Helander Heads Home for the Champions

WDTCR was covering Sunday's OF game for FollowFollow.com so our match report was posted on Follow Follow after the game. If you didn't catch it on FF you can read it here:

Rangers gave a dominant display in the first Old Firm game of the season to extend their unbeaten run in the fixture to seven games. In what was by some distance their best performance of this season so far Rangers go into the international break on a high following a victory against their rivals and a fourth consecutive qualification for the Europa League.

Following further disruption due to Co-Vid Rangers were forced to play Leon Balogun at right back leaving them with no recognised defenders on the bench and missing a number of 1st team players, including in-form Scott Wright, club captain James Tavernier and both 1st and 2nd choice goalkeepers Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin.

The game kicked off in a tumultus atmosphere which seemed even more boisterous than normal. Perhaps it was due to the fact that this was the first Old Firm fixture to be played in front of supporters for 18 months, or maybe it was more to do with the fact that the Ibrox crowd wished to remind their rivals loudly and explicitly that they were Champions again.

The first twenty minutes of the game was played at the usual frenetic pace of this fixture without either team creating any clear cut chances. However with just over a quarter of the match gone it was the opposition who had an opportunity to open the scoring. Eduoard reacted well to a cross from the right and from only 6 yards out he managed to pass the ball past the right hand post. It was a let off for Rangers and a reminder that the opposition still carried a threat.

As the game ebbed and flowed Rangers began to find their stride and with 32 minutes gone Roofe broke down the right and found Kent on the edge of the box. He curled a right foot shot from the edge of the box which hit Hart’s far post. The volume in Ibrox was turned up once more as the home crowd sensed that the Champions were beginning to find their place in the game but there was to be no breakthrough before half time.

Following the break Rangers began to further impose themselves on the game, pressing Celtic higher up the pitch and forcing the visitors to go long from Ralston and new signing Juranovic. These balls were dealt with comfortably by the Rangers back four with and the midfield three of Kamara, Davis and Aribo picked up any loose balls and recycled possession quickly allowing Rangers to build up a period of pressure.

Despite their possession and pressure Rangers were yet to really test Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart. This changed on 65 minutes following good work from Morelos who won a free kick 10 yards from the right hand side of the opposition box. Barasic delivered an inswinging ball to the back post where a looping header from Goldson was clawed away by Hart. A minute later and Hart could do nothing as another delightful delivery, this time from a corner, found the head of Filip Helander who towered above the Celtic defence to head the ball into the net.

Ibrox erupted with a deafening noise and bedlam broke out in the stands. The goal was a deserved reward for Rangers play in the second half and showed once again the threat that the Gers carry from set pieces. There was now pandemonium inside Ibrox with all four sides of the ground participating in the ‘bouncy’ whilst the noise level just kept rising. At one point Connor Goldson was seen having to whisper into Leon Balogun’s ear in order to be heard such was the din inside the stadium.

Despite Rangers dominance in the second half they only had one goal as reward and with six minutes remaining in form Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi found himself one on one with Rangers third choice goalkeeper Robbie McCrorie. McCrorie stood tall and saved expertly from the Japanese striker to ensure Rangers lead remained intact. It was a save Allan McGregor himself would have been proud of and will have given young McCroie enormous confidence as he looks to continue his development.

As the clock ticked towards the end of the match Celtic continued to push for the equaliser but there was a belief and confidence in the Rangers players that they would see the game over the line and get the result that their performance merited. When the final whistle came it was greeted with an enormous roar of celebration from the stands whilst there was a public display of emotion from captain for the day Connor Goldson as he turned to the Broomloan Road end and saluted the fans in victory.

As the 1st bars of ‘I’m feeling It’ bounced around the stadium the fans soaked in every moment as they saluted the players and the coaching staff who have endured a difficult week but who ensured with today’s victory that they end the week on an enormous high.

RangersMcCrorie, Helander, Goldson, Davis, Kent (Arfield 89), Aribo, Kamara, Morelos (Sakala 84), Roofe (Lundstram 74), Balogun, Barasic
Attendance 49,402

Gers give dominant display in Dingwall

Rangers were utterly dominant in Dingwall this afternoon as they defeated Ross County 4-2 at Victoria Park. Following their Europa League qualifier on Thursday night Steven Gerrard had demanded his team 'wake up' and it was clear from the 1st minute that his players had listened to him as there was a tempo and pace to Rangers play which had been lacking so far this season. Alfredo Morelos was linking well with Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi, whilst Calvin Bassey, retaining his place at left back, offered an useful attacking outlet. 

