Rangers Banter 3

06 Sep 2026 07:07:00
EHL regarding formations, perhaps it is the overuse of video games coming away with some, but my question was more trying to learn and understand than suggest. Not all of us have any real experience training or coaching. U said in the discussion of formation the reason we were resorting to long balls was because we had 2 defensive mids coming deep to get the ball so I wondered if we were better using just 1 anchor man who comes deep instead, either with one man up top or two.

As in 4141 or 4132 in games. Never my intention to melt your brain. 😜

06 Sep 2026 07:59:34
Correct, Kaiser, against Falkirk both Devlin and Raskin naturally kept coming towards the defence to get on the ball, which limited our options.

Yesterday, Raskin and Neil offered much more variety, which did three things. One, it meant we had far more options when playing out, it made it much easier to connect with the front line, and it also left us exposed on occasions when we got it wrong.



Crucially, though, in both games we played the same system with 2 central midfielders.

06 Sep 2026 08:09:51
2 plus Penrice was inverted a lot, giving us 3 in the middle.

06 Sep 2026 08:26:16
Cheers, mate. Yes, think with time, they'll understand each other and will know when to come and go as learn when to trust each other.

06 Sep 2026 08:34:57
True, Zikos, and developing an understanding with Gassama both switching inside and out, so keeping defenders guessing.

06 Sep 2026 09:22:28
Correct Ziko.

I said a few times that the DM system is very similar to how Spain set up, which is becoming the new blueprint for a lot of teams.

So, to use that example, we certainly have seen a lot more from Sterling and Penrice yesterday, and as you say, Penrice varied his play a lot, overlapping, underlapping and creating overloads in the middle.



Just like Cucurella.

06 Sep 2026 11:02:30
Cucarella- The best in the business. I've followed his career from Brighton, where he was excellent, got his move to Chelsea, where he became world class imo. Currently at Real Madrid, and European champion and World Cup winner with Spain. What a player. Just wish he'd get a haircut.

06 Sep 2026 11:22:27
Cucarella class left back and earned his move to Real Madrid because of his superb performances for Chelsea. 👌 Regarding Chelsea full backs, it takes me back to when Chelsea signed Ashley Cole from Arsenal and what an outstanding left full back he was, and imo at one point Ashley Cole was the best left back in world football and even better than the superb Cucarella for me, and that's saying something.

👌

06 Sep 2026 01:05:12
My star and all on here in general a wee question regarding dan neil after his MOTM performance today, in what was his best game in a Rangers jersey 🤔 Although neil can play really anywhere in midfield, what do we reckon his best midfield position is ie.a no.6, a no.8 or a no.10 🤔🇬🇧

06 Sep 2026 07:47:35
Missed the game. Glad to hear Neil had his best game. Hopefully he kicks on now.

06 Sep 2026 07:47:37
1 reasonable game and 1 gd game in 7. Let's see if he can maintain consistency in upcoming games across any of the 3 positions you mentioned before any assessment.

06 Sep 2026 08:14:17
Playing devil's advocate here, maybe Neil & others, are just getting to a level of fitness required to play, high tempo, pressing football, which they might not have had to do before?
There did seem to be a bit more intent yesterday against a very decent, well drilled M'well team.
Onward & Upward, baby steps.

06 Sep 2026 08:26:12
Dan Neil was excellent yesterday, hopefully he kicks on now, also liked the look of Kelsey.

06 Sep 2026 08:51:07
Fork, the point I'm making here, mate, is Dan Neil was never a bad midfielder, some just decide a player is this, that and the next thing far too quick and, over my many years of following Rangers, I've witnessed this, and the players in question, a lot of the time, have settled down and went on to be superb for us.

This is one of the most toxic periods in all my time of witnessing players getting no time and constantly abused by a minority of our supporters, and it happens, mate, there's no way it can be denied. 👎

06 Sep 2026 09:00:15
Where did I abuse him in my comment? I'll wait, I didn't. You say about giving time, I said to wait to see if he can maintain a level of consistency. I too have watched Rangers for 50 years. Other side of the coin is some blow smoke up arses before any level of form or consistency is stabilised.

06 Sep 2026 09:06:39
The positive I took from this thread.
Is you two are older than me by the sounds of it of around 3+ years.

