What's actually wrong with the team?

[graeme_4 1,410]

There's been a lot of negativity on here recently, and I actually held back from posting for a while as I just couldn't be arsed with all the hysterical overreactions.

There's been loads of criticism flying about - mostly aimed at King and Warburton, for not providing adequate funds and for not wisely using the funds that were provided.

Despite that, we still have the 2nd highest budget and I'd argue a much better quality of manager, backroom staff, facilities and players than the rest (outside of Celtic).

Ultimately, any 11 we put out on the park should be able to beat the others (over a season). I still firmly believe we'll finish second. However, we're far from firing on all cylinders at the moment. The question is why?

Constructively, I think we lack a number of things...

- physical strength (particularly in the middle of the park)

- a quick ball winning CB

- players with a winning mentality

- ability to move the ball quickly from back to front (on the deck)

I'm not looking to turn this into another 'Warbs oot' thread, but more constructive in terms of where we need to improve. Thoughts...?

[Gaz52 5,820]

Someone brave enough to pick the ball up off defenders/Wes and play it forward quickly. As much as I rate Halliday, he's not that type of player and it's obvious when he picks the ball up in these positions, his head is never up and he's always in a rush to either play it back the way or to a full-back

[Gaz52 5,820]

We cause ourselves too many problems by not knowing when to just get rid of it and play it up to Garner as he has the ability to win flick ons and take us further up the pitch

We're just currently playing a system that none of the players are comfortable playing IMO

The lack of confidence/belief is damning.

[trueblueal 795]

We needs leaders. We are a team of nice guys. Someone like Barry Ferguson would have us playing much better

Garner and Hill are a good start but we need it in midfield. Eustace and then Barton were supposed to be the guy but we know those didn't work out.

[jackrfc95 267]

Too many players scared of giving the ball away. Attacking players should be prepared to take a few chances when in the final third. Take McKay for example, he'll constantly play the ball back to Wallace instead of taking responsibility and trying something a bit different in order to make things happen himself. He's a very skilful player but very rarely do we see it, he'd rather just keep possession. That's not a dig at McKay I'm just using him as an example, there are others.

[In Dungeons Deep 633]

What I think is wrong -

Players believe their own hype

Players can't make the step up because they're not good enough

Players and Management don't have the bottle/mentality to be with us

Management don't have the ability to manage us

Club as a whole underestimated the difficulty/standard of the league

[Smile 6,762]

We have a weak board a weak manager and players signed who are championship quality, You invest nothing you get nothing that's what's happening now.

[trueblueal 795]

1 minute ago, jackrfc95 said:

Too many players scared of giving the ball away. Attacking players should be prepared to take a few chances when in the final third. Take McKay for example, he'll constantly play the ball back to Wallace instead of taking responsibility and trying something a bit different in order to make things happen himself. He's a very skilful player but very rarely do we see it, he'd rather just keep possession. That's not a dig at McKay I'm just using him as an example, there are others.

Agreed. We are risk averse and play to patterns. I actually think we are over coached and lack true creativity

[Leeds_Bear 532]

Three of our biggest problems:

1) We are predictable, teams know exactly how we'll play and how to counter it.

2) We don't move the ball quick enough from the back four to midfield. It gives opposition teams time to regroup or press the ball.

3) Our decision making in the final third is the worst I've seen in the league. Our strikers are never where they're supposed to be and we fart about with the ball far too much on the edge of the area.

[centenarystand 1,342]

1 minute ago, Leeds_Bear said:

Three of our biggest problems:

1) We are predictable, teams know exactly how we'll play and how to counter it.

2) We don't move the ball quick enough from the back four to midfield. It gives opposition teams time to regroup or press the ball.

3) Our decision making in the final third is the worst I've seen in the league. Our strikers are never where they're supposed to be and we fart about with the ball far too much on the edge of the area.

You beat me to it and here lies the problem. We have no cutting edge and lack ideas in the final third and thats before the opposition resort to putting ten men behind the ball.

[Courtyard Bear 6,923]

We don't work hard enough, and we are paying more wages for players of equal quality.

So you have to ask do we really have the best folk in charge of our club.