After a positive opening from the light blues there was no surprise that they made the breakthrough with less than 15 minutes of the match gone.  Great hold up play from Morelos, saw Joe Aribo pick the ball up just inside the left hand side of the box. He cut inside onto his left foot and then unleashed a wonderful dipping, curling strike which flew into the top corner of the net, leaving Laidlaw the County goalkeeper with no

chance.

Five minutes later and Rangers were 2-0 up. The build up play was patient and probing as Davis and Aribo worked the ball wide to Tavernier whose ball into the box was turned behind for a corner. Tavernier himself took the corner playing a deep ball into the box where Connor Goldson rose magnificently with a towering header into the corner of net. Rangers were rampant and were very nearly 3-0 up 3 minutes later when Davis picked out Hagi whose right foot shot was pushed onto the post by Laidlaw.

With just over half an hour played Rangers were two goals in front, had forced 10 corners and were in complete control of the game. Yet following a late challenge from Aribo which saw him earn a deserved booking, Rangers lost an edge to their play and on 39 minutes Ross County were given a lifeline. A free kick from an innocuous position was not dealt with and when the ball was played back into the box McGregor made an outstanding save only then to see the rebound drop to Arsenal loanee Harry Clarke who finished well. 

The halftime scoreline did not reflect Rangers first half dominance and early into the second half Rangers scored again allowing the scoreline to more accurately reflect their dominance. Bassey played in Kent on the left and his cross broke kindly to Kamara. The Finn showed enormous calmness as he stroked the ball to Morelos who sent a low left footed shot into the corner. It was a deceivingly good finish from Morelos but questions will be asked of Laidlaw the County goalkeeper.

With Rangers in the ascending chances continued to be created and squandered with the best falling to Tavernier who was put through by Aribo before clipping the ball over both the goalkeeper and the bar. Inexplicably with fifteen minutes left County were once again thrown a life raft when Calvin Bassey was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box. The ball was dispatched by White and somehow County had scored two goals in the game.

If there was any doubt creeping into the Bears minds that they wouldn't leave the Highlands with the 3 points these were firmly dispelled on 83 minutes when Scott Arfield finished an excellent move, started by an impressive press and tackle from John Lundstram. A cut back from Tavernier fell to Arfield who placed the ball into the corner and as he saluted the fans they knew the 3 points were safe.

It was a much improved performance from Rangers today which showed signs of last season's juggernaut starting to come back to life. Their was intensity in the teams passing, a willingness to be brave and decision making, on the whole was much better. Aribo was outstanding, not only with his goal but his overall play which was a complete midfield performance of incisive passing, committed tacking and linking of the play between defence and attack. 

He was helped in the middle of the park in no small way by Glen Kamara whio highlighted today, once again the important role he plays in our team. He controls much of our tempo and drive and nearly everything that is good in the team goes through Kamara. Bassey did well again at left back, although will be disappointed to have given the penalty away. Goldson and Tavernier looked to have played themselves back into form although the jury remains out on Ryan Kent. It was a much better performance from him today, but given the low bar so far this season, it's fair to say we are still to see the best of him. Had Scott Wright been fit today it would have been interesting to see if Kent had started.  

Defensively there has to be concerns that Ross County were twice allowed to get footholds back in the game due to a lack of concentration in defensive situations. Whilst it's unrealistic to expect to reach the levels of last season in terms of goals conceded it's clear that better teams than Ross County will definitely feel more confident about scoring against us than they did previously.

With two games remaining in August we must now aim to finish the month on a high with two victories. Doing so will set down a marker for the rest of the season and remind everyone why we are Champions.

McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey, Davis, Kamara, (Lundstram 74)  Aribo, (Roofe 83) Hagi (Arfield 78), Morelos, Kent 

WDTCR

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Gerrard gets it Wright after Lundstram error

Throughout his tenure as manger of Rangers Steven Gerrard has often been criticized on his use of substitutes. Supporters are often demanding he makes changes quicker than he does. In tonight's Europa League Qualifying Round tie against Armenian champions Alashkert he made the decision to substitute Ryan Kent for Scott Wright at half time.  With the score at 0-0 and Rangers down to ten men following John Lundstram's sending off in 43 minutes it was a massive call. 

In the opening minute of the second half Scott Wright burst through the inside right channel and flashed a ball across the box which Ianis Hagi was close to turning into the the net. Ibrox rose as one and the whole atmosphere inside the stadium changed. This statement of intent from Wright was pivotal in changing Rangers approach to this vital game and justified Gerrard's call.

