***The Official VfB Stuttgart v Rangers Thread***

[disgruntled_bear 157]

No Boyd so far....thank fuck!

Totally agree, although i find it interesting nobody has picked him with all the support he gets.

Nobody in their right mind would want to see Boyd played as a lone striker.

How no..... Whats changed from him not getting enough support?

Surely a midfield 5 of Naismith, Davis, Mendes, Thomson and Rothen would supply him with enough ammunition. Or is there more to it now, has the situation changed?

4 out of those 5 played yesterday and he didn't get anywhere near enough ammunition. Against a much better team away from home he would get even less. He'd have to fight for every ball and create his own chances, i don't think Boyd is the kind of player who can do that.

Like it or not Miller is the best option we have to play the lone striker role.

I'm just asking the question regarding Boyd, cause in the past it was the team not supplying, I'm just wondering whats changed, and why nobody has picked him.

I agree wholeheartedly with Miller, and i have him in my team

[simplythebest 11,453]

No Boyd so far....thank fuck!

Totally agree, although i find it interesting nobody has picked him with all the support he gets.

Nobody in their right mind would want to see Boyd played as a lone striker.

How no..... Whats changed from him not getting enough support?

Surely a midfield 5 of Naismith, Davis, Mendes, Thomson and Rothen would supply him with enough ammunition. Or is there more to it now, has the situation changed?

I realise the sarcasm DB but personally i've never said Boyd could play as a lone striker in a 4-5-1. Front man in a 4-3-3 perhaps but i can't see Smith going as positive as that in Stuttgart, certainly not early on anyway.

Boyd is far too immobile to be up there on his own, Miller is the one for that role.

[Muff 245]

No Boyd so far....thank fuck!

Totally agree, although i find it interesting nobody has picked him with all the support he gets.

Nobody in their right mind would want to see Boyd played as a lone striker.

How no..... Whats changed from him not getting enough support?

Surely a midfield 5 of Naismith, Davis, Mendes, Thomson and Rothen would supply him with enough ammunition. Or is there more to it now, has the situation changed?

4 out of those 5 played yesterday and he didn't get anywhere near enough ammunition. Against a much better team away from home he would get even less. He'd have to fight for every ball and create his own chances, i don't think Boyd is the kind of player who can do that.

Like it or not Miller is the best option we have to play the lone striker role.

And that's very worrying. The guy can't score in a barrel of fannies, and his confidence must be so low it's unbelievable.

[Creampuff 22,628]

No Boyd so far....thank fuck!

Totally agree, although i find it interesting nobody has picked him with all the support he gets.

Nobody in their right mind would want to see Boyd played as a lone striker.

How no..... Whats changed from him not getting enough support?

Surely a midfield 5 of Naismith, Davis, Mendes, Thomson and Rothen would supply him with enough ammunition. Or is there more to it now, has the situation changed?

4 out of those 5 played yesterday and he didn't get anywhere near enough ammunition. Against a much better team away from home he would get even less. He'd have to fight for every ball and create his own chances, i don't think Boyd is the kind of player who can do that.

Like it or not Miller is the best option we have to play the lone striker role.

And that's very worrying. The guy can't score in a barrel of fannies, and his confidence must be so low it's unbelievable.

Take a gamble and play Fleck, it worked in the Old Firm..

[BlueIsTheColour 35]

And that's very worrying. The guy can't score in a barrel of fannies, and his confidence must be so low it's unbelievable.

He needs to stand up and be counted. His performance for Scotland against Holland was very good despite missing that guilt-edged chance. He needs to replicate that and take his chance when it comes. Otherwise we are going to be either relying on a goal from midfield (highly unlikely) or a set-piece. That shouldn't never be the case for any team.

[Blue Stars Bearette 1]

Anyone else worried about this being a 90-minute back's to the wall effort?

yep

[chris_glasgow 2]

If McCulloch starts then Smith needs a fucking head examination.

