match thread (image) [FT] Rangers 0 - 2 Celtic

[gisabeer 409]

29 minutes ago, cooponthewing said:

Exactly! All very predictable and without Kent. If I’m honest, in the first half I’m not sure we knew what we were doing? 

We were very predictable with kent in the side as well.   

[der Berliner 3,196]

Never noted that many Yahoo players laying about on the grass for virtually nothing. Must have been 5 or 6 in total. Alas, Madden gave enough extra-time.

[917 191]

Worth remembering that we were actually on top when Callum McGregor wiped out one of our players & Madden never even booked him. The exact same thing he sent Jones off for. Could have been a different game, & Madden not sending McGregor off is a direct result of the celtic campaign against him, Tom Boyd’s sectarian comments as well. Rangers need to make a statement about this.

 

That being said, we were completely outclassed & they looked every inch a team with twice as high a wage bill as us. I keep reading about how they had 5 debutants at the back, but that was their weakness last season & Lennon spent £10million on those players. As if they would miss donkeys like Lustig & Boyata! They look much stronger defensively than before & sadly I do not see them dropping many points this year. 

 

Did Gerrard actually underestimate them? You simply don’t leave out your best player in your biggest game. Has he fell out with Morelos or something?

I reckon Stevie G was playing the same narrow tactics he beat them with in May, but they are a better team than they looked in that game & we didn’t create any real chances today. 

 

Not one player looked up for it & Gerrard got outthought by a guy with much more experience of these fixtures than him. Lessons to be learned all round. Of course we were tired, there are still 34 games to play (half before the next OF game) & we surely can play a helluva lot better than that. But on that evidence I don’t see them dropping any points, so looks like we will need to beat them in a Cup to win anything this season. We could get to the last 32 in Europe, but would that even keep Gerrard in a job if they win the treble again??

[der Berliner 3,196]

13 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

Kent & Candeias are gone. Trying to replace them with the likes of Jones & Stewart won’t work. Not sure about Ojo either 

Kent never really got going up until after x-mas. Spending 5 or 7m on him is based on his last three months and one hopes he never loses that form again. Candeias is indeed a big loss for Tavernier, but in saying that, we brought in Ojo and Hastie even before Candeias went. Both raw and in the same state as Kent was at the same state last season. IMHO, too raw for an Old Firm game.

 

Jones is a threat down the left wing, but only if we play him. As soon as Arfield was back, Jones dropped to the bench. Perhaps he is more of an impact player, but against the Yahoos, whom he knows, he would have been a good starting choice.

 

Stewart is primarily a back-up striker for Defoe and Morelos. One that can be played on the wings. Yet, as with Jones, he needs to be on the pitch to be counted. And Ojo probably has that "if fit he must play" clause in his loan deal?! Remember that Kent could do no wrong for long spells at the start of last season too.

 

Today was match day 4, there is a long way to go yet. You would hope today was a learning experience and SG and Co. take note.

Edited September 1, 2019 by der Berliner

[Walterbear 557]

28 minutes ago, cooponthewing said:

Exactly! All very predictable and without Kent. If I’m honest, in the first half I’m not sure we knew what we were doing? 

True. Also Celtic had 7 changes from the team that lost to us 2-0 in the last Ibrox game - including entire back 4 and goalie. We never pressed them sufficiently. 

 

We had nobody today to do the Kent role and nobody pressing like Candeias (I accept he had quality limitations). Last season we played  4-2-3-1 in the 2-0 game and 4-3-3 in the 1-0 game but we had width and high press from Candeias and Kent in that 1-0 game and Kent created lots of problems going forward in the 2-0. 

 

Today we had 4-3-3 but played more like a 4-5-1 and it was more akin to the lineup at Parkhead where we lost 2-1. 

 

I don’t really know if it was line up or instructions or players just playing badly but I think it was probably a combo of all 3 but today we sat deeper than last years Ibrox games and we didn’t press high against a questionable Celtic defence. The closest replacement to Kent would have been Jones to start or Ojo and given their new defence Morelos would have surely tested them more than Defoe with little midfield creativity. Apart from anything else Morelos is well overdue a goal in these games. Today was a gilt edge opportunity. 

 

It looks to me as if we were inhibited. Why is hard to tell exactly but the tactics and line up looked wrong and/or the players didn’t do what they were told. I’m afraid that comes back to the gaffer. 

[Walterbear 557]

18 minutes ago, 917 said:

Worth remembering that we were actually on top when Callum McGregor wiped out one of our players & Madden never even booked him. The exact same thing he sent Jones off for. Could have been a different game, & Madden not sending McGregor off is a direct result of the celtic campaign against him, Tom Boyd’s sectarian comments as well. Rangers need to make a statement about this.

 

That being said, we were completely outclassed & they looked every inch a team with twice as high a wage bill as us. I keep reading about how they had 5 debutants at the back, but that was their weakness last season & Lennon spent £10million on those players. As if they would miss donkeys like Lustig & Boyata! They look much stronger defensively than before & sadly I do not see them dropping many points this year. 

 

Did Gerrard actually underestimate them? You simply don’t leave out your best player in your biggest game. Has he fell out with Morelos or something?

I reckon Stevie G was playing the same narrow tactics he beat them with in May, but they are a better team than they looked in that game & we didn’t create any real chances today. 

 

Not one player looked up for it & Gerrard got outthought by a guy with much more experience of these fixtures than him. Lessons to be learned all round. Of course we were tired, there are still 34 games to play (half before the next OF game) & we surely can play a helluva lot better than that. But on that evidence I don’t see them dropping any points, so looks like we will need to beat them in a Cup to win anything this season. We could get to the last 32 in Europe, but would that even keep Gerrard in a job if they win the treble again??

Agree with most of that except we hardly tested their defence. I think we had one shot on target. 

[ian1964 10,367]

 

[pete 2,494]

Unfortunately I agree with the ref on this one. McGregor is a late tackle and Jones has totally no interest in the ball. It is A Frustration tackle.

[MacK1950 2,226]

Just in from game and a very dissapointed person.

What the hell happened to the team I have been watching all season.

McGregor kept us in it no chance with goals.Tav totally out of sorts since Candeias gone.Goldson "bombscare" finally happened at first goal.Katic reasonably dependable today.Flanagan still not a left back

Davis our outstanding player today.Jack what was wrong with him today?.Kamara reasonable game.Aribo reminds me of cowardly Windass.Arfield one game too many.Defoe not his sort of game.

Morelos should have started.Jones usual non productive runs.Ojo getting game because of loan agreement?.

[ian1964 10,367]