The first half had seen another passive performance from the Champions which lacked urgency and creativity. The best chance of the half fell to Ryan Kent who clipped the crossbar from 12 yards after being played in by Hagi. Kent should have scored and it was clear after the chance had passed that his confidence had taken a further knock when he over hit a simple pass to Morelos.

There were some bright sparks for Rangers in a rather insipid 45 minutes with Calvin Bassey justifying his selection ahead of Borna Barasic with a number of quality crosses from the left. Ianis Hagi was trying his best to create for Rangers with the young Romanian always looking to play forward when receiving the ball. Beside him in the middle of the park John Lundstram looked to be struggling to get up with the pace of the game and after 33 minutes was booked for pulling back the Alashkert full back.

Ten minutes later and Lundstram was dejectedly leaving the park having been sent off following a 2nd yellow card. Lundstram can have no complaints as he once again pulled back his opponent having been second to the ball. The fact the opposition player was still in his own half and cover was being provided by his team mates made Lundstram's rash decision even more galling.

With many Rangers supporters expecting to see the team from the far eastern reaches of Europe swept aside  the crowd could have been vocal with their disappointment of how the team had approached the game in the first half. Instead the introduction of Wright got them on their feet and had them playing as the replacement for Lundtstram. 

On the hour mark Rangers played their best football of the match so far with some slick interplay between Davis, Wright and Hagi on the right hand side. Hagi delivered an inch perfect cross to Morelos but the Colombian headed wide when he should have scored. El Buffalo was starting to have much more effect on the game, helped by having Wright playing closer to him and on 66 minutes he broke the deadlock. 

James Tavenier, who had a quiet but effective game, played a ball in behind the Alashkert defence for Morelos to run onto. Whilst the Alashkert defence looked to the linesman hoping to see him raise his flag Morelos steadied himself before striking the ball through the goalkeepers legs and into the net. Ibrox erupted and more than one Scouser breathed a sigh of relief. Rangers continued to dominate the remainder of the game without troubling the opposition goalkeeper although Connor Goldson will feel he should have done better with a header from a corner on 80 minutes. 

Rangers got the job done tonight, eventually, and although it's only half time in the tie they can go to Armenia with confidence that they can finish the job. Alashkert offered little in terms of attacking prowess and will need to play more offensively in the second leg which should allow Rangers to deploy a counter attacking game that has been used with devastating effect in previous European games.

Steven Gerrard will have much to discuss with his coaching staff following this game but that will include positives. Calvin Bassey more than justified his selection at left back and their is now genuine competition for that position in the team. In addition two players who last year may not have been guaranteed to be in the first XI, Hagi and Aribo, showed enormous desire and commitment tonight and look desperate to hold onto the jersey they are wearing. 

Gerrard will also have to decide whether it's time to give Ryan Kent some extended time on the substitutes bench. Scott Wright's pace and directness in the second half gave Rangers something they were lacking in the first half. These are qualities we would normally associate with Kent but it's clear that he is currently out of form and may indeed benefit from some time out from the ire of impatient fans.

Rangers remain in command of the tie and whilst they would have preferred to travel into the second leg next Thursday with a more comfortable lead a fourth successive year in the Europa League remains a distinct possibility.  

McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Bassey, Davis, Lundstram, Aribo (Arfield 81), Hagi (Kelly 90+5), Morelos (Itten 83), Kent (Wright 45)

WDTCR

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Homecoming Horror Show

What should have been a triumphant homecoming for us on Tuesday night turned into a horror movie as we suffered a devastating 2-1 defeat to Swedish Champions Malmo. And what made this particulary gruesome viewing was the fact that it came less than 72 hours after a 1-0 defeat to Dundee United.

Rangers have played four games this season and lost three of them. Last season we only lost three games all season across four competitions. In the four games played we have conceded 5 goals, including against Malmo, on two occassions, two goals in quick succession. Depsite scoring five goals in the five games played we appear to lack a sharpness and directness in the attacking third. Collectively the squad is currently nowhere near the level it reached during last season's momentous title win. 

It is hard to pinpoint exactly what is the cause of this exceptionally poor start to the season, and perhaps there are several contributing factors, but the most striking is the fact that the starting XI in the 2nd leg vs Malmo did not feature any new signings. John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala who both came arrived at the start of the new season made the bench but Steven Gerrard didn't trust either to start in what was a must win game.

