Ground-breaking!

Is Warburton ability to have a holistic understanding of the market? Poke around and look for low-cost players, without much name, relatively young people (I hope this is not by the factor of resale) with thirst for glory, precious metals for polishing, that they did not have the appropriate trust in their previous clubs? The capacity of Warbs seems be founded on looking where others do not seek, giving entity and value to young people who are on one side other institutions or making a public relations exercise. Let´s be honest, many of us did not know the curriculums of them, except for Wilson and Halliday, made in Ibrox, and little bit of Holt, that goal at Tyncastle and some filigrees in Sheffield United. Could say that Rangers entered a transition that is not limited to return to top level but aims to consolidate a long-term structure. And a second order of prospects that in the future may join the first team. Jordan Thompson (from Manchester United), Tom Lang (from Birmingham) and Jordan Gibson (from Alverchurch) may be the closest examples. Not hard to get excited, but we must have patience.

Warburton brought a different philosophy and style of play. A nonnegotiable style. He took concepts like clean out the ball from behind, the deployment by the sides and the multiplication of passing options to maintain possession. And in his own evolution (which is still incipient at Ibrox), begins to conclude that the game is the midfielders and the side, they were distributed the ball to give pause or shaking the duel. It is important, touch, go out and then come back to offer himself again. A concept lost in recent season by excessive direct game, precipitation, certain moments of irresolution and the little swallowable long ball. The idea would also be, regardless the color of the rival, creating a conglomerate of traps, movements executed with a certain degree of harmony and suffocate the opponent in every corner to take the ball, all at extreme speed. Many times, the proposition is attractive, but the reality is something else.

Over a lifetime, but more strongly in recent years, in the lower divisions, we had to carry a backpack full of stones on our backs. We will never give up responsibility, because that would not know our tradition. But when facing a team that has the ball and wants to play against other that does not play anything, the "experts", many armchair charlatans, which even construct narratives, fictions and the public tend to analyze only that seeks to take the initiative. As if only one had full responsibility. As if only one were to prove productivity and efficiency. He who renounces to the ball is no longer in the observation.

In this sunrise of the season, Rangers is shown as a very tidy team, with glue on the lines, much applied with armor, but also flexible, ready to surprise. Not coincidentally, the first signatures sought tensioning and strengthen the defensive sector: two defenders standard bearer (Wilson and Kiernan), which until now did forget the great contribution of McGregor and a safely goalkeeper as Foderingham.

In each of the games, Rangers propose the rhythm and is the owner of the ball. Rangers applied well with permanent position exchanges between their attacking midfielder, Barrie McKay started on the right but went to the center and then could appear by surprise on the left to complement Temps. Barrie is not the kind of the rigid, likes to move in micro-spaces, but sometimes bogged down with the ball under pressure from rivals. Acquitted of guilt and by purging the bench, Templeton always have that attitude as distracted to suddenly start dazzling interned, feinting and dribbling culminating in cross shots. In the last game, Barrie went to play left and Tom Walsh entered from the right. Although they give depth on the wing (one of the busiest areas these days), Walsh has these outburst that seem to be carrying all before him, but it lacks definition. He defends the ball well and develops interesting work in midfield.

Without the role of other times (where the full weight of the game fell on him) and always hyper-eyed (and criticized) by the crowd, Nicky Law is something like "fracking boy", open spaces forward and drilled in search of some shale! In a clever center from Tavernier, Law headed near to the post.

The news about Reece Wabara doing a trial was the first symptom of the decision to seek a side attack-minded defender as he had done at Doncaster Rovers in recent seasons. Pushed the English from the center of the scene for reasons I do not know, appeared a certain James Tavernier. Without the flashes of cameras, the former Wigan player, 23 years old, can spare several excitation points. It has a great spirit, plenty heart. Can play many roles, even prodigal winger, can make frontal attacks, with successive passes. His runs over the side and rhythm changes all the time broke the resistance of Peterhead. In his repertoire, must add this recurring optimism to shoot from outside the area, regardless the position or location. The generosity on his defensive game is also when the pair of central defenders failed to control a difficult ball, Tavernier came from the side to close the play and dominate the ball.

He waited for the opponent´s error and enjoys a stroll with that leg speed that makes him planted in the area with the knife between his teeth. Goofed clearance of Dzierzawski put the ball in the gate are, Tavernier with whole thrust, crossed a shot that was grazed the bar. The only blemish so far in their curriculum was the fouled in the area that the referee sanctioned by penalty. Other giving fluidity to the game from the left is the new skipper; Wallace remains a martyrdom of disequilibrium for any defense that has to suffer. Against Peterhead, he was encouraged to progress and a combination play with Waghorn and McKay, was found with a goal choice caught by the keeper Smith.

