Match Thread [FT] Rangers 2 (Tillman 38', 55') - 0 Dundee Utd

[Graeme Ro55 649]

Not the performance I would expect against a crap dundee utd, but 3 points. 

[MacK1950 2,231]

Game went as I expected it today as it will in two weeks after comments from Goodwin/Kettlewell regards tactics of Scotland manager.

[BEARGER 1,829]

2 hours ago, forlanssister said:

Our inability to bury teams is ridiculous.

 

Lundstrum and Jack against that lot at Ibrox, why?

It baffles me, it’s not as if we know nothing about our opponents and how they will play.

[gisabeer 409]

3 hours ago, Devil's advocaat said:

Here's the forum drama queen.

 

Every Rangers manager has had games like that in the decades that I've watched us. Some of them did not too 

I had no idea you liked dressing up in woman's clothing!

[Bill 13,717]

4 hours ago, CammyF said:

Predictable responses to the performance which wasn't as bad as some are making out.

The performance was OK but not great - I've seen worse from title winning Rangers teams. Kent wasn't nearly as bad as some (OK, just the usual suspects) are saying.

 

Anyway, Beale has improved this team by miles but there has to be a limit to what can be achieved without a significant number of better players. Maybe we're just at that limit now and no amount of hysterical fan reaction is going to change that.

 

Another three points, another clean sheet, a 500 game goalie and on we go.

 

[RANGERRAB 3,256]

A win & 3 points is always top priority but the level of performance is sometimes a bit of a concern.
We still seem to struggle at home to break down teams who set out to defend deep in numbers and generally to frustrate us. And the tempo of our games is too slow & the game plan predictable.
We don’t seem to be able to get behind defences in more central areas often enough to create scoring opportunities. 
Hopefully in the summer recruitment we’ll see players who can change this

[ranger_syntax 3,765]

Boring again.

 

Just going to sleep until the semi final.

[Sutton_blows_goats 4,181]

I have this perception that we always seem to make it a chore against this dundee mob for some reason. 

[der Berliner 3,244]

Thing is, we simply do not adapt to games and hardly have done so in ages.

 

Even with Beale, we "only" put new players into the same setup and hope they come good. We threw a true attacker on the left side of a nominal 3-man line in the form of Sakala and lo-and-behold, he creates and scores goals, is a constant dangerous menace to the defense. We threw in Cantwell - who has been a revelation (in contrast to others in the squad) - with his spark, anticipation, and willingness to shoot. And, lo-and-behold, he creates and scores goals, is a  constant menace to the defense. And if need be, he tracks back and clears balls from his own area - like he did yesterday. And then there is Tillman, youthful confidence paired with youthful fearlessness/haughtiness, but bags of talent. Like every player out there, he has some spells when he drifts out of the game, but ... he creates and scores goals, is a constant menace to the defense. 

 

These are the guys that will carry Rangers onwards from here on, with Raskin, Hagi, Ridvan and hopefully some more waiting for game time. There comes a time when even the last one with a love for "stability" (or however you will call it) sees that some people have simply run their course with us. I doubt anyone questions the effort shown by those out there in our jersey, yet, if it yields no end product and titles, one has to rethink.

 

Still, we also need to adapt to their strengths, not press them into our inadequate - for most Scottish games - system. It was horrendous to see two DMs (better than previous players in that role, but neither known for their attacking prowess) having next to nothing to do and thus trying to run into open spaces and help the attack (find the error). After our goal, one of our centre-halfs was constantly near their penalty area, and although the Arabs were truly poor, that should set some bells ringing too. Yet, we kept this going till 73 mins, when Wright finally replaced (bang-average again) Tavernier, Lundstram dropping into the back-3-role ... yet Sakala replacing Morelos in a positional 1-1 change (unnecessary, even though Alfredo is still a shadow of his former self). And just 5 mins before the 90, we finally throw some cavalry on, Souttar (for Jack) completing the back-3 now, Lundstram as DM and Arfield in a 1-1 swap with Cantwell, and Colak replacing another attacker in Tillman. That final line up was anyone's guess though, as "Mr. Irreplacable" Kent was running all over the pitch like he did all game, leaving Barisic to do much of the left-wing work on his own. Maybe something like ...

 

McGregor

 

Souttar - Goldson - Davies

 

Lundstram

 

Wright - Arfield - Kent - Barisic

 

Sakala -Colak

 

IMHO, we could have started the game with such a line-up easily enough, as the Arabs provided next to no danger on the wings. Obviously with different personnel, i.e. Jack instead of Lundstram, Tillman instead of Arfield, and Cantwell instead of Kent. 

[BlackSocksRedTops 3,475]

Surely Beale must have the best win ratio for any new Rangers manager in a long, long time? 15 league games, 14 wins, 1 draw.