[RM Matchday Rundowns of Bazza]

It just further proves my point that when he goes forward he is far more effective and that he is wasted playing far back....

Celtic and Hibs are the only two games in the SPL he has got forward enough to make a contribution and they are the games he has done well in, which is where PLG has asked him to play <yes>

[Football Manager 2007 Official Thread!]

Im currently Aberdeen in mine, Im sitting 2nd in the league a point ahead of celtic and around 9 behind Rangers. Ive won the CIS cup and im through to the final of the league cup. My best signing was Allan Mcgregor for ?50K, i also managed to sell Gary Dempsey for ?700K to Sunderland. Ill list all of my transfers later.

I dont think ill win the league as there are only 6 games to go but ive done pretty well for a team that was told they would do well to finish in the top 6 B)

[The best thing that could come of this?]

You will probably have noticed me making various points regarding the BF and PLG debate. It may seem as though ive been anti BF but i do think he is a great player that is simply trying too hard to do everything and in doing so is going against PLG's gameplan.

What i would love to come from all of this is for Ferguson to sit down with le Guen and listen to how he wants him to play. To take into consideration that the way he has been playing hasnt been good for the team and to start playing in a more attacking role. Perhaps this is the kick up the rear that ferguson needs, he realises that he doesnt want to leave the club and the manager wont stand for his "one man team" style of playing.

Hopefully the manager and ferguson leave there ego's at home and decide to patch things up. If Le Guen can lets him back in the squad and Barry plays like we know he can, then everyone wins. I do feel that something had to be done, every week i watch ferguson play a pointless role that was simply a waste of his talents.

Do you think they will patch things up? Do you agree that Ferguson has been harming the way the team plays?

Discuss...

Who cares how PLG wants him to play. The way PLG has Rangers playing we will be in the bottom 6. Barry has been good on the park and a standout in a blue top. Do you want him to instead follow PLGs instructions and play mediocre football like the rest of the PLG minions?

Do you actually watch Barry Ferguson play at all? Honestly he isnt doing anything in attack or defense. He has played too far back against the managers wishes.

How can you blame PLG when he asks his team to play a 4-4-2 and Ferguson doesnt play the role asked of him?

[The best thing that could come of this?]

You will probably have noticed me making various points regarding the BF and PLG debate. It may seem as though ive been anti BF but i do think he is a great player that is simply trying too hard to do everything and in doing so is going against PLG's gameplan.

What i would love to come from all of this is for Ferguson to sit down with le Guen and listen to how he wants him to play. To take into consideration that the way he has been playing hasnt been good for the team and to start playing in a more attacking role. Perhaps this is the kick up the rear that ferguson needs, he realises that he doesnt want to leave the club and the manager wont stand for his "one man team" style of playing.

Hopefully the manager and ferguson leave there ego's at home and decide to patch things up. If Le Guen can lets him back in the squad and Barry plays like we know he can, then everyone wins. I do feel that something had to be done, every week i watch ferguson play a pointless role that was simply a waste of his talents.

Do you think they will patch things up? Do you agree that Ferguson has been harming the way the team plays?

Discuss...

[The Facts]

What you all fail to realise is that what ferguson has been doing isnt good for the team. when you are at the game and see him taking the ball from the goalkeeper or off the centre backs does it not annoy you that the more attacking of the two midfielders is being so defensive. The other problem is that he simply doesnt defend well, he doesnt shut men down and doesnt tackle.

Le guen has asked him to play a role, he isnt doing so and it hurts the team. We now have to always use the wings as he doesnt push forward, this means commiting Hutton and Smith up the flanks which leaves the defense short for cover. Hemdani or Svensson then has to cover which leaves gaps in the box and teams score.

There is the other problem that because we have around 7 players in our own half, we are letting teams come at us. there is no real reason for Ferguson to play so deep, he has been asked to play a more attacking role by PLG and he isnt doing it. Surley from a tactical standpoint, you can all see that the way he plays is allowing teams to attack us.

It was the same thing that happend when Mcleish was in charge, Ferguson didnt trust the other players he played with and played too far back. He does much better in Europe when he pushes up the field but for some reason in Scotland he doesnt want to do so.

