Squad selector – choose your Rangers XI for Pittodrie

27
Squad selector – choose your Rangers XI for Pittodrie

It is 9AM on Sunday and you are Mark Warburton. Jordan Rossiter aside you have a completely fit squad. Today at midday you travel to Aberdeen to face a Dons team slightly off-form at present but strong in recent years and managed by a very wily and promising coach in Derek McInnes.

Pressure has been high, more than you expected, on yourself, on your assistant, your squad and the results have not gone as well as you would have liked.

Today is critical. Today is a tough away fixture at a ground that traditionally hates Rangers even more than Parkhead; and thanks to victory on the 22nd v St Johnstone, the hosts today are one place above Rangers in the table.

Their record is identical to Rangers’ in the league; two wins, three draws and a loss.

So the pertinent question is…who do you pick as your XI to face a home side chomping at the bit to beat ‘Sevco’?

Ibroxnoise.co.uk would select:

Wes Foderingham in goal, a back four of Tavernier, Senderos, Wilson and Hodson, a midfield three of Crooks, Holt and Windass, with an attack line of Forrester, Waghorn and O’Halloran.

The first obvious note is defence; no Wallace. The captain has been in terrible form recently and Hodson was impressive at LB in his place. No reason to ditch the latter.

In midfield with no Rossiter or Barton, Rangers only have Halliday or Crooks for the defensive midfield role, and for such a hard away match it is probably better to have someone dedicated to the job. But Halliday would not be awful there.

In front of him Holt or indeed Halliday is a toss up, but just for his energy I would select Holt. But again Halliday would barely be a downgrade.

Windass is a doubt and if he does not make it I would put Forrester in his place at the apex of midfield and consider Waghorn out wide and slot Dodoo or Garner in his position as striker, while O’Halloran deserves to retain his place.

So here is your Ibroxnoise side (feel free to thoroughly disagree):


No posts to display

27 COMMENTS

    • Hodson is preferable to both Wallace and Tavernier as a defensive fullback. And is every bit as good as an attacking one.

  1. I don't feel Crooks is ready to start yet, particularly not in this game. For that reaain, I would slot Halluday in there. In fact, Halluday has patiently waited his turn and been excellent since he got a jersey, so i don't think he should be dropped unless his performance drops.
    Happy with the rest of the team

  2. Miller should be dropped if he glassed someone, that's not defending someone that's GBH or more serious. He will see the inside of a cell for that.

  3. you dropped Lee Walace? ffs and added crooks for a huge game who has had 20 mins of football all season in team romping a game ?…..seriously shhh

  4. mckay changed the game during the week and forrester is due a sending off soon…good to see someone really putting the effort in but not worth being down to 10 men..

  5. My team fody ,tav,senderos,Wilson ,Wallace Halliday crooks holt. waghorn ,garner windass if fit ohalleron if not ,if garner is played though we have to start giving him some crosses to attack otherwise might as we well have miller and sell him back to preston

  6. Front three should be McKay, O'Halloran and Waghorn.

    Middle three Forrester, Windass, Holt. No out and out DM but they can rotate.

    Back four Tav, Wilson, Hill, Wallace.

    Gk Foddy

  7. No Lee Wallance? You having a laugh mate, fair enough Hodson looks decent but its hard to put a foot wrong against QOS

  8. I'd go with Foddy, Tav, Wilson, Senderos, Hodson, Halliday, Windass, Holt, MOH, Forrester and Waggy.
    However, we all that kiernan if fit will be back even though the two games we haven't conceeded was when he wasn't playing and Wallace will be back even though he's been crap and McKay will be back even though the only game he done anything was against QOS when he came on.

  9. Would put gilks in goals his distribution is great also Halliday for crooks , too soon for him in this game rest looks good

  10. Spot on staring 11 with Wallace, kiernan Mckay comments 100% although would
    Have Barry in reserve for the usual 60min
    Change hope windass and holt are fit

  11. Beat the Dons today or we must start looking for a new manager
    and i am 100% sure if we get turned over today then it is not just
    a new manager we need but new players and i mean around ten
    of them,if we can not cut it/beat the shit Dons today then we will
    never be a force with the squad we have.

  12. Two things………what about Garner, who bought him?

    Where has Rossiter gone? I'm hearing the stories that his Liverpool injury problems have followed him up the road but we have given him a four year contract at £12, 000 per week.
    Another waste of money on top of the Barton fiasco!

  13. Halftime assessment – Foderingham has been liability. His tippy-tappy football in the box could cost us this match. Expect The Sheep to close him down more quickly in the 2nd Half; McInnes would surely have spotted it.
    Very impressed with Garner…strong, in your face, nice flicks, solid in the air. His goal will come.
    Waggy is not effective in the 1st Half…playing too deep, and he's not looking a threat.
    Defence looks solid, but the passing from Wallace has been a bit ropy…he doesn't spot danger before he decides who to pass to.
    We've bossed the 1st Half. The Sheep hitting on the counter, and I do worry if their strikers start to close down Hill and Foderingham more quickly in the 2nd Half…had they done so in the 1st I reckon The Sheep would have scored at least once. Would like to see more from bursting runs from Halliday, and have McKay and Forrester bomb down the wings more.
    Overall, we look very solid.

Comments are closed.