playing styles

[gmcf 34,714]

The only time I see any other team play our "lump it up the park to a big centre forward" style is when I watch League One and Two on The Football Show very late on a Saturday night. We're one of very few teams stuck in the 1970s.

Historically we've had some great success by having a big strong center forward and lumping the ball up to him , but yes , you're right - those days are gone. Or at least , should be.

[elephants stoned 2,994]

A pacey attacking system that uses the ball mostly on the floor and has a great counter attack, talented fast wingers and 2 or 3 strikers one poacher (a McCoist) one technically gifted striker (a Prso)and if we had 3 then a big man for set pieces too (a Hateley)

[allgers 735]

In some ways the style of football you play is dictated by the players you have, but I would like to see two fast forwards, a midfield that is willing to mix it up and play at a good tempo. Two mobile and commanding Centre backs, a left and right back that can go box to box for 90 minutes. Don't know what style of football that will give us, but I would send them out to play a simple 4-4-2.

[rangersfc77 170]

Had PLG been given more time we'd have been relegated before we were demoted.

I concur, PLG had more holes in our defence than a teabag. We played like Hibs groannnnnnnnnnnnnn

[Right_To_Censor 1,951]

players didn't like plg's methods, which pretty much resulted in a clique forming and barry being pretty much the ring leader.

plg didn't like barry's attitude, plg dropped him then the players decided to stick up for barry, results went to shit, fans did their wee stupid protests, plg was bullied out the door.

[allgers 735]

players didn't like plg's methods, which pretty much resulted in a clique forming and barry being pretty much the ring leader.

plg didn't like barry's attitude, plg dropped him then the players decided to stick up for barry, results went to shit, fans did their wee stupid protests, plg was bullied out the door.

Not as I remember it...

[Clyde Valley 234]

I quite enjoyed watching Bayern last night. High tempo passing and movement. Finding their own man with the ball and with players being technically and athletically competent to control stray passes. Man U did very well to defend against it. I have a feeling Utd might get a result in Germany though.

[trublusince1982 768]

The way Everton are starting to play would do me. Top heavy like a big blonde. Two wingers and an att centre behind a strong forward. Ball always on the deck with short passing at a high tempo.

[quinty 1,445]

The way Everton are starting to play would do me. Top heavy like a big blonde. Two wingers and an att centre behind a strong forward. Ball always on the deck with short passing at a high tempo.

Which gets you to fifth, maybe fourth in the league! How about the Chelsea, boring 1-0 style?

[bluenosebrad 452]

I like to think we are a Japanese team its ToraToraTora, attack Attack Attack. Seriously I would like to see us pass the ball faster and forward more at a higher temple that we are currently playing at the moment. There is to many square balls backward passing and long balls currently

[BlueSuedeSambas 54,640]

Which gets you to fifth, maybe fourth in the league! How about the Chelsea, boring 1-0 style?

You need to look at the context/competition they face

Will we be competing with teams with the quality of Man City, Chelsea & Liverpool for the SPL title?

[quinty 1,445]

I like to think we are a Japanese team its ToraToraTora, attack Attack Attack. Seriously I would like to see us pass the ball faster and forward more at a higher temple that we are currently playing at the moment. There is to many square balls backward passing and long balls currently

Surely a function, partly at least, of the set up of the teams we are playing. If you look at Bayern last night, much of their play was sideways and backwards because Utd were all behind the ball. What was interesting was that Bayern the away team, faced the scenario which we do in almost every away game, the opposition set up to defend. It shows the validity of the 'parking the bus' tactic if you have a CF who can put away one of the two/maybe three chances you will get.

[quinty 1,445]

You need to look at the context/competition they face

Will we be competing with teams with the quality of Man City, Chelsea & Liverpool for the SPL title?

Certainly not, but do we have players with the quality of Baines, Lukako and I hate to say it McCarthy in our team? The fact is that using our style in our league we are undefeated and champions, using their style in their league they are fifth.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

players didn't like plg's methods, which pretty much resulted in a clique forming and barry being pretty much the ring leader.

plg didn't like barry's attitude, plg dropped him then the players decided to stick up for barry, results went to shit, fans did their wee stupid protests, plg was bullied out the door.

