Ibroxholm

Even more so than who leaves this summer, the new signings have to be focussed on competing and return to the top of Scottish football. Forget wingers whose main asset is their speed, forget centre backs who simply look quite classy in passing the ball, or midfield players who can pass the ball sideways all day, we need to focus on what is required for us to win here in Scotland. I’m no expert on football, above that of any other fan who goes to the matches every week, but even I could see after watching 10min Youtube videos of Matondo, Davies and Ridvan that they would not be particularly suited to the demands of playing in Scotland and for Rangers in particular. Taken together with our propensity to buy players whose main attributes are to frequent the treatment room, it’s little wonder we’ve fallen so short this season. I don’t want to shift blame from the inadequacies of the players like Morelos, Kent, Barasic, etc who we are now just sick of the sight off, but it’s not their fault that their potential replacements have not been able to displace them from our team. Wilson has a lot to answer for and we need to sort it out this summer or that lot will disappear into the distance.

I agree with you about Lowry. For me, he looks a more composed and better balanced player than Tillman, with the rider being that we have yet to see if he can produce consistently at first team level and also in the bigger games. However, we’ll never find out that unless we give him a reasonable chance to show it (accepted that his injuries this season probably hindered his development). Big factor is that it’ll cost us nothing to give him a chance to realise potential.

Both have stayed too long and lost a bit of interest. Unless players are Scottish, and preferably have some affinity with the club, I reckon 3 or 4 years is the maximum we should retain them. Both Morelos and Kent will have seen Rangers as a stepping stone to the bigger leagues and when it didn’t come they appear to have lost that incentive. Both should be thanked for their service and let go in the summer. Unless there are no other realistic options I would limit their game time from now on, particularly as they’ll probably be watching that they don’t get injured.

I wouldn’t pay 5m for him. Rather add that money to getting a striker who can lead the line and put the ball in the net, or a really dominant no-prisoner-taken centre half. I know Tillman is young and has some potential but the games against celtic and the CL are warning signs to me. It’s not that he has just had bad games and made mistakes, it’s the fact that he hasn’t turned up at all in these games. You can have all the potential in the world but you need to see a bit of fight and heart to win the battle in the big games. Sad to say I haven’t seen that with Tillman.

I quite like Sakala but you can’t really depend on him, it’s potluck on whether you get something good or bad from him. Can be no excuses for his first half miss today, a first team striker has to finish that. On that miss, it seems that our regular front three of Sakala, Morelos & Kent are one trick ponies when they get put through on a goalkeeper, alway trying to shoot the ball past them. Can’t recall the last time I saw any of them chip a ball over or try to go round a keeper as an alternative. Bottom line is that none of them seem to have the composure to regularly put away such chances.

I like his attitude. He looks as if he is arrogant and a bit full himself which is great providing he has the skill to back it up on the park. I’m really not interested in hearing about any shortcomings in training, I pay my season ticket to be entertained on the park, don’t give a stuff about training. We need to give him a run of games when he’s fit. If he cannot deliver on the park, the fans and his teammates will soon let him know about it and cut any attitude issues down to size. If he can deliver on the park, nobody will worry about his attitude.

He has definitely improved as an all-round player in his time with us. However, can’t help feeling that we have turned an, admittedly raw, 20-25 goals per season striker when he arrived into a more mature 10-15 goals per season player now. Don’t know if that’s been a good thing for him or us.

Still not convinced on him and the 5m price tag is a lot of money for a player who only turns up against the cannon fodder in our League. If it wasn’t so much for him, I would take a risk but with the need to get maximum value for our money I’m 50-50 on it. I don’t think we need both him and Hagi (particularly having Lowry in the wings) so it may be an option to sell Hagi to offset some of Tillman’s fee. Either that or go with Hagi instead.

Commenting on that goal, Paul Mariner described Coop as having a left foot like a can opener.

Really solid centre back, generally good on the ball but prone to overplay at times which cost us a few vital goals. Considering our main opposition at the time had a couple of hammer throwers upfront, and we had Klos in goals, without his physicality (and to a lesser extent Moore’s), don’t think we would have won half as much as we did 2002 through 2003. Would walk into our defence at the present time, first choice.

Protests like these are just as likely to backfire with the Board not wanting to be seen to bow or be intimidated by fan protest. I think this was the reason Lennon lasted so long with them.

I think it’s probably time for both of them to go their own way. By not signing by now, they have indicated that they’re not fully committed to us going forward (and we’ve known that with Morelos for a few years now). I think signing Goldson last year has made a rod for our back because players now perceive that they can sit it out, field all other offers, and have us sitting in the wings as a back up. We can’t keep doing this, not knowing if they’re signing or not to half way through the close season. We need to make decisions early on their replacements.

