Neil McCann on MW's football style!

[Amac9 2,060]

McCann touched on this when we were in the Championship last season and he is spot on. 

[boyd09 390]

1 hour ago, centenarystand said:

I hate to say it and hope im wrong but as Rangers fans it will get worse before it gets better. The performances are awful and we have got lucky the last 2 weekends. I think there are some players at Ibrox who would perform a lot better under a different manager, there are players are who are just not good enough but get a game every other week.

These next 2 games are massive for the manager.

I have to agree , come match day no matter who we play I always think we will win ,

 

however being realistic we have been struggling most weeks and I fear if we suffer some bad results in the next few weeks ,then firstly I don't think the players we have could handle that pressure and secondly I don't think Mr warburton knows how to change and play any other way to improve things .

 

I really hope Iam wrong with this but most of us are probably thinking the same

[Leeds_Bear 8,129]

- We've dropped points against pish like Hamilton, Kilmarnock, Ross County (twice) and St Johnstone. Not to mention defeats by the sheep and the mhanks.

- We've got lucky three times this season with last minute winners. 

- Activity in the transfer window has been well below par

- Our managers arrogance that our system can't be beaten means he won't change anything

- The team has played well in maybe four games against full time professional teams in the last 12 months, that is not Rangers Standard

 

I hope he proves me wrong, I really do but the writing is on the wall. Just like it was for Ally, it's plain for everyone, except our manager, to see what our problems are. 

We all hope we beat Hearts and Aberdeen - nothing less than six points will be acceptable. Can any of us actually see it happening though?

 

[K.A.I 36,183]

I wonder if GSA or Bluepeter9 are going to tell McCann they find his negativity tiresome, we are doing well this season, we need to be patient and ask him who he thinks he is   

What McCann says is totally spot-on.

 

[Graeme22 2]

To be fair he's spot on with garner he's not suited to the way we play, he looks way short of confidence as well I hope he can be one of they guys that once he finds a few goals he'll kick on from there 

[Blue Avenger 22,567]

I think the Warburton mind set might be that irrespective of a player's ability, or how the oppo is set up, his system will win through. I don't think he does tactics other than play his plan A better.

[cushynumber 25,178]

Wee McCann agrees with me! Joe Garner IS shite

[harlands plater 17,031]

The irony is Garner would do better for us with a Neil McCann in the team.

[Reformation Bear 6,453]

"But for me it’s training football."  "It’s not worked because the boys haven’t made an impact on the pitch."

Well that's saying it as it appears to be in a couple of damning sentence.   A real 'King's new clothes' analysis from Neil McCann (pun intended).

Since Warburton has at least until the end of the season to prove it to be wrong and to finish as King requires as per the AGM interviews - a strong second - McCann's analysis and conclusions should be held firmly in mind when we get to the end of the season and see how it has panned out.

btw not just second as Warburton tried to deflect to following the AGM - but a strong second.   There is a big difference and its not just playing with words as Warburton seems often minded to do.  And for clarity even the notion of just finishing a strong second is very very far from where Rangers should be in terms of ambition even allowing for this seasons return to the top flight.

Imo training football is just that.  Good for training.  No wonder Warburton can be happy with his consistent conclusion that the squad trained well and prepared well.   The thing is we need much much more by way of winning football. That's something we have seen nowhere near enough of so far and when we do see it there are now quite a few games where its just scraping through with a win. 

With training football combined with signings that just are not working we are not seeing much to encourage a view that strong second will be achieved and that there is a basis for a proper and well prepared challenge for the title next season.   

Can he change?  I doubt it - he seems immovably dug in to his way of trying to get the players to play.  But he has the time to try to make it work as King could not afford to release him anyway and besides which he's persuaded King that this is a long term project and it needs time to come to fruition.   Hence the 'be patient' AGM messages.   

But if a strong second is not achieved this season I suspect that not only will Warburton come under much more scrutiny and pressure, so will King.  Because standing still, or going backwards in terms of challenging much more effectively for the title is not where we need to be.  King will know that better than Warburton.

[Thermopylae 15,287]

The writing for me was on the wall during the cup final last season and the fact he still hasn't addressed the defence that cost us dear that day really does make you wonder if he knows what it takes to win 

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,707]

8 minutes ago, Thermopylae said:

The writing for me was on the wall during the cup final last season and the fact he still hasn't addressed the defence that cost us dear that day really does make you wonder if he knows what it takes to win 

That cup final ? Seriously been disappointed with at certain results over a few decades, but for me it was up there with some of the worst!

[Thermopylae 15,287]

20 minutes ago, BLUEDIGNITY said:

That cup final ? Seriously been disappointed with at certain results over a few decades, but for me it was up there with some of the worst!

