Rangers v AEK Athens

[No8.]

This will be a stern test for the threadbare Rangers squad against an in form Greek team who have won both games. I fully expect us to lose this one but hopingto see players such as Naismith and Fleck get there chance and continue their fine form. I believe Lafferty is injured whichis a shame as he looked good in the last 2 games. Another chance for Webster to gel into our back four.

8 am kick off so only 4 hours sleep for me...WATP!!

[Harold's Glass]

Just read from some site I found on google that Athens won the game 1-0. According to the short report Rangers played well, dominated most of the game but, get this, 'A penalty box striker' must be a priority...Hmmm? And that short report was a fan's view!

[No8.]

I Woke back up at 6 am and stayed up to watch the game. TBH i thought Athens were by far the sharper..they had over 60% of the ball up until around 50 minutes when i started dozing off. Athens scored in 70 odd minutes and after that all the streams cut off.

I have read all these reports as well Harold but i just cant see where they are getting this from. Rangers did have the occassional ball into the middle but Lafferty and Naismith were unable to get forward to support Miller which left him exposed up front alone.

The Aussie commentary team were all agreed though that Lafferty has been clearly the Player of the Tournament lol. It was reported by a certain Robert Grieve in The Scottish Sun that clever players like davis knocked the ball about on the ground against Sydney but daft players like Lafferty just couldn't cope...This is the utter drivel we will have to suffer as the Laffery bashing continues from the scottish media. A huge season for Laffs and i would love to see him shove these kind of commets down the beggars throats

[Harold's Glass]

I agree '8'...considering I have not been a fan of Lafferty but I really want him to come good & I believe that he only will if he gets a solid run playing in his preferred striker's role, he is only going to continue to be slagged if he is played wide and doesn't come up wi the goods. As you say huge for him..but looking at Sellic I'm a bit more at ease!

[POLSKI™]

Meant to post during the game, but didn't want to bugger up the stream and dozed off after it.

After the first twenty or so minutes the Gers took the game by the scruff of the neck and dominated completely until about the last ten, where their exertions took hold and they looked tired quickly. It seemed to tie-in with Davie Weir getting a knock to his ankle, although he played on fine, and the defence sat really deep inviting AEK to attack where they put together a really nice bit of football resulting in the only goal...

With the exception of the farcical game verses Sydney(which should have been cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch and torrential rain), this has been a good exercise for Rangers. For me Fleck has shown in his time on the pitch he suits a 4-3-3/4-5-1 system far better than Lafferty...Walter should simple get him in the team as much as possible - he has to get games under his belt.
Another problem for me is Broadfeet !Why shoe-horn this guy in at leftback ? We have a very good young leftback in Grieg Wylde. It's time Smith played a natural in this position if Papac is injured...Kirk looked 'hypnotised' by the ball at times and that is poor stuff for a guy on thousands of pounds a week - he's rightback and centrehalf 'cover' at best...never a starter for me ! I'd imagine this is one reason Smith is looking at this Romanian guy Puhlac, if it comes to ant thing ?

The positive is really that we look well rehearsed in what we are trying to do....the reptiles had no shape, style, tactics or ideas the other night. For all our faults we have guys who know each other and have a simple game plan that might work for SPL. Which is after all (sadly perhaps) all we have to focus on...domestic matters are crucial.
I hope we can bring in a striker. We will need more goals than what is there at the moment. Rangers could have finished that first half three in front easily had they bagged what they created...

[Harold's Glass]

Polski said-

and dozed off after it.

Lazy bastard.....

[No8.]

Broadfoot played well Polski. He also played their for St Mirren most of the time.

Fleck has looked good when on the pitch but Lafferty has been the start turn for Rangers in all 3 games...well the 1st 2 anyway...I was dozing on and off a bit more this morning due to not sleeping for more than an hour and a half.

The stats show that the Greeks had all the ball so i cant agree at all that we dominated.

Did you think Davis looked off the pace today? Not 1 of his better games.

H is right...How could you doze off ya lazy bastard after sleeping all night?? Not good enough.

Questions have been asked..and rightly so..why were the kids not given more of a chance. I would have liked to see Wylde given a run out left as he did quite well against Blackburn. McMillan could have been used more as well.

[POLSKI™]

[quote="No8."I have read all these reports as well Harold but i just cant see where they are getting this from. Rangers did have the occassional ball into the middle but Lafferty and Naismith were unable to get forward to support Miller which left him exposed up front alone.

[/quote]

What game were you watching ? Davis and Edu had the Greeks chasing shadows most of the time...we played really well in midfield and when Fleck came on for Lafferty we started creating good chances...if anything it was yer new pal Lafferty who was letting the link up play down.

Easily the better team for the majority of this game...just a pity we are not taking these chances. Boyd is gone and didn't want to stay...he's history now, so it's up to the management to try and rectify the situation and make sure we convert to our advantage...

[No8.]

I was watching the AEK V Rangers game...they had way over 60% of the ball so how edu and davis controlled the game is beyond me.

As for Lafferty..It was the Aussies that singled him out for Player of the Tournament.

I cant remember 1 real clear cut chance Rangers had or 1 decent save their keeper had.

[POLSKI™]

The stats show that the Greeks had all the ball so i cant agree at all that we dominated.

Did you think Davis looked off the pace today? Not 1 of his better games.

H is right...How could you doze off ya lazy bastard after sleeping all night?? Not good enough.

The stats on the stream for the Braga v raSellick game showed the Mutants were well in possession FFS...

Davis, for me, was neat and tidy as ever and was easily the best midfielder on the pitch...tired in the last twenty ? Probably.

I was up until 4am and set the alarm for eight, so I think I deserved it and the two 660ml Budweisers helped me get cosy...

[POLSKI™]

I was watching the AEK V Rangers game...they had way over 60% of the ball so how edu and davis controlled the game is beyond me.

As for Lafferty..It was the Aussies that singled him out for Player of the Tournament.

I cant remember 1 real clear cut chance Rangers had or 1 decent save their keeper had.

2 x Miller from Whittaker crosses...Edu and then Bougherra right after one another, both blocks were stonewallers. McCulloch from the corner and big Davie's header !!

There's 5/6 straight away...! You did say you were dozing off...

As for Lafferty. If Australians want to big him up, fair enough...but I've no idea where your hard-on for him has come from all of a sudden. It was me who championed the guy at first and he did fairly well in his first season only to disappoint there-after bar a few games at the end of last season. That lad has a lot to show yet in a Rangers shirt !

[POLSKI™]

Polski said-

and dozed off after it.

Lazy bastard.....

Well deserved mate, well deserved...

[No8.]

As for Lafferty. If Australians want to big him up, fair enough...but I've no idea where your hard-on for him has come from all of a sudden. It was me who championed the guy at first and he did fairly well in his first season only to disappoint there-after bar a few games at the end of last season. That lad has a lot to show yet in a Rangers shirt !

Lafferty was excellent against Blackburn..He was the best player on the park against Sydney although it was atrocious conditions.

From the Aberdeen game onwards last season he played well. He gained tremendous confidence after giving Ifil a torrid time...I have to qualify that by saying i believe Ifil is the worst full back i have seen in the SPL. Hopefully he will carry that form on into the new season.

He has every supporter in the country against him...Every referee against him...Every journalist against him. We have to look after our own.