#55? Now top 3 is looking remote as well…

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#55? Now top 3 is looking remote as well…
 Article by Greg Roots

We were never going to win today. Celtic were flying, scoring for fun, meanwhile we were making more defensive errors than I care to remember which resulted in 8 points out of a possible 12. Not the end of the world, but far from perfect considering the poor level of opposition that we had played to date. 

However, what ensued over the 90 minutes at Celtic park was beyond our worst nightmares. Only Tavernier and Windass had decent games, meanwhile the rest of the team looked as if they couldn’t care less and there genuinely was a sense that players like Kranjcar and Barton felt that they were too good for the occasion; as if they had to just turn up and everything would click into place.

Joe Garner put himself about well, and Kenny Miller as ever was tireless and committed to the cause, but the goal created and scored by them was no more than a consolation. To go in only 2-1 down did not reflect the balance of play, as Celtic played us at our game, controlling possession and overpowering us in the middle of the park. The second half didn’t start too badly, and if McKays’s curled effort had crept in then we could have been looking at a totally different game. However that wasn’t to be, and Celtic shifted up a few gears and put us to bed without much real effort.

Sadly it wasn’t to be and we now find ourselves 4 (effectively 7) point behind our great rivals, but that is not what worries me. I accept the defeat and to an extent I accept that we were never going to win (challenge for?) the title this season. However, the amount of basic mistakes that are being made is getting to the stage where enough is enough. Our ‘magic’ manager has got the balance of the team very wrongly a few times of late, and the amount of individual errors being made in the defence is getting ridiculous.

Yes we lost by 4 goals, at least 3 of them were entirely preventable. Just like Boyd’s at Killie, Dundee’s and Motherwell’s opener. It is getting very tiring. Very wearing, and there has to come a point where it stops.

The worrying issue is, though, that how do we stop it? No matter what pairing we play at centre half, mistakes are made. What annoys me is that Rob Kiernan seems to escape the worst of the criticism, meanwhile his partner (whether it be Hill, Senderos or Wilson) gets all the blame. The reality is that all 4 of them have been duds in their short (some far shorter than others) Rangers careers.

So, the defence is poor; but why didn’t Warburton fix it over the summer you ask? Whilst Dave King didn’t go all out Manchester City on the transfer market, he gave Mark Warburton more than enough backing to build a team which could at least give a good account of itself in the Scottish Premiership. Something which it has not really done so far.

Somehow the manager saw it fitting to spend £20k a week on Joey Barton, who so far has talked the talked but hobbled around when it comes to walking the walk. Since he exclaimed that he was in a different league to Celtic’s captain, they have qualified for the UCL and beat us 5-1. Why do we need to put up with that? He is a bigmouth and has been wherever he has gone. To me it seems as if he is here for an easy ride, and it has to stop. He is not anywhere dynamic enough for the way we play, unlike the highly energetic Rossiter, and may well find himself on the bench while the manager tinkers with the team to try and produce the free flowing attacking football that we know it is capable of.

We are at home to Ross County next week, and the hard hitting reality is that they are one of the teams that we really might be properly competing with this season. On the evidence of the first 5 games, we can kiss goodbye to the top 3, and unfortunately 55 is currently a pipe dream.

Sorry for the negativity, but ever since beating them in the semi-final last season we have been shocking, and now it is starting to cost us.

We are the People.

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36 COMMENTS

  1. Keep in mind that penalty shots were the sole reason for victory in the semi-final. They definitely had an off-day that day but today they were on the ball — and the huge gap in talent was highly visible to everyone. It's going to be a l-o-n-g season…..

    • Yesterday's game was a reality check for most of us,we have a massive rebuilding project ahead and I'm not really sure king will be the saviour he is trying to portrait,the team is poor throughout because we could only pick up free transfers that in the longest won't work,so hard times ahead but hey ho at least were back also the wankers who wrecked the toilets yesterday are just shaming our club,we now look like cretins who can't take a defeat and I'm sure another hefty bill on the way thanks u wankers for that.WATP

  2. Your report is spot on Warburton was star struck with Barton and Kranjar. If Warburton is not prepared to change personnel and tactics he will be away by Xmas. He had all summer to sort out the defence he failed in fact given Kieran after a disastrous cup final gave him a contract extension.Change of tactics would be a start but if he won't change he will go sooner rather than later he was given the second biggest budget but we have not progressed in fact we are as slow as any McCoist team

  3. 1. Rob Kiernan at fault for first three Celtic goals. *cost us a cup final last year too

    2. Kranj'car crash

    3. Barton totally embarrassed himself and the club with his twitter activity and performance.

    4. Senderos did okay until he wanted to go off.

    5. Celtic were beaten by Beer Sheva and Red Imps. Hearts had them on the ropes for long periods, Aberdeen did well until Reynolds got sent off. St Johnstone clawed their way back into the match against them.