Also everyone who was at the club during that cup final should have been bursting a gut this season to try and wipe away the disappointment but when I look at our performances I just don't see it and that's a worry

[Blue Avenger 22,567]

"...but for me it's training football..."

What a fucking indictment! 

Got to say, he is the best pundit on the box.

McCann for manager!

[coopsleftboot 5,512]

2 minutes ago, Blue Avenger said:

"...but for me it's training football..."

What a fucking indictment! 

Got to say, he is the best pundit on the box.

McCann for manager!

Need to get in before Hearts do...

[Blue Avenger 22,567]

3 minutes ago, coopsleftboot said:

Need to get in before Hearts do...

TBH, I don't know how he would do as a manager, but he knows the game and talks sense and was some player.

[coopsleftboot 5,512]

4 minutes ago, Blue Avenger said:

TBH, I don't know how he would do as a manager, but he knows the game and talks sense and was some player.

I'd love him on our backroom staff.

He has a background of not being a Ranger but grew into one from unlikely beginnings.  That makes him a perfect role-model and go-to guy for newcomers to the club who don't really understand us or what it takes to become a successful player for us.

[Hamie 4,852]

4 hours ago, The Godfather said:

A blind man could see Mark is struggling big time, luck can only get you so far and ours is about run out IMO.

Late goals save results but only paper over the glaring cracks we as a football club are facing on the park. Players don't seem able to make the step up and our manager doesn't seem to be able to get a team playing a different style or able to change things when it's not going well.

To me it's like McCoist's final days in that he was let off the hook a good few times with late results that bought him more time but deep down we all knew it was only a matter of time before he was shown the door.

Mark's football was refreshing and exciting at a lower level however now teams know how to set up against us and we are playing better sides we look a very average footballing side and that's not acceptable for a club of our size and ambition.

I just hope we don't persist and pretend to ourselves it's suddenly going to change like we did for so long under McCoist. Time is critical for us

 

I disagree with your first line mate. 

I don't think MW has had any luck to begin with, you could argue that it's his signings but the level of injuries he's had to key players... and especially players that are just coming on to a game then get crippled is frightening. 

The ref at the weekend summed it up for me, he wanted to see broken legs. 

We get meaningless penalties when we're winning 2 or 3 nil but constantly denied stonewallers when it matters. 

I think MW will get it right in January and hopefully we really push on in the second half of the season. 

[The Godfather 72,578]

Just now, Hamie said:

I disagree with your first line mate. 

I don't think MW has had any luck to begin with, you could argue that it's his signings but the level of injuries he's had to key players... and especially players that are just coming on to a game then get crippled is frightening. 

The ref at the weekend summed it up for me, he wanted to see broken legs. 

We get meaningless penalties when we're winning 2 or 3 nil but constantly denied stonewallers when it matters. 

I think MW will get it right in January and hopefully we really push on in the second half of the season. 

That's fair enough Hamie.

I just think the last few results have been very lucky for him especially since we have been playing terrible football ever since a month before the cup final last season.

Not many managers would make it past 2 pasting's from the tims and dropping points consistently to the likes of Hamilton, Aberdeen, Dundee, Kilmarnock all before Christmas.

His signings this summer haven't been great so I cant hold out much hope for January when we spent the bulk of our money on a striker who clearly doesn't fit into the way MW wants to play.

This has a McCoist feel to it for me, longing for everything to be ok despite months of evidence suggesting a change is in need.

 

[Ibroxholm 2,282]

It's not been great this year and I would probably agree that MW needs to be far more flexible in our style of play.  However, even if his insistence in playing a certain way does not work out, I have to admire him for sticking to his principles and trying to bring something different to our game.  

Maybe McCann and all the other armchair experts have a point and we should change back to a more traditional / conventional method of play.  The method of play that has taken Scotland to the forefront of world football in the last two decades.

[BILLYBOY50 1,638]

I hope I am proved wrong but I can't see this group of players having the bottle to win the up and coming big games starting tomorrow night. even when mw is interviewed before the bigger games he always makes a point of stating it's only another 3 points and that annoys the fuck out of me because it's more than that to the supporters. especially now the way those other teams supporters have put the boot into our team when we were down. and I for one have never wanted to put hearts, the sheepshaggers. and the scum in their place so much in all my years supporting the gers. I just hope the players feel the same when they take to the field starting  tomorrow night but I won't hold my breath.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,707]

1 hour ago, Thermopylae said:

Also everyone who was at the club during that cup final should have been bursting a gut this season to try and wipe away the disappointment but when I look at our performances I just don't see it and that's a worry

That attitude doesn't seem to exist anymore, going the extra mile seems to be outwith their ken ! 

[Boybluesy 3,805]

6 hours ago, .Williamson. said:

Exactly mate.

I wish people had the patience you're showing here when it came to Ally. He was just finding his feet when fans turned on him. Could have been the start of something great had he been given a bit more time and money

Seriously?

