Midfield pressing the ball

[Tumshie 205]

This was a major factor in our good run in Decemebr and January. The midfield of Beasley, Davis, McCulloch and Novo pressed the opposition before they even got into our half. Contrast that with the shambles I saw today and thats 1 of the main reasons why we were so poor. Standing off and letting McArthur and Alex Neill to run over the top of us.

Good teams press high up the pitch. It's time we got back to that!!

[TexasGers 96]

Agree, we stood off Accies way too often and most of the match was played in our own half- which is something you never like to see at Ibrox.

[Stu1993 101]

i dont know how many times McCulloch ran past the player with the ball. We have to press as a team we cant just have 1 or two doing it cause it will leave to many gaps behind the midfield.

[lancedeangers1 287]

We need Bougherra in the side to play high up the pitch, without him we are too vulnerable.

I agree about the pressing, Barcelona have so much possession because when they have the ball they are good at retaining it and when the opposition have it they hustle them continuously and win it back.

[Ozblue 4,331]

Pressing? Don't mention the word "Pressing" to McCulloch or Naismith.They would think they would have to play with steam irons in their hands....That's about the only pressing you would get from those two headless chooks.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

I guess different opinions is why we love the game and RM. I though McCulloch was one of our better players in pressing the ball and Edu was found way wanting and it was Edu that was being bypassed for most of the game! (Mind you the whole midfield was dreadful and its a good job we have a good defense as Hamilton only had one or two threats on goal.

[cnicholl2910 1]

Didn't get to the game on sat and was listening to radio synde. Derek johnston commented after one the other pundits saying that accies were controlling the midfield and edu and mcculloch were sitting in front of the back four and not pressing allowing to knock the ball about. DJ then said that this was clever tactics by smith as he prob knew that if mcculloxch and edu pushed forward to press, they would get the ball passed round them and we would be defending hamilton nearer our goal.

For us to allow hamilton accies to come to ibrox and make them look like barca is shocking. YES we are on course for 2 in a row in the dire finacial circumstnaces but that after st johnstone is very annoying.

[CanadianBacon 2,088]

This was a major factor in our good run in Decemebr and January. The midfield of Beasley, Davis, McCulloch and Novo pressed the opposition before they even got into our half. Contrast that with the shambles I saw today and thats 1 of the main reasons why we were so poor. Standing off and letting McArthur and Alex Neill to run over the top of us.

Good teams press high up the pitch. It's time we got back to that!!

Spot-fucking-on sir.

I've nothing to add.

[Frankie 505]

Yep, we sat far too deep and allowed Hamilton too much space to dictate play.

In saying that, Neil and McCarthur had to do this from their own half in the main as when they did step forward they were closed down. Obviously, our tactic was to sit in and break on the counter which, if we'd scored the sitters we had in the second half, we'd not be moaning about today.

Whether we need to use such a tactic against the likes of Hamilton at Ibrox is another question obviously...