Cammy F's Rants - Groundhog Day

[CammyF 6,787]

After dragging my sorry ass out of my sick bed on Saturday, I trudged along to Tynecastle with a sense of trepidation as we haven’t exactly hit the heights away from home this season with victories at Parkhead, Easter Road and Rugby Park being the exception rather than the rule.

 

The good thing about following Rangers recently is that it only takes a few minutes to get a feeling on how the game is going to pan out. Once again on Saturday, on hearing the starting 11 and witnessing the slow, predictable and lazy start to the game, the following 90 minutes was as painful as it was predictable.

 

There is so much wrong with Rangers at the moment that an article on a website or in a fanzine couldn’t begin to cover all that is wrong at Ibrox. From the charlatan that is running the circus, to the monkeys that be employs to a manager who is tactically inept and a backroom staff whom appear to offer little input to change this ineptness.

 

The obvious failings on the pitch mirror the obvious (well to some sections of the support) off the pitch, with one having a direct implication on the other. However, the woes off the pitch are no excuse for a keeper who is more interested in shagging his way through the female population of Glasgow than he is at coming off his line when a ball is floated into his 6 yard box. The off field problems don’t excuse 2 experienced centre-halves being bitch-slapped by a forward who failed to make an impression on the lower zeniths of the English Championship. It also doesn’t explain why we have a manager who would rather play 4 or 5 players out of position than playing players in their correct positions (even though he has signed those players to bolster those glaring deficiencies). However, let’s not lay all the blame at the managers door, our squad has been dismantled regularly and all our best players sold on and replaced by a lower standard of player.

 

I actually believe that I could manage an SPL team to a victory against Rangers. It is so easy to exploit our glaring weaknesses. Flood the midfield, get the ball into the wide areas and force Rangers into a long-ball game, and 90% of the time, you’ll get a result. Our midfield is all over the place and so narrow. By playing centre-halves at fullback, our back four is also narrow, leaving huge spaces down both flanks. Our strikers have their strengths, but bullying defenders in a physical battle isn’t one of them. We did have a gifted striker who could dominate an entire backline, who could bully them and who could also play a bit, but he was sold in the last transfer window. Never mind, we did make a wee profit on him (note to SDM – ensure Mr Bain receives another pay increase for that piece of business). Also, this trait of pulling everyone back to defend set-pieces is ridiculous. It allows opposition to flood the box and create mayhem - it also results in us gifting the ball back to them if we manage to clear the ball and it comes straight back on top of us, resulting in us having to defend prolonged periods of pressure.

 

We have to get back to basics – get 11 players on the pitch who are playing their correct positions and get back to what Rangers do best, playing free-flowing and attractive football. Firstly, I’d drop McGregor and bring back Alexander. I would also drop David Weir who’s distribution is amateurish and try Broadfoot as his long-term replacement. Deploy young McMillan at right back and Papac at left back. In midfield, I’d play Aaron, Davis, Mendes with Edu as the holding player and have Miller and Boyd/Lafferty as the front pairing. Having spent Ã?£3.5M on the lad, the least WS can do is deploy him through the middle rather than watch the lad rot on the left-wing.

 

As the title says, supporting Rangers at the moment is like groundhog day. The above failings aren’t new; they have been evident and unresolved for nearly a decade now. We are staring down the barrel of losing 4 consecutive SPL titles and barring two dramatic, welcome and enjoyable last day triumphs, we’d be staring down the barrel of going almost 8 seasons without winning the title. Those two dramatic, welcome and enjoyable last day triumphs, like the UEFA Cup Final (and run to said final) last season have been nothing more than false dawns.

 

It has been debated before, but it is worth reiterating, if we continue to buy run of the mill SPL players, we’ll continue to witness run of the mill SPL performances which will ensure that we gain run of the mill SPL results. We have nothing special within our ranks at the moment (not that we are witnessing anyway) and we have lost that aura that a great team appears to have. No SPL club are frightened of playing Rangers anymore, why should they be, we aren’t a great team and haven’t laden with great players.

 

For those within our support who believe SDM’s lies and false promises and believe that football is cyclical, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it isn’t. Celtc broke our dominance due to hard work on the pitch and by finally getting a board that matched the ambitions of their fans. Say what you like about the MOPES and their board, but they have worked as a team, have deflected all the media attention on to us and have overtaken us both on and off the pitch. They are so far ahead, they are in danger of disappearing over the horizon. We’ll continue to be 2nd best until we change those who are in charge, or change the mindset of those currently in control. However, and again, this is groundhog day territory, we won’t ever invoke change as the vast majority still believe (unbelievably) that the current regime are the best way forward for Rangers.

