What is wrong with this team?

[graeme_4 34,448]

We’ve been largely awful this season so far. No intensity, no pace, no creativity. 

Weak in defence, slow in midfield, pedestrian up front. 

Guys like Kent, Goldson, Tav and McGregor were phenomenal last season - and they’re a shadow of themselves now. Kent in particular looked like he couldn’t or wouldn’t even run last night. 

Fuck knows what’s going on, but that team were absolute farmers last night, and we made it very difficult as we have done many times this season. 

I’m worried about the weekend, never mind the OF.

[Cedrick 8,048]

First time I’ve ever thought a Gerrard team doesn’t look fit , it used to be one of biggest strengths 

[A.T.G 10,773]

Maybe down on confidence after the first Malmö leg. Hopefully 3 wins in a row put us back to normal.

Massive 10 days ahead

[STEPPS BOY 73,890]

Some players look like winning 55 was enough and that ‘s been the case since we won the league.

These dire, dull performances in competitive games are the same we were served up when we got beat by St Johnstone in Scottish Cup.

Couple that with Gerrard reverting back to his negative tactics that we played for two seasons, his refusal to drop his favourites and an awful transfer policy and already we are in two must win league games coming up.

[AdzKyle 7,836]

It doesn’t help that we tend to play the exact same system no matter what and there’s no plan b. If teams no how we play then they know how to counter it. 
When it’s not working for us we NEVER change it. We just carry on hoping it will work. Has been a major issue for years that we don’t change things when they aren’t working. 
 

As for the players.....we have been here before. How they can put in so much effort, intensity and passion in some games and then look completely disinterested in others is baffling and quite frankly an insult to the fans. 

[SteveEarle 9,745]

I’m really not sure if this team will have the fight to dig us out of a hole should we fall too far behind in the league this season. Truly hope I’m wrong but the signs are worrying to say the least. 

[Prso's headband 35,428]

The players achieve something and then down tools thinking it’s job done, they don’t seem to be able to want to push on and achieve even greater things. It’s been a feature of us under Gerrard. 
 

Also 4-3-3 has clearly run its course 4-2-3-1 is the way forward for this team

[ShanksRFC 3,869]

System needs to change IMO, its stagnated massively and that first half last night showed it. 

Get Jack and Kamara back in the midfield ASAP. Hopefully Roofe stays fit this year also.

 

[theblueskyeman 528]

What’s worrying me is that lot came to Ibrox last season and played better than us in one or two games When they were shite but we rode our luck and saw them out. They’ve upped it and we seemed to have gone backwards. He needs to change it sharpish. 

[born a blue nose 90,756]

Ross county will be tougher than the old firm imo 

[mark1963 900]

This is similar to our loss of form after our Dubai trip ,this was never explained as Covid curtailed the season , now lessons should have been learned then ,and if it happened again intervention should have been swifter.

Unfortunately we seem to be caught up in that malaise again which is unacceptable as lessons should have been learned.

If players go AWOL or are off form they need dropped /systems adapted etc.Management need to be clinical in dealing with these situations.

[j1mgg 3,766]

I would ban supporters from the tim game, see if that makes a difference, because at this moment in time, we ain't winning that game playing how we are just now.

[steven33jackie 1,920]

We definitely struggle after reaching a high. Look at season one under Gerrard, beat celtic at Ibrox for the first time in ages go into the January break on a high. Then never hit those levels again.

Season 2, beat celtic at Parkhead go into another January break on a high. Never hit the same levels again.

Season 3 Win the league, go on the summer break in the highest of highs. Come back for the new season and struggle to hit the same levels.

 

[ayro 3,000]

23 minutes ago, born a blue nose said:

Ross county will be tougher than the old firm imo 

Agree, the tarrier game will take care of itself.

They need to get back to last season mantra of 1 game at a time and get their focus sorted out.

Short term target has to be 2 wins in the league and EL qualification, get into the international break with the transfer deadline passed then reset and challenge on all fronts.

 

[esquire8 42,452]

Confidence and fitness in the majority looks fucked. Those who are confident and fit are being overlooked 

Add to that the injuries, suspensions,varied returns from the break and that lump of scouse shit being signed and played, the return of crowds, its made a cesspool of shit performances.

