Holmes_and_Watson

7 minutes ago, Master Bates said:

Ings to Wrexham looking likely, imo, no links etc 

"It has to be a player you believe can make an instant impact and is going to make a significant contribution as the season goes on."

Surprisingly, not a quote from the guys who gave us Gronbaek and Cornet. It's from Wrexham ahead of using the loan market.

For those who couldn't care less about such things, as long as it's couldn't...

"It shall never catch on," I said in my FO report, after watching Rimet hand over a trophy in Montevideo.

1 hour ago, trousers said:

What worse... People "obsessing" about Martin or people obsessing about people obsessing about Martin...?

I'm not sure. I hope I don't start obsessing about the answer. 🙂

Rangers's new owners have not unveiled a warchest for purchases. There may be a bit more than they've said, and they are coyly trying to keep prices sane. However, not only do they need an expensive overhaul, but their thoughts are never far from their neighbours. Celtic have had a decent run with recruitment. Rangers tried to get Ross Wilson to help replicate it, and it didn't work. Now Celtic can shop in a slightly better store, which has it's own challenges. Rangers are playing catch up again, still needing hits from nearly everyone they bring in.

Downes would appear to well out of their range, both in fee and wages, no matter how much they get on. Smallbone is a more realistic option, as he worked very well under Russ, but one that would still make a dent in their resources.

1 minute ago, Weston Super Saint said:

Will be a must visit after his first press conference following a loss.

Brand Martin will be forever on point, as the blue half of Glasgow goes nuts around him. It's his pathway to his next job, and has worked well for him so far.

22 minutes ago, StrangelyBrown said:

I see Russ is following his playbook and has kept Tavernier as his stag do leader (and undoubtedly shoein number 1)

https://www.ibroxnoise.co.uk/2025/06/russell-martin-announces-his-rangers-captain-and-fans-are-fuming/

Needless to say he's already pissed off the fans by appointing someone who isn't rated by them, has been at the heart of their problems, but who is a proper good lad!

I was impressed with the writer of that. I thought the hyperventilation was sure to make him pass out after a couple of paragraphs. But they kept going to describe the sky falling down. 🙂

36 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

 

Smaller clubs can't have nice things.

 

Frank's been there since 2016, initially as assistant, so that's good going these days. It will be a test for the club's resilience. The players they were prepared to move on, may now be joined by a crowd of others looking to jump ship.

Fortunately, they can dust off the succession plan created by a certain. R. Ankerson...

Martin, R; Jones, N; Juric, I...

As for Frank, he's joining a club that wants free, attacking football, until they don't and where pining for silverware has to come with champions league football. And the last time they were on the cusp of all that, Levy didn't move the squad on, resulting in the end of Poch. With the managers they burn through, Frank should be available again in a couple of seasons, for a Brentford return.

22 minutes ago, Saint Scott said:

5 years? What a shocker! Charlton are still riding the high of promotion and they're likely to be the main contender for relegation next year. 

The worst thing we did was offer Martin a bumper contract after our playoff win, look how that ended

I imagine there will be break clauses, allowing the club to part ways if...

His form matches that of his time with us.

His zealotry results in him burning heretics on pyres of broken ping pong tables

He takes his squad hostage because they went shopping with their wives

He chews his fingers off on live TV

He chews other people's fingers off on live TV

Switches jobs with Michael Sheen to star in "Pound for Pound:The best there is and other things all about me."

A good week for our failed managers

Juric to Atalanta, Martin to Rangers and Nate getting a bumper new contract.

23 hours ago, Turkish said:

Maybe there is a nod back here to the is life really all that thread - which we all mocked years ago 

the more you earn and better you do the more they want - every year despite having always been PAYE I have to do a tax return it never goes in my favour and I always owe more 

i pay 40% in a good year some time 45% of my wage in tax plus a compulsory tax on my pension which they insist I now pay toward. I live in a house now where the council tax is more than double where we previously lived 

all in all is it really worth even aspiring to be successful in this day and age? It certainly seems doing fuck all with out the pressure of a job is a much better world than actually working for a living and trying to better yourself and they fuck you

A quick skim indicates the nod back hasn't been linked to.

3 hours ago, skintsaint said:

Ange Sacked 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/35287013/ange-postecoglou-sacked-live-reaction-tottenham-next-manager/

Not giving him the chance of an early trophy in his third season, against PSG in the Super Cup.

Back when he was Celtic manager, and considering how many gems we got from them, I wondered if we'd try and get him as our manager.

16 minutes ago, miserableoldgit said:

Well, what do we think, boys and girls?🤔

Not breaking 90 points? Still Out! 🙂

1 hour ago, BarberSaint said:

I would rather have WS and think he'll go farther and do better.  Either that or I'll be calling him names when bored at SMS.

Better than organising a Bring A Horseshoe Day, to celebrate that about them. That would end badly. 🙂

3 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

If it is, then it's wrong!

Goalkeepers have scored from goal kicks in the past so every goal kick should have a greater than 0 xG as a result...

🙂 Didn't expect to be doing a follow up post...

Yes, goalkeepers have...excuse me a moment , Weston... @Whitey Grandad, you can just skip this as it's doing nothing to change your mind...

Yes, goalkeepers have scored. Data analysts have missed a trick in focusing on PSxG SOT and GA, instead of goalies shooting attributes. I'd not be totally surprised to find that SR do measure it as part of their Zany Leftfield Purchase Pack. 🙂

The random site I checked xG zero against before posting (I did look believe it or not) gave nothing for xG. I guess they don't consider them shots on target as such, from a goalkick. But did give his assists in xA

https://understat.com/player/5603

6 hours ago, Channons Windmill said:

I remember Lawrie's disappointment, when he got told his new attacking shape had too many players in it. 🙂

Great squad.

