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.
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.