    6. Out midfield three should be Rossiter, Holt and Windass. Energetic midfield that can do box to box

    • agree with that mate but fuk this 3 in midfield shit 4-4-2

      Gilks.
      Hodson-Crooks-Senderos-Wallace
      Tavie-Holt-Rossiter-Windass.
      Dodoo-Ganer

    • *Robbie Wilson
      Midfield 3 is actually quite good considering our fullbacks make it a 5 for the majority of games. However I do agree we should implement various tactics and strategies to surprise teams. We're far too predictable and the pace from back to front is lethargic at best. That's the first time I've seen us sit deep since Warbs too the job.

  4. Warburton is a bad manager who's afraid to discipline Barton over his twitter and other social media comments, that's why he came out today with his big time Charlie attitude and mouth that got us stuffed. others Krancjar(a unfit bottler), Senderos(Has the IQ of a earwig), Kiernan(brainless)… Aberdeen Hearts and the rest are smelling blood after todays debacle!

  5. Greg, this is a very black day. Now the have their CL millions in the back, players who will consistently play us off the park, and a brilliant manager, Keevans is right when he says it might be more than 10IAL that the win. Dark days ahead for all of us

  6. Today was bad, very bad ! However, it's early days and Warburton can still salvage something significant from the season. To do so he needs to be brave. Primarily he must acknowledge 4 – 3 – 3 is not always the answer. Being to rigid in his formation and tactics makes is too easy for opposition managers to set up a team to stifle Rangers. Doing Plan A better is not an acceptable Plan B ! We have had a few injuries but when the squad is fit an available i'd like to see Gilks, Hodson, Rossiter, O'Halloran, Forrester, Windass, Dodoo and Garner getting more game time. I think 4 – 1 – 4 -1 would better suit our squad and give a better balance. I'd suggest – Gilks, Hodson, Senderos, Wilson (best defensive passer), Wallace, Rossiter, O'Halloran, Windass, Forrester, McKay, Garner. Go on Mr Warburton, give it a go !

    • You must be joking…..did Rodgers set up Celtic to stifle our team?

      Tactically naive, Rodgers could buy and sell Warbs, the gap is widening and will continue to do so as financially they are in a different league.

      The sooner the better that the deluded amongst our fans realise that the signing policy is a shambles and that King and co have no idea what they are doing

  7. I think Warburton has lost the dressing room, on today's performance the players don't seem to be giving their all with a few exception. He has to get his act together quickly or he will be writing to Santa to find him a job.

    • They are not shit, they are decent and Rodgers will improve them backed up by CL monies.

      They are going to stroll to 10 IAR whilst we struggle with Hearts and others for 2nd or 3rd place.

      Signing a bunch of ageing Bosmans will prove to be a disaster…………….yesterday is a wake up call for the deluded among the support who think that Warbs and King can do no wrong.

      There is further bad news on the way via the annual accounts………King and co have no clue as to how to run a football team.

  8. GET KIERNAN TO FUCK,,, HE IS SHITE,,, FUCKING LIABILITY,,,, , FUCK SAKE HOW CAN WARBUTON AND WEIR NOT GET RID OF THIS AMATUER!!!!!!!!

  9. Keirnan is quite simply not good enough he is a very average footballer the fact that Warburton can't see this will be his downfall.

  10. Tavernier had a good game?! The combination of him and kiernan has cost us more goals than we can discuss here.. Tavernier was turned inside out countless times by sinclair.. You can't seriously say the guy had a good game?

  11. Oh dear
    Some bitter comments and hurting.
    Some of you are admitting you were beaten by a superior team.but others are just very bitter peeple.
    Looks like Warburton has lost his magic hat .

  12. Warbs is taking the piss…wouldn't swap any of our players for their's!!!!!!!!!!

    Ffs we were lambs to the slaughter…..Hearts will push us into 3rd place, at best.

    Our signing policy has been a shambles………Nico, Barton,Senderos, Hill, Kiernan, all a waste of money.

    10 IAR is staring us in the face unless a billionaire turns up with serious cash to spend

  13. Warbs is tactically naive, yesterday proved it……….down to 10 men, should have been damage limitation but no he brings on a forward.

    He is a one trick pony and Rodgers showed him up for what he is.

  14. Simply over run. Barton & Krancjar have been major disappointments to date, central defence no matter what combination is a complete and utter liability. Hoping that this embarrassment might bring a positive response but you can see a draw with Ross County next week looming.

