07 Aug 2026 09:44:56
Few observations so far.
Chermiti can't play up top himself.
Raskin is easily the best midfielder at the club.
We need a dependable Rommens type at RB.
Fernandez has a long way to go before he is a consistent rock at the back.
McInnes needs to start playing his best 11 every week.
But, Curtis should be our number 1 LW.
Yokota looks fine on the RW.
Devlin ( who I never rated ) looked OK when he came on.
Aasgaard was back to normal - 1 good / 1 bad game.
Neil looks another Championship dud.
But I still thought we looked not bad at times in the second half.
And when Shankland came on ( not his biggest fan either ), I thought he brought a wee bit more to the attack than Chermiti showed all game.
Actually looking forward to the Hibs game now.🔴⚪🔵
07 Aug 2026 10:08:03
Wasn't great Mph, but I thought there was more effort & we were unlucky in 2nd half.
I don't think young Curtis is a winger, he hasn't got the burst to go by anyone. Chermiti 25 mill? Fernando 25 mill?? Raskin proving his fitness to his suitors.
And we are so slow in transition, it is painful to watch.
Unlike you, though, I am not relishing the Hibs game or next week's return, when they showed last night they are quick on the break.
07 Aug 2026 10:12:59
Many of Chermiti's best games have been with just him up top, don't disagree with the rest. Curtis, sometimes I think he can't be the first choice. Then he comes on and makes a big difference like he did last night.
Still holding out hope for Neil, especially if he's going to be captain when Shankland isn't on the park.
07 Aug 2026 10:26:01
Mph, good post. Hard to disagree.
I think the squad foundations are there but we're at least 4 quality starters light imo.
Now the controversial statement, and I'll get the tin hat on. Only thinking aloud, and if I'm wrong, tell me why you disagree.
Looking at that bench, are Paul Sheeran and Alan Archibald at the level to train, develop and add to the skills etc of the level of player we hope to be bringing in?
And I know the "Mourinho or Walter weren't great players" type arguments.
Those guys are once in a generation characters, though.
Not saying they're not, but it did pop into my mind.
07 Aug 2026 10:38:48
We never helped Chermiti at all, he was by himself chasing & the only body in the box for long periods, it was him against 4 defenders pretty much. Shankland did nothing, the Poles sat in & invited the pressure so naturally we had more opportunities. What did Raskin do except do a couple of deep crosses? Nothing special, again they sat off & didn't press him to make him lose the ball.
Problem is, a lot of it is down to tactics, squad selection & sub choices, we nullify our own attack by only having 1 winger on each half, so it was easier to defend, only 1 wingback is allowed forward at a time, not the McCrorie should go forward as it looks like he's stuck in mud & slower than Tav.
Fernandez wasn't great in the pass 2 games, but Godfrey, Sterling & McCrorie are as much at fault as him.
07 Aug 2026 10:45:04
MPH, I was just going to post a lot of your comments, I agree with everything you said. Sunday is a must win game. If Celtic win before us, we can't drop any more points, how ridiculous does that sound after 2 league games, but I don't see them having another Nancy collapse this season. Players need games, Curtis has to play every week, also Shankland and Chermitii have to strike up a partnership.
The boy Drago has to play along with Raskin and Devlin. I think Neil can be a decent player given games, but Fernandez and Aasgaard really have to be made aware that unless they cut out the mistakes they won't play, and Dio has to be sold this window. How he even starts, never mind play the full game, totally baffles me.
07 Aug 2026 11:08:28
Maybe if Fernandez had burst his gut to get back on Friday, what do we get sauntering back as if he's out on a Sunday stroll, not good enough.
07 Aug 2026 11:26:13
Curtis is a 10 for me, would score loads.
07 Aug 2026 12:26:07
I think there's a broader concern emerging, and DM's post-match comments seemed to hint at it. We have a sizeable core of players who struggle to transfer what they do on the training ground into competitive matches.
DM is known for being meticulous in his preparation, particularly when it comes to defensive structure. It's easy to criticise the starting 11, but the game plan was fairly clear on paper. What stood out in the first half was how quickly some players abandoned that structure when the game became difficult. Rather than remaining disciplined, there were too many instances of players drifting out of position or simply disappearing from key moments.
The second goal is a perfect example. As the central pivot, Neil should never have advanced as far forward as he did. His responsibility was to remain disciplined and protect the space in front of the defence. We often criticise Raskin for sitting too deep, but that's exactly what the role demands. That single decision left Rangers completely exposed.
McCrorie's forward run was excellent, but it should have been managed. At that point, it's either Neil's job to hold his position and allow Fernandez to shift across, or to move right himself and fill the vacated space.
Instead, he's driven forward and left acres of space to be exploited.
Further up the pitch, Thelo drifted from the inside-left position to the inside-right channel. There's nothing wrong with that movement in isolation, because it should trigger Dio to slide across and occupy the left-sided space. Dio actually did exactly what he was supposed to do. The problem was that Neil had already vacated his position, so what should have been a coordinated rotation instead opened up a huge gap through the middle, which the opposition exploited immediately.
That's the frustrating part. These are not complex tactical concepts. They're basic principles of positional play, discipline and decision-making. Yet with Fernandez, Neil, Chukwuani, Chermiti and Thelo all involved, Rangers effectively had half a team failing to execute their positional responsibilities, and it ultimately crippled the side.
That's twice now that DM has mentioned players looking good in training and also mentioned us looking like Rangers of last season.
07 Aug 2026 12:39:29
I have been banging on about this for years, EGL. The CDM should not be going that far forward up the pitch. Rothwell did it, Raskin did it, and Neil does it too. It's a complete lack of positional discipline. The only guy at Rangers who can do it is Devlin, and he didn't start last night.
07 Aug 2026 12:49:37
Is that a lack of a "football brain" in some players, EHL?
Now, I'm not being derogatory, as they've reached a level with their ability that only a few get to realise.
07 Aug 2026 13:25:21
Anybody count the number of back heels last night that Aasgaard tried last night? He will always let us down in big games, he is a show pony. The longest and quickest run he had last night was when he got subbed and ran off.
07 Aug 2026 14:01:35
Totally agree EHL. Was our problem last year also albeit Neil wasn't in the team then.
When it happens, we are completely open to the counter - time and time again we are punished for it. Needs some discipline.
I had high hopes for Neil tbh, hopefully he turns it around. Looking forward to seeing more of Curtis, Yokota and Vanja.