Thoughts on the first team so far

[TMB 14,167]

Thread has sadly turned in to another Barisic hating fuck fest.  

[SIRB_72 4,000]

I think the squad has balance and Gerrard has added what we've needed with more experience and winners (Davis and Helander), goals from midfield (Aribo, Stewart and Docherty returning), more wide options (Ojo , Jones and Hastie) and extra defensive cover in Edmundson who looks like he can keep the other 3 on their toes.

Add that to the already decent core we have I think we have a well balanced squad that offers us a lot in every department of the field.

As for the left back debate I think we're actually in a decent place. Barisic is the obvious stand out player with a higher ceiling than Flanagan or Halliday. However, there is something missing with Barisic and he needs to be used properly. I think having Flanagan and Halliday there is good for us. They have given us nothing but their best and are solid 7/10 performers when they play.

On the other side I do worry if Tavernier picks up an injury but only because I've not seen as much from Polster as I'd like.

[BlueMe 25,327]

Barisic hasn't been good enough so far, but that doesn't mean Halliday is good enough either. No issues with him being  a squad player tbh but if we're going into the season with him starting at LB, we're in trouble.

Barisic has shown glimpses of what he's capable of in the limited game time he's been given so far, some of his deliveries have been fantastic and he looks fitter as well. Hopefully he pushes on this season and lives up to the expectations, if he does, we'll have a real asset tbh.

 

[.Williamson. 82,204]

Team hasn't changed much from last season in all honesty

Like when people post their best 11 and say stuff like "that's a title winning team", it tends to look like last season's team with Aribo and Ojo in it. 

[ForeverAndEver 71,482]

Barisic is wank. Anybody that disagrees is stupid

[Smile 26,606]

 

Need a couple of strikers still need a young Defoe type and someone good in the air and physically strong.

[Supersonic 4,654]

Wide forward positions are lacking in quality so far. Kent back and a wide right player of actual quality and I'd be happier. 

[BILLYBOY50 1,638]

1 hour ago, .Williamson. said:

Team hasn't changed much from last season in all honesty

Like when people post their best 11 and say stuff like "that's a title winning team", it tends to look like last season's team with Aribo and Ojo in it. 

Spot on mate I just don't get all the optimism.

[.Williamson. 82,204]

6 minutes ago, BILLYBOY50 said:

Spot on mate I just don't get all the optimism.

Happens every pre season

There were people in the support that thought Pedro was getting us 55 during his pre season when we drew with Marseille and beat Sheffield Wednesday

[BILLYBOY50 1,638]

I would say we are a right and left back and a quality left winger (Kent maybe) and another quality striker short of challenging on all fronts. And when I say striker I mean a big physical type player  so we can mix it up a bit and therefore we will not be so predictable game to game.

 

 

 

[BILLYBOY50 1,638]

3 minutes ago, .Williamson. said:

Happens every pre season

There were people in the support that thought Pedro was getting us 55 during his pre season when we drew with Marseille and beat Sheffield Wednesday

I know mate I hope I am wrong but I think we will just come up short again due to lack off quality in certain positions.

[Vanoli 4,625]

39 minutes ago, BILLYBOY50 said:

Spot on mate I just don't get all the optimism.

Genuinely stems from us winning 5 on the bounce after the loss at Parkhead.... after we’d bottled the league and still lost to the only team we played thereafter with something to play for. 

[bluenoz 30,836]

33 minutes ago, BILLYBOY50 said:

I would say we are a right and left back and a quality left winger (Kent maybe) and another quality striker short of challenging on all fronts. And when I say striker I mean a big physical type player  so we can mix it up a bit and therefore we will not be so predictable game to game.

 

 

 

So our captain had an off-night and slow start to the season and now we need a new right back?  Maybe you don't get others optimism and that's fine but I don't get this pessimism about one of our better players.

[simplythebestest 2,145]

13 minutes ago, bluenoz said:

So our captain had an off-night and slow start to the season and now we need a new right back?  Maybe you don't get others optimism and that's fine but I don't get this pessimism about one of our better players.

He's probably just meaning cover for Tav to be fair

[Bluenose-11 196]

If Barisic isn’t the starting left back we need to go out and get one. Halliday fine to step in now and again but we can’t go into the season relying on him at left back. 

[BILLYBOY50 1,638]

57 minutes ago, bluenoz said:

So our captain had an off-night and slow start to the season and now we need a new right back?  Maybe you don't get others optimism and that's fine but I don't get this pessimism about one of our better players.

Sorry should have said if tav leaves my mistake.

[OhW 4,669]

3 hours ago, TMB said:

Threads has sadly turned in to another Barisic hating fuck fest.  

You are really weird when it comes to players that you like. 

[BILLYBOY50 1,638]

49 minutes ago, simplythebestest said:

He's probably just meaning cover for Tav to be fair

I was meaning if tav is sold and now that  there is supposedly more than one pl team looking at him it's a distinct possibility. 

[BILLYBOY50 1,638]

I dont mean to be pessimistic and I have been happy so far I just worry that we have not added the quality throughout the squad that I think most of us spoke about at the end of last season and this one. Maybe it's just years of being spoiled by past Rangers teams but looking at the team the way it stands just now I think we are a bit light on real quality Just my opinion. 

[TMB 14,167]

23 minutes ago, OhW said:

You are really weird when it comes to players that you like. 

Yeah, you’re right.  A Croatian international full-back who scores for his country, is dangerous at set-pieces, and can put a quality ball in to the box.  Let’s all hate fuck out of him  

[superallysbears 7,582]

Thought tav was crap last night defensively and not much better in attack, I said he'd miss the penalty and he did, tav is a bottle merchant and at times you can see it, good enough player on his day but when the chips are down he's found wanting, I'd take the 10 million or whatever the offer maybe. 

[OhW 4,669]

12 minutes ago, TMB said:

Yeah, you’re right.  A Croatian international full-back who scores for his country, is dangerous at set-pieces, and can put a quality ball in to the box.  Let’s all hate fuck out of him  

I am right, you act very weird about players that you like. 

[RockwellGers 14,712]

What's the script with Helander, is he fit to play?

[stewaj3 1,446]

6 hours ago, thehost said:

we showed the same frailties as last year

 

profligate in front of goal

a bombscare when ran at

light in midfield when closed down

an annoying habit of dropping the tempo and knocking the ball about, side to side, for large chunks of a match

 

positive is we have greater depth 

 

last night was a carbon copy of last season

 

 

Think that's very harsh. Start of last season in Europe we had a few nervy wins where we were keeping clean sheets because of McGregor.

Last night we were berating the fact that we didn't get more goals because barring a couple of incidents we were all over progres.

We should have had 4 or 5 last night imo

[TMB 14,167]

3 hours ago, BILLYBOY50 said:

Spot on mate I just don't get all the optimism.

There's plenty of reason to be optimistic.  We came on leaps and bounds last season.  Despite a lack of silverware the performances Rangers were putting in were well above that of previous years.  We've now added players and Edmundson, Aribo, and Ojo look very good so far.  If we get Kent back and the window closes with Tavernier and Morelos still at the club this could be a title winning season for us.  Add to that, celtic aren't the team they were a few years ago.