Distance between OF and the rest of the SPL

[Blue Stars Bearette 1]

Looking at the quality of signings the OF can afford ie not that great I think it will only get tougher than it already was last season for the OF. Every match will be hard fought and I think more points will be dropped

[nvager 498]

Looking at the quality of signings the OF can afford ie not that great I think it will only get tougher than it already was last season for the OF. Every match will be hard fought and I think more points will be dropped

If we do not bring in a touch of flair and ingenuity to the team, then yes you are very much correct. There is no-one in this RFC team in midfield or attack (Boyd excepted) that scares anyone. Our strength was in defence.

[rfc_no1fan 13]

If the season started tomorrow...... We'd drop a lot of points to the top 6 sides in the SPL

[JR 1,480]

I don't believe that.

We are still miles better than the nearest of the clubs and the only reason we didn't open a bigger gap than we did last term was because of inability to kill off teams or play an attacking formation at home.

We could start the season tomorrow and I would be confident of competing against any SPL team.

[rfc_no1fan 13]

I don't believe that.

We are still miles better than the nearest of the clubs and the only reason we didn't open a bigger gap than we did last term was because of inability to kill off teams or play an attacking formation at home.

We could start the season tomorrow and I would be confident of competing against any SPL team.

Miles better?

If we never had Cuellar we'd have lost to Dundee Utd, Hibs and Motherwell

Midfield to front we are poor, very poor

[rfc_no1fan 13]

Oh and we couldn't play an attacking formation as everytime we opened up we got over run due to the lack of quality in midfield and full back areas

[JR 1,480]

I don't believe that.

We are still miles better than the nearest of the clubs and the only reason we didn't open a bigger gap than we did last term was because of inability to kill off teams or play an attacking formation at home.

We could start the season tomorrow and I would be confident of competing against any SPL team.

Miles better?

If we never had Cuellar we'd have lost to Dundee Utd, Hibs and Motherwell

Midfield to front we are poor, very poor

If we had gone at them in the first place, they would've been too busy worrying about us. Truth is we stood off them and let them play.

And we had chances in all three games to kill them off and did'nt take them...because we didn't go for them.

[JR 1,480]

Oh and we couldn't play an attacking formation as everytime we opened up we got over run due to the lack of quality in midfield and full back areas

We could play an attacking formation, we just didn't pick the personnel at our disposal best suited...instead we had people employed out of position trying to do a job..

Big difference.

[jbm26896 995]

I don't believe that.

We are still miles better than the nearest of the clubs and the only reason we didn't open a bigger gap than we did last term was because of inability to kill off teams or play an attacking formation at home.

We could start the season tomorrow and I would be confident of competing against any SPL team.

Miles better?

If we never had Cuellar we'd have lost to Dundee Utd, Hibs and Motherwell

Midfield to front we are poor, very poor

If we had gone at them in the first place, they would've been too busy worrying about us. Truth is we stood off them and let them play.

And we had chances in all three games to kill them off and did'nt take them...because we didn't go for them.

I agree , the reason some teams looked good against us was the fact that we did not try to attack them , we sat back and tried to hit on the break

if we had set up an attacking formation we could have beaten them more easily , IMO

[disgruntled_bear 157]

There is not that much of a gap Between the Oldfirm and Hibs,Dundee Utd and Motherwell

[outlaw69uk 123]

Oh and we couldn't play an attacking formation as everytime we opened up we got over run due to the lack of quality in midfield and full back areas

We could play an attacking formation, we just didn't pick the personnel at our disposal best suited...instead we had people employed out of position trying to do a job..

Big difference.

Agree, theres a school of thought that perhaps if Boyd had played, and scored (as he does), then, we actually WOULD have killed teams off

[Coopermania 1]

There is not that much of a gap Between the Oldfirm and Hibs,Dundee Utd and Motherwell

I agree db. These teams are better than they are given credit for, in my opinion.

[rfc_no1fan 13]

Oh and we couldn't play an attacking formation as everytime we opened up we got over run due to the lack of quality in midfield and full back areas

We could play an attacking formation, we just didn't pick the personnel at our disposal best suited...instead we had people employed out of position trying to do a job..

Big difference.

Agree, theres a school of thought that perhaps if Boyd had played, and scored (as he does), then, we actually WOULD have killed teams off

When Boyd plays the game opens up so much and teams create loads of chances against us.

We are not good enough to open up, play attacking football and take the game to the oppostion for 90 minutes. Even if we pick the "Right personel"

Last season teams hated playing against the negative approach of Rangers....... It was cagey and when they came out and tried to play football, we nicked a goal against them.

With the current squad we have, SPL teams would love for us to play in their half so they could pack the midfiled and break on us. They'd love to run at Dave Weir from the half way line, but it was never possible.

We play attacking football with the current squad, we'd lose at least 10 games next season

[JR 1,480]

Nope.

A perfect example of what I was trying to demonstrate was v Hibs at Easter road. Walter lined up with a 4-5-1 as everyone expected, but he used Naismith and burke flanking Cousin. We murdered Hibs that day but failed to kill them off and when they pulled a goal back in the dying minutes it was an edgy finish.

That illustrated that a 4-5-1 with the right personnel away from home doesn't mean defensive.

All to often we played with McCulloch outwide using the same formation, that rarely worked. Adam wide left is also over-used but under-achieving tactic.

My point is that when we play a formation which suits the personnel available, we fair better generally. If we don't have the men for the job - we have to adapt the formation/system to suit. If I have one criticism of Walter last year, it was his hesitancy in changing what seemed obvious to everyone in the ground.

Playing Barry as a second striker, when we had the likes of Buffel available. Pushing an in form Davis out wide when we had the likes of Novo available - who is more comfortable there. Those types of decisions cost us more in terms of results and performances than an apparent lack of quality.

Pound for pound, if we play our best players in their natural positions in a system they are comfortable with - we are better than any other team in the SPL. The 3-0 demolition of the tims at Ibrox was about the last time we played a settled side all in their best position and the gulf was evident.

It's just my opinion of course.

[rfc_no1fan 13]

1 game we played well in..... I can name you 3 poor games for every 1 good game.

[JR 1,480]

1 game we played well in..... I can name you 3 poor games for every 1 good game.

Yes, for all the reasons I gave previously.

[GersDude90 1]

Motherwell and dundee untd last season we're more than capable of giving rangers and celtic a game last season.

With Celtic have very regular poor games, and Rangers with the complete inability to dominate games, if this continues into next season then i do expect a fight for second. I dont see them having the nerve to go all the way and win it, but if the tend continues in a couple of years then there will be a much bigger fight for first (and not in the way i'd have hoped ie the spl getting better)