If any player plays against the managers wishes and the role he plays affects the team then the manager has every right to drop him.

We play our best and most effective football on the ground. I get annoyed with the ball being lumped aimlessly up the park for our giant players Novo, Sionko,Burke because we never win the ball in the air and never win the second ball.

McGregor has obviously been instructed to play the ball long, Svensson hits the long ball, Hemdani has the talent to play decent passes but it tends to be Svensson who makes the passes.

Barry wants to play through the midfield and, therefore, goes back to collect the ball to make the passes which will keep us in possession. So if that is disobeying the managers tactics, I would have to support Barry and football.

Thats not the problem though, its where Barry is playing that is the problem. He is far too deep to be effective, so him playing there is no better than a long ball. He needs to allow Clement more of the ball and to push up the field.

Too many people are missing the point that Barry isnt a bad player but that he isnt playing in an effective manner by being so far back...

[Cant Believe what i have just seen in the Record]

Whats Gow like? I don't get to see much Scottish football these days. I know he hit a hat trick but what sort of player is he like if you were to compare his style of play to some others?

Im not sure how to describe him, he is an attacking midfield player come striker who can operate on the left wing. Ive not seen enough of him either to be honest but ive been impressed with what ive seen from him this year, he looks good on the ball and he is quite a skillfull player.

You could possibly compare him to Riordan in the sense he is versitile although ive not seen enough of him to properly comment.

[Cant Believe what i have just seen in the Record]

http://www.&lt;No links to this website&gt;/sport/footbal...-name_page.html

i hope this isnt true

Gow is a good player, he links up well with the strikers and can play in a range of different positions. He was brilliant against us earlier this season.

[The Facts]

Shear -- Yes, Barry is doing too much -- I agree. But why? Is it because the signings that PLG has made are crap and Barry feels he needs to do it all?

Even with the extra workload he has carried, he's still our best player. The game against Haifa he was immense. No one else on the current GERS team can do what he did that night -- won the game by himself. Just like when he played Riquelme off the pitch -- when he had one leg (away in Villareal.) Which BRITISH player could do that? Gerrard -- yes. Lampard -- hmm maybe? Fergie is that good.

Maybe if PLG had studied the SPL a wee bit instead of being preoccupied with Austria Vienna, we wouldn't be in this position?

I have no doubts about Fergusons ability, he is a great player infact i think he is better than he is made out to be.

Ferguson however isnt playing how he should in scotland. In Europe he was getting much further up the park and being far more effective in that position which is where PLG wants him to play.

Thats the point here, not how good a player he is but the fact he isnt doing what the manager wants him to do and that it isnt benefiting the team. Everyone has been moaning at the manager but what can he do when the players are ignoring his game plan? Ferguson can run any scottish game with ease, he simply hasnt been playing far enough forward to do so...

[Did PLG Underestimate the meaning of CAPTAIN]

Ferguson has been ignoring Le Guen's team talks and doing his own thing.

Seen as you know this as fact, you must have been privy to these team talks, can you please then tell us what PLG has been saying in these team talks to try to motivate the team. Why did he continue to use his French tactics for so long, which obviously weren't working. How did he justify this to the players.

PLG has stated that Ferguson was dropped for ignoring his team tactics during the saint mirren game...

[Did PLG Underestimate the meaning of CAPTAIN]

A captain is someone who organises the team on the park and passes on the managers orders. Ferguson has been ignoring Le Guen's team talks and doing his own thing.

There was once a player at Albion Rovers who was captain, he told the team to play a different formation to that of the manager and was sacked the next day. If your boss tells you what he wants the people below you to be doing, you make them do that and you do what he wants you to do. If you dont follow orders yourself, how can you be seen to pass on the managers orders?

He knows what a captain is, does BF?

[The Facts]

I don't agree that he is part of the problem. He has been great this year.

Go Bazza!

Have you read what ive said at all? Can you not see that Ferguson isnt getting forward enough to support the strikers? taking the ball from the goalie then wandering around in your own half isnt effective at all, he is simply trying too hard...

