match thread (image) [FT] Rangers 1 (Hagi 52) - 0 St Johnstone

[craig 5,199]

15 hours ago, der Berliner said:

Not at all ... it ain`t just black and white. You just see what Aribo and Roofe and Hagi bring to our attack for all their time on the field and look for similar performances from others too. And if they don´t, you ask why they are kept  on. IMHO, Kent was far from "absolutely fine".

When Kent was running teams ragged the other week and being our MOTM - where was the "that's the Kent we know we have" ?  I didn't see it, and it is for this reason, when people only bring up players when they have had a bad game (in that person's eyes) that people are seen to be anti certain players.

 

Hagi has been fine of late - but he was poor at the start of the season when playing.  Aribo also went through a sticky patch too - very, very few players will consistently be 8/10 every week - what fans miss with Kent is what he brings to the team just by being on the pitch - he is often doubled up in the final third because opponents know they can crucify them with his trickery and pace - which opens up space for others to exploit.  It is a team game and Ryan Kent plays his part well enough.

[Rousseau 9,374]

4 minutes ago, craig said:

That was my take on it from the initial viewing - however, unintentional as it may be, he is over the ball and high on the Saints player - it really should have been red.

It's only from seeing the slow-motion replays that you think, 'Oh-- that's a red'. At full speed, I didn't see much in it. That movement, of protecting the ball, is seen all the time. 

 

I just think it's where the lad's leg is; it's an unfortunate placement. 

 

Nevertheless, yes; it should've perhaps been a red. I fully expect him to be pulled up for it. 

[craig 5,199]

3 hours ago, DMAA said:

I agree. But I don’t think @der Berliner‘s comment was overly critical, just a comment that he wasn’t involved much and someone else should have been brought on earlier. I didn’t see the game, but from extended highlights on Sportscene it I just commented that it did seem he might have had a point in that regard. Kent’s best performances are in games where the game is a little bit more stretched. I made a point of praising his performances at Aberdeen and Hibs recently due to the fact I can be seen as being constantly critical of him which I amn’t. I would prefer more of a horses for courses approach at times, but we are cruising to the title so there really isn’t room for much criticism at the moment. 

Using highlights to think that someone has a point, particularly someone who clearly has a dislike of Kent being used as often as he is, isn't the objective basis on which to support that person.

[craig 5,199]

8 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

It's only from seeing the slow-motion replays that you think, 'Oh-- that's a red'. At full speed, I didn't see much in it. That movement, of protecting the ball, is seen all the time. 

 

I just think it's where the lad's leg is; it's an unfortunate placement. 

 

Nevertheless, yes; it should've perhaps been a red. I fully expect him to be pulled up for it. 

Exactly the way I saw it.

[der Berliner 3,247]

2 hours ago, craig said:

Using highlights to think that someone has a point, particularly someone who clearly has a dislike of Kent being used as often as he is, isn't the objective basis on which to support that person.

That is a very neat example of seeing things black and white, i.e. essentially saying that I am biased untowards Kent. And that`s rubbish.

 

People can have opinions about players that are simply down to said players' current form or performance levels. Or to turn this on its head, if someone says something against "everyone`s darling Kent", that someone is seemingly "biased". Not that I explained what I want from Kent and the gaffer before. Same as last couple of seasons with Tavernier.

 

I don`t "pick" on certain players for fun, but ask for a certain level of consistency in their performance levels. Like Goldson, Kamara and others, Tavernier has been performing well enough and kept that level throughout the campaign. Kudos for that from me. That does not mean that one can`t lament his performances of the last couple of years.

 

Same with Kent. Yes, he does a lot of work  for the team, has his goals and assists. Yet (obviously there is a yet), there are games (like yesterday's) where he is hardly as effective as a left-sided attacker than he can be and should be. Remarking on that is no character assassination or bias against him. He sure does what he is asked to do, as some have said, but how will we know if someone else can`t do it better? Maybe some really like our left sided attack as it stands, keep Kent where he is and laugh off any suggestion about Jones, Middleton or even Barker. Or Murphy at the beginning of last season. Obviously, it is usually the same people laughing at that suggestion of the aforementioned players instead of Kent which are those who can see no fault in Kent`s displays, which gives you some clue.

 

Anyway, SG has chosen to use Kent no matter what, we win games and that`s that. Only the future will know whether Wright gets a fair crack at it or whether we will use Roofe or Morelos on the left alongside a central striker.

