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I think we're all braced for a sore one on Wednesday night.
Rangers have nothing to play for but pride, but can play without pressure, and i'm sure will be looking forward to making us suffer.
We meanwhile seem finished, both physically and mentally.
What XI and formation gives us the best chance at damage limitation if nothing else? (the goal difference taking a battering would all but end our chance for 4th even if we somehow beat Aberdeen).
Would you play our strongest XI or bring a few in from the cold and rest a few for Aberdeen match?
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Honestly not sure, i'd maybe rest Ferry, Dalby, Sevelj, Docherty, thrown in Campbell, Fiorini, start Van der Sande and Patorn/Moult upfront.
Not expecting anything other defeat, but crucially one eye for us fans anyway is on Pittodrie, we lose 3-0 Aberdeen lose 2-0 and it's still a showdown on Saturday. As defeatist as that sounds it's realism re our current form/injury/confidence standpoint.
Unfortunately, our recent form has us relying on Hibs going to whatever St Mirren's stadium is called this week and doing us a favour.
For all the talk of Celtic taking it easy, resting players for the cup final, they won't want to do anything other than put Aberdeen in their place ahead of the Hampden showdown and they won't have their baffies on, on flag day.
We'd all have bitten hands off for a last day showdown to get Europe, or even be sitting in European spot going into the last game back in August, it's just that so much more could've been had, had we not fallen away.
I think the whole situation was best summed up by this post on Twitter...
I think it's more we earned the right to dream by showing we are capable. The disappointment is we've really fallen away. But form is variable and of course top 6 is better than expected in July but it's not better than what they put in their reach. It's ok to feel frustrated.
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Got to be the best team available but I’m not sure what that is anymore as a draw there would set us up for Saturday.
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Walton
SCH Gallagher manny
Strain sevelj docherty sibbald ferry
Dalby moult
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Ferry is sitting one yellow away from suspension. Correct? If he gets a yellow on Wednesday is it automatic for the next game or seven days later meaning he’ll be available for the Aberdeen game?
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Have to go there and defend deep and not let our goal difference take a battering imo. Hopefully Celtic do us a favour then it's everything to play for somehow on Saturday.
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dufc5 wrote:
Have to go there and defend deep and not let our goal difference take a battering imo. Hopefully Celtic do us a favour then it's everything to play for somehow on Saturday.
We need Hibs to do us a favour first and beat St Mirren.
Hoping that other teams beat St Mirren to benefit us. What a fall from grace United.
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Arab87 wrote:
dufc5 wrote:
Have to go there and defend deep and not let our goal difference take a battering imo. Hopefully Celtic do us a favour then it's everything to play for somehow on Saturday.
We need Hibs to do us a favour first and beat St Mirren.
Hoping that other teams beat St Mirren to benefit us. What a fall from grace United.
A draw will be fine in that game can't see St Mirren getting anything on trophy day at Parkhead. Agreed though what a mess to leave ourselves in.
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My thoughts are that we are all in agreement now or we should be that we can't play against anyone and have a go. We simply don't have the guys to do it.
Last time we played this lot we got our arse handed back to us on a plate after a promising start.
Back to the tried and tested please, 4-5-1 and try and frustrate the opposition.
Need to try and get some legs into the team, Fotheringham should come in for that as he has previously against Rangers.
Middleton and Trapa to come on as Subs with 20 to go if are still in the match.
You can copy and paste the above for the Aberdeen game.
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kdyteejay wrote:
Ferry is sitting one yellow away from suspension. Correct? If he gets a yellow on Wednesday is it automatic for the next game or seven days later meaning he’ll be available for the Aberdeen game?
I think the only way he would miss Aberdeen on Saturday if he gets a straight red.
Booking would mean he would miss the first two games of next season, I think.
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I think for me, Wednesday is all about limiting any damage. I'm normally one of the most tangerine tinted specs wearing heart on my sleeve optimistic Arab but after that damp squib on Saturday, I really do feel we're going to lose out on 5th now as I think on current form, we'll be lucky to get any points this week and I have a sneaky feeling St Mirren will beat Hibs on Wednesday. We don't have the luxury of rotation in the slightest but what I would say is that we need our fittest, strongest XI to start on Saturday so I think we need to take a chance at Ibrox and just play backs to the wall. And I know the below isn't going to happen, and wouldn't be anyone's cup of tea, but it would make use of the squad.
_____________________________
Walton
Middleton
Gal
Manny
SCH
Trap
Vicko
Sibbald
Doc
Campbell
VDS
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Middleton and Trapanovski playing as wing backs with Vicko dropping back into defence if we're attacking.
Sibbald, Vicko and Doc can make the midfield a busy place and given how we know they can play and have played then if they show up then that will frustrate the rangers.
Campbells got to be due a bit of a game. If he's sitting slightly in front of the midfield, it just gives them someone to aim at who can turn on the ball and play forward. This is the role that Babunksi should have been excelling in this season but it's just not worked out that way. Campbell has the ability and you never know...given he was linked to that lot before signing for us - he might just turn in a performance to suit.
I love Dalby, I do...but it's clear that he's just not as good a football player as his goalscoring record suggests. Get the ball in the box and he'll put them away, but he's ineffective up top on his own when playing as a target man. I'd be inclined to even start Moult, but I think giving VDS the nod would just give Rangers something else to think about...we know he's not ever going to be the player we want him to be but VDS will run left and right all game chasing the ball and he does have a wee spark of pace.
Genuinely think a set up like that could and would give them problems in attack and we could look to sneak something. Again, I'm not expecting anything from Wednesday but if Celtic give Aberdeen a doing then we're still in it for 4th come Saturday. Let's make sure our best team is ready for it.
Last edited by dyed in the wool (Yesterday 3:36 pm)