First off I won’t be commenting on the Big Tax Case on here. My brain can’t cope with all the legal and financial issues that surround that particular saga and I think it’s all being rehashed elsewhere if that’s your bag.

Plus there’s so much disarray on the pitch to discuss.

In the twenty-eight years I’ve followed Scottish football I cannot think of a more embarrassing European result than the one Rangers had last night.

Losing to any team in Luxembourg, never mind the fourth best team in Luxembourg, should always be unacceptable to a Scottish side that qualifies for any European competition. Well done Progres Niederkorn they did well enough over the two legs and deserve to celebrate their win for a long time!

But ultimately they should have been dispatched and with relative ease.

Rangers fans went six years without European nights and then had to endure utter dross in just six days and suffer from a humiliating exit.

It is all very well for manager Pedro Caixinha to come out and tell Rangers TV that he takes on the responsibility that comes with this defeat:

“We need to apologise to our fans because they gave us support and loyalty, they don’t deserve this,” 

“I assume all the responsibility.”

But the fact is that no Gers boss should have allowed this to happen.

His preparation was obviously poor, his team selections were odd and their was nothing on the pitch that resembled a game plan!

The players looked confused, drained, void of any imagination or urgency and showed no heart. Pedro’s right that buck stops with him.

You could see the look of utter disbelief in Jordan Rossiter’s face in his post-match interview he was stunned and ashamed. Every Gers player better have the same emotions in them today.

Caixinha is quickly morphing into another Paul Le Guen type, a gaffer who doesn’t grasp the magnitude of the job in hand. The Frenchman could get performances in Europe so he has that one advantage over Caixinha.

To be fair to Pedro, his signings seem to solve a few of the problems that existed from the previous regime but at least Mark Warburton had one game-plan he would stick to (stubbornly) Pedro seems to have no game plan at all! You could see that in the two legs against Progres and the two Old Firm matches he took charge of last season.

The appointment of Jonatan Johansson looks increasingly bewildering to. Does he offer a different voice in the dressing room? Does he really have the passion to convey what it’s like to play for Rangers? I’m not so sure.

Caixinha also needs to learn to keep quiet and concentrate on getting things right on the pitch and on the training field. These constant soundbites he gives pandering to the fans aren’t washing when they then have to watch turgid football on the park.

The Rangers board need to do the same and show more ambition.

The scouting network still seems non-existent and while gloating about merchandise deals is all very good the structure of the club still gives many cause for concern. They have no friendlies lined-up which is another embarrassment. Even if they were ‘sure’ they progress in Europe (pardon the pun) they should have had sterner test in the form of preseason friendlies. plus they should have had at least one (in front of the public) before their first leg against Progres.

Why did it take so long to get in a director of football (DOF)? It was meant to happen at the same time as Pedro’s appointment, thus allowing both the new manager and DOF time to plan for this coming season. Now Mark Allen is trying to catch up and has arrived in the middle of a huge shit storm!

It has been amateur hour for far too long at Ibrox. So much so that they are even getting pumped off amateur sides.

The board, manager and players need to up their game now or face calls for their collective heads!

Forget Celtic, Aberdeen look just as capable as they were last season, Hearts have a decent signing in Kyle Lafferty and His will be no push overs with Neil Lennon in charge. Rangers are in danger of a calamitous campaign if someone doesn’t get stuck into that club and kick quite a few arses!

 

Posted on July 5th, 2017 by scott
Filed under: Article