Match Thread [FT] Rangers 1 (Morelos 64) - 2 Celtic

[Gonzo79 13,641]

We just looked a bit powderpuff all over the park.  Which is why Raskin was needed.  

[26th of foot 5,836]

1 minute ago, RANGERRAB said:

I also think it’s too easily forgotten we sold Bassey, Aribo & Paterson last year. Whilst I the transfer fees were much needed it has weakened our squad in my opinion. Especially Aribo.

Yep, Aribo's ability to take a ball in and get his head up was missed yesterday. Whether he was laying it off or, keeping it in a winning a foul to take the team up the field. In the first half, we missed an Aribo type contribution. We could not retain possession in the first half for more than a couple of passes.

 

Interestingly, we had 40% possession in the first half but won 7 corners to Sellik's one.

 

I thought we isolated Tillman yesterday during the first period, he was way to far right. The spine of Ange's side is Carter Vickers, Calum McGregor and, Kyogo. Moving Tillman more centre would place him on top of deep lying McGregor and, he starts everything for ra Sellik.

 

By the time the first half hour had passed, I was watching the clock as much as the game. I was hoping we could reach half time without conceding. Thirty seconds to go and we allowed Sellik to have possession on the wide edge of our box, a situation achieved from two simple passes. Truthfully, we were blowing out our collective arses after a sustained 45 minute run around. Both Lundstram and Kamara have been good signings, their contributions in last years Euro run are acknowledged. However, yesterday in the first forty-five they were missing.

 

The last 15 of the first period, we were hitting long balls from our own penalty box.

[Graeme Ro55 649]

The other mobs advantage of a better squad and starting eleven is not exactly true imo. Yes they have a better squad depth due to fewer of their players suffering from long term injury. But after forcing myself to pick an eleven from both squads chosen for yesterdays debacle, I think we should be doing a lot better. Our main problem imo is sticking with players who consistantly let us down. Second to that our tactics and team selection sucked. We spent a large portion of that game soaking up preasure and leaving our forwards feeding on scraps. We were playing septic not Madrid. Still gutted ! 

[CammyF 6,787]

Without new / fresh / significant investment we'll fall further and further behind Celtic. 

 

That is the stark reality we need to face and the board need to address.

 

The board got / get credit for getting us out of the spivs clutches (and rightly so) and for delivering 55. But in hindsight 55 merely papered over the cracks and domestically 2 trophies since returning to top flight makes us as successful as St Johnstone. We should have won the treble but think the vast majority of us were just happy to stop 10.

 

Another aspect that takes the focus of the board was that whilst mostly failing domestically, SG reestablished our European credibility and generated some much needed finances. This lay the platform for last season amazing run to EL final.  

 

When Gio eventually replaced SG we were leading in the league but missed out on CL qualification losing to a very mediocre Malmo.

 

Would things have been different if the board had backed SG? Would he have stayed? All ifs, buts and maybes.

 

What is certain is the under Go we crumbled in the league and handed them the title. We did secure the Scottish Cup.

 

I have argued long and hard that Park and Robertson (also King) are not what we need to take us forward but where does the investment come from?

 

There needs to be investment and it needs to be soon - but I fear Park and Robertson are asleep at the wheel (as they have been for some years).

 

Depressing times ahead.

[CammyF 6,787]

7 of our players who started yesterday also started the 2019 League Cup Final defeat - only 1  Celtic player started both. 

[buster. 4,808]

7 hours ago, Bill said:

Yup, we remain in their shadow and the evidence shows we're effectively as far behind them as we were when Gerrard arrived. Albeit our perilous financial history cannot be corrected overnight, when so little progress is achieved over what's now a 5 year period, I'm afraid it suggests a leadership deficit at the highest level within the club. 

 

Everyone realises the risks involved but it's hard to see things improving significantly without a change of ownership bringing major new investment and a whole different level of ambition.

We are a club that is wired to only function when running at a consistently significant loss and have been for decades.

 

Post 2015, there was an understandable strategy of structured and funded losses but for various reasons (and there seems to bes always something that comes up) we still can't quite get to the place we need to be. 

We approach another significant squad overhaul with relatively little in the way of money to spend and few players that can realise significant incoming fees. More loans/losses ?

 

The silver bullet of the player trading model giving constant returns is still a way off, despite a healthy return during 2022.

 

 

You contrast this with the other side of the city (night and day difference) and that is why any new manager coming in with all the hope and anticipation around it will be getting a knife to take to a gun fight.

 

Short to medium term, there is little porospect of significant change IMO.

 

 

 

 

[RANGERRAB 3,259]

57 minutes ago, CammyF said:

7 of our players who started yesterday also started the 2019 League Cup Final defeat - only 1  Celtic player started both. 

This seems to me to raise questions about our recruitment and indeed the DoF role at the club. 

[CammyF 6,787]

9 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

This seems to me to raise questions about our recruitment and indeed the DoF role at the club. 

What, the DoF that was given a resounding endorsement at AGM by his boss? Both as guilty as each other IMO.

 

[ranger_syntax 3,775]

2 hours ago, CammyF said:

Without new / fresh / significant investment we'll fall further and further behind Celtic. 

If you pretend that Celtic will never make any mistakes then it will seem that way.

[ranger_syntax 3,775]

2 hours ago, CammyF said:

The board got / get credit for getting us out of the spivs clutches (and rightly so) and for delivering 55. But in hindsight 55 merely papered over the cracks and domestically 2 trophies since returning to top flight makes us as successful as St Johnstone. We should have won the treble but think the vast majority of us were just happy to stop 10.

What cracks do you mean?

 

Why are you sobbing about the cups? Neither would make much difference to our position today.