MarkHately on the present team

[ray 105]

ON Tuesday Rangers crashed out of the Ramsdens Cup – 24 hours later Celtic earned their first Champions League point in four years. The rivals are now worlds apart.

And yet the problems facing Ally McCoist and Neil Lennon at opposite ends of the football scale are surprisingly similar.

If there is one constant about the Old Firm it’s the expectation – the demands placed upon managers and players.

It doesn’t matter if it’s the Nou Camp or New Bayview – Celtic and Rangers are expected to go out and produce a level of performance befitting the shirt.

And right now, both managers are being let down by their own players.

I don’t want to be seen to be taking a kick at Celtic just for the sake of balance. McCoist would rather be in Lennon’s boots any day of the year.

But even so, Lennon will be scratching his head after watching the way his players set about a top-class European side such as Benfica and wondering how the same group were so easily swatted aside by St Johnstone.

It wasn’t a great performance by Celtic on Wednesday night but it was a very good one and the attitude was spot on.

Quality is not Celtic’s problem – application is. It’s Lennon’s job now to get his players focused on the bread and butter because there is a danger some of them are not turned on by winning a one-horse race in the SPL.

Rangers have no excuses. They are at the bottom of the pile. The sooner they start to realise it and do something about fixing it the better.

I was there to watch their Ramsdens Cup exit on Tuesday night – and it was the worst performance I’ve ever seen from any Rangers side.

The word disgraceful does not even cover it.

Too many of these players are going through the motions. They seem happy to call themselves Rangers players and wear the shirt and badge – but how many of them are prepared to contribute the blood, sweat and tears that have been spilled in the name of the club down the years?

It’s as if they like the idea of playing at being Rangers players.

And they certainly don’t mind the easy cash. Well, if that’s their mentality they shame the memories of all who have gone before them.

It takes a certain type to make it at a club like this. If you are not up to the job you will not last. The other night only Lee McCulloch and Neil Alexander were close to pass marks. It’s no coincidence this pair are the only players left over from the previous regime.

But what of the rest of them? Of Fran Sandaza, Ian Black, Dean Shiels, Kevin Kyle and the foreigners drafted in from all corners? These guys should be taking teams apart at this level. If I was in charge I’d set a target of 80 per cent possession in every match they play.

If the stats didn’t match up there would be no day off in midweek. They’d be back on the training ground.

It’s simple. If you have more possession, more quality and are prepared to work as hard as the part-time players, then you will win games.

These players might think they are good enough to wear the Rangers shirt. But until they start proving it on the pitch they will be taking their wages under false pretences.

As told to Keith Jackson

[WeirFleckNRothen 1,789]

Articles in newspapers like The Sun and The Daily Record should be ignored. Even more so, ex-professionals who write or provide for these comics should be ignored.

It's a poorly written piece that has been exaggerated to the max in order to sensationalise it's appeal.

I mean, Celtic were held to a bore draw at Parkhead in what was to be the biggest occasion there for years. Keith Jackson conveniently refers to that as Celtic having earned something. It's such shite, shite journalism.

Then, Hateley. The worst performance he's ever seen? We were poor, but we've seen far superior Rangers sides losing heavier at home. The Romanian mob who leathered us four-one, Hibs skelping us three-nil on two separate occasions, most games under le Guen. That's just off the top of my head.

Why let the truth get in the way of a good story, though?

[Smile 26,622]

He's got a point about work rate and commitment its just not there at the moment from the players.

[Johnny Dangerously 7,562]

So cellick set about a top class european side, feck off mark it was a boring 0-0 draw

[Gaz92 966]

Silly statement to say that's the worst performance he's ever seen, and if it was, we're now a Third Division team, shouldn't really be compared to teams of the past.

[tyabb bear 63]

Sorry Mark you lost me when you and your cronies in the mhedia "walked away"

[WaltersGotStyle 160]

I usually cringe at Big Marks column however he is spot on here

[Ricky_ 893]

guys like Hately, Gough etc... should stop spouting absolute shite for a quick buck in these rags. Embarrassment.

[CanadianBacon 2,088]

"But what of the rest of them? Of Fran Sandaza, Ian Black, Dean Shiels, Kevin Kyle and the foreigners drafted in from all corners? These guys should be taking teams apart at this level. If I was in charge I’d set a target of 80 per cent possession in every match they play.

If the stats didn’t match up there would be no day off in midweek. They’d be back on the training ground."

I thought the tall Englishman was a close personal friend of Ally's?

If so he's only a phone call away for a chat about what the tall Englishman thinks - or better yet - drop in for a face-to-face chat with his close personal friend rather than give him advice in a daily rag that McCoist probably doesn't read anyway.

