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Preparation for this season...


graeme_4

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With pre-season almost over, I'd be interested to know everyone's thoughts on how we are shaping up for the new season, and if you think we've learned if anything about how the team will fare this year.

I think that the ‘USA tour’ has been a bit of an embarrassment in all honesty – it does us no favours in terms of ‘brand building’ when we are struggling to beat college level teams and playing on brutal playing surfaces.

For me, in terms of how we are looking, there are a number of key things to note at this point:

- We have strengthened the squad significantly, albeit with largely ‘short-term’ signings

- Ally is still displaying a real tactical naivety

- We don’t have the players or style to play 3-5-2

- We MUST play 4-4-2 (or a 4-1-3-2 variation) this season in the championship

- I don’t think Ally doesn’t know his best defence as yet, but 3 of his midfield and strikers are probably clear in his mind (Black – Law – Mcleod – Boyd – Miller) with RM spot up for grabs

- Jig will still feature heavily this season

- Boyd doesn’t look at all fit at the moment

I think we look like we will win the championship, but more through grinding out results as opposed to doing it in style. I expect a repeat of the last 3 years under Ally, grinding out league results and then struggling to lift ourselves for the cups. Hopefully we will step it up a level against Derby who will give us a tough game.

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IMO, you really can't draw any conclusions from any pre-season or friendly games.

I agree with your comment in regard to damage to the Rangers brand. If we are going to other parts of the world to play games, we should be fit and ready and willing to put on a show. If we are not and are only playing games as practice sessions to gain fitness, we should play them behind closed doors, preferably close to home.

I appreciate that Rangers may feel that they have duty to go to Canada, USA, etc from time to time to give the large number of Bears there a chance to see them. However, they are not doing anybody any favours if they are just going to go through the motions. How many expat Bears will have talked up and taken their kids to these games only to be left shortchanged by our poor showing.

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With pre-season almost over, I'd be interested to know everyone's thoughts on how we are shaping up for the new season, and if you think we've learned if anything about how the team will fare this year.

I think that the ‘USA tour’ has been a bit of an embarrassment in all honesty – it does us no favours in terms of ‘brand building’ when we are struggling to beat college level teams and playing on brutal playing surfaces.

For me, in terms of how we are looking, there are a number of key things to note at this point:

- We have strengthened the squad significantly, albeit with largely ‘short-term’ signings

- Ally is still displaying a real tactical naivety

- We don’t have the players or style to play 3-5-2

- We MUST play 4-4-2 (or a 4-1-3-2 variation) this season in the championship

- I don’t think Ally doesn’t know his best defence as yet, but 3 of his midfield and strikers are probably clear in his mind (Black – Law – Mcleod – Boyd – Miller) with RM spot up for grabs

- Jig will still feature heavily this season

- Boyd doesn’t look at all fit at the moment

I think we look like we will win the championship, but more through grinding out results as opposed to doing it in style. I expect a repeat of the last 3 years under Ally, grinding out league results and then struggling to lift ourselves for the cups. Hopefully we will step it up a level against Derby who will give us a tough game.

If we 'grind' out another unbeaten league run with an 86 Goal difference I'll be pretty happy tbh

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The pitch last night and the first game were appalling, when pre season is all about fitness and we have what 4/5 injured players then you start asking questions.

the level of the opposition also wasn't the best so pretty hard to judge where the team is considering we were ok in patches and dreadful at other times.

Derby away might tell us a lot more , half decent level of opposition and pitch with a good backing from traveling Bears.

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The only concern I have is that our performances seem to regress after Christmas.

I hope we have gained an unassailable lead by then.

Although that could be down to having an unassailable lead against opposition that were never going to trouble us to be fair. It's hard to keep motivated at any level once it's become apparent you will win the league regardless.

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don't think we can take much from pre season this year. played teams well below what we should be and were never pushed into trying anything apart from getting fitness levels up a bit. the derby game will probably give us a better view of what to expect. decent surface half decent team and out of time to mess with formations and his first 11. so would expect a better all round showing from them. if they don't show something think we could struggle to win the championship.

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Hopefully McCoist has realised 5-4-1 won't work with the players we have and that's why we haven't played it since our embarrassing defeat to Ventura County Fusion.

Unfortunetly Jig is likely to be a regular next season, I can see the team looking a bit like this for the first few games anyway:

Bell

Foster

Zaliukas

McGregor

Wallace

McCulloch

MacLeod

Law

Black

Boyd

Miller

^ I think that is looking like his ideal team when everyone is fit for competitve matches.

As far as the tour goes, we haven't played great but at the very least we have seen a steady improvement in our performances with every game we've played.

