Ange Postecoglou

We're on 1 point from 4 games. We haven't competed at all.

 

*, I was drunk at the pub and thought they won. Perhaps a lifeline but it's looking unlikely now.

 

I’ll be honest, I don’t buy that argument at all. In the opening two games, we were very good, finishing aside. Tonight we didn’t get close to that level of performance. Absolutely nowhere near it. I seen after ten minutes tonight that Schlager was the man pulling the strings for them.

 

Still no lifeline to be fair.

 

Think the best we can do now is 3rd.

 

We won’t finish third.

 

That first part isn't true loads of us on here said he would simply need to adapt when it came to Europe and that has proven to be the case those tactics in Europe will more often than not just turn it in to a game of basketball and teams with more quality punish us. Most of compared it to Rodgers where by he never changed it up to be more pragmatic in Europe and ultimately failed in Europe

 

He's not going to change so what do you suggest? A new manager? I agree that there are some players he is showing more favouritism to than others but that is the case with most managers. If he won't use a CDM in Europe hes not going to use one in the SPFL.

We have had a wee slump and it's a test for him now to lift the side. McGregor and other injuries don't help.

I'm happy to trust the process that he has used successfully at most of the club's he has been at including the National Australian Side.

 

The entire squad is out of their form... Not exactly seeing a big switch up when the players are subbed/swapped out...

Personally, and I'm sick of saying this every year, I think that the squad are *. We've just played our 14th match in 10 weeks, not including all the international * as well. The way we play involves so much effort that we need the full squad, and ours is already getting worn out with injury and suspension. Not sure if we just need time to get the sharpness back, some confidence again or whatever... But we're still running all over teams, and creating loads of chances... Just need to start burying chances and opponents again

 

The first two performances were nothing like a Rodgers type performance and that did give me hope. Tonight was quite simpler to Rodgers though. Not quite as bad but not a millions miles away.

 

To finish 3rd we’ll need to win a game at home in the competition for the first time in nearly 10 years and then get something from the European champions away. It’s never happening.

 

This notion that it's ok because we're competing in games is the equivalent of getting a participation trophy have a look around the groups and even results tonight we should be looking to take points especially at home. Would anyone really say Donetsk are better than us ?

 

Aye it’s no happening. No point deluding ourselves.

 

Madrid barring a miracle was always ending in defeat the Donetsk game I said at the time would come back and bite us in the * we should have won it at a canter. The Leipzig games have been write offs

 

I even had someone say to me tonight, “you didn’t live through the 90s mate.” After I went mental at Giakoumakis missing the one on one with 5 minutes to play. * me, as if they two situations are comparable. These * with that attitude can * off as well.

 

That one tonight is a sickener.

 

The way I see it is that Real didn't really play in a way that highlighted our deficiencies, in the first half at least. They weren't particularly adventurous, they didn't really press us, and honestly they were probably a bit surprised by our approach, as they're not used to domestic sides in Spain pressing them really aggressively like we did. Of course they adjusted to this and punished us when we tired.

Shakhtar are probably a similar quality side to us but sat back, which suited us to the ground. It was more similar to a domestic match with the amount of possession and passes we had, just against a side who were a lot more dangerous on the break than most are in Scotland.

Leipzig are a different beast though and have a style of play more conducive to hurting us than either Madrid or Shakhtar do. Of Course Real are a much higher quality side, but like I said, the way Madrid played for much of the match wasn't really optimised to exploit us. Leipzig's high energy, high pressing, fast counter attacking style was, and proved to be the case in both matches. It was a bit of a case of two sides with similar styles of play, but one having superior players and having played in this style for several years as opposed to less than one and a half years.

 

Hate that sort of defeatist tripe as well. I did live through the ‘90s, and that doesn’t come near to affecting the fact that tonight’s sort of performance is totally unacceptable.

 

I think we surprised Madrid with how aggressive we were in the press and they didn’t like it. Had we scored first in the game I honestly think the crowd would have carried us to getting something out of it.

Leipzig have a style more suited to hurting us because we are too open and easily counter attacked. Well we have been the last two games in Europe due to us not reaching the same intensity as we did in the opening two games. That’s down to us as much as it’s down to them.

 

Haha, * shut up and simmer doon. I * love Ange but that’s what it sounded like.