Ya old gits. 😉🤣

But on the actual subject, lol.

I hope Dan Neil can produce consistently.
There's a player there and hope he can find his form and keep it.

As I do with the rest of the squad.

06 Sep 2026 09:22:14
Absolutely Stig, not the football point but the two old boys in the booth in the Muppet Show. 😁😁
I think I am just a young thing to these guys. 🤣🤣

06 Sep 2026 09:26:31
Waldorf n Statdler 👀🤣🤣. Revenge will be swift, Pieter. 🤣👍

06 Sep 2026 09:38:35
Bravo!

06 Sep 2026 10:37:10
1 good game doesn't make him not a bad player, he's ok, but we need much better to be winning titles every season. What's that 1 in 7 games not good enough. Where's all the Naderi haters today lol. 😂

06 Sep 2026 10:47:03
Dan Niel has still not played 500 minutes for Rangers, some of the comments are still a joke as seen on this thread. 🤪
Sws, number 8 but very capable as 6, we haven't even seen him close to his best.

06 Sep 2026 10:48:08
And some really don't have any clue.

06 Sep 2026 11:04:50
Fork, I don't think SWS was accusing you of abusing Dan Neil. I read it as more of an observation SWS was making, which can't be denied. I, for one, was not overly keen on Neil initially, and I'll put my hands up to that, but yesterday I thought he was superb and, hopefully, he's finding his feet and will show us the proper player he is.

06 Sep 2026 11:28:08
Correct/spot on, SirStruth. 👍 Someone who read and totally understood my post. Cheers, mate. 👍🇬🇧

06 Sep 2026 11:26:52
Fork pipe down pal 😡i never once accused you of abusing any Rangers players 🤔Where did i blame you in my post for abusing Rangers players eh🤔I'll answer it for you i didn't so stop taking things personal when i never aimed anything at you for god's sake 👎

06 Sep 2026 11:38:04
Your best saying nothing with your track record of blowing smoke up players backsides, nothing in my comment is a joke, the joke is u thinking u know better than everyone else and that your opinion is correct, your tendency to go overboard on players on here based on nothing other than your own hubris and arrogance that you know better than everyone else, u don't your a fud that spouts 💩, go back to ignoring you now.


So asking for a level of consistency before an assessment is a joke, tells me everything I need to know, clueless.

06 Sep 2026 12:35:19
U posted to me because I was critical of one of your poster boys in the past that u n your I know everything sidekick champion, and no one is allowed an opinion or to be critical in any regard, you go overboard at the drop of a hat and no one is allowed to say different, then follow it up with a snide dig.

Have fun living in your garden of roses n butterflies n unicorns.

06 Sep 2026 14:58:05
That's fine, Fork, never took you for being really critical and nasty like that, but you live and learn, and you, with that post, have come across in a different light now and I always liked you as a poster. 🤔 Just don't respond to my posts if that's what you feel about me, mate, and I'll do likewise.

06 Sep 2026 14:59:12
Just like you've gone well overboard there with that post, Fork, eh. 🤔

05 Sep 2026 23:29:26
Thought it was a very solid performance today, team seaming to be gelling well, counted 6 clear chances that should have been converted, Fernandez I think has got the message and played well, after watching them later certainly feel a lot more confident about the game next Sunday don't think Mon.

knows the best team or set up.is.
Finally a word of praise for D Nell his best game in a Blue Jersey

06 Sep 2026 00:45:24
Dan Neil can play as a 6, an 8 or even a 10. He was terrific today. 👌🇬🇧

06 Sep 2026 01:38:40
He is a good player. Would much rather Chuckwani.

06 Sep 2026 01:39:46
Dan Neil still hasn't played 500 minutes for Rangers. Very good footballer, as seen, still not nearly at his best.

06 Sep 2026 01:41:50
Why you'd think fans would give all new signings a bit of patience, I believe we've got a far stronger squad than we did 12 months ago.

06 Sep 2026 01:41:59
And Dragovij instead of Raskin.

06 Sep 2026 03:34:12
Drago would be 1st mf player in my team and tbh Raskin would notmally drop out at this point for me.

However, Old Firm, so 3 cm's for me anyway.

