The scoreline suggested a strong Rangers performance against Dundee, but in truth there were large spells of the game where the team struggled. Dundee were comfortable on the ball for the most part, and will feel the game wasn’t one they should have lost so heavily. Here are my opinions on how the players performed.
WES FODERINGHAM – 6
Foderingham only had a few saves to make, and none of them were difficult at all. His kicking, however, was pretty poor, almost leading to Dundee chances more than once. He dealt with set piece threats pretty well, commanding his area with punches or takes. Overall, he’ll be annoyed about his distribution, but it was a relatively comfortable match for the goalkeeper.
JAMES TAVERNIER – 7
When Rangers were under pressure, Tavernier defended very well. Early in the match he had to sweep up to prevent Dundee getting in behind, and he seemed to grow in confidence from there. A knock in the first half didn’t slow him down. Neither did the fact that he was struggling to link up effectively with Candeias. By the second half, he was starting to play with the sort of attacking threat he often provides, and helped create a number of good chances.
RUSSELL MARTIN – 6
Martin defended well enough in the match. The pace and movement of Simon Murray didn’t seem to phase him very much. The physical presence of Moussa caused him more issues, however. The Dundee striker got a few chances through strong running which Martin didn’t deal with. He did keep the defence organised, offer an easy outlet for players when needing to pass under pressure, and kept the team on the front foot.
ROSS McCRORIE – 7
McCrorie performed well for the 65 minutes he played. His reading of the game meant that he was winning second balls and tackles very well. A booking in the first half didn’t prevent him from being involved in the physical side of the game in the second half. His passing was a little off, but after a few months out a lack of sharpness would be expected. With his recovery pace, the defence were a bit more confident overall.
DECLAN JOHN – 6
John was a target for Dundee when they went a bit longer, with Moussa and Murray trying to win the physical battle against him. Defensively, he done fine, and going forward he was threatening on occasion. This was probably one of his quieter matches overall, however.
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GREG DOCHERTY – 5
Not a great day for Docherty. His energy and desire was as high as ever, but on the ball he was poor. There were misplaced passes, or he would run into trouble too often. His movement meant that he was trying to link up on the right more often than not. With the amount of players in that area, it saw him get crowded out. He was also caught on the ball a few times, somehow letting it fall behind him. Definitely his poorest overall performance since signing for Rangers, but not one you’d expect to see from him again any time soon.
GRAHAM DORRANS – 6
Dorrans had a poor first half, but tightened up his game in the second. At one point, he had given the ball away four times in a row with poor passes or a lack of composure. He conceded a few fouls against Deacon and Kamara as he was a little slow with his pressing. His experience came to the fore, though, as he got past his disappointing play to have a bigger influence later in the match. It was his run and square ball which led to the fourth goal, and his overall performance improved as the match went on.
DANIEL CANDEIAS – 8
Candeias set up the second goal with a great cross in the second half. He also scored the fourth goal to put a shine on the result. There was a shot which hit the post on a counter attack, and his cross was almost turned in by Miller early in the game. He had a real impact overall, and even when Rangers weren’t playing well in the game, he was still a threat. His defensive work rate was high as always. He didn’t let the frustration of the first half hold him back, and had a very good game overall.
KENNY MILLER – 7
Miller seemed to be struggling a little before his goal. His touch was a bit loose, and some of his link up play didn’t work. The finish for the first goal, though, was a cracking strike. There was real composure to how he took on that shot. In the second half, he missed two really good chances to score another goal, but his all-round play improved.
JAMIE MURPHY – 7
Murphy showed his now consistent ability to beat players throughout this match. Whether it be on the run or from a standing start, he’s adept at taking the ball past people. That showed with the way he set up the first goal, picking the ball up and running at the Dundee defence. He took three players out of the game before slipping the ball to Miller for the goal. His goal came from good pressing by both him and Morelos to leave him an easy finish. Murphy showed in this match that even when not at his best, he’ll be able to have a big effect on matches.
ALFREDO MORELOS – 7
Morelos found the first half a little frustrating. Rangers weren’t good in possession, and he was struggling to get chances. In the second half, he got more involved, winning the ball well with his strength and pressing the defenders into mistakes. His goal came from a great run which was picked out expertly by Candeias. It was Morelos who forced the mistake which led to the third goal. It wasn’t his best performance by some distance, but certainly one which helped Rangers win the match.
ANDY HALLIDAY – 5
Halliday came on for Docherty on the 60th minute, and made a real difference. He was composed on the ball, and able to find passes or run into space. Defensively, he was a little loose, giving away a few fouls, but his contribution helped improve the team towards the end of the match.
BRUNO ALVES – 4
Alves replaced McCrorie on 65 minutes. His first involvement was to give away a foul when Wighton looked set to strike from just outside the box. That led to taking a yellow card for the team, but didn’t cause any further issues. He defended pretty well under pressure for a short time, but didn’t have a lot to do overall.
SEAN GOSS – 3
Goss was a late substitute for Miller. He couldn’t get up to the speed of the game, though, and gave away a few fouls.
Any ratings you disagree with? Tweet us @rangersnewsuk with your thoughts!