[The Dude 20,026]

Too many guys going through the motions. Not buying this confidence stuff though. Players came back looking like they only needed to turn up to win games.

[esquire8 42,452]

1 minute ago, The Dude said:

Too many guys going through the motions. Not buying this confidence stuff though. Players came back looking like they only needed to turn up to win games.

3 players in particular are definitely in that category.

[The Dude 20,026]

Just now, esquire8 said:

3 players in particular are definitely in that category.

FAR more than three, including some folk will still defend to the hilt.

[ayro 3,000]

1 hour ago, graeme_4 said:

We’ve been largely awful this season so far. No intensity, no pace, no creativity. 

Weak in defence, slow in midfield, pedestrian up front. 

Guys like Kent, Goldson, Tav and McGregor were phenomenal last season - and they’re a shadow of themselves now. Kent in particular looked like he couldn’t or wouldn’t even run last night. 

Fuck knows what’s going on, but that team were absolute farmers last night, and we made it very difficult as we have done many times this season. 

I’m worried about the weekend, never mind the OF.

Kent is the biggest worry for me as last night he actually looked like he didn’t give a fuck.

If he is the subject of speculation and doesn’t want to be here then sell him as we cannot carry any passengers, if he is sulking or low in confidence then it’s clear he isn’t playing back into form so get him on the bench.

Thought Goldson was better last night, Tav was very meh.

Overall I think we need consistency of selection to get them back into rhythm, with injury, suspension, form loss this has proven to be difficult however SG needs to take the blame on that for the GK rotation and his reluctance to play guys in form Bassey, Wright over history Borna, Kent.

[esquire8 42,452]

3 minutes ago, The Dude said:

FAR more than three, including some folk will still defend to the hilt.

Its 3 that stick out to me for doing this. 2 of which are the most influential so would rub off more negatively on others.

[mark1963 900]

13 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Too many guys going through the motions. Not buying this confidence stuff though. Players came back looking like they only needed to turn up to win games.

We never got the answer to our drop in form after our Dubai trip, similar at mo so should be easy to identify unless the slump then wasn't identified.

[The Dude 20,026]

8 minutes ago, esquire8 said:

Its 3 that stick out to me for doing this. 2 of which are the most influential so would rub off more negatively on others.

Kent and McGregor being miles off it is every bit as damaging as either full-back or even Goldson.

[The Dude 20,026]

5 minutes ago, tm91 said:

A lot of good points made in this thread, but to add two more:

1) Previously we either had 8 qualifier games against increasingly difficult opposition or an extended pre-season, which allowed us to hit the ground running and be fitter than most of our opponents. This time we haven't had that, and a number of players have had disrupted pre seasons. We just don't look fit and we haven't started at all.

2) The midfield isn't balanced. The way we play, we look at our best when Davis, Kamara and/or Jack can sit in there, covering for the full backs, controlling the game and pressing when required to keep the intensity up. Instead we've had Aribo, Lundstram, Arfield all playing there, so we don't have that solidity.

A few points made here - complacency, lack of fight, the issue of struggling to motivate ourselves after achieving a high - all these are relevant as well I think. There's no one simple answer.

1) we've played five or six competitive games now as well as five pre-season games. Players have disrupted pre-seasons every season. There's simply no excuse for players not being back up to speed

2) The insistence that we play Davis + one of Lundstram, Kamara or Jack does us no favours. We should be looking at starting to ease Davis out of the side rather than building our midfield around him. We've now got a million different central midfielders but for some reason Gerrard seems determined to play at least two who are very similar in style.

[The Dude 20,026]

7 minutes ago, mark1963 said:

We never got the answer to our drop in form after our Dubai trip, similar at mo so should be easy to identify unless the slump then wasn't identified.

The players shit the bed and believed their own hype.

[ayro 3,000]

21 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Too many guys going through the motions. Not buying this confidence stuff though. Players came back looking like they only needed to turn up to win games.

Fine line between assertive, confident, arrogance and complacency I think a few have drifted the wrong way and need brought back.

He has tried the supportive bit, now he is calling them out, continued failure must result in being dropped or worst case transfer listed/sold.

SG needs to get this sorted now.