18 Mar 2026 06:22:47
Of course it's sad to see any of our players injured with it now looking like mo Diomande out the rest of this season with a shoulder injury ☹️So the timing of Connor Barron now fit again after his injury lay off could be pivotal/crucial in our 8 remaining league games, especially if he quickly gets back to the form he was in before his injury in january, where he was playing superbly well and was easily our best midfielder, before injury struck ?If Barron gets back to this form for Rangers, imo we won't miss Dio at all ?
18 Mar 2026 07:49:09
Bonkers Dio will be missed. Better technical player, but Barron will do ok in his absence. Chance for him to get up to his level before his injury.
18 Mar 2026 08:10:47
I think Dio will go in the summer. Manager seems to prefer Raskin and Chucky to him.
18 Mar 2026 08:17:45
May be either him or Raskin, or both. Think it depends on how Raskin fares at the WC tbh. ?
18 Mar 2026 09:46:32
Does Barron and Diomande play the same position, or am I missing something.
18 Mar 2026 10:26:47
Who said they play in the same position? Barron can shore up M/F.
18 Mar 2026 10:51:53
Can see both Diomande and Raskin moving on in the summer.
18 Mar 2026 11:22:22
Fork Coops is alluding to Barron replacing Dio in his post, so I guess that's what Gees means.
18 Mar 2026 12:04:36
Exactly Strom, imo if Dio is out he will play another player as a 10 or attacking Mf.
18 Mar 2026 12:45:21
Geesa, is that not the issue? We don't really play traditional AMs or a number 10. We play 2 who do more sitting, and our two wide players seem to be asked to 'tuck in'. I wondered if that was why Dio hadn't been playing, as he is better as that AM.
18 Mar 2026 14:14:45
Got u Geesa, apologies. ?
18 Mar 2026 18:51:25
Angus, Dio had never really played that way tho. That's why he hasn't really been starting in that formation. When he came on against Celtic, he wasn't tucked in, mate, and I am not disagreeing with you for the sake of it. ?
18 Mar 2026 20:32:05
Storm, I don't think you disagree with me for the sake of it. I think we often have different opinions and don't have an issue with that. Let's not go over it.
You are right, when he came on, he was more advanced. I had to check, but he came on for Naderi rather than one of the wide MF/wingers, so I don't know if that had a bearing on his movement and meant he didn't have to tuck in to the second 2 up front.
When he did use to play as one of the '6s', my memory was he did move about a bit more. But we now have changed so that Tochi and Raskin sit more, and Moore and Olsen are meant to tuck in. That is what 4-2-2-2 seems to suggest to me. So Dio doesn't fit into that system really. ? Am I missing this completely?
18 Mar 2026 21:02:53
No, I agree. I don't think he does fit in, as he is best in a midfield 3, the same as Raskin is. Danny Rohl is not playing the correct formation to get the best out of our midfield.
I think he is doing it to try and get the best out of our strikers, but I don't think that is working. I am not a fan of 4222 or 442.
18 Mar 2026 22:09:31
He is maybe trying to get the best out of our squad but also trying to find a way to overcome that 'low block' we face all the time. 4-3-3 hasn't worked for us for ages, so do we need to try something else or are we always trying to do Plan A better. tbh I think he does make changes to system and personnel.
John said in another thread we have a list of players whose time needs managed; Dio has a shoulder injury which may have stopped him playing since OF.
So there are always things we don't know is happening. Perhaps I give the benefit of the doubt too much, but there is always more happening than we know.
However I don't mind 4-4-2 but just can't get my head around the 4-2-2-2. I do think it stops Olsen playing the way I think he can, as he is used to playing wide, so does 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 suit him better.