*****The official PSV v Rangers Champions league play-off match thread*****

[Bigdave30 8,724]

Morelos is not bigger than the club, we need the rest of the squad to stand up and be counted to prove the point and give the support a lift.

2-1 Rangers.

[RockwellGers 14,731]

Will be at a Fringe comedy show with my work during the game 

Was booked ages ago and didn't realise the game was on a Wednesday. If I look at my phone and we're 2-0 up I'll be laughing like a maniac right enough 

[Jakes Pal 5,646]

31 minutes ago, Blueshoff said:

Personally I think we go out after a battling performance.

Would we consider that an improvement over Malmo? Glorious failure instead of abject?

I tend to agree with your summation though, for several reasons we are absolutely not in the form we need to be in to win this tonight, and unless  Gio & the team surprise us with a Baws oot, every man up for it and on their game display, ala Dortmund, then I fear that we may not have enough for the result we all desire. 

Some of the comments from some PSV types do give me a wee bit of hope, they are very confident it seems and that could work for us is we have the confidence to go for them from the start, however it is becoming clear to me at least, that Gio is cautious and I simply do not see him sending the team out to attack, the mantra of keeping the zero and trying to build from that, seems to be prevalent in his thinking.

Just got to hope for the best now and wish the travelling Bears a safe journey and hope you bring back what we are all hoping for. 

 

[Blueshoff 11,891]

2 minutes ago, Jakes Pal said:

Would we consider that an improvement over Malmo? Glorious failure instead of abject?

I tend to agree with your summation though, for several reasons we are absolutely not in the form we need to be in to win this tonight, and unless the Gio & the team surprise us with a Baws oot, every man up for it and on their game display, ala Dortmund, then I fear that we may not have enough for the result we all desire. 

Some of the comments from some PSV types do give me a wee bit of hope, they are very confident it seems and that could work for us is we have the confidence to go for them from the start, however it is becoming clear to me at least, that Gio is cautious and I simply do not see him sending the team out to attack, the mantra of keeping the zero and trying to build from that, seems to be prevalent in his thinking.

Just got to hope for the best now and wish the travelling Bears a safe journey and hope you bring back what we are all hoping for. 

 

Also hoping that if we qualify we buy players that improve the squad rather than just more of the same standard.

[graeme_4 34,774]

Not feeling confident at all. Be really surprised if we get a result.

Not ideal, but we’re underdogs going into the tie, and a baby step forward from last year. 

[HG5 11,209]

After a couple of wobbles initially, I think the squad got their heads round Alf’s absence last season & managed reasonably well without him.

Some would say brilliantly, in that we actually won a cup, and reached another final, but I’m not getting carried away…

We’re now getting 30 - 40% of a starting lineup who’ve never played alongside a fit Alf, so they don’t really know what they’re missing.

Thought PSV had spells last week where they were fairly average & their headline players only seemed to play in spurts (much like us!).

Can see it being very similar to last week.

Width of a fag paper between us at the end, even going to penalties.

And, I know it’s been a while, but we’ve won twice over there - history on our side for once!

[ShanksRFC 3,870]

Not very confident.

Only benefit is PSV will come out and play more but I don't think Colak is the ideal man for pacey counter attacks. That man will be sitting in Glasgow.

[born a blue nose 90,865]

With everything surrounding us at the moment I'd be amazed if we progress 

[Smell the hotdog 4,021]

Noticed Rangers Review yesterday peddling the "it's only about 10/15m difference between CL & EL" line which was bound to be trotted out at some point.

[ForeverAndEver 71,729]

7 hours ago, falkirkNS said:

at least put a player in who the support has confidence in atm, goldson is not that for press conferences.

 

3 hours ago, dummiesoot said:

Not often I agree with you but Goldson has the charisma of a kettle. Get someone out there with a positive personality and show confidence. Goldson could not show confidence that he could tie his shoe laces

It’s a shitty pre match press conference why the fuck would you care who takes it? 

[CR3 12,724]

16 minutes ago, ShanksRFC said:

I don't think Colak is the ideal man for pacey counter attacks. That man will be sitting in Glasgow.

Alfredo canny run at the moment mate, he’s not fit.

[ShanksRFC 3,870]

3 minutes ago, CR3 said:

Alfredo canny run at the moment mate, he’s not fit.

Only himself to blame for that.