[The Facts]

What you all fail to realise is that what ferguson has been doing isnt good for the team. when you are at the game and see him taking the ball from the goalkeeper or off the centre backs does it not annoy you that the more attacking of the two midfielders is being so defensive. The other problem is that he simply doesnt defend well, he doesnt shut men down and doesnt tackle.

Le guen has asked him to play a role, he isnt doing so and it hurts the team. We now have to always use the wings as he doesnt push forward, this means commiting Hutton and Smith up the flanks which leaves the defense short for cover. Hemdani or Svensson then has to cover which leaves gaps in the box and teams score.

There is the other problem that because we have around 7 players in our own half, we are letting teams come at us. there is no real reason for Ferguson to play so deep, he has been asked to play a more attacking role by PLG and he isnt doing it. Surley from a tactical standpoint, you can all see that the way he plays is allowing teams to attack us.

It was the same thing that happend when Mcleish was in charge, Ferguson didnt trust the other players he played with and played too far back. He does much better in Europe when he pushes up the field but for some reason in Scotland he doesnt want to do so.

If any player plays against the managers wishes and the role he plays affects the team then the manager has every right to drop him.

No offence mate, but i don't think i agree with any of this! Everyone sees things differently so fair enough, but i can't see how anyone could say we are losing games because of the way Barry is playing!

when you are at the game and see him taking the ball from the goalkeeper or off the centre backs does it not annoy you that the more attacking of the two midfielders is being so defensive.

This is something he has always done since he first started playing under Advocaat, taking charge of the game and always making himself available for the ball no matter where it is on the park! I loved him for it then (looked to me like he was taking responsilbilty even then and showing a maturity beyond his years) and i love him for it now. I don't see how this is being defensive, when he comes back and takes the ball and moves forward with it. He certainly doesn't just sit back and watch all the play going on in front of him, he makes a fair few lung-bursting late runs into the box, and is constantly probing away at defences trying to thread the ball through.

Le guen has asked him to play a role, he isnt doing so and it hurts the team. We now have to always use the wings as he doesnt push forward, this means commiting Hutton and Smith up the flanks which leaves the defense short for cover. Hemdani or Svensson then has to cover which leaves gaps in the box and teams score.

Exactly what role has le Guen asked him to play? And how is he not doing so? He is playing all over the park, giving 100% every game. Not sure i get this at all. And to suggest that the reason we lose goals is because he doesn't attack, is complete pish if you ask me.

He is being asked to play further up the park in an attacking midfield role, with clement as the holding midfielder. Clement is much better at closing down players and tackling, which is why of the two ferguson is there to take the ball forward.

He is however getting the ball deep and then not actually getting forward, he and clement are playing as two holding players which with a 442 against teams like saint mirren isnt needed. PLG wants him further up the park to link up play with the strikers, to score goals and to be there for anything breaking out of the opponents box.

When we put a cross in we should have two strikers in the box with the more attacking of the two midfielders waiting for any scraps outside. Instead Ferguson is still standing way back next to clement, so the ball breaks and the opposition gets it. by this time the full backs have commited themself to the attack as ferguson isnt far enough forward, they are needed to help out our wingers.

The team then counters and we have no full backs as they have had to come up to support the wingers as Ferguson is so far back and isnt linking up play.

He isnt playing his role in an effective manour because he doesnt have a free role. He is part of a 442 which is a pretty rigid formation, he shouldnt be taking the ball off the left back or centre back at all as thats clements role, he shouldnt be running up the left wing either as it means we are left uncovered in the middle. What he should be doing is playing in the middle, threading passes out wide and running through the middle. Instead of running 40 yards with the ball and getting no where, he could pass to clement who could then carry it forward or pass to hutton then look for a pass back.

Ferguson is constantly trying to do everyone elses work for them and then leaving massive gaps in the centre of the park, it then leaves Rangers exposed at the back.

As for him always looking for the ball, thats fine however he is doing it at the wrong places. We dont need him so far back getting the ball, to run 40 yards then play a pass to the left back. We need him to push forward, look for the ball in midfield and carry the ball into attacking positions. From there he can release burk, sionko, boyd, novo ect with a through ball. We havent had that from him this season other than in the Hibs game where he was outstanding.

