22 Aug 2025 09:30:46
I know this is a complete shot in the dark and highly highly unlikely but. imagine we beat st mirren, we beat Celtic and we qualify for the CL.
Does that get people back on side or is it just delaying the inevitable?
I'm trying so hard to see positives in games and I'm struggling tbh, I'd say 70mins against plzén we looked good but that's partly down to how poor they played, I don't necessarily think we made them play poorly either.
I do believe we have good players in this squad and if we can click be that with this formation or altering the formation to get the best out of the players and points on the board just now then I think we'll have a chance.
We need a couple of quality defenders in and I'd like to see a new striker in also (I know someone will need to leave) .
Anyway at least the games on Sunday so we can enjoy the Saturday!
22 Aug 2025 09:38:14
There is something in the team at times were they look good buy my God when it's bad it's terrible. game seems to be constantly slowed down.
22 Aug 2025 09:45:06
Of course we would back him.
Because that would show us progress is being made by stringing 3 wins together in a row against decent opposition.
Nobody wants him to fail.
We already have some on here calling others 'haters' just because they are disappointed, disillusioned and angry at the lack of performance / progress so far.
We all get the excuses from some - new manager, new system, new players but we looked terrible against 2 bottom 6 SPFL teams in Dundee and Motherwell and didn't exactly set the heather on fire against Alloa.
Whether we like it or not, Martin had limited credit in the bank with most fans as he wasn't first choice and many had there doubts he was the man to take us forward.
22 Aug 2025 09:46:11
GMW - Delaying the inevitable.
22 Aug 2025 09:46:58
First 2 are more than possible but we are not getting into CL.
22 Aug 2025 10:00:34
I think Brugge will be a step to far but we need to win next two league games or it will turn very toxic.
22 Aug 2025 10:04:25
IMO opinion I don't think we need a host of new defenders. I have been a RM supporter (only because I am desperate to see us win, so support the manager), but I am becoming increasingly disappointed at how error prone we are, all across the park (sadly it is highlighted more in defence and GK), and feel we need to become more pragmatic at the back.
Even if we score 3 at Brugge (who are good but not world beaters), I simply cannot see us keeping a clean sheet.
So simply adding a new defender from me won't solve this as we are simply too easy to play against from front to back.
22 Aug 2025 10:45:55
Would need to have us playing a lot better and run Celtic very close at minimum maybe win cup or two.
22 Aug 2025 10:56:37
Thought it might be useful to share with you Guys why things look like they do on the pitch - hopefully you can see how this manifests itself on match days.
Martin has a belief that every player should have 3 options when they are on the ball - 2 progressive and 1 safe. This is completely mapped out depending on the player and the phase of play.
E.g. Jefte gets the ball on the halfway line. He's told to look for 2 options, Raskin as LCM or Gassama as LF (both are given specific instructions on where they should be) . If they aren't on, his safety pass is Souttar as LCB. Once Jefte makes his pass, he's now the safety pass for the person who's received it. This is why Jefte rarely overlapped (only permitted on a counter/ turnover) and why so many of our passes go back to the person who originally passed it.
This is drilled in to the team, and if they don't utilise the prescribed 3 options during training, the exercise is stopped and started again. Players are also shown instances where they didn't follow this in the post match analysis.
Will players eventually get good at it? Will they ever actually enjoy it? Will it be effective? You decide.
What I will say is look at Antman game one playing with freedom Vs Antman games 2 and 3 playing with structure.
22 Aug 2025 11:14:13
GMW of course if we started winning games we would at least give him time, the thing is as most would agree. The league is priority for most and we don't look capable of beating many at the moment.
I would say we have a couple of decent signings but would also like to add that when we shop mainly in England we never know what we are getting as so many struggle when they move up here.
22 Aug 2025 11:25:49
For me no matter what RM does I want him gone, we play good for spells but it always goes back to the same old boring football, we won't progress with the team we have unless the tactics change but it doesn't look like RM will change them.
22 Aug 2025 11:59:45
EHL really good insight and if anyone watches the Rangers training videos you can actually see this being put into practice.
All that being said, I'm really not into players having very specific passing instructions as it just holds play up way too much and as you say ends up back where it came from. At the end of the day they are professional footballers and individualism should be allowed to shine and not be coached out of them. Just look at Yamal, 16 years old at one of the worlds biggest clubs and he just goes out and does his thing, now the highest rated 18 year old on the planet.
Play to their strengths and let them shine.
22 Aug 2025 12:07:16
Lets win on Sunday and see improvement.
22 Aug 2025 12:15:58
EHL, WOW certainly explains what were seeing on the pitch! if this is the way forward we won't be scoring many goals or beating the low block as we've seen against Dundee and Motherwell! and why were shooting ourselves in the foot with passing it along the back and into midfield and back to the CB! Thought Martin had learned from Southampton, i don't like manager bashing but if that way of playing continues he won't be Head coach come the end of the season and we will be back at square 1 again next season! Honestly would have preferred McInnes at this rate!
22 Aug 2025 12:19:54
EHL that is incredible. It is worse than we thought.
22 Aug 2025 12:32:48
So EHL in reading that and the fact that our defenders have more touches/ passes than anyone can We take away that.
1. We're not using the progressive pass or being brave enough to?
2. The players aren't in the correct position to receive a progressive pass?
Seems overcomplicated to me as football is a fluid sport and although it's a team game, it's built on individuals and individual moments from players in games. That's why we love the get yer arse off your seat players like gassama and antman. I totally understand working on patterns of play but that can't be the only basis to go on.
22 Aug 2025 12:36:16
It's not just Martin that see Football this way it's the modern game since Pep took football and destroyed it, I hate watching over coached players no mavericks left in the game! Martin talking about allowing forward player to express themselves but Antman is a perfect example game one Running Riot and since has been quiet! Notice Martin did have a jibe at Igamane trying to Meg people!
22 Aug 2025 12:52:45
EHL, I'm in no way trying to be funny when I ask this but does he ever work with the team on trying to score? Feel like the whole point of the game is being lost and that he doesn't realise the winning team has to score more and concede less. Not on how many passes they make.
100% with Antman, it's clear as day the instinctive side of his play was taken away from him immediately after the Plzen game.
22 Aug 2025 12:53:09
Thanks for the insight EHL. That explains a lot in all honesty. So basically we have no players playing with any freedom or off the cuff. It's all predetermined.
22 Aug 2025 13:43:17
That's why most of us want him out now!
22 Aug 2025 14:32:37
GMW, correct, more often than not we can't make the progressive pass as -
- it's not quite natural for the receiving players to play that way so they take to long on the ball.
- the receiving players aren't in the set positions
- the pass isn't on
So theoretically things could start to improve, providing the players enjoy buy in to it - but I don't think it's something the majority of fans will enjoy watching.
22 Aug 2025 14:34:59
12th man - correct.
Unless it's a turnover in an advanced area or a counter attack - there are prescribed patterns of play.
22 Aug 2025 16:48:07
So our opposition know that if x player has the ball they only need to mark 2 players and then the ball is going back to a safe player likely in the cb positions. crazy, actually against brugge we were more effective when we started doing diagonal passes.