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Playing Faure at RB and Aird RW could give us some good balance, with Faure staying fairly defensive and Aird constantly hitting the byline, and Macleod cutting in from the left with Wallace hitting the byline. Add to that an in-form Nicky Law and Kris Boyd up front and we're looking good.

I'd say the main concern is who the first choice CB pairing is, along with the lack of an attacking RB (Ricky Foster can get so far to fuck).

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IMO, you really can't draw any conclusions from any pre-season or friendly games.

I agree with your comment in regard to damage to the Rangers brand. If we are going to other parts of the world to play games, we should be fit and ready and willing to put on a show. If we are not and are only playing games as practice sessions to gain fitness, we should play them behind closed doors, preferably close to home.

I appreciate that Rangers may feel that they have duty to go to Canada, USA, etc from time to time to give the large number of Bears there a chance to see them. However, they are not doing anybody any favours if they are just going to go through the motions. How many expat Bears will have talked up and taken their kids to these games only to be left shortchanged by our poor showing.

Spot on.

I think we should be a bit more respectful of our North American support. Good point re talking us up to kids and friends who have never seen us only to disappoint by going through the motions.

If we're going to North America , let's do it properly and not use it as a pre-season warm up - it's the least they deserve.

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It's hard to take much out of this summer. We're playing some real crap teams and we've lost one drew one and won the rest. Mccoists tactical decisions just don't work. Now whether that is down to not having the players or him not getting the message across I don't really know.

However this season I just want to win the division as I've dropped all expectations of a cup win including the challenge cup.

I'd quite happily go with last nights team to start the season off and take it from there

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Hopefully McCoist has realised 5-4-1 won't work with the players we have and that's why we haven't played it since our embarrassing defeat to Ventura County Fusion.

Unfortunetly Jig is likely to be a regular next season, I can see the team looking a bit like this for the first few games anyway:

Bell

Foster

Zaliukas

McGregor

Wallace

McCulloch

MacLeod

Law

Black

Boyd

Miller

^ I think that is looking like his ideal team when everyone is fit for competitve matches.

As far as the tour goes, we haven't played great but at the very least we have seen a steady improvement in our performances with every game we've played.

would be happy enough with that side
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Not all Celtic fans were unhappy at The Queen being at parkhead, after all, its not often they get to meet the woman responsible for giving them a council house, an NHS, an educational system, social security benefits and a prison where they can visit their dad.

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A little worried, as Ally seems to be convinced that our best player and central midfielder who the team should be built around has to be played on left.

My team

Bell

McGregor Zaliukas Moshni

Black

Crawford Law McLeod Wallace

Miller Boyd

Other than maybe gallagher as the right wing back I'd be happy with th is.Plenty options on the bench with clark and daly, templeton shiels, jig and peralta and even then the younger lads.My big thing this coming season will be looking to see players rested if they look knackered or off form. Our depth of squad means no reason at all for any under performers to keep their place. Let someone else show they deserve a crack.

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Other than maybe gallagher as the right wing back I'd be happy with th is.Plenty options on the bench with clark and daly, templeton shiels, jig and peralta and even then the younger lads.My big thing this coming season will be looking to see players rested if they look knackered or off form. Our depth of squad means no reason at all for any under performers to keep their place. Let someone else show they deserve a crack.

Went for Crawford simply for his better engine and ability to get up and down the wing for 90mins, but I agree no one should be allowed to cruise this season.

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I say this with the qualification that I haven't seen any of the pre-season friendlies so I don't know how bad they were but surely the point in friendlies is to experiment with tactics and players to see how they get on, as opposed to having to win them.

Is this a case of the usual Rangers support having no patience?

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Its hard to judge how good a team is from pre season.

I like to look at what the manager has done in the transfer market to gauge what hes planning.

Hes brought in Kris Boyd as his main goalscoring threat. Lets be honest thats about all the big mans good for. None the less, a decent signing given his performance last season.

Miller was snapped up early on. Hes a player who can bring other people into games, do all the dirty work for another striker (Boyd), and hes pretty handy as a lone striker himself.

So i'd say, most of the time we'll see Rangers playing with 1 up top. If its Boyd, Miller will play on his shoulder, in a 4-4-1-1. If Millers up there, it'll be a more defensive line up, lets say a 5-4-1 or something.

In defense, hes brought in McGregor and Zaliukas. Both im sure, are mostly center backs. Although i think McGregor has been known to operate in a few different positions when required.

These signings mean 1 of 2 things. Either Moshni is on his way out, or McCoist is thinking of playing a more defensive formation this season.

If hes looking at the 5-4-1, he needs 2 pacy wingbacks, who can work the flanks. Wallace is generally good in that position, although not the quickest runner, somehow manages to get up and down the flanks. Foster on the other side though, isnt good at all, and will struggle.

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