Manic Monday

A review of Rangers on Bank holiday monday

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to another edition of Old Castle Rock Podcast. The podcast that talks the Scottish League Leaders, Heart of Midlovian. And I am here tonight. My name is Gabby Kennedy, as you all know, and I am joined by uh Mr. Lovian Buses himself, Andy Dixon. How are you, mate?

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Just anything I've just mentioned in my workplace, but I am good. Um I am good, mate. Um, what's been happening? How are we?

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Oh yeah, so I've obviously absolutely buzzing after uh Monday. Uh battle holiday for the best bag holiday of our lives. Um that's all I have to say about that. So yeah, let's get right into it, eh? Just talk about first of all the team lighter pay. Um obviously, as we know, it was Swallow, Slideweiser, Hellkit, Chesarinas, Leonard, Berry, Kingsley, Taglin, Chesnikov, and Braga. What was your feelings when you first saw the team, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:00

I was a bit I wondered why I wondered why Chesnikov had came in. Like that's the the probably the main thing. I was like, why is he here? Like is it like we we basically were wanting him to do um was it they wanted him to do like a job um like Kabori was meant to do last week? Um was uh and then was it to be 442? Because I didn't think that that 442 was maybe the the way forward, uh to be honest. I didn't think that was probably the way that we should have been uh we should have been doing it, but apart from that, I was I thought it was a bit strange. I might have wanted an extra man in my deal. I thought West Battle maybe probably should have should have started. Um so yeah, um that was my that's what I was thinking. What about yourself?

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Um I was thinking of uh the last game at IVS when he also I'm sure Chessikov started that game, I'm sure. Um and I thought there was a maybe he eventually gonna do a sort of similar job with Leonard and with Field and stuff like that, so I thought it was gonna be setups similar to that sort of game. So I wasn't too overly concerned. My only concern was his last performance, obviously. But face a lot more in a training session, and uh you do have a sense of trust like with McKinnon's in terms of he knows which players he can trust and which he can't. So you were I wasn't generally over concerned, I was nervous, but it wasn't and I mean I did think about maybe having Splittle still there, but for me it's like I always feel like Spittle is he's a great impact player rather than an actually starter 11. Um just how he plays and how like uh like the kind of sets up the parts in the first early stages, he doesn't get us to the third foot over time, and that's what he plays, and I think that's where he struggles a lot of the time when he does start, eh? So I don't know too fussed about that to be fair, Betty.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

Uh yeah, I I get that I think that for me though, just that I think just that extra man in midfield would have certainly helped for me. That's what I would have wanted. I would have wanted them just obviously because Benny and Leonard are quite a defensive pairing. Like they're not the most press, they're not the most attacking minded. So that's probably why I would have I would have thought you know they spitling there uh to sit in front of them and you're not having to watch you wouldn't have had to watch Franklin drop so deep, and it's actually probably what transpired in the first half anyway. Like it sounds like I'm talking out of hindsight, but that's definitely what I would have definitely how I would have went and definitely what I would have wanted because we I thought we started okay. I thought about the first 10 minutes we felt alright, and then I thought we gradually just let Rangers into the game.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

See, I think we played badly like into the first time. I just think we never really got going, and neither did Rangers, because that was the only really chance of a game was that goal, and like to me it was just like it's frustrating to watch because you're obviously wanting to play well against your like your near one of your nearest rivals, but at the same time, it's just still Rangers, eh? You know what I mean? But it's how many times do you do bad stuff and you're behind two devils of the first 50 minutes before you know it? So yeah, um it's worrying, but at the same time, there was there wasn't a sense of panic within the Hearts players. You can see that on the pitch, yeah. You know what I mean? That was just that midfield that was our issue, really, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

Yeah, yeah, I mean that's it. I mean, it was I thought that it was, I thought we backed off from. I thought that we I thought that we obviously I thought we we got a bit frightened once we obviously conceded the goal as well because obviously Chesnikov was he was maybe playing it wide, but uh to me it looked like he was playing the time through the middle, Franklin was dropping in Kevin on the right, and then he said I didn't even notice it wasn't a back three at times. I thought it was a back three that we started, but it wasn't. Um so it was I didn't I wasn't again, I was didn't have too many issues then. We obviously always the goal when I thought that we then panicked a little when we went proper 4-4-2, and I thought that at that point then we let Rangers control the game a bit more with the extra man in midfield, and it was. We were just letting them have the ball, we were letting them double up, we were letting them create or trying to create chances. I didn't think they were very good at creating those chances, they weren't but um and I but I think that we we probably got away with one maybe in the first half a little bit, um in regards to that because I was sitting there sitting there at the game obviously and you're watching it and you're like this is a tough watch. Is this is this is this it done? And it generally was like how many times have we been in I say good form and with the top of the league and Rangers ourselves that come to town and then they beat us, and then you're like, oh no, and it's like has it's just been a case of a protracted version of that where we've got to this point and when the pressure's properly on that we get beat. Um and that's how it felt like generally felt that we were just we were chasing shadows um for a lot of that first half. Um but again, we just probably didn't create too much either.