As a matter of fact in the Hibs game the team played great because he pushed forward, he made himself available and linked up well with Prso and Sionko. Clement sat back and broke up the attacks, then we hit them with slick passing moves. That is how plg has asked him to play and thats why we played well, he allowed Clement to do his job and he did his own in spectacular fashion.

I cant put it any clearer than that, he isnt playing the role he has been asked to play as he wants to do it all himself. If he isnt in the opponents half then we can only use the wings, teams realise that and crowd the wings. We then need to commit more players to the wings and we get hit on the counter attack which looses goals. Le Guen wants order in his team, if a player doesnt keep to his position then it wont work and he cant be blamed for dropping that player.

At the end of the day Ferguson is a brilliant player, personally im a huge fan of his however i cant sit back and listen to people make these comments when Ferguson is part of the reason we arent playing well and are loosing goals...

[The Facts]

What you all fail to realise is that what ferguson has been doing isnt good for the team. when you are at the game and see him taking the ball from the goalkeeper or off the centre backs does it not annoy you that the more attacking of the two midfielders is being so defensive. The other problem is that he simply doesnt defend well, he doesnt shut men down and doesnt tackle.

Le guen has asked him to play a role, he isnt doing so and it hurts the team. We now have to always use the wings as he doesnt push forward, this means commiting Hutton and Smith up the flanks which leaves the defense short for cover. Hemdani or Svensson then has to cover which leaves gaps in the box and teams score.

There is the other problem that because we have around 7 players in our own half, we are letting teams come at us. there is no real reason for Ferguson to play so deep, he has been asked to play a more attacking role by PLG and he isnt doing it. Surley from a tactical standpoint, you can all see that the way he plays is allowing teams to attack us.

It was the same thing that happend when Mcleish was in charge, Ferguson didnt trust the other players he played with and played too far back. He does much better in Europe when he pushes up the field but for some reason in Scotland he doesnt want to do so.

If any player plays against the managers wishes and the role he plays affects the team then the manager has every right to drop him.

[Too much emotion]

If he comes back to play with me, he should have another behaviour and another way of playing.

I think the best thing would be for Ferguson to come back but just change his way of playing.

Change his way of playing?

He was the best on the pitch already. You want him to get worse and then we start losing the games we are drawing.

He isnt playing well though, he doesnt do anything with the ball. He picks it up to deep and then doesnt get far enough forward to make any telling contribution. He isnt tackling anyone or shutting them down for that matter so why does he persist in playing so far back?

I think Ferguson is a brilliant player, he simply isnt playing in an effective way for the team.

[Too much emotion]

.... on this board.

I like BF as a person and as a footballer but I am 100% behind PLG on this issue. What seems to be coming out of the interviews and rare soundbites is that BF was doing what HE FELT was best for the team despite what he was being asked to do by his BOSS. You can't have that - plain and simple. There can be only one boss and whether the decision was about a christmas night out or playing too deep on the park, if BF is not doing what PLG was asking to on a repeated basis, then he has to be brought back into line.

TBH I have thought for a long time that Ferguson does too much on the park and he would be much more effective at the business end of the park if he would just stand back and allow others to do their job. Common problem with really talented players is that they too often get frustrated at the inabilities of others on the park and then try to take over. But for a team to be effective, you NEED to rely on others to do their job in their position so that you can operate best in yours.

Sorry, I know this won't be popular, but much as I hate to see BF getting hurt by this, I'm with PLG.

I made a similar post to this and i agree with everything you have said. Ferguson wasnt doing what was best for the team, if anyone disagrees with that they clearly havent been watching the games closely enough.

Hopefully the whole thing can be sorted out and Ferguson can come back and play in a more positive manner.

It just goes to show that the way he has been playing has hurt the team, we have been loosing silly points to smaller clubs because he isnt willing to go forward and we have no one to link up play. The team breaks up the park and scores a goal as we have to commit our side backs up the park.

We werent caught on the counter attack today in the same way as previous games, part of that was down to Gavin Rae and Clement putting in solid tackles and linking up with other players.

Ferguson can play alongside clement but he needs to pass the ball to him and push up the park...

