The youngster and I set off early yesterday, with the temp already nudging 28 degrees C. We were both full of excitement for the new season and like many on here, we were trying to guess what the starting 11 would be and who was fit etc. We'd left early so that the lad could try to get some new autographs and he wasn't to be disappointed (unlike all of us by the end of the match!!), collecting the monikers of Park, Hoilett, Fabio and Green. Unfortunately Cisse did his usual billy-big-bollocks act and refused to sign! Mind you, so did Faurlin, although he did say "I'm late!!" as he rushed by.
I didn't want to burst the lad's bubble, but I have to say that going to the game during a hot, summer's day didn't quite feel right! I also think the atmosphere in the ground was a little down on what it would probably be on a cold winter's day against Chelsea/Spurs etc!! Mind you, the 30 degrees C heat didn't help I'm sure.
Anyway, we got in the ground early as usual so that the boy could watch the players warming up and to our delight, they were set up right in front of us instead of being over in the opposite corner like last year. My son (and me to be honest) was delighted, watching Hoilett, Park, Green, Fabio and of course the other players warming up so close to us. The excitement was building and as kick off approached I got those familiar butterflies in my stomach. We said hello to some season ticket holders that we'd got to know last season and then the players were out and the game was about to start.
When I heard the team I was pleased that Hoilett AND Taarabt were in the same line-up and I hoped that it would mean Adel playing up off Cisse, with Mackie, Park, Diakite and Hoilett being the 4 behind those two. Unfortunately we set up with 4-1-4-1, with Diakite holding behind the four midfielders and Cisse up top on his own.
Rangers started brightly, with Taarabt, obviously having been told to get on the ball as often as possible, spraying the ball around and getting Hoilett involved in the game. Hoilett does look to be a great signing and he looked dangerous throughout. Adel was too deep though and Cisse was looking cery isolated, although it has to be said that his first touch was absolutely woeful nearly every time he was asked to hold the ball up!
Then it happened! That moment that many Rangers fans had been predicting.....Rob Green produced a howler! With their first attack of the game, Routeledge ran at the back four and a half clearance was met with a weak shot from the edge of the box. To our horror, the ball ended up in the back of the net. It had gone through Green's hands as he went down in installments to try to gather a ball that most of us would have saved!! This was the worst possible scenario - going behind to a team who keep the ball for fun in 30 degrees heat!! The goal came against the run of play and Rangers continued to play some pretty decent stuff and should have been level minutes later. The ball fell to Mackie 6 yards out and he should have buried what was a sitter of a chance. Unfortunately he didn't hit the shot well, allowing Vorm to pull off a very good save. He shouldn't have had a sniff!! The impressive Hoilett then went close with a great curling shot that had Vorm grasping at thin air and well beaten. Hoilett also probably should have done better with a header after he had got ahead of Vorm, sending the attempt well wide! Green made a good save from a long range free kick, although the ball was heading wide! Before the half was over though, Green nearly gave the Swans two more goals. First he was in no-man's land as a corner went over him and a header thumped against the bar. Then he punched weakly at another corner and after the ensuing scramble, the ball was again thumped against the Rangers' bar. It could have been 0-3 at half time, although 1-1 or 2-2 would have been fairer.
Rangers began the 2nd half well and more good link up play between Taarabt and Hoilett led to a clumsy challenge on the Rangers debutante by Angel. It wasn't a nailed on pen, but you've seen them given. Not this time unfortunately!!
Then the melt-down got underway. Cisse again failed to gather a pass from Taarabt, instead trying a weak pass that went straight to the opposition. Routeledge left Diakite in his wake and set up Michu for a sublime finish. Great goal....but Park could have tracked the scorer harder. The third goal soon followed, with Fabio giving the ball away carelessly and Dyer was sent clean through the gaping Rangers defence. This time Taarabt was culpable as he didn't make any effort to run back with Dyer. The fourth was a result of Fabio AGAIN being hopelessly out of position, allowing Dyer to get in behind for a simple fourth, although Dyer's first touch was sublime! The Billy Smart's Circus show was completed when the very poor Onouha played a hopeless, aimless ball out of defence and then failed to close down Sinclair as he was given all the time in the world to pick his spot. 5 - 0!! Not sure any of us, Swans included saw that coming!!
