Sobering reflection still gives Rangers much to cheer
Lessons learned from Old Trafford defensive triumph
We’ve learned one or two things from watching football…not a lot considering how long we’ve been watching it but last night was a great example of one our lessons.
Football fans don’t really care about the action, tactics or behaviour of teams or players….they just really care about the strip of the players carrying out that action.
Depending on your viewpoint, Rangers performance at Old Trafford last night was one of two things.
Those backing the blues would say it was a disciplined performance with each player carrying out orders to the letter. Few gave Rangers a chance of avoiding defeat at Ibrox but tactics and workrate saw them very good value for a point.
Those that dislike Rangers will moan of a bus being parked and of a display that would get football stopped. And they would also be correct. Last night is no ones idea of how football should be played but the ends justified the means.
Walter Smith has been rightly praised for getting results away from home in Europe. In the SPL, it is possible for Rangers to set your stall out to win games from the off. In Europe, it makes more sense to make yourself difficult to beat at first and then look to progress.
Of course, turn the setting around and present Rangers fans with an SPL game against lower opposition, they won’t like it.
They’ll moan about anti-football, about the price it costs to watch just one team play football and of the anguish when this defensive performance nicks a point.
If St Mirren can go to Ibrox and grab a 0-0, will Rangers fans accept they came up against dogged individuals doing the best for their team? Of course not!
And to balance it out and to show it’s not a dig at Celtic, would the hoops fans be moaning if instead of a 4-0 gubbing in Utrecht, they parked the bus and got a 0-0? Again, of course not.
Fans see things from their own perspective, it’s the only way they can see it so it’s no surprise it’s the team, rather than the action, that colours an opinion.
It should also be said that Rangers are more equipped to play a 5-4-1 than Celtic.
Kenny Miller again proved last night what a great outlet he is for a team hoping to soak up pressure and then play on the break.
Celtic don’t have an equivalent striker. They are showing signs of playing a quick counter-attacking style when the opposition loses possession but not from such a deep possession.
Another reason for Rangers strength in this formation is the players they have at the back.
Davie Weir will always sit and lie deep and a packed backline will give him assistance when needed. What Weir gives to the other defenders, aside from the reading of the game, is the licence to move forward.
Bougherra has developed a reputation for roaming down the right flank but even last night, some of Rangers best moves saw Papac in the middle of the United box.
Sometimes, from ourselves included, too much importance is placed on the numbers or shape of a formation. It is how a player breaks from his intended position or how they find space that usually decides games.
Rangers had a gameplan and as far as we can tell, they stuck to it last night and got their rewards. That is what gives Rangers fans the right to be happy with their team and delighted with their performance.
Now, if Kilmarnock can produce an equally measured performance at Ibrox, the home crowd will have a very different take on playing deep behind the ball...but that’s football for you!
Are we right in that thinking? If you’re not a Rangers fan, would you have accepted that performance? Rangers fans, are you annoyed at not seeing a more gung ho showing?
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Truly dire performance against the Man U reserves. I was working in Manchester today and the Manc’s could not stop laughing about that Rangers performance especially the OTT celebrations at the end. Pretty embarrassing stuff really.
Jeff Squire your just amuppet mate what about man u performance ?? they were sh*te as as for shrek hes just one over paid primadonna and do we care about the mancs not a toss mate
you seem to forget the money man u gets off tv right etc compared to the so called great english premiership and u lot are 300 million in the red doing it so get alife you knob
It was an impressive result for Rangers last night but it’s been 12 games since Rangers have won in the Champions League.
Rangers did what they do best in away Champions League matches, frustrate the opponents with some excellent defending and with a wee bit more luck and invention, could have sneaked a goal that would have been an incredible performance. No one gave the Rangers a hope before the game and spare me the reserves pish, that team cost in excess of £100M in transfer fee’s against £15M that it cost us to build our team. It’s a result that gives not only Rangers, but Scottish football a shot in the arm. Every other Scottish club out of Europe before the kids go back to school, with some real humiliating results from clubs that should be doing better, Dundee Utd and Celtic who failed to reach the group stages of the Europa Cup after being humiliated by a mid table club from Holland. Perhap’s of some of our clubs could take a leaf out of the champions book when it comes to defending in away European ties.
Dub – I love stats me! Please tell me the one about how many times Celtic have won away in Europe in recent seasons, or indeed how many points they have assembled in their travels in the Premier competition since they participated in it?
I’m sure Billy McNeil was the manager when they last won a game in the European Cup, far less the Champions League.
Quags… it’s a Rangers article… why do you always point to the other boy… deal with your own issues.
Nice side step Dub, I’ll give you that one.
braga showed thier class last night though
as did ma auld muckers Seville, Urine Urziceni & Stuttgart!
Unlike you jaz.