Holmes_and_Watson

Is playing with a lonely striker so much better than playing with a broken striker? Asking for a band who need a Yes on it, so they can finish their lyrics. 🙂

Safe

Ralph and Russ were so system based, that independent thinkers were not required. All managers are going to have personnel issues in their squad. It's also important that players buy into a manager, if it's going to be a success. The downside is that we're left with autonomic drones. A squad where Stephens pulling some hair gets him our equivalent of a Victoria cross for bravery.

It seems that, as a manager takes the same backroom staff along with him all the time, that they don't significantly challenge anything. I think the one coach that stayed on said something along the lines of not liking possession football much anyway. But under the manager, they'll keep such thoughts to themselves. That will extend to other staff. They provide information, but won't risk a job for a fleeting manager. Otherwise our data analysts would be on strike in the PL. 🙂

Rangers turned down a bid for him. The players has then gone on a massive sulk. Apparently, his warm up was poor, and didn't give any indication of having an injury. This one has the hallmarks of squad churn and want away players, rather than a Martin thing.

I can't speak for others, but I'm interested in what he does, not worried about it. We're all very familiar with his style and tactics. So, it's an opportunity, from a safe distance, to see how it unfolds at another club. Looking at the rest of your post, shows just how polarising he was. One one hand he got us promoted, with a Martinball goal, got us a record unbeaten run, and seemed popular with the players, playing with a different approach. Like every manager since they took over, SR also didn't give him all the key recruitment roles to properly compete. On the other, his PL results put him as one of our least successful, who finished fourth in a three horse promotion race, and whose record run didn't close gaps due to lots of draws, playing an extreme system that often had no answers. So, interesting to watch.

A quick peek for anyone needing some details (like me) https://onefootball.com/en/news/report-epl-club-owner-accused-in-international-scandal-40250908

They're still at the stage where their natural instincts haven't been coached out of them yet. Martin hates that as it doesn't follow The Plan. But it means he has to find solutions, as he won't be able to count on it getting him out of a tactical hole.

Beeb Scotland likes to indulge in the same shortbread tin mentality as the Daily Record. It's an editorial by someone given a free pass to get digs in, rather than a news item. They do the same thing if Celtic falter. They are. There was no intent in the second half until Curtis got them level. By that point Martin had actuallyy wavered. It was this new unpredictability that got to the home side. On want aways, there must be a pile of them on the bench or in the wider squad. A few left at the end of last season, but others will have been pushed down the pecking order. Anyone with single minded attacking drive will find themselves surplus too, just as Peraud and Alcaraz were with us. He wants drones for the system, but individuals to bail it out, sorry capitalise on the build up play.

Wow. Quite the shambles.

Oh, I saw that movie! Les Reed's Black Box.

He consistently fails to take human failings into account, when making risk based tactics. He will forever be disappointed and forever be able to find an excuse or scapegoat as to why it didn't work.

It was the league I thought he'd have some trouble with. Rangers already had 65% possession with their last set up. They needed to find ways of winning from that. Martin has probably increased that possession a little, while looking even less of a threat. Ponderous, lightweight and disjointed at the moment in the league. Or at any point a team presses them, catches them out the counter, or physically dominates the key challenges. 20 mins against Brugge aside, he's done what I'd hoped for him in Europe.

Thoughtful communicator with a passionate drive at the cutting edge of football philosophy. Oh, and a fantastic power point deck containing a system that he promises can deliver with cheap players.

Post match comments included:- Some players are not all in, thinking of futures away from the club. They are a sometimes team, as a result. They need to be all in. At the moment, there is too much flexibility. They all have to stick to the plan. Lots of games in the same period as he'd normally have 3. Next week gives them the chance to bring the gap back to 3, and it's close again. Interesting to read about the sub above. There was a lot of delaying before Rangers brought on some subs. I was wondering what was going on. It's no different than it was with us. They are all having to relearn to fit within Martin's system. When they can't it's their fault for not being all in. They've a week to bring in Smallbone. 🙂

In the first half of today's RussBall, St Mirren actually came into the Rangers half in decent numbers. Teams know they might have a chance. That should actually help Martin. But Rangers had no clue on what to do with it. St Mirren didn't allow themselves to get dragged about the park. No decent.y coached team will. No one dropped in to get the pass from defence regularly. By the time they got it over half way, St Mirren had long since dropped back too. Transition from midfield to attack was non existent all game. As expected with no central striker or creative central midfielder. They got most joy from Meghoma, and the home side soon targeted that, as they had plenty of time to react. Meghoma & Gassama on one side with Tavanier and Antman on the other. Soutter and partner at the back, as Fernandez looked dodgy today. Rothwell is a holding midfielder at best, needing runners either side, to link up with an attack that needs a fit Dessers back in it. And boy, do they need to get fitter than a Martin training regime.

St Mirren, across the half, looked more likely to get a second than Rangers. Loads of possession but, as the stat posted above showed, 0 shots until Curtis came on. Martin uncharacteristically throwing some forwards on unsettled St Mirren. Although the commentator said the home team were hanging on, that wasn't really the case. They just had to defend for a bit. Rangers offered practically nothing in the middle. For all Martin doing his increased tempo sign, his side plodded through that match. At the end a few of them looked puffed out. The home side had more energy. A worrying trend in Martin teams is how lightweight they are. Today was no exception. They were second best a lot of the time, offering little passes against stronger opponents keener to drive forward. As whelk said, they are unbeaten. But that performance is only going to reinforce the angry voices. The first Old Firm next week at Ibrox. We already know what Martin is going to do. But can his players make it click? Today, Fernandez will get some blame. Martin will be proud of the possession, and of Curtis, while bemoaning the lack of quick transition.

Curtis might have saved Martin's vegan style bacon.

2 passes and unlocked. A good goal from St Mirren. But they know how Martin sets up. Martin's team have spent much of the half moving it about to get St Mirren to move. But they've had little central transition with it. The Buddies are stronger and more direct on the break. They just waited for Martin's team to overcommit, and punished them. Once again, possession hasn't resulted in chances. Nor has it stopped the home side looking a threat. There are 8 new season signings for Rangers. They are brought in on a tight budget, and that shows. On the plus side Meghoma looks a good loan deal. Although he's been involved in giving it away a couple of times, he's more than compensated for being Rangers' outlet. He linked up well with Gassama. St Mirren responded with tackling the spark out of Gassama, and then targeting Meghoma. Cameron had a good chance and The St Mirren keeper clawed away a ball that was going over the line. But the home support sense that momentum that Martin has no time for. One day the pen y will drop on how it impacts his players. But not today, as St Mirren are bossing them about the midfield.

Oh, how we could use someone doing an ACDC tribute dance up and down the touchline, alternately praying and shouting "look at me, me, me!"

Wave

Although the next line "unless it's under hallowed dugouts, then you've got to mow." divides fans to this day. Was Lennon a secret Evertonian? Many, like me, think it was a cheap shot at McCartney's writing in the first line, and his Everton support in the second. Lennon's own mind games at work. It's all in my monograph, The heart-Beat of Football.

Bad time to tell you that Lighthouse is changing the thread from "The small things in life that annoy you" to "MyGrumps"? 🙂

Or think away from football. A world renowned, unique attraction bringing in loads of people. The Monkey Chicken Pettg Zoo remains the answer to any financial issues. The difficulty will be reminding everyone there's a football club to support, such will be it's success.

Tax