There were a number of good performances from Rangers on Wednesday night against Aberdeen. Here’s a look at my opinions on the player ratings:
WES FODERINGHAM – 9
Wes made a number of good saves, and all of them came at important times. His first was at 0-0, and Rangers scored not long afterwards. Then, at 2-0, both he and Tavernier decided nothing was getting past them. Such was the impact Foderingham had, Murty went straight to him at full time to congratulate him.
JAMES TAVERNIER – 9
Tavernier seems to have enjoyed playing against Aberdeen this season. Yet again, he was excellent, both defensively and going forward. His runs and passing caused issues all game. The cross for the opening goal was perfect, as was his pass to Windass which led to the penalty. He showed good nerve to slot that home after such a long delay. Just to top off his performance, he made two goal-saving blocks late in the game.
DECLAN JOHN – 7
A solid performance from John. He had a couple of nice moments getting forward, and gave Greg Stewart absolutely nothing. His play led to a couple of good Morelos chances in the second half which the striker was unable to take advantage of. Always looked to give the midfield an option, and defended very well.
DAVID BATES – 8
Bates had possibly his most impressive game for Rangers so far. Not only was he excellent in his defending and positioning, but he was composed on the ball. He showed good pace more than once to cover balls over the top. Rarely losing a header and covering well for any balls in behind the full back, he showed all his defensive instincts. On the ball, where he’s often criticised, he barely wasted a pass and was quick to get it to a midfielder.
RUSSELL MARTIN – 7
A strong debut for the on-loan centre half. He isn’t as dominant in the air as many centre halves, but reads the game very well. His passing is also impressive, with one in particular sending John away behind the defence. Aside from a few loose passbacks to Foderingham, he didn’t show signs of being a player who hasn’t played much this season.
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JASON HOLT – 8
Holt was captain on the night, and it seemed to push him into an even higher level of energy. He covered the entire pitch throughout the game, and looked to drive the team forward at a high tempo. Despite being fouled numerous times, he won his battles in midfield more often than not. When the team was pushing for a second goal, he was involved in a lot of the play. He can certainly be proud of his performance as captain.
SEAN GOSS – 8
Goss is a player a lot of fans are going to like. He’s composed on the ball and spots a pass early. His delivery at set pieces is threatening, and he works hard on and off the ball. His passing allowed Rangers to play at a high tempo, and forwards to move early as he can spot them. Considering his relative lack of first team experience, this was a very impressive display.
DANIEL CANDEIAS – 8
Yet again, Candeias worked extremely hard for the team. He gave Considine some real issues with his pace and direct play. Candeias is an excellent crosser of a ball, and should have had a couple of assists again in this match. His performance was best summed up by a moment in the second half where he tracked back, won the ball, drove forward and played in Morelos with a great pass. He showed desire and quality throughout.
JOSH WINDASS – 7
Windass put in a real shift, and caused some issues for the Aberdeen defence. Some of what he tried didn’t come off, but his runs were intelligent and that led to him winning the penalty. He also had a very smart flick in the second half which set up a great chance for Morelos. In terms of his own finishing, he could have done a little better with a couple of chances. A good continuation of some recent encouraging form.
JAMIE MURPHY – 7
The movement and intelligence of Murphy was very evident throughout the game. He linked up well with his new teammates, and created space with his running. Having not played a lot of games this season, you could see he was a little tentative on the ball when cutting inside. However, he won fouls very well, and pressed the game without selling himself at any point.
ALFREDO MORELOS – 8
Morelos scored, missed 3 great chances, forced a great save from the keeper, linked up the play very well, almost caused a defender to be sent off, and was correctly given a standing ovation when substituted. The Aberdeen defenders won’t be keen to see him again any time soon. A couple of his missed chances were poor, but he more than made up for it overall. Looked very annoyed with himself when he was brought off.
JASON CUMMINGS – 4
Cummings came on around 70 minutes into the game. Rangers wrapped things up not long afterwards with the penalty, and he became very isolated up front. We’ll see more from him very soon no doubt.
Both Andy Halliday and Fabio Cardoso were used as late substitutes but didn’t have time to make an impact.
What were your ratings on the night? Tweet us @rangersnewsuk with your thoughts!