12 Mar 2018 13:36:48
I considered posting something before yesterday’s game but never got around to it. I know it was a sore one to take and I like the rest of you couldn’t quite believe we’d lost at the end of the game, but I think that in itself tells us something about how far we’ve come in a relatively short space of time.
I was seeing a lot of ‘over confident’ posts in the last few weeks talking about how we were going to win by 3 or 4 goals and how we could go on and win the title, which, quite frankly was just wishful thinking. There’s a difference in trying to be confident and in setting up unrealistic expectations, as now that the game is over and we have no chance of winning the league, those that had convinced themselves that we did, are starting to question Murty and the team. Which considering where we were a few months ago is pretty ridiculous. How many of us just a few months ago when Pedro was sacked and we couldn’t get a manager would of given anything just to finish second and to have a team worth watching again. In s few short months Murty has come in, rebuilt the team (again) got us playing attractive flowing football, got us winning again, got us into second and the cup semi and (think about this) got us believing we can beat Celtic, something we’d not looked like doing in years.
Also we have to remember that unfortunately we are still a fair bit behind in terms of resources. They have a first team squad made up of mainly internationals or players costing millions. We have 5 players with full international experience (2 injured most of the season and 2 in their late 30’s who have also missed large parts of the season) .
Most of us said only a few weeks ago that if we finish second this year and maybe win the cup then it would be a good season (personally considering the first half of the season I think that would be a tremendous result if we manage both of them, even finishing second would be progress from last year) Winning the league this year was never going to happen and we can’t lose sight of that, we need to stay behind the team for the rest of the season, secure second and give it our all in the cup. The improvement over the last 2 or 3 months has been huge but we can’t start losing sight of where we have come from and how hard it has been to get back here. Yes yesterday was really sore to take but the fact it was so unbelievable that we lost is a far cry from previous old firms under Pedro and warburton when sometimes it was a case of how many we might lose by!
Yes we need better centre backs, yes Morelos is still young and learning and misses some sitters but his overall play is improving game on game and Murty and Allen will know where we still need to strengthen. We have to remember we are still building a team, we’re not the finished article, but for the first time in a long time (best part of 6 years) we do seem to be heading in the right direction.
12 Mar 2018 14:39:21
Really well thought out, terrific post Ger78!When you take in closely what you've posted here, you're absolutely bang on the money!
12 Mar 2018 15:21:54
We had a good enough squad to challenge at the start of the season so don’t think it a big achievement to be second. We haven’t bet anyone even half decent to get to the semis of the cup, defeats to Hibs, Kilmarnock, St Johnstone and Hamilton is progress? Yeah we added more quality in January and look better but some results have still been poor, if we had won they games where would we be? We are still underperforming with the squad we have sorry to say, look at the Hibs games they played us of the park at ER but we luckily took the points then gubbed is at Ibrox and Look at kille and what there doing and then compare our squads. Not been good enough simple as that not as if Pedro left us in a relegation battle
12 Mar 2018 15:54:52
Great post Ger78. We feel bad today because we should have won. First time in a long time we could have and should have won. Massive improvement but still some way to go.
12 Mar 2018 16:10:53
I’m sorry, we clearly didn’t have a squad good enough to challenge at the start of the season, hence having to bring in 5 first team starters in January and drop or ship out 5 or 6 of the players brought in in the summer, and we also clearly didn’t have a good enough manager to challenge either.
I agree it isn’t good enough to lose to the likes of st johnstone, Kilmarnock or Hamilton, that’s why I was apprehensive and didn’t want to get carried away before Sunday’s game, we’re far from the finished article. I also said we have improved over the last 2 or 3 months, ie since January where we had only lost one game prior to yesterday, a game that really all things considered we could of win if it wasn’t for those defensive frailties yet again (that as I stated I’m sure Allen and Murty are painfully aware of) . We also have to remember we went into yesterday’s game without the availability of 3 defensive midfielders (Jack, Rossiter and McCrorie. yes I know he’s a defender but can also play there) and I’m sure if any had been available would of started. You can see that the team that played yesterday is good enough to beat most spl teams however when we come up against better teams such as Celtic and hibs our defence requires more protection but currently all three players that can play there are out.
I am not saying that we are the finished article or that we are good enough yet, in fact I kind of stated that we aren’t yet good enough but that we are finally looking like we are heading in the right direction (and by that I’m talking about the last ten games or so where other than one goal loses to hibs and Celtic, both games where if it wasn’t for small margins we could of won, we have looked much better)
What would you rather? That we bin Murty, bring in another manager to start all over again with their own ideas and own players, create another whole new team and start again? Do you think that would work? And where would all the money come from to do this? We may not like this but we have to remember that two years ago we were in the championship, we’re not going to go from there to wining the spl in 2 years whilst also having to constantly rebuild the team AND the club itself. I lived through the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s when we were winning most things and had some world class players and it was wonderful but we also know where it got us. We unfortunately are now in the position that Celtic were in during those years and it took them years to rebuild and get to where they are now, during which times they regularly finished 3,4 or 5th in the league. I wish we could wave a magic wand and be back winningbleagues and cups but unfortunately that ain’t going to happen.
12 Mar 2018 17:31:17
Well said mate th journey continues wer on th right path n nearly there. Obviously very disappointing result yesterday but was th first propper competitive old firm in years on to th semi n hopefully first major trophy in 7yr
12 Mar 2018 17:54:54
Well said Ger78, both postsðŸ‘. Onwards and upwards.
Keep Believing
12 Mar 2018 17:56:44
A very considered post there Ger78.
I posted on Friday that the braggadocio being displayed by some on here ahead of the game was all about pure emotion running amok and that some of those same guys would turn on Murty and the team if we did not get a result.
However, I have been pleasantly surprised by the overall tenor of posts post match ie it has not been one of pure destructive venting. whilst fans are understandably hurting there is recogntion from most that things on field are definitely progressing.
There is general agreement on areas of the team that still need attention ie central defence.
Maybe too there was a case on Sunday for Murty not being so expansive and congesting the midfield. but I am not going to pillory a manager setting up his team to try be playing attacking, expansive football.
Maybe. just maybe we can end the years of hurt in that semi final?