[bouncy 315]

Stuttgart 1-2 Rangers

Mendes and Miller

[papaguy51 912]

Shameless bump.

Will Rothen play? Nicking a goal from a set piece could be our ticket to a win here, and Rothen has already shown with three or four balls into the box that he's head and shoulders above anyone else in our squad with a dead ball.

[Muff 245]

I don't think he'll start (Rothen).

I think we'll see a midfield of, Davis, McCulloch, Thomson, Mendes and Naismith, will Miller upfront.

4-1-4-1/4-5-1.

[Tumshie 205]

I think the team will be

:mcgregor:

:whittaker: :bougherra: :weir: :papac:

:mcculloch:

:davis: :mendes: :thomson: :rothen:

:miller:

That's definitely Walters team. Would like to see Davis in the middle of the park instead of either Thommo (isn't match fit) or big Lee and have Naismith or Novo out wide but can't see that happening

[Muff 245]

McCulloch should be nowhere near a Rangers team, especially when it comes to the Champions League.

Stuttgart are a good side with some quality players, McCulloch struggles away from home against the likes of Hearts and Motherwell. His positional sense is horrific, our midfield struggles when it's pressed and put under pressure. McCulloch hides, and looks completely out of his depth. He get's caught out, can't get into the game, leaves massive gaps in the midfield, and, leads with the elbows resulting in foul after foul. His lack of mobility and pace is another huge let down, along with his hospital balls.

[papaguy51 912]

I'm reasonably concerned by who Stuttgart will pick out wide.

Hleb may be injured apparently, but that doesn't make it any easier.

Will it be Trasch, Elson, Khedira, Gebhart.....?

[Blue Stars Bearette 1]

am very nervous about the game

they have quality all over the field we can't let their position in the table deceive us

[Stuart_RFC 41]

The reality is that we are going to be under the cosh for a large part of this game. We will pack the midfield and try and frustrate Stuttgart, but the likelyhood is, with Davie Weir at the back, and Whittaker, they will get chances and have the players to take them.

We will get the odd chance, but the chances are they will fall to Miller, who is badly off-form, and doesn't look like scoring any time he gets a chance lately.

I'm worried. But it's not curtains even if we do lose this.

[disgruntled_bear 157]

No Boyd so far....thank fuck!

Totally agree, although i find it interesting nobody has picked him with all the support he gets.

Nobody in their right mind would want to see Boyd played as a lone striker.

How no..... Whats changed from him not getting enough support?

Surely a midfield 5 of Naismith, Davis, Mendes, Thomson and Rothen would supply him with enough ammunition. Or is there more to it now, has the situation changed?

I realise the sarcasm DB but personally i've never said Boyd could play as a lone striker in a 4-5-1. Front man in a 4-3-3 perhaps but i can't see Smith going as positive as that in Stuttgart, certainly not early on anyway.

Boyd is far too immobile to be up there on his own, Miller is the one for that role.

No sarcasm just asking a question why he hasn't be picked, when all these things have been said in the past.

Maybe not you personally have said Boyd can play a lone striker, but many in the past have. But yet no one is mentioning him I for one find that strange.

Is everybody starting to see Boyd can't adapt and Miller can, was the questions dragged up about Miller last week justified if he is our best option?

If that is the case why should we continue to shoehorn Boyd and consider to give him a new contract, and that is a major concern both on and off the park for us.

[Muff 245]

The thought of very few chances, and, ones we do create/get a bit of luck with, falling to Kenny Miller, does not leave me with much coinfidence, if any at all.

He couldn't hit a barn door. His shooting is absolutely woeful, and, he has absolutely no confidence at this moment in time....but he may run about a bit, so I guess that will do

[FlippinEck 3,708]

Just think of the must take chances scotland created away to holland, norway and at home to holland, that fell to Kenny Miller... At least guys like Darcheville and Cousin took some of theres! Kenny Miller will run his socks off but we really need to hope for one hell of a bit of luck as he just seems to miss those chances you automatically think "Goal" when they come

[disgruntled_bear 157]

The thought of very few chances, and, ones we do create/get a bit of luck with, falling to Kenny Miller, does not leave me with much coinfidence, if any at all.