The signing of John Lundstram was heralded by many as good business, particualry as no fee was involved, but his performances so far have failed to impress. Due to the suspension of Glen Kamara and the longstanding injury problems of Ryan Jack our midfield options were once again limited which highlighted the lack of depth we have in this area. It's too early to make full judgement on Lundstram but it's clear that he will need time to get up to the level of performance required to be a first team regular.

After several seasons of success in Europa League qualifying Steven Gerrard and the board have underestimated the step up in quality that would be required in qualifying for the Champions League. Results in the Europa league over the last couple of seasons, defeating Porto, Antwerp, Legia Warsaw to highlight just some, have rightly been celebrated and praised. However the Champions League, even at the qualifying stage, is at a level beyond that of the Europa League and we learned this the hard way on Tuesday.

Perhaps what will concern Steven Gerrard and his backroom team most is that the tie aganist Malmo was decided as a result of defensive frailities in the Rangers side rather than because of moments of quality from the opposition. Which brings the decision by Steven Gerrard to drop Filip Helander for Leon Balogun in Tuesday's night game under greater scrutiny. 

Helander reads the game expertly and positionally is excellent. Balogun is regarded to have more pace than Helander, although that is possibly a little harsh on Helande,r and is regarded as the better option for when Rangers are expected to have more possession in the back line. Dropping Helander on Tuesday night was a big call, particularly when Balogun hadn't started a competitive game this season, and this lack of match readiness was exposed in the 2nd Malmo goal. Balogun was too tight to Kolak as the ball came to the Malmo striker, allowing him to turn Balogun easily before slotting his shot past McGregor.

Alongisde Balogun on Tuesday night was Connor Goldson who appears to be distracted by the ongoing saga of his contract talks. Goldson was the corner stone of the defence in which last seasons title was built but his performances this season have not been up to the same standard. It's clear that the ongoing contract situation is affecting his performance and the situation needs to be rectifed as soon as possible.

As much as errors in our defensive play were a major part in our defeat on Tuesday so to was the lack of creativity in forward areas. Alarm bells had already been sounded in this area following Saturday's defeat at Tannadice and they appeared to go unheeded. Ryan Kent refused to engage his opponent and too often scampered down blind alleys, Scott Wright showed glimpses of what he could do but he faded quickly. Joe Aribo looked almost unplayable in the first 20 minutes of the game aganist Malmo before retreating into his shell for most of the second half. The only bright spark was Alfredo Morelos who led the line superbly and once again got his name on the scoresheet. 

Tuesday night was dissapointing and felt like a major step backwards for the club. Before the tie Ally McCoist had talked about our journey being complete once the Champions League theme tune was heard again at Ibrox. The wait for the iconic anthem will have to wait for one more season, but in the cold light of day this season could still offer much. 

Friday night will see us start the first of our domestic cup campaigns with a home fixture aganist Dunfermline Athletic. Our record in both the League Cup and Scottish Cup has been extremley poor in the last few seasons (one final in the last 5 years) and it is important that changes this year. Rangers as a club are built on success and winning trophies. In interviews following our title win last season Gerrard talked about how he was hungry for more success. Friday night gives the players the chance to demonstrate that, despite what happend on Tuesday, they also have the hunger and desire to win more trophies. 

WDTCR

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Ibrox, baby!

The importance of Steven Davis’ 95th minute goal on Tuesday will possibly not be fully realised until much later in our season but at the time it felt, and indeed was, a massive goal.  Goals change games but this goal didn’t really change the game, in fact it was literally the last kick of the game, but it did have a massive impact on the tie.  Staring at a 2-0 defeat from Malmo in our Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round 1st leg, our Ulster midfield general struck a 20 yarder into the back of the net and turned a defeat into what, somehow, felt like a victory.

Once the euphoria of Davis’ goal subsided the realisation of what is required in the second leg became clear. We will need to beat the Swedish champions by at least 1 goal to force extra time and 2 to win the tie. Yet there was nothing in what we witnessed on Tuesday to suggest that kind of result is beyond this Rangers team.  There was an inexplicable five minutes at the start of the second half where we allowed the Swedes to score two goals but apart from that I felt we were comfortable in the game.  

It was clear that we lacked some match sharpness and there was no doubt that some of the starting 11 gave some questionable performances. Lundstram looked a little off the pace and Scott Arfield struggled to impose himself on the opposition.  The front three of Kent, Wright and Itten played well but were let down by poor decision making. This is to be expected in only our second competitive fixture of the season and we should remember that the Swedes are already into double figures of games played in their domestic season. 

