4tune Favours the Bold

The beginnings 

 When Steven Gerrard left the club few of us could have expected things to have gone as well as they have. While he left the club sitting top of the League and still in with a shout of qualifying for the next stage of the Europa League you'd struggle to find a bear out there who was happy with how the team were playing and the rate with which we were shipping goals.

We then lost the League cup semi-final 3-1 to Hibs in what I personally view as a Gerrard hangover. It was a Gerrard cup team performance just lacking the leadership from the sidelines. This may sound harsh on the team that took over the management for that game, and it's not meant to be, but it's how I view it. All the goals we conceded were the same type of goals we'd be conceding all season, individual errors, and lack of concentration. We didn't have the presence on the touchline to encourage the team to bounce back from that, and as Goldson said post-match, the team basically gave up then at HT.

Enter the Gio

The Monday following that game Giovanni Van Bronckhorst officially took charge of the team, and he laid down a marker early. He said if any player was lacking in hunger to play for Rangers then they will find a very tough manager in him. This was exactly what the team and the fans needed to see, especially after a few months of what seemed like, and since proven right, was apathy from the former manager. A manager who felt he had come as far as he could with the team and was struggling to find his own motivation, let alone motivation for his squad.

Gerrard felt his remit was complete with Rangers, Gio's had just begun and he was there to make sure everyone knew it.

You'd be forgiven for worrying it may take some time for Gio and his backroom staff to get the team going, especially after the defeat to Hibs, but they had the team flying straight away. The game against Sparta Prague was a must-win game, a 2-0 victory would guarantee qualification to the next round, and that is exactly what the team achieved. It was 2-0 going on 5-0 though. That was probably the best display from the team all season I think.

Since then Gio's Rangers have gone on to win a tricky away fixtures to Livingston and Hibs, as well as steamrolling Dundee yesterday to become the first Rangers manager to win all 4 of his first games since Willie Waddell in the 1969/70 season.

The Team

It's not just the victories though, it's how the team are playing. With the exception of the Hibs game, the team have looked brilliant and really adapted to the way Gio and his backroom team want them to play. The Hibs game may be the outlier, but considering they had just hammered us 3-1 I'll take a 1-0 victory no matter how it comes.

I'm certainly no tactical expert, but it looks to me so far that Gio is asking his fullbacks to be a bit less adventurous and to allow the wingers to play more as wingers instead of inside forwards. This has meant a more organised back four and fewer sloppy goals being conceded. Only 1 in 4 games, from a point where we went to games almost expecting to concede first and be on the back foot from the start.

What looks to be another smart move from Gio is that he has stopped rotating the keepers, and McGregor certainly seems to have benefitted from this. I'm a big fan of McLaughlin but there's no denying he's not on a level with McGregor, who looks to be back to his best with the consistent run of games, just as some of us were beginning to question if he should be in the side anymore.

Morelos looks to be enjoying himself again, and with 3 goals in 4 games since Gio and the team came in it's nice to see him back amongst the goals. Hopefully this continues and he can get a couple in the Old Firm to really propel us towards title number 56.

Gio is even looking to get Patterson on more often, something we have all been screaming for, but often seen as near impossible with Tavernier's presence as the captain and his contribution to goals.

Gio-ing Forward

With the Lyon game coming up next Ryan Kent and Steven Davis were rested, something I've questioned personally. I know we get more money for a draw or a win, but I struggle to see us getting anything out of the game even with Lyon having already secured top spot in the group, but with the way Gio has us playing I suppose anything is possible.

I would rather concentrate on the league at this point, but I suppose there's nothing to say we can't concentrate on both, after all we are Rangers and we should be looking to go into every game aiming for a win. Something I believe Gio is hammering into the players again.

It may only be 4 games in, but the signs are positive and I am excited. I can't wait to see how this season plays out going forward, and I have every faith in the boss to get us the results we need.

Coffee

Finally a little note on coffee. No, not in the same way ill phil 3 names talks about it. 

I've teamed up with Pure Roasters, an independent Scottish coffee roasting company, to offer a subscriber to the blog a free 6 month subscription to their service. Once I have 200 subscribers I will draw the winner who will receive monthly deliveries of a 250g bag of their freshly roasted coffee, either full bean or pre-ground, for 6 months as well as a free Pure Roasters gift.

To sign up simply visit Subscribe

The Rambling Ger

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