Defence - The Key Problem

[RedWhiteBlue1872 407]

I agree with the points being made but I think middle to front McCall can get a system working and hopefully play with width and players in natural positions.. Vuckic, Miller, Law, Templeton, Clark, Shiels all have more to offer in that sense.

Even if the Newcastle boys are ever fit, they could have an impact.

I just think centrally our defence is woeful and will be too easily exposed again when we face Hibs, QOS found it far too easy the other night for their chance off the post and the actual goal was a farce, latter stages against Cowdenbeath as well.

[kingtom80 166]

the whole bloody team is rank rotten.

[BigAmo'sThighs 848]

True but both Advocaat & LeGuen weren't brought up on a diet of the "car crash" style that has been Scottish football as long as i've watched it (44 years ).

Exactly, and outwith Cathro, I can't see any scottish coaches looking at different styles and testing themselves abroad with a number of styles.

McCall will get us playing a decent brand of Scottish football, but will be a far cry from the technical style we all want to see.

[jcb 1,167]

Exactly, and outwith Cathro, I can't see any scottish coaches looking at different styles and testing themselves abroad with a number of styles.

McCall will get us playing a decent brand of Scottish football, but will be a far cry from the technical style we all want to see.

[the_r_sole 366]

the problems with the disconnect with the lines of our team might not be solved, but would much improved with a decent centre back pairing.

We have a very slow, tactically inept cb in mcculloch, so anyone playing beside his has to not only think about his own position, but always wary that mcculloch will be out of position so it leads to sitting way too far back, in turn that leaves the midfield to try and cover a massive area of the park - if we played a high line a passing game would be much easier and would surely bring more interaction between the midfield and strikers.

Also playing a left back as a left winger is never going to work, step aside stevie smith...

For me the style will come if we can be much more compact and encourage short passes and pressing.

first thing would be to sort out the fitness of these guys, part timers look fitter at the moment!

if anyone watched the 4-0 against hibs, that was the perfect illustration of why our back line can't afford to sit back and allow space between the midfield and the defence

[donegal_ger 271]

the problems with the disconnect with the lines of our team might not be solved, but would much improved with a decent centre back pairing.

We have a very slow, tactically inept cb in mcculloch, so anyone playing beside his has to not only think about his own position, but always wary that mcculloch will be out of position so it leads to sitting way too far back, in turn that leaves the midfield to try and cover a massive area of the park - if we played a high line a passing game would be much easier and would surely bring more interaction between the midfield and strikers.

Also playing a left back as a left winger is never going to work, step aside stevie smith...

For me the style will come if we can be much more compact and encourage short passes and pressing.

first thing would be to sort out the fitness of these guys, part timers look fitter at the moment!

if anyone watched the 4-0 against hibs, that was the perfect illustration of why our back line can't afford to sit back and allow space between the midfield and the defence

Its the way we have played since Walter came back and brought Weir in, but the difference was Walter played a 5-4-1 or 4-5-1 to cover Weir's lack of pace all Ally or McDowell did to cover McCulloch was to play a 2 man central midfield where one if not both were pretty much passengers and you could drive a double decker bus through the centre of our side for the last 4 years, which almost every side we played did!

[TheQueensEleven 1,355]

Mbabu Streete McGregor Wallace

Should be an alright back four when fit.

[NeoGeo7 11,269]

Exactly, and outwith Cathro, I can't see any scottish coaches looking at different styles and testing themselves abroad with a number of styles.

McCall will get us playing a decent brand of Scottish football, but will be a far cry from the technical style we all want to see.

Hit the nail on the head. People bash you on here for wanting Cathro stating he's a novice and unproven etc. Yes it's a gamble and they'll cite mccoist as the last unproven manager but the key difference is he way Cathro is in very high regard and his vision of what a team should play like (attacking) and excite the crowd. He has a track record of developing players and I think if we really want to break free from the same old same old we have to be bold and brave.

Don't get me wrong I'm delighted at mccalls imminent appointment but I'm equally delighted it's only til the end of the season. If McCall not only gets up but excels in the role then Great, give him another year. If we get up by e skin of our teeth I'd like to think we'd be eternally grateful for what he did but leave him to go back to Scotland role to let us change our direction. My opinion may not be popular but I really want to see Rangers redefined.

[TheQueensEleven 1,355]

Hit the nail on the head. People bash you on here for wanting Cathro stating he's a novice and unproven etc. Yes it's a gamble and they'll cite mccoist as the last unproven manager but the key difference is he way Cathro is in very high regard and his vision of what a team should play like (attacking) and excite the crowd. He has a track record of developing players and I think if we really want to break free from the same old same old we have to be bold and brave.

Don't get me wrong I'm delighted at mccalls imminent appointment but I'm equally delighted it's only til the end of the season. If McCall not only gets up but excels in the role then Great, give him another year. If we get up by e skin of our teeth I'd like to think we'd be eternally grateful for what he did but leave him to go back to Scotland role to let us change our direction. My opinion may not be popular but I really want to see Rangers redefined.

Cathro is also regarded as a genius and a vital member of the management team by Nuno. There's no comparison between Cathro and McCoist.