[SIRB_72 4,028]

Gio will defo be looking to "keep the zero" and then change the game later on which makes me think he'll play with 3 cbs and unfortunately one of them being Lundstram. However playing deep like we did in Leipzig might not be so bad.

Like Leipzig I dont think a strikerless formation is completely wild. I like Colak but this is not his game. Morelos was never going to play anyway. I actually think having an extra midfielder might unsettle their defence and midfield.

                       McLaughlin

       Sands.Goldson.Lundstram

  Tav.      Davis.     Kamara.    Barisic

       Matondo.   Lawrence  Kent

An unrealistic team but it keeps us nice and compact. We can deal with their attacking full backs much more comfortably than we did in the second half at Ibrox. It also gives Kent and Matondo (even Wright) a bit more freedom to hit on the counter.

With Lundstram, Davis and Kamara our ball retention should be fine and Davis can always pick a pass. Then Lawrence just floating in between defence and midfield creating triangles with the aim to free the two wide players into space.

A bit wild but like I said I don't think the Leipzig approach would do too badly tonight.

[Leeds_Bear 8,114]

There is no way Colak doesn’t start, unless he’s injured. 

[G.E.C. 18,870]

14 minutes ago, ForeverAndEver said:

 

It’s a shitty pre match press conference why the fuck would you care who takes it? 

Goldsons press conference when he stood up for Kamara after Slavia was outstanding.

[The No.9 760]

Feel too anxious to even think about this just now lol, only hope PSV are nervy for it as well as if both play like the last leg we have a good enough chance as anyone 

[don logan 8,077]

31 minutes ago, ShanksRFC said:

Not very confident.

Only benefit is PSV will come out and play more but I don't think Colak is the ideal man for pacey counter attacks. That man will be sitting in Glasgow.

Morelos isn't fast.

[jaywalker 377]

2 hours ago, .Williamson. said:

Has the team stayed the same over the last few seasons? Or even from the Europa league final until now?

I don’t understand why people keep using old games as a marker of what we can do this evening

What would you prefer to use for comparison? Dreams perhaps.

stranger things have happened, it’s a 90 minute game, 1 break of the ball, 1 dodgy decision in our favour, 1 deflected shot any one of these could get us through.

Instead of singing about not surrendering, we could try living it.

[Leeds_Bear 8,114]

8 minutes ago, The No.9 said:

Feel too anxious to even think about this just now lol, only hope PSV are nervy for it as well as if both play like the last leg we have a good enough chance as anyone 

Home crowd benefit will be key unfortunately, can see us taking a good 20 mins to settle - about holding on until then. 

(please repost this when we are 3-0 up after 15 minutes)

[Clemdog 39,389]

There's a few different things I'd like to do in this game, but realistically we can't with the lack of CBs. I'd prefer us to go into that 3-5-2 formation which worked last Season, but would prefer to keep Lundstram in the CM position as I think he's vital to us. 

I'd also flirt with the idea of bringing back in McGregor, can't see right now what McLaughlin is bringing to us as he's been poor with his distribution and set piece play.

Injuries at the back just leave us in a position in which it's probably not smart to do either of those things.

[ShanksRFC 3,870]

6 minutes ago, don logan said:

Morelos isn't fast.

Can hold the ball up well and allow our pacey wingers to overlap. I have my doubts Colak can do that.

[esquire8 43,072]

What I think GvB will go with

McLaughlin 

Tav Goldson Sands Barisic

Davis Lundstram Kamara

Wright Colak Kent

Now I don't think this 11 could do the job but probably keep us in the game until the 70th when hopefully bringing on Lawrence and Tillman to try go win it by a goal.

If set pieces haven't been fixed then theres no hope.

[Gazzalivesforever 1,988]

I think this game goes 120 mins. We seem to play better against teams who come at us in Europe. Wouldn't be surprised to see Davis start. He's one of the few players we have that can start a quick transition from front to back. Get the ball to our pacey players and hope Colak is in the box to get on the end of things.

[Vanoli 4,625]

The Morelos issue surrounds this in a lot of negativity, but he never featured last week either and there was nothing between the teams. Still think we’re a more trustworthy outfit in Europe than domestically, so we’ll get our chances tonight.

Just hope Gio doesn’t go too negative. Play for a draw like in Braga or Leipzig we’ll take a sore one. Disciplined aggression to give them something to think about like Dortmund and Frankfurt and we can win.

[G.E.C. 18,870]

If we go through we’ll be the highest seeded team in pot 4.