Even if so a good manager would never have let it get to that stage - PLG was just a weak manager

[BlueSuedeSambas 54,640]

Certainly not, but do we have players with the quality of Baines, Lukako and I hate to say it McCarthy in our team? The fact is that using our style in our league we are undefeated and champions, using their style in their league they are fifth.

The quality of players is neither here nor there, obviously it becomes easier if you have a higher standard of player but implementing the principles of trying to play decent football remain the same regardless of the level you are.

There's a video of Derby County scoring a goal after a near 20 pass move on YouTube that could have been scored by Barcelona and I doubt they have players of that quality either. There are teams throughout Europe who don't have players of the quality of the guys you mentioned but they still make an effort to keep the ball on the deck and play football.

What you say is fact, but again it comes down to context and competition faced. Pummeling some of the worst teams in Scottish Football isn't comparable to playing in the Premiership every week.

I have no problem that we've got the job done and the stats are impressive but the football is absolutely brutal and there should be an effort from the coaching staff and management team to try and improve that. We don't have top notch players but guys like Shiels, Black, Law, MacLeod, Templeton & Clark have more than enough about them to serve up more entertaining football than they are at the moment.

This entertainment vs winning argument will be never ending because people have different opinions on it and both can argue their point too, but to me I see no reason why we shouldn't be doing both.

[BlueSuedeSambas 54,640]

Even if so a good manager would never have let it get to that stage - PLG was just a weak manager

Certain players aren't free from blame but

PLG was a cocky, arrogant shitebag who never had the backbone to manage a club the size of ours.

[laudrupno1 3,932]

Lpl

[quinty 1,445]

The quality of players is neither here nor there, obviously it becomes easier if you have a higher standard of player but implementing the principles of trying to play decent football remain the same regardless of the level you are.

There's a video of Derby County scoring a goal after a near 20 pass move on YouTube that could have been scored by Barcelona and I doubt they have players of that quality either. There are teams throughout Europe who don't have players of the quality of the guys you mentioned but they still make an effort to keep the ball on the deck and play football.

What you say is fact, but again it comes down to context and competition faced. Pummeling some of the worst teams in Scottish Football isn't comparable to playing in the Premiership every week.

I have no problem that we've got the job done and the stats are impressive but the football is absolutely brutal and there should be an effort from the coaching staff and management team to try and improve that. We don't have top notch players but guys like Shiels, Black, Law, MacLeod, Templeton & Clark have more than enough about them to serve up more entertaining football than they are at the moment.

This entertainment vs winning argument will be never ending because people have different opinions on it and both can argue their point too, but to me I see no reason why we shouldn't be doing both.

Good post, I completely agree with your final paragraph.

The problem I have is the use of the terms 'decent football' and brutal. I don't think there is such a thing as 'decent football' or 'brutal' football, yes some people will describe the football they are watching in those terms - but, and as you say we can argue about this all day, the only style of football that matters is winning football. In the CL final Bayern, imo, played scintillating football and passed Chelsea off the park - Chelsea won. You dont get trophies, medals for 'decent football'.

[BlueSuedeSambas 54,640]

Good post, I completely agree with your final paragraph.

The problem I have is the use of the terms 'decent football' and brutal. I don't think there is such a thing as 'decent football' or 'brutal' football, yes some people will describe the football they are watching in those terms - but, and as you say we can argue about this all day, the only style of football that matters is winning football. In the CL final Bayern, imo, played scintillating football and passed Chelsea off the park - Chelsea won. You dont get trophies, medals for 'decent football'.

And by the same token we parked the bus against Zenit, got passed off the park and went home with nothing.

As I said it's a never ending argument, there are examples on both sides going back for as long as football has existed and for as long as it exists it will be the same.

