19 Dec 2025 09:01:35
A case for the defence.
Worse Rangers defence in years?
Every player has been slated at some time this season:-
Butland, Tav, Souttar, Djiga, Aarons, Meghoma and Fernandez.
With the exception possibly being Sterling and Cornelius.
So how do we match up in the SPFL?
Hearts – conceded 13. 8 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 4 ( 1 goal ).
Celtic – conceded 13. 9 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 7 ( 1 goal ).
Rangers – conceded 13. 6 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 8 ( 1 goal ).
Motherwell – conceded 15. 8 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 7 ( 3 goals ).
Hibs – conceded 19. 5 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 8 ( 4 goals ).
Aberdeen – conceded 17. 6 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 8 ( 4 goals ).
Falkirk – conceded 26. 4 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 13 ( 3 goals ).
Dundee United – conceded 26. 3 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 5 ( 5 goals ).
St Mirren – conceded 22. 3 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 6 ( 4 goals ).
Dundee – conceded 31. 2 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 6 ( 4 goals ).
Kilmarnock – conceded 32. 3 clean sheets. Errors leading to shots 4 ( 4 goals ).
Livingston – conceded 31. 1 clean sheet. Errors leading to shots 5 ( 5 goals ).
7 of those 13 came in first 7 games under Martin.
Under Rohl, we've had 5 clean sheets in 9 games.
Conceded 2 goals in a match twice – both against Dundee Utd.
We are joint 1st for least goals conceded.
We are joint 8th on errors leading to shots.
But have recovered as we joint first on least goals conceded from errors.
Room for improvement ( which is happening under Rohl ).
19 Dec 2025 09:19:55
He's done a brilliant job so far as we were a mess before. What was it around 100 shots against after half a dozen games? Though as he also said he had to concentrate on helping the defence, adjusting his tactics which has probably been at the detriment at the other end.
Hopefully with some better recruitment at the back we can do more in attack with more confidence in those behind them.
19 Dec 2025 09:42:10
For me, lack of goals from our strikers is a bigger issue than goals conceded.
19 Dec 2025 09:46:52
A lot of mistakes have been in Europe also, this is where a lot of my frustration comes from anyway.
I reckon there will be poor defending that's lead to a goal in most if not all of our Europa league games this season.
19 Dec 2025 10:32:44
There was a discussion on here the other day about Butland and how he is just as culpable. I would look at replacing him as soon as. I actually like the St Mirren keeper Shamal George, I think he would be a great signing. Good age as well 27 or 28 I think. Our defence is the worst in years.
19 Dec 2025 12:00:08
It's more about lack of creativity from wide areas that's been our problem for me?
Also lack of a goal scoring mf player.
19 Dec 2025 12:29:57
I agree that our problems are at the other end of the pitch, 13 goals against isn't that bad and works out at under a goal a game, Currently we are without our two first choice central defenders and from now on our three first choice central defenders. Scoring once against Rangers shouldn't be enough to earn any points against us as we should always be capable of scoring more than that.
Interesting that in domestic terms, that Tav is our top scorer, Manny is third top scorer and Meghoma, Cornelius and Aarons have all chipped in with vital goals while our forward players, Miovski, recently, aside, aren't doing what they are paid for.
19 Dec 2025 13:35:46
Tav we can not ignore the 28 goals we have also conceded in cup games this season, many criminal defending
We have in fact conceded nearly 50 goals since august.
19 Dec 2025 14:40:19
Wsl, do you just choose to ignore the other 30 plus goals we have conceded since August?
19 Dec 2025 14:53:21
MPH, I was looking at our league stats but only since Rohl came in because you can't judge our from using any of Martin's figures.
so in those 8 games we have 6 wins (0 losses), 4 clean sheet, conceded 4 and scored 15 of our 23 goals in total. so we are getting tighter at the back and scoring more goals (almost twice as many).
Hearts in same 8 games have 3 wins (1 loss), 3 clean sheets, conceded 6 and scored 12 (of their 34 in total)
so their defence isn't as tight in those games and they have gone off the boil just a little bit scoring wise.
Celtic in same 8 games have 5 wins (3 losses), 4 clean sheets, conceded 8 and scored 15 (of their 26 total).
so Celtic had started scoring again under MON and were defensively okay but Nancy changes that a bit with 2 of those losses.
as always using the past to predict the future isn't always correct but interesting to see current form after Rohl joined.
19 Dec 2025 15:46:54
Club72, Shamal George played very well when at Livi, especially against us. he is just on loan at St Mirren I think, so might not be available.
Good young goalkeeper, who won't want to be signed as backup.
19 Dec 2025 16:17:15
Bar72 he would be my number 1. I have very little confidence in Butland. I never realised he was on loan. You are right he is on loan from Wycombe. Shouldn't be too hard to get him I wouldn't think. Proven he can play in this league and big games, I thought he was excellent in the cup final.
19 Dec 2025 16:38:36
George was excellent in the cup final but is he really the step up in keeper we need if we do get rid of Butland.
as a comparison Butland has conceded 13 goals and has had 6 clean sheets sitting behind the worst Rangers defence in history of the game. Shamal George has conceded 22 and 3 clean sheets behind a defence that contains our lusted after choices of Gogic and Freckleton.
as I said not saying he is a bad keeper but needs to improve a bit before I would think he is an improvement. there may be a reason why he is on loan to Saints from the mighty Wycombe and behind the wonderful Will Norris; never heard of him? neither had I actually until I looked him up 15 goals against in 15 games this season.
apologies for sarcasm but couldn't help it.
19 Dec 2025 18:18:14
Great idea guys, let's replace our England international goalkeeper for a guy that's out on loan from an English third tier club.
19 Dec 2025 18:32:02
come on Thornton but he had a good game ?.
19 Dec 2025 19:17:10
John 2575, for the sake of this discussion I do because we are talking about where we are in the league and what this squad can achieve in the league. We were totally outclassed in most of the European games because the squad isn't good enough, we gave up far too many chances and goals BUT we also missed sitters at important times in some of the games.
The other cup tie that we lost goals was against Celtic but we played most of that game with 10 men and even then they couldn't score more than one over 90 minutes. If we had scored just one more goal in some of the low scoring draws we would probably be near the top of the league.
19 Dec 2025 22:18:59
We don't have an England international Gk though do we?.