Rangers in dire straits

Somehow, the bookies had Rangers as favourites, but I do not know why. Everybody knew exactly how Hearts would line up and that continuity is breeding confidence. Rangers, on the other hand, sprung a surprise when they decided to start in a 3-5-2 formation. Perhaps McLeish was thinking ahead to Wednesday’s Champions League game against Internazionale and if it had worked at Tynecastle it may have been deployed in the San Siro. But it didn’t work.

I’ve never seen a man sprint off the pitch as quickly as Julien Rodriguez did when he was substituted after 35 minutes. That, to me, showed he was fit and that it was the manager who had taken him off. I was substituted through my career, but not after half an hour. Rodriguez should be questioning why he is the makeweight when things are going wrong. McLeish talked only last week about Rodriguez being a great defender, but admitted he is not comfortable aerially. He’s a centre half, for heaven’s sake. Last week against Kilmarnock, Rangers defended crosses poorly and almost lost goals from them. Hearts, and others, have noticed this and are playing on it.

Whatever formation is put out by a club like Rangers, the players should be performing a lot better for their manager. He just cannot find his best formula. Roman Bednar’s goal was a result of chaotic defending and it is now time for McLeish to choose his best central defensive pairing and stick with it. Who that is, probably even Alex doesn’t know. I’ve not seen enough of Jose-Karl Pierre-Fanfan to be able to pass judgment, while Rodriguez is less than convincing, which leaves Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Marvin Andrews, who served them well last season although Rangers will be tested at a higher level this year.

The most frustrated man at Ibrox is Barry Ferguson. Performances like that are dragging him down and to be brutally honest he has players around him that are not of his quality. I genuinely do not know what Hamed Namouchi brings to the party, while Peter Lovenkrands and Thomas Buffel have hardly staked a claim for a regular spot. Ferguson needs players who will make a move for him and help him.

Currently, Dado Prso is the man doing that, but he should be getting on the end of crosses, not swinging them in. That’s a result of there being so little width in the Rangers team, and Ferguson’s frustration is pretty clear. Moreover, one or two of the Rangers players look happy just to be there. These guys have got to start taking responsibility. Also, Rangers have more than one problem position which just adds to the muddle.

Up front they lack punch, and Francis Jeffers is horribly short of both confidence and games. Having fallen from the dizzying heights of an £8m move from Everton to Arsenal in 2001, he has found quickly that there will be no easier ride for him in Glasgow. It’s not like the Rangers and Celtic teams of a few years ago where they would pummel SPL opponents and a striker would get half a dozen chances per game.

Hearts are one of the most physical sides in the league and Rangers withered due to a lack of confidence, a lack of passion. Domestically, they are going to have to go on a winning run similar to that of Hearts so that when George Burley’s side hit a bad spell, they are in a position to make it count. At the moment, I don’t see them being capable of that.

There wasn’t much between the teams yesterday, but there will be an evident gulf in class against Inter. Rangers were a bit fortunate against Porto and they are going to have to get the rub of the green again. McLeish needs the Champions League to go well because he is getting pelters for the domestic form.

If you’re looking for respite, though, you won’t find it in the Champions League and with Celtic waiting in the CIS Cup quarter-finals, there is no game coming easy for them and everything is a struggle. You get periods like that and only the toughest pull through. It is time for the players at Rangers to show their strength of character.

Taken from timesonline.co.uk