Rangers v Panathinaikos

[ian1964 10,481]

Beginning to think that Smith/McCoist have got SERIOUS problem with Kris Boyd, the way he rarely starts games these days yet when he does come on he invariably scores. Hell McCoists scoring records could be under threat if they gave the guy a chance. Sounds like he played every other forward the night apart from the one most likely to get a goal.

 

 

 

Malky

 

I for one won't be surprised to see Boyd leave at the end of the season,which will please a lot of fans,which I think is a disgrace but couldn't blame him

[craig 5,199]

Craig, all i'm saying is i'm happy the way things are going,playing wise,I still have nightmares about PLG and the way we were playing then.

WS was / is the right manager to come in at this time and has done excellent in a short period of time,and eventually we will bring in some '' classy '' players.I just think some fans want instant success and have a short memory,give the man a chance and we will get back to where we were,DOMINANT.If there's a better manger out there who can do better,thing bring him in,untill then get off his back,we are 4 points clear in the SPL,we are in a cup final,still in the Scottish cup and we are still in europe

 

You make good points Ian - by comparison to the PLG era we are miles ahead in terms of morale, standing, competitiveness.

 

I doubt we will be dominant anytime soon though.

 

What frustrates me is that the personnel we had available suited a different formation but WS decided that he would play it safe, to not lose the game, which means having to score away from home.

 

Playing a midfielder up front ? Even you have to admit Ian that this one selection made little to no sense.

 

If he doesn't rate Boyd and/or has had a falling out with him then he should punt him - if Boyd isn't going to see playing time then cart him out, take the cash and replace him, although I don't know where you replace a 30 goal a season striker.

 

But it isn't just about Boyd, some of the other decisions were baffling - Burke dropped whilst playing well, Adam still playing whilst being poor of late, one striker (midfielder) and little pace to support him, Naismith dropped whilst playing reasonably well.

 

It is just as well the defence picks itself or one would worry about the players he would slot in back there too !

[ian1964 10,481]

You make good points Ian - by comparison to the PLG era we are miles ahead in terms of morale, standing, competitiveness.

 

I doubt we will be dominant anytime soon though.

 

What frustrates me is that the personnel we had available suited a different formation but WS decided that he would play it safe, to not lose the game, which means having to score away from home.

 

Playing a midfielder up front ? Even you have to admit Ian that this one selection made little to no sense.

 

If he doesn't rate Boyd and/or has had a falling out with him then he should punt him - if Boyd isn't going to see playing time then cart him out, take the cash and replace him, although I don't know where you replace a 30 goal a season striker.

 

But it isn't just about Boyd, some of the other decisions were baffling - Burke dropped whilst playing well, Adam still playing whilst being poor of late, one striker (midfielder) and little pace to support him, Naismith dropped whilst playing reasonably well.

 

It is just as well the defence picks itself or one would worry about the players he would slot in back there too !

 

I've already said in another thread,that I wouldn't be surprised if Boyd leaves,which I think is a disgrace,and i'm as frustrated as you and everybody else,I just feel that some fans are too quick to criticise the team / manager.The point is we are still a new team and we will continue to build and get better,EVENTUALLY,but we are still on course to at least do the treble,why is it that some fans want things immediately ?

[ian1964 10,481]

NACHO NOVO has admitted that he should have given Rangers an advantage in their UEFA Cup battle with Panathinaikos.

 

The little Spaniard, brought back in for his first start since November 3, had the best chances in the goal-less draw with the Greeks at Ibrox.

 

He had two decent opportunities in the first half and another in the second 45 but still feels Rangers can progress.

 

Novo said: "I am disappointed because we had good chances to score but didn't take them.

 

"It was my first game for three months but there are no excuses. I had the chances to score but I didn't manage to put the ball in the net.

 

"The goalkeeper made good saves but maybe I should have done better.

 

"The good thing is that everything is still open for the second leg.

 

"We can go over there and score a goal and if we do that then we will have a very good chance of going through.

 

"I am quite strong mentally and if I get a chance to play in the second leg then I will take it."

[alanmidd 0]

Its taken me all night to calm down. Can't remember the last time I've left Ibrox that angry and frustrated. 2nd game in a row there has been an abject lack of desire to win the game.

 

I agree with going 4-5-1 to start with. Feel your way into the game the gradually open up and put your opponents under pressure. We were the HOME team against a side who are at similar level to ourselves. Bar 10 mins at the start of the 2nd half, we didn't put them under real pressure. It was a stroll for them. they'll be delighted with that. They'll put us under real pressure at home...cause thats what your meant to do. Take the game to them, Jesus H.

 

Management team should carry the can for this one. Don't know why we never changed it when we were getting nowhere playing 1 up. Just subbing on like for like and leaving Boyd and Naismith on the bench. Unbelievable.

 

Charlie Adam....the new Namouchi? Picked despite the fact he is knickers

 

Wasn't impressed by Davis. Played on the edge of the game too much.

 

Never thought I'd say this but I can't wait for Thomson to come back. We need his agression and determination to win.

 

Things have to change. If we play the way we did tonight in the next few weeks, we might as well hand the title to Celtic now.

 

UNACCEPTABLE

[Gribz 743]

After reading the line up then the match discussion I find WS selections nothing short of a disgrace.

 

At the back he has a solid keeper and a solid back 4 that is tough to break down. The last thing he needs is 3 central midfielders with NONE of them being attack minded.

 

Then he plays someone on the left who is Sunday league material at best - Charlie Adam is absolute rank rotten.

 

I was glad to see Novo got a start, he should have been given that months ago but agree with Craig earlier, Burke didnt really warrent to be dropped, but Novo should have been ahead of Burke around Sept / Octo time.