Wallace received the ball in midfield and once gave it, chose to go ahead in the field (other feature is the players are going to empty place, is seeking to play without the ball at his feet, moving to distract and surprise) seeking unmarked. In the race, headstrong and tireless, already with the ball controlled, surprised and scored the second against the Saints. Earlier, a corner kick to the heart of the visitor area, counted with the opportunism and readiness of the skipper to open the scoring.

In the last games we have seen in the medullary, the use of Shiels (except the first half against St. Mirren he saw it from the bench) and Halliday, thinking of other, monitoring the zone, warning by where place ha unbalanced the team and where could get problems. In the Peterhead game, the two midfielder mixed wonderfully, Shiels tried to create spaces though sometimes he lost the ball and Halliday came without fear to the rival field, gave meaning to the passes. By personality, technique and aggressiveness, Halliday is taking over the midfield. At the same time, we get another option to shoot from outside the area. I applaud that both Halliday as Tavernier fight to decide who shoots the free-kick, that means there are alternatives, not like last season.

In the opening game of the league season, Rangers showed some lack of coordination between the midfield and defense, which even resulted in the goal of Howieson. Nobody followed midfielder who slipped and came to our area easily.

Just had the opportunity, Rangers implemented the one against one or to accelerate in the last few meters, because when McKay and Walsh were not enough, Holt, Law, Tavernier or Wallace imposed by anticipation. Holt is the eye-catcher for the future. Against Peterhead, Holt showed he can be not only a replacement but a very helpful tool in managing those games where Rangers is the need to handle that ball against teams that waits crouching in his area. Instead, against St. Mirren, the former Hearts was the new axis of gravitation for which it circulated the attacking play, a trapeze artist against the robotic football. The Saints suffered his talent, back to goal, offered on every play.

Waghorn also arrived to Auchenhowie far from any pomposity and grandeur. It is becoming an infallible striker used to prevail in the most demanding situations. The class of attacker who creates scoring chances from almost anywhere (hibs suffered his power), regardless of position or location, always tests the opponents. It´s like a sneeze in the area, something insolent and unexpected, unpredictable to break waists. At all times, it exposed to defenders and systems that do not seem ready to stop him. With two Peterhead defenders whistling the crown, he stepped on the ball with both feet as he turned the entire trunk to snub the rivals, outstanding.  With the addition of Kenny Miller, Waghorn is ran to the side and was just effective, even when his prominent body is often disorienting. Hard to guess, run and fight, mixing a remarkable ability to protect the ball with a sovereign intelligence to discover spaces.

In the following link, you can enjoy pictures in the magnificent gallery:

  

https://www.flickr.com/photos/buchanan_neil/

 

Thank you very much my friend Neil Buchanan!!!

Raith Rovers 1-2 Rangers. Going for gold!

In the football crisis (which this is not just about football, but also institutional and even moral. The packaging is so overly sweet that no longer talk about football), the analytical problem is always the same: analysis of attitude, stress overload, debate on the system and status of the players and/or coach. The caretaker begins to ask himself (even Kenny, who faked to give and go but only came to the garden, is there, in the same position. Accepting Newcastle players but at the same time, saying aloud, "they" gave me the guidelines or the "unknown" play) Where did I go wrong? The preparation how to move the players, line-up, changes and any variant I have not seen during the game??? An inevitable torture, except in the victory, and even there. It is a loneliness mood that does not physical, because although he is surrounded by people who bring their own, he wanders through the cloud. However, everyone knows that the most urgent (and only) healing goes for victory, even in this season squandered.

The Rangers problem not is/was only matter of players but also style and especially structure. Honestly, in my time in Scotland I just looked boring and primitive games (some gave embarrassment as like Easter Road), we were a team consumed by the apathy, wear way, with a marked lack of imagination on the pitch and outside as well. My only consolation in recent months were two moments, the Fernando game, show that Rangers Family is more alive than ever and the support of the fans a Hampden, that was the demonstration, the vindication of to be Rangers.

In the past three years, I wrote to exhaustion on our inability to establish the supremacy in midfield to give balance to our game and annul the chances of the rivals. At a time when the midfield is almost an obsession around the world, we´ve been pretty lax, sometimes indifferent. Not only we let the opponent think but also operate, direct the traffic and game options. We do not even make an occupation of spaces in the medium to neutralize the circulation of the ball.

The decline in the field usually as desperate as ineffective remedy. Many times, this led to an anarchy that made each game in a reckless and imprudent exercise. If there is something that distinguishes the contemporary football that was practiced until two decades ago is the decisive influence of systematic training. That still missing. To illustrate this shortcoming, the example of paroxysm was the semifinal of Petrofac Cup against Alloa (I remember particularly because it soured my previous day trip to Scotland). Our midfielders and defenders seemed unable to lift his legs, receded and passively watched the players of wasps.

