Night of missed opportunities for Rangers
How many chances went a-begging?
Well, we thought Rangers had it in them to get a point against Valencia but we never thought the game would pan out in the manner it did. The look on some of the Rangers players faces as they left the pitch at the end of the 1-1 draw said it all. A point against Valencia is a great achievement but it really could have been so much more.
After a slow start with the Spanish side doing most of the pressing, Rangers had an electric few minutes with both Steven Naismith and Kenny Miller getting through on goal but much more was to come for the home side. Vladimir Weiss swung in a corner and Maurice Edu leapt above a slow moving Valencia goalkeeper to nod the ball home. The American internationalist took a knock for his troubles but few in Ibrox were overly concerned.
Not that those in stadium would have cared but it was hard to differentiate between this goal and the one that Celtic’s Marc Antoine Fortune had chopped off against Rangers in January. Edu’s goal may make some Rangers fans revisit their opinion of that goal because it certainly got the home fans rocking when it mattered tonight.
Things almost got better for Rangers before half-time when Edu struck from outside the box only for the ball to fire off the post. The rebound fell kindly to Kenny Miller but the striker inexplicably stuck the ball over the bar, although the onrushing Valencia defender may have put the Scottish striker off his stride.
A 1-0 lead at half-time was a tremendous achievement for Rangers but even then, there was a feeling that those misses may come back to haunt Rangers.
This feeling came true within one minute of the second half when a free kick in front of the Govan Stand was swung into the Rangers box. Maurice Edu spun a header beyond the despairing dive of Alan McGregor and everything was all square.
For a five minute spell the Spanish looked as though they could take control of the game but again, Rangers grabbed hold of the ball and started making chances in behind the Valencia backline. With Naismith and Miller moving in front of the backline, the space for the runs of Madjid Bougherra started getting bigger and bigger and it looked as though Rangers could grab all three points.
The biggest chance of the night and possibly of the player’s career fell to Richie Foster. With the goal gaping, the surprise selection in Walter Smith’s side lifted the ball over the ball and with it, Rangers best chance of grabbing all three points.
Things could have ended worse for Rangers when Maurice Edu played a slack back pass which nearly gifted the Spanish all three points but Alan McGregor was up to the task and Rangers weren’t robbed of everything they worked so hard for.
As we’ve said, its one of those strange nights in football. Prior to kick-off, Rangers fans would have been delighted with a point against Valencia but post-game, you can understand why there was a slightly flat feeling amongst the Rangers support.
There were some outstanding performances from Rangers on a big night that firmly keeps the team in the hunt for a Champions League knock-out place. The next game against Valencia in Spain will give a greater indication of how the league is shaping up but for now, Rangers need to take credit from their performance.
Will Rangers get a better chance to grab a big name scalp?
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And we get the feeling as the night continues into tomorrow, more Rangers chances will come to mind.
What about Papac’s free-kick that just skimmed over the bar? That was a tremendous strike and very unlucky.
At the end of the night we should have been three or four up, but unfortunately we did take our chances
Rangers really deserved more than a draw, there won’t be many CL nights where they have created so many chances.
A very mature performance from the team and the CL formation seems to work well for us. Credit to Foster for coming in and not being overawed, especially given his performance earlier in the season against Hamilton Accies where he looked like a Junior player, he stepped up and done well although that open goal chance in the last 10 minutes will haunt him. Bougherra was again outstanding and his run in the Champions League is simply incredible, it’s a run of form that will most probably see him leave the club, although hopefully not before the end of the season and for some big money as well. Naismith is on a hot streak at the moment, fit dynamic, good on the ball and strong in the air, he is our best player at present.
I said in another thread that I would be delighted with a draw, many quarters had written off our chances in this group and to be unbeaten after three games is pleasing, although it could have been so much more. I think last nights result all but guarantees European football after Christmas and more money added to the bulging pot of Champions League money as well. Credit to Walter Smith and his tactics, last years spankings at home cost us badly, so far he’s won and drawn the two games played and will fancy his chances against a United team that’s in a bit of turmoil at present, although theres still plenty of quality there. Above all, i think some credibility for the Scottish game has been re-claimed. Co-efficients will have risen also and that can only be good for us all. Point scoring apart, I genuinely believe had Celtic qualified for the Europa, it would have been very good for our standings, a few victories in that tournament would have helped push the points total up and go some way to re-claiming our guaranteed spot in the Champions League.
One final point on your article, the comparison to Edu’s goal last night and that of the disallowed Fortune goal, is completely irrelevant in the first place and also nothing like it at all. Fortune clearly had his arm across McGregor and committed a foul in the process, before he headed the ball into the net. Last night Edu clearly heads the ball into the net before the keeper fouls him, with a right hook. i suggest you watch both replays again as you’ve got this one wrong I’m afraid.
Agreed about Naismith. Thought it took Foster a long time to get into the game but oddly enough, he was in good form when he missed that chance. Bougherra, as we and everyone else said pre match, would be solid at the back and a menace going forward. When he does move on, he’ll need to go to a club where he’ll partner a disciplined centre staff who will cover his breaks. If he gets that move, he will continue to look like a highly impressive defender.
As for the goals comparison – both scoring players jumped, used their arms for leverage, made contact although not deliberately and were above the goalkeeper in nodding home. We are saying the Edu goal was a goal…it’s just funny how different strips cause people to view things differently
That was just thrown in as a bit of a bite to see if people were paying attention…and because we like pointing out the idiosyncracies of football!! However, let’s make it very clear, Rangers fully deserved all 3 points last night and a bit more composure would have seen the celebrations still continuing now.
If Rangers can avoid defeat in Spain, and there is no reason why they can’t, they are going to be in a position where second place would be up for grabs and even in their own hands. Which would be a phenomenal achievement.