 

Upfront is baffling. For Smith to play McCulloch there is out of the Alex McLeish baffling book.

 

Tactics: 4-5-1 at Ibrox against a average european side :admin: Its just asking for a 0-0. We should be having a go at these teams and using attack minded players.

[johnnyk 158]

the formation is very defensive as usual, if we played with even mcculloch on the left, boyd and novo up front it would give us much more choices attacking wise and we'd have someone on who can score goals.

 

i like hemdani but what the point in him playing sometimes , it's like a man down as it's far too defensive at home especially IMO.

 

I still think we have a chance to go through but need to start playing our best goalscorer to get us goals, if not what's the point in keeping the boy and potentially holding his career back!!

 

naimsith should also have been given a game last night at some point IMO....

[Jon 0]

Nacho Novo has told Rangers to blame him for failing to gain the upper hand over Panathinaikos in the UEFA Cup.

 

The striker had the best of the chances after starting his first match since the win over Inverness back on November 2.

 

But it ultimately proved to be a frustrating night for Novo, and Rangers, as the clash at Ibrox ended goalless.

 

Rangers now face a daunting trip to Athens for the second leg next week knowing the Greeks will now be regarded as favourites to progress to the last 16 of the tournament.

 

He said: "It was disappointing not to score but the team did really well so we shouldn't blame anybody.

 

"If anybody is to blame, it's me.

 

"Luck wasn't really on our side and that was disappointing. I thought the team was doing really well but these things happen in football.

 

"Rangers were the better team and should have won the game but it didn't happen and everything is still open.

 

"I think we still have a good chance over there and a win or a draw will take us through."

 

And, despite the stalemate in Glasgow, Novo is confident Rangers have goals in them for the clash next Thursday.

 

He added: "It will be a totally different game. We will go for everything and hope it all comes good.

 

"It was important that we didn't concede a goal. That was important for us and Davie (Weir) and Carlos (Cuellar) did well.

 

"Now a scoring draw will be good enough for us and we will go there with confidence."

 

Novo's name was met by a roar of approval from the crowd when the teams were read out before the match but the same cannot be said of fellow striker Daniel Cousin.

 

Cousin is still waiting to hear whether FIFA will sanction his transfer to Fulham after both clubs agreed a deal back on January 22.

 

He has also played for French side Lens this season and requires special dispensation to play for more than two clubs in one season.

 

Cousin had been out of the picture for more than three weeks while the decision is pending but was thrown into the action with just over 20 minutes to go against Panathinaikos.

 

The Gabon international failed to win over a section of the Ibrox faithful even before agreeing the switch to Fulham and his arrival on the pitch was jeered by some fans.

 

However, Novo insists the same view is not shared in the dressing room.

 

He said: "Daniel is a good player and he is still a Rangers player so I look at him as a team-mate and we all have respect for each other."

 

Meanwhile, Panathinaikos coach Jose Peseiro believes the tie remains wide open ahead the return leg in Athens.

 

He said: "It wasn't a good spectacle - the two teams were afraid of attack and to commit themselves.

 

"We had chances in the first half and Rangers had more attack and pressure in the second half. They maybe had three or four chances and we had two or three. But none of the chances were really that clear.

 

"The tie is not finished and I await a strong game in Athens for both teams. It's 0-0 just now and that is a danger. I would have preferred 1-1, 2-2 or even to lose 2-1 rather than a 0-0 dra

 

Downside to this is that Novo already seems content with going over there for a draw. Maybe i've misinterpreted it, but its the way it came across to me. Although a very poor game, we had more and better chances. I hope we can do the same next week but be a bit more positive.

[ascender 352]

Why are we prepared to accept a 0-0 home draw in the UEFA cup against an average team?

 

Why are we playing such negative tactics in all competitions?

 

Why are we playing many players out of position?

 

Why are we playing a system which suits a lone striker when we don't seem to have a single player on our books who thrives in that position? And I mean thrives rather than someone who just does "OK".

 

Why are we bothering to sign players who will either warm the bench, play in the reserves constantly or be played out of position in the first XI?

 

I know we're top of the league and much better off than we have been in years. And I'm really, really pleased that we're looking like we're going to actually win stuff this season. But why am I finding it so depressing to watch us this year and why do I find myself really worried for the future? There just seems to be a depressing inevitability about the way WS is playing and some of the decisions he's making. I really stuck up for him when he was appointed, saying that he's improved tactically when he was with Scotland and that he'd learned from the mistakes he'd made when he was with us before and at Everton. But I'm now starting to realise how wrong I was.

 

We're 4 points clear in the league but I can't help thinking that given the players we have in our squad now, we should have built up a double figures lead over Celtic by now.

 

I guess there's just no pleasing some

[calscot 0]

I thought the lads played reasonably well last night: better in the first half than a team at the top of the Greek league, and totally dominated the second half with some slick play.

 

The defence never looked like loosing a goal bar one late scare and the attack created about 7 or 8 very good chances; on another night, one or two would have gone in.

 

I bemoaned Novo's lack of finishing finesse before the game and so it proved to be. The guy usually needs a deflection to score, as although he hits the target a lot, it's normally straight at the keeper. His 3 fresh air kicks were a bit woeful though, and they are not his first.

 

I think our best chance was actually McCulloch's header which would have burst the net had his aim been a bit better.

 

One thing I was very pleased with was the quality of the crossing from the right which was excellent by Broadfoot and Novo, however Pana's defence and goalkeeper were on great form.

 

In the end, I think this was more of an unlucky night than a hapless one.