SPEAKER_00 7:25

Yeah, I mean that's what I was saying, is this like that's why I wasn't really panicking too much. I mean, I was I was annoyed about what I was watching, but at the same time, but one I thought we were really lucky with a go. I mean, from a set piece road which we just could be clear, if we cleared it, it would have been fine. But if it was just such a misheader, uh it gave Skywinder no chance really to defend it, eh? Because uh if a boy controlled it straight away, you know what I mean? So it's just like that's that's that's a straight inside A, but at the end of the day, if these things happen in these games by one small mistake, margin of errors, and all that. And uh yeah, apart from that, they didn't threaten as much. I mean, I can't remember too many chances of having in the first half, to be fair, mate. Um, and like as you're saying about the formation as well, it's like even like BBZ had uh as a 3-4-2-1. Um, when we weren't in possession, it was almost like a 4-4-2 because they just got paid back, eh? And it's like shadows up deep and stuff, you know. So you could easily argue that it was information as well. So and Chesikov again was he just feels like he's like uh playing these type of games, he's just like a mixture of because I think there's a talent in that boy, eh? But I think he needs a bit more time to uh see what he's really about. And he's like it's tough for him to come in like when he did as well, in a position that we're in, and we're under pressure each week in each other. We're still not used to the the players yet because we've had injuries and suspensions tomorrow, so that wouldn't help us settle either, eh?

SPEAKER_01 9:04

But is it yeah, I mean, but is it then does it then come down to the formation that we're playing as well? Does it come down to the way that you the way that we play obviously doesn't suit him because realistically we we like to have that lopsidedness a little? And we like the we have we do obviously we do like that where we'll be focused mostly on the list because you've got Harry Milne and uh Kizzy mostly that are overlapping and underlapping each other um to create on that side and it it probably meets the right side, the right hand side just that we bit more uh muted uh in comparison, but it's not like your old school 4-4-2 where you have two ringers. Um but again, we also don't have the midfield either. You know what I mean? We don't have the the centre midfield the two centre midfielders because the two centre midfielders are um they're too they're too defensive, it's not uh cameron and like a s Salvatore or a belly and a heart or one.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

You see, you give never Leonard a bit of more free reign, as if it were attacking. I think he could weave at one that were miss today. Um I think it's Magnuson.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

I think Magnuson is more like that.

SPEAKER_02 10:24

Yeah, maybe we are, yeah. But he's not here right now, eh? I've just got that.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

So well that's it. Well that's it. So I think that that's for me, that's probably the the issue, and I think that's maybe why we're not getting the maybe the best out of Chesnikov. And I think that we're not gonna get back to the lineup as well. I don't think that he trusts the athleticism of Korjota to give him 90 minutes. And I think that that's probably why he thinks that there's probably more of a there's more work there and more athleticism in Chesnikov, and that's why he gets the the game time because obviously Cheshnikov was nowhere the week before at Easter Road, and then uh obviously Korjota comes on, he creates the goals and then doesn't even go on the park. So but I think that that is down to it's down to his what athleticism and what McInneh thinks is going to work that McInnes is probably gonna get out of over a over the way.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

Because the readers to get either. I think given that we rest the week before was the right thing to do in high flight, you know what I mean? And uh I made him better prepared for the Rangers game, eh? Because you can see he was a lot more like I don't know, like rested, but he was definitely a runny dog more and he was he was going to take shots of the stuff like that, you know. That's always reporting.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

But then I think they just gave him I think they just gave him more space, like as a in the game, because it's full stop, right? So I don't think they were as tight or as tight to him when they were marking. I don't think they were compared to like Hibbs, for example, and most other teams, because when you see it, Kizzy does the same stuff every week, but now it is a case of that they're they're banging two to three players over there and shutting down the space. And then I think we discussed this last week as well. So but what we need to do as a team is that we need to be to be able to work on that and expose that. So when there is two to three men going over to Kizzy is the is to create that space. So I don't think they just did that, they didn't they didn't press him down. I mean, going in for the goal, like going into this if you watch the goal, like Sterling and I can't remember who else it is, but they give him as much feed on as as he wants, if you know what I mean. So they they don't press him, he's got he gets the ball and he gets the time and the sh the time to have the shot and he takes the shot and he's unlucky. And it felt like it felt like when it did find out that um well that's just gonna be one of those goals again, isn't it? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 13:01

