The one unquestionable recurring failure of this squad

[elephants stoned 2,994]

Its all about the use of the ball. In the continent, and possibly in many other parts of the world, where they have a whole different relationship with the ball than we have. The ball does the work, but here the player does a lot of the work that the ball is meant to do: why would you run with the ball for instance, when the ball can easily move on its own? Swansea have set the template for teams who aren't Manchester United/City, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham; and the other day, at Wembley, they used the ball brilliantly- a team like Bradford couldn't handle what they were doing, because an inferior team will always lose out when it comes to a better team using the ball; which is why we do badly in Europe at times. We need radical change, especially at Murray Park, and we need to focus on the ball, and the movement of players etc. It is amazing that what passes for football in this country still gets allowed with impunity.

Spot on we say this after every game and Ally says that things must change and that hes going to make sure the fans are happy with our performances after every bad game but hardly anything changes. We saw a reaction to the DU defeat for a couple of games but now its back to the same tired crap, when will we see the fruits of our 'lessons' in this league?

[TheBluenose1972 1,405]

We could be doing with big Davie Weir coaching at Rangers rather than Everton.

[Marco Negri's Beard 1,423]

Oops, 1978.

Forgive me.

Forgiven

Still preferred the original though, was quite funny

Unlike our set pieces, which cannot even outfox a bunch of amateurs. Embarassing

[BertContraband 282]

I'd bring in a decent defensive coach to work will the full squad in training drills where we can improve in this area. So vital to defend set pieces in the modern game, organisation cant be neglected at any level.

[MasterD 7,446]

It's a problem you get when you have smaller/lighter players in your team. Half the team can be wrote off as being no good for defending a set-piece or attacking 1. For defending we need 2 big strong dominating CBs which we don't have and a keeper who can claim anything within the 6yard area which we don't have either. For attacking we'd be better looking to play it short or front post for a flick on, crossing the ball for a team which has no-one good in the air is stupid.

[andymcg1986 259]

I had to laugh at the" Chris Hegatry two year contract extension thread"

Anyone who thinks Argyriou, Faure, Hegarty, Perry or Cribari should be anywhere near a rangers jersey then quite simply they're f...n blind!

This I agree with

[THE_Ibrox_Preacher 2,812]

.

[Hoodster 162]

All it takes is one good centre half to sort out our set-piece against problems. That one player will bring all around him into line and stop our keeper from shitting himself every time a ball comes into the area. At the moment there is no leader, no organisation and no determination to win the ball at all costs. Hegarty may have potential, but that potential will never, and i mean will never be realised if he does not get a good centre half next to him soon. I played CH at professional level and I can tell you that we fail at the very basics of defending set pieces. If your centre halves are soft, it impacts big time on your full backs and keeper and the outcome is what we are watching week in and week out.

[Gaffbear 4,106]

It's been a problem for years.

Last season we had Davis flighting the ball in hoping for a knock down..Never a driven corner or free kick and it hasn't changed this season.

[Goianegra 4,704]

This isn't a new thing. We've been dire at defending and taking set pieces for over half a decade.

[72barca 1,788]

Ally 's thought in the paper -

• Scottish Third
  
• 26 Feb 2013
  
• KO 19:45
  
• Ground: Forthbank Stadium
  

Home team Score Away team

Stirling Albion

1-1

Rangers

Ross Forsyth 51

Andrew Little 16

• 
  Defensive worries for McCoist
  

Tuesday 26th February 2013 23:43

Ally McCoist: Rangers manager unhappy with Stirling's equaliser

Rangers manager Ally McCoist admits he is concerned about his side's defending at set-pieces.

The runaway Third Division leaders missed out on a victory at Forthbank for the second time this season when Ross Forsyth's second-half header earned Stirling Albion a 1-1 draw.

Forsyth netted from a Kieran McAnespie free-kick to cancel out Andy Little's opener for Rangers, who lost at Forthbank back in October.

McCoist said: "Once again we defended a free-kick appallingly. It's a problem, because the opposition's best chance of scoring is from a set-play.

"I don't know the percentage, but I bet the percentage of goals that we have lost in the league from set-plays is really high.

"We are not attacking the ball well enough in that area and it's a problem. We have lost a goal here and we lost a goal on Saturday from a set-play.

"It's something we are aware of but we have to take responsibility as players to go and defend the goal. We haven't done that.

"It's not a lack of bravery. And I don't believe it's a lack of organisation, because we work on them long enough and hard enough, I can guarantee you that.

"It's maybe just an inability to do your job at the right time."

[JCS 649]

Whilst I am not wholly convinced by Ally the manager, he must not take the 'wrap' for what was a deplorable performance all round - only Andy Little emerged with any credit, and even he missed a match-winning opportunity near the end.

You can coach players until you're 'blue in the face', but the inescapable fact is that many of our players are, simply, not good enough. This is not just a consistency problem, but a fundemental lack of quality. Our defending from set pieces is - quite literally - non-existant. We don't seem to be able to 'pick' any one up, and no one appears to know who's meant to be marking who. The bickering and blame culture within the team is worrying. Instead of rolling up the sleeves and getting on with it, our players snap at one another and whine incessently!