In conclussion, I think MH got the formation wrong, leaving Cisse very isolated and Taarabt too often too deep. With the players selected either Taarabt or Hoilett should have been up further, playing in and around Cisse. If Taarabt is played too deep centrally he will often let us down defensively and won't be far enough up the pitch to hurt the opposition. Swansea again kept the ball well but ML seems to have instilled some steel into them. They were very niggly with a lot of shirt pulling and rough-house tactics. Having said that, Swansea were superb on the break, looked a yard quicker all over the pitch and thoroughly deserved to win. Rangers looked all over the place defensively with Onouha, Fabio and Green particularly poor. MH got it tactically wrong and also made very strange subs....the most baffling being the removal of Hill and replacing him with SWP who played in a kind of right wing-back position with Onouha moving into the centre. Not sure if Hill was injued, but if he wasn't, being taken off would suggest some blame for the chaos. I didn't see it that way tbh. Making Park captain is also a very poor footballing decision imo. Good commercially, but on the pitch, although he looked quite classy and worked his socks off, I didn't see Park give out any encouragement or instructions once!!
Fortress Loftus Road? MY ARSE!!
Player ratings and comments:
Green - 4 - Terrible debut. Looked so nervous and lacking in confidence. Can only get better I suppose!
Onouha - 4 - Very poor. Looks very indecisive. Hurry up Boswinga!!
Ferdinand - 6 - Looked ok amid the chaos. Exposed, due to the formation with Swansea running through the midfield.
Hill - 6 - Same comments as Ferdinand. Although possibly a season too far for the great warrior?
Fabio - 5 - Looks as though he will always try and got forward well on occasions. But he looks as though he is from the Paul Scoles school of tackling and was hopelessly out of position a lot.
Hoilett - 8 - Rangers' best player and always looked a threat. Deserved a goal.
Park - 7 - Looked class at times. Hardly ever gave the ball away and worked tirelessly to win it back. Very quiet though and should never be captain!
Diakite - 6 - Looked a bit off the pace and probably not match fit. Will get better and better, especially if we get Faurlin in alongside him.
Mackie - 5 - Ran and ran, but with very little end product. Also loses a mark as he missed an absolute sitter which would have put us right back into the game!
Taarabt - 5 - Linked play well and sprayed the ball around a lot. But he needs to be further up the pitch to damage the opposition and didn't track back with Dyer for one of the goals. Should either be played off the striker or from wide left or right. Unless we play my preferred 4-2-3-1 then he could be given a free role in the middle of the 3. Will always give the ball away at times as he's the one trying to force the issue. Not at his best yesterday and may have to give way to Hoilett in the starting 11 if MH can't find a system where they can both play together!
Cisse- 4 - Looked totally out of sorts and his first touch was abysmal! Left very isolated by the system though and although I'm not a big fan of 4-4-2, we need to play someone like Zamora up with him to get the best out of him imo.
Subs:
SWP - 6 - Worked hard in a lost cause.
Derry and AJ - N/A - Not enough time to figure and the game was well and truly gone!!
Thoughts?
I didn't want to burst the lad's bubble, but I have to say that going to the game during a hot, summer's day didn't quite feel right! I also think the atmosphere in the ground was a little down on what it would probably be on a cold winter's day against Chelsea/Spurs etc!! Mind you, the 30 degrees C heat didn't help I'm sure.
Anyway, we got in the ground early as usual so that the boy could watch the players warming up and to our delight, they were set up right in front of us instead of being over in the opposite corner like last year. My son (and me to be honest) was delighted, watching Hoilett, Park, Green, Fabio and of course the other players warming up so close to us. The excitement was building and as kick off approached I got those familiar butterflies in my stomach. We said hello to some season ticket holders that we'd got to know last season and then the players were out and the game was about to start.
When I heard the team I was pleased that Hoilett AND Taarabt were in the same line-up and I hoped that it would mean Adel playing up off Cisse, with Mackie, Park, Diakite and Hoilett being the 4 behind those two. Unfortunately we set up with 4-1-4-1, with Diakite holding behind the four midfielders and Cisse up top on his own.
Rangers started brightly, with Taarabt, obviously having been told to get on the ball as often as possible, spraying the ball around and getting Hoilett involved in the game. Hoilett does look to be a great signing and he looked dangerous throughout. Adel was too deep though and Cisse was looking cery isolated, although it has to be said that his first touch was absolutely woeful nearly every time he was asked to hold the ball up!
Then it happened! That moment that many Rangers fans had been predicting.....Rob Green produced a howler! With their first attack of the game, Routeledge ran at the back four and a half clearance was met with a weak shot from the edge of the box. To our horror, the ball ended up in the back of the net. It had gone through Green's hands as he went down in installments to try to gather a ball that most of us would have saved!! This was the worst possible scenario - going behind to a team who keep the ball for fun in 30 degrees heat!! The goal came against the run of play and Rangers continued to play some pretty decent stuff and should have been level minutes later. The ball fell to Mackie 6 yards out and he should have buried what was a sitter of a chance. Unfortunately he didn't hit the shot well, allowing Vorm to pull off a very good save. He shouldn't have had a sniff!! The impressive Hoilett then went close with a great curling shot that had Vorm grasping at thin air and well beaten. Hoilett also probably should have done better with a header after he had got ahead of Vorm, sending the attempt well wide! Green made a good save from a long range free kick, although the ball was heading wide! Before the half was over though, Green nearly gave the Swans two more goals. First he was in no-man's land as a corner went over him and a header thumped against the bar. Then he punched weakly at another corner and after the ensuing scramble, the ball was again thumped against the Rangers' bar. It could have been 0-3 at half time, although 1-1 or 2-2 would have been fairer.