Well when the luck's going for you, it does fall for you, like you know what I mean, especially when it hits a post like that. Uh any of our games are the like we wouldn't be scoring from that, eh? But the fact that we were able to capitalise from it and Rangers couldn't deal with it whatsoever, it just shows you the level that we're at at the moment. Um, so it makes a difference when your confidence is higher, and it's like you believe in your yourselves and make these chance if the opportunity comes, eh? That's what a top team does, really, to be fair with you.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Right. That's the well that's the thing as well, is that like so I would where the goal is obviously King Lee's in that he's in the right, the right place at the the right time, and um there's all the arguments that the the Rangers boys switch off, which is fine, they can they can do that as well. But he does he take it well, he does really well with that because how many times do these kind of chances come out and then they snap at it and they bully in it and it's suddenly all over into the the top of the gour game. So um Gary, he definitely needs a credit there, um, in regards to in regards to that. Um and at that point, like it was it felt like chaos, but it felt like we were definitely the only team that we're gonna win.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Yeah, definitely. I mean, if you look at the chances after that as well, we hit one just wide two, and uh like it was all Rangers only came on to the game after we obviously get Shacklin's goal. Um, because that was the point where it was like, well now we just have to defend with what we got because we don't want him to do a ranger's usual and just like score last minute or whatever. We had to dig deep in with seven minutes injury time like was about as well.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Um let's let's let's obviously go back a bit, let's talk Shankon's goal, obviously, because again, once we got the goal, we were we started to obviously press forward and things like he gets down the outside. Um he gets a he gets to cross in, and then by the way, they're not even it's not just Shanklin they've left unmarked in the box. Drag is unmarked as well.

SPEAKER_02 15:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

The two of them are there, and he takes it well, he shows why he shows you why he's the best striker in the league. Um, and it's just at that point, it's an absolute bad one. I don't obviously don't know where you were, uh what it was like up in F, but uh it was everyone was celebrated with each other, mate.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

It was so great. They like photos sat with like for years and stuff like that. We all just hugging each other and shaking our hands and stuff, you know what I mean? Uh don't even be deep you just celebrate with your group, you know what I mean? But everyone was so happy, yeah. That was uh it's just so for over years that we've had like I was like almost years like I was a quite right yet. I think it's gonna come when it happens, if you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

Yeah, if it happens, can we just can we get down here if it happens, right? Uh um but also like just in regards to this. So just in regards to the regards to obviously the as the game's going on, you mentioned the seven minutes, and obviously Steinwinder's head knocked right. Yeah, and to be fair, when also when and and it was a subs because when Changman scores that's his people in front of me, right? Let's get McCart on, let's get Kent on, get other strikers off. That's and that's basically what he did. He started to sub the he started to obviously bring them off. He took Steinwinder off as well. But Steinwinder was excellent. Steinwinder was excellent all day. Um he brings all ten off, he he brings on Kabori now. But to be fair, I didn't think Kabori was that bad. I thought he'd done what he probably needed out on.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

I still don't know why people aim so much. I know he falls over a couple of times in that A, but he worked so hard, hey, when he's running the bottle of that, and you can't call him for effort of anything, like you know what I mean. He was not gonna show you hundreds of goals of the season of that, eh? But he just has something a bit different to your team, and he can like you can throw draw defenders away into traps and stuff like that, eh? And you know what I mean? There is definitely something there, eh? But he's not a finished article, obviously, but I still think it was a decent player very soon.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

And I think it's rawness, isn't it? But he just needs to get the boots sorted, like your boots. Um honestly it does matter. Um so aye, um and obviously we make those subs and then we just that loop and header at the end. Obviously, um because it looks like Slow's got covered and then it just bounces off the bar as it all day.

SPEAKER_02 17:46

Um but but then and then what are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 17:52

But then also at the end, where they have the tangly legs.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

So I mean there was something in it that really worked.

SPEAKER_01 18:04

But beating picks the ball up and like holds it, and I was like, what are you doing? Why are you holding the ball?

SPEAKER_00 18:18

Yeah, it was just a one of those changes that happens. There wasn't any attack, or anything like that, eh? You know, I mean there was never a federal way all day long. Not exactly, but if that was given right.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

But when you when you're when you're up to absolute high 90 and injury time is basically falling one grainy sand at a time, then you're getting you do get yourself worked up and you'd like to yourself, well this is um this is that, like this is this is where they equalize and this is where it just goes all ticks up and and everything else, and then just the absolute relief because I checked my watch and my watch told me my heart rate at full time was up to 130 this time.