[BigAmo'sThighs 848]

Hit the nail on the head. People bash you on here for wanting Cathro stating he's a novice and unproven etc. Yes it's a gamble and they'll cite mccoist as the last unproven manager but the key difference is he way Cathro is in very high regard and his vision of what a team should play like (attacking) and excite the crowd. He has a track record of developing players and I think if we really want to break free from the same old same old we have to be bold and brave.

Don't get me wrong I'm delighted at mccalls imminent appointment but I'm equally delighted it's only til the end of the season. If McCall not only gets up but excels in the role then Great, give him another year. If we get up by e skin of our teeth I'd like to think we'd be eternally grateful for what he did but leave him to go back to Scotland role to let us change our direction. My opinion may not be popular but I really want to see Rangers redefined.

Exactly, cathro's cut his teeth in far more ways than any other Scottish manager in the game at the minute as far as I'm concerned, it's all well and good wanting a Davies, a McCall or whatever, but these lads wouldn't be anywhere near the valencia catering staff never mind the coaching staff, and that's no disrespect to them, they'd get us playing some good, solid stuff. But Cathro is a cut above the rest just in the way he talks about the game and enjoys football, when I listen to mcCoist or Mcdowell I get the impression they enjoy football, they watch the big games, they pick things up and pass things on that they learned in their playing days, but have any actually sat down and thought deeply about the progression of football, the future of football and the implentation of something new? These managers are dying out quickly as far as I'm concerned, they'll have their uses, and most will do well at the right club, but I can see more and more clubs looking to guys like Cathro with a wealth of ideas and the will to put things into practice.

[True Azure 1,414]

McCall gave frank assessment of the players on BT sport so to then play these players it would reek of double standards. If he does drop them then it's exactly what we need and shows that he will make "tough" decisions for the benefit of the team. If McCulloch plays on Saturday then he cannot be given the job on a permanent basis in my opinion.

McCulloch has been shown NOT to be either an effective defender or captain, he does not have the neccessary pace or stamina to fit in the defence, he has been shoehorned into this position to see out his remaining time at Ibrox due to his friendships and not his defensive abilities. I'm sure Stuart McCall will have noted his(and others) frailties in defence but if he does not address these IMMEDIATELY to sort our weakness out then he will have no chance of staking a claim to permanantly taking the gaffer's job. I'm certain he will also have ideas to implement that will benefit our attacking and midfield problems too.

[the_r_sole 366]

Its the way we have played since Walter came back and brought Weir in, but the difference was Walter played a 5-4-1 or 4-5-1 to cover Weir's lack of pace all Ally or McDowell did to cover McCulloch was to play a 2 man central midfield where one if not both were pretty much passengers and you could drive a double decker bus through the centre of our side for the last 4 years, which almost every side we played did!

the main difference was that Weir was a seasoned centre back who knew he was slow - his reading of the game generally made up for it and his leadership of those around him also helped a great deal, the only similarity between him and mcculloch is the lack of pace, in terms of centre backs they are miles apart and in terms of leadership too...

[BigAmo'sThighs 848]

the main difference was that Weir was a seasoned centre back who knew he was slow - his reading of the game generally made up for it and his leadership of those around him also helped a great deal, the only similarity between him and mcculloch is the lack of pace, in terms of centre backs they are miles apart and in terms of leadership too...

You're bang on here I remember being mistified we didn't lose more games with Weir in the team as we sat off teams like we do now, the difference being Weir knew how to defend. Now we have the same issues with a player who knows next to hee haw about being a centre half.

[jcb 1,167]

To put it simply, Cathro is a modern, progressive, innovative, type whereas McCoist, McCall, Davies etc`belong to a bygone era.

Now more than ever technique and tactics will prevail over the team spirit approach adopted by so many in this country.

Our top club were outplayed by several Euro opponents this season. They themselves were destroyed when they stepped up a level and i have no doubt neither Ajax or Villareal will be lifting silverware this season.. The fact that they (Celtic) swept us aside despite never playing above average shows the immense job we have to compete at Euro level.

I wish Stuart well but hope come the summer a "coach" and not a manager will arrive to finally move us into the 21st century.

[harlands plater 17,158]

I wish I had paid some attention to McCall's summaries on our televised games now instead of always jumping on to RM to have a moan about how shite we were playing.

[jcb 1,167]

I wish I had paid some attention to McCall's summaries on our televised games now instead of always jumping on to RM to have a moan about how shite we were playing.

He agreed with your summary although he was slightly more careful when describing this..

[Muz333 376]

I'm used to Rangers having one superbly solid CB. We haven't had that for years now.

Streete looked fantastic but I'm not sure if that was because we're so used to terribly defending by now.

[BlueSuedeSambas 56,382]

Said it the other day but people are going out of their way to put Cathro on a pedestal that he hasn't earned yet.

Yes, he's a highly thought of number two and he might go on to be a great manager but guys like Billy McKinlay, Graeme Jones, Paul Clement, Rene Meulensteen & Van Bronckhorst are all credible coaches/assistant managers who probably have aspirations to go it alone at some point and there is no clamour among our support for any of them to get the job in the same way that there is for Cathro.