Why Rangers lost – the truth

9
Why Rangers lost – the truth

Article by: Derek

One high ball, and that was enough.
Yes, it’s true we played Celtic off the park, and yes, we provewe are now better than Celtic, but the final result is still the same. We lost to Celtic.
In many ways, this was the same game as September. On the day we were the better team.
However, it was wrong to say we couldn’t see this one coming.
We have, not so quietly, watched our back four very closely this season for tactical weaknesses, and we just could not stay quiet,when we know Gerrard’s favoured back four does not work well together.
Time and time again we have noted that Helander just does not have any vertical presence. 
He is a beanpole that can be brushed aside as easy as a blade of grass.
This is the reason why we prefer Katicand we called loudly called for Katic to be in the team, because he compliments Goldson in a way that Helander just can’t. 
Katic clears the high balls into the box, Helander ball watches.
And if we have noticed the problem, we are sure our opponents have noticed the same issues. This isn’t rocket science.
Yesterday it was no random shot in the dark that got Celtic their goal. They knew exactly where the weakness was. You could even see Julien signalling for where he wanted the ball to go, well before the kick was taken.
And, yes, the linesman should have called it offside, but the whole Rangers team already know the officials are scared of Celtic, and they should have been ready to defend the goals, even if it was called offside. A professional team covers for all eventualities.
With Helander in the back four this was a free shot at goal, and we warned everyone that was going to happen.
Our midfield is now miles better than Celtic’s. Our attack force is about the same level, but we left a clear opening at the back for Neil Lennon to exploit and exploit it he did. 
This was an early Christmas gift from Gerrard’s that Neil took with absolute glee.
We said it before. Gerrard finally has to realise he is not the Team Captain anymore. 
He is now the manager, and it was his choice to leave this specific gap wide open, for all to see and he let the team down.
Gerrard, we love you, but your loyalty to certain players cost us, and a lot of players yesterday should have been celebrating a glorious win, because being honest they worked their socks and shin guards off for us. 
Yes, even Helander
He did everything he could. He cannot be faulted for the amount of effort he put in
It is just a pity he is just not good enough in the air, and when you are not good enough, you have to step aside and give your position to a better player. 
Yes, it’s tough to take, and some will say we are being overly harsh on our own players; but Rangers have never been a team where” learning your trade” was an option.
Rangers only became the most successful team in the world for one reason, and one reason only. 
Rangers are ruthless, and we demand only the best. If a defender consistently shows he cannot handle a high ball into the middle of the penalty box, it is time to go back to the training ground and learn how to do it properly. 
Just don’t try to learn how to do it in a cup final.

No posts to display

9 COMMENTS

  1. Think rangers were by far the superior on the day and totally controlled most of the game but still lost should take all the positives from performance and try to replicate it for the rest of the season

    • I'd happily take that performance every time we play them. On another day we would've got at least one goal.

  2. I have said before SG has his favourit's but surely he realises Tav is never a Captain,in the past we have had genuine leaders Greig, Gough, Butcher, Ferguson to name a few. I said his "my gang " mentality would come back and bite him and so will captain Tav.

  3. Conceding the free kick which led to the goal was the problem. Goldson fouled Eduard when he was going nowhere. No need to foul when Eduards back was to goal. Naive

  4. Onwards and upwards for Thurs night time to move on no more oldfirm talk its history end of

    NO SURRENDER🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

  5. Katic/Edmundson, a lot of us would like, to see. Stevie G has been good, but he has a couple of really season-affecting blindspots. This has to change, or we'll keep seeing important games like this, lost. McAllister should be saying something. Seems like a 'silent assistant' to me.

  6. I think it's a close call between Helander and Katic. I like them both.
    Katic is better in the air than Helander and has more pace, but he is a bit naive tactically and his distribution isn't the best.
    Helander is better tactically and positionally.
    Neither, unfortunately, are a Cannavaro, but for a few million we will never get a complete player in any position.
    In my opinion, Helander is much more suited for European games than Katic, but I would like to see Katic get some games in SPL.

    The REAL reason we lost by a single goal on Sunday was only because of the incompetence of the officials. Whilst some might say that we should have defended the free kick better, it is equally possible that the defence of the free kick was excellent because they held their line and caught three Celtic players offside. Nobody, apart from perhaps the players, knows which version of events is nearest the truth. However, what we do know is that had it not been for the incompetence of the officials we would have ended 90 minutes at 0-0, and with extra time playing against 10 men then we might have seen a different result (and a different mood).

  7. We played Celtic off the park! They scored a goal with their only shot on target and it was offside! In what way was our defence at fault limiting Celtic to 1 shot on target in 90min????
    People should lay off Tav, Morelos, Helander and Goldson! On another day we win that 5-1! That result was just one of these things that happen in football! Hopefully if we play as poorly as Celtic did in the next match Luck will be on our side!
    I’m very happy with performance of the whole squad in the cup final and I hope we can keep that performance level up on Thursday and into the new year!

    Happy Christmas and have a great new year bears!

  8. We lost because Morelos and Kent let the occasion get to them
    I'm not buying the SGl that Alfie was on pens that day …Tav gave him the ball to get the Celtic Monkey off his back and it backfired massively …(why did Tav have the ball in the first place ) Criminal Imo. I bet SG ripped them both a new arse hole behind closed doors f
    or that 1 .
    But on another day the game would have been over by HT the most dominant Rangers v Celtic I think I've watched that's including the 5 1 s and the 4 1 s with Wilkins and Walters etc

Comments are closed.