[jackrfc95 267]

9 minutes ago, trueblueal said:

Agreed. We are risk averse and play to patterns. I actually think we are over coached and lack true creativity

Certainly looks that way.

[ForeverAndEver 3,271]

We're fucking shite.

[WCPRANGERS1 1,337]

I think there are a number of things that could be looked at as reasons/excuses for the poor form we are showing.

Firstly, early in the season we have had a number of injuries which were just not there last season. We've seen Windass, Crooks, Wilson, Holt, Waghorn, Rossiter, Dodoo, Senderos and Kranjcar out for slather number of games this season this in no way helps settle s new squad.

The Joey Barton debacle has not helped.

We have had a huge turnover of playing staff and they have not gelled as quickly or as well as hoped.

The squad we have out with a few players have not played regularly for previous clubs or have not played for sides that have had the added pressure that comes with being at a club like Rangers, some have struggled to adapt to this in the top flight.

Although we worked fairly quickly in the transfer market our work to strengthen at CB has not gone to plan, it is still an area that we are struggling, different pairings every other week does not help.

As Much as the defence has been poor, we have been equally poor going forward. In the league we have scored more than 2 goals in one match, we are lacking real creativity and for all the possession in the world we are nowhere near clinical enough.

For me we have stopped doing most things we did well last season. The tempo, pressing teams when we don't have the bass, moving the ball quickly has all gone.

During the Kilmarnock game I thought that would be the turning point but them the following week we returned to early season performances.

433 formation i don't read a lot in to because I think it's more how you perform in that formation, I know MWs mantra is do plan A better and yes on your good days that's fine but you need a team and players that also know how to get a job done when not at their best and a management team that will say "it ain't working today let's change it up".

[born a blue nose 2,861]

No plan B

[He's blue he's white 455]

I really think we need a quick ball winning cab as noted in the op. I also hope rossiter can get fit, he will make a big difference and if he can't get fit then we will need to invest in that area also.

i also think the combination of our predictable play and the refusal to change formation and 'style' makes it easy for opposing teams to stop us.

so in short,

Quick, ball winning, experienced cb

a quality cdm

a new formation / or willingness to adopt a better plan b

[BridgeIsBlue 9,693]

You try and be competitive by penny pinching then you ultimately reap what you sow.

Going by this seasons performances we look nothing more than a championship side.

[MayboleLoyal_atb 731]

We don't have good enough players for the way Warburton wants to play and he doesn't seem to want to change it.

[eskbankloyal 2,029]

11 minutes ago, BridgeIsBlue said:

You try and be competitive by penny pinching then you ultimately reap what you sow.

Going by this seasons performances we look nothing more than a championship side.

We have a wage budget that is more than double what Aberdeen's wage budget is.

Our wage budget is bigger than the bottom 6 combined.

Our wage budget is half of celtic's.

Ultimately, our league position should reflect that. It quite clearly doesn't. That stops with the manager, his staff and the players.

If you want to talk about challenging for the title then you have to look towards the board.

[BridgeIsBlue 9,693]

Just now, eskbankloyal said:

We have a wage budget that is more than double what Aberdeen's wage budget it.

Our wage budget is bigger than the bottom 6 combined.

Our wage budget is half of celtic's.

Ultimately, our league position should reflect that. It quite clearly doesn't. That stops with the manager, his staff and the players.

If you want to talk about challenging for the title then you have to look towards the board.

So the #GoingFor55 pish before the ST's went on sale,what was that all about?

[eskbankloyal 2,029]

Just now, BridgeIsBlue said:

So the #GoingFor55 pish before the ST's went on sale,what was that all about?

Our next league title will be 55. What else do you think it means....

[BridgeIsBlue 9,693]

Just now, eskbankloyal said:

Our next league title will be 55. What else do you think it means....

Aye the club put that campaign up just for shits and giggles,my bad

[Vwbear 326]

The manager is hopeless and out of his depth

[Falcoholic 356]

To win games you need to score goals. To score goals you need to move the ball forward. We don't do either very much or very well.

To not lose games you don't lose goals. We lose goals.

Possession doesn't win games.

How basic does it need to be?

[KWBear 42]

4-3-3.