Aaron Niguez

[calscot 0]

Sounds like many old firm games during NIAR when we won, after defending for most of the game.

 

I always put that down to good tactics and good defending.

 

I think Celtic rode their luck to much to put it down to good tactics. I'll agree that they defended well quite a bit of the time.

 

A day of better finishing by us and the odd 50-50 ref decision in our favour would easily have yielded a similar score as the first OF game of the season.

 

You can only compare it to NIAR and good tactics if they do it again and again, which they patently haven't. In all aspects, this result looks nothing more than a fluke.

 

Basically I don't think the manager or players can really be blamed too much for the loss of the OF game. It's the points we've dropped to lesser teams in the league which they are highly culpable for. There has just been far too many and there is no way we have anything like a real championship side.

 

The one thing Celtic are trouncing us at, is grinding out the results when they are playing very poorly. We were doing that last year until our fixture implosion but we have lost that knack completely.

[maineflyer 0]

Basically I don't think the manager or players can really be blamed too much for the loss of the OF game.

 

I disagree. I think those responsible for the planning and performance of the Rangers team last Saturday have to take responsibility. Continually making excuses for those in the front line is only perpetuating a situation that has been grossly unacceptable for years.

 

The point you make about dropping points against other teams is valid enough but why are the points dropped against our main rivals for the championship suddenly more excusable.

 

Everyone knew before the game how important it was to win - we didn't and it is almost universally recognised that the team selection and the performance of certain players was well below what was needed. We've simply got to stop settling for second best and fret less about being critical. Criticism may be an uncomfortable commodity for some in this pc age but it is the lack of it that has allowed our decline to happen.

[pete 2,499]

Aaron has had 10 minutes playing time in a half season in a position we are crying out for someone to show at least a bit of talent. The 10 minutes he had he looked promising. Fleck played in 2007 +- 20mins in a friendly in Germany + in the Scottish cup final and again he looked promising. Fleck played in the pre-season friendlies in Germany this season and also scored i believe,he has not been seen since. Yes he has been injured for a while but there were plenty of chances to break him in. That is Walter Smiths decision. Walter preferred to pay Burnley 3million of our much needed cash, on a player who doesn't seem to be able to get his feet to work together,and another 2.5 mill for an untried player from Canada. Please don't give Dotty Wotty another penny to spend except his pension money.

[nokiss 0]

I disagree. I think those responsible for the planning and performance of the Rangers team last Saturday have to take responsibility. Continually making excuses for those in the front line is only perpetuating a situation that has been grossly unacceptable for years.

 

The point you make about dropping points against other teams is valid enough but why are the points dropped against our main rivals for the championship suddenly more excusable.

 

Everyone knew before the game how important it was to win - we didn't and it is almost universally recognised that the team selection and the performance of certain players was well below what was needed. We've simply got to stop settling for second best and fret less about being critical. Criticism may be an uncomfortable commodity for some in this pc age but it is the lack of it that has allowed our decline to happen.

 

Excellent post, as usual.

[Gribz 743]

I think Celtic rode their luck to much to put it down to good tactics. I'll agree that they defended well quite a bit of the time.

 

A day of better finishing by us and the odd 50-50 ref decision in our favour would easily have yielded a similar score as the first OF game of the season.

 

You can only compare it to NIAR and good tactics if they do it again and again, which they patently haven't. In all aspects, this result looks nothing more than a fluke.

 

Basically I don't think the manager or players can really be blamed too much for the loss of the OF game. It's the points we've dropped to lesser teams in the league which they are highly culpable for. There has just been far too many and there is no way we have anything like a real championship side.

 

The one thing Celtic are trouncing us at, is grinding out the results when they are playing very poorly. We were doing that last year until our fixture implosion but we have lost that knack completely.

 

I see what your saying that OF games can come down to one-off matches and go anyway, but the manner we gave up once the goal went in along with the lack of tactical awareness/changes by the management means they HAVE to take flack and blame on this game. Celtic werent at the races in the 1st half and all we needed was to go up another gear and bring on another option upfront - WS even said himself we should have been sharper, so he should have made things sharper at HT - yet we sat back and allowed them to take 3 points.

 

Agreed about them grinding out results also. This is something league winning sides do all over. Look at how many 1-0s the likes of Man Utd have had over the years - they got 2 more in there last 2 games against Stoke and Middlesboro. Sadly we lack that extra bit due to the management being scared to gamble with talented youngster on the bench who are capable. It makes things more frustrating, IF WS did make such changes and go for 3 points then we cant blame him for the lack of trying even if the opposition nicked it on the break.