Raskin can play as an 8 or 10 against Celtic.
I'd out him on top of McGregor and the nstruct him n it t ok give Calmac a minutes peace.

That's his only job. Follow him everywhere. Do that rigbt and yw can always beat Celtic.

Duran is the tricky one for me and through the middle against Manny and Makhanya he's dangerous. I'd go with Godfrey and Makhanya.

06 Sep 2026 09:41:19
Yes, Stevie. Neil, Raskin and Drogo for next week's cup game. Has to be.

05 Sep 2026 23:14:29
Anyone else joining the Dan Neil Fan Club? Wasn't many after Pittodrie, where I thought he was excellent, but hoping there may be more of you after today 😂

05 Sep 2026 23:59:53
Big fan of Dan Neil, Souness, as most know, we certainly haven't seen Neil close to his best yet, very good today, but reading previously about him made me cringe, only because I know the player he can be, I just knew it wouldn't be very long before he showed it and many would be backtracking on him.

06 Sep 2026 00:08:42
I've said Dan Neil just needs a run of games and he would change minds.

06 Sep 2026 00:49:23
I've agreed with you all along about Dan Neil, My Star 👍 even though he's a black cat. 😁

06 Sep 2026 08:23:50
Our fans have to show a lot more patience with what is a totally new team. 3 very good wins on 7 days I'd a big statement, a happy old man here.

06 Sep 2026 08:52:04
He was excellent yesterday.
But that's been 1 out of 10 games he's been available for Rangers.
So he's starred in 10% of the games so far.
Fingers crossed he can build on yesterday.
Not just from a playing perspective, but I thought he was excellent from a captain point of view as well.

06 Sep 2026 09:44:08
Certainly looks the part. And he's only what, 24? Good vision, good passer, gets around the pitch well, and can tackle. It'll never catch on.

06 Sep 2026 09:59:16
MPH, interesting point you make there regarding captaincy, his communication on the pitch is constant. Either that, or he just constantly points in different directions. 😂 Maybe a future career as a traffic policeman is on the cards.

05 Sep 2026 21:46:29
Despite the game only finishing 1-0 I am quite pleased

The stats suggested we had much less possession than Motherwell but watching the game it didn't feel like it, everytime we had the ball we looked dangerous and created chances, Naderi is a player I often have to defend and I thought he was superb today. Dan Neil take a bow, an absolute essay in midfield play, our defence were solid and no nonsense (Makhanya is a rolls Royce).

There are many more players I can comment on but overall I thought that was a performance I could really get behind, especially in the fluidity of our attack. I've been very vocally critical of Mcinnes but today he got everything he could right.

More performances like that please Rangers and the results will keep coming and I'm sure the score lines will only get better

06 Sep 2026 07:03:37
Always liked Ryan, works hard for the team, presses tirelessly and looks to genuinely love the club, which is more than can be said for some he has played alongside. Sure, he may be lacking a bit of quality, but that can't fault the kid's attitude.

Hopefully the fans give him a bit of a break, as we are going to need him over the next couple of months with Shanks' injury.

06 Sep 2026 08:54:01
I know what you're saying, Dio. 👍 It was a comfortable 1-0 win, so to speak. 👍 🇬🇧

05 Sep 2026 18:59:31
Starting to wonder if Ryan Naderi is the new Cyril Dessers, misses lots but still manages to get goals. He's younger so we need to be patient and not let our frustration get the better of us as he sticks to his task just as CD9 did.

05 Sep 2026 20:38:21
Well said, Tjm. He ain't anywhere near the finished article, but if that boy can start putting in performances to match his work rate, we've won a watch. I thoroughly believe he will.

05 Sep 2026 23:13:53
He'll get 20 league goals this season.

06 Sep 2026 00:54:55
I hope you're correct, Stevie G, regarding Naderi, but I, on two counts, honestly don't think he'll hit 20 goals. 🤔 Firstly, he won't be our first or possibly even our second choice striker, and secondly, I don't think he's a natural goalscorer, although he works extremely hard. 🤔

06 Sep 2026 03:36:12
Oops with Chermiti and Shanks out for now, I think he's going to get a wee run of games for now against Celtic and that will make him as a Ranger.