As for his comments about the Tarriers earning a point in the CL.....from where I stand I took it that they'd dropped two points the other night.

I must've got that wrong.

[ray 105]

"But what of the rest of them? Of Fran Sandaza, Ian Black, Dean Shiels, Kevin Kyle and the foreigners drafted in from all corners? These guys should be taking teams apart at this level. If I was in charge I’d set a target of 80 per cent possession in every match they play.

If the stats didn’t match up there would be no day off in midweek. They’d be back on the training ground."

I thought the tall Englishman was a close personal friend of Ally's?

If so he's only a phone call away for a chat about what the tall Englishman thinks - or better yet - drop in for a face-to-face chat with his close personal friend rather than give him advice in a daily rag that McCoist probably doesn't read anyway.

As for his comments about the Tarriers earning a point in the CL.....from where I stand I took it that they'd dropped two points the other night.

I must've got that wrong.

Whatever he is he isn't wrong.

[Ricky_ 893]

Whatever he is he isn't wrong.

theres a reason why he only makes a quick buck spoutin pish in tabloids and he's not the manager.

80 per cent possession rate.... what fucking planet is he on?

[ray 105]

theres a reason why he only makes a quick buck spoutin pish in tabloids and he's not the manager.

80 per cent possession rate.... what fucking planet is he on?

Probably the same planet as most of us, where part timers shouldn't be getting a kick against our £7 million wage bill, how about you still on Mars.

[The Godfather 72,411]

80% possestion, I don't even think Barca have had that playing the diddie teams in the CL or Spanish cups.

[trueblue4life 20]

He's right about keeping the ball and criticising certain players who seem to have only come here for the wages thus far as they haven't shown any real passion for the cause. However with us not participating in a proper pre season, I still think certain players are still rusty therefore they have to play as many games as possible to get the match sharpness back but they have to be quick about it.

[Ricky_ 893]

Probably the same planet as most of us, where part timers shouldn't be getting a kick against our £7 million wage bill, how about you still on Mars.

anyone who thinks a 80% posession ratio is viable doesn't have a fuckin clue.

it's 11 men, vs 11 men at the end of the day.

the average time for the ball being in play in a football match is slightly over 70 mins.

80% posseion means 1 team has the ball for 56 minutes, with the opposition on the ball for 14.

per player, (minus the goalkeeper), each player will have a total ball possession time of nearly 6 minutes.

80% possession that's laughable.

Hateley has as much credibilty as some drunk bastard in his local saying we should be winning every game 14-0.

[ray 105]

anyone who thinks a 80% posession ratio is viable doesn't have a fuckin clue.

it's 11 men, vs 11 men at the end of the day.

the average time for the ball being in play in a football match is slightly over 70 mins.

80% posseion means 1 team has the ball for 56 minutes, with the opposition on the ball for 14.

per player, (minus the goalkeeper), each player will have a total ball possession time of nearly 6 minutes.

80% possession that's laughable.

Hateley has as much credibilty as some drunk bastard in his local saying we should be winning every game 14-0.

I don't go much on stats as the old saying goes, stats and damned lies. However I was amazed to learn that Swansea had 80% possession in the first half and 75% in the second halfd against N'castle in the EPL, it still didn't prevent them getting beat 2-0.

Stats can be mostly what people want them to be, however as we are in the bottom tier of the SFL driving our fine Ferrari against the wheelbarrows and message bikes of our opponents and not in the EPL where teams manage immense possession %'s, Hately is bang on the money.

http://bit.ly/REaymJ

[delamonty 992]

Quite sure Ally would gain nothing from reading that.

And.. success at the BJK Colosseum is of course dropping 2 points in a European match. (Quite right CB )

[WeirFleckNRothen 1,789]

guys like Hately, Gough etc... should stop spouting absolute shite for a quick buck in these rags. Embarrassment.

This is spot on.

I don't understand how people like Gough, a nine-in-a-row legend, can turn-up at Murray Park every so often for a kick-about and look McCoist in the eye after some of the absolute nonsense that he's stated in The Sun.

Goram, as well. He's a roaster. Has anyone seen his piece in today's newspaper? 'Rangers must stop talking and start winning". What?! Really, Andy? It's that ability to take a step back, analyse a situation and state such clinical revelations that make you a football manager and not a part-time pundit for a comic. Oh, wait...

I've seen people ripped to shreds on here, and rightly so, for saying less against the Queen's eleven.

Quite sure Ally would gain nothing from reading that.

Ultimately, this is the best point. It is of no benefit to Rangers Football Club.