[We won without Ferguson]

We had a few decent chances with Novo unlucky to score on two occasions, Prso came close and boyd got into good positions. clement had a much better game today as he was allowed more of the ball and Rae did well with his tackling and got forward when needed. I feel he did drift out of the game in the second half but he got a good flick onto boyd, that had it been returned to him would surley have been a goal.

We still have a long way to go but the team did work for each other and there were always players looking for the ball. Our defence was a bit suspect, with hemdani being very poor with his distribution. However on the whole it was a decent team performance, we stuck in and got the result.

[Was Ferguson Ignoring PLG's Tactics?]

If he was ignoring tactics he wouldn't have been on the pitch.

Thats why he wasnt on the pitch today! There is no way PLG wants him taking the ball off of our defenders 25 yards from our own goal. PLG has stated Ferguson wasnt doing what he wanted him to do and because of that he has been dropped.

[Sebo a flop or not]

He hasn't shown much for us, however i don't feel we are playing to his strengths. I remember watching his international goals, every goal was a inside the box around 12 yards out where he would smash them in.

Look at how we are playing just now, how many times do we put a decent ball into the box? His strike against aberdeen was a good finishers goal and he did well with his header against Hibs. If we would put better crosses into the box, then maybe our strikers would score more goals.

Im in no way convinced by him, however we really do need to provide better service to our strikers.

[Was Ferguson Ignoring PLG's Tactics?]

My problem however with Ferguson, is the fact that he wants to do everything himself.

Steven Gerrard wants to and tries to do everything for Liverpool and gets praised for it. Wanting to do all you can for the team is no bad thing and IMO Ferguson has a reason to be like that, especially when you look at the dross playing at the back for us.

The problem though is that we arent playing well because of the way he plays. He is our attacking midfielder and he isnt doing that job, i think he is a great player but the team is suffering because he refuses to play the role he has been asked to.

Today we saw alot more of Clement, he had a very good game along side Rae (although Rae did go out the game in the second half) If Ferguson would allow Clement to see more of the ball, it would greatly benefit the team. Instead he plays too deep but doesnt tackle, Rae covered the ride side of the midfield and got forward more.

Im in no way saying Rae is a better play, we all know that ferguson is the better player but he isnt playing for the good of the team. He isnt getting forward and when he covers back he doesnt put in tackles, Le Guen has realised this along with the fact Ferguson has been ripping into his team mates. It would be fair enough if he was allowing the other players to see more of the ball and getting into attacking positions but he simply isnt doing that which is part of the reason the rest of the team are playing so badly.

Does anyone else think that was one of clements best games for the club?

[inmates running the asylum]

You may find that BF was part of the problem, it was rumored he inter feared with big Ecks tactics last year.

[Was Ferguson Ignoring PLG's Tactics?]

Having been at every home game and watched every away game this year, i do believe that Barry Ferguson doesnt follow tactics. He is a great player, with so much ability which has been proven with his European performances and his desire in scotland.

My problem however with Ferguson, is the fact that he wants to do everything himself. Its been like this ever since he came back from Blackburn. He simply doesnt trust his defence and wont let Clemant play the holding/defensive midfield role he has been asked to play.

As much effort as he is putting in, it leaves huge gaps in our team. In the centre of the park we have no link up play with our strikers, this is where Ferguson should be. Instead we have him taking the ball off our center backs and then carrying it forward, which leaves Clement standing next to him. Do we really need two holding midfielders?

Whats your thoughts on this? Personally i think it really gives us very few attacking options as we can only use the wings, teams realise this and it means we cant get the ball into the box. We then have our strikers coming out of position so we have any chance to do something wtih the ball, then it gets into the box and there is no one there.

We need a defensive midfielder and an attacking midfielder, Ferguson needs to trust his fellow players and push up the park. Too often this season we have lost 2-1 or drawn 1-1 simply due to lack of chances. We should be hammering Saint Mirren and Cally Thistle 4-0!

Whats your thoughts?

[Alan Gow]

From what ive seen of Gow, he isnt a striker at all. He is more of an attacking midfielder who plays just behind the strikers, which is something we are in need of.

He has been great for Falkirk this season, although again im not sure if he is "Rangers Class". I think he could do a job in this current team though as we have no one who links up with our strikers.