Given everything going on, the win against Hearts was the best performance of the season so far by Rangers. Let’s look at the better performers in a strong showing from the team.
First up was Jason Holt. He was man of the match against Kilmarnock, and played just as well on Saturday. His style of play links up the sectors of the team very well, which can help his teammates through a game. The Hearts midfield was young and energetic, but were given the runaround by the ex-Jambo.
Despite going another game without a goal, Alfredo Morelos was excellent on the day. His strength and link-up play gave the Hearts defence real trouble. But for a couple of loose passes, he’d have had great chances to score, most of which were made through his hard work. He’s assisted goals in two games consecutively now, proof that he has more to his game than just goals.
In the home game against Hearts, Berra was able to nullify Morelos. This time around, the young striker firmly won that battle.
The man of the match, however, clearly has to be awarded to Kenny Miller. His inclusion was a talking point in itself, and he had plenty to prove. In the first half hour, he had a few loose passes which killed good attacking situations. One in particular through to Morelos was disappointing. However, his attitude and experience was key in a game where Rangers could easily have struggled. At 1-0 down, we needed a reaction, and his movement for his first goal was brilliant. The finish got a lot of the luck we’ve lacked in recent games, but we certainly deserved to be at least level.
The cross from Tavernier for his second goal was inch-perfect, but we’ve seen Miller miss many a chance like that. His header showed he was playing with confidence, and was potentially our first good moment early in a second half all season. He topped off the performance with a great pass for Windass which led to the third goal.
As fans, we can be prone to disregarding the opinions of ex-pros and pundits. We ofte accuse them of being stuck in the past or just looking out for their friends. Pretty much everyone involved in the game felt that Caixinha had made a mistake in not involving Miller. We’ll discuss that more in the Talking Points article, but performances like this will certainly see them feel rather smug. Ultimately, he contributed hugely to a Rangers win, and that’s the main thing for the fans right now.
Did you feel Miller was man of the match? Tweet us @rangersnewsuk with your thoughts!