There were too many players in the game last night who didn’t perform well by their standards. We let Partick Thistle back into the game at the start of the second half, and were unable to turn it around. As such, there was only a couple of players I felt were a candidate for man of the match for Rangers.
The first was Alfredo Morelos. His goal was a great finish, and not easy with the body position the ball forced him in to. He won the ball in various areas of the pitch, and started numerous counter attacks. His passing was inconsistent, but he held the ball up well and was clearly our main attacking threat on the night.
When a player scores goals consistently, it can often be assumed that their all-round game isn’t strong. Last night, Morelos had little by way of service, but was still able to make an impact on the match. He’s developing into a very strong player and giving us real hope for the season. We need a lot of luck to keep him fit and free of suspension. If that happens, early form suggests 30 goals this season is more than possible.
Man of the match for me, however, was Graham Dorrans. Last night, he was excellent at winning the ball in front of the back four and keeping us on the front foot in the first half. When we were chasing the game in the last half hour, he offered leadership and energy. His goal was an excellent strike after making himself some space on the edge of the box.
Yet again, I wasn’t able to fully watch the match live. It was on in the background of a party, and I watched it over whilst writing the match report earlier. Dorrans seems to have come in for some criticism at points last night, but I felt he was excellent, and if one or two other players had performed as well as he did, we’d have won comfortably.
So far, I don’t believe Dorrans has been fully match sharp, and has played a little deeper and more conservatively. Caixinha has recognised he needs a few games to get up to speed, and made it easier for him. Last night, there were various signs that his performance level is improving, and hopefully we’ll see more from him as the season progresses.
Who did you feel was the Rangers Man of the Match last night? Tweet @rangersnewsuk with your opinion!