Compass Points Around London

The London Tour

Over the past few weeks, Rangers have managed to do a full rotation of the compass: A round trip of London (plus of course Berkshire)

Rangers 0-0 Chelsea

First up came those South-Westerners who have ideas, of grandeur, that they are from West London.  Chelsea were in town,  thinking that they would cause a rout at the Bush.  Enough has probably been said already about the hand shakes but well done to Anton, who made it clear that Terry had said what he had said, for not shaking the Turds hand.  Soon, we were to find out that the Sewer Rat had resigned from England, to save face, and then the FA charge him with those paltry four games. Good,  but not good enough but we move on.

Anyway, and shakes aside, we played really well and took the first points off the reigning European Champions this term.  I guess, with all the hullabaloo, that this game was destined to be a goalless draw and inevitably it was.

Terry seemed to embarrass himself by trying an Ashley Young in the penalty box. This was never going to get him more points than Tom Daley but it did lead me to instantly like Nelson so much more when he was quoted: "That was bit embarrassing, John!" in his post match interview, cool as a cucumber.  Indeed he surely met his match with Ryan.

But the biggest respect has to go to Anton Ferdinand.  Firstly for rebuking the hand shake but, more so, playing so well under all the pressure and the spot lights that has covered him. None of which was his making.

Tottenham 2-1 Rangers

A trip up to North London took us to White Hart Lane. Probably a game where most people and bookies were forecasting a Spurs win,  even with AVB at the helm.  Rangers fans of course optimistic as usual. The first half was sublime and to those that remember the Sexton era will no doubt have been casting similarities to bygone years.  The combination of Faurlin and Granero masterminding the midfield was like days gone by and something that we have not had the pleasure of for many a year.

So one up at half time and dominating the game.  The Spurs faithful booing the home team and, I suspect, more so their manager. All was cushtee.

Spurs formation was changed notably at half time and their 4-4-2 was much more impactful,  but they still struggled to break us down.  Then in a mad moment of, what, five minutes, saw a spawny deflection off Faurlin and a total lapse of concentration. This saw two quick goals to put Spurs in front and there it stayed.  Irony would have it that the two wizards in midfield were caught up in the goals.

The R's really were so unlucky in this game,  but here's the lesson.  Possession and dominance doesn't win you games.  Putting away the chances does and, perhaps, if we had taken them and been 3-0 up at half time the outcome would have been so much different.

Credit to the team though.  Great football and definitely starting to gel. This was reflected in the MOM being their goalie. A loss maybe,  but really inspired by the performance.

Rangers 2-3 Reading

The Fakes took the short journey to the Bush in West London.  Newly promoted, they have stuttered similarly to us this term.  But surely this was game to win and to progress the longest cup run we have had for, well, the last decade?

It was not to be.  A classic game of the real hoops playing football and the fakes playing hoof it to the Pog.  Yet again though, like Spurs, if you don't take the chances then you won't win.  More so when you have a ref that is so biased.  

Two soft free kicks gave Reading their first goals, albeit the latter was very well taken. But even so neither should have been given.  A clear penalty on Hoillet which was waved away and then the softest of penalties in the dieing minutes.  It was clear that this game wasn't to be ours.

But great to see Cisse planting a stinger of a volley,  which will give his confidence a lift and Dyer,  who is this new player we see?  I do hope he can give this type of performance for the whole season as that will be a major boost to the squad.  One that no one expects.  And finally M'bia (Le Penis) gets his debut. Early days but at least he has started now.

 Well, we're out of the COC(K)up,  but at least we can now concentrate on the League!!

Rangers 1-2 West Ham

Sky were back in W12 for this one. An evening kick-off it may have been,  but on a Monday it just doesn't seem right does it? More so the Sky voo-doo returned to strike again.

I guess most of us were expecting a dynamic performance and a win to say the least.  That was not to be and the first half performance was, well let's just say, lacklustre.  Two sloppy goals and heads were down at half time.

Strangely, when I saw the team sheet, I thought it was a fairly attacking line up.  The defence still worried me and had it not been for the first goal, I still think we would have got more from this game. I am after all, forever, an optimistic R's fan.

Mark ClattenCard did his best to derail events with what must be a record in cards shown.  Amazingly, Diakite seemed to be drawn to the colour red. Again. And just when we were doing so well with discipline.

It was really good to hear the crowd lift the players spirits, in the second half, and with Adel and Diakite coming on it gave us some creativity and pace to our attack, something the Hammers were struggled with.

Taarabt gave us his text book, drop the shoulder move and curled a blinder into the top right again. How many times have we seen that one? What a shame that these options weren't used from the off set - maybe a different outcome, who knows?  Shall we just say that West Ham played really well albeit with plenty of, lets call it 'strength' and a lot of time wasting.

Here we are then, rooted to the foot of the table and no defence to talk about. 

But....I, for one, am not panicking.  I have seen good football and we do still have good players and a good manager. I know I am repeating myself,  but as TF says we do need stability and to build.  It won't happen overnight. Have patience, no matter how tempting to moan.

We have been hit badly with injuries - mainly hamstrings for some reason - and it is clear that the understudies don't understand each other.

No matter how despondent we all feel, just remember, and cast your minds back to League One, no money, crap football and no hope.  Things could be a lot worse! Honest.