What disturbs me most, is the fact that we are often ouplayed by these, so-called, lesser teams. They look quicker and sharper; much more committed; enthusiastic and motivated; fitter and 'leaner', and In sharp contrast, we often look lethargic; disinterested; lacking any real creativity or quality;are second to the ball and absolutely awful in the air. We 'hoof' the ball forward at every opportunity and, inevitably, lose it to the other side. I lost count of the number of times we aimlessly (or in panic) simply kicked the ball to an opposing player!

Over the course of the game last night, Stirling were much better then us - simples! To be fair we clearly miss Lewis McLeod and Jig, but I'm not convinced that is a valid excuse. When I hear our commentators on Rangers TV insist that our superior fitness will begin to tell, I cringe! Where is this superior fitness - I don't see it do you? In fact, the opposite is the case; our opponents almost always look much fitter than we do.

However, we have no choice now but to await the end of the unlawful transfer embargo, off-load the deadwood and bring in some fresh faces with a bit of quality, and we must make do with what we have in the interim. No we won't be buying 'class', but I would settle for some of the players we have seen around the 3rd Division - quite a few look much better than the majority of ours!

[bigbubba 56]

Their horrible attitude, lack of leadership, lack of respect for the game and schoolboy set pieces.

[bigbubba 56]

We could be doing with big Davie Weir coaching at Rangers rather than Everton.

How do you know he has the required qualities?

[DarcheVinny 1,003]

Poor attacking and defensive set-pieces = no coaching

[DarcheVinny 1,003]

How do you know he has the required qualities?

Because he is a respected coach of a Premiership U21 team.

Doesn't matter, he won't be leaving Merseyside for 5 years at least.

[StrongbowLoyal. 36]

Our defending Set pieces is appalling.

I know we don't always get a fair crack of the whip from refs but another thing that is really pissing me off is the stupid yellows we seem to get, They always seem to be for kicking the ball away or dissent.

[bigbubba 56]

Because he is a respected coach of a Premiership U21 team.

Doesn't matter, he won't be leaving Merseyside for 5 years at least.

He is a novice who has been there 5 mins.

[Ivybank 4,643]

the reason the defending is so bad is simple,we play that idiotic zonal system at set pieces .i was right behind the goal at

the stirling goal and turned to my mate and said this is a goal if he puts in a decent delivery, yet 5 mins later another striling

free kick and people were man marking and wallace simply headered the ball away.its not rocket science ally,stop the zonal

marking,as for the back 4(except wallace) they are dire,

[RFC Eagle 4,888]

I'm always one to defend Hegarty, to mention one, for certain lapses in his game because the guy's silly inexperienced - but you really don't need to have played 10 years down the line to have a basic understanding that you can't afford to lose your man. He isn't the only one guilty for it, Argyriou and Hutton are two tonight that were fucking invisible.

I know the guy will still be learning English but for Christ sake big Cribari must see what's going wrong. He's played how many years in the Serie A and not once has he had the confidence to take control at the back. Maybe I'm being harsh pinning it on him, in fact I am. At the end of the day, its down to Ally and the coaching staff. There is fuck all excuse for how badly this team defends and attacks dead-balls.

It is downright embarrassing that an 18-year-old boy brought through from Killie's youth system is the only guy in the squad who can get the ball over the first man.

He very rarely does get the ball over the first man at corners. Our corners are particularly woeful and rarely seem to change tactically. As for Alexander he does his best to marshall the defence and certainly doesn't just 'flail his arms around'. You probably don't care to see the countless times he talks to the defence individually and tries to get them organised. Its all down to whats done on the training pitch and it does seem that the tactical element of training is either severely lacking or non=existent.

[TMB 14,167]

Set-pieces.

Time, and time again, it comes down to set-plays. I have never, in all my time watching Rangers, witnessed a Rangers team look so clueless and disorganised when the game is stopped for a free-kick or corner. Should we get a free-kick in a dangerous position, Black will step over the ball - every time - and Hutton will lead the rest round the backline to imitate a run to the far-post. Their runs mean fuck all in the end because the ball fails to reach the 18-yard line.

Then, when the tables are turned and Rangers are defending a dead-ball, you have Alexander flailing his arms without any real purpose - similar to when he rushes out into no-man's land to flap at a cross - with no-one taking authority over organising the defence. For such a well-traveled player in Cribari you would imagine he sees the problem before anyone.

It was a running joke at the start of the season that Rangers didn't practice set-pieces at training but its becoming apparent that it might not actually be that far from the truth. The worst part is that it is so easily fixed.

I did a tour of Ibrox earlier this season. On the Tactics board of our dressing room was a highly detailed schematic of our corner kick routines. Needless to say it's easier said than done. I was actually surprised they allowed the public to see it. Anyone want to see a picture of it?

[bs1982 22]

Couldn't agree more with the OP. Our defending of set-pieces is shocking but we are just as bad when we get one ourselves. I noticed that Faure's goal at the weekend was the first all season from any of our recognised centre-halfs!

We have played almost 40 games now and Cribari, Perry, Hegarty and Argyriou have yet to score. Even Goain and Bocanegra failed to score when they played at the start of the season. With the amount of free-kicks and corners we get that is quite a pathetic return.