match thread (image) [FT] Rangers 7 - 1 Motherwell (Arfield 8', 61', Tavernier 35' pen, Morelos 38', Middleton 59', Grezda 68', 75')

[DMAA 3,603]

So many positives to take from that game. 

 

Have to say say I was glad to hear Kent and Candeias were unavailable because I was desperate for Middleton and Grezda to get a chance and they showed they have real end product in their game. When you only have one striker it’s vitally important to have goals in your midfield and those two have a very good goal scoring record, albeit it not yet at this level.

Arfield deserves a mention too. We really missed him when he was out. He finishes like Van Nistelrooy and tackles like Roy Keane. Really hope we see some rotation on the wings going forward, we have a strong squad. 

Edited November 12, 2018 by DMAA

[ian1964 10,410]

58 minutes ago, johnnyk said:

Great result, the whole team played very well and very clinical, fantastic to see young Atakayi get on but obviously shame for the lad to go off so soon.

 

 

The tackle on him was a bad one that went unpunished!

[DMAA 3,603]

I thought we had much more joy through the middle too because we used the width of the pitch much better with Halliday and Middleton on the left. 

[pete 2,499]

1 hour ago, ian1964 said:

The tackle on him was a bad one that went unpunished!

I won't count yesterday but Atakayi hasn't impressed me when I have seen him. I will say I haven't seen him an awful lot though.

[compo 6,124]

The only thing wrong is this blinking international break now .

[Frankie 8,148]

2 hours ago, Gaffer said:

I agree those three played very well, but for me Grezda was the danger man.  They had no idea how to deal with him.  There was one piece of skill he did over at the corner flag.  I think there were three well players closing him and Tav down and he just spun them all and ran clear.  He can break through packed defences and I'm excited at how good he could be.

He was poor for the first 30mins or so but you could see he was growing into the game and the goal he scored will do wonders for his confidence.  

 

He's actually not dissimilar to Jamie Murphy so he will bring that same extra dimension to our play.

[Uilleam 5,409]

On Motherwell: little more than a pub team on steroids. 

 

On Craig Thompson: he exerted some degree of control over the antics of the visitors, which was necessary, and which too often, in the past, has been lacking from his game management. He was not perfect, but he surprised me. 

 

On Rangers: for the most part played football and left 'Well floundering in the wake. Of course the game was against 10 men for an hour, or so, but how many times have we seen teams, including our own, flounder against a physical side with a reduced complement? The players stuck to their tasks, played around the opposition, and my main gripe is that they did not reach double figures. 

 

On Morelos: it appears that Freddo has now become fly to it. It does seem strange to suggest that it has taken time for a South American to acclimatise to the dark arts of Scottish fitba', its brutality, its cynicism, its play-acting, and, of course, the poor standards generally displayed by its officials.

 

On Sunday: at least twice, Motherwell players clattered Morelos, and the perpetrator of each foul, joined by others, immediately presented a pantomime for the benefit of the referee, indicating that our centre forward had dived.

I don't mean the usual hand signals and resigned expression, but a full on flouncy am-dram production, with the obligatory diving motions, with the screaming of imprecations at Freddo, with the arms raised skywards , with the eyes rolling in their heads, with the feigned  looks of utter disbelief, and all with verbal harrassment of the referee, beseeching him to change his, correct, call.

Histrionic behaviour of this kind is actually worse than simulation itself.

It, surely, cannot be categorised as part and parcel of "The Man's Game" in which we are told we compete, when we complain about continual and extreme foul play, in any, all, of its guises. 

 

Of course, the young lad Atakayi being injured by some practitioner of  "The Man's Game"    was a major blot on the day. 

 

Edited November 12, 2018 by Uilleam

[pete 2,499]

4 minutes ago, Uilleam said:

On Motherwell: little more than a pub team on steroids. 

 

On Craig Thompson: he exerted some degree of control over the antics of the visitors, which was necessary, and which too often, in the past, has been lacking from his game management. He was not perfect, but he surprised me. 

 

On Rangers: for the most part played football and left 'Well floundering in the wake. Of course the game was against 10 men for an hour, or so, but how many times have we seen teams, including our own, flounder against a physical side with a reduced complement? The players stuck to their tasks, played around the opposition, and my main gripe is that they did not reach double figures. 

 

On Morelos: it appears that Freddo has now become fly to it. It does seem strange to suggest that it has taken time for a South American to acclimatise to the dark arts of Scottish fitba', its brutality, its cynicism, its play-acting, and, of course, the poor standards generally displayed by its officials.

 

On Sunday: at least twice, Motherwell players clattered Morelos, and the perpetrator of each foul, joined by others, immediately presented a pantomime for the benefit of the referee, indicating that our centre forward had dived.

I don't mean the usual hand signals and resigned expression, but a full on flouncy am-dram production, with the obligatory diving motions, with the screaming of imprecations at Freddo, with the arms raised skywards , with the eyes rolling in their heads, with the feigned  looks of utter disbelief, and all with verbal harrassment of the referee, beseeching him to change his, correct, call.

Histrionic behaviour of this kind is actually worse than simulation itself.

It, surely, cannot be categorised as part and parcel of "The Man's Game" in which we are told we compete, when we complain about continual and extreme foul play, in any, all, of its guises. 

 

Of course, the young lad Atakayi being injured by some practitioner of  "The Man's Game"    was a major blot on the day. 

 

I don't think we can teach the South Americans much about play acting. The opposite in fact, they are masters in the art.

[onevision 1,442]

3 minutes ago, pete said:

I don't think we can teach the South Americans much about play acting. The opposite in fact, they are masters in the art.

An art that Alfredo has still to perfect.

I'd much rather he rolled about on the ground than get in someone face.

[JFK-1 1,671]

Somebody was due a real thrashing against us and I wont complain about the opponent who received that thrashing, they're a horrible outfit. Fittingly on a day when it was illustrated yet again on yet another contender how frustrating it is to go play Livingston on that cursed plastic as they park the bus.

 

We need to continue this momentum till the January window remaining no more than 2 points off the top. A little more consistency in previous matches we should have won and we would already be on top. I'm still confident we can gain some consistency and win this league.