So what's plan B?

I feel as though I've paid money under false pretences. It's not difficult to see why we can't score if we go all out to play for a draw. I cannot believe the number of times this afternoon when we had the beginnings of an opportunity to do something positive with the ball and passed it sideways or back. We have two full backs who will get up to join an attack but won't overlap or attack the opposition penalty area. In fact more often than not they will take the ball back before passing 5 yards sideways to the nearest midfielder. On many of those occasions, all they had to do was take on and beat the defender for a clear run to the bye line when they could pull the ball back into the six yard box. That was the most negative performance I think I have ever seen from a Rangers side. This was Burnley not Arsenal, Liverpool or Man Utd when they're on fire and up for it.

Burnley won that comfortably in the end because they wanted to win. I honestly don't think we did. They chased and harried us and kept going to create chances. Apart from one run by Hoilett in the opening minutes, we looked as though we'd be comfortable simply trying to pass the ball around in our own half without ever bothering to go forward with it. We did not come to life and speed it up at all until we had conceded. They still came at us and the second goal was inevitable as gaps began to appear in our defence.

A number of teams have threatened us in passages this season most notably Yeovil but they all made the mistake of backing off when we did play. In the last two games, Millwall and Burnley have shown the rest what it takes to get a result against us. Harass us when we're in possession, don't allow us to settle on the ball and go for it when they get the chance. If a team sets up with the sole aim of keeping a clean sheet, scoring a goal being seen as an added bonus, and that tactic fails what the hell is the plan B?

As this is a tactical matter, I'd like to believe that our manager and coaching staff will work on this over the next few weeks as the problem this afternoon was frustratingly obvious for all to see. Burnley were good - competent all round but we would have been a match for them if we'd gone into the game with a bit more ambition.

I'm not going to wade into individual performances. This was a poor game for too many to start picking at individuals. They let us down as a team.

 

Good post, agree completely. I watched and seems as if if teams can cramp our fancy passing play we are a bit lost! A frustrating day.

 

we're not as good as we think we are..

 

So we stuffed up and played poorly ................... we'll bounce back. The season is long.

 

'Arry's last plan B was blaming a dog for opening an account in Monaco, so not sure what you were expecting from him?

 

Plan A has served us well so far. No need to panic yet.

 

Overall I'm not too upset or surprised by today's result, actually more disappointed by the late Millwall goal than today. Clearly we do need to adapt to how teams play against us but having an off day was bound to happen soon or later. I think part of the problem with adapting/changing tactics etc is our subs bench where the players there today weren't the type to really have a big impact.

We clearly need Onouha back as CB & Hill, Dunne aren't an ideal partnership, then really need Hoilett, Phillips, Kranjcar fully fit & firing asap as they're our real source of creativity. Finally someone to take some of the striking burden off of Austin as can't expect him as lone striker to be scoring every game. If can get these sorted then expect us to maintain a top two/three position.

 

We may also miss the young lad Carrol a bit too. He links the defence and midfield very well and is always available to receive the ball. Had a shaky start but I like what he brings. Might just be a coincidence that results have gone down slightly since he's been injured. Holds more weight for me than the McClaren reason anyway.

 

There is no plan B.

Redknapp goes into every game with plan A and plan A only.

 

Yes forgot Carrol, so another who when comes back will also strengthen the team.

 

With one lone and often isolated striker,we wont score the goals to get up. Austin is fairly slow and hes not a target man either. Playing a lone striker is saying we are playing safe. Midfielders are not going to bomb forward if there is noone to get on the end!. I think we got found out today and to be honest we have got away with some close games. Pleeeaase,pretty please can we give ourselves two chances to score by having two friggin strikers!. No chance in hell of going up without scoring any goals. Our promotion season we banged in 12 goals in about 3 games!

 

Spot on Yorkie and cant disagree with a word of that
I'd like to bow down and say we were as good as them all over the park but had no spark. If we'd actually tried OR had a player that shall remain nameless, we could have won this game.
Dissapointing performance all round , but we obviously went for a draw. hopefully we can learn from this.
credit to Burnely. they tried and we got f**ked.
thing is ....in 4 months time they wont be top. They cannot sustain thier position with a squad that small. We wil be somewhere close with a bigger squad and a bit more cash.
Sad to say. Burnley were the better team and deserved winners, but we are more likely for promotion as money makes prizes!

Shame football has come to this !

 

i am wondering now that we have two wingers close to fitness (phillips and hollett) a change will come about. maybe bring kranjar into the centre more. who knows i think we have been playing better. look reasonable solid at the back good in midfield we just need a spark going forward. lets see how we are come the end of november when a big chunk of this nasty fixtures is over

 

Some interesting responses and valid points. As we know, the test of a good team is how we come back from a set back. What is clear though is that we cannot rely on one scorer and clean sheets. If we are going to play a defensive game away from home, we at least have to be able to break swiftly and get a shot away at the other end in seconds not lumber up the field like a juggernaut overtaking another one on the brow of a hill on a motorway. God I hate it when they do that. The problem with that manoeuvre is that it takes the over-taker 15 minutes to do so and there is a mile long queue of traffic behind him. A bit like the way we play. 10 men within 25 yards of each other going forward and only one in the opposition penalty area ten minutes later when we eventually get to our intended destination.

 

Not that I want to encourage negative tactics but on the evidence of our last two home games we are capable of playing the Swansea style ball-hogging, one up front tactics and still winning with ease. The difference yesterday was that we stopped closing down when the opposition were in possession whereas Burnley did the opposite and kept us under pressure for 90 minutes. Quite simply they had more of the ball than us and these tactics cannot work when that is the case. I would like to see us be more direct but TBH I'm not sure we have the players to do it. Austin is too slow and other than perhaps Faurlin we seem to lack someone with the vision to play defense splitting passes.

 

I think we played well after they scored. We pushed forward and with a little more intrnsity we could have scored. Conceded a soft penalty instead. We should be playing for winning every game.