  15. In an interview with kranjcar on rangers tv, kranjcar was asked what his favoured position was he said & I quote number 10 behind the striker, don't know if Mr Warburton knows this but his tactics don't involve playing with a number 10 behind the striker, so unless he changes his tactics to suit playing kranjcar in this position then there is no point in playing him

    • Finally! Finally someone has noticed this. I see so many criticisms of Krancjar, but the guy is a top player being played completely out of position. He's not a blood and thunder central midfielder like he was asked to be yesterday. Then taking him off at half-time, Warbs is basically saying that a guy with 70+ caps for Croatia can't be trusted to keep his emotions in the check for the second half. Disgraceful decision. If he was playing no.10 he wouldn't have to make challenges that he isn't designed for. Warburton is an amateur, sorry. And the "let's keep the opposing team quiet for the first 20 mins" is tactical genius from him, really…straight out of the local pub.

    • Mate the thing that baffles me is he must have spoken to kranjcar about his favoured position when he met him in New York, kranjcar is a class act but he will have no chance as our manager says do plan a better is his other tactics which is pure bollocks, when we played the hivs at Easter road last year we went with 3 centre backs & played great every man we were 1 down but we're pumping them we equalised what did he do fuckin brought on gedion went back to his 4-3-3 & we got pumped, with a 3-5-2 we could play kranjcar in behind striker no probs.

  16. get this fixed in our heads sack MW,DW and all the old players they are no good and all take home a good pay,we got rid of better younger players than we have now,NL NC DS and co all would have got stuck right in and been part of the game,if we waste anymore time with MW,DW another season will have passed by,i say sack that clown now before its to late.

  17. I'm old enough to remember a good number of thumping's from that lot, and we will bounce back but there are a number of players you need to find form and some fire as least 5 players failed to appear when they were needed. Only Tav, Miller, Windass, Foderingham, and Garner turned up and put up a fight.
    I trust Mr Warburton but I wish he would let me know his secret on Kiernan as that boy is rotten and if any other club in Europe wants him I will take him there in my own car for free. WATP

  18. Relax we are work in progress. The comment above is spot on. I love the football philosophy from warbs and weir, but i believe they have got things badly wrong with team selection. They had a chance to take Barton off in the killie game long before they eventually did for me they are bottling the easy decisions everyone can see. Barton is way off the pace kiernan is absolute gash im sorry to say we lacked what brendan said before the game agression and controlled tenacity. Krancjar is a classy player but was embarrasing to watch running about like a hysterical schoolgirl trying to win the ball ffs. We did try to stick to the footballing mantra of passing our way through the game but it was too slow and too predictable. They looked stronger and fitter and more importantly they played as a team.We dont have a leader anywhere on the park. Lots of hard thinking for warbs and weir ill start them off by saying this Barton is a mistake take him out of the team build the build around rossiter and get one of the development guys or crooks beside senderos.We are soft as shite through the middle

  19. I was all for Barton and Krancjar but I might have been wrong. Last year's team had energy in the middle of the park and it was too much for celtic. We took that away and they enjoyed more time on the ball and we gave it away.

    Warburton saying all the right things in defeat but its what he isn't saying that's worrying or maybe that's his way of respecting the guys he's already decided are cannon fodder in January???. He's addresses where we didn't create chances but no mention of the defensive nonsense we've seen since last season. If kiernan continues to play ibrox will start to empty. Not because of poor performances but because when something is that obvious its unacceptable. Rangers fans aren't interested in this self destructive behaviour and hats what playing kiernan is!

  20. So I think we just need to face facts as supporters, we don't have the money to compete. This time last year roughly when Mike Ash and co had the club on its knees we were in a very bad place. We've came a very long way since then! It's going to take time and financial investment among other things to take this club where it should be. I'm not sure if MW has the bottle or senseto see the likes of Barton, Should not start. I hope he is bold enough to stick his neck out and pick prayers on form and not becaus they have a big name. Also I hate to say it he needs to have a change of formation at times and I know almost for a fact he will not change so it's possibly not going to end well for the good man. Hope I'm wrong!

    • Martin… we have come a very long way? A 5;1 pumping from our arch rivals and we have come a long way? I think we have regressed and we are in an even bigger financial mess than ever we have been.

      Can someone please ask around and find out exactly what money we have available and do we have enough to keep us alive until the end of the season? Does no one ever question why we can not attract any outside investment? Why can a mighty brand and institution not attract any respectable investment? There is only one person guilty as charged and with a criminal record and sadly that's the reason we can not float on the stock market, can not attract investments and why we are in a very very bad place….yesterday shows the difference in class…they are not brilliant by any means, but we are woeful and that's a big gulf.

      We have nothing in the tank as can be seen by our transfer activity, I think one or two of the young players can be taken on and made better players for sure, but Senderos, Kranjcar Keirnan, Hill et al are nowhere near good enough… you get what you pay for, football is a game dominated by hard cash…we have none, we have no access to the sums we need and no access to any Stock Market flotation…the sooner more people realise this and start asking the questions… the sooner we can get ourselves on the right path to recovery…remember Dave King's statement about it taking 7 years…well that's year one in and with the hard cash he has to back us….7 years is looking rather optimistic.

      GSTQ

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