There were only one try but no lasting pressure in the middle against celtic (that afternoon we were a team with too many prosthesis, seem we could never settle into the ground). We must not make any concessions there (or reduce it to the minimum expression). If they want to win our midfield, it has to be an ordeal for them, should not to authorize nor a campfire near our bow, nor in the vicinity. This is not always about midfield, but the degree of exposure in which our defenders are, if there is a good containment in the attack and in the middle, the defense can express the game in a cleaner way.

The Rangers need an indivisible unit and synchronized with a Cartesian sharing and nonnegotiable of the efforts. The order and balance with which a unit is handled to give air to an army trained for the common cause of collective game. After all, the matches always win on blackboard, but lost in the field.

In the last two games we could see something different in midfield, more concentrated, and organized from a kind of "trivote" composed Hutton, Law and Murdoch, creating a better transition zone. Apparently, only apparently, we have left behind the deep wingers, defined, Aird or Templeton style, no for the names but the position (I still ask myself why Templeton still hibernating in the bench?). We have the sides arriving quite clearly so we have given rise to nourish and strengthen the midfield to look a little more in the rear and look initiate transitions faster. But it is not the "high-pressure triangle" that is customary in other places, as a pack, seeking and destroying. Resistance is an essential quality to play in that system. Still missing some of that, beyond the voluntariness of Hutton (something like a cap midfielder, although with certain irregularities in its stability). In that switching of tasks, Law and Murdoch are vital, either go left or right, displaying continuous efforts and a dynamic that generates surprises.

In that scenario, Vuckic has absolute liberty to deploy, which take advantage to eliminate rivals quite easily through the conducting. With the absence of McLeod (first injured and then to sell off cheap) and without the Slovenian on the horizon, there was a feeling that something slightly lacking in preparation in the game and we need an offensive midfielder.

The ball flew level from behind, even Robinson played with the feet. That was Alice in Wonderland. But once being stirred across the medullary, the ball entered the comatose stage because Raith no offered holes or cracks, good glue (or own ineffectiveness). An asymmetric duo, while Clark sprinting, Boyd invaded the area to step, seeking reconciliation. And Rangers recovered in Vuckic, like a dropper in the first half, more consolidated in the second half, a supply of ball to the sprinter and acrobat Nicky, who could not hit. In the first half, Boydy was unable to exploit the spaces left by the rovers to the back of his defender in several phases. But the striker can be famished by drought but not lose the tricks. After a cross from Wallace, Boydy searched in the attacker center manual, the paragraph how to head a ball, prepared the body, head and the ball stroked the bar to go outside.

The game was for Nicky Law, his involvement in the creation of doctrine for the collective game was indispensable in the first half. Everything went for him inexorably. Settled all his style urging his people, a moment popping up left, and then the right. Had an enormous sense to combine in the middle with the sides, both Wallace and Faure. Knowing himself protected by the indefatigable large can of kerosene is Andy Murdoch and the calculation of Vuckic to know the best place to put the ball. For the Slovenian can be worth a fine touch or a simple long pass to the back of the defenses. He rehearsed several of there to start creating some kind of symbiosis with Boyd.

The football industry is often wary of guys like Murdoch. Young boy smiling, with a playful sense of craft, which suggest the vanity, without imposing physique. Andy is unfolding as good observer, as a seasoned performer although just landed on a team and a cyclothymic position. He is a midfielder with great interpretation of the pass and associated game, even able to mark the opponent. Against hibs and Raith, chose a practical and minimalist demonstration to avoid being exposed. The news seems to finally bury the aspirations of Black, a player with an excess dose brawl. All the time remember that preseason game against Brora Rangers, Ally did play Murdoch and then left him in the greatest of anonymities.

Rangers need surprise to Raith and surprise himself to leave torpor. A cannon shot that thundered in through an icy night begins to put Murdoch in the orbit of a stay in first team (sorry to be too self-referential in this post but I remember when I was at Ibrox in April 2013, Andy score another cracking goal against Linfield in a midweek friendly). Golazo 0-1.

Vuckic start handled with calm and precision who take years to face the pitfall that often proposes the ball, playful. The Newcastle players took off his opponent by suggesting with the waist the opposite of what he did with the body turned toward the goal and shot, on the rebound, Clark header, sent the ball close.

The team continued mechanized on the left side with Wallace being used as a safe way out and attack. Again Wallace, with the landing strip depopulated, receives the ball from Vuckic (crediting their status as implacable destabilizing,) and throws a quick shot. The ball hits on the defender and after a series of rebounds, Boyd chase the ball and redeems himself. The music of fitbaw!! (0-2).

Football, so often unexpected as roulette, yielded a final night with surprised. Nadé, a big boy with the same art as muscle, won every ball in midfield and imposed their strength in the Scottish Cup match at Ibrox, but Friday night was absent. Until he headed a ball in midfield that threw up in the goal. Showing the difficulties that we have to react to this kind of "surprises". (1-2).