3 hours ago, skintsaint said:

Will join their very large band of men out on loan forever I expect...

All of the players Chelsea keep signing do turn up somewhere don't they? It's not some elaborate trafficking scam to keep Ronaldo in organs, to prolong his playing career?

2 hours ago, Midfield_General said:

Is there anything in this thread that is actually about Aaron Ramsdale? 

Ramsdale's xG is 0 for the season. 🙂

At this pace of recruitment, you'll soon be changing the name to Vitesse Valenciennes. 🙂

Encounter

2 hours ago, Badger said:

I’ll judge it when we know how we’ve helped Goztepe at the close of the window. 

If we can help even one SR club get into Europe, then it will be worth languishing in the championship for. 😄

35 minutes ago, SaintsLoyal said:

The job is way too big for him.

I think that was the draw for Brand Martin. He sticks to his guns and gets bigger jobs. MK Dons, Swansea, Saints and Rangers (if that's finalised). He's now in European competition. A whole new set of suitors when his time at Ibrox ends.

SR left him with a weaker squad in the PL than his promotion squad. If Rangers have the personnel to even fill the big gaps such as Adams type striker and an experienced DM, then they should be finishing second. If he gets a decent European campaign (which is far from certain for Scottish clubs) then he can fail, but now have that experience on his CV.

1 minute ago, suewhistle said:

Oh gawd, I can name all the players!

Ooo, maybe not the one next to HF.

8 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Not every Rangers fan is unhappy . Just seen this online, McFabrice is putting a positive spin on Lego’s season, 

 

The one thing we know we’ll get with Martin as manger is he QUICKLY implements his style of play

Focuses on possession, passing accuracy and building up from the back

Hard to judge him on Southampton as they had such a bad season. Few games to look at from his time there

Won every game in the Carabao Cup (stoke, Everton and Cardiff)

Beat Everton in the league
Drew away to Brighton
Drew with Ipswich

Only lost by a single goal to-
• Aston Villa away Southampton had more possession 53%. 485 passes. 90% successful to Villa’s 409 and 86% successful

• Liverpool home. Liverpool scored a late penalty to win. Less possession but still 38% against Liverpool. Scored twice and lost to a late penalty

• Man City away. Lost 1-0. 42% possession. 461 passes with a 90% successful rate

• Leicester home. 2-0 up at HT. Get a red card second half and lose 3-2. Almost DOUBLE the shots on target that Leicester had. 41% possession. Possession got a lot worse second half when down to 10 men. 

• Forest home. 65% possession. 656 passes. Lost 1-0

• Newcastle away. Lost 1-0 but had 78% possession. 19 shots and 649 passes to Newcastle’s 181. Dunno how they managed to lose this one 😂

Look at his games and their posession and passes

Forest home- 65% and 656 passes
Man Utd home- 44% and 480 passes
Ipswich home- 54% and 492 passes
Leicester home- 41% and 359 passes
Stoke home- 79% 
Everton home- 65%
Liverpool home- 38% and 359 passes
Chelsea home- 45% and 429 passes
Tottenham home- 41% and 426 passes
Newcastle away- 78% and 649 passes
Cardiff away- 73%
Brentford away- 63% and 621 passes
Everton away 75%
Bournemouth away- 60% and 568 passes
Arsenal away 41% and 395 passes
Man City away- 42% and 461 passes
Wolves away- 71% and 673 passes
Brighton away- 48% and 414 passes
Villa away- 53% and 485 passes

Average possession is 56% per game
Average passes per game is 497

A quick peek at footy stats shows Rangers were getting an overall 65% possession anyway in 24/25.

Hiring him, because you want higher possession, is madness. As one of the big two against teams holding
out for a point or a set piece, they get plenty of the ball already.

Citing his narrow defeats is also madness domestically as the expectation is to win every game.  The expectation and approach required are very different. Hoping to have more control in European games is different. Perhaps one of those adaptable managers could have more than one approach.

Odd to say it's hard to judge him on our bad season, when he was in charge of it, and led the way to the drop.

Martin's style took a bit to settle in, for various reasons. While we did have that unbeaten run, I never got the feeling it had all clicked into place. Some of it yes, and in some games a lot, but overall not.

Someone has their tartan bonnet on a bit too tight I think.

5 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

There seems to be something going on with the England Women's team at the moment - that's 3 players gone in the last week.

If it carries on like this we may not be able to put a team out?

Earps was wanted in the squad, but didn't want to go and potentially warm a bench. If she wasn't considered number 1, then she saw the future of not playing, and pulled the plug herself.

Kirby, despite the experience and skill, is just down to manager's choice.

Bright was injured for a long spell in 23/24, and has worked hard again to get back a few times. She's making a choice for herself longer term. I don't think Bright has retired from England? There is also the scenario where the manager just felt Bright wasn't quite back to her best, and was happy to let the player break the news.

Also, these are ll veteran squad members. As opportunities and facilities are better, you'd expect an overall general jump in the players coming up. That's going to limit the length of time some players will manage to stay in the squad.

It's a shame, after all their success, to see that team break up. But there were retirements after the last Euros, so it was happening gradually anyway.

10 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

 However, if you believe Russell Martin holds dominion over all of football and ordered every sporting director in Europe not to sign Alcaraz last summer, then I'll have to disagree on that.

Morning news...

Next series of Doctor Who to be extended.

"Budgets are really tight, and we needed a direction," said showrunner Echo Betterdays. "But that Giant Strawman turning up has not only slashed the need for CGI, but given us a villain for a 6 part series. We're in talks with MLG to play the scientist who fails to identify it and misuses it in his lust for power."