Rangers began the 2nd half well and more good link up play between Taarabt and Hoilett led to a clumsy challenge on the Rangers debutante by Angel. It wasn't a nailed on pen, but you've seen them given. Not this time unfortunately!!
Then the melt-down got underway. Cisse again failed to gather a pass from Taarabt, instead trying a weak pass that went straight to the opposition. Routeledge left Diakite in his wake and set up Michu for a sublime finish. Great goal....but Park could have tracked the scorer harder. The third goal soon followed, with Fabio giving the ball away carelessly and Dyer was sent clean through the gaping Rangers defence. This time Taarabt was culpable as he didn't make any effort to run back with Dyer. The fourth was a result of Fabio AGAIN being hopelessly out of position, allowing Dyer to get in behind for a simple fourth, although Dyer's first touch was sublime! The Billy Smart's Circus show was completed when the very poor Onouha played a hopeless, aimless ball out of defence and then failed to close down Sinclair as he was given all the time in the world to pick his spot. 5 - 0!! Not sure any of us, Swans included saw that coming!!
In conclussion, I think MH got the formation wrong, leaving Cisse very isolated and Taarabt too often too deep. With the players selected either Taarabt or Hoilett should have been up further, playing in and around Cisse. If Taarabt is played too deep centrally he will often let us down defensively and won't be far enough up the pitch to hurt the opposition. Swansea again kept the ball well but ML seems to have instilled some steel into them. They were very niggly with a lot of shirt pulling and rough-house tactics. Having said that, Swansea were superb on the break, looked a yard quicker all over the pitch and thoroughly deserved to win. Rangers looked all over the place defensively with Onouha, Fabio and Green particularly poor. MH got it tactically wrong and also made very strange subs....the most baffling being the removal of Hill and replacing him with SWP who played in a kind of right wing-back position with Onouha moving into the centre. Not sure if Hill was injued, but if he wasn't, being taken off would suggest some blame for the chaos. I didn't see it that way tbh. Making Park captain is also a very poor footballing decision imo. Good commercially, but on the pitch, although he looked quite classy and worked his socks off, I didn't see Park give out any encouragement or instructions once!!
Fortress Loftus Road? MY ARSE!!
Player ratings and comments:
Green - 4 - Terrible debut. Looked so nervous and lacking in confidence. Can only get better I suppose!
Onouha - 4 - Very poor. Looks very indecisive. Hurry up Boswinga!!
Ferdinand - 6 - Looked ok amid the chaos. Exposed, due to the formation with Swansea running through the midfield.
Hill - 6 - Same comments as Ferdinand. Although possibly a season too far for the great warrior?
Fabio - 5 - Looks as though he will always try and got forward well on occasions. But he looks as though he is from the Paul Scoles school of tackling and was hopelessly out of position a lot.
Hoilett - 8 - Rangers' best player and always looked a threat. Deserved a goal.
Park - 7 - Looked class at times. Hardly ever gave the ball away and worked tirelessly to win it back. Very quiet though and should never be captain!
Diakite - 6 - Looked a bit off the pace and probably not match fit. Will get better and better, especially if we get Faurlin in alongside him.
Mackie - 5 - Ran and ran, but with very little end product. Also loses a mark as he missed an absolute sitter which would have put us right back into the game!
Taarabt - 5 - Linked play well and sprayed the ball around a lot. But he needs to be further up the pitch to damage the opposition and didn't track back with Dyer for one of the goals. Should either be played off the striker or from wide left or right. Unless we play my preferred 4-2-3-1 then he could be given a free role in the middle of the 3. Will always give the ball away at times as he's the one trying to force the issue. Not at his best yesterday and may have to give way to Hoilett in the starting 11 if MH can't find a system where they can both play together!
Cisse- 4 - Looked totally out of sorts and his first touch was abysmal! Left very isolated by the system though and although I'm not a big fan of 4-4-2, we need to play someone like Zamora up with him to get the best out of him imo.
Subs:
SWP - 6 - Worked hard in a lost cause.
Derry and AJ - N/A - Not enough time to figure and the game was well and truly gone!!
Thoughts?