I have no problems with us mixing it up when required but as far as personal preference goes I would like to see our primary tactics be keeping the ball on the deck and playing with a bit more creativity as much as possible.

To me SAF's philosophy at Man Utd was the best of both worlds, especially for domestic British football which is a totally different game to what you see on the continent. They had the balance between being a relentless winning machine that played good football down to a fine art. I can rarely recall them ever resorting to panicy hoof ball football, even in times when they were struggling.

Something like that is what I'd love to see at Rangers but as long as we keep winning I can deal with what we do now (that opinion would maybe be different if I was spending hundreds of pounds a year to watch it, but I'm not so I give it a bit more leeway than others do).

[quinty 1,445]

And by the same token we parked the bus against Zenit, got passed off the park and went home with nothing.

As I said it's a never ending argument, there are examples on both sides going back for as long as football has existed and for as long as it exists it will be the same.

I have no problems with us mixing it up when required but as far as personal preference goes I would like to see our primary tactics be keeping the ball on the deck and playing with a bit more creativity as much as possible.

To me SAF's philosophy at Man Utd was the best of both worlds, especially for domestic British football which is a totally different game to what you see on the continent. They had the balance between being a relentless winning machine that played good football down to a fine art. I can rarely recall them ever resorting to panicy hoof ball football, even in times when they were struggling.

Something like that is what I'd love to see at Rangers but as long as we keep winning I can deal with what we do now (that opinion would maybe be different if I was spending hundreds of pounds a year to watch it, but I'm not so I give it a bit more leeway than others do).

Again, another good post.

I remember Ally talking about the 5-1 game, he looked up at the clock and saw there was half an hour to go and his head was full of records and scoring as many as possible - Razor grabbed him and told him to just relax and enjoy it. Similarly the 1967 Baxter's Wembley where most of the Scotland team and supporters wanted to go for the jugular, Baxter wanted to take the piss - England nearly got back in it. If an Italian team goes one up, they, generally, will then shut up shop and let the other team take the initiative.

As a supporter, I would be on Ally's side in the first instance, Baxter's on the second and completely scunnered at the Italians. Not sure what my point is here apart from the fact that I, like all Rangers supporters I guess, am a fickle bastard and hard to please.

[trublusince1982 768]

Which gets you to fifth, maybe fourth in the league! How about the Chelsea, boring 1-0 style?

it gets you 4th or 5th in the first season, and that's against teams who spend £100m a season on transfers. Where it will take them next season is anyone's guess. Being able to play attacking football with a small budget and holding your own against teams like city utd arsenal and Chelsea seems like a pretty good template for us to follow to me.

[Adoniram 1,919]

I would happily take Bayern's style every day of the week.

Players with great technical ability and fitness. Passing and moving and playing the ball on the ground. Players with great individual skills.

Nah it would never catch on here. I honestly do believe a large percentage of our fanbase would hate this style as it isn't 100mph and all blood and guts tackling.

For a start i would just like to see players playing for Rangers who had a decent level of technical ability as this would make it easier for the manager to form a style of play that is easy on the eye.

What we have these days is driving thousands of fans away from the games.

[quinty 1,445]

I would happily take Bayern's style every day of the week.

Players with great technical ability and fitness. Passing and moving and playing the ball on the ground. Players with great individual skills.

Nah it would never catch on here. I honestly do believe a large percentage of our fanbase would hate this style as it isn't 100mph and all blood and guts tackling.

For a start i would just like to see players playing for Rangers who had a decent level of technical ability as this would make it easier for the manager to form a style of play that is easy on the eye.

What we have these days is driving thousands of fans away from the games.

But the sales of season tickets, so far, don't reflect that. I'm sure that the tipping point will come when season tickets are affected, but tbh I can't see that happening. I buy mine every year regardless of the fact that I can usually only make about 4 games, but I'm happy for my pals to use it.

[KingKirk 25,862]

Anything that's high tempo and keeping the ball on the deck would do me tbh

[.Williamson. 84,119]

I don't find Bayern boring at all