I think this is how and when he arrives as a Rangers player, mate.

06 Sep 2026 08:34:21
Miovski must surely be given a chance now also, and also, I feel that Minsu and Gassama will also get a few, and we will also have Bouanani still to start, and of course Findlay Curtis has a goal in him. On to Wednesday now, against a St Mirren team who ran Celtic close, we should certainly be confident after the past 7 days.

06 Sep 2026 08:57:42
Gassama has to be one of the first names down on our starting 11 just now. 🤔🇬🇧

05 Sep 2026 18:44:10
So much better today. A missed one and two missed sitters flattered them. Dan Neil excellent. I think Raskin's a pretty weak link in there but always have. Surely the Serbian boy has more about him? Gassama did really well as did Naderi. Lots to be positive about which for those who normally read my posts, isn't like me.

05 Sep 2026 19:05:55
Raskin isn't a weak link, mate. He's rusty though, probably had an up and down summer, head all over the place. Think over the next few games he'll up his game and show why he plays every time for Belgium.

I'd like to see more of Vanja though as well. Good to have competition. Devlin and Chukwuani miles away for me.

05 Sep 2026 19:13:14
I thought Dan Neil was really good in the 1st half, and then faded out of the game in the 2nd. And then Raskin came onto the game in the 2nd half. It's early days in this partnership, but I think Dan Neil compliments who he plays with quite well. I don't think Raskin can play with Devlin atm.

Gassama was good up until the final pass/shot. Hopefully that's coached out of him, because he could be on double figures for goals and assists already if his decision making was better.



I thought Minsu was well off it today. Nothing seemed to go well for him today, and his touch let him down all afternoon.

Good to see Kelsey coming on, although it's early days, his touch seemed a bit heavy. Hoping he starts next game.

05 Sep 2026 19:19:06
Wishybear, agree with that assessment. Think Vanja should be used before Chucky, who should be used before Devlin. Devlin will have his use, but 2 out of the 3, Raskin, Neil and Vanja, should be used as starters.

Gassama needs to find an end product, which he will. I like the look of our new team. It just takes time to gel, and it's going to happen. Excited for the future.

05 Sep 2026 19:20:23
Chukwuani played in position is excellent. McInnes seems to want to move him around.
Was in a good way disappointed with Motherwell, thought they looked off it. I'd like to see Drago more too.

Be interested to know what EHL or any other coaches stato s think. Is the formation fixation not a thing anymore, for instance? Do teams look to stack players in defense in certain situations, or attack and transition in other formations? Is 541 defence and then 235 attack, if that makes sense, and the old school formations being a rigid thing of the past.

05 Sep 2026 20:05:38
I'm a big Drago fan, would like to see a lot more of him. Wishy bear, do you live near Stirling?

05 Sep 2026 20:26:15
With a username of Wishybear, does he not live in Wishaw?

05 Sep 2026 21:00:05
Thought Dan Neil was good today, would like to see him with Drago in middle.
And again Makahanya was solid, really like the look of this lad, so glad he's actually our player and not a loan.


Gassama has been a different player so far but he was the same at the beginning of last season, lads only young though and looked up for it.
Where was the other new lad today?

05 Sep 2026 21:22:25
No, mate, Wishaw.

05 Sep 2026 21:42:45
Rangers, to be honest, the modern day fixation with formations really frustrates me.

TV and video games have got fans obsessed with starting formations when the reality is most teams use 4 or 5 different set ups throughout the game.

Actually, seen posters debating the other day if we were 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-3-2 and it kinda melted my brain.

05 Sep 2026 21:55:29
Ehl, obviously we change formations during certain phases of play, and if we go up but the set up is still the formation 4-3-3, 4-4-2 they are important. I hate when there are 4-5 formations in a game, it over complicates things at times. That's how you get managers like Russel Martian that think it's the players not understanding their plan. Nope, it's your over overcomplicatin things.

Also, most modern managers in my opinion are s*** because they want too many changes during a game. Keep it simple, get the players for the positions and keep it simple. This p##h Anaw we lost 4-2 but the performance was good is what managers say all the time. You would not get away with that in any other form of life.

06 Sep 2026 18:35:30
Thought that Ehl, thanks for your input, appreciate it. 👍🏼