Football in Scotland is unique in many ways and so is playing for Rangers. It doesn’t matter how creative and technical players are if they’re not delivering and helping to win the football matches that matter.

I don’t think we should take games lightly (ever) but we need to start picking players with a view to who could make a difference for us in the future. Lowry, Ylimaz (when fit), King and Devine should hopefully see some significant game time before the end of the season (and at least be on the bench to be brought on prior to the usual bench fillers). We need to also decide between Tillman and Hagi, we don’t need both of them for the same role.

For me, the jury is out on whether we should buy Tillman. Yes, he has talent and potential but it is a major worry that he has not turned up in really any of the big games for us. There is no doubt, he has made a difference against the run-of-the-mill teams in the SPFL but he still presents the same problem we have with the rest of the team, he’s not there when we most need him. 5 million is a lot of money to us so he really has to show something in the remaining games against celtic to indicate he is worthy of that spend. If we do buy Tillman, we should definitely be thinking of selling Hagi because we have more than enough cover in that position with Lawrence, Cantwell, Lowry and Arfield.

Wasn’t impressed with team selection today, midfield especially. However, just realised that it was the same team who started against Hearts at Tynecastle. Wonder if Beale put too much emphasis on that performance and result without recognising how poor Hearts we’re on the night.

Wouldn’t disagree with that. Do think they tend to hit the ground running from the very start, whereas it’s standard practice for us to take most or all of the first half to raise a gallup. Do think they tend to run out of gas a bit in the last 30 minutes of games because they put so much into, however if you’re 3 or 4 up by then it doesn’t really matter.

I think mentality has to be a part of it with the same players not delivering when it matters. Don’t disagree with much of what you say, there are clearly players that we have kept too long and are now well past their prime. We can argue what is the difference between us and them and but the comparative results don’t lie. I agree that our buys in last two seasons have been rubbish and that comes down to Wilson and his jacket has to be on a shoogly nail. One of my main gripes is the lack of physicality in the team which seems to reduce every passing window. Apart from the difference in class, the way we were simply swatted aside in our European games this season was pathetic. As for them across the city, the only time I’ve seen us get physical with them in anyway was in last season’s SC semi-final when we got a result.

Agree, team selection today was suspect and he should have at least went with Raskin and probably Jack. Early days but can’t see Cantwell providing the required fight and dig to turn us round. As for the team he put on the park, we have seen it all before from these same players. For me, jury is out on Tillman as well. Has ability, there is no doubt, but needs to show us he can do it in in the big games.

Don’t think our defence is great but don’t think that’s the key factor between us and them. Any team’s defence is going to look better when they are 2 or 3 up in short time in most matches.

Not absolving Beale of blame today but the same players have not turned up when it matters under Gerrard, Gio and now Beale. We badly need players who are leaders on the park and don’t look to the manager to provide that for them. Ultimately, it’s the manager who picks the team so the buck will stop at him but I think it’s early enough in Beale’s tenure to give him the benefit of the doubt. He needs to sort it out quickly though, significant clear out required in the summer imo and his buys need to inject fight and physicality into the team.

I agree. My point is we don’t waste the rest of, what’s likely to be a barren season, by keep playing them. Get the players who want to be here on the park and find out if they’re good enough or not. Find out what we need to bring in in the summer. Most of all, no more Goldson type deals where we give all the power to the player and leave ourselves in limbo to the last minute.

Too many of the same players let us down time and time again when the key games come up. It’s clearly a mentality issue and it’s not helped with having a distinct lack of physicality or leaders in our team.

Management needs to decide right now if it’s worth keeping Morelos and Kent. If they want to keep them (my view is it’s time for them to move on) they need to be given an ultimatum to sign this week and told they won’t be given another opportunity. If they don’t want to sign, or the management doesn’t want them, they need to be dropped from the team for the rest of the season. We’re not going to win anything anyway, so go with Colak, Tillman, Lowry, Sakala, Hagi, etc and find out if they are good enough to build a team with/around season and, if not,what we need to bring in in the summer.

We are always getting hammered whatever we do by both opposition fans and media alike. It doesn’t matter if the incident/decision is clear cut or not. I understand Beale will be the knight in shining armour in football circles for his decision, just don’t think he’s helped Tillman, or for that matter McGregor, who will be labelled the bad guys. I didn’t make the argument on whether anyone else would do it to us. I think giving the ball back is an informal convention that causes unnecessary confusion, argument and gamesmanship at times. It would be better all round if players just played to win at all times (with possible exception of a player having to be carted off seriously injured).