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Rangers vs St Johnstone 16th Feb


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I don't think wholesale changes are required but I do think we need a slight re-balance in midfield. We've got 6 attack minded midfielders (4 contracted for next year) 2 somewhere in the middle (both contracted for next year) and 2 defensively minded ones (1 contracted for next year). Would it not make sense to let one of the more attack minded midfielders go and bring in someone who's comfortable on the ball and who is happy to sit deeper as well as replacing Goss with someone of a similar ilk? The manager, rightly, says that the league is getting more difficult to compete and we currently have 5 or 6 teams where sitting in and competently keeping possession is our best chance of getting a result, yet we've probably only got 1, 2 at a push, who can do that job in midfield. Better ball players in midfield would surely benefit our attacking options build the game too?

As things stand, we don't really have a squad to trouble teams the way we would want to in these games because we've not got enough competent ball players. That's fine but surely we can't just keep setting up in that defensive unit and expect a different result? Earlier in the season we were comfortably beaten by Hearts at Tynecastle but we at least created chances and gave them something to worry about defensively by being a bit more expansive. The most recent game we managed one shite shot from 30 yards. I'd know which side I'd rather watch losing a match.

 

 

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I don't think wholesale changes are required but I do think we need a slight re-balance in midfield. We've got 6 attack minded midfielders (4 contracted for next year) 2 somewhere in the middle (both contracted for next year) and 2 defensively minded ones (1 contracted for next year). Would it not make sense to let one of the more attack minded midfielders go and bring in someone who's comfortable on the ball and who is happy to sit deeper as well as replacing Goss with someone of a similar ilk? The manager, rightly, says that the league is getting more difficult to compete and we currently have 5 or 6 teams where sitting in and competently keeping possession is our best chance of getting a result, yet we've probably only got 1, 2 at a push, who can do that job in midfield. Better ball players in midfield would surely benefit our attacking options build the game too?
As things stand, we don't really have a squad to trouble teams the way we would want to in these games because we've not got enough competent ball players. That's fine but surely we can't just keep setting up in that defensive unit and expect a different result? Earlier in the season we were comfortably beaten by Hearts at Tynecastle but we at least created chances and gave them something to worry about defensively by being a bit more expansive. The most recent game we managed one shite shot from 30 yards. I'd know which side I'd rather watch losing a match.
 
 


We've (well me anyway) been talking about a ball playing midfielder for about 4-5 seasons. I'm sure Wright's aware of the issue but it's possibly a case that we were spoiled for so long having Morris then Millar playing that role. It's been frustrating this season as we've got a back four that are as good on the ball as we've had for sometime and that link between them and an good spread of attacking options is missing.

I don't think it's a coincidence our best display the last few weeks was the one against Celtic where we seemed to be a lot braver on the ball. If you look at Wright's comments after our poorer performances he laments about the side "not passing the ball" well enough. It's fine having a relatively defensive set up against better teams but if you can't at least trouble them when they give the ball away it's almost an impossible task.
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15 hours ago, The_Kincardine said:

 

Probably...but that doesn't please me either.  At least we know that Foderingham will be in goal.

I think Saints' consolation goal in our 3-1 victory will be the result of an absolute clanger from Fods because he was woeful against Cowdenbeath...

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I thought we did a decent job in the Perth game of forcing them through the middle, so much so they resorted to throwing Lafferty on and taking a more direct approach. The goals obviously still came from the more dangerous wide areas though, which highlights the threat from there.

I'd go 4-4-1-1 and as tempting as it is after the way he played against them at Perth, I'd have Kennedy in the ten role rather than leading the line. Tony Watt needs to have a big game though, he's been very disappointing against the top sides.

Clark

Foster - Kerr - Shaughnessy - Tanser

Alston - Davidson - Goss - Craig

Kennedy 

Watt

Subs: Bell, Gordon, Keown, Callachan, Wotherspoon, Swanson, Kane. 

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If we were playing rangers with no Morelos or McGregor in December, I'd be buzzing about the chance of a Saints win the way we were playing.

After the way we've been playing recently, the result will be what it will be, but I'd like to see a few improvements in terms of fight, organisation and creating a few chances.

I think Saints fans have been fairly generous in general about our performance last Sunday.   Hopefully we see a bit of fight and make it less like a training game, our centre backs don't go chasing strikers out to the wing leaving a huge hole in the defence in the first couple of minutes, and players don't just get brushed aside off the ball.  A few moments of good attacking play would be nice as well.

                            Clark

       Foster Kerr Gordon Tanser

                             Craig

     Alston Davidson Goss Swanson

                          Kennedy

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10 hours ago, PauloPerth said:

I think Saints fans have been fairly generous in general about our performance last Sunday. 

Watching the Celtic game last night was sobering. I've sat twice at Parkhead in the past few weeks and watched them relentlessly press and bully us all over the park, giving them a platform to boss the game. They have passed the ball really well, even when we did, rarely, manage to put them under pressure and the midfielders were always moving into intelligent areas. Brown didn't lose a challenge across the three games. 

Then you get last night. They stood off Valencia, couldn't complete simple passes and had players who seemed scared of the ball.

I expect their fans are feeling this morning like a lot of our supporters do after a trip through there. What a shame. 

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8 hours ago, glenrothes 1884 saint said:

Any chance of Easton making this? Push Tanser on one if Beasty is fit.If he’s not, put Liam Craig at lb, where his lack of pace wouldn’t be so exposed, and Tanser in front giving Tavernier something to deal with, simples 

According to the report in the Courier, TW wants Easton to have another 60 minute match before coming back. 

 

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6 minutes ago, Jamie_Beatson said:

Gerrard claims as well as Morelos being out, Defoe and Lafferty are doubts.

Would obviously be a bonus if they were missing, but I fully expect both to play.

0-1, Alston overhead kick.

If it's anything like my FM careers, the 16yo nobody they chuck up front will score from 30 yards.

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Defoe and Lafferty looking likely to miss this one, Hardie and Andrew Dallas out on loan. Young Dapo Mebude withdrawn from the youth team and apparently in to the first team squad for tomorrow.

I've a feeling we'll start with Kent or Middleton upfront and the fermers will hit us on the counter. 

On the plus side apparently Alfredo's (currently without a club) twin brother is visiting Glasgow today...

 

 

 

 

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Sounds like our striking options are about as limited as Rangers. O'Halloran is definitely out and Watt is a doubt, leaving us with Kane, Hendry (zero league goals for us this season between them) and Kennedy (a winger by trade) as our striking options.

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