re Morelos perfectly good goal and Katic near the end. (Sure, they had some good chances ... but McGregor saved them excellently and not with luck! ? )

[DMAA 3,603]

1 hour ago, Rousseau said:

The defending was criminal at times, but outwith individual mistakes / poor decision-making (Goldson going with the outside of the foot) or pure flukes (deflection), I felt like it was more down to the wide midfielders, or even central midfielders that cost us defensively. 

 

Flanagan was exposed time and time again, because Middleton didn't track his man. It was the Full-back that was getting in behind; that's Middleton's job, not Flanagan, who's covering the winger.

 

For the 1st, Tavernier was caught inside, but there was an overload of 3 against 1. Where's Candeias or a central midfielder to cover?

 

For the third, again Tavernier is caught under the ball, but again it's the Full-back, so it's not strictly his man. 

 

4th was a pure fluke, starting from the ball squirming out from Arfield's (?) tackle in the build-up.

I haven't watched the goals conceded over, however you can't blame the attacking left winger for not tracking that full back. Flanagan was out of position and out of line with the back line. For me the full back should not get sucked in like that and leave a big gap for the opposition full back to exploit. We have defensive midfielders for a reason and if the opposition winger moves inside you (as a full back) tell the defensive midfielder he's in your zone now, I'm staying in my position so that the defence keeps it's shape.

Edited November 9, 2018 by DMAA

[DMAA 3,603]

19 minutes ago, der Berliner said:

which is why I bemoaned Jack's absence

I don't think Coulibaly justified his inclusion over Jack. Jack gives us a defensive steel and positional discipline in that anchor role and is also our most reliable centre midfielder in possession.