With that last second goal in Sweden we now have the momentum in the tie, and this has only increased with the news, that finally, Ibrox will be back to full capacity on Tuesday night. There is no doubt that the atmosphere inside Ibrox on Tuesday night will be highly charged, and full of emotion. For many, myself included, it will be the first time we have been back to Ibrox since pre Co-Vid and I don’t doubt that there will be more than a few tears shed when the teams emerge into a cauldron of noise at 8:00 pm. 

Prior to Tuesday night we have our second league fixture and travel to Tannandice to play Dundee United. As reigning champions, we should not fear fixtures such as this anymore, however we should ensure we respect our opponents. If we are professional and approach the game in the right manner, particularly the tempo that we start the game with, we should win this fixture comfortably giving us time to prepare ourselves physically and mentally for Tuesday nights challenge. 

It’s shaping up to be another massive week for Rangers football club and we should relish the challenges put in front of us. This club was built to embrace challenge and I fully expect us to overcome the two we face in the coming days. 

WDTCR

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Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

For those of us who endured our game against Livingston on Sunday there will have most definitely been a feeling of Deja vu. What unfolded in front of us on was nothing new as we watched Rangers struggle to break down a team intent on stopping us playing and with no desire to try and win the game for themselves. It is something we have encountered on numerous occasions in the last couple of seasons and perhaps most worryingly, we appear to be no closer to finding a solution to the problem.

The result on Sunday itself is not disastrous, particularly at this stage of the season, but the manner of how the points were dropped does allow the Rangers support to ask legitimate questions of our manager and his coaching staff. On Sunday Livingston set up with effectively a 6-3-1 formation and invited Rangers to find, or create, a gap in their defensive wall.  

This is not a new problem facing Steven Gerrard and the coaching team but not for the first time under their stewardship Rangers failed to find a way to break down the block. There was a lack of tempo and urgency from the team to get the important first goal, too many players took the safe option, and there was a general lack of creativity. On the very few occasions that did we manage to create an opportunity we were not clinical in front of goal. Alarmingly these same problems have littered previous games where teams ‘sit in’ and try and stop us playing and it is the failure to address these problems that supporters have vented their frustrations at.  

Supporters are, understandably, questioning both the tactics and the players deployed in these games.  Rangers employed their usual 4-3-3 formation against Livingston despite the fact it has proved unsuccessful in previous fixtures where teams sit in and stifle the Rangers side. Sunday also saw two holding players deployed in central midfield despite the opposition providing little attacking intent or threat. The predictability of Rangers style and the lack of surprise in both formation and personnel has been discussed on this blog before. Why, if we know that a team is going to sit do we not play two strikers? Why do we feel the need to play two holding midfielders?  

The blame for Sunday's performance cannot lay squarely at the foot of the manager though. He was once again let down by some of his players. The midfield three of Hagi, Jack and Kamara were poor throughout the game with only Kamara producing a credible performance. Hagi did not show anything like the kind of performance that we know he is capable of and it's fair to say his start to the season has been rather subdued. Ryan Jack looks a shadow of the player he was at the start of 2020 and there must be a marked improvement in his performances in the coming weeks to justify his position in the team. Alfredo Morelos once again looked out of sorts which was disappointing after a much-improved performance against St Mirren in midweek. The transfer saga surrounding him is in danger of clouding his relationship with the supporters and it would appear a resolution needs to be found to the situation before we see Morelos return to the kind of form we know he is capable of. 

Despite the dropped points on Sunday it is still a solid start to the season for Rangers. We have yet to concede a goal in the league and for the 1st time in several years it would appear Alan McGregor has real competition for the No1. jersey. Jon McLaughlin looks like an excellent signing and giving McGregor some genuine competition has been long overdue. Borna Barasic continues to excel and only an outstanding save stopped him from scoring another wonderful free kick on Sunday, Ryan Kent has also started the season strongly and despite his miss near the end of the game against Livingston was once again one of our better players.  

The players and management team have a rare free midweek and we can only hope they use it wisely as they prepare for the visit of Kilmarnock on Saturday. Whilst Sunday was undoubtedly a poor performance and ultimately a disappointing result, three points at home to Kilmarnock will set us back on track. We must remember that the league season is a marathon not a sprint and there will be many more twists and turns before the end of the season. If we were to look back at any title winning season, there will always be occasions when points are dropped. Currently we sit top of the league and can cement this position with a victory on Saturday at Ibrox. 

WDTCR 

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