match thread (image) [FT] Rapid Vienna 1 - 0 Rangers

[Bill 13,717]

It has become abundantly clear that our captain needs a rest.

[buster. 4,808]

The way things are going, December could prove to be a difficult month but we have to keep focused on the bigger picture, however difficult that may be.

 

Much of this squad have reached a point when they are running on not far from empty, mentally and physically.

 

We desperately need a player or two to step-up at this point and help get us through to the winter break with minimum damage.

 

To start with, Lafferty is relatively fresh and needs to come to the party on Sunday and lead the line well, he looked sharp in his short cameo in Vienna and I'd be tempted to puch Barisic up one and give Middleton a rest. We have to give Grezda more minutes and hope he starts playing. Finaly, I hope McCrorie now gets a run, if he can get back to how he played a year ago we'd be in better shape.

 

[Rousseau 9,364]

14 hours ago, DMAA said:

 

We’re playing a bottom half Austrian team who have scored less goals than anybody else in the league (but have a decent defensive record) and we set up with three defensive midfielders and only one natural winger and one striker. It’s shocking. Of course we weren’t going to score. Especially after the last couple of games when it was very similar with attacking players thrown on when our opponents can afford to just sit in, are we learning nothing?

We'll need to agree to disagree. 

 

I don't think the tactics were bad, and certainly not "shocking" -- a lot of the "three defensive midfielders and only one natural winger" complaint was forced; Ejaria, Kent, Candeias all out etc. -- but, like @Frankie says, a change earlier would've been better. 

 

I also wouldn't say they're pure defensive midfielders, either; Not if their roles are to do otherwise. McCrorie can be high-energy, but he is a defender; Jack and Coulibaly have played as 8's for us, being asked to drive forward. You could ask if they actually did that job, and they didn't on the night. Everyone was poor -- except Barasic.   

 

My main complaint was for the players; they just couldn't string two passes together. That's not tactics.  

 

 

[DMAA 3,603]

50 minutes ago, buster. said:

To start with, Lafferty is relatively fresh and needs to come to the party on Sunday and lead the line well, he looked sharp in his short cameo in Vienna and I'd be tempted to puch Barisic up one and give Middleton a rest. We have to give Grezda more minutes and hope he starts playing. Finaly, I hope McCrorie now gets a run, if he can get back to how he played a year ago we'd be in better shape.

 

Agree with all of that. Would love to see us go out and attack teams properly with Lafferty and Morelos both starting and on top of the two centre backs, and Grezda and McCrorie coming in too.

 

Grezda will come good when he's playing in a system where people know their jobs and he is fed the ball and supported properly. The wingers' job is far easier when you have two strikers. I've played on the wing often enough and the first thing you look for when you receive the ball is the nearest striker to play a one-two with to allow you to get in behind the man. And we saw again last night that Grezda is absolutely rapid.

Edited December 14, 2018 by DMAA

[DMAA 3,603]

Just now, Rousseau said:

We'll need to agree to disagree.  

 

I don't think the tactics were bad, a certainly not "shocking" -- a lot of the "three defensive midfielders and only one natural winger" complaint was forced; Ejaria, Kent, Candeias all out etc. -- but, like @Frankie says, a change earlier would've been better. 

 

 

We'll agree to disagree as you say. It wasn't forced for me because Grezda should have started ahead of one of the 3 anchor men and ideally Lafferty too. Their record showed they had little to no goal threat but were - ironically - the toughest team to break down in the group. 

[Rousseau 9,364]

3 minutes ago, DMAA said:

We'll agree to disagree as you say. It wasn't forced for me because Grezda should have started ahead of one of the 3 anchor men and ideally Lafferty too. Their record showed they had little to no goal threat but were - ironically - the toughest team to break down in the group. 

Grezda could/should have started, but he doesn't really finish games; you'd prefer to have him towards the end of the game, I think. 

 

I don't think we've found a place for Lafferty yet, in general.

 

I don't think we're getting Lafferty, Middleton, Grezda and Morelos in the same side. Unless we're going gung-ho.

 

What line-up / formation would you have played? I don't think we were ever going to deviate from the 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1.

[ian1964 10,410]

Grezda has not done a lot to justify a start, IMO, he doesn't bring any more to a match then young Middleton. I have yet to see anything from Grezda!. we all see different things in players though.

[DMAA 3,603]

8 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

I don't think we were ever going to deviate from the 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1.

That's the crux of the matter. I'm fine with this formation against decent teams who come out a bit, but not against teams who pose little to no threat because I'm not convinced we have the creative attacking midfielder necessary to break teams down consistently, and I think the evidence this season backs me up on that.

Against last night's opposition with their poor goal-scoring record and us needing the win I'd have gone 4-4-2 and taken the game to them. If that simply isn't happening then 4-2-3-1 with one of the defensive mids swapped out for Grezda.

[buster. 4,808]

10 minutes ago, ian1964 said:

Grezda has not done a lot to justify a start, IMO, he doesn't bring any more to a match then young Middleton. I have yet to see anything from Grezda!. we all see different things in players though.

We can't discard players after a few games, especially players who cost decent money.

 

Grezda is a player who has ability but would seem to be in one of two camps, 1) needs time to adapt / lacks pre-season isn't 100% or  2) a player who won't take to the Scottish game / pressure of playing for a big club.

 

He may spark into life in the second half of the season, especially if we can bring a creative midfielder in.

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by buster.

[DMAA 3,603]

7 minutes ago, buster. said:

Grezda is a player who has ability but would seem to be in one of two camps, 1) needs time to adapt / lacks pre-season isn't 100% or  2) a player who won't take to the Scottish game / pressure of playing for a big club.

I actually think it's mostly to do with how the team has played in the past few games and the fact he's often been brought on after we've largely already blown it and things are a bit frantic and hopeless. Due to our set up and a lack of confidence it seems we haven't played fluid football in the final third and the wingers have been isolated and up against it. I think if he started every game on the same wing (left or right) and if we hit form and started attacking teams properly we'd see him flourish. I see more ability in him than any of our wingers.

Edited December 14, 2018 by DMAA