match thread (image) [FT] Rangers 1 - 0 Feyenoord (Ojo 23)

[Rousseau 9,294]

I thought Helander was well suited to tonight's game. It was clearly not meant to be a backs-against-the-wall match -- which suits Katic --, but played more on the front foot. Helander is a good passer and he reads the game well, intercepting several forward passes. He's also far more experienced than Katic. 

 

I thought Barasic had a good game. He looked confident.

 

If Ojo could learn to contribute to the rest of the game -- other than popping up to score and assist -- he'd be some player! He's got the technique and physicality to go far. He switches off, almost, and lacks that mental toughness, as well as making the wrong decisions quite often. He's probably at the best place to learn these things, though.

 

Jack was terrific again. 

 

Kamara is annoying me. I love Kamara as a player, but he seems so complacent now. Shielding the ball was his main strength last season, now he gets caught. It's almost as if he's better when he doesn't have to think: those instinctive twists and turns come off, but when he has to think he gets caught or misses the pass.

 

Arfield puts in a shift but, like Tavernier, he's been out of form this season, for me. Maybe a little more rest is in order?

 

We were imperious in the first half last night, then the intensity and aggression seemed to disappear in the second. I didn't mind allowing Feyenoord to pass it across their back line -- we mastered that last season -- but the aggression in the press and 50/50 challenges was non-existent. In the first half we were pressing them, catching them, winning the challenge and breaking on them. 

 

I was too caught up in the game to notice, but maybe they made a structural change to better suit their ball possession and nullify our press? Even though, I still felt we had chances, if we weren't so wasteful; we kept giving the ball back to them. 

 

It's a good win, nonetheless. 

[ranger_syntax 3,750]

12 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

Kamara is annoying me. I love Kamara as a player, but he seems so complacent now. Shielding the ball was his main strength last season, now he gets caught. It's almost as if he's better when he doesn't have to think: those instinctive twists and turns come off, but when he has to think he gets caught or misses the pass.

I think that King should be getting a chance ahead of Kamara now.

[pete 2,494]

I am reading everywhere we should have had a second penalty when Morelos got pulled down and my first reaction was similar but the TV replay showed clearly the feyenoord player played the ball before Alfie went over his leg. I have changed my decision and it was not a penalty.

[26th of foot 5,825]

These last five days, I have spent in a cottage on top a conical hill in the Dordogne.

 

My local cafe tabac is a couple of K away, I watched their game against Rennes with half-a-dozen fairly disinterested locals. It's rugby country, although fishing and petanque run egg chasing close seconds. French TV quickly boiled into outrage at ra Sellik's tough style of play. The locals heard the banjo strings being strummed louder and joined in, they could not understand why a team with so many Frenchmen would resort to such ugly and thuggish football. No one at the bar thought Neil had a purdy mouth.

 

Back to the butt'n'ben for the Rangers game, and continuing problems with connectivity. I saw the first 35 minutes, an emotional roller coaster of hitting the post with a penalty(again), then hitting the bar, and finally taking the lead with a worldly. Re-connection occurs several minutes into the second half, relief in that our lead remains in tack, but cannot hold on to possession. Screaming for Subs to maintain energy levels, demanding twenty yard runs to create angles for passes, and calling the Ref' everything. The only response was next door's truffle pig.

 

Morelos and Ryan Jack were outstanding, the rest were merely very good.

 

I note my Traiteur in St Astier was advertising breast of wood pigeon on black pudding in a red wine jus for today. I am in the mood to participate. 

[ian1964 10,372]

When you see a performance like we did last night it makes you wonder what the feck happened against Separate Entity FC?

[ian1964 10,372]

 

[pete 2,494]

29 minutes ago, ian1964 said:

When you see a performance like we did last night it makes you wonder what the feck happened against Separate Entity FC?

We didn't have Alfie on from the start!

[Whosthedado 1,479]

3 minutes ago, pete said:

We didn't have Alfie on from the start!

I am still baffled at the decision! Even weeks on  

[Bill 13,717]

What does the manager do about players like Tav, Arfield and Kamara, all of whom are struggling to find any kind of consistent form this season? Does he "rest" them and risk demotivation or does he persevere in the hope they gain form and we don't drop points in the meantime? It's hard to see the point of a large squad if we can't replace players who are performing so far below par.

[der Berliner 3,217]

13 minutes of highlights from Feyenoord TV ...

 

 

... or shorter from DAZN

 

 

Edited September 20, 2019 by der Berliner