[ritchieshearercaldow 22,242]

4 hours ago, Leeds_Bear said:

- We've dropped points against pish like Hamilton, Kilmarnock, Ross County (twice) and St Johnstone. Not to mention defeats by the sheep and the mhanks.

- We've got lucky three times this season with last minute winners. 

- Activity in the transfer window has been well below par

- Our managers arrogance that our system can't be beaten means he won't change anything

- The team has played well in maybe four games against full time professional teams in the last 12 months, that is not Rangers Standard

 

I hope he proves me wrong, I really do but the writing is on the wall. Just like it was for Ally, it's plain for everyone, except our manager, to see what our problems are. 

We all hope we beat Hearts and Aberdeen - nothing less than six points will be acceptable. Can any of us actually see it happening though?

 

Good post mate 

[whytes3 254]

7 hours ago, BLUEDIGNITY said:

Wee McCann in the rhebel today!

Rangers boss Mark Warburton's signing policy hasn't worked and Joe Garner looks like he's in the wrong movie reckons Neil McCann

The formers Gers winger says Warburton has to ditch his philosophy with them scraping past strugglers Partick Thistle and Dundee with last-gasp goals.

 

06:00, 29 NOV 2016

Rangers' Joe Garner is left frustrated at his side's failure to find a second goal

Neil McCann reckons the pressure is now on Mark Warburton to get it right in the January window with his summer signings failing to hit the heights.

And the Rangers Treble-winner believes the Ibrox boss must change his style of play to get the best out of £1.8million buy Joe Garner who “looks like he’s in the wrong movie”. 

McCann says Warburton has to ditch his philosophy with Gers scraping past strugglers Partick Thistle and Dundee with last-gasp goals.

Next up is much tougher assignment at Hearts, another of McCann’s old clubs. And the 42-year-old,who spent five years at Ibrox, said: “Recruitment is massive and when you haven’t got loads to spend you need to make sure what you do spend is correct. 

"It’s not worked because the boys haven’t made an impact on the pitch. It remains to be seen whether he is given some more. I’d imagine it’s moving people on to get people in.

“Far too many of the players haven’t had an impact on the pitch. Mark has to address that. His judgment has come under real scrutiny from upstairs and that’s a big problem.

“Joey Barton was an absolute disaster. Jordan Rossiter and Matt Crooks have been unlucky with injuries so you can’t point the finger at them. 

“Philippe Senderos? What’s happened to him? Niko Kranjcar was nowhere near fit when he came from Cosmos.

“He was miles off the pace of the Scottish game. He was just starting to find it then he gets this horrible injury. The list goes on but Joe Garner is the big flagship signing.

“If you’re paying £1.8m on a player you have to say he’s the one who’ll make a difference.

“Look at Brendan Rodgers across the city. I know we’re talking different levels but it’s relative. They could afford Scott Sinclair but £1.8m is still a big outlay for Rangers and look at the difference in impact.

“Don’t spend all your money on someone you’ve then got to adapt to how you play. That’s where I’ve got a problem with it. There’s a guy playing through the middle that looks like he’s in the wrong movie.

Joe Garner reacts after missing a chance

“I’ve watched him at Preston, he scored all manner of goals and a lot of them were crosses into the box. He said himself he wasn’t used to this style of football. He looks like a guy who’s losing the knack of being a striker, of getting into the right areas.

“Michael O’Halloran looks like someone who operates in a structured formation playing wide right or maybe as a No.10.

“But the way Rangers move around all over the place affects him and Garner is the same.”

McCann knows Warburton faces a crucial run of games with Aberdeen, the Jambos and Celtic heading to Ibrox in December. The Sky Sports pundit said: “You can play this style of football and it’s pleasing on the eye at times. But for me it’s training football.

“Sometimes it looks like the player in possession looks confused, as though there’s no structure to the movement. Mark needs an ability to change how they play. He can go with a front two.

“It wouldn’t be as if he would be admitting defeat by changing tactics – it’s football.

“Pep Guardiola spoke about playing against Burnley and how he has to learn to deal with their up and at ’em style.

“It’s not like he’s bursting his philosophy. It’s finding a way of winning. There’s nothing wrong with going 4-5-1 in the next derby and being defensive because you know what Celtic are – expansive.

“If he’s mid-table it won’t be good enough, not with the budget he has at his disposal.”

 

 

McCann is spot on.

I've always thought he would be good in a management and coach role.  He had a great brain as a player and his knowledge of the game is outstanding.

Garner signing has always been a bit of a baffling one when you look at our style & the level of investment - perhaps a bit of a panic buy?

[.Williamson. 83,626]

15 minutes ago, Boybluesy said:

Seriously?

Absolutely mate.

I think given a bit more time he really could have achieved something big with us