 

SDM and his lapdogs have cleverly pulled the wool over sections of our supporters eyes. They have managed to make the majority of us believe that protesting isn’t the ‘Rangers way’. They have convinced us that protesting is some how ‘The Celtc Way’. Well Bears, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Just ask Davie White and John Greig if protesting isn’t the ‘Rangers Way’. We invoked the biggest revolution in Scottish Football for Gods Sake. It was Rangers fans voicing concern of the direction of the club under the Marlborough’s and by demonstrating against the legendary John Greig and Jock Wallaces (2nd stint) managerial disasters. Lastly on this subject and the most ironic part, the vast majority of our support like to impart their Presbyterian believes to all comers, yet believe that protesting isn’t the ‘protestant way’……

 

In conclusion, if we don’t invoke the necessary changes in the leadership (sic) of our club, we’ll be sitting here writing (and reading) about the same deficiencies for the foreseeable future whilst our club continues its fall from grace and struggles to keep abreast with its bitter rivals. We’ll continue to witness players who are average at best and we’ll continue to struggle to win the SPL title. How long are you willing to wait until you force change? Will 4-in-a-row be your nadir? Or are you willing to wait a few years, give the current custodian more time to ruin this club?

 

For this Bear, I’ll continue to fight for change at the top level in the club. I’ll continue to try and convince other fans that the time is right for change (a decade on their shadow should be enough for all of us). However, I fear more and more groundhog days ahead.

 

Cammy F

Edited December 1, 2008 by CammyF

[gisabeer 409]

Couldnt have put it better my self. I dont see this situation changing in the forseeable future and expect to be watching the rest of the season through my fingers......again.

 

excellent article.

[Super_Ally 0]

"Disappearing over the horizon"; a line that is trotted out about that lot every time we get ourselves in a bad position.

 

If they were that far ahead of us why did they only win the SPL last year due to a unique season in which a march to the final of 3 cup competitions and various other factors conspired to give us an unprecedented fixture pile up?

 

Whilst I agree with everything else that is stated I just had to take issue with this point.

 

It is a line that only comes out as a knee jerk type comment and only serves to build the Tims confidence in their superiority.

 

You have to remember as well, despite doing ourselves no favours, with a level playing field in terms of officials decision we would be sitting atop the league.

 

We might be struggling but without the officials help they are no great shakes either and are disappearing over no horizons.

[CammyF 6,787]

Can't agree - financially, SPL titles and their ever extending lead this term, they are disapprearing over the horizon - we can't touch them on or off the pitch - has been the same for the best part of a decade now.

 

Cammy F

[Super_Ally 0]

Off the pitch, Murray and co. cannot touch their boardroom I agree.

 

On the pitch and their no further ahead than us. Going back to the end of the McLeish and the PLG era they maybe were.

 

Smith has shown they are no great shakes and if the officials were competent we would in fact be top. Hardly disappearing ahead of us.

[CammyF 6,787]

Currently 7 points behind the MOPES and if current form continues, we'll be further behind before we entertain them at the end of December. Thats 7 points behind, despite trouncing them 4-2 at their midden earlier in the season.

 

Like it or not, they are on a fantastic run at the moment that shows no signs of slowing whilst we are struggling to hold onto their coat tales. We require an urgent and dramatic upturn in our form and consistancy whilst hoping they hit a 'sticky patch' sooner rather than later.

 

If current form continues, I predict we'll go into the next OF game at least 10 points behind - as I can't see us winning at Tannidice in a fortnights time

 

Cammy F

[Super_Ally 0]

But that's not down to superiority of their squad and first XI. It owes greater significance to attrocious officiating!

 

We should probably be a minimum of 3 points ahead.

 

You cannot just write off such a massive points swing as it evens itself out etc etc.

[CammyF 6,787]

But it doesn't change the fact that we are 7 points behind, totally inept away from home, have a leaderless bunch of players who can't string 2 passes together.

 

Seriously, you believe that our squad is of the same or better standard as theirs? Our best 11 probably is but our 'squad players' aren't up to the task - as we found to our cost last season as well.

 

Cammy F

[Gers4Life 0]

No direction and no consistancy im sorry to say this but be prepared for more dropped points!!! there aint going to be any transfer activity and smith he has made it clear the current squad can cope! well can they Walter!!! if so then why the hell are we 7 points behind then!

[Super_Ally 0]

I fully agree that the situation is not acceptable. Our inability to regualrly pick up the required results on the road is inexcusable.

 

But yes I still state that there first XI, and squad, is no better than ours and the maain, if not only reason we trail them by so much is to do with them being gifted probably in the region of 10 points (minimum) whilst we have wrongly had at least 4 taken from us.