Edited February 4, 2021 by der Berliner

[craig 5,199]

5 minutes ago, der Berliner said:

That is a very neat example of seeing things black and white, i.e. essentially saying that I am biased untowards Kent. And that`s rubbish.

 

People can have opinions about players that are simply down to said players' current form or performance levels. Or to turn this on its head, if someone says something against "everyone`s darling Kent", that someone is seemingly "biased". Not that I explained what I want from Kent and the gaffer before. Same as last couple of seasons with Tavernier.

 

I don`t "pick" on certain players for fun, but ask for a certain level of consistency in their performance levels. Like Goldson, Kamara and others, Tavernier has been performing well enough and kept that level throughout the campaign. Kudos for that from me. That does not mean that one can`t lament his performances of the last couple of years.

 

Same with Kent. Yes, he does a lot of work  for the team, has his goals and assists. Yet (obviously there is a yet), there are games (like yesterday's) where he is hardly as effective as a left-sided attacker than he can be and should be. Remarking on that is no character assassination or bias against him. He sure does what he is asked to do, as some have said, but how will we know if someone else can`t do it better? Maybe some really like our left sided attack as it stands, keep Kent where he is and laugh off any suggestion about Jones, Middleton or even Barker. Or Murphy at the beginning of last season. Obviously, it is usually the same people laughing at that suggestion of the aforementioned players instead of Kent which are those who can see no fault in Kent`s displays, which gives you some clue.

 

Anyway, SG has chosen to use Kent no matter what, we win games and that`s that. Only the future will know whether Wright gets a fair crack at it or whether we will use Roofe or Morelos on the left alongside a central striker.

You actually DO pick on players, whether for fun or not.  You give certain players more leeway than you give Kent.  Kent has become this team's version of your Kyle Hutton.

 

You/we can lament performances all we like - but what we don't know is the role that is being asked of them from the management team - and I will give an example.  I remember being at Ibrox a couple of seasons ago and Rangers were down to 10 men, they also were losing 2-1 (I think, might have been 3-1) and @Rousseau favorite player, Josh Windass was on the halfway line whilst the opponent (think it was Hibs) were attacking.... a few guys in front of me started screaming at Windass to get back and help out and calling him a lazy bastard (and that was one of the more pleasant terms)….. what they didn't notice (because they were ball-watching - I was watching more than just the ball at the time) was that Windass actually DID make a move to assist defensively.... and Caixinha shouted to him from the touchline to NOT go back and help out - Caixinha specifically told Windass to stay on the halfway line and wide, presumably for a quick break should the defence clear.  But all those fans were adamant he was being a lazy bastard, which on that occasion was absolute nonsense.

 

I have yet to see anyone on here who "sees no fault in Kent's performances".  Jones sealed his own fate with stupidity (as well as other things which I have heard from impeccable sources), Middleton couldn't get in Hibs team so not sure how he would get into ours, and Barker doesn't offer what Kent does (in the management team's mind).

 

I personally find it a bit churlish that any of us, me included, are complaining about players being kept on the pitch in a game in which we win, during a season in which we have won 100% of our home games in the league, in a season where we are undefeated in the league.... maybe it is just me, but I trust this management team to pick the players who will get the job done - and get the job done they have.

 

What would you, or any of us, be saying had he brought Kent off and we conceded a late goal ?  Am I the only one who remembers SG made a late sub at Motherwell a couple of years ago when we were winning 4-3 (or something such like) and the player he brought on gave away an equalizer ?  We won the game last night which means team selection, tactics, formation worked.  Not sure why we need to find a boo boy when we win and are sitting at the top of the league by miles.

[Bill 13,717]

3 hours ago, craig said:

Not sure why we need to find a boo boy when we win and are sitting at the top of the league by miles.

I’ve often wondered that too

[ian1964 10,416]

 

[der Berliner 3,247]

4 hours ago, craig said:

You actually DO pick on players, whether for fun or not.  You give certain players more leeway than you give Kent.  Kent has become this team's version of your Kyle Hutton.

.. no disrespect, but I stopped reading here. 

[CammyF 6,787]

1 hour ago, Bill said:

I’ve often wondered that too

We've being doing it for years, list is endless. 1st one I can remember was Jim Denny who when asked why he warmed up in front of Celtic fans said "I get less stick off them".

 

If my failing memory is correct, I'm sure was was "shot" by a Celtic fan was a BB gun once at a reserve game? Or have I just made that up? ?