Rangers once again sank without a trace against Celtic yesterday in the Scottish Cup semi final stage at Hampden Park.

After a few promising performances against their Glaswegian neighbours, The Gers side once again looked like a team lost and not ready for the occasion. They again resembled a side flung together by Mark Warburton or Pedro Caixinha that couldn’t get a glove on Brendan Rodgers’ men.

The Ibrox club seem to be in free-fall and it doesn’t look like they can stop the decline between now and the end of the season. They have problems that stem from the boardroom and that splinter all the way down into the first team dressing room.

Rangers again seem to lack leadership, ambition and a desire to improve and prove themselves when it matters.

Obviously the interim manager and the players deserve a vast amount of criticism for what happened at Scotland’s national stadium.

Boss Graeme Murty got his tactics woefully wrong from the get-go. The players didn’t seem interested in pressing their opponents or getting in their faces, a tactic that has served them well in the recent past. Those playing in light blue couldn’t find a pass to one another, couldn’t get a tackle in and seemed scared of the opposition. Celtic captain Scott Brown could have smoked a cigar during the entire game and still not missed a step, it was that easy for him and his teammates.

Now I’m not doubting that Celtic are technically superior at the moment, because they definitely are, but Rangers have shown in the past with some passion and commitment you can at least rattle them. They didn’t show any of those positive qualities yesterday and The Hoops steamrollered past them without any fuss.

Some Gers players like Andy Halliday and Russell Martin aren’t good enough to play in such games and have done very little to make me think otherwise. Others still have question marks over their heads too.

The form since the last Old Firm defeat and this one suggests once and for all that Murty isn’t up to the task. I believe he deserves credit for steadying the ship (for a while at least) and getting Gers up to second place but in the bigger games he’s been found wanting.

He hasn’t been helped by the club’s hierarchy.

For chairman Dave King to come out before such an important tie and discuss ‘the best appointment’ for next season was reckless to say the least. He basically dismissed Murty’s chances and gave the impression that the club were already looking beyond this season. That’s the worst possible message to put out there before the biggest game of your season. It essentially puts the players onto holiday mode and undermines Graeme Murty’s task in hand.

Plus let’s look at some of his statement. he says:

“It is a priority that we commence next season with the best appointment we can make and that we move forward rapidly.”

Well Mr King didn’t think it necessary to get involved in the Pedro Caixinha appointment, so why is this more of a priority? He should’ve got his hands dirty from the start.

Move forward rapidly? They haven’t had a full time manager since Pedro left in October. Why has it taken so long and what evidence is there that things are afoot now?

They moved for Aberdeen gaffer Derek McInnes and they were suitably rebuffed, since then they’ve been silent and far from transparent. They wait for the biggest of weeks to come out and say that changes are needed but without telling us a timescale.

Outside investment in the club seems to be non existent too. The Govan side need to find new revenue streams if they want to try and close the gap between themselves and Celtic, both on the park and in the bank books.

Had previous Rangers regimes acted in the same manner then people like King would be calling for their heads. Once again I suggest to King that actions speak louder than statements and to get things sorted.

If he’s not up to the task, then look for a viable successor who can take the club forward and stop that sinking feeling.

Posted on April 16th, 2018 by scott
Filed under: Article