[Ricky_ 893]

I don't go much on stats as the old saying goes, stats and damned lies. However I was amazed to learn that Swansea had 80% possession in the first half and 75% in the second halfd against N'castle in the EPL, it still didn't prevent them getting beat 2-0.

Stats can be mostly what people want them to be, however as we are in the bottom tier of the SFL driving our fine Ferrari against the wheelbarrows and message bikes of our opponents and not in the EPL where teams manage immense possession %'s, Hately is bang on the money.

http://bit.ly/REaymJ

He's not bang on the money. Saying we should be getting 80% possession is like saying we should be scoring 7+ every game. It's sensationalist nonsense.

Everyone knows we should be peroforming alot better and easily beating teams that consist of part timers, don't need to be a sherlock holmes to work that one out.

No need to make laughable statements of 80% possession. Barcelona are probably the best club side in the history of the sport. The most possession i ever seen them maintain was a home game a couple of seasons ago against Hercules. Minnows from Alicante, currently sitting in the relegation zone of the Segunda Division. The game was played in Hercules half. Barca's possession was in the mid 70's. (for the record i have never in my puff seen a team finish 90mins with 80+%.)

Oh, and Hercules packed their own final 3rd (much like ive seen alot of teams do to us), and ended up catching Barca twice on the counter to win 2-0, at the Nou Camp.

People need to use there brains. We are not fuckin Barcelona. We're a brand new team pieced together from the 2nd string players who stayed on & couple of average-to-decent SPL players. (+Sandaza who is barely SPL level at all). And we've not even lost a game yet this season (other than on penalties).

I'm as critical of our performances as anyone but the reaction to getting knocked out on penalties in the Ramsdens cup is now officially well OTT. And wankers like Hately making a quick buck off our name with articles written for spastics & windae cleaners in the Sun with shite like "Rangers should have 80% possession" is nothing short of laughable.

[ray 105]

He's not bang on the money. Saying we should be getting 80% possession is like saying we should be scoring 7+ every game. It's sensationalist nonsense.

Everyone knows we should be peroforming alot better and easily beating teams that consist of part timers, don't need to be a sherlock holmes to work that one out.

No need to make laughable statements of 80% possession. Barcelona are probably the best club side in the history of the sport. The most possession i ever seen them maintain was a home game a couple of seasons ago against Hercules. Minnows from Alicante, currently sitting in the relegation zone of the Segunda Division. The game was played in Hercules half. Barca's possession was in the mid 70's. (for the record i have never in my puff seen a team finish 90mins with 80+%.)

Oh, and Hercules packed their own final 3rd (much like ive seen alot of teams do to us), and ended up catching Barca twice on the counter to win 2-0, at the Nou Camp.

People need to use there brains. We are not fuckin Barcelona. We're a brand new team pieced together from the 2nd string players who stayed on & couple of average-to-decent SPL players. (+Sandaza who is barely SPL level at all). And we've not even lost a game yet this season (other than on penalties).

I'm as critical of our performances as anyone but the reaction to getting knocked out on penalties in the Ramsdens cup is now officially well OTT. And wankers like Hately making a quick buck off our name with articles written for spastics & windae cleaners in the Sun with shite like "Rangers should have 80% possession" is nothing short of laughable.

No argument there, we are as I said a Ferrari against wheelbarrows, maybe I just have higher expectations of The Rangers in which to all intents and purposes should be a one sided contest..........otherwise we are spunking sphell wages for a third rate product, like Hately said "under false pretences"

A little stat I am sure you will enjoy.

After Barcelona's 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal despite maintaing 79 percent of possession, Andres Iniesta labeled the match "unjust."

[JograBear 1,074]

I think Hately is being a little over the top but 65-70% possession should be achievable against Div3 teams.

[Brian Fantana 28,894]

the only point i take from Hately is the increase in training, but more for the purpose of the players learning how to play with each other. our passing was horrific against QOS, a ball played into empty space all night, we need the team to learn where to be when that ball is fired off.

[WATP-FOREVER 5,231]

Mark Hately on the present team, and it's 50% about those immigrants.

[disgruntled_bear 157]

Mark Hateley is spot on. We do have no excuses, and hopefully Ally McCoist can drum it into our current batch of players of what it really means to play for us.

[Ricky_ 893]

After Barcelona's 1-0 loss

Ok lets take Barca, their team full of world cup winners & greatest players of our generation, & their mindless side-way & backward passing obsession, out of the equation, (it's laughable to use them as a comparison).

Go out and look at cup fixtures of top teams such Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool, Inter Milan etc, when they have came up against teams a divison or 2 below them.

Your sorely misguided if you think these teams are getting anything close to 80% possession when their ferraris are competing against wheelbarrows.