He couldn't hit a barn door. His shooting is absolutely woeful, and, he has absolutely no confidence at this moment in time....but he may run about a bit, so I guess that will do

You can see the logic of playing Miller up top though, he'll stretch the back line and cause problems.

Things have been going against him in recent weeks but he is the best option we have at the moment, If we had a fully fit Lafferty to play that role then things would be completely different.

Midfield is the key for us, this is why for me if we have any chance we have to start Davis, Thomson and Mendes in the middle of midfield. Out wide it between 4, Naismith, Novo, Rothen and a player that's been reported missing for a while DMB.

[Stuart_RFC 41]

The thought of very few chances, and, ones we do create/get a bit of luck with, falling to Kenny Miller, does not leave me with much coinfidence, if any at all.

He couldn't hit a barn door. His shooting is absolutely woeful, and, he has absolutely no confidence at this moment in time....but he may run about a bit, so I guess that will do

That's what we are looking at though Muff. Obviously not a certainty as depending on how the game goes, other players may get chances. But the likelyhood is, because most of the game he will be up there on his own, he will be the 1 left to try and create his own chances, and as he is the striker he will be the 1 the midfield are trying to provide.

He is off-form, and that is an under-statement. I'd actually feel slightly more confident if Novo or Naismith lead the line, at this moment in time.

I'm not holding out much hope in Miller becoming a match-winner for us on Wednesday. I think that set-pieces could be the key to us getting a result, if any.

[Amac9 2,060]

I would take a draw tbh.

[ScotBear 144]

_______________________McGregor

Whittaker_______Bougherra________Weir________Papac

________________Mendes________Thomson

________Naismith_________Davis__________Rothen

________________________Miller

But I'm almost certain Walter will have McCulloch in for Naismith, with Lee beside Thomson, Davis on the right and Mendes in the advanced midfield role.

[disgruntled_bear 157]

Hopefully he doesn't play on Wednesday night, what a bonus that would be.

DANGER MAN Alexsandr Hleb is in a race against time to be fit to face Rangers in Matchday One of the Champions League.

The Belarus ace, who is on a seaon-long loan from Barcelona, is suffering a muscle strain from Saturday's 3-1 Bundesliga defeat by Hamburg.

He did not train with Suttgart today and admitted that he is struggling to be ready for Wednesday's clash with Walter Smith's side.

Coach Markus Babbel is extremely worried that Hleb will not be available and his omission would be a bonus for Rangers.

Cacau, who scored against Rangers two years ago, is the likely replacement to come and play beside main striker Pavel Pogrebnyak.

Stuttgart will work on the fitness of Hleb over the next two days but time appears to be against him.

Meanwhile, Stuttgart airport's main runway was closed today after an emergency landing caused damage and urgent repair work is now being carried out.

http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/He...1796663,00.html

[port_bear 86]

_______________________McGregor

Whittaker_______Bougherra________Weir________Papac

________________Mendes________Thomson

________Naismith_________Davis__________Rothen

________________________Miller

But I'm almost certain Walter will have McCulloch in for Naismith, with Lee beside Thomson, Davis on the right and Mendes in the advanced midfield role.

I would be over the moon with this line up ScotBear, both Thomson and Mendes could do the holding stuff in midfield, breaking up the Stuttgart attacks and provide cover for the back four. This would allow Davis to get further forward and support Miller with Rothen and Naismith on either flank providing more support.

However McCulloch will start, of that I am certain, meaning Davis will be stuck out wide where he cant really influence the game and we will have 3 centre mids who will all be playing within 5 yards of each other.

[Davidrfc1873 12]

:mcgregor:
:whittaker::weir::bougherra::papac:
:mcculloch:
:davis::thomson::mendes::rothen:
:miller:

Bench:
:fleck: :boyd: :alexander: :novo: :beasley: :ssmith: