*The Official Anti Knee Jerking Thread*

[DrLaudrup 4,673]

Unfortunately realism is needed, which is not something any of us are very good at. We are the greatest club in the country but at the moment we are not the best team. 

The club has been decimated and it will take us time to come back. We need investment of that there is no doubt. Until we are in Europe we are not such an attractive proposition. Also, the spectre of Whyte/Sports Direct still hangs over the club. Until those issues are definitely resolved I don't think large investors will look at us. I hope i'm wrong but I don't think so. As we have learned though, billionaires are not necessarily the answer for an institution like Rangers.  

Also, we had essentially no proper backroom team or scouting team. All of those have had to be totally rebuilt which MW has played an important role in. Having only McParland scouting has meant we have not cast the net as wide as we could for players but again our scouting networks etc will take time to rebuild. 

After great recruitment last season there has been odd decisions this year, coupled with proper bad luck. Barton totally destabilised the team and affected our start to the season. Him not playing has seen improvement. Injuries and fitness issues with Waghorn, Rossiter, Crooks, Dodoo, Windass and now Krancjar plus loss of from of Wallace and Mackay means it has been impossible to play a settled team from one game to the next. Essentially all our new signings have been injured. Mackay in particular has been hugely disappointing so far this season when i'd expected him to kick on. Also...Michael O'Halloran anyone....why was this player signed for 500k when he does not seem to get a chance? We are struggling massively to score goals. I'm still unconvinced by Garner. I said here previously that i'm puzzled why someone who scored less than 10 goals last season was the answer to our problems, especially for the money. It is easy to talk about our budget compared to Aberdeen etc, but it requires a stronger mentality to play for our club, and many expensive players have not lived up to our shirt over the years.  

Things to criticise MW for in my opinion are; not making the defence a priority close season, being afraid to make changes / drop players, not being brave enough to drop Barton earlier, and odd signings like O'Halloran and Garner. I think if we had a more settled side then league performances would have been better. I don't think management change is the answer. I expect him to get at least three years, and dumping managers is not our way. I'm not sure who else could come in with our current funding and sort out the whole playing / backroom structure from top to bottom. It will be a frustrating few years I think but we will get back. 

[Siam69 26,989]

1 hour ago, DrLaudrup said:

Unfortunately realism is needed, which is not something any of us are very good at. We are the greatest club in the country but at the moment we are not the best team. 

The club has been decimated and it will take us time to come back. We need investment of that there is no doubt. Until we are in Europe we are not such an attractive proposition. Also, the spectre of Whyte/Sports Direct still hangs over the club. Until those issues are definitely resolved I don't think large investors will look at us. I hope i'm wrong but I don't think so. As we have learned though, billionaires are not necessarily the answer for an institution like Rangers.  

Also, we had essentially no proper backroom team or scouting team. All of those have had to be totally rebuilt which MW has played an important role in. Having only McParland scouting has meant we have not cast the net as wide as we could for players but again our scouting networks etc will take time to rebuild. 

After great recruitment last season there has been odd decisions this year, coupled with proper bad luck. Barton totally destabilised the team and affected our start to the season. Him not playing has seen improvement. Injuries and fitness issues with Waghorn, Rossiter, Crooks, Dodoo, Windass and now Krancjar plus loss of from of Wallace and Mackay means it has been impossible to play a settled team from one game to the next. Essentially all our new signings have been injured. Mackay in particular has been hugely disappointing so far this season when i'd expected him to kick on. Also...Michael O'Halloran anyone....why was this player signed for 500k when he does not seem to get a chance? We are struggling massively to score goals. I'm still unconvinced by Garner. I said here previously that i'm puzzled why someone who scored less than 10 goals last season was the answer to our problems, especially for the money. It is easy to talk about our budget compared to Aberdeen etc, but it requires a stronger mentality to play for our club, and many expensive players have not lived up to our shirt over the years.  

Things to criticise MW for in my opinion are; not making the defence a priority close season, being afraid to make changes / drop players, not being brave enough to drop Barton earlier, and odd signings like O'Halloran and Garner. I think if we had a more settled side then league performances would have been better. I don't think management change is the answer. I expect him to get at least three years, and dumping managers is not our way. I'm not sure who else could come in with our current funding and sort out the whole playing / backroom structure from top to bottom. It will be a frustrating few years I think but we will get back. 

Good summary

[Billythebear77 10,386]

16 hours ago, Deanzmeanzheinz said:

Guys, come on everyone (ok not all but most) take a deep breath and keep it all together.

Before the game today the mood was one of hope rather than expectation. The squad standard is still a good bit short, most kf hs knew that before ko. MW is a very good coach, there are a few players in the squad we can work with and Gilks and Hodson stood up to the plate today.so its not armageddon - even if it hurts like fuck. 

The fundamental issue is that serious investment is needed on the squad. Surely the directors can see that after today. And this is where the buck stops, not anywhere else. I can't see how MW can get much more out of what he's got. He needs the tools to get us challenging properly . Over to you DK et al 

I agree with most off what you say bud, but unless it's the board and Dave king telling the gaffer to play Barrie McKay continuously and others who are clearly not playing well then the manager has to surely take some flak??!!.

why was Harry Forrester not involved yesterday?, we needed his dig and guile yesterday, why isn't MOH getting played?, his pace and running with the ball would have relieved the pressure on our defence yesterday!.

why play Tav on the wing yesterday when we had Dodoo, MOH, Forrester and Waggy that can all play there?.

why pay 1.5 million for a striker that clearly doesn't fit into his way off playing?. 

I agree the board needs to take the lions share off the blame, but these questions need answered aswell IMO.

 

[Truth_is_out_there 197]

16 hours ago, FSM said:

For the first time this season I actually felt confident when we were defending set pieces. Small gains etc.

Spot on. That's what I was thinking yesterday. Hill is clearly his bringing his experience to the fore - especially defending at corner kicks, which usually causes sheer panic stations for us!

[delparlane 5,679]

2 hours ago, DrLaudrup said:

Unfortunately realism is needed, which is not something any of us are very good at. We are the greatest club in the country but at the moment we are not the best team. 

The club has been decimated and it will take us time to come back. We need investment of that there is no doubt. Until we are in Europe we are not such an attractive proposition. Also, the spectre of Whyte/Sports Direct still hangs over the club. Until those issues are definitely resolved I don't think large investors will look at us. I hope i'm wrong but I don't think so. As we have learned though, billionaires are not necessarily the answer for an institution like Rangers.  

Also, we had essentially no proper backroom team or scouting team. All of those have had to be totally rebuilt which MW has played an important role in. Having only McParland scouting has meant we have not cast the net as wide as we could for players but again our scouting networks etc will take time to rebuild. 

After great recruitment last season there has been odd decisions this year, coupled with proper bad luck. Barton totally destabilised the team and affected our start to the season. Him not playing has seen improvement. Injuries and fitness issues with Waghorn, Rossiter, Crooks, Dodoo, Windass and now Krancjar plus loss of from of Wallace and Mackay means it has been impossible to play a settled team from one game to the next. Essentially all our new signings have been injured. Mackay in particular has been hugely disappointing so far this season when i'd expected him to kick on. Also...Michael O'Halloran anyone....why was this player signed for 500k when he does not seem to get a chance? We are struggling massively to score goals. I'm still unconvinced by Garner. I said here previously that i'm puzzled why someone who scored less than 10 goals last season was the answer to our problems, especially for the money. It is easy to talk about our budget compared to Aberdeen etc, but it requires a stronger mentality to play for our club, and many expensive players have not lived up to our shirt over the years.  

Things to criticise MW for in my opinion are; not making the defence a priority close season, being afraid to make changes / drop players, not being brave enough to drop Barton earlier, and odd signings like O'Halloran and Garner. I think if we had a more settled side then league performances would have been better. I don't think management change is the answer. I expect him to get at least three years, and dumping managers is not our way. I'm not sure who else could come in with our current funding and sort out the whole playing / backroom structure from top to bottom. It will be a frustrating few years I think but we will get back. 

The MOH situation reminds me a lot of when we signed Matt McKay; never understood why he couldn't get a game either. At least give the man a run and see what he can do; God knows it couldn't be worse that what we're witnessing from some of our current underachievers.

[Albertz 78 918]

Nothing really knee jerk about it we are just woeful under Warbs.

We've played maybe about 15 good games since he became gaffer the rest have been dire.

The same faults that were exposed by St Johnstone in the cup 14th months are still there even after 2 transfer windows have gone by with 15 or so players signed.

We are 5th in the league and out of 2 of the 3 trophy hunts already and it's not even a quarter way though the season.

[K.A.I 36,183]

Quick question .. when you've been watching the same standard of pish since we beat Cetic on penalties mid April last season every week without fail - when does it stop becoming knee-jerk? (the criticisms)

Where do you draw the line?

[TheBluebells 6,898]

What's the obsession with constantly saying it's a knee jerk reaction when we find ourselves in these situations? 

Minus April and the Dundee game can someone point out when we've consistently played well and looked like we're showing off that footballing philosophy I keep reading about? 

Some people are going over the top aye but to say it's a knee jerk reaction is just deluded. 

[TheBluebells 6,898]

5 minutes ago, K.A.I said:

Quick question .. when you've been watching the same standard of pish since we beat Cetic on penalties mid April last season every week without fail - when does it stop becoming knee-jerk? (the criticisms)

Where do you draw the line?

Beat me to it  

[Deanzmeanzheinz 4,312]

3 hours ago, Billythebear77 said:

I agree with most off what you say bud, but unless it's the board and Dave king telling the gaffer to play Barrie McKay continuously and others who are clearly not playing well then the manager has to surely take some flak??!!.

why was Harry Forrester not involved yesterday?, we needed his dig and guile yesterday, why isn't MOH getting played?, his pace and running with the ball would have relieved the pressure on our defence yesterday!.

why play Tav on the wing yesterday when we had Dodoo, MOH, Forrester and Waggy that can all play there?.

why pay 1.5 million for a striker that clearly doesn't fit into his way off playing?. 

I agree the board needs to take the lions share off the blame, but these questions need answered aswell IMO.

 

Yep, MW is not blameless, that most of us would agree on. However, every manager makes unsuccessful signings- as for MOH and Harry  (yeh where was he yesterday?) I don't think they are good enough to make any difference. 

If they buy from villa, Fulham and continental europe and retain (the what was) Scotland captain on 25k a week and we buy from Wigan and Accrington Stanley then it's always going to be much the same outcome. 

The Board has to realise this. Every year they win the league they get a crack at the multi millions that is champions league and by definition pull further and further away. 2-3 yr plans are not the solution - we need major capital asap. 

[GRFC96 75]

We definitely need investment or we'll be trailing behind the scum for the next few seasons. 

[SkylineBlue 23,467]

21 hours ago, sandyinroyalblue said:

To be fair I think some fans do forget we finished third in the Championship just 2 seasons ago but on the other hand we're not unique as fans to believe if the team isn't performing then the manager ultimately carries the can whatever the club's recent past.

I just don't think that the answer is changing manager. The last thing that we need is more instability in my opinion. I suppose it all depends on your take on the situation. I expected a couple of seasons in the top flight before we start running for titles, so I'm happy to support the manager. Plus I still believe he will steer us to where we need to be with time. I think some people maybe struggle to openly accept our situation due to it feeling like admitting some sort of defeat. For me it's just being realistic.

[Guest]

We played better than I expected.  That said our keeper saved us numerous times. The pedos are pretty pish too, if we'd taken our chances we should have won the game. Couple of bad refereeing decisions at times when we were playing well. I'm more optimistic now than I was before the game. That said I never thought we'd win the league this season and still don't think we will.

[Bourne2Win 40]

Some excellent points mentioned in the thread. The re build is going to take either lots of money and investment. or by bringing thru young players with potential. Either King starts spending the promised 30 million now, or lets someone take over that has the funds and ability to get results.