SPEAKER_02 19:00

Tell me a bit. Tell me a bit.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

So it doesn't it wouldn't surprise me if I was more because I was a bit like hey, I was like hiding behind the air and point was like hardly watched it, eh? It was just like oh my god. But it's even a leaf happy end, like you say, it was just like everyone was just so like happy, don't hardly anyone left early, like usually, you know what I mean? As well, everyone just wanted to stay and celebrate for a change and not get on the stairs and stuff, right? It was just so good to see, like um it's one of the best atmosphere we've had in a long, long time.

SPEAKER_01 19:38

It was absolutely mate, absolutely. Um but I need to shoot anybody, I will let you preview Motherwell. Okay. Um and I will catch and catch you later.

SPEAKER_00 19:51

Right, bye. Right. So yeah, um, sadly, you're just left to be this week. Um, so basically, as I was just saying there, it was such an emotional night. Uh I haven't felt like that for a good long time at Tiger Castleway. And we've had some like dire seasons on and off, and you know what I mean? We've had like some terrible football to watch under the Capros, even under Robbie, a wee bit towards the end of his like parts tenure and that. And for just to like survive that and win it, it was this magical way, and it was basically one of the best muddy bag holidays of my life, eh? But uh that's just me. So I just a wee quickly before we go, I'll quickly preview Burrow game, like Nico says. So obviously, for Bark on a Saturday night with another glorious 8pm kickoff for my favourites, as everyone else knows on this podcast. Uh, but is what it is. Just gonna make the most of it. I'll be going, be wearing everything maroon like the ultrasound. And I hope you do too. Um so as for the team, well, I don't think there's been any more injury updates or anything like that. So I would probably just uh keep Spittle in the team and decide obviously drop Chesnowskis and then switch because he back to the left and maybe go 4-4-2 with a potential of a 4-2-2, so maybe a 4-2-3-1 possible type formation. I would like Cabori to be in at some point, obviously, as I just said, but not as a starter. Um I'm quite happy with the way the team played um as a whole. And I don't suspect there'd be many changes apart from obviously Chest Elskins there's not been any suspensions or anything like that either. So yeah, I'm quite happy with that for the team. Say it's gonna be a tough game because Momwell um we haven't been the best form of late, despite the fact that we beat Rangers, uh, because again they obviously lost again, so it's probably our best chance to get a result up for park at long last because we've been struggling to even score a go at Fur Park recently, the last couple of games, and it's been absolute murder to uh watch at times because we just nullify each other out because in sense we actually play quite similar ways when it comes to our attacking, which is why games at Tynecastle are so quite open, um, as you've seen by the last two games at Tynecastle. So it's gonna be an interesting game, right? Um it's I would still see a hearts win, and I'm gonna go Marvel Hearts 2. So that's my predictions for um Saturday. If you'd like to let us know what you think as well, that'd be great. And yeah, I think I'll just leave it at that, to be honest, uh, just because it's myself and I don't want you to hear me talking all night. But I just thought I'd put some of it in for us uh since it's gonna be another massive uh game on uh Saturday. And obviously, we'll have one eye on the old firm game on Sunday as well. So, yes, I don't care if uh Regis died, I still call the old firm. So aye, um that's pretty much it from me. Um, so hopefully you have a good Saturday. If you're on my bus, I'll see you then. As always, uh thanks for listening. Uh, we catch us on all the stream sites on uh X on Discord, I think it's called, and on Spotify as well. Uh for the uh to listen to us. Uh we've also got a weird Facebook group if you want to join us. You're more welcome to please as well, give us as much feedback as you like. We're big guys, we can handle it. I get caught a lot worse, I'm sure. Um also as well, we do a lot of things for mental health at the moment. Uh so basically we just try to encourage any anyone, whether you're male, female, child, adult, if you're struggling and need to talk to someone, do it. Don't just bottle up. That's the worst thing you can do. Uh find someone you can talk to, even if it's a stranger, open up to them if you have to. I'm sure they'll listen. If you really need someone to talk to, there's always someone there. Our messages are always open as well if you know us. Uh, if you haven't heard from a friend from a long time, why not give him a message? Don't be like, oh, you haven't messaged me, so why not message them? Don't do that because you don't know what people are going through. And if they're good friends like you think, then they will respond to you, you know what I mean? So you never know, it might just uh save someone. So, yeah, thanks a lot, guys, and uh we will catch you next week, and um, I'm sure it will be an emotional one, that's for sure. So